2025 – The Acoustic Egg Box Top 30 Albums Of The Year

Welcome to the twelfth edition of the annual “The Acoustic Egg Box Review Of The Year”. Yes, it’s late again. No, it’s no less rambling. And it certainly doesn’t get any easier to compile, that’s for sure.

I started the review this year with 101 albums, which I somehow managed to whittle down to a top 30. My beloved soul music and its many offshoots once again featured strongly, with 17 of the top 30 associated with that genre. UK acts have also fared well, with 18 of the 30 hailing from these shores. 14 of the albums were released by AEB debutants, with 6 of them being in the top 10. Of the 101 albums I started out with, I physically own 97 of them. The 4 that I don’t “own” weren’t released on CD (my format of choice). By buying their music and going to gigs as often as funds and time permit, I feel that I’m giving something back to the amazing musicians who enhance my life on a daily basis. This is SO important to me. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”, so if we don’t continue to support the people who create it… I think you get my gist.

I know some of you will hate that I’ve used Spotify again to create a playlist. However, as it’s still the most popular streaming platform, whatever the rights or wrongs of using it are, I want as many people to hear the great music featured in this blog. If you choose not to use Spotify, whenever you see highlighted and underlined text, it will be a link to (mainly) YouTube so that you can listen to some additional music.

Finally (and this is largely cut and pasted from last year’s blog!), I welcome all comments, post shares or suggestions related to my ramblings. But please remember that putting all this together is a huge, time-consuming labour of love for me, and so any personal attacks or negativity WILL be taken to heart. I’m not a “professional” writer, just someone who loves music and the arts. The only (and in my opinion, the best!) criteria used for deciding what I include in these pages is that it’s based on nothing more scientific than it being a personal favourite.

One final thing before you dig in: if you discover something new in here that you’ve enjoyed listening to/ reading, or watching, then please try to help support the people who’ve created it by giving something back to them. No matter how small. In my experience, they will ALWAYS appreciate it.

Thank you x

MOVIES OF THE YEAR

1: Jay Kelly
2: One Battle After Another
3: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere 

TV SHOWS OF THE YEAR

1: Adolescence
2: Dept. Q
3: The White Lotus (Season 3)

BOOKS OF THE YEAR

1: JUSTIN CURRIE – The Tremolo Diaries (New Modern)
2: KEVIN ROWLAND – Bless Me Father: A Life Story (Ebury Spotlight)
3: TOM COX – Everything Will Swallow You (Swift)

GIGS OF THE YEAR

1: RICHARD HAWLEY – The Grand Pier, Weston Super Mare
2: THE MILK / NEW STREET ADVENTURE – The Sub Rooms, Stroud
3: KELLY FINNIGAN – Thekla, Bristol

TRACKS OF THE YEAR

1: ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS feat. DEBORAH CALDWELL MOORE – Wrong (Luaka Bop)
2: PULP – Spike Island (Rough Trade)
3: daoud – dijon (Le Studio du Renard)

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

30: NEW STREET ADVENTURE – What Kind Of World (Acid Jazz)
29: STONE FOUNDATION – The Revival Of Survival (100% Records)
28: ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS – Can’t Lose My Soul (Luaka Bop)
27: MIDLAKE – A Bridge To Far (Bella Union)
26: RICHARD ASHCROFT – Lovin’ You (Virgin)
25: THE BLOW MONKEYS – Birdsong (Creation Youth)
24: SAINT ETIENNE – International (Heavenly/ [PIAS])
23: MAYA DELILAH – The Long Way Round (Blue Note/ UMG)
22: LADY WRAY – Cover Girl (Big Crown)
21: MRCY – Volume 2 (Dead Oceans)

20: EDDIE CHACON – Lay Low (Stones Throw)

Eddie Chacon’s remarkable reinvention as a leftfield soul-man continues with “Lay Low”, his third solo album in five years. Formerly 50% of the soul/ pop duo Charles & Eddie, Chacon’s latest release is a low-key, minimalist affair. Produced by Nick Hakim, the album’s ethereal, lysergic arrangements form the perfect backdrop for songs ruminating on themes of grief and loss, many of which were written about the death of his mother in 2015. If you’re looking for a party record, this is far from it, but at my age, after a few glasses of wine on a Saturday night, “Lay Low” is a perfect re-introduction to the Sunday morning after. Key track: “Good Sun.”

