Why criticism still matters

It’s that time again: lists, arguments, consensus (or lack of it). So.. how do we choose an ultimate “Album of the Year’?

In this episode, Emma Wilkes joins Sean Adams to talk through their favourite albums of 2025. No this is not the definitive list, not the ‘right’ list, just the stuff that has stuck, been obsessed over, demanded repeat listens, or just briefly rearranged their internal wiring.

They also talk openly about the collapse of monoculture, the impossibility of ‘keeping up’, and why criticism still matters amongst the fractured scenes, algorithmic bubbles, and overwhelming volume of new music to choose from.

This is not so much a ranked list and more as two very online music obsessives trying to map a year that refuses to be summarised.

The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.

Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.

Chapters

00:00 – Hayley Williams and the case for a bold AOTY

01:00 – Emma’s pick: The Callous Daoboys and joyful heaviness

04:00 – Grassroots venues, noise scenes, and Atlanta’s rise

06:30 – Introducing Emma Wilkes: rock, metal & Kerrang!

09:00 – Why heavy music needs catharsis, humour, and chaos

12:00 – Hardcore’s new era and the crossover wave

14:00 – The collapse of monoculture in 2025

16:00 – Discovery fatigue and the algorithm problem

18:30 – Model/Actriz, grief albums, and theatrical noise

22:00 – Heartworms and the art of gothic storytelling

24:00 – Ska, cowbells, and unexpected nostalgia

27:00 – Honourable mentions: Lambrini Girls, Wolf Alice, Nova Twins

30:00 – Hayley Williams’ political arc and southern identity

32:00 – Easter eggs, vocal shifts, and how fans decode albums

34:00 – Allyship, perspective, and storytelling in pop

35:00 – Production notes: Efterklang, Daniel James & sonic detail

37:00 – Why music criticism still matters

39:00 – Emma’s Top 10: heavy, emotional, ambitious

42:00 – Sean’s curveballs: Postcards, DARKSIDE & more

45:00 – So… who really made Album of the Year?

Albums mentioned:

• Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
• The Callous Daoboys - I Don't Want to See You in Heaven
• Backxwash - Only Dust Remains
• Kathryn Joseph - We Were Made Prey
• FKA twigs - Eusexua Afterglow
• Ethel Cain - Perverts
• Model/Actriz - Pirouette
• Alan Sparhawk - With Trampled by Turtles
• Heartworms - Glutton for Punishment
• Die Spitz ‧ Something to Consume
• Little Simz - Lotus
• Lily Allen - West End Girl
• The Mynabirds - It's Okay To Go Back If You Keep Moving Forward
• Wolf Alice - The Clearing
• Turnstile - Never Enough
• Addison Rae - Addison
• Sharon Van Etten - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
• Marissa Nadler - New Radiations
• Nova Twins - Parasites & Butterflies
• Anna von Hausswolff - Iconoclasts
• Sudan Archives - The BPM
• Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
• JADE - THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!
• Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp
• Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
• Scowl - Are We All Angels
• Postcards - Ripe
• DARKSIDE - Nothing
• Jools - Violent Delights
• Witch Fever - Fevereaten
• Deafheaven - Lonely People with Power
• Lambrini Girls - Who Let The Dogs Out
• Sprints - All That Is Over
• Pinkshift - Earthkeeper
• Creeper - Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death
• Melody’s Echo Chamber - Unclouded 
• HEALTH - CONFLICT DLC

Continue the Conversation:

Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.

Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.