Every year, the Album of the Year conversation starts early. Critics begin shaping a narrative around the records that feel the most daring, the most immediate, or the most culturally significant. But as the list of “contenders” grows, one question becomes more interesting than any ranking: which of these albums is actually built to last?
Looking at the 2025 cycle so far, three records stand out for very different reasons: Los Thuthanaka, Wednesday’s Bleeds, and Geese’s Getting Killed. Each of them represents a different idea of what an Album of the Year should be. But they don’t all hold up in the same way.
Los Thuthanaka: the critic’s favorite
Los Thuthanaka is the kind of album that naturally rises to the top of critical lists. It is immersive, concept-driven, and resistant to easy interpretation. Rather than relying on traditional songwriting structures, it builds its identity through repetition, atmosphere, and a sense of ritualistic tension.
This makes it one of the most distinctive records of 2025. It feels intentional, carefully constructed, and deeply committed to its own aesthetic. From a critical standpoint, it makes perfect sense as a number one pick. It represents ambition, identity, and risk.
But there is also a limitation. For all its conceptual strength, Los Thuthanaka can feel more impressive than engaging. It is a record you respect, sometimes more than one you return to. And that raises an important question: is the best album of the year the one that demands the most attention, or the one that keeps calling you back?
Read the full review of Los Thuthanaka →
Bleeds: the strongest overall contender
Where Los Thuthanaka builds its case through concept, Wednesday’s Bleeds builds it through execution. This is an album that does not rely on a single defining idea. Instead, it refines everything the band already does well and brings it into sharper focus.
The songwriting is the key. The lyrics feel grounded, specific, and emotionally direct without ever becoming predictable. The sound balances noise and melody with precision, and the band plays with a confidence that never turns into rigidity. It feels lived-in rather than constructed.
This is what makes Bleeds stand out in the 2025 landscape. It does not need a heavy conceptual framework to justify itself. It works immediately, but it also deepens over time. It is accessible without being simple, and textured without becoming overwhelming.
Most importantly, it holds up. It invites repeated listening, and each return reveals something new without losing its emotional impact. That combination is rare, and it is often what separates a strong album from a truly great one.
Read the full review of Wednesday’s Bleeds →
Getting Killed: the most alive record of the year
Geese’s Getting Killed approaches the Album of the Year conversation from a completely different angle. This is not a record built on cohesion or clarity. It thrives on movement, unpredictability, and a sense of constant transformation.
Cameron Winter’s vocal performance is central to that effect. He shifts between irony and intensity, pushing the songs into unexpected shapes. The band follows that energy, creating a sound that feels unstable in a deliberate way. Tracks expand, collapse, and rebuild themselves in real time.
At its best, Getting Killed is one of the most exciting albums of 2025. It feels alive in a way that many more polished records do not. There is always the sense that something is happening, not just being performed.
But that same instability can work against it. The album does not always convert its energy into something lasting. Some of its most interesting moments feel immediate rather than memorable, intense rather than enduring. It is a fascinating record, but a more complicated choice for the top spot.
Read the full review of Geese’s Getting Killed →
So which 2025 album is actually worth it?
Each of these records represents a different version of greatness. Los Thuthanaka is the most conceptually ambitious. Getting Killed is the most volatile and alive. But when it comes to balance, depth, and long-term impact, Bleeds stands apart.
The best album of the year is not always the one that feels the most radical at first. Often, it is the one that continues to reveal itself over time. The one that works without needing to be explained. The one that stays with you.
In the 2025 conversation so far, Wednesday’s Bleeds is the record that best fits that description.
What about 2026?
This is only part of the story. The Album of the Year conversation is still open, and new releases will inevitably reshape it. What matters now is not locking in a final answer, but understanding what actually defines a great record in the first place.
If 2025 has already shown anything, it is that ambition alone is not enough. The albums that last are the ones that combine identity, songwriting, and the ability to keep listeners coming back. And that will be just as true when the 2026 cycle begins.