But you hold your love like a weapon in your hand

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's 50 best albums of 2025.

#14 : private music - The Deftones

This was the US alt-metallers’ first album back after serendipitously getting a huge new following via TikTok, particularly for their sweeter, shoegazier material. But rather than court that audience by cynically remaking Sextape 11 times over, they instead created a balletic cyborg of a record. The riffs could put a dent in concrete masonry, but the groove-metal rhythms are light-footed and, as ever, vocalist Chino Moreno sets out even wider tonal possibilities. It’s as if waves of pain and relief pass across his spirit as he goes from dry croaks to thunderous denouncements to blissful clean singing.

The thirteenth album I've previously heard from the list because I met it as a new entry and I'm afraid I won't be relistening to this one because it was (and I quote) "too noisy for my sensitive ears".

This debuted at #2 (kept off the top by Wolf Alice) and managed two whole weeks in the chart. The Wikipedia entry tells us it's their tenth album (their first one came out all the way back in '95). Critically, it was very well received by pretty much everyone and it also did astonishingly well successfully, making the top five in many countries, including #5 in the US. 

#13 : Antidepressants - Suede

This was the US alt-metallers’ first album back after serendipitously getting a huge new following via TikTok, particularly for their sweeter, shoegazier material. But rather than court that audience by cynically remaking Sextape 11 times over, they instead created a balletic cyborg of a record. The riffs could put a dent in concrete masonry, but the groove-metal rhythms are light-footed and, as ever, vocalist Chino Moreno sets out even wider tonal possibilities. It’s as if waves of pain and relief pass across his spirit as he goes from dry croaks to thunderous denouncements to blissful clean singing.

The fourteenth album (and fourth in a row) I've previously heard on the list and the sixth one I've already written up - when I met it I was very impressed and promised to make an effort to listen to it again. Which I did manage before I saw them live in the same week - and I've never revisited it since. So let's do that now...

Yeah - it's still damn fine. It starts very strongly with "Disintegrate" and "Dancing With The Europeans" but the quality doesn't really dip, with "Trance State" also being a favourite. It's got some really great guitars on it throughout - it reminded me of Autofiction and Dog Man Star and there's not really much a much higher compliment I can pay it.

It managed two weeks in the chart - debuting at #2 (kept off the top by Sabrina) then dropping all the way to #100 for the next week. The Wikipedia entry is pretty much as previously described - the only obvious update is the inclusion of the album on various year-end lists with Mojo and Louder Than War having it at #2 and Classic Pop, Record Collector and Uncut having it at #3. Commercially, it did OK in Europe without anywhere really going mad for it.

#12 : British Black Music - Jim Legxacy

His previous mixtape Homeless N*gga Pop Music was at No 42 in our 2023 albums list; rapper-producer Jim Legxacy jumps up the rankings as his place in British rap becomes more and more assured. Beats-wise, he defines the joyous anything-goes energy of the current UK underground, expertly applying chipmunk effects to samples, adding funny DJ-style vocal tags (“turn that mediocre bullshit off, we’re listening to Jim Legxacy right now!”) and even making a left turn into high-tempo pop-rock for ’06 Wayne Rooney. There’s more of a mournful cast to the lyrics though, as he works through grief for his late sister, and confronts the lingering effects of his impoverished, fatherless childhood.

And it's a full house of previous listens in the round, being the fifteenth album I've previously heard - when I met it as a new entry I gave it the fulsome praise of being better than the offering from Tyler, The Creator (which set quite the low bar). However, I also said it's very much not for me - but unlike Deftones, I did revisit it and I'd say that's still pretty much where we are. It's all well put together and is pretty listenable - but it feels like it references a lot of (British, I assume) R&B but it's just not something I know enough about to get the references. There are also some great track titles - "New David Bowie", "06 Wayne Rooney" and "I Just Banged a Snus In Canada Water". 

It charted at #29 but, somewhat unsurprisingly, it didn't manage any more than one week. The Wikipedia entry tells us it's his third mixtape (I get so confused as to the difference between albums and mixtapes) and Dave and Dexter In The Newsagent (possibly not his real name?) make guest appearances, but that's pretty much your lot. It's surprising (to me, from a position of very limited knowledge) how many people have this on their year-end list - The New York Times have it at #2 and Complex UK (whoever they are) have it at #1. It's fair to say it didn't bother any charts away from these shores though. 

Do I need to tell you who won this round? I feel Jim needs some credit for what is obviously a decent album that I didn't appreciate, but it's Suede all the way for me.

#17-15 - Fine, without being exceptional