19: CURTIS HARDING – Departures & Arrivals: Adventures Of Captain Curt (ANTI-)

On Curtis Harding’s fourth solo album, the Michigan soul man has taken the psychedelic, quirky elements of his previous records and blasted off into space with them. It’s certainly an ambitious concept project. Writing groovy soul songs about a fictitious titular astronaut might seem doomed to fail, but bear with me here, reader, as the album’s ingenious conceit is a metaphor for yearning, resilience, love, and homecoming. In fairness, if your voice is as good as Curtis Harding’s, you could sing about great crested newt fertilisation, and it would still sound amazing. Key track: “There She Goes.” 

18: VAN MORRISON – Remembering Now (Exile/ Virgin)

I never, ever thought I’d be listening to a new Van Morrison album, let alone buying one  – especially one that would feature in my end-of-year top 20. However, in defying all the odds, the cantankerous old twat has confounded everyone by releasing “Remembering Now” – his finest long player in years. I’m not going to spend time here reviewing it, as those of you who have never heard his music should start with something from the 70s and those of you who don’t like his music won’t become converts by listening to it. However, those of you who, like me, had largely given up on him ever releasing anything worth hearing again, will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised if you give this cracking album the once over. Key track: “Remembering Now.” 

17: ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Oasis Pizza Records)

Following on from their 2023 AEB top 20 release, “Angels In Science Fiction”, Alabama leftfield soulsters St. Paul & The Broken Bones released their eponymous sixth studio album in October. After the experimental feel of their last few records, they’ve returned to their southern-soul/ r&b roots, and (St.) Paul Janeway’s “Al Green-in-an-existential-crisis” vocals have never sounded better. Thankfully, they still understand the old grammar of soul music: tension, release, confession, groove. That said, they still haven’t eschewed their quirkiness altogether, and lead single “Sushi & Coca-Cola” is certainly evidence of that; an imaginatively titled ditty about the mundanity of everyday living. Key track: “Sitting In The Corner.”

16: ED HARCOURT – Orphic (Deathless Recordings)

I’ve been a big fan of London-based singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt since his 2001 Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, “Here Be Monsters”. Twenty-four years and seventeen albums later, he’s now gifted us “Orphic”, a melancholic, piano-led gem with each minor-key chord and expertly crafted line every bit the equal of his best work. I recently saw him perform live for the first time, when he supported Starsailor at their Bristol gig in November. He didn’t disappoint. As well as being an exceptional musician, he was erudite, charming and very funny. So good was he that despite “Orphic” being released late in the year, it’s been one of my most-played albums of the past few months.  Key track: “A Ghost Walked Through Me.” 

15: PAUL WELLER – Find El Dorado (Parlophone)

I’m not usually a fan of cover version albums; however, “Find El Dorado” is the first of two in this year’s AEB Top 20, and both are fantastic. Weller’s only other covers compilation, 2004’s “Studio 150″, was at best a patchy affair, but this new collection is a meticulously curated and eclectic delight. A few tracks, like the Bee Gees’ “I Started A Joke” or White Plains’ “When You Are A King”, will be immediately recognisable, the vast majority of the thirteen others not so.  However, familiar or not, what makes this album so enjoyable is that Weller has lovingly crafted every song and made each one sound like his own. Key track: “Lawdy Rolla.”

14: YAZMIN LACEY – Teal Dreams (AMF Records) 

In October, Yazmin Lacey (vocalist on Ezra Collective’s funky 2024 single, “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing”) released her second solo record, Teal Dreams. And what a beauty it is. Throughout this largely laid-back collection, she glides through the black-oriented music canon with ease: neo-soul (“Teal Dreams”), jazzy-dance (“Two Steps”), lover’s rock (“Wallpaper”): all present and correct. Nothing is hurried here. Lacey’s vocals are smoky yet warm, and she prefers to let the melodies unfurl at their own speed. Lyrically, the songs are vulnerable but self-possessed; she sounds confident but with a soft underbelly. It’s both a record you can groove to but also one to immerse yourself in whilst watching the rain outside, snuggled up under a duvet with your favourite person. Key track: “World’s Apart.”

13: MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Critical Thinking (Columbia)

Thirty-three years and fifteen studio albums since incendiary debut, “Generation Terrorists”, announced their arrival, Manic Street Preachers are still a literate, albeit marginally less angry, force to be reckoned with. “Critical Thinking’s” stall is set out straight from the off with Nicky Wire’s deliciously sneering delivery of the title track, which, in three fabulously sarcastic minutes, encapsulates the rest of the LP’s central premise. Nominally at least, there’s an overarching theme running through the album that reflects on the death of nuance, the collapse of discourse and the sensation that the world is being run by people who have confused a podcast with a personality. It’s a triumphant rallying cry for those of us who still harbour a longing that the world will eventually wake the fuck up and press the reset button. And come that long-overdue revolution, my money’s on the Manics to write the theme tune for it. Key track: “Decline & Fall.”

