Albums of 2025 - 24. Ela Minus - DÍA

Albums of 2025 - 24. Ela Minus - DÍA

Sometimes when you’re young, whether in your job or with your friends or whatever, the smallest absurdities can funnel through for a lifetime — or funnel through into a lifetime, whichever is correct. When I was an intern in Reykjavik, one of the happiest moments of my life, age 23, we would listen — me and the fellow interns, one in particular — to M.I.A.’s Galang. And we would, I would, all of us would sing the lyrics: Blaze, ablaze, galang galang galang galang, purple haze, galang galang galang galang. And now the silliness, the naïvety of it all, has emerged again.

Even though the album in question here, number 24, is about recovering, it’s just very innocent. Some of the lyrics especially — “I’ve been a foooool,” “acting all cooool,” “but now I’m brooooken.” Colombian producer Ela Minus started the year in the best possible way, kickstarting with a dancey, clubby, poppy beaut that takes me back to those good times and is still kicking on.

No need to act so serious all the time. Don’t fucking wait. Don’t get conditioned by society. Guys — your time is now.

Albums of 2025 - 25 Annie & The Caldwells - Can't Lose My Soul

25. Annie & The Caldwells - Can't Lose My Soul

A brilliant example of a band that have been going for many decades — forty years it is, I believe — and have just released the debut album. It’s a great story, one of the best musical stories of the year. And… you know what gospel music is, dear reader, and so do I, but… you might as well chop your carrots, garlic, throw in some coriander in your kitchen. Not in the kitchen — actually in the mix of what you’re making in the kitchen — and play this album. It’s really great for the soul, because you can’t lose it, and neither can I. What more to add? I guess you could add something to thicken the soup, like some flour. Butter is alright for thickening soup. Sometimes cream. The songs here have got that musical cooking, cookery, cooking lesson, cooking up some great music, cooking class… No, I’ve already said cooking classes. You know what I'm saying.