The Respins: Spring 2025 in Review

Hello and welcome back to the next season in the Four Seasons of Remembrance: Spring. From April to June, there were some fabulous albums released. Some were, obviously, better than others, but the albums that will you will read about below really cover a gamut. From quiet folk rock to acidic house music to soul-infused jazz music, the season offered a true bounty of material.

Let’s get started with the rundown. As always, everything is organized by first letter, and I disregard “A” and “The” because I am not a cretin.

Billy Woods, GOLLIWOG

Every year, there is a rap album that the press decides to rally around. This year, it is this one. While there are years when I don’t get it, this is not one such year. GOLLIWOG hits with the force of an 18-wheeler doing 90. It’s dark, dense, abstract, and absolutely brilliant. Woods is one of the best word stylists in the rap game right now, and the collection of producers that he brought on for this project is phenomenal. Now, I will be honest: this album is bleak. Not kind of bleak. I mean bleak bleak. So, if you find yourself not wanting to put it on a loop, I get that. However, you must listen to this album if you say that you are a fan of hip-hop because it is one of the best displays from this year.

Broncho, Natural Pleasure

If I was a person that made a numbered list, I would put this album up high because I would want people to listen to it. It’s a quiet gem that moves through a variety of styles but sounds fully cohesive. It’s dreamy, hypnotic, direct, and groovy in equal measures. I love the fact that this album commands full attention while rarely making more than a whisper. It’s confident in what it’s doing. All you need to do is trust them, which is easy to do after the first track.

Deradoorian, Ready for Heaven

On this album, Angel Deradoorian drops an album of slickly crafted experimental pop songs that highlight her poetic, abstract lyrics. Deradoorian plays with disco-punk (think ESG or Liquid Liquid), PJ Harvey-style blues menace, and Kate Bush-style art rock, among other things. Furthermore, she does not make it sound like an academic chore; the songs are compelling and engaging on their own terms, without knowing any of the points of reference. While the album does bounce around, it is extremely cohesive as an artistic statement.

Emma-Jean Thackray, Weirdo

This is one of the most upbeat albums about mental health struggles that I have listened to in a while. Thackray takes her background in jazz music and infuses it with soul, R&B, and funk. Using this palette, Thackray creates songs in which she works through her mental health struggles as well as the death of her partner in 2023. She said that the album helped save her life, and I fully believe that. The songs are full of feelings that anyone who has had mental struggles can relate to, but this isn’t a dark album. There are moments of hope, and the songs sound more like the release of emotions rather than a wish to dwell in them. It’s a remarkable album. I’m glad that she got this out and, more importantly, is still with us.

Erika De Casier, Lifetime

Erika De Casier has long been a personal favorite. Since she came on to the international underground scene, her music has been sitting at the juncture of UK two-step and 90s R&B (think Aaliyah). On Lifetime, De Casier puts that style to the side and reaches for two different influences: the music of Sade and trip-hop. The result is an album that is radically different for her. Even though it is quite a shift, the quality is still extremely high. De Casier’s voice is light but commanding, and the music is still phenomenal. She cannot seem to put a foot wrong right now, and that’s a great thing for us all.

Hieroglyphic Being, Dance Music 4 Bad People

Jamal Ross has been releasing brilliant house music under the name Hieroglyphic Being for many years, and this is just another addition to a sterling catalog. A 50-minute blast of beautifully crafted house music that runs at a solid BPM and is covered in acidic touches. This music works at the club and while you’re driving around in your car or generally moving through life. And unlike some house music, it is not mindless. The songs are drenched with fine details, rewarding close listening and letting you know that a true craftsman put these tracks together.

Index For Working Musik, Which Direction Goes The Beam

This is a truly experimental rock album. The band plays with guitars, drums, and electronics while flirting with various styles of music from post-punk to noise to English folk. All the while, the album constantly swings between melody and menace, leaving the listener constantly off balance. I relistened to this album to prepare for this, and I was still in awe of how neatly constructed and thoughtfully considered this album is. If you are looking for something way off the beaten path, I would encourage you to listen to this album.

Jenny Hval, Iris Silver Mist

Maybe one of the more immediately accessible albums in her archive, Iris Silver Mist retains many of the hallmarks of Hval’s music. There are dense soundscapes that play with ambient music, dance music, pop music, and modern composition. These sounds are accompanied by Hval’s poetic writing and angelic voice. On this album, she tells stories of isolation and reconnection, with the narrative arc of the album shifting from spectral to concrete. She has been operating at an extremely high level for quite a while now, and this album shows no signs of Hval slowing down any time soon.

