By ACRN’s Editorial Team
10. The Passionate Ones — Nourished by Time
Bedroom pop virtuoso Marcus Brown’s newest album, The Passionate Ones, presents an amalgamation of various stylistic influences that has been sculpted into an intimate, consistently catchy, and overall stellar collection of tracks. From the infectious funk grooves of “Automatic Love,” “Idiot in the Park,” and title track “The Passionate Ones,” driving house beats on tracks “9 2 5” and “Crazy People,” soaring R&B ballads like “Tossed Away” and “Max Potential,” and even socially-conscious hip hop on “Baby Baby,” the album is diverse while staying remarkably cohesive from start to finish. Brown’s personal yet abstract lyrics and production details have a way of sticking in your brain that make for an endlessly replayable album while maintaining a memorable first impression. Nourished by Time has been on a roll of outstanding releases over the past few years and shows no signs of stopping with The Passionate Ones.
- Grant Kelly, Reviews Editor
9. caroline 2 — caroline
In contrast to the pastoral hymns underpinning caroline’s debut, their follow-up approaches music as if viewing the world through a lagging digital camera: homespun folk juxtaposed by autotuned and pitch-shifted vocals; faraway, refracted melodies opposing the static-hissing intimacy of a voice memo. For caroline, experimentation takes shape in a constant balancing act, steadying conflicting motifs against each other until the very foundation they’re laid upon nearly caves in. But just nearly.
caroline disrupts any semblance of post-rock cliches; long gone are the genre’s tendency towards crescendo melodramas, instead innovation is brimming from each track; (Don’t believe me? Try counting along to any track, they’re almost all nearly floating away from your grasp in free time). From the heartbreaking, time-bending finish on “U R UR ONLY ACHING,” to the two opposing songs joining together on “Coldplay cover,” or the lullaby-like daydream of “When I get home” that insistently gets interrupted by eavesdropping club music and classical, free improv clatter — no two songs sound the same.
caroline 2 feels like an equal touchstone for the sheer possibilities to come of 21st century rock music as The Velvet Underground & Nico had delivered some 50 years previous.
- Rocco Prioletti, Editorial Director
It’s as if Dijon fractured the songs on Baby into millions of tiny pieces, only to then rearrange them into these expansive, splintered, fragile collages detailing his experience with love and newfound parenthood. Songs are insistently disrupted by once-forgotten vocal interjections, instrumental noodling, and off kilter flourishes — all of which, had they fallen into the wrong hands, may have been discarded and labeled as mistakes; however, Baby embraces the seemingly accidental and impromptu clutter that always infiltrates and nudges its way through the day-to-day. Taking from the torn-paged scrapbook pop of Jai Paul, and the immediate shriek of Prince lost in a hazy, half-remembered dream of the ‘80s — Dijon’s creativity as a songwriter and producer is on full display on his sophomore album.
- Rocco Prioletti, Editorial Director
7. Snipe Hunter — Tyler Childers
Although some found Snipe Hunter to be lacking a country backbone, Childers authentically captured the equally freeing and tiring effects of living in Appalachia. Snipe Hunter is lively and wonderfully warm and made so with Childers’ vocal performance. Experimental (and successful) with lyricism, this will be one of Childers defining albums years from now.
- Jessica Thrasher, Copy Editor
6. Double Infinity — Big Thief
Big Thief released their sixth studio album, Double Infinity, this year, and it was harrowing and magical. The band continues to lean into a very intimate sound with hard-hitting lyrics. “Incomprehensible” opens the album into a beautiful ode to the human experience, with frontwoman Adrianne Lenker softly singing of love, age and the societal pressure of beauty: “How can beauty that is livin’ be anything but true?” Following this track, “Words” is a tender song about expression, with a light and hopeful backing track filled with gentle drums and a reverberating pre-chorus. “Double Infinity” shows off the beautiful delicacy of Lenker’s voice and her lyricism, reading like a love letter to nature. While I have seen some dedicated Big Thief fans rank Double Infinity lower across the band’s discography, I would say this album’s balance of simplicity and depth solidifies its spot on this year’s end of year list.
- Sage Spirk, Contributor
5. NEVER ENOUGH — Turnstile
Turnstile’s NEVER ENOUGH made the wait worthwhile. The punk band took a mini hiatus after the release of Glow On in 2021, leaving many of their fans wanting more, making NEVER ENOUGH a very anticipated album. Four years later, the moshers were finally able to gather again to celebrate the return of the rockers. Different and more adventurous than other projects of theirs in the past, they open the album with a softer, almost angelic-toned song which slowly becomes more intense, making it a perfect opening track for a comeback album. Overall, the record is more experiential, with hyperpop influence on tracks like “DULL” and “SEEIN STARS.” Despite the change, the band still remains true to their hardcore sound. With subtle collaboration from Hayley Williams and a track for anytime of day, the resurgence of Turnstile gave their newest album repeatable visits.
- Kate Tocke, PR Director
4. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party — Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams defined this year’s summer with her release of Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, a dynamic album that spans across 20 tracks. Being the frontwoman of Paramore and coming off of the 2023 high of This Is Why, Williams reclaimed her autonomy with a departure from Atlantic Records and the development of her own label, cleverly named Post Atlantic. Her spontaneous drops of Ego Death tells the tale of heartbreak, independence, growth, and reminds us that love is not always enough. Williams not only explores different themes, but also plays around with fun instrumentals: “Mirtazapine” is explosive and energetic, “True Believer” is slow and haunting and “Parachute” is angry and raw. This album is rich in complex lyricism and vocal delivery, and William’s craft deserves praise as 2025 comes to a close and she takes this album on tour come the new year.
- Sage Spirk, Contributor
Bleeds quite literally bleeds Wednesday more than ever. Bleeds still holds the classic Wednesday elements of shoegazey, fuzzy guitar sounds, and breezy lap steel mixed with creek rock to tap into their North Carolina roots. They kicked off the sound of this album with their single “Elderberry Wine,” which is a sweet ballad but has hard hitting lyrics. Lyricism is what makes Wednesday’s music so addicting, they come up with the most intense, up-beat tunes yet include insane lines like“You sent my nudes around, I never yelled at you about it, ‘Cause you died.” Singer-guitarist Karly Hartzman writes with attention to detail, and Bleeds executes Hartzman’s emotions perfectly.
- Kate Tocke, PR Director
2. DON’T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, The Creator
For the past two years, Tyler, The Creator has been giving the fans exactly what they want. Great Music. During his Chromakopia tour, he released his ninth studio album DON’T TAP THE GLASS. The release was a complete surprise for fans all around, and it surely didn’t disappoint. The album was influenced by several elements of ’90s hip-hop and house music. Key tracks from the album include “Stop Playing With Me” and “Sugar on My Tongue.” The constant, flowing melodies with a driving bass bring a lively sense of high-energy movement to the table. Tyler, The Creator had one message for fans when it came to the album’s release: put the phones down and dance like nobody is watching, with no judgment.
- Eileen Fortner, News Editor
1, Getting Killed — Geese
Geese have had a breakout year with Getting Killed. The album blends all sorts of rock elements, accompanying Cameron Winter’s atypical and standout voice. Winter has become the face of the band because of his vocal performance, a standout on nearly every track. Every song, from the opener, “Trinidad,” to the biggest hit, “Taxes,” have lyrics with both excruciating weight and longing while also being outlandish and chaotic. There’s a lot at play in the album; it’s far from being a one trick pony. The brazen guitar is perfected by Emily Green, making bold choices up and down the tracklist to perfectly compliment Winter’s voice. While the album can feel like a series of thoughts tossed together into a pot, the album comes out as this rich and flavorful clash of flavors. Getting Killed is a statement of arrival from Geese. They’ve found their way into one of the leading voices in indie rock with this record and may only rise from here.
- Cody Englander, Managing Editor
ACRN.COM 
Leave a comment