Each month, our Employees Picks column sees Consequence writers and editors spotlight a few of our favourite new music from the previous 4 weeks. Take a look at the choices for the perfect albums of February 2025 under.
Along with wonderful new jazz from the likes of Marshall Allen and Kalela, February felt like an particularly huge month for indie rock. Chicago trio Horsegirl returned with Phonetics On and On, whereas Sharon Van Etten unveiled an official undertaking along with her longtime backing dangerous. Rising expertise Michigander confirmed that the string of stellar singles that preceded the self-titled debut was only the start.
Elsewhere, Mdou Moctar continued to share their distinct model of righteous fury, whereas the completely distinctive Maruja embraced experimentation at each flip. Throughout the board, one factor’s sure — we’re ending February on a excessive notice.
Learn on for our favourite albums of February 2025 under, listed in alphabetical order.
Anxious — Bambi
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<p>Anxious have spent the previous couple of years sharpening their emo-adjacent indie rock hooks — hooks, thoughts you, that have been already razor sharp. With <em>Bambi</em>, the followup to their nice debut <em>Little Inexperienced Home</em>, the act sounds as invigorated and emotional as ever, with sticky, hard-hitting choruses and an total propulsive power. Satirically sufficient, it’s by way of wavering religion and a lingering sense of remorse that the band achieves such rock-solid outcomes, because the document’s title comes from what they <em>virtually </em>named the band and the lyrics supply tales of once-reliable private establishments turning into sources of ache. Take a look at Anxious’ Monitor-by-Monitor breakdown of <em>Bambi </em>for extra perception into the killer new set of tunes. — <em>Jonah Krueger</em><em> </em></p>
<p>Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music<br />Purchase: Vinyl</p>
<h2>FACS — <em>Want Protection</em></h2>
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Final yr, Kelela celebrated a profession milestone with a two-night residency at New York Metropolis’s prestigious Blue Be aware Jazz Membership. The multi-faceted artist has compiled songs from her intimate, stripped-back performances in a brand new dwell album. Regeneration has remained a relentless all through Kelela’s discography. A few of the album highlights embody her soulful tackle Joni Mitchell’s “Furry Sings the Blues,” and a stirring rendition of late jazz innovator Betty Carter’s “30 Years.” Kelela steps into the blue mild, embracing her jazz roots whereas following within the footsteps of the greats. — Solar Noor
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Marshall Allen — New Daybreak
It’s wildly simple to slide into the musical world proffered by Michigander, the undertaking of Nashville-based artist Jason Singer. The self-titled debut album effortlessly blends private songwriting with among the extra relatable perils of present in fashionable life; notes of existential dread, musings on coming-of-age, and questions across the grand experiment of being alive pepper the album. Revisit the Monitor by Monitor breakdown of Michigander, and hold a watch out for the act on the street with Dawes later this spring. — Mary Siroky
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Purchase: Vinyl
Sam Fender — Individuals Watching
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<p>On <em>Seventeen Going Underneath</em>, Sam Fender regarded inwards and got here again with some revelatory discoveries about trauma, id, household, and psychological anguish. It resulted in a few of his strongest songs to-date, and now, with <em>Individuals Watching</em>, Fender takes a glance outdoors of himself and onto the on a regular basis people which might be combating their very own battles. With stadium-sized manufacturing from Markus Dravs and Adam Granduciel, plus the unbelievable specificity that he captures the Geordie working class with, it’s undoubtedly his most Springsteen-esque album but. However even outdoors of the affecting tales discovered on <em>Individuals Watching</em>, Fender’s bleeding coronary heart is so humanizing and actual that you simply’re introduced straight into the pool of feelings he’s singing from. Fender’s music covers quite a lot of thematic floor, and when these songs attain their majestic peaks, they grow to be bigger than life. — <em>P. Ragusa</em></p>
<p>Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music<br />Purchase: Vinyl</p>
<h2>Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Concept — <em>Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Concept</em></h2>
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