12: NATALIE BERGMAN – My Home Is Not In This World (Third Man Records)

When I first heard Natalie Bergman’s wonderful second LP, “My Home Is Not In This World”, my thoughts immediately turned to the great Bobbie Gentry. Maybe it’s just me, as I’ve not seen mention of the similarity to Ms G in any reviews I’ve read. However, the album’s soul-tinged country-folk stylings with songs often shot through with more than a glimmer of the ’60s certainly gave me that impression. Watch and listen to the videos for “Gunslinger” and “Dance”, and you’ll surely see/ hear what I mean. Bergman has a voice that suggests both Saturday night and Sunday service; devotional but not preachy; respectful of her faith but also with a suggestion she’d be great fun at a party! After a period of debilitating grief following the death of her father and stepmother in 2019, writing her intensely personal gospel-rooted solo debut album, “Mercy”, helped her cope with the ordeal. And whilst “My Home Is Not In This World” still hints at her ongoing recovery, it also feels like she’s opened some metaphorical windows to let the light pour back in. Key track: “Lonely Road.”

11: THE FREEDOM AFFAIR – The Freedom Affair (Sunflower Soul Records)

If you love your soul music of the southern variety, Kansas City-based nine-piece, The Freedom Affair, will be right up your street. The follow-up to their 2021 album, “Freedom Is Love”, their eponymous second has built on that already confident-sounding debut and blasted them into Stax-class territory. This is big-shouldered, brass-polished, Hammond-tastic soul music – the sort that arrives with tambourines already in motion and backing vocalists poised to testify at a moment’s notice. Listen to “Get My Share” for proof.  They are as much a small community as a band, with their three fabulous female vocalists, Shon Ruffin, Seyko Groves and Paula Saunders, effortlessly tapping into the grooves laid down by a band of funky brothers. And ‘cos even the greatest dancers need a little lovin’, they can dial it down with some panache, too. So, for those old romantics out there, here’s a live version of the slinky “Don’t You Wanna Love Me”. Now all we need is a UK tour, if, of course, they can find a stage big enough! Key track: “With You.”

 10: EDWYN COLLINS – Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation (AED)

Absolutely gutted that I couldn’t make the Bath leg of Edwyn’s final tour due to work commitments, but at least I was able to listen to this beautiful album and pretend I was there instead. To survive two devastating strokes and the resulting aphasia, and then still go on to record music as wonderful as this, is a testament to this amazing man’s character. Knowing what he’s been through whilst listening to songs like “The Mountains Are My Home” will reduce even the hardest of you to tears. That said, it’s far from a sad album – if anything, it’s life-affirming and full of positivity. I just hope it’s not the last new music we hear from him, as that really would be a tragedy. Key track: “Knowledge.”

9: BROOKE COMBE – Dancing At The Edge Of The World (Modern Sky)

In 2024, beautiful Edinburgh-born Brooke Combe was the proud recipient of The Acoustic Egg Box “Track Of The Year” award for the title song from this, her James Skelly (The Coral) produced solo debut. That amazing record aside, the remaining twenty-eight minutes and ten tracks that make up this outstanding modern soul album suggest that Ms Combe has surely got an illustrious career ahead of her. Her powerful voice is the first thing that grabs you: raw but effortless. Thankfully, she eschews the irritating histrionic melisma beloved of so many of her contemporaries. You only need to watch her perform the single “This Town” recorded live at Nan’s House Studios to hear what I mean. It’s not all about raw power, though, as she does reflective and tender just as well, as can be heard on this version of “Butterfly”, recorded live at KEXP. With some superb new material already being released, I can’t wait to see this hugely talented young lady become a massive star in the next twelve months. Key track: “Dancing At The Edge Of The World.”

8: ANAIIS – Devotion & The Black Divide (5dB Records)

Before hearing the fabulous “Devotion & The Black Divide”, I confess that London-based French-Senegalese chanteuse, Anaiis, was unknown to me. Given how beautiful her music is, especially as this is now her third album, I was amazed that her magical voice had somehow bypassed my giant lugholes. Stylistically, “Devotion…” is a melting pot. You can hear the lineage: soul, jazz, gospel, diasporic folk traditions. But none of it feels referential. She inhabits her own unique musical world that’s for sure – a world in which Prince might also have lived next door? Her honeyed tones atop layered, lilting backing vocals often add a hymnal quality to many of the album’s fourteen tracks, especially on the stunning “Deus Deus” and the beautiful, haunting opener, “Something Is Broken”. In summary, Anaiis doesn’t just make music to listen to; she invites you to immerse yourself in it. It’s not just a collection of songs; it’s an atmosphere. If going to church felt this good, I’d be in there every day. Key track: “Call Me (a) (B).”