Kali Uchis, Sincerely

Kali Uchis is one of the best working in the modern R&B space, and this album is further proof of that. Having recently become a mother, Uchis explores motherhood (her feelings about raising a child as well as her thoughts about her own mother) while referencing orchestral pop sounds, dream pop, and neo-soul. It is quite a change from her previous albums, but because she is an absolute pro, she makes it sound completely natural, like she’s been doing it the entire time. A resounding, mature album from an artist who only continues to impress more and more.

L.A. WITCH, DOGGOD

This is the album that I listened to the most this year. Period. Tidal told me as much in my rewind for the year. Am I mad about this fact? Absolutely not. Do I think that this is the best album of the year? Not really. There are albums that are going for considerably more. That said, this was my personal favorite album. I am completely on the wavelength of this album. This trio of young women from Los Angeles made an album that merges my interest in goth rock, post-punk, Mazzy Star (singer Sade Sanchez has real Hope Sandoval energy), and brevity. It’s lean, tight, tough, and knows what it wants. I wish more albums were like it.

Lael Neale, Altogether Stranger

I was excited to find out that Lael Neale was putting out another album. I have been on board with her since her first album, Acquainted With Night. Her music has this primitivism that is dreamy and alluring in equal measures. While other albums featured the autoharp and other instrumentation, Neale works with guitars, keyboards, and drum machines on this album. The result is that you can feel the alienation and dislocation in her lyrics more acutely. Although it’s a bit heavy, Neale does an excellent job of using the music to lift the mood, making the album a pleasant listen rather than a chore. It’s just another beautiful album in a quietly brilliant discography.

Lifeguard, Ripped and Torn

For a bunch of young kids from Chicago, Lifeguard make quite a lot of noise. I mean that in the most literal sense. Their album is full of jagged guitar noise and ping pongs between vibes at the drop of a hat. Even though it is only 30 minutes, the trio ping-pongs through power pop, post-punk, noise, and straight-ahead rock and roll, among other things. They manage to make the entire thing sound cohesive, which is the greater accomplishment. Given how young they are, I’m excited to hear what the future has in store for them given how strong this debut is.

Lily Seabird, Trash Mountain

A lovely folk-rock album from the Vermont songwriter. Named after her home, Seabird’s album revels in lovely guitar work and beautifully drawn lyrics. The pacing of the album is nice, mixing some exploratory jams into the quieter songs. This album was a lovely discovery for me this year. I am looking forward to hearing more from her in the future.

Little Simz, Lotus

Apparently the spring was the time in the year when everyone decided to release their deeply introspective albums. Another one in this genre is Little Simz’s Lotus. With sharp production and excellent lines, she explores her own mental space and the struggles that she had to produce the album that you are listening to. Her albums are always worth your time, and this album is no exception.

Maria Somerville, Luster

If nothing has become obvious about me during the course of writing this newsletter, it is that I have a deep knowledge of and love for 4AD and 80s to 90s dream pop. Someone else who shares this love is Maria Somerville. On Luster, Somerville uses that palette to create something modern and immersive. But, I should be clear to say that the album is not just homage. Somerville puts herself into the music with her writing and her voice. Through her careful sonic construction, Somerville takes the tools of the past and makes a unique, brilliant album that is as dreamy as it is affecting.

Natalia Lafourcade, Cancionera

On this album, Lafourcade reinterprets the cancion in a modern context. Done in one take live to tape in the studio, this album is brilliant. Lafourcade’s voice and guitar playing are phenomenal. The help from Soundwalk Collective and Adàn Jodorowsky—as well as the various contributors and the 18 chamber musicians—brings Lafourcade’s vision into crystal clear focus. While this album probably plays very well with the NPR audience, that doesn’t mean that you should disregard it. It’s long, but it is worth your time.

Phoebe Rings, Aseurai

I love a dreamy pop album, and this is what Phoebe Rings delivers in spades. Crystal Choi’s voice is featherlight, dancing in your ears. The band plays a form of dream pop that pulls influence from disco, city pop, sophisti-pop, and jazz, among other things. If you have listened to Yumi Zouma, this album should be up your alley. This is an album to fall into and drift along with.

