CTRL+ALT+REPEAT 2025: Best Albums
Wednesday, Wolf Alice, Dijon, and Geese delivered some of the best albums of 2025.
Storytelling is one of the most fundamentally human traits we exhibit. From orally-passed-down traditions spanning generations, to ink on pages lining library walls, and gossip whispered from ear to ear in a school hallway, telling a story is how we ask to be heard — and no one knows this better than musicians.
The art of the album is a tedious one, but when it’s done well, the result is a carefully-crafted narrative that attempts to unite us in some way. Whether it’s through tales of physical community, universally-felt emotions, or generation-specific truths, indie, alternative, and rock artists seemed to expose themselves more viscerally than ever through musical stories this year. Without further ado, here are the albums we at Off the Record truly heard in 2025.
Burnout Days by Flipturn, Jan. 24
McKenzie Blasi, Contributor
Flipturn's sophomore album, Burnout Days, arrived as a polished and vulnerable collection of indie rock anthems, showcasing the band's growth as both musicians and individuals. The LP, recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas, captures the complexities of navigating life in one's mid-twenties, particularly after intense years on the road. It delves into personal struggles like self-esteem, addiction, and codependency, finding a surprising beauty amidst chaos and exhaustion.
Sonically, the album expands on their signature sound with shimmering production, punchy rhythms, and unexpected experimentation, all delivered with meticulous craft. Tracks like "Rodeo Clown" and “Burnout Days” weave honesty with irresistible, catchy hooks. This cathartic release is an insightful chronicle of the highs and lows of modern young adulthood.
The Crux by Djo, April 4
Caroline Goldschmitt, Contributor
Joe Keery may have ditched his on-stage disguise when performing as Djo, but his third album, The Crux, takes his shapeshifting to a new level. Instead of the experimental synths and stream-of-consciousness lyrics that his first two projects are known for, The Crux tells vivid stories supported by a full-bodied band and a sound that was equally made for the stage and a coming of age movie.
The record largely explores identity, diving into the impact of public perception, heartbreak, and the support of those around us. Tracks like “Link” and “Back on You” carry a lively tone á la Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while “Egg” and “Fly” embody the typical moodiness that Djo listeners are a little more accustomed to. Featuring vulnerable songwriting and backup vocals from Keery’s sisters, The Crux pulses with a deeply honest heartbeat — one that pulls listeners in and connects them to stories of their own.
SABLE, fABLE by Bon Iver, April 11
Tabita Bernardus, Head Writing Editor
Nobody ruminates on painstaking heartache and existential crises with sonic and lyrical prowess like Justin Vernon. Since his first release as Bon Iver nearly two decades ago, Vernon’s storytelling has stood as exemplary, even beyond the indie-folk scene. He skillfully weaves elements such as electronica, gospel, and jazz across his discography, constantly breaking the boundaries of what folk music can shape into.
While his work is infamously known for wrestling with somber subjects, this year brought forth bright crescendos as he vanquished his shadows with newfound hope that feels almost childlike on his fifth studio album, SABLE, fABLE. “Oh, the vibrance / Sun in my eyes (It gets brighter),” an elated Vernon exclaims in the first lines of “Short Story,” for instance. The project is packed with everything Vernon does best, but this time he draws back the cabin’s solemn curtains to let light spill in.
Watch the music video for Spacey Jane’s “All the Noise” on YouTube.
If That Makes Sense by Spacey Jane, May 9
Jane Flautt, Music Extras Co-Editor
With their third album, Spacey Jane takes everything they do so well — unforgettable guitar melodies, visceral lyrics about love and identity, addictive choruses — and hones it into their most polished work yet. If That Makes Sense showcases a more pop- and synth-heavy sound compared to the Australian indie-rock band’s previous work, but the evolution is a refreshing one. The record is a never-ending stream of songs you can’t help but listen to on repeat, from heart-wrenching ballads (“How to Kill Houseplants,” “Estimated Delivery”), to mid-tempo tracks whose lyrics grapple with the cruel nature of love (“So Much Taller,” “The More That it Hurts”), and scream-your-heart-out, energetic anthems (“All the Noise,” “Through My Teeth”).
The influence of veteran producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, the 1975) is felt throughout, but the record retains all the tried-and-true facets of Spacey Jane, from guitar riffs that leave you breathless to affecting lyrics that equally comfort and devastate. At its core, If That Makes Sense is an album about pain and expression and how they are often at odds with each other, poignantly capturing the bittersweetness of vulnerability and the catharsis of letting go.
Virgin by Lorde, June 27
Mitchell Stewart, Contributor
With the cover being an X-ray of her pelvis, Lorde opens up on Virgin before the listener even presses play on the album. This is Lorde bearing everything she has to the listener — every thought, every cigarette, every one-night stand. Lorde has traded in the acoustic, natural production of Solar Power for the industrial, psychedelic sound of Virgin. This is the pop maven coming to terms with the facets of her life that have always been there, in the back of her mind.
