music
December 24, 2025
The 10 best folk albums of 2025
Jennifer Reid sang workers’ songs, Malmin plumbed gnarly Norwegian hinterlands and Quinie rode across Argyll on a horse The 50 best albums of 2025 More on the best culture of 2025
TL;DR
- Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell's "Tomorrow Held" blends traditional tunes with minimalism, post-rock, and jazz.
- Benedicte Maurseth's "Mirra" translates ecosophy into sound using hardanger fiddle and field recordings.
- Jennifer Reid's "The Ballad of the Gatekeeper" revives Lancashire workers' songs with a bold vocal style.
- Zoé Basha's "Gamble" merges bluesy tones and traditional ballads with influences from country, ragtime, and chanson.
- Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver's "Hinterland" features cinematic folk interpretations and spoken-word pieces.
- Malmin's "Med Åshild Vetrhus" presents raw Norwegian dances, psalms, and ballads with traditional instruments.
- Poor Creature's "All Smiles Tonight" offers a haunting and gently poppy debut with layered textures.
- Savina Yannatou, Primavera en Salonico, and Lamia Bedioui's "Watersong" explores water-themed folk songs across cultures.
- Širom's "In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper" uses diverse instruments to create intense soundworlds.
- Quinie's "Forefowk, Mind Me" features Scots Travellers' songs exploring ancestral connections, accompanied by film and liner notes.
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