Alright, here we go. The shit you’ve been waiting for: my top albums of 2025. Once again, there was just so much good music this year. This list has shifted around dozens of times, up until right now. In terms of format, today is going to be #10-5 on my list, and then on the next post I will cover a few honorable mentions and then #4-1. Let’s get this show on the road.
#10 – Acceptance – Phantoms/Twenty
On one hand, it’s kind of a dick move to put a re-release of one of my all-time favorite albums on this list. On the other hand, the added features bring so much new depth to these songs that it absolutely deserves to be talked about again. (On a Vishnu-like third hand, it’s my list and I can do whatever I want, so on a fourth hand, 🖕.)
When I talked about re-releases the other day, I mentioned that there are a few different ways to do them, some far more compelling than others. Straightforward remasters, like what we saw this year from Fall Out Boy and The Wonder Years, are mostly by-the-book and don’t really feel worthy of year-end consideration. Even a basic re-recording can struggle to justify its existence. That’s why Phantoms/Twenty feels like a genuine blueprint for how re-releases should be handled going forward.
Much like the original Phantoms, which never exploded commercially but became a beloved underground staple, this release stays true to the heart of the album while adding something genuinely new. The featured artists don’t just decorate the songs; they recontextualize them. Compared to something like the remastered version of The Wonder Years’ No Closer To Heaven (an album I love), where changes can be subtle to the point of being barely noticeable, Phantoms/Twenty makes its differences obvious and engaging.
That’s largely thanks to the guest features, which range from scene staples to Grammy-winning artists. Each track typically opens the same way as the original, giving you just enough time to recognize the song and note the featured artist before anticipating how they’ll reshape it. Some stay close to the source material – like Martin Johnson on “Take Cover” or John O’Callaghan on “The Letter” – while others completely re-energize the song. Teddy Swims brings a massive, soulful presence to “So Contagious,” and Cassadee Pope weaves beautifully through “Glory/Us” alongside Jason Vena.
Speaking of Jason Vena, this album wouldn’t work nearly as well if he didn’t sound as incredible as he does here. Twenty years later (and after a significant break from performing) his voice feels richer, more mature, and more layered. Rather than sounding like a nostalgia act, Phantoms/Twenty highlights just how much the band, and especially Jason, has grown over the past two decades.
It’s an outstanding tribute to an album that was already special, and one that absolutely deserves to stay in rotation in 2025.
Favorite Tracks: “So Contagious (ft. Teddy Swims),” “Different (ft. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low),” “In the Cold (ft. Mitch Grassi of Pentatonix),” “Glory/Us (ft. Cassadee Pope)”
#9 – Ben Quad – Wisher
Ben Quad is what happens when you throw every strain of early-2000s emo into a blender and then strain it through a Midwest emo filter. This isn’t just emo, it’s all the emo. Across the album’s brief-yet-powerful 10 tracks, you’ll catch flashes of the entire scene: pop-punk gang vocals, soaring synths, meticulous metal-level riffs, soul-ripping screams, jazzy drum work, and disarmingly sincere lyrics. It’s all here, and it somehow works.
The band has come a long way since their debut, I’m Scared That’s All There Is (one of my top albums of 2022). That record was an energetic, in-your-face introduction to the band’s capabilities that leaned heavier and more upbeat. Since then, a handful of singles and last year’s Ephemera EP hinted at a possible shift. That EP dove headfirst into metalcore-leaning screamo, leading some to believe Ben Quad was moving in a much heavier direction. In hindsight, the title said it all, and Ephemera felt less like a blueprint and more like a playground, giving lead guitarist Edgar “Shredgar” Viveros room to flex and prove just how hard the band can go.
More importantly, it showed how those heavier instincts could enhance their poppier side. On this album, the two are pulled even closer together, striking a balance that feels natural rather than forced. The result is an album with a massive dynamic range, channeling the emotional whiplash that defined early-2000s emo at its best: loud, soft, chaotic, tender, and deeply cathartic. The result is something that feels fresh and new, and in a year with fewer high-caliber releases, this album would easily have been much closer to the top of my list. Don’t mistake this #9 spot for failure, this is an incredible album that is going to see regular rotation.
Standout Tracks: “It’s Just a Title,” “Very Big in Sheboygan,” “You Wanted Us, You Got Us (feat. Zayna Youssef),” “Painless”
#8 – Action/Adventure – Ever After
I love me some goddamn easycore.
On their 2022 debut album, Impostor Syndrome, Action/Adventure flirted with the subgenre, resulting in a handful of standout tracks (one of which made my playlist), but overall, the record felt uneven and leaned heavily into fairly standard pop-punk territory. With Ever After, and a little help from Four Year Strong’s Alan Day in the producer’s chair, the band goes all in on easycore, and it pays off in a big way. The result is a far more cohesive album that also does a better job highlighting what Action/Adventure does best.
One of the band’s strengths is their dual-vocalist approach. Think Taking Back Sunday, though in this case, maybe more accurately Four Year Strong. Rather than relying solely on call-and-response, Ever After gives both vocalists room to shine individually. Lead vocalist Blake Evaristo brings a grittier, higher-pitched edge, while vocalist/guitarist Brompton Jackson offers a smoother, lower counterpoint. Each voice stands out on its own, but together they blend effortlessly. The band also pulls in guest spots from Ben Jorgensen (Armor For Sleep), original Real Friends vocalist Dan Lambton, and YouTube up-and-comer NOAHFINNCE, adding even more variety to an already dynamic vocal lineup.
The other major strength here is the band’s musicianship. The guitar and drum work is consistently excellent, and producer Alan Day proves to be the perfect match for this style (he’s one of the defining artists in it, after all). Whether it’s big, chugging half-time riffs or technical leads over blast beats, the album is never boring. Honestly, it’s a shame this dropped in October. These are the kinds of guitar parts that make you want to crank the volume and roll the windows down on a summer drive.
All of this comes together across just over a dozen songs that touch on everything from the realities of life as a touring band (with an unfortunate shout-out to Detroit) to the familiar pop-punk themes of love and despair. Even at their lowest moments, the songs still make you want to sing along and move, because they hit so hard. After following this band for a few years now, it’s incredibly satisfying to see everything click on Ever After. Hopefully this album opens the door to some big opportunities for them.
Standout tracks: “URL,” “Real