10 Noteworthy Albums – February 2025

We aren't here to rank or compare music—instead, we aim to highlight artists and albums we feel are worth your attention. With so much new music dropping every month, it can be overwhelming to keep up. So, we're launching a monthly roundup of noteworthy releases to help you discover fresh sounds. At the end of the year, we'll narrow it down to our favorite releases of 2025. Here's our February roundup, in no particular order, as well as accompanying playlists on Spotify and Apple Music:

Guided By Voices – Universe Room

Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted of Pollard (lead vocals), his brother Jim (guitar, bass), Mitch Mitchell (lead guitars), Tobin Sprout (vocals, rhythm guitars), Kevin Fennell (drums), and bassist Greg Demos. Noted at first for its lo-fi aesthetic and Portastudio four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music was influenced by early post–British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock, and post-punk. The band has had a prolific output, releasing 41 full-length albums along with many other releases, and has garnered a dedicated cult following. Their songs are known for their frequent brevity and for ending abruptly or intertwining with homemade sound effects.

Guided by Voices initially disbanded in 2004. In 2010, the "classic" lineup reunited to perform at Matador Records' 21st anniversary party, subsequently touring and releasing six new albums. GBV broke up a second time in 2014, but Pollard again rebooted the band with a new album and a new lineup in 2016.
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Inhaler – Open Wide

Inhaler are an Irish rock band originating from Dublin. Formed in 2012, the band consists of vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist and keyboardist Josh Bartholomew Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon. Their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This, was released on July 9, 2021. It entered the Irish & UK Albums Charts at number one, while also entering the top 10 and top 20 album charts in other European countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. The band's second studio album, Cuts & Bruises, was released on February 17, 2023, and their third album, Open Wide, was released on February 7, 2025.
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Oklou – Choke Enough

Marylou Vanina Mayniel (born April 23, 1993), better known by her stage name Oklou (pronounced "Okay Lou"), is a French musician from Poitiers. Her debut mixtape Galore was released in 2020, which was followed up by her debut album Choke Enough in 2025.
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Panda Bear – Sinister Grift

Noah Benjamin Lennox (born July 17, 1978), also known by his moniker Panda Bear, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founding member of the band Animal Collective. In addition to his work with that group, Lennox has released six solo LPs since 1999, with his 2007 album Person Pitch inspiring the chillwave genre and numerous other acts. His subsequent albums Tomboy (2011) and Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (2015) both reached the Billboard 200.
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serpentwithfeet – Grip Sequel

Jonathan Josiah Wise (born July 9, 1988), known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B singer based in Brooklyn, New York City. Wise signed with the English record label Tri Angle to release his debut extended play (EP), Blisters(2016). He entered a joint venture with Secretly Canadian to release his debut studio album, Soil (2018), which was met with critical acclaim. His second EP, Apparition (2020), and his second and third albums, Deacon (2021) and Grip(2024), were each met with continued critical praise.
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Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On

Horsegirl is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, made up of Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece.

In 2021, the group signed to Matador Records. In 2022, they released their debut studio album, Versions of Modern Performance. In 2025, they released their second studio album, Phonetics On and On.
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Porridge Radio – The Machine Starts to Sing EP

Porridge Radio are a British indie rock band formed in Brighton in 2015. They are fronted by vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Dana Margolin. The other members are keyboardist Georgie Stott, drummer Sam Yardley, and bassist Dan Hutchins.

The Guardian listed them among their top 40 new artists of 2018 and described their music as 'slacker indie.'
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Squid – Cowards

Squid are an English rock band formed in Brighton in 2016. The band consists of Ollie Judge (vocals, drums), Louis Borlase (guitar, vocals), Anton Pearson (guitar, vocals), Laurie Nankivell (bass), and Arthur Leadbetter (keyboards). They are currently based in Bristol.

Squid independently released their debut EP, LINO, in 2017, which was followed by several stand-alone singles and the EP Town Centre in 2019 on Speedy Wunderground. Their debut album, Bright Green Field, was released by Warp Records on May 7, 2021. It received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart. Their second album, O Monolith, was released in 2023 to similar acclaim.
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The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Honeysuckle

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is a three-piece American country blues band from Brown County, Indiana. They have played up to 250 dates per year at venues ranging from bars to festivals since 2006. To date, they have released ten albums and one EP, most of which have charted on the Billboard and iTunes Charts.
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Doves – Constellations for the Lonely

Doves are an English indie rock band, formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 1998. The band is composed of singer and bassist Jimi Goodwin and twin brothers, guitarist Jez and drummer Andy Williams.

The band released six studio albums between 2000 and 2025, three of which reached #1 on the UK album charts. A compilation album, The Places Between: The Best of Doves, was released in April 2010.

Doves went on hiatus in 2010. During this time, Goodwin released his first solo album, Odludek (2014), while the Williams brothers regrouped as Black Rivers. In December 2018, Doves announced they were ending their hiatus by performing for the Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall on March 29, 2019. Further festivals, including some dates with Noel Gallagher, were subsequently announced. The band released two new songs: "Carousels" and "Prisoners," in June and July 2020, respectively. Their fifth studio album, The Universal Want, was released in September 2020. On November 4, 2024, the band released a new single, "Renegade," alongside the announcement of their sixth studio album, Constellations for the Lonely, released on February 28, 2025.
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