10) Gal Musette – “Broken Clock”
-I’m going to start off this top 10 with a real heartbreaker. There’s no way to describe this song without talking about Gal Musette’s incredible vocal style. It’s intimate, almost prayerful in its sincerity. The plaintive expression, “this is the end” feels undeniably true. There’s something about the texture created by the vocal harmonies leading into the chorus feels just right. The clever lyricism about a broken clock chiming right twice a day takes a familiar phrase and puts a beautiful wrapping around it. It’s a song right at the intersection of folk and indie pop, a real treat for me personally, and (obviously) one of my favorite songs of the year. I hope you’ll give it a spin.
9) Jacob Collier – “Something Heavy”
-Every year I write about Jacob Collier I think, “you know he’s not really an emerging artist? He has several Grammy awards.” And yes, I know that. I also feel like exercising some editorial privilege here because he’s so good that I want to feature this track. The acoustic album he wrote in a day was pretty incredible, but there’s something special about this track “Something Heavy” that felt important to me. It has this accessibility and gentleness to it from the piano to the vocal that feels like an invitation. I feel like I’m being coaxed into the soul of the song. It has a vulnerability to it that I really admire. There’s real heart in that line, “it’s time to let it go.” This whole track is like a theme for therapy. Stick around for the second half of the song because Collier’s vocals really soar; I really appreciate the juxtaposition between the soft confessional opening and then the dynamics of space as he opens up in the second half.
8) Hi-Lo Jack – “Come Back” (with Clyde Lawrence)
-This track was a later addition that absolutely floored me. I also want to point out that I specifically like this LIVE version of the track. It’s a masterclass in performance. I’ve been a fan of Clyde Lawrence for a few years now, so I was thrilled to find this one. The genre blending and production quality on this track are outstanding. I appreciate how it gives me nostalgic feelings, even though it’s not really conjuring a specific time or moment in life. The lyricism and overall energy of the track is all around a good time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to it, but it’s been several times per week. I always know that a song is good when I want to sing along, but I don’t actually sing along because I like how it sounds just the way it is. I feel that way about this outstanding performance.
7) vaultboy – “A MILLION TIMES”
-I have been writing about vaultboy for years. Look up my other coverage of his music (including his incredible rise to stardom). This song is one of the greatest love songs I’ve heard in the past few years, let alone in 2025 itself. The piano ballad style is completely underrated these days, so to hear this quality in the performance I was just blown away by the quality. This is just exceptional songwriting; it moves from these delicate, expressive moments into the louder soaring sections on the chorus that parallels the emotions of love. “I never knew that anyone could make me feel this way.” I think if this song came out in another era (or another thread of the simulation), it would be an absolute chart topper. I love this track and will be playing it over and over in my own playlists for a long time.
6) Cole Swensen – “even though it’s not a lifetime”
-I’ve been writing about Cole Swensen’s music for a few years now. The writing is incredible; it’s easy to hear why these songs keep cutting through. This track is a love song, of sorts, about a relationship that was good in its own right. It was for a time, but not forever, and that’s ok. I’m not sure how someone can write a song that feels so achingly true. I married my college sweetheart, so I don’t connect to the theme directly, but I can feel the intensity in this track. There’s an intimacy in the recording that allows the acoustic to shine through, but it’s really Swensen’s vocal that makes this one resonate. You can just tell he means every word he sings. I couldn’t like this song more.
5) NeedToBreathe and Red Clay Stays – “Momma Loves Me”
-From the first time I clicked play on this song, I was sold. What an absolutely outstanding mix of southern gospel, southern rock, and Americana sounds. The first interview I ever did for ETTG was for an opener at a NeedToBreathe show, so I feel like I’ve been hitched to their wagon for a decade plus. Last year, Red Clay Strays became a household name in Americana circles. This track absolutely stuns with the vocal blending on the chorus. It’s the kind of song that seemingly transcends time. Was it written this year or 1925? Because I’d believe either one. There’s a sentimentality and sincerity in the vocal that works really well here. Brandon Coleman’s vocal on the second verse gives the song some extra texture that makes you sit up and listen closer. This is an absolute gem of a song that gives me just the faintest glimpse into eternity. I can’t wait.
4) Ben Rector – “The Richest Man in the World”
-I loved this song right at first listen. This is Ben Rector at his best. He projects humility, confidence, gratitude, and a whole host of other aspects that I want to have as well. He represents so many things that I try to be in my own life. I love the delicate piano work and the overall mood of the track. His perspective on having everything he needs – true gratitude – is such a countercultural message that I absolutely adore. His appreciation for his wife and kids is so genuine; I love how that comes through in the song. There’s something about the pacing of the piano work, too, that makes it feel comfortable and like you’re sharing with a friend (not being lectured to about how to live). I want to bear witness to this kind of life; I may not be the richest, but I am definitely up there (by Rector’s standards). I love this.
3) Jack White – “Archbishop Harold Holmes”
-This track might seem “out there” compared to everything else on my top 20, but I haven’t had a song steal my attention like this in a long time. In particular, this YouTube version with John C. Reilly seemed particularly powerful. The lyrics are taken from those email chain letters we used to receive in the 90s and early 2000s. The guitar work is outstanding, of course, because it’s Jack White. There are elements of classic blues rock here. The syncopation on the chorus is absolutely outstanding; the song seems to be greater than the sum of its parts and it just feels like a powerful piece of modern rock songwriting. There’s something inherently jarring about the shell fish line. The very next line, though, is the heart of the song. “Hate is trying to take someone else’s love for yourself. But I’m here to tell you that love is trying to love someone else.” In the midst of chaos, confusion, and the unhinged reflections of the rest of the song, there is this kernel of truth. What a remarkable piece of art!
2) Vulfmon – “Valk”
-This might be the highest up the list an instrumental has finished in my list in several years. Click play on this song and you’ll have a smile on your face before the first line finishes. I’ve thought about this all year; how will I explain why I love this song? Do I know? Probably not. But I love this. Maybe it’s the old band kid in me that has always loved a good brass track that has forward momentum. Maybe it’s the rhythmic bounce to the track that feels buoyant and free, hitting in a year that has felt heavy and at times rather miserable. Maybe I just like the song because I can feel just how much Jack Stratton is having making music with a bunch of other Jack Strattons. I don’t know how many times I listened to this track this year, but it’s in the triple digits I would guess. It’s become an institution in my life and I am absolutely thrilled to share it with you all here.
1) Jesse Welles – “Will the computer love the sunset?”
-If I could wrap many of my 2025 concerns into a song, it would be this one. I, like most folk fans, listened to a lot of Jesse Welles this year. His work will figure prominently in my top album list, but this song… this was on another level. This track tapped into what it means to be human in a world that is moving so rapidly toward some sort of technological future. I’m not sure whether to call it a utopia or a dystopia, but it’s certainly on that spectrum. This song captures lyrically some of those concerns. I hesitate to use the term “prophetic,” but I really do feel like Welles is channeling a prophetic voice here, much like we heard with Dylan back in the 60s. He’s speaking to these larger truths about what it means to be human in this world. His literature-laden writing style has biblical and mythological layered for some fascinating turns of phrase that make the listener want to listen again and again. I don’t often say that someone is an artistic genius, but Jesse Welles actually is. If you remember nothing else from this list, please remember this song and keep it near to your heart.
Source: galmusette.bandcamp.com