7: JONATHAN JEREMIAH – We Come Alive [PIAS]

At some point, people other than me, the Dutch and the Belgians, will realise how genuinely brilliant the soulful, folky troubadour Jonathan Jeremiah is. “We Come Alive” is now his sixth studio album since 2011, and his best yet. Jeremiah has always possessed a voice that seems older than the rooms it occupies – a gorgeous baritone with the burnished patina of late-night confessionals. Of course, a great singer also deserves great songs to sing, and JJ has nailed that department, too. For instance, there’s the summery, orchestral ballad, “Here With Me” or the ’60s cinematic grandeur of “Kolkata Bear”: a song about his grandmother who apparently had a pet bear whilst growing up in India. Finally, if this review still hasn’t convinced you to join me, the Dutch and the Belgians yet, I also propose that vocally, JJ bears more than a passing resemblance to Nick Drake. And if that reference finally piques your interest, then “We Come Alive” may well be right up your river, man. Key track: “Lorraine & The Mermaid.”

6: GALACTIC & IRMA THOMAS – Audience With The Queen (Thirty Tigers)

Hallelujah! I’m extremely pleased to announce that Irma Thomas is the second octogenarian, church-raised soul and gospel singer in this year’s Top 10. Long crowned “The Soul Queen Of New Orleans”, this eighty-four-year-old legend, like Mavis, has nothing left to prove. But, on “Audience With The Queen”, her first album of new material since 2008’s “Simply Grand”, she does prove, again, that she has one of the greatest female voices of all time. Formed in 1994, funk band Galactic are also New Orleans natives, and whilst their pairing with The Big Easy’s first lady of soul might initially seem a little incongruous, hearing the exceptional music they make together immediately dispels that notion. There are several official videos on YouTube featuring tracks from the album, including a superb cover of Nancy Wilson’s 1964 hit, “How Glad I Am”, the euphoric brass and Hammond-backed “Where I Belong”, and the lovelorn “Puppet On Your String”. Take your pick – they are all fabulous! Key track: “Lady Liberty.”

5: CYMANDE – Renascence (BMG) 

Fifty-three years after their eponymous debut, British soul, funk and Afrobeat legends Cymande returned rejuvenated with “Renascence”, their first studio album in ten years. And what a fabulous comeback it is. Featuring contributions from Celeste on the goosebump-inducing “Only One Way” and Jazzy B on the contemplative eight-minute groove of “That’s How We Roll”, there isn’t a duff track on this outstanding ten-song collection. Cymande have always had that rare quality: an ability to make rhythm feel like revelation. Their music doesn’t merely move you—it summons you. The wonderful thing about “Renascence” isn’t that it heralds a return of the band; it’s that they sound as though they never left. It’s almost like the intervening years were simply a pause before their groove resumed. Key track: “Coltrane.”

4: MAVIS STAPLES – Sad And Beautiful World (Anti-)

To fully appreciate the now 86-year-old Mavis Staples, you need to know something of her life story. From her part in the family gospel group, The Staples Singers, to her friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and dedication to the Civil Rights movement would be a blog post in its own right; the tale of her nearly (?) becoming Mrs Zimmerman quite another! “Sad & Beautiful World” is the fourteenth (and arguably, best) solo album of her remarkable career. It contains nine inspirational and remarkable song interpretations, plus one superb original: “Human Mind”, a track written for her by Hozier and Allison Russell. The album’s closing song, written by Muscle Shoals guitarist Eddie Hinton in 1969, sums up the very philosophy that has underpinned this exceptional lady’s life: “Everybody Needs Love”. Hallelujah! Mavis, you truly are the very best of us. Key track: “Beautiful Strangers.”

3: PULP – More (Rough Trade)

A true friend is someone who you may not see for years at a time, but as soon as you do, it’s like they’ve never been away. And this is exactly how it feels with “More”. Although Pulp have now been on hiatus for twenty-four years, “More” immediately feels familiar and comforting. Jarvis has lost none of his wry lyrical wit or the ability to wring every drop of emotion from songs about everyday life. Somehow, his middle age feels less like a crisis and more like a vantage point. If you’ve taken notice over the years, Mr Cocker does rather like writing about sex. A lot. But in a charming, socially-awkward and very English way. See “Tina”,  “Grown Ups” or “My Sex” for proof. These songs are kitchen-sink dramas; expertly crafted novellas somehow fitted into melodic five-minute slots. It truly is genius songwriting. Of course, he also writes about other subjects! “Spike Island” is peak Pulp, and one of the best songs of the year to boot. The stunning, orchestral ode to parenthood, “Hymn Of The North”, and the anthemic, rousing single “Got To Have Love” are also as good as anything they’ve ever done. They’ve waited a quarter of a century to make it, but for me, this is their finest album of an already brilliant career. Key track (Spike Island aside!) “Farmers Market.”

