Well, I was wrong. Vocalist Courtney LaPlante handles it all, and she is a force of nature. After learning of a new band, I do what any self-respecting music nerd does: I looked up live videos of them on YouTube. The way LaPlante seamlessly transitions from airy, ambient singing to some of the best growls you�ll hear in metal music is effortless. And after seeing Spiritbox live in person earlier in December, I can attest to her ability to consistently nail both vocal styles for the entirety of an hour-long set.
My infatuation with Spiritbox isn�t just with the vocalist though. Guitarist Mike Stringer, LaPlante�s husband, also has a lot of unique abilities to offer. Stringer�s use of noise and whammy effects in his riffs create a signature style, not to mention his mix of nu-metal, djent and metalcore sensibilities. He also has some of the thickest guitar tones I�ve ever heard live, and I was mesmerized for the full set. Stringer�s guitar work on Tsunami Sea is a prime example of a unique musician at the height of his powers.
Tsunami Sea takes you on a ride. The first two tracks are all-out ragers, and after a slight respite in �Perfect Soul� and �Keep Sweet,� the album�s best song comes fifth. I�ve heard LaPlante dedicate it to �all the people I love to fucking hate,� and it�s clearly written about her enemies. It�s also the perfect example of what this band is capable of. It�s three minutes of LaPlante�s screams interlaced with plenty of Stringer�s trademark guitar work.
The rest of the album showcases the band�s ability to blend dynamics, with �No Loss, No Love� and �Ride The Wave� providing the highlights on the back half of the record. The album�s title track is a great vehicle for LaPlante�s clean vocals, serving as the introduction to the album�s second act. If you�ve been enamored with Sleep Token this year like I have, give Spiritbox a go � you won�t be sorry you did. � Billy Steele, Deputy Editor, Reviews
Bandsplain
I didn�t discover Bandsplain in 2025, but I definitely listened to it more than any other podcast in terms of total time spent. Sure, that�s because most episodes are over three hours long, but I digress. Host Yasi Salek does a deep dive on �cult bands and iconic artists� to� ahem, bandsplain why people love them. There�s a deep catalog of back episodes, so there�s sure to be an in-depth analysis of a band you�re familiar with. But even if you think you know an artist, I�m willing to bet Salek will divulge parts of the story you weren�t aware of.
Jimmy Eat World�s Clarity is a top 5 all-timer for me, and Salek had plenty to offer about the narrative around that album I didn�t know. Her grunge series from 2024 was a history lesson I wish I�d had in middle school when I first discovered Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and the rest of the lot. An older episode about Nine Inch Nails served as the primer for me seeing the band live for the first time in September. And that�s the thing about the show: the back catalog holds up. If you�re waiting for the next installment to drop, there�s certainly something in the archives you�ll enjoy.
No shade to Salek�s colleagues at The Ringer, but the best episodes of Bandsplain are when the guest is a musician. Thursday front man Geoff Rickly was excellent on that Nine Inch Nails episode, and Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard had me on the edge of my seat when he was on to discuss The La�s � a band I�d never heard of before. I�d also highly recommend the episodes on Oasis and the more recent one on Alanis Morissette. But, really, you can�t go wrong starting from anywhere on the episode list. � B.S.
Lucy Dacus - Forever is a Feeling
I remember being a teenager and hearing from an adult that they did not religiously seek out, research, evaluate and introduce new bands and songs into their lives as if all existence would cease without the life-sustaining energy of new music. I was confused, concerned and damn sure that wouldn�t happen to me.
You know where this story goes: Job. Kid. House. Spouse. Pets that will die if I don�t feed, walk, play with and/or medicate them. I allow the algorithm to feed me new songs but rarely does something stick, so I end up listening to tracks I bonded with in my teens and twenties.
This year, Blossom & Bones, a three-day music festival in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, managed to push through the churn and lodge new music into my brain. Along with my kid and some friends, I camped among some of the most beautiful landscapes imaginable and ambled over to the stage each evening for performances by Santigold, Ani DiFranco and about a dozen more.
Lucy Dacus, one third of the indie group Boygenius, did a one-hour set with plenty of songs from her latest album Forever is a Feeling. Hearing the songs for the first time, I felt like I�d been listening to them for years. Lilting harmonies and layered strings create a lovely backdrop for Dacus�s velvet voice, but there�s a sharpness to her observations about relationships, rejection and sex. I�ve been looping the album ever since. � Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice
Blanco White - �So Certain� (single)
Early on the last concert of the day at that same festival, Blanco White took the stage. People were aimlessly milling about and the sun hadn�t yet set. Kids were playing on the lawn and the smell from the food trucks was intense, but I was enrapt by the four people on stage. The sad violin and strummy guitars floated with the hand-beat drum out into the red hills. The music sounded like I felt: rooted and wrapped in the harsh beauty of the desert and I was really glad to take that home with me. � A.S.