From addressing her identity in “Shapeshifter” and “Man of the Year” to reflecting on her relationship with her mother in “Favourite Daughter,” Lorde has nothing to lose; she’s brutally honest and unafraid of oversharing anything. The closing song, “David,” is a gut-wrenching reveal of Lorde’s new state of mind, chipping away everything that isn’t herself like a marble statue. Virgin is a pure expression of freedom that is enough to empower you to bare it all, just as Lorde has taken to doing.
Cuntry by Cleo Reed, July 17
Madelyn Aiken, Contributor
Gratitude overcomes me when I listen to a project and feel like I’ve stepped directly into an artist’s stream of consciousness. This year, I feel particularly indebted to Cleo Reed. Their sophomore album, Cuntry, is a new-age folk record that explores the struggles of finding your footing in modern America, heightened by the intersectionality of being Black and queer. Songs like “Salt n’ Lime,” “I Been Out Here Hustlin’,” and “Always The Horse, Never The Jockey” tackle the physical and mental soreness that comes from living for the workforce and not yourself. In “I Been Out Here Hustlin’,” they sing, “Can you feel the disconnection of us all? / Trying to cling to those who are richer than us all / Told me who to be, never had no choice at all.” The sound of the project is twangy and adventurous, blending Southern folk with electronica, giving listeners something new with every track.
Watch the music video for Audrey Hobert’s “Sue me” on Spotify.
Who’s the Clown? by Audrey Hobert, Aug. 15
Sullivan Jordan, Senior Writer
After a chaotically brilliant debut with the smashing, 2000s club-worthy track “Sue me,” Audrey Hobert had much to prove on her debut album, Who’s the Clown?, and she did not disappoint. Who’s the Clown? instantly connected with listeners who are tired of living in a world where silliness is frowned upon and showing too much emotion is a sign of weakness.
Hobert is unafraid to be completely herself and sings about her struggles as a 20-something woman and artist living in a society that stops at nothing to dim the light of those with even a hint of sparkle. She effortlessly combines cheeky lyrics and addictive instrumentals in a hot pink, glittery envelope delivered directly from the early 2000s, inspiring listeners to embrace their quirks and follow their wildest dreams.
Baby by Dijon, Aug. 15
Roxie Jenkin, Contributor
Dijon’s work is often symbolic of love, but Baby brings a whole new and more intimate perspective to his craft. While his last album, Absolutely, explores the challenges of young, sometimes toxic love, Baby invites us into the layered emotional depths of long-term relationships. This new wisdom is heard in songs like “Baby!” which speaks to the experience of having children, and “my man,” where Dijon sings about a love that burns through him. Through velvety instrumentals and a raw vocal delivery, the music oozes humanity and warmth. With claps, group harmonics, and his own child’s voice, we hear love’s softness while also getting sonic and emotional complexity through electronic bends and swells, reflecting the layered nature of love itself.
The Clearing by Wolf Alice, Aug. 22
Brooke Shapiro, Music Extras Co-Editor
“Did it help to take the thorn out / Telling the whole world you’ve been hurt?” Ellie Rowsell croons to open Wolf Alice’s fourth studio album. It’s a biting self-critique, but it’s an apt start to the truth-seeking journey that is The Clearing. Throughout the record’s 12 tracks, Rowsell reaches into the depths of her psyche to lead the band through questions of womanhood, self-confidence, and found family. Instrumentalists Joff Oddie, Theo Ellis, and Joel Amey propel these themes with lush melodies that feel individually explorative yet altogether cohesive. Whether it’s through the jubilant glam rock sound of “Bread Butter Tea Sugar” or the Mazzy Star-esque, vocally-forward folk style of “Leaning Against The Wall,” each song on the record helps build the world of The Clearing: a shimmering fairytale grounded in the reality of what it means to be truly human.
Girl Violence by King Princess, Sept. 12
Bri Ng Schwartz, Contributor
Girl Violence, King Princess’s latest album, is a return to the rock influence she first teased on her debut album, Cheap Queen, with album closer “Ohio.” Straying from her signature queer pop soundscape, Mikaela Straus — the face behind King Princess — puts the power in power ballads with wailing guitar solos and vocal punches about losing love alongside the trials and tribulations of finding it again. Cherry, the album's large-chested mascot, serves as a comedic breath and fictitious nemesis of Straus throughout album teasers and social media posts. Girl Violence perfectly encapsulates King Princess’s brand of emotional lyricism and quippy visuals.
Watch the music video for Twenty One Pilots’s “The Contract” on YouTube.
Breach by Twenty One Pilots, Sept. 12
Emily Cheyne, Contributor
Roughly a year after the release of one of Twenty One Pilots’s most anticipated albums, Clancy, came the work’s second part and conclusion, Breach. The album, which includes chart topping singles like “The Contract” and “Drum Show,” gave fans the ending to a 10-year-long story that members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have been telling through each preceding record. The blended sounds of rock, pop, and synth made this one of their most experimental albums to date, giving old and new fans alike something to enjoy. Twenty One Pilots continue to push their sound into the unexpected and break free from any standards set by previous albums.
Bleeds by Wednesday, Sept. 19
Isa Darisay, Contributor
Rock five-piece Wednesday weaved together a kaleidoscope of emotions with their third album, Bleeds. The band seamlessly shed light on fragments of pain, loss, heartbreak, love, joy, anger, beauty, and nostalgia all through an alternative rock lens steeped in Southern influence. Front woman Karly Harzman’s reedy yet plaintive vocals so clearly paint the imagery of each lyric within this album, from small moments within memories to larger thoughts and feelings that make each song feel so human and relatable to any listener.
The record further establishes Wednesday’s identity as a nearly honky-tonk band, with the twangy sounds of “Phish Pepsi” and “Elderberry Wine,” whilst tracks like “Reality TV Argument Bleeds,” “Bitter Everyday,” and “Candy Breath” tap into their grittier rock foundation. The ability to keep a cohesive sound throughout their experimental and unique endeavors amongst genres is about as alternative, rock, and indie as you can get — and we at Off The Record count that as a damn good album.
Getting Killed by Geese, Sept. 26
Elena Cabigas, Contributor
Breaking further into the alternative rock scene, New York City band Geese returned with Getting Killed, their striking third studio album. The band channels a volatile mix of loud, almost jarring energy and devastating lyricism similar to that seen on frontman Cameron Winters debut solo album, Heavy Metal. Across the record, themes of love, loss, unrest, and sacrifice simmer beneath the chaos of unhinged percussion and rough bass lines. This is a perfectly crafted soundscape that feels both electrifying and unsettling, guaranteed to bruise your heart with songs like “Au Pays Du Cocaine” and “Husbands.”
The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean, Sept. 26
Jackie Fortis, Music Reviews Editor
Olivia Dean took the music world by storm with her latest album, The Art of Loving. On the record’s 12 tracks, she has the most timeless sound and resonant lyrics that find home in the hearts of many for a multitude of reasons. She sings of love, loss, femininity, emotion, and strength, and with their classically catchy melodies, the public hasn’t been able to get enough of breakout tracks like “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall In Love).” With The Art of Loving, Dean has made herself known as an artist for the ages.
Watch the music video for The Belair Lip Bombs’s “Hey You.”
Again by The Belair Lip Bombs, Oct. 31
Riley Hilbert, Live Coverage Co-Editor
“Slip into your grasp like a magazine / Move into your rhythm like a tambourine,” Australian indie-rock band The Belair Lip Bombs proclaim in “Another World,” the third track on their newest album, Again. Leaning into their distinctive, passionate indie rock sound, the Lip Bombs’ 2025 album marks the first release by an Australian band on Jack White’s label, Third Man Records.
Again develops the quartet’s sound with a familiar yet fresh feel, adding new layers to the atmosphere of the group. In “Back Of My Hand,” lead vocalist Maisie Everett’s lyrics explore the album’s themes of love, yearning, and connection. “Hey You” deals with the push and pull of relationships, the sound reminiscent of the band’s 2023 debut, Lush Life. Between the band signing globally and this latest release developing their dream-like sound, it is clear The Belair Lip Bombs are entering a new and unforgettable chapter.
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams, Nov. 7
Reegan-Tate Johnson, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Hayley Williams is undeniable. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party cements that in a daring, incisive, and seldom intimate record that finds her stretching beyond even the unconfined borders of her discography. Its unconventional rollout — each song being released one at a time — was a declaration, giving each track a moment in the sun. The songs arrived as their own solidities, their own confrontations — accounting for individual narratives with no time for standstill.
Williams has an over two-decade proven track record that she can command a stage, a genre, a generation, but in EDAABP, she builds a world distinctly separate from Paramore’s legacy. On “Ice in My OJ,” she’s sharp and intrepid, performing the entire drum track herself, and in “Mirtazapine” she faces a cathartic personification of her antidepressant. “Love Me Different” and “Good Ol’ Days” dip into pop and spinback R&B grooves, serving as reminders that she can transform stylistically without ever losing her ground. And then there’s “True Believer,” one of her most arresting works to date; lyrically dense, rich in social commentary, and rooted in a Southern experience she interrogates with wide-eyed discontent.
At just over an hour, EDAABP is an unraveling and a rebuilding simultaneously. She steps fully into herself, the one she’s spent years learning to name. The album is a bona fide self-portrait where Williams refuses to hide anything: the good, the bad, the intrusive, the heartbreak, the sarcasm and the intensity that comes with it all.
EVERYONE’S A STAR by 5 Seconds of Summer, Nov. 14
Alivia Stonier, Contributor
With their latest release, EVERYONE’S A STAR, 5 Seconds of Summer reinvented their entire sound. Throughout the record, they explore heartbreak, personal experiences, and the pressures of the limelight. Stepping into a more genre-blending era with influences like Gorillaz, the Australian pop-rock band invites listeners to experience a full range of sound, spanning from vulnerable, slower tracks like “Ghost” on an otherwise upbeat record to playful songs like “Boyband.” The result is a project that feels exploratory without losing the band’s core identity. It’s one you won’t want to miss, whether you’re a longtime fan or brand new to their discography.