The year 2025 has proven to be a remarkable period for Australian music, marked by a wealth of outstanding releases. Critics have witnessed everything from stunning debut records and assured second albums to the emergence of a surprise supergroup and major artists making powerful returns to the studio.
A Year of Standout Debuts and Confident Returns
The musical landscape was enriched by a diverse array of sounds. Listeners were treated to the mellow nostalgia of Folk Bitch Trio and Way Dynamic, the energised punch of Baker Boy and Ninajirachi, poignant melancholy from Stella Donnelly and Tame Impala, and anthemic rock from Belair Lip Bombs and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers perfect for summer singalongs.
Folk Bitch Trio finally delivered their long-awaited debut, Now Would Be a Good Time. The Melbourne trio, all still in their early twenties, craft timeless folk with sumptuous harmonies and lyrics that stand as a form of Gen Z poetry, showcasing a subtle bite beneath their gentle sound.
Producer Ninajirachi (Nina Wilson) released her ARIA-winning debut album I Love My Computer. The record passionately explores a life split between the physical and digital realms, from fond reminiscences of old software to the darker corners and strange intimacies of online existence.
Tame Impala's fifth album, Deadbeat, divided opinion but offered rich pickings for fans of melancholic beats. Kevin Parker's lyrics reflect on the discontents of fame and success, touching on themes of loneliness, missing family, and even envying the routine of a nine-to-five job.
Established Artists and Exciting New Formations
Stella Donnelly's third album, Love and Fortune, is a candid and sonically adventurous exploration of grief and friendship. Balancing pain with pleasure through her sweet vocals, the record moves from angular guitars to ambient soundscapes, growing with every listen.
The supergroup Bleak Squad—featuring Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner, and Marty Brown—sounded like a seasoned unit on their first album, Strange Love. Each member's distinct sonic signature combines into something new and compelling, with Adalita delivering a career-best performance.
At just 28, thatboykwame produced, engineered, and mastered his concise second album In a Matter of Time entirely by himself. The confident seven-track project details heartbreak and personal growth, scraping in under twenty minutes.
Frankston's Belair Lip Bombs sharpened their powerpop hooks on Again, their first release on Jack White's Third Man Records. Frontwoman Maisie Everett's direct lyrics and the band's punchy sound, now embellished with elements like mandolin, make for a compelling listen.
Way Dynamic (Dylan Young) offered a dose of tender, wistful folk-pop with Massive Shoe. Loaded with nostalgia and loving tributes to artists from the Kinks to Kings of Convenience, it's the perfect companion for long summer drives.
Voices of Conviction and Pop Innovation
Baker Boy's Djandjay is a blazing, conviction-filled statement. Named after his grandmother, the album sees Danzal Baker speaking out on the ongoing ills of colonial occupation with irrepressible positivity matched by a new, fiery intensity in his production and bars.
Melbourne nine-piece Mouseatouille created a soulful, textural world on DJ Set. The album unfolds slowly with warm, grainy instrumentation, building into fuzzy peaks that recall acts like Broken Social Scene and Neutral Milk Hotel.
Mallrat's Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right is a radical pop record that prioritises emotional complexity. Grace Shaw navigates the thin line between yearning and grief with an authenticity that feels essential, capturing feelings perhaps before the listener has fully processed them.
Sydney trio Shady Nasty delivered a brisk, arresting debut with Trek. Framing Mike Skinner-esque suburban observations in woozy post-punk guitars, the 21-minute album captures a specific Australian youth experience with bruised bravado.
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers traded the scrappy spirit of their debut for a more polished, grand sound on Glory. The album is filled with punchy songs about self-worth, debilitating crushes, and the clarity of being in your mid-twenties.
Alt-punk band Press Club, led by the formidable Natalie Foster, released their thrilling fourth album, To All the Ones That I Love. Awash with catchy choruses, searing vulnerability, and shimmering guitars, it's a record of potent Aussie-accented fury.
Finally, Melbourne's Wet Kiss, fronted by the dynamic Brenna O, unleashed their second album, Thus Spoke the Broken Chanteuse. The record captures the band's erratic, louche take on glam rock and the unreal star power of their frontwoman. Meanwhile, Sydney producer Skeleten (Russell Fitzgibbon) pushed through themes of alienation on Mentalized, countering cold cityscapes with the warm haze of trip-hop and dream-pop, finding community on the dancefloor.
