#NewMusicFriday: Kicking Myself into 2025

The start of any new year is a relatively slow period for new music releases. So, rather than offer 15 new titles for this first Friday of 2025, I’ll share 15 titles that could have easily been included in my List of 50 from 2024.

In no particular order, then, here are 15 albums that for one reason or another—specifically: old age, forgetfulness, lack of proper planning and control—I failed to mention last week. Duh.

Rosie Lowe: Lover, Other (Blue Flowers) [Beats and grooves that make you screw up your face.—SM]

Amyl and The Sniffers: Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers)

Waxahatchee: Tigers Blood (Anti)

Freak Slug: I Blow Out Big Candles (Future Classic)

Wallice: The Jester (Dirty Hit)

Friedberg: Hardcore Workout Queen (Clouds Hill)

Sylvie Kreusch: Comic Trip (Seedy Tricks/Sony Music)

Sofie Royer: Young-Girl Forever (Stones Throw Records) [Really can’t believe I forgot this one.—SM]

Naima Bock: Below a Massive Dark Land (Sub Pop) [And this one! WTF?—SM]

Rosali: Bite Down (Merge Records)

Kali Malone: All Life Long (Ideologic Organ)

Clairo: Charm (Clairo Records) [This one has the kind of perfectly orchestrated moments of stupid pop beauty that hurt, and I’m annoyed with myself yet again.—SM]

Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony (Secretly Canadian)

Homer: Ensatina (Big Crown Records)

Bilal: Adjust Brightness (Bilal Music) [Former Stereophile Editorial Assistant, Ariel Bitran, introduced me to Bilal. Thanks for that, AB.—SM]

There. Maybe now I can stop kicking myself and move on.