The Top Albums of 2025

Since Debí Tirar Más Fotos was released on January 5, I’ve listened to the album by There Stands the Glass' 2020 Artist of the Year several times a week. Bad Bunny’s blend of vintage and futuristic sounds remained fresh, a trait that’s made Debí Tirar Más Fotos my favorite new album throughout the year. Selections two through ten in the following account battled for second place. Notable omissions including Cécile McLorin Salvant, SML and Morgan Wallen are represented in my ranking of the best songs of 2025. As always, there’s no overlap between the two listings.

1. Bad Bunny- Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Shake it like a Polaroid picture.

2. Rosalía- Lux
Her beautiful dark twisted fantasy.

3. Linda May Han Oh- Strange Heavens
My review.

4. Clipse- Let God Sort Em Out
So be it.

5. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Bone Bells
A perfect tandem.

6. Patricia Brennan- Of the Near and Far
Chamber jazz.

7. Billy Woods- Golliwog
Dank.

8. Gerald Clayton- Ones & Twos: Expanded Edition
My review.

9. John Glacier- Like a Ribbon
Icy.

10. Clarice Jensen- In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness
Bach-based drones.

11. Charles Lloyd- Figure in Blue
Hushed brilliance.

12. Armand Hammer- Mercy
Gold produced by the Alchemist.

13. Vox Clamantis- Pärt: And I heard a voice
My kind of praise and worship music.

14. Sylvie Courvoisier and Wadada Leo Smith- Angel Falls
Angels flying too close to the ground.

15. Karol G- Tropicoqueta
The rumors are true: I’m in the tank for the Columbian star.

16. Vijay Iyer and Leo Wadada Smith- Defiant Life
Resistance.

17. Mike- Showbiz!
No business.

18. Emily D’Angelo, Ben Bliss, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Metropolitan Opera- Tesori: Grounded
My review.

19. Military Gun- God Save the Gun
Bang! You’re dead.

20. Destroyer- Dan’s Boogie
Luxurious dissipation.

21. Tucker Wetmore- What Not To
My review.

22. Nick Shoulders- Refugia Blues
High and lonesome in the Ozarks.

23. Mister Water Wet- Things Gone and Things Still Here
The best album out of Kansas City in 2025.

24. Kelela- In The Blue Light
Live.

25. Carl Allen- Tippin’
My review.

26. Sō Percussion- 25x25
An eight-hour anniversary celebration.

27. Tyler, The Creator- Don’t Tap the Glass
Golf wang forever.

28. Nels Cline- Consentrik Quartet
My review.

29. Laura Jurd- Rites & Revelations
European folk-jazz fusion.

30. Anouar Brahem- After the Last Sky
ECM-core.

31. Camila Nebbia, Marilyn Crispell and Lesley Mok- A Reflection Distorts Over Water
Free trio.

32. Mike and Tony Selzer- Pinball II
Tilt.

33. Ches Smith- Clone Row
With Mary Halvorson, Liberty Ellman and Nick Dunston.

34. Sumac and Moor Mother- The Film
Horror show.

35. James McVinnie- Dreamcatcher
My review.

36. Olivia Dean- The Art of Loving
Pop life.

37. Salif Keita- So Kono
Transcendent.

38. Young Miko- Do Not Disturb
Ring the alarm.

39. Oren Ambarchi- Ghosted III
Haunting.

40. Juana Molina- DOGA
A lovely comeback.

41. Aruán Ortiz- Créole Renaissance
Solo piano.

42. claire rousay and Gretchen Korsmo- quilted lament
Meaningful ambience.

43. Cosmic Ear- Traces
My review.

44. Trio of Bloom- Trio of Bloom
Innovative power trio.

45. Grupo Firme- Evolución
Instant party.

46. Dijon- Baby
Princely.

47. Atmosphere- Jestures
My review.

48. Tim Berne- Yikes Too
My review.

49. Jeff Tweedy- Twilight Override
So many songs.

50. Al Foster- Live at Smoke
With Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau and Joe Martin.

October 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Vincenzo Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of October 2025*
1. Clarice Jensen- In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness
Bach-based drones.

2. Patricia Brennan- Of the Near and Far
Infinite.

3. Laura Jurd- Rites & Revelations
New rituals.

4. Charles Lloyd- Figure in Blue
Rapturous sketches.

5. Jakob Bro, Wadada Leo Smith and Marcus Gilmore- Murasaki
Wadada #1.

6. Sylvie Courvoisier and Wadada Leo Smith- Angel Falls
Wadada #2.

7. Militarie Gun- God Save the Gun
Firepower.

8. Yazmin Lacey- Teal Dreams
Think Jill Scott, not KC Current.

9. Meredith Monk- Cellular Songs
Primordial.

10. The Necks- Disquiet
Unsettling.

*October 31 releases excluded.