Martian Revolution
If you're as big a nerd as I am, you might know that Leo Tolstoy didn't consider War and Peace to be a novel. The story is what most people read for, but in the author's mind, all the drama was a parable to illustrate his grand theory of history.
Over the last year, history podcaster Mike Duncan has accomplished a similar feat using a medium Tolstoy never imagined. Duncan's Revolutions podcast has covered ten different revolutionary upheavals across history, starting with the English Civil War and ending with the Russian Revolution. After wrapping up the Bolsheviks, Duncan took a few episodes to suggest a grand theory of how revolutions unfold. For a while, it seemed like that was all we'd get. Then, in the middle of 2024, he started posting original sci-fi � without any indication that this tale, which followed future Martians revolting against their corporate overlords on Earth, was in any way different from the previous ten seasons.
Part of what makes the Martian Revolution so excellent is Duncan's deadpan delivery. He never once breaks character. He rattles off lists of fictional sources, apologizes for inaccuracies in prior episodes, and introduces made-up historical figures with the same gravity he once used to mention George Washington or Simon Bolivar. If you're a fan of Revolutions, you'll have a blast recognizing character archetypes. (Mabel Dore is the Liberal Noble! Timothy Werner is the Man of Blood!)
But the podcast is great even if you've never listened to an episode of Revolutions. It has an excellent grasp of character and a sense of inevitable tragedy, but with moments of joy leavened throughout. I certainly hope we don't wind up in the megacorp-ruled future of the podcast, but if we do, it'll be a great consolation if it eventually turns out the way Duncan imagines. � Sam Chapman, Senior Writer
Ron Gallo - Checkmate
My favorite artists are ones that surprise me, and Ron Gallo is a master of reinvention. He's dabbled in absurdist punk, psychedelia, garage rock, Beatles-tinged pop and, now, stripped-down acoustic music. This is not a genre I am typically a fan of, Elliott Smith withstanding, but Checkmate is something special. His lyrical prowess is off the charts here, trading his usual wordplay for simple and emotionally-gutting truisms about life, love and, well, the end of the world.
Of course, the lyrics wouldn't work if the songs weren't good. The songs are very good. The title track is just about the perfect love song, with a primary hook that gets lost in your head for weeks. Other tracks offer hints of Mac DeMarco, Dan Fogelberg, Kevin Morby and just about everyone else who has crafted great songs on an acoustic guitar. It's fitting that Gallo has found a home on the label Kill Rock Stars, which released so much of Elliott Smith's work back in the day. As an aside, Gallo regularly posts songs about current events on TikTok and other social media platforms, which are worth checking out if you like stuff like Jesse Welles. � Lawrence Bonk, Contributing Reporter
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
There have been hip-hop albums that explored the finality and tragedy of death, but not many that truly tackled spirituality and long-term grief. De La Soul has done just that, following the passing of founding member Trugoy the Dove. This album serves as a final testament of sorts for Trugoy, as he's heavily featured throughout. In that way, Cabin in the Sky is reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest's 2016 masterpiece We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, which followed the death of rapper Phife Dawg.
Like Tribe's modern classic, Cabin in the Sky is filled with absolute bangers. It features standout beats by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Trugoy, Jake One and others. The rhymes are great and all three primary De La members are given time to shine. Guest rappers like Common and Nas got the memo, delivering some of their most memorable verses in years. Heck, even Giancarlo Esposito is on board as the narrator. Some reviewers have dinged this album for being too long but, come on, that's like complaining there's too much pizza. It's De La Soul. � L.B.
FKA twigs - Eusexua
This was a really good year for new music IMO, so much that I've been finding it pretty difficult to think back and settle on my favorite releases. But, FKA twigs' Eusexua undeniably did some heavy lifting for me, pretty much carrying me through the first six or so months of the year without much competition, and I've circled right back to it as the year closes. It's an album that somehow seems to meet every vibe. It'll have you in club mode and ready for a night of sweaty, filthy dancing in under three minutes, or feeling bright and upbeat like a midday walk on the first day of spring � yet it still hits when you're having a good ol' car cry.
"Girl Feels Good" is for sure one of my most-played songs of the year, followed closely by "Eusexua," "Perfect Stranger," "Keep It, Hold It" and "Striptease." If ever I can't decide what I'm in the mood to listen to, I throw this album on and it doesn't disappoint. � Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend Editor
Faetooth - Labyrinthine
Faetooth's sophomore album, Labyrinthine, is face-melting, melancholic perfection. The band describes its sound as "fairy doom," but don't let that first word fool you into thinking it isn't heavy as hell. Labyrinthine goes unbelievably hard, and will have you feeling like you're eternally wandering a cursed bog, surrounded by the wailing of the unfortunate souls who came before you. Don't believe me? Put on "White Noise." This is really an album that should be enjoyed in its entirety, though, and I can't individually name half the songs on it because I tend to just keep the whole thing playing on rotation. � C.M.
