AUK’s Top 10 EPs of 2025

So here we are, dear readers, at that point in the year where we take a look back over the preceding months and marvel at the myriad of wonderful music that has adorned these articles. Of course, as always, the most difficult task is trying to decide which, out of approximately three hundred EPs reviewed, warrant a position in the ‘Top 10’, and in which order they should be presented. Now I can hear you say, “How difficult can it be? Just take the EP considered to be the best from each month and start from there”. Ah, yes. All well and good. However, some months were deeper than others; therefore, a broader sweep has been required to narrow the contenders down initially to an almost workable thirty, all of which I have re-listened to and re-evaluated. In addition, I have also checked that, at the time of writing this article, all of the final ten are still currently available to purchase through the usual platforms, which has sadly meant that one of the serious contenders has had to be omitted.

As with all these lists, the usual caveats apply, along with a heartfelt apology to those artists whose EP just missed out, including Oisin Hassan, Chloe Jones, Billy and the Big Bang, Sorrel Nation, The Rogue Embers, Roberta Smith, Georgia Lee Johnson, The Magpies and Chris Cleverley. The latter’s EP has not yet been released.

I can already inform you that we have a bumper crop of EPs to kick off 2026, but in the meantime, and with a big thank you to my esteemed colleague Fred Arnold for kindly stepping into the breach and deliver April’s edition, please read on, and I look forward to hearing your own thoughts on which EPs have impressed you the most throughout 2025.

Number 10: Thomas Dollbaum “Drive All Night”

First reviewed in September, “Drive All Night” was the first new material from Thomas Dollbaum since his much-acclaimed album “Wellswood” was released some three years earlier. Supporting his musical career as a qualified carpenter and construction worker, Dollbaum’s songs inhabit that blue-collar environment, with his character-led narratives full of veiled tension, where the lost and the lonely skulk in the shadowy corners of the streets with the dreamers and the losers, highlighting his prowess as an instinctive and emotive storyteller. On this atmospheric six-track collection, every song connects, though personal favourite ‘Warlock’s House’ possibly best captures the overall ambience of an EP that cements Dollbaum’s reputation as one of the finest exponents of the songwriting craft to emerge on the scene in recent years, and whets the appetite for his new full-length album, slated for release next year.

Number 9: Deray Barboros “Forget Most, Remember Some”

After much anticipation, Deray Barboros’ debut six-track EP “Forget Most, Remember Some” finally saw the light of day back when the new year was still in its infancy. Having kept us waiting for the best part of a year after the release of the first single, which was featured and highly praised in these very pages almost twelve months earlier, this collection of songs proved worth the wait, confirming the speculation that Barboros was an inspiring new talent. Originally from Istanbul, but currently based in Berlin’s vibrant folk and americana scene, Barboros recorded the EP at the city’s famous Gold Watch studio and surrounded herself with a wonderful cast of musicians who helped flesh out the colour and ambience of her songs. Musically, the sound draws deep from the well of classic country, while the from the heart, of the heart narratives are full of haunted nostalgia, which perfectly suits the understated vocal delivery. Now we’ve had the EP, one can only hope that a full-blown album is already in the pipeline.

Number 8: Eric Hagen “Americana Lonesome”

To these ears, the year couldn’t have got off to a better start than the news of a new release from Eric Hagen. The five-track EP “Americana Lonesome” might not have been the long-awaited follow-up album to the highly acclaimed “Revival” that saw the light of day in 2023, but it proved to be the perfect substitute in the interim, offering further proof, if proof were needed, of the brilliance of Hagen’s song craft. Add to that his evocative vocals, full of blue-eyed soul, more than the equal to such household names as Chris Stapleton, or for those of us of a certain vintage, a young Greg Allman, and the heartfelt narrative, delivered with such authenticity and integrity, impassioned and yet sinister, disconcerting and yet beguiling all at the same time. Pick of five excellent songs is probably the opening number ‘Deja Vu’, along with the showstopping ‘Accuse Me’, which is truly one of the best songs of the year. Hopefully, 2026 will see a new full-length album from Hagen, for surely a place at the top table is his for the taking.

Number 7: Kier Byrnes and The Kettle Burners “Dances By Firelight”

Boston-based high-octane outfit Kier Byrnes and the Kettle Burners released no less than three EPs during 2025, of which the five-track “Dances By Firelight” was the last of the triptych. Having been the recipients of Americana Act of the Year at the 2024 New England Music Awards, this sextet were clearly dead-set on capitalising on the accolade, and this particular EP found the band expanding on their brand of americana to a point where it now almost defies description, blurring time to create a raucous mix of musical adrenaline and enchanting melodies that weave stories of love and loss, and all life’s trials. From the call and response bluegrass barnburner of the opening number ‘Little Bit More, Little Bit Less’ to the riveting romp cover of Billy Strings’ ‘Dust In A Baggie’ that closes the EP, the music is infectious, while the self-penned numbers ‘Further Down The Road’ and ‘Don’t Let Perfect’ prove ample evidence in the bands songwriting ability, delivering two instant classics. On the back of 2025, one can confidently assume that more awards and accolades await Kier Byrnes and the Kettle Burners.

Number 6: Kirsten Adamson “Paint With The Colours”

Following on from releasing her award-winning sophomore album “Landing Place” that saw the light of day in 2023, Kirsten Adamson released the four-track EP “Paint With The Colours” at the start of this year, which proved to be the first of a series of three EPs that were released at three-month intervals. The songs here show Adamson’s continued musical trajectory, cementing her own distinctive sound, whilst honing her craft as a songwriter. Previous comparisons had seen Adamson favourably compared to such luminaries as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and even Kate Bush, but here she inhabits a soundscape similar to that of Courtney Marie Andrews, particularly on the closing number ‘Halfway To Buffalo’. The title track that opens proceedings immediately captures the ambience with gently strummed guitars, melancholic piano, and exquisite vocals, whilst the nostalgic ‘Grandfather’s Accordion’ keeps the focus close to home. Adamson’s songwriting influences clearly draw from a broad palette, with ‘In Your Arms’ in particular tipping its hat to Tom Waits, which can be no bad thing. The following two EPs and the release last month of her critically acclaimed third album, “Dreamviewer” will surely now see Adamson step out of her father’s shadow and take her own place in the spotlight.

Number 5: E.W. Harris “Machine Living In Relief”

Brooklyn-based alt-folk singer-songwriter, producer and artist E.W. Harris released his latest six-track EP “Machine Living In Relief” back in March. Describing himself as a “self-styled folktronicist” and “dystopian romantic”, whose influences range from David Bowie to John Prine, his sound here draws greater comparison to that of Bon Iver, Jim James, or even Jeff Buckley. This new EP was a continuation of what had been a five-album series set in Harris’s ‘utopian post-apocalyptic Rocket City’, and though the lyrical narrative may be set in a futuristic AI world, the poetry is intimate and personal throughout, while the extensive use of traditional musical instrumentation such as mandolin, banjo and accordion helps to maintain an organic ambience. Each track is like the preverbal peeled-backed onion, consistently revealing more with each listen, and though there are occasional touchstones to broader influences, each track blossoms into something unique and breathtaking. In fact, the only thing more astonishing than the music that adorns “Machine Living In Relief” is the fact that E.W. Harris isn’t already a household name, for on this evidence, it is surely only a matter of time.

Number 4: JD Hinton “So Close So Far”

2025 has proved a pivotal year for JD Hinton, having released the excellent EP “Traveller” at the beginning of the year, he followed it up with the equally strong five-track “So Close So Far” in June. Hinton’s sagacious narratives draw comparison to fellow Texan legend Dave Alvin, while his numerous acting roles on both film and television have helped develop a graphic writing style that turns his songs into mini-movies. The opening song, ‘Rain Rain Rain’, a co-write with Richard Alan Solem, hits you like a controlled explosion from the guitar riff, which is equally matched by the intensity of the vocal delivery, as together they pull you into Hinton’s world. That level is maintained by the following number: ‘Don’t Dig My Grave Yet’, while the slow, seductive piano ballad ‘Let’s Do Now (I’m Here, You’re Here)’ that includes some delightful backing vocals from Kathrin Shorr, shows Hinton’s softer, melodic side. Hinton’s poetry is scripted with all the emotional clarity and vision of a screenwriter, but delivered with the world-weary lucidity of a wandering minstrel, which is all perfectly captured on the song ‘Where Do I Sign’. Hinton’s life story may reveal many facets, but as a singer-songwriter, he is most definitely the real deal.

Number 3: Lisa O’Neill “The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right”

Five-time BBC Folk Award nominee Lisa O’Neill has garnered a reputation as one of the finest artists to appear on the folk scene since the release of her debut album in 2009. Four further albums have followed, culminating in the universally acclaimed “All Of This Chance” which saw the light of day in 2003, cementing the County Caven singer-songwriter’s status as one of the finest of her generation. This new EP opened with the title track, one of the most powerful and emotive songs in many a year, which O’Neill began writing back in 2017 and only finished early this year. Written as a reaction to the unsettling time we currently live in, the song’s message resonates with an almost immeasurable amount of empathy and importance. A song for our times and yet timeless. Elsewhere, ‘Mother Jones’ has the feel of another instant classic as it recounts the tale of Mary G. Harris-Jones and her role that led directly to the introduction of America’s first child labour laws. The EP also includes O’Neill’s haunting rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘All The Tired Horses’, famously used in the soundtrack to the closing scene of the final episode of ‘Peaky Blinders’, and ‘Homeless’ featuring Pete Doherty, which had been released as a stand-alone single at the start of the year. The inclusion of the famous Christmas carol ‘The Bleak Mid-Winter’ adds a festive flavour, with O’Neill rendering all other versions obsolete.

Number 2: Charles Wesley Godwin “Lonely Mountain Town”

Following on from his 2023 breakout album “Family Ties”, Charles Wesley Godwin released this seven-track EP entitled “Lonely Mountain Town” back in March. Re-united with long-time producer Al Torrence, they delivered an atmospheric collection of songs that knitted together effortlessly, with a more stripped-back arrangement that offered an intimate and cathartic snapshot of live, less autobiographical, choosing instead to focus on more character-led storytelling. From the melancholic title track, cocooned by an acoustic guitar gently picked all the way through to the heartbreaking ‘She Doesn’t Love Me Anymore’, Godwin repeatedly demonstrates his craft of being one of the finest songsmiths to emerge in recent years. The closing number is a rousing cover of Jason Molina’s ‘Hammer Down’ that pairs Godwin with the equally emotive vocals of Scott Avett, and proves the perfect closer to an EP that clocks in at over 26 minutes. With “Lonely Mountain Town” and the recently released live album “Live From The Steel City”, Godwin is surely set to finally break into the big time.

 Number 1: Luke Tyler Shelton “Blue Sky”

High summer saw the release of the debut EP from Los Angeles native Luke Tyler Shelton entitled “Blue Sky”. A child of the new millennium, this seven-track offering was recorded at Sound Studio in Hollywood, with no less than Shooter Jennings and Jonathan Wilson overseeing production duties, while mixing responsibilities fell to four-time Grammy-winner Trina Shoemaker. If that wasn’t enough, the full band arrangement included longtime Jennings bandmate Ted Russell Kamp on bass, while Wilson multi-tasks on drums, guitar and Moog-synth. And yet, despite the stellar cast, it is the songcraft and soulful vocals that immediately highlight Shelton as a unique talent. Described musically as a “sonic wanderer” and “time traveller”, his songs hold a mirror to the near-mystical hotbed of early seventies Laurel Canyon, with the quite breathtaking opening number ‘Anna’ setting the tone for the whole EP, dripping in heavenly melodies and gorgeous grooves that tap in to all the magic that burst out of the Canyon over fifty years ago, and yet still managing to sound completely fresh and contemporary. The quality continues uninterrupted throughout the EP, from the cosmic melancholy of ‘Feeling Always Down’ all the way through to the haunting beauty of the title track that closes the EP, proving that Shelton will be a name we should all be hearing a whole lot more of in 2026, and making “Blue Sky” a worthy winner of the inaugural ‘AUK EP of the Year Award’.