So we have reached the end of another year here at AUK and over the last few weeks we as a group of writers have been locked in a dark room until we could reach a verdict on our top 20 albums of the year, only being permitted to leave for sleeping and eating, occasionally loving. We finally sent white smoke up the chimney of AUK Towers earlier this week and were released from the responsibility, so we’re happy to share with you today numbers 20-11 which features albums you’ll have heard of and some you won’t. Join us again on Monday where we count down our top 10 albums of 2025. And fear not, our readers poll results will be published on Tuesday so you effectively have the final say of the year. Sigh.
20. Whitney K “Bubble”
Earlier this year in his review for Americana UK, Guy Lincoln described the latest Whitney K album “Bubble” as ‘beguiling’. He was spot on. At times on the album, frontman Konner Whitney manages to bring to mind Smog’s Bill Callahan, early Wilco, New York-period Lou Reed and on ‘Something Strange’ the band manage somehow to evoke Yoshimi-period Flaming Lips… how could you resist that? Whitney describes ‘Bubble’ as a 13-part cerebral mystery and I’m guessing only he really knows how that particular mystery unfolds. For those who have seen the band live, they are every bit as good in that setting as they are on the album, and that’s very good indeed.
19. Shelby Means “Shelby Means”
Shelby Means is one of the great female double bass players in bluegrass music along with the likes of Missy Raines, Vickie Vaughn and Katie Blomarz. On top of which, her self-titled star-studded debut reveals her to be an accomplished singer-songwriter. It comes out of the headphones like an old friend, one of those albums the listener feels like they’ve known forever, even on first listen, while still going on to reveal more each time it’s played. Mixing originals with covers from George Jones and Lady Gaga, it is an album that is from beginning to end a joy to listen to.
18. Tyler Childers “Snipe Hunter”
Tyler Childers’ doesn’t appreciate the term americana it seems but there’s no doubt that he’s the most adventurous “country” musician cutting about these days. Unafraid to upset the establishment with his backing of radical ideals he has thrived despite (or perhaps because of) his rebellious attitude. Snipe Hunter is his most adventurous album. Helmed by Rick Rubin it’s an unholy mess of gritty Appalachia, spiritual quests and tough rocking tracks with lyrics definitely not safe for the airwaves. Whether he’s out to eat all he can kill, seeking serenity in India or railing against the mess America is in, the album is a rip roaring success. (PK)
17. Christian Rutledge “An Inch Of This New York Mile”
With “An Inch Of This New York Mile”, Christian Rutledge delivered an almost faultless debut album with twelve exceptional songs that perfectly captured the everyday life of everyday people in the city he calls home, New York. These twelve songs, steeped in the singer-songwriter/americana traditions, full of spare, lyric-driven tunes that compare favourably with the genre’s finest exponents, have immediately earned Rutledge a seat at the top table. On an album where every song merits its place, particular favourites such as ‘Coal Miner Song’, ‘My Bodega’, and ‘Watching You Sleep’ can already be labelled classics, regardless of genre. (GT)
16. Ruston Kelly “Pale, Through the Window”
Ruston Kelly’s latest album is a triumph. After receiving such critical acclaim for the three albums that preceeded it (let’s exclude the Dirt Emo series) that were all virtually unremittingly dark and downbeat, chronicling his addictions and the break up of his marriage to Kacey Musgraves, the new album not just hints at the sunny uplands that were presaged, but positively embraces them as he describes his new love whilst acknowledging that it is not all going to be unremittingly joyous and there is always work to do. And he does this mostly in songs that march to the same beat as before although there are two or three upbeat numbers which he knocks out of the park, viz ‘Pickleball’. He can seemingly write brilliantly for every mood. (FA)
15. Robert Plant “Saving Grace”
Robert Plant continues to impress with his experiments in roots music. Saving Grace, the band, is an amazing mix of talented musicians and, in Suzi Dian, Plant has found his perfect singing partner. Few musicians continually improve later in life, but Plant has thrived creatively in his sunset years, and seems to relish working in collaborative projects around the outer fringes of folk, country and blues music. For me, his output from “Mighty Rearranger” on has been near flawless and represents some of the best music to come out of the UK in recent years. This album continues on that path. (RB)
14. Anna Tivel “Animal Poem”
“Animal Dream” is perhaps the most beguiling of Anna Tivel’s beguiling albums [Editor’s note: apologies for the repeated use of the word beguiling in this countdown]. Intimately recorded with whispers of folk rock and soft jazz influences woven throughout it the songs are enigmatic and puzzling but never challenging, instead lulling the listener into a state of reverie at times. Tivel says of the album … “What good are poems when affordable housing is scarce, the climate teeters on a dangerous edge, and war breaks out over misinformation spread by profit hungry algorithms?” Listening to this album won‘t stop the avarice but it might offer a glimmer of hope that there still is beauty in the world. (PK)
13. Willie Nile “The Great Yellow Light”
With “The Great Yellow Light”, Willie Nile delivered a cautionary message for the times, laced with hope and lashings of his own inimitable brand of rock ‘n’ roll. On an album stuffed full of fiery guitar-driven melodic songs that mixes anthemic rockers with sensitive ballads, the bard of New York City has created a body of work that proudly stands alongside the best of his great canon of work, providing ample proof that even at 77 years of age, and over 45 years as a recording artist, he is still very much at the top of his game.
12. Lord Huron “The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1”
“The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1” is an album that fuses deep philosophical themes – fate, time and existence – with cinematic, immersive soundscapes. The songwriting and mystical jukebox concept create a journey that is simultaneously intimate and vast. The album manages to have a broad appeal but retains its musical integrity. And live, wow: on stage Ben Schneider channels his inner Elvis and shows the energy and intensity behind the songs. This is an album to keep on repeat especially if, like me, you love the beauty of strangeness. (JL)
11. Jeff Tweedy “Twilight Override”
“Twilight Override” is not just a new Jeff Tweedy album, but a triple LP consisting of original 30 songs, bursting with creativity from start to finish. With such a lengthy runtime, freshness is kept alive with varied ideas in both its instrumental and lyrics that, as a whole, deal with the “sense of decline” of the modern world. With this great new collection of songs (which feature contributions from various musicians, including his sons), Tweedy hops between genres while staying true to the sound that has consolidated him as a staple of modern Americana. (SRT)