Pulp, More

Given that I went to see them play this album live, it should be no surprise that this is on this list. After an decades-long hiatus, Pulp gets back together and writes songs that can rival some of the work they created in the 90s. Jarvis Cocker’s voice and lyrics are as sharp as they have ever been, and the Pulp sound has been kept intact, with only slight modifications made for the 2020s. A great album with much replay value. It’s great to have them back, even if it is only for this album.

S.G. Goodman, Planting by the Signs

While I’ve never heard of S.G. Goodman before this album, I was absolutely blown away by this release. Her voice is absolutely phenomenal, full of character and dynamic. Her lyrics are funny and well-crafted. And, the duet with Bonnie “Prince” Billy is one of the best Americana songs from this year. Full stop. It’s absolutely stunning. This is an extremely well-crafted album that deserves any attention that you can give to it.

Salami Rose Joe Louis, Lorings

This was an album that I was on the fence about putting in here until I listened to it again. I am struck by Lindsay Olson’s ability to create a fully engulfing world with rippling synths, electronic flourishes, and her own quiet, mostly whispered vocals. This ability to transport the listener is what puts this album here. While the album is about some heavier topics, Olson’s world is comfortable, making it safe to explore those feelings with her. If you want to go somewhere else for a while, put this on and enjoy the ride.

Smerz, Big city life

This album crept up on me. I didn’t write about it in the proper Spins because I didn’t get a handle on it and it just sort of got lost in the wash of things. That said, once I started listening to it more closely, I realized how tricky these ladies are. The album starts on a bit of a club tip, but as it moves along, it smoothly shifts into an electronically informed R&B album. The writing is excellent, speaking to the ups and downs of being a young woman in our modern world. These ebbs and flows drive the album deeper and deeper into you until the whole thing is over and you’re left wondering what just happened. This is a fantastic album made by two women with complete control of their craft.

Sorry Girls, Dreamwalker

There is this very distinct strain of pop music coming out of Montreal that sounds like it is from between the years of 1975 and 1987. It uses modern techniques, but it sounds like it is in a time warp. Sorry Girls is one of the bands in this movement, and this album uses the rhythms of that period to its advantage. The vocals of Heather Foster Kirkpatrick fit nicely with the clearly 80s-coded production of Dylan Conrad Obront and create a veneer of dreamy longing, not unlike what one would hear on a Blue Nile album. This album scratches an itch for me in the same way that Still Corners does. Am I listening to the most adventurous album ever? No, I’m not. Am I listening to an album that understands its vibe perfectly, and that vibe is meticulously crafted? Yes I am, and I love it for that.

Stereolab, Instant Holograms on Metal Film

As I noted when I talked about legacy acts, it can be hard for a band to come back successfully after a long hiatus. You would not know this from listening to Stereolab. This album, while influenced by what they have learned in the times between their last album and this one, sounds like they had never left. The socialist lyrics, the motorik, the interesting melange of influences: they are all still there. If you liked Stereolab before, you’ll love this. If you’ve never heard Stereolab before, this is a perfect place to start.

Vegyn, Blue Moon Safari

I wrote about this album when I was considering the cover album as an idea. Aside from thinking that this is a beautiful reimagining of an absolutely iconic album, it is a really great listen. Vegyn did a great job of bringing his own vision to this album while still keeping it immediately recognizable as Moon Safari, an album that many people know by heart even if they haven’t listened to it in years.

Viagra Boys, viagr aboys

An absolutely insane, brilliant album from this Swedish post-punk outfit. Taking on 2020s culture more generally and masculinity more specifically, viagr aboys is rocking, eviscerating, adventurous, clever, and funny. So, so funny. The variety of images on this album are absolutely brilliant. If you like things that rock hard or make references to guys who talk about World War II and bog bodies, this album will be right up your alley.

Yaya Bey, do it afraid

Yaya Bey comes back to the table again with another electric set of alternative R&B. She might be in love this time, but she still ain’t got time for dudes wasting her time, especially when she’s trying to have fun. She’s partying on this album, bringing in Caribbean rhythms and club rhythms into her mix of soul, jazz, and R&B. The new elements fit naturally and making her music even more compelling. If you think she’s lost her insightfulness, you’re sorely mistaken; she’s as sharp here as she has ever been. She’s out here firing on all cylinders. The world could stand to catch up with her.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading. I’ll be back next week with July through September, the third quarter of the year. As always, take care of yourselves and each other. And stay warm. It’s cold out there in those streets.