Orville Peck - Appaloosa
This EP is truly a testament to my ability to run my obsessions into the ground, because it only came out in mid-November and somehow landed on my most-listened wrapup for the end of the year� which was released some two weeks later. It's front-loaded with its strongest songs, a powerful and kind of haunting trio that just flows beautifully from one into the other: "Dreaded Sundown," to "Drift Away" into "Atchafalaya" (ft. Noah Cyrus). As a fan of musicals, I also loved the inclusion of "Maybe This Time," a cover from Cabaret, especially since I was pretty bummed to have missed Peck's stint as the Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway this summer. � C.M.
Case 63
I got into an audio series kick this year, and dove into shows like Unicorn Girl, Stalked! and more. But none of the dramatized fiction I listened to in 2025 had me hooked like Case 63. Setting aside that it�s voice-acted by A-listers Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac, which is a phenomenal pairing that won me over on star power alone. The best thing about Case 63 is its storytelling.
Moore stars as a psychologist, meeting Isaac for the first time in a prison interview. Isaac has been claiming to be a traveler of sorts, and through recorded sessions and voice notes, we hear his side of the story, as well as her reactions and ultimate involvement in the adventures. Every step of the way, particularly in the beginning, there is clear explanation as to why the exchange is being recorded. It isn�t necessary, but it�s helpful in my buying into the realism of the story.
It isn�t just the method and technical aspects of the storytelling, of course. Narratively, Case 63 is a gripping ride, and thanks to its short episodes, it�s easy to binge really quickly. There is certainly a generous use of cliffhangers to help speed things along, but I found myself eager to devour the entire series in one commute. The story continued to linger in my mind days after I finished both existing seasons, and I�m hoping the new one drops soon. If you�re looking for a quick and easy sci-fi audio series, do not miss Case 63. � Cherlynn Low, Managing Editor
Secure Love
I spent a lot of time this year trying to learn more about my attachment style and how it shows up in all the relationships in my life. Between Stephanie Rigg�s On Attachment podcast, the TV show Couples Therapy and all the books on the topic of attachment styles, trauma and more, I�ve consumed them all. And while they�ve all been helpful in different ways, one podcast stuck out to me this year. It�s hosted by Julie Menanno, MA, LMFT, LCPC, creator of the @TheSecureRelationship account on Instagram and the author of Secure Love: Create a relationship that lasts a lifetime.
You can probably tell from that introduction what Menanno�s work is all about. Relationships, from the lens of attachment styles. The Secure Love Podcast doesn�t just re-deliver the same information we�ve seen published across various media and platforms, though. Each season of the podcast (it�s partway through the second as of this writing) sees Menanno work with one couple through their negative cycles, using somatic practices to help each partner understand their emotions, triggers and reactions. Because we�re listening to real people talk about real-life happenings, it�s not only easy to relate, but listeners often see themselves in these scenarios. At the start of each episode, too, Menanno reads out or plays notes from the audience, and you can see how fellow listeners have reacted.
This season, for example, my friend and some other listeners seemed to really dislike Brian, the anxious male partner in this season�s pair. While I�ve certainly found some of Brian�s ways of speaking borderline offensive, I had a lot more sympathy for him as I started seeing his traits in my loved ones. I also started to identify with his partner Bethany, who Menanno typed as having an avoidant attachment style.
As I listened to Bethany and Brian describe the reasons they got into fights and explain where they were coming from, suddenly it felt like the world made sense. I saw similar patterns and reasonings in my own relationship, as well as those of my parents, relatives and friends.
It is slightly voyeuristic to listen to something so intimate, of course, but Menanno makes it all educational rather than just entertaining. She gently interrupts parts of each episode to tell the audience why she asks certain questions or what she�s attempting to achieve by asking Brian or Bethany to sit with their difficult feelings.
I found her method familiar, as I recently started working with a somatic coach whose approach is similar to Menanno�s, which is rooted in emotion-focused therapy (EFT). Staying with uncomfortable feelings makes me want to jump out of my skin, but being able to endure them, question why they arise and then understand where they come from is crucial to helping uncover the thinking that causes them. Sometimes they�re the result of flawed logic, catastrophic thinking or a simple lack of context, but often they�re very reasonable reactions.
If you�re looking to understand yourself and your emotions a bit better, or just want to get an idea of what EFT or couples therapy sounds like, I can�t recommend The Secure Love Podcast highly enough. � C.L.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/what-we-listened-to-in-2025-201308584.html?src=rss
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