Been reflecting lately. I do that sometimes. Especially in the dead of winter. What new music have I been listening to lately? I was surprised that many of my current favs were in fact from 2024, not 2025. Oh well, here's my top 2025 list:
- Billy Strings - Highway Prayers: this album is my road-trip-go-to. It's a long album, but every song is a banger. His band is on fire, and the production is perfect. I got to see him recently and he played the song I wanted to hear the most (the only song I've learned to sing and play): Seven Weeks in County. A grim, gunslinger ballad that could've been written two hundred years ago. Catch and Release is another banger, but so is every other song.
- Slash - Orgy of the Damned: the album I didn't know I needed. Terrible title aside, it's an instant classic. He recorded it live-off-the-floor in less than a week, then rounded up some singers to add vocals. The vibe is huge, his guitar sounds better than ever, and his special guests are incredible. Demi Lovato sings Pappa was a Rolling Stone; on paper, this sounds awful. It shouldn't work. But it does. Perhaps the best track on the album. Gary Clark Jr. doing Crossroads is another highlight.
- Phish - Evolve: I have a love/hate relationship with this band. I'm hugely influenced by their 90's era: Billy Breathes, Story of the Ghost, Slip Stitch and Pass, and Hoist being my favs. Their newer stuff, not so much (sorry, not sorry). So I was pleasantly surprised when I gave this album a listen. It's great. The production and performances are crisp, and the songs have energy. It sounds like they were really into it. Not too jammy (save that for live performances), and the guitars sound huge. Wave of Hope and Hey Stranger are rippin'.
- Kingfish - Hard Road: this album is from 2025. So there. The importance of Christone “Kingfish” Ingram cannot be understated. I dig the blues. And he's the best there is, in my opinion. This album is pure gold. Voodoo Charm is great, but it's tough picking one song that stands out. Go listen to it's entirety. On a side note, it's got a sexy vibe, so if you're with someone special, this is a great ‘mood’ album.
- Erin Harpe - Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt: (also from 2025) Ah man, where do I begin… MJH is my favourite old time musician; I play his music nearly every time I pick up my acoustic. And Erin Harpe does his music perfectly. Candy Man is pure gold. I'd love to meet her and jam sometime. But if wishes were horses…
But enough about me, what are your current favs?