I’ve been very intensely working on both academic research and short fiction writing for the past couple of weeks which has determined the nature of my listening. But there’s also been a heavy component of nostalgia which influenced my listening choices. Soundgarden’s Superunknown has been on repeated play on my evening drives home and occasional mini-adventures, for instance. It was inevitable, I turn 50 next month and appear to be doubling down on all the things that make me Gen-X! 😜
2025 Releases that Have Been on Repeated Play:
- Animaru by Mei Semones : I’ve been anticipating this album for months, having fallen in love with every single from this album and Semones’s unique style that blends jazz with japanese indie-pop and indie-rock. It did not disappoint at all! I can’t get enough of it.
- Iris Silver Mist by Jenny Hval: Another eagerly anticipated album. I’ve been hooked on Jenny Hval’s music for years.
- Reappearance by Hélène Vogelsinger: I’ve been listening to this all afternoon. Sonic, electronic waves of inspiration. It is in a way more sonically lyrical than her previous albums and is perfect sound (in my opinion).
- Jellywish by Florist: Mellow and warm, I’ve been enjoying Florist’s quiet music a lot lately.
(I’ve also been listening to other 2025 releases mentioned in previous blog posts)
Other Albums on Repeated Play
- Superunknown by Soundgarden: Ahhh, the music of my teenhood. I loved Black Hole Sun so much it’s in a key scene in Watermyth. But apart from that this time around I found myself analysing chord progressions and why certain riffs are just so damn perfect. I think I appreciate the album even more now than I did in my teenhood. It also caused me to listen to Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures because a couple of riffs had me doing a sound comparison.
- Dr. Dog‘s entire discography. I have said before that Dr. Dog’s music feels like a warm hug and I leaned into that during these stressful weeks by listening to albums in their discography I’ve not listened to yet.
- Julianna Barwick‘s entire discography. Her ethereal compositions always put me in a laidback and inspired mode. Always a reward for multiple re-listens.
Singles
- Pretrial (Let Her Go Home) by Fiona Apple: A protest song (the title is self-explanatory), this new single by Apple is a true banger.
- Heartthrob by Indigo De Souza: This song is a delight!
- Cold Heart by Nilüfer Yanya: I never skip on Yanya’s music and am so happy to see her grow in getting the recognition she deserves.
Classical and Ambient Music:
A whole lot of Sibelius, JS Bach (particularly since I am practising for music exams), Flore Laurentienne, Lawrence English, Loscil, Hania Rani, Hélène Vogelsinger (her entire discography, Nils Frahm, Fennesz etc.