The Top Three Reissues, Reimaginings and Compilations of October 2025
1. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska ‘82: Expanded Edition
Reasons to believe.

2. Peggy Lee- Mirrors: Expanded Edition
Existentialism courtesy of Leiber and Stoller.

3. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- Scaring the Hoes: Director's Cut
Refreshed version of the disruptive 2023 classic.

The Top Ten Songs of October 2025
1. Nathy Peluso featuring Rawayana- “Malportada”
Bad behavior.

2. Gabito Ballesteros and Fuerza Regida- “Chrome Hearts”
Shiny.

3. Amadou & Mariam- “Bienvenue à la maison”
A fond farewell.

4. SML- “Chicago Four”
Big shoulders.

5. Say She She- “Shop Boy”
C’est chic.

6. Robert Glasper featuring Norah Jones- “Prototype”
Two of a kind.

7. СОЮЗ featuring Tim Bernardes- “Lingua Do Mundo”
Belarus meets Brazil.

8. Silvana Estrada- “El Alma Mia”
Ooh! My soul.

9. Mobb Deep featuring Clipse- “Look at Me”
Seen.

10. Dave- “My 27th Birthday”
The party’s over.

The Top Ten Performances of October 2025
1. Brad Mehldau and Christian McBride at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

2. Terence Blanchard at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

3. Angela Hewitt at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Militarie Gun, Liquid Mike and Public Opinion at the Bottleneck
My Instagram clip.

5. Destroyer and Jennifer Castle at Warehouse on Broadway
My review.

6. Matt Villinger, Peter Schlamb, Sebastian Arias and Matt Robertson at the Blue Room
My Instagram clip.

7. Pete Escovedo at the Folly Theater
My notes.

8. Michael Shults, Dan Velicer, Dawson Coleman and Andrew Ouellette at Polsky Theatre
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Angela Hewitt’s masterclass at White Recital Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Susan and William Goldenberg at Asbury United Methodist Church
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

March 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for the Royal Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s Faust by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of March 2025
1. Vijay Iyer and Leo Wadada Smith- Defiant Life
Resistance.

2. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Bone Bells
“What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells.”

3. Destroyer- Dan’s Boogie
Regrettably, I know just what he means.

4. Nels Cline- Consentrik Quartet
My review.

5. clipping.- Dead Channel Sky
Overcast.

6. Anouar Brahem- After the Last Sky
Light in darkness.

7. Jan Lisiecki- Preludes by Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Messiaen, Górecki
All killer, no filler.

8. Bob James and Dave Koz- Just Us
My review.

9. Slim Thug and Propain- Double Cup
Still tippin’.

10. Stik Figa and DJ Sean P- A Small Fortune
Buried treasure.

The Top Three Reissues, Repackagings and Reimaginings of March 2025
1. Art Pepper- Geneva 1980
Late-career fire.

2. Neil Young- Oceanside Countryside
Previously unreleased 1977 album.

3. Branford Marsalis Quartet- Belonging
A replication of Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album.

The Top Ten Songs of March 2025
1. Nathy Peluso- “Erotika”
Salsa. 

2. PremRock featuring Cavalier and Elucid- “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Bad guys.

3. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal- “Misery”
Muck and mire.

4. feeble little horse- “This Is Real”
Debaser.

5. Mackenzie Carpenter- “Gone Fishing”
Hook, line and sinker.

6. Maren Morris- “Carry Me Through”
Self help.

7. Black Country, New Road- “Happy Birthday”
Fourpenny opera.

8. Dierks Bentley featuring Stephen Wilson Jr.- "Cold Beer Can"
Pop a top.

9. Little Simz- "Free"
Priceless.

10. TheBabeGabe and The Human featuring Monogram- "1999"
They were dreaming when they wrote this.

The Top Ten Performances of March 2025
1. Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift at Knuckleheads
My review.

2. Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Folly Theater
My review.

3. Dead Heat, Stakes Is High, Failure Drill and Honey at Howdy
My Instagram clip.

4. Leonidas Kavakos and Danil Trifonov at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Leonkoro at the 1900 Building
My Instagram snapshot.

6. Bram and Lucy Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater
My review.

7. Thomas Dunford at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
My Instagram snapshot.

8. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Becoming a Redwood: The Songs of Lori Laitman and Dana Gioia” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Dawson Jones at Green Lady Lounge
My review.

10. The Lyric Opera’s “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna” with Mariachi los Camperos at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Album Review: Nels Cline- Consentrik Quartet

Start here. That’s what I’m now able to tell people who ask for an entry point into the avant-jazz that constitutes a large part of my music consumption. Suggesting Nels Cline’s new album Consentrik Quartet is an ideal gateway for beginners isn’t intended as an insult. A sturdy bridge between uncompromising indie-rock and skronky free jazz, Consentrik Quartet will almost certainly stand as one of the most consequential albums of 2025. It doesn’t hurt that it possesses the caché of the Blue Note Records imprint. Furthermore, Cline is already known as Wilco’s freaky guitarist. When I heard saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey perform in 2014 I never imagined they’d play with the relatively conventional finesse they display on "Down Close". Bassist Chris Lightcap connects the two realms on tracks like "The 23". The second step for neophytes is more imposing. Released the same day at Consentrik Quartet, the Erik Satie-influenced dissonance Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson showcase on the brilliant Bone Bells is going to be a tougher sell.

We Let the Liquor Talk: The Top Albums and Songs of 2023

Instigating a cappella singalongs of Morgan Wallen’s hit “Last Night” at parties, backyard barbecues and amid crowds of strangers in public spaces was my favorite prank of 2023. It’s the song by which I’ll remember the year. Determining my favorite album wasn’t as easy. A dozen releases listed below spent time at the top of my albums list during 2023. Wallen’s One Thing at a Time might have been a contender, but I elect not to duplicate artists in these tabulations.

The Top Fifty Albums of 2023

1. Karol G- Mañana Será Bonito

2. Sebastian Rochford- A Short Diary

3. Bad Bunny- Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

4. Kassa Overall- Animals

5. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal- Maps

6. Jason Moran- From the Dancehall to the Battlefield

7. Grupo Frontera- El Comienzo

8. Elle King- Come Get Your Wife

9. Hilary Hahn- Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Solo Violin

10. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- Scaring the Hoes

11. Young Fathers- Heavy Heavy

12. ANOHNI and the Johnsons- My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross

13. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera

14. Lonnie Holley- Oh Me Oh My

15. Kelela- Raven

16. Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi- Our Daily Bread

17. Buddy and Julie Miller- In the Throes

18. Matt Otto- Umbra

19. Atmosphere- Talk Talk

20. Henry Threadgill- The Other One

21. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Mélusine

22. The Art Ensemble of Chicago- The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris

23. Armand Hammer- We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

24.Wilco- Cousin

25. Aja Monet- when the poems do what they do

26. Killer Mike- Michael

27. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You

28. Laura Schuler Quartet- Sueños Paralelos

29. The Clientele- I Am Not There Anymore

30. Irreversible Entanglements- Protect Your Light

31. Sampha- Lahai

32. Tyshawn Sorey- Continuing

33. Mike Dillon & Punkadelick- Inflorescence

34. Willie Nelson- I Don’t Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

35. Zoh Amba, Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt- The Flower School

36. Rudy Royston’s Flatbed Buggy- Day

37. Christian McBride’s New Jawn- Prime

38. Mette Henriette- Drifting

39. Kali Malone- Does Spring Hide Its Joy

40. Johnathan Blake- Passage

41. King Krule- Space Heavy

42. The Necks- Travel

43. Ambrose Akinmusire- Beauty Is Enough

44. Cleo Sol- Gold

45. Jaimie Branch- Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))

46. Tilo Weber- Tesserae

47. Lana Del Rey- Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

48. El Michels Affair and Black Thought- Glorious Game

49. Ingrid Laubrock- The Last Quiet Place

50. Bertrand Chamayou- Letter(s) to Erik Satie

The Top Fifty Songs of 2023

1. Morgan Wallen- “Last Night”

2. Jamila Woods and duendita- “Tiny Garden”

3. Joshua Redman featuring Gabrielle Cavassa- “Chicago Blues”

4. L’Rain- "Pet Rock"

5. Meshell Ndegeocello featuring Brandee Younger and Julius Rodriguez- “Virgo”

6. That Mexican OT featuring Paul Wall and Drodi- “Johnny Dang”

7. Shirley Collins- “High and Away”

8. Military Gunn- “Do It Faster”

9. The Streets- “Gonna Hurt When This Is Over”

10. Danny Brown- “Tantor”

11. Austin Plaine- “Turn It Around”

12. Yahritza y Su Esencia- “Rositas”

13. SZA- “Kill Bill”

14. Jessie Ware- "Pearls"

15. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne- "Presha"

16. Turnstile and BadBadNotGood-  "Underwater Boi"

17. Stik Figa with the Expert and Blu- "Uknowhut?"

18. Lauren Watkins- "Grain of Salt"

19. Carin Leon- "Primera Cita"

20. Brent Cobb- "Devil Ain't Done"

21. Joanna Sternberg- "I Will Be With You"

22. SexyyRed- "SkeeYee"

23. Tokischa- "Candy"

24. Kali Uchis- "Te Mata"

25. Cultura Profética- "Para Mí"

26. Snoh Aalegra "Wait a Little Longer"

27. Tech N9ne and the Popper- "They Know Meh"

28. Alien Nosejob- "Split Personality"

29. Camilo and Diljit Dosanjh- "Palpita"

30. Raheem DeVaughn- "Let's Fall in Love"

31. Don Omar- "Carcelero"

32. Peso Pluma- "Bye"

33. Ice Spice- "In Ha Mood"

34. 100 gecs- "Dumbest Girl Alive"

35. Big Freedia- "Gin In My System"

36. Luke Combs- "Love You Anyway"

37. Robert Glasper featuring SiR and Alex Isley- "Back to Love"

38. esperanza spalding- "Não Ao Marco Temporal"

39. Sleaford Mods- “So Trendy”

40. Noname with $ilkmoney, Billy Woods and Stout- "gospel?"

41. Maria Elena Silva- "Love, If It Is So"

42. PJ Harvey- “I Inside the Old Year Dying”

43. Sam Hunt- "Walmart"

44. Fuerza Regida and Becky G- "Te Quiero Besar"

45. Slauson Malone 1- "New Joy"

46. Bizzy Banks- "Ok Ok Ok"

47. SleazyWorld Go- "Off the Court"

48. DJ Lucas- "The Climb"

49. Megan Moroney- "Kansas Anymore"

50. Mireya Ramos & the Poor Choices with Los Texmaniacs- "There Stands the Glass"

There Stands the Glass’ top 50 performances of 2023 are listed here.

There Stands the Glass’ top albums and songs of 2022 are listed here.

October 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Garsington Opera’s production of Gioachino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of October

1. Bad Bunny- Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

Carpe diem.

2. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera

Spectral.

3. Gucci Mane- Breath of Fresh Air

Rap redemption.

4. John Scofield- Uncle John’s Band

How does the song go?

5. Fuerza Regida- Pa las Baby’s y Belikeada

Party central.

6. Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra- 

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 12 & 13

The ponderous soul of Russia.

7. Ava Mendoza- Echolocation

My review.

8. Allison Miller- Rivers in Our Veins

Freewheeling jazz.

9. Nathan Davis- Neutral Buoyant

Psaltery.

10. Daniel Villarreal- Lados B

Raw grooves with Jeff Parker and Anna Butterss.

Top Ten Songs of October

1. Kali Uchis- "Te Mata"

Wayback machine #1.

2. Esperanza Spalding- "Não Ao Marco Temporal"

Wayback machine #2.

3. Holly Macve and Lana Del Rey- “Suburban House”

Cul-de-sac.

4. The Streets- “Gonna Hurt When This Is Over”

Such sublime sadness.

5. Danny Brown- "Tantor"

Chaos agent.

6. Ken Carson- "Jennifer's Body"

Tomorrow’s sounds today.

7. Tainy with J Balvin, Young Miko and Jowell & Randy- "Colmillo"

Everything at once.

8. Yebba- "Waterfall (I Adore You)"

Chasing.

9. Flatland Cavalry- "Spinnin'"

Heartsick honky tonk.

10. Drake- “IDGAF”

An extended ECM Records sample!

Top Ten Performances of October

1. Hilary Hahn at the Folly Theater

My review.

2. Thomas Rosenkranz at White Recital Hall

My review.

3. Samara Joy at the Folly Theater

My review.

4. Brent Cobb and Meg McRee and Knuckleheads

My review.

5. Alien Nosejob, Citric Dummies and CKrit at Howdy

My review.

6. Chamber Music Masterclass with Michael Stern at Helzberg Hall

My Instagram photo.

7. Stan Kessler, Brant Jester, Bob Bowman and Zach Morrow at the Blue Room

My Instagram clip.

8. Vintage Crop, Jackoffs and Konrad Hell and the Highwaters at Farewell

My review.

9. Carl Butler, Dennis LaFoon and Terry Hancock- Gospel Lounge at the Gospel Lounge

My Instagram clip.

10. Musica Sacra- Arrupe Hall at Rockhurst

My Instagram photo.

The previous monthly survey is here.