2: DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS – Flowers (Dead Oceans)

“Flowers” was the sound of the long, hot summer of 2025 at Chez Egg Box. An album so full of sunshine it practically inhabited its own balmy weather system. For me, Durand Jones & The Indications are the greatest soul band in the world right now, and on this, their fourth album (the third to feature in the AEB Top three), they’ve refined their sound to perfection. Obviously, it helps that they’ve got two of the best vocalists in the business in frontman Durand Jones and singing drummer Aaron Frazer, both of whom have also released exceptional solo music. The album’s first track proper, “Paradise”, sets the tone for what’s to follow: sumptuous, unhurried soul music with a mid-’70s West Coast feel. “Been So Long“ cements this feeling so eloquently that it’s almost like William DeVaughn and his gangsta whitewalls are in the room with you. “Flowers” isn’t an album that sets your feet on fire; it’s an album to sway to. The songs bloom slowly with no rush to impress anybody. And that’s the trick of this record — it doesn’t try to sell you a feeling, it waits for you to recognise your own. Key track: “Lovers Holiday.”

1: THE MILK – Borderlands (WLS Records)

Well, here we are again. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with it, and if you’ve skipped all my witterings and come straight here: hello! Believe it or not, this is always the one review in the list that I genuinely hate writing. I don’t think I ever do a good enough job explaining why, in my humble opinion, this is the best album of the year. Anyway, MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to The Acoustic Egg Box Album Of The Year 2025 award winners, The Milk, with the quite brilliant “Borderlands”.

I’m going to take a guess that, sadly, many of you won’t have heard of this fine band, so let’s start by lifting the opening paragraph from their website’s “About Us” page. It introduces them better than I ever will: “Emerging from the heart of Essex’s commuter towns, The Milk—comprising lifelong friends Rick Nunn (lead vocals, guitar), Mitch Ayling (drums), Luke Ayling (bass), and Dan Le Gresley (guitar)—have spent nearly three decades crafting a sound that seamlessly fuses the raw energy of ’60s soul with the sophistication of modern funk and jazz”. ​So far, so good, but it’s one thing to write nice words about yourselves, and quite another to deliver the musical goods. And boy, do they deliver! Their fourth album in thirteen years, “Borderlands” has been described by the band themselves as “cinematic soul”, and from the first notes of rousing album opener, I Need Your Love’s Pearl & Dean “ba ba ba ba bah bababa” refrain, you’ll understand why: it’s widescreen, it’s grand, and it wears its big, ambitious heart on its beautifully tailored sleeve. They kept everything pretty much in-house whilst making the record. Recorded at Mitch Ayling’s Woods Lodge Studios, with the drummer also taking on production duties, their preferred analogue recording techniques and the fact that the four band members are such close friends combine to help give the album a welcoming glow. This warm ambience is most noticeable on slower numbers such as the stunning, jazz-inflected title track or the sublime, “A Time To Let Go”, written by Nunn about the death of his father. Fine musicianship aside, Rick Nunn’s voice remains the group’s most persuasive instrument – a supple, blue-eyed soul tenor with more than a suggestion of Steve Winwood about it, but without ever lapsing into tribute. Those golden vocal cords are given a hell of a workout on my favourite track “Loaded Dice” – a rousing soul belter with changing time signatures that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Michael Kiwanuka LP. Other influences are in evidence throughout the album; McCartney-esque melodies, Beach Boys-style harmonies and choirs evoking the celestial spirit of Kamasi Washington. I could honestly go on for pages about how magnificent this fine record is, but thinking about it while I’m sitting here trying to find the best words to do it justice, do you know what I REALLY  like about “Borderlands”? It’s not trying to be clever. It’s not chasing the charts or the latest haircut. It’s just four blokes locking into a feel and meaning it – and you can never, EVER fake that.
P.S. Not that it’s had any bearing on my decision to award “Borderlands” my “Album Of The Year” title, but Mrs Egg Box and I met the band in an Italian restaurant in Stroud before they played at The Sub Rooms in the town in September. We had a brief chat with them, and they were genuinely lovely fellas. After the gig, they then came into the pub we’d decamped to for a few after-show beers. Got chatting to them again, and guess what, they were even more lovely! In the unlikely event that you do happen to read this, gents: thank you for making this wonderful album, and please don’t leave it quite so long until the next one!