Anderson

Manchester City are keen on England international Elliot Anderson, Bayern Munich continue chase for Marc Guehi and Roma agree deal for Aston Villa‘s Donyell Malen.

Manchester City have made contact over a deal for 23-year-old England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. (Teamtalk, external)

Bayern Munich have not given up on signing Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, 25, with Manchester City and Liverpool also in the chase. (Sky Germany), external

Roma have agreed a loan deal with an option to buy Aston Villa and Netherlands forward Donyell Malen, 26, for 28.5m euros (£24.6m). Sky Sports Italia, external

Atletico Madrid are mulling over a 35m euros (£30m) offer from Manchester United to sign Spain utility player Marcos Llorente, 30. (Fichajes in Spanish), external

Manchester City and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, has been linked with a summer move to Como. (Sky Calcio Club via Four Four Two), external

Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle United are all monitoring 22-year-old centre back Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo. (CaughtOffside, external)

England and Roma striker Tammy Abraham, 28, who is currently on loan with Besiktas, is keen on returning to England with Aston Villa a potential suitor. (Talksport, external)

Bournemouth have emerged as a serious contender alongside Lazio in the pursuit of Ferencvaros and Hungary midfielder Alex Toth, 20. (Teamtalk), external

Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler, 20, has no plans to leave his current club despite interest from Arsenal. (Teamtalk, external)

Monaco are interested in signing Leicester defender Wout Faes. The 27-year-old Belgium centre-back joined the Foxes from the French top flight in 2022. (FootMercato), external

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Chalamet picks up best actor award for his role in sport comedy-drama Marty Supreme.

Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet has nabbed his first Golden Globe at the 83rd edition of the annual awards ceremony.

Chalamet, 30, picked up the award for best actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday in recognition of his role in the sport comedy-drama Marty Supreme.

“My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up: Always be grateful for what you have,” Chalamet said in his acceptance speech at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

“It’s allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty-handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. I’d be lying if I didn’t say those moments didn’t make this moment that much sweeter.”

More to follow…

The Directors Guild of America announced its nominations Thursday for outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film, offering one of the clearest snapshots yet of the Oscar race for director as guild voters begin to weigh in.

Nominated for the DGA’s top film award are Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle After Another,” Ryan Coogler for “Sinners,” Guillermo del Toro for “Frankenstein,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme” and Chloé Zhao for “Hamnet.”

Winners will be announced at the 78th annual DGA Awards on Feb. 7 at the Beverly Hilton.

The DGA award remains one of the strongest predictors of Oscar success. Twenty of the last 23 recipients of the guild’s top directing prize have gone on to win the Academy Award for best director. Last year’s DGA winner, “Anora” director Sean Baker, went on to repeat at the Oscars.

Several of this year’s nominees are familiar figures to the guild. Anderson’s nod for “One Battle After Another” marks his third time being recognized by the DGA in the top film category, following his earlier nominations for “There Will Be Blood” and “Licorice Pizza.” Zhao, who won both the DGA Award and the Oscar for “Nomadland,” receives her second nomination for the wrenching period drama “Hamnet,” making her one of a small group of women — including Jane Campion, Kathryn Bigelow and Greta Gerwig — to be recognized more than once by the guild.

Del Toro, who won the DGA Award for “The Shape of Water,” earns his second career nomination in the category for his long-gestating “Frankenstein” adaptation, while Safdie receives his first DGA nomination for theatrical feature film for his gonzo sports drama “Marty Supreme.”

The DGA nominations often track closely with the Oscars in part because of overlapping membership: most directors in the Academy are also members of the guild. While the groups vote independently, that shared base has made the DGA one of the most reliable bellwethers in the Oscar directing race.

This year’s DGA nominations overlap significantly with the Golden Globe nominations for directing, which also included Anderson, Coogler, del Toro and Zhao. The Globes additionally recognized Jafar Panahi for “It Was Just an Accident” and Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value,” two filmmakers who didn’t appear in the DGA lineup. The differences highlight the contrasting makeup of the Globes’ voting body of international critics and the DGA’s more industry-focused membership.

The guild also announced nominees for the Michael Apted Award for outstanding directorial achievement in a first-time theatrical feature film, a category that has increasingly served as a spotlight for emerging talent. This year’s nominees are Hasan Hadi for “The President’s Cake,” Harry Lighton for “Pillion,” Charlie Polinger for “The Plague,” Alex Russell for “Lurker” and Eva Victor for “Sorry, Baby.” Last year’s Apted Award winner, RaMell Ross, went on to earn a best picture Oscar nomination for “Nickel Boys.”

Television, documentary and other DGA nominations were announced earlier this week, recognizing directing work across drama, comedy, limited series and nonfiction programming. In dramatic series, nominees included “Severance,” “Andor,” “The Diplomat” and HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” while comedy series nominees included “The Bear,” “Hacks,” “The White Lotus” and Apple TV+’s “The Studio.”

Searle had won 14 consecutive sets without reply to reach his first World Championship quarter-final.

The 38-year-old extended that run to 17 with some clinical finishing in the first three sets against Clayton and a 111 finish in the deciding leg of the fifth, one of his three ton-plus checkouts in the match, helped to secure a spot in the last four.

Clayton scored better for long spells of the quarter-final but too many missed attempts on the outer ring proved costly for the Welsh fifth seed, who landed just 10 of his 40 attempts at doubles (25%).

Searle, in contrast, hit 17 of his 30 attempts (56.7%).

Searle lives with dominant optic atrophy, a genetic eye condition which affects his vision and for which he wears contact lenses.

Speaking to Sky Sports on stage after his win, he said: “I can’t see particularly well.

“Other people who try to play darts, if they can’t see particularly well, try not to let that hold you back.

“I try to be an inspiration to them.”

Former winner Rob Cross cruised through at the PDC World Championship and set up a last-16 tie against defending champion Luke Littler.

Cross, who won the event in 2018, brushed aside Australian and 16th seed Damon Heta in a comfortable 4-0 win.

The 17th seed was joined in round four by two-time winner Gary Anderson, who edged a final-set thriller against Dutchman Gary Wattimena.

Scot Anderson went 3-1 up in a game played at a ferocious pace, and was impressive in averaging 121 in set three.

He missed three match darts in the fourth set, hitting double eight with his first dart with 32 required, before missing the same target twice.

Wattimena powered back and forced a final set, despite Anderson missing more match darts at tops in set four.

Anderson went eight darts into the nine-darter in the final set, before going high on the double 12, and eventually claimed the set 5-3 to continue his quest to be the tournament’s oldest winner at 55.

He averaged 102.24 – the eighth-highest average in this year’s tournament – and was at 37.5% on the checkouts.

“It’s no good for my age. It’s hard, especially with Jermaine on you. What a game,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

“The last two games, 4-0, 4-0. I hope that’s made up for it. I’m going to lie down now.

“I bottled the nine-darter, like I bottled a lot of doubles. I was getting excited, I don’t often do that up there. But I got it done.”

Sunday’s action began with 20th seed Ryan Searle reaching the fourth round for the first time since 2021 with a 4-0 demolition of Germany’s Martin Schindler.

The academy has recognized “One Battle After Another” filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s prodigious talents with plenty of nominations over the years. But Oscar voters seem to have been waiting for frogs to rain from the sky to give him an award. The most successful film of his career could change that.

11

Anderson’s nominations total so far includes five for writing, three for directing and three for best picture, all without winning.

2-for-8

Anderson’s rough contemporary and fellow Angeleno, Quentin Tarantino, has received fewer nominations but won twice, both for writing.

28

Years between Anderson’s first nomination, for writing “Boogie Nights,” and finally winning an Oscar, if he does, in March.

26

Years between Martin Scorsese’s first nomination, for directing “Raging Bull,” and finally winning an Oscar, for directing “The Departed.”

3

Anderson’s directing, writing and best picture nominations for 2021’s “Licorice Pizza” suggest the academy understands he is overdue.

3/15/26

Anderson winning for “One Battle After Another” would not be a “makeup” victory but that rare instance of justice arriving via a career-highlight film.

9

Only nine performances from Anderson’s movies have been nominated to date, a total that fails to reflect his gifts as a director of actors (or love of ensemble casts).

1

Of those nine, only Daniel Day-Lewis won, for his lead performance in “There Will Be Blood.”

3

Cinematographer Robert Elswit’s statuette for “There Will Be Blood” and costume designer Mark Bridges’ prize for “Phantom Thread” bring the Oscar total for Anderson’s movies to three.

6

Leonardo DiCaprio (lead actor), Sean Penn (supporting actor) and Teyana Taylor (supporting actress), at least, look like locks for acting nominations for “One Battle After Another,” with Chase Infiniti (lead actress), Benicio Del Toro (supporting actor) and Regina Hall (supporting actress) also contenders.

IT was the year when those noisy Mancunian brothers brought the Britpop Nineties back to packed stadiums everywhere.

It was the year when Pulp made a charming first album in 24 years, with Jarvis Cocker singing about getting older with a wry smile on his face.

But I contest that one band from the era has been the most forward-facing, the most creative and the most kick-ass – Suede.

Which is why their vibrant, visceral, unflinching and wildly adventurous Antidepressants is our Album Of The Year.

Back in September to mark its release, frontman Brett Anderson told me: “We’ve fallen in love with being a rock band again.” And this week I caught up with him again to impart some good news . . . 

Congratulations! Antidepressants is the SFTW Album Of The Year. Does that make you happy?

Thank you. Very!

In all the years of Suede, where does 2025 rank?

Right up there. Somewhere between 2024 and 2026.

What have been the highlights of the year for you?

The South Bank takeover gigs in September were great – playing those new songs live for the first time was special.

I particularly enjoyed the Clore Ballroom show where we just did post-reformation stuff.

I thought that was an exciting and fairly unique thing to do for a band of our generation.

Also, I just love the South Bank. Walking over the footbridge from Embankment tube and looking at the skyline always gives me a sense of awe, a feeling of London being this big, beautiful, living thing.

Which of the new songs have you enjoyed singing live the most?

June Rain has a nice dynamic and slow sense of build which works great live. Plus the first half is spoken-word so I get to sit down a bit.

I personally think the album’s opening song Disintegrate should be the Christmas No.1 . . . do you agree?

Ha! Yes, love it. A kind of resolutely unseasonal Christmas song full of dread and fear.

Which album, aside from Suede’s, has been your favourite this year and why?

I liked Sprints’ All That Is Over. It was sharp and shouty and brainy and brash. (Sprints are an Irish garage punk band).

You told me that Suede are “the anti-nostalgia band”. What keeps you facing forwards rather than reflecting on the past (unlike some of your peers)?

Hmmm, huge question. I’ve always thought the point of any artist was to create rather than to repeat and consolidate.

That search for the next great song, the next great album, the next great moment has always been the carrot I’ve chased.

I come from a fiscally poor but culturally rich family background. My mum was an artist and a dressmaker and my dad was a classical music-obsessed taxi driver who made our furniture.

When I was a kid, we didn’t have any money, so if you wanted something you made it yourself.

I’m much less interested in what I wrote 30 years ago than in what I’m going to write next.

Have you started work on the third album of Suede’s “black and white” trilogy, following Autofiction and Antidepressants?

Yes, we’ve written a handful of songs already. I want it to be harder and more extreme than Antidepressants, a relentless onslaught, incessant and uncompromising and very rhythmic.

I already have a title which I’m keeping secret.

You also spoke to me of the importance of family relationships. Does that mean Christmas is a special time for you?

My family and my band are of course so, so important to me and in many ways they feed into each other. It’s hard to write about family without coming across as schmaltzy but luckily I can find the cloud in any silver lining.

Among my favourite songs I’ve ever written are Life Is Golden and She Still Leads Me On which have both been inspired by fatherhood and family.

And yes, Christmas is especially great when you have kids.

Happily though, now my son is older, there’s less pressure for me to dress up in a Santa suit.

What are your hopes for 2026 – for you, your family, the band, and for humankind?

For the band to write a great follow-up to Antidepressants and for humankind to stop scrolling. My hope for myself is always the same – to be a good husband and father.

2. ROSALIA

Lux

THE Spanish star known for her reinvention of ­folk and flamenco turned her attention to more bombastic, classical genres on this fourth album.

Backed by the London Symphony Orchestra it was a lavish production sung in a variety of languages. Bonkers but brilliant. JS 

People Watching

WITH its widescreen ambition, driving intensity and visceral lyrics, songs about “the human experience” couldn’t fail to draw comparisons with Fender’s “biggest hero”, Bruce Springsteen.

But it also marked the Geordie’s coming of age as a major artist in his own right. SC 

4. ROBERT PLANT with SUZI DIAN

Saving Grace

FOR six years, Led Zeppelin legend Plant has surrounded himself with acoustic musicians who live near his Worcestershire home, singer Dian among them.

Together, they gave us a ravishing mix of trad and contemporary covers. Rarely has he sounded so sublime. SC 

5. BIFFY CLYRO 

Futique 

A REFLECTIVE album shaped by friendship, family and loss, it captured Biffy Clyro at their most emotionally open.

Goodbye explored mental health, while A Thousand And One and Two People In Love delivered some of the most moving moments. JS 

6. MARGO PRICE 

Hard Headed Woman

FURTHER proof that Price tells it like it is. This was a stirring return to her country roots, following the trippy rock textures of Strays.

It drew comparisons with her beloved debut, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, but was inspired by another decade of life experience. SC 

7. TURNSTILE

Never Enough

THIS fourth album from the hardcore punks from Baltimore, known for their energetic live shows, crossed into the mainstream.

The title track had a catchy chorus and melodic guitar breaks while at its heart there was still an uncompromising mandate to rock out. JS 

8. THE DIVINE COMEDY

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

WE’VE long been intrigued by Neil Hannon – not just because he once wrote a song called Something For The Weekend.

These 11 tracks assumed a reflective tone, with love and loss prominent themes, and featured some of Hannon’s most sumptuous tunes. SC 

9. YUNGBLUD

Idols

THIS album sees Yungblud questioning hero worship and identity after a life-changing encounter with a fan.

Inspired by Britpop, it’s his most confident work yet, opening with a nine-minute rock opera and driven by limitless self-belief and ambition. JS 

10. LADY GAGA

Mayhem 

GAGA proved why we loved her in the first place, returning to her dance-pop roots.

She recalled the vibe of her 2008 debut The Fame yet delivered an album for the here and now.

It was marked out by strong singles Abracadabra and Disease. SC 

11. GEESE

Getting Killed

THIS was a case of do believe the hype. With mesmerising singer Cameron Winter at the helm, Brooklyn’s indie rock saviours might channel The Strokes, The Stones, or even Nirvana, but they’re too weird and original to be slaves to their influences.

On the brink of greatness. SC 

12. JACOB ALON

In Limerence

FEW debuts arrived so perfectly formed as this one featuring the tender storytelling of Scottish singer Alon.

With an impossibly pure voice which sat somewhere between Bon Iver and Thom Yorke, it was full of fragile hope.

Vulnerable and haunting ambient soundscapes. JS 

13. PULP

More

JARVIS and Co’s first album in 24 years was dedicated to dear departed bassist Steve Mackey – and it summoned the old mischief. “I am not ageing.

No, I’m just ripening,” cried the singer on Grown Ups, a song filled with lyrical twists and turns. SC 

14. CMAT

Euro-Country

WITH songs about Teslas and Jamie Oliver, there was a quirky, kitsch element to Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson’s third album.

It also plumbed deeper depths of emotional pain but was allied to soft pop melodies.

Issues tackled included social media and objectification. JS 

15. MATT BERNINGER

Get Sunk

TALL, elegant, blessed with a sumptuous baritone, The National’s frontman and lyricist is an, er, National treasure.

But he managed to save wonderfully evocative songs for his second solo outing, including the intoxicating ebb and flow of opener Inland Ocean. SC 

16. DAVE

The Boy Who Played The Harp

HIS first album in four years found Dave drawing on the power of his biblical namesake King David to explore vulnerability and masculinity.

With James Blake’s ghostly production on Selfish and Chapter 16 (ft. Kano), it struck a reflective mood. JS 

17. JASON ISBELL

Foxes In The Snow

THE Alabama-born artist recorded his latest offering without his ace band, the 400 Unit, but with an old acoustic guitar for company.

“This is the first time I’ve done an album with just me and a guitar,” he told SFTW of the exquisite, stripped-back song cycle. SC  

18. BILLY NOMATES 

Metalhorse 

METALHORSE emerged from a personal, tumultuous period for Tor Maries.

A loose concept album set in a dilapidated funfair it featured radio hit The Test, while Strange Gift offered hope.

Closing song Moon Explodes was especially moving, written after Maries’ MS diagnosis. JS 

19. BIG THIEF

Double Infinity

FEW vocalists could handle the word “incomprehensible” like Adrianne Lenker on this LP’s fuzzy joy of an opening track.

Though the indie darlings have contracted to a three piece, there was nothing shrinking about their fearless, exilharating sonic adventure .SC  

20. OLIVIA DEAN

The Art Of Loving

MELLOW and sumptuous, the second album from the stylish Londoner was smooth soul to relax into.

Tracks such as Nice To Each Other and Lady Lady were warm and all-enveloping, exploring affairs of the heart with a particular emphasis on self-care. JS 

21. LILY ALLEN

West End Girl

LILY’S fifth album, the first in seven years, was also her most vulnerable and intensely personal.

It came after her split from actor husband David Harbour and the songs laid it all out in heartbreakingly painful detail.

Infidelity and betrayal were constant themes. JS 

22. BON IVER

Sable, Fable

DIVIDED into two distinct halves, the first was an understated return to the folky stylings of Justin Vernon’s wintery debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

The second blossomed into more upbeat territory, primed for glorious spring sunshine. SC  

23. THE WATERBOYS

Life, Death And Dennis Hopper

MIKE Scott took us on a wild ride with this 25-track album celebrating “one of the great American lives”, actor and hellraiser Dennis Hopper.

He summoned a blizzard of musical styles and included cameos from Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and Fiona Apple. SC  

24. AFRICA EXPRESS 

Bahidora 

EVEN before Blur completed their reunion gigs, Damon Albarn headed to the Mexican jungle with a dizzying array of 70-plus artists from four continents.

The result? A thrilling mash-up of African rhythms, electronic textures, Latin soul, rock, hip hop – everything! SC  

25. MAVIS STAPLES

Sad And Beautiful World

SHE bears one of the greatest living voices . . .  and it remained in towering form.

Well into her Eighties, Staples tackled our uncertain world with unerring compassion.

Guests included Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. SC  

26. BRANDI CARLILE

Returning To Myself 

THIS record found Brandi in an introspective, stripped-back mood after a landmark year.

Working with Aaron Dessner, Andrew Watt and Justin Vernon, the album reconnected her with loneliness, self-belief and politics, from the reflective title track to the powerful Church & State. JS  

27. WOLF ALICE

The Clearing

THE fourth album from the Brit award winners was a grandiose affair, a bold and confident leap forward.

Tracks like Bloom Baby Bloom incorporated all their strengths with bombastic choruses and lush melodies, showcasing Ellie Rowsell’s exceptional rock vocal range. JS 

28. STEREOLAB

Instant Holograms On Metal Film

A STRONG return after 15 years from the much-loved Anglo-French combo.

Led, as ever, by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, the album revisited their distinctive blend of art-pop and motorik beats, really hitting the mark on the effervescent Electrified Teenybop! SC  

29. RICHARD ASHCROFT

Lovin’ You

ASHCROFT’S first album of new music since 2018 arrived after he supported Oasis on tour.

From the Joan Armatrading-sampled Lover to the title track, which sampled Mason Williams’ 1968 Classical Gas, it was a vocally focused, emotionally wide record. JS 

30. WET LEG

Moisturizer

MORPHING from duo to fully-fledged band, the follow-up to their debut album was still as oddball as ever, but it came with a tighter focus.

Tracks like Davina McCall and Jennifer’s Body were heartfelt, kooky love songs backed by ragged, punky basslines. JS  

31. SOMBR

I Barely Know Her

A SPECIAL debut full of heartbreak from the bedroom pop star who quit school to make music.

His melancholy voice accompanied by his own guitar, bass and keyboards and drums, made this magical, with Dime and disco-tinged 12 To 12 emerging as standouts. JS 

32. MOLLY TUTTLE

So Long Little Miss Sunshine

THE Grammy-winning singer forged her reputation at the forefront of the bluegrass revival.

Now she has spread her wings with this ravishing work of myriad styles. It also provided her with the confidence to be open about her alopecia. SC  

33. TOM GRENNAN

Everywhere I Went, Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be

THE down-to-earth singer from Bedford laid his feelings bare on this reflective fourth album shaped by growth, friendship and vulnerability.

It balanced anthemic pop with emotional depth, from Shadowboxing to Boys Don’t Cry. JS 

34. TAYLOR SWIFT

The Life Of A Showgirl

RECORDED in stolen moments during the record-shattering Eras tour, it found Swift reflecting on love and life in the spotlight after falling for NFL star Travis Kelce.

Working with Max Martin and Shellback, it was polished, theatrical pop with self-aware glamour and emotional insight. JS 

35. JOHN FOGERTY

Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years

FOGERTY celebrated the recent end of his decades-long fight to get his publishing rights back.

It meant he could belt out timeless hits Proud Mary, Born On The Bayou, Bad Moon Rising and Up Around The Bend with unbridled joy rather than lingering bitterness. SC  

36. MIDLAKE

A Bridge To Far

BEST remembered for their second record, 2006’s The Trials Of Van Occupanther, these enduring Texans rekindled their love of melody-rich folk rock. Two decades on, A Bridge To Far might just have been their best since that hallowed album. SC 

37. TATE MCRAE

So Close To What

THE Canadian singer’s third album was slick and polished futuristic pop and highlighted her journey from teenage dancer to arena-selling pop princess.

Tracks like Purple Lace Bra were multilayered with beats, synths and strings, and created a sultry, sizzling mood. JS 

38. BEIRUT

A Study Of Losses

FOLLOWING Zach Condon’s sortie to the Arctic Circle for 2023’s exquisite Hadsel came this work of unerring beauty.

The 11 songs and seven instrumentals, spanning nearly an hour, struck a melancholy tone but they left a lasting and profound impression. SC 

39. ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION

Arcadia

TO Robert Plant’s duet pal Krauss, her latest project was “like stepping into an old pair of shoes”.

Her first album with her virtuoso bluegrass band since 2011 evoked bygone times, while still connecting with 21st Century listeners. SC

40. TOM SMITH

There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light

AFTER 20 years fronting Editors and two records with Andy Burrows, Tom Smith stepped out on his own.

His first solo album stripped everything back to the core of his songwriting, capturing the honesty, anxiety and hope that shaped this new chapter. JS 

41. FKA TWIGS 

Eusexua 

THE album title was a made-up word taken from euphoria and sexual to describe “a feeling so intense it transcended the human form”. 

And it lived up to its name.

On the arty, left field side of electronica, this third record was her most complete and satisfying. JS 

42. THE DELINES

Mr Luck & Ms Doom

WHEN ex-Richmond Fontaine frontman Willy Vlautin (lyricist/guitarist in this band) is involved, you tend to get songs with disturbing narratives about people from the wrong side of the tracks.

This firmly ticked that box – and then there was Amy Boone’s enriching, expressive vocals. SC 

43. DAVID BYRNE

Who Is The Sky?

THE world may be going to hell in a handcart, but at least Talking Heads legend Byrne kept a smile on his face.

That was the vibe you get from his latest effort, most notably on rousing opening track Everybody Laughs, which came with a cameo from longtime collaborator St Vincent. SC 

44. BLOOD ORANGE

Essex Honey

ECLECTIC and imbued with an aching sense of loss and nostalgia, Dev Hynes’ fifth album as Blood Orange was an exploration of his upbringing in London.

A collection of memories recalled through spindly indie, jazz, chunky beats and evocative soundscapes. JS 

45. DAMIANO DAVID

Funny Little Fears

FOR Maneskin’s Damiano David, this felt the right moment for a solo album, revealing a more personal, previously hidden side.

It was less rocky than Maneskin, confronting fear and identity through piano-led pop inspired by Keane, The Killers, and Elton John. JS 

46. RON SEXSMITH

Hangover Terrace

THE Canadian has assembled a fine body of work, marked out by sumptuous melodies and perceptive lyrics.

He returned with one of his strongest collections.

Recorded in London, the album visited his childhood, his current concerns and much more in between. SC 

47. MY MORNING JACKET

Is

SINGER Jim James hoped the band’s genre-hopping tenth album would help people “navigate the chaos in the world”. 

If the overall vibe was psychedelic rock with plenty of reverb, MMJ employed elements of pop, country, soul, reggae, you name it. SC 

48. ETHEL CAIN

Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You

FEW artists have been able to express the intimate, sometimes painful, feelings about first love as well as the singer from Florida.

Evoking a haunting, Southern gothic atmosphere, her ambient rock sound-scapes framed a raw, heartfelt song cycle. SC 

49. CAR SEAT HEADREST

The Scholars

THE career trajectory of Will Toledo is nothing short of breathtaking.

He started out making lo-fi DIY albums in his parents’ car and now, as frontman of a fully fledged band, he made this crazily ambitious rock opera in the vein of Tommy or Ziggy Stardust. SC 

50. ADDISON RAE

Addison

THE debut album from the former TikTok star, who rose to popularity with her dance videos, broke the code.

Stepping confidently beyond influencer fame, she moved into sleek, self-aware pop.

Playful hooks and glossy production balanced vulnerability and attitude. JS