12 New Albums That Knocked My Socks Off
A dozen brand new record-mendations.
Grab a Q-tip and clean your ears as you step inside The Wax Museum, where today’s exhibit is a loud and clear reminder that 2025 has been stacked with incredible new music.
If you’ve fallen behind, don’t sweat it — start with my 33 Best Albums of 2025 list from July. Then check out recent album spotlights on Greet Death, Blush, and Racing Mount Pleasant.
But now? Now it’s time to feast. I’ve got 12 knockout new albums that deserve your full attention. All these records are spinning on the Album of the Year Leaderboard, updated frequently and streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
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Liquid Mike - Hell Is An Airport
Get Vinyl: Black
Let’s begin with an album that dropped today from Marquette’s Liquid Mike. After last year’s Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot (which landed #14 on our 2024 leaderboard) nailed the sweet spot between prime Blink-182 energy and Fountains of Wayne wit, frontman Mike Maple quit his day job as a USPS mail carrier to go all-in. Now a fully locked-in five-piece, the band returns with Hell is an Airport, cramming 14 fuzzed-out, hook-stuffed songs in a frantic 27 minutes. It’s one of the tightest, most exhilarating power pop records in recent memory.
Blood Orange - Essex Honey
Get Vinyl: Marble | Crystal Orange | Black
Oh my goodness, we have a new #1 on the Album of the Year Leaderboard: Essex Honey, the first Blood Orange record in six years, and one born from the depths of Devonté Hynes’ grief after the death of his mother.