The Best of the Best, Mid-Year Edition

Thanks to the algorithmic world in which we live, my social-media feeds are currently ablaze with complaints about the state of modern music. I made the mistake of responding to several of the comments and now…well, what can you do beyond ignore, mute or block such posts? The nattering nabobs of negativism drive me nuts.

The truth is, most folks never move beyond the favorites of their formative years. This we know. Old coots like me crank up classic rock (or, perhaps, old-school country, soul/R&B, and jazz) via the same few radio stations they’ve always tuned to and/or stream prefab playlists that replicate the soundtracks of their youths, with the only exposure to “new” music (some of which is decades old) coming courtesy of their children, grandchildren, and TV shows. Music, for them, is little more than nostalgia fodder—and, to an extent, it’s understandable. In the Mazda3 Time Machine, I sometimes flip between the 70s on 7, 60s Gold and SoulTown channels on SiriusXM—all oldies, in other words. There’s a comfort to be had from old grooves.

But, as evidenced by this blog, I also enjoy plenty of new sounds—far more than I can fit into its pages. In fact, the first six months of 2025 have featured dozens upon dozens of albums and EPs, ranging from avant-garde/ambient to folk to country to R&B, that I’ve obsessed over. Given that I only spotlight that which I really, really like, it’s safe to say that each and every of my First Impressions are worth checking out. That said, to my ears, the 20 below—listed in alphabetical order—are the crème de la crème…

• Amanda Whiting – Can You See Me Now?
• Calista Garcia – Animal Magnifique
• Charlotte Morris – Both Sides
• Christian Winther – Sculptures from Under the City Ice
• Diane Coll – Up from the Mud
• JM Stevens – Wish on a River Bridge
• Kassi Valazza – From Newman Street
• Kelsey Waldon – Every Ghost
• Kristin Daelyn – Beyond the Break
• Madison Hughes – All That I Am
• numün – Opening
• Ryan Cassata – Greetings from Echo Park
• Sam Moss – Swimming
• Sara Bug – Into the Blue
• 6161 – 6161
• Southern Avenue – Family
• Stone Foundation – The Revival of Survival
• Suzanne Vega – Flying with Angels
• Tessa Rose Jackson – A Mirror Sometime
• Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange – Inspire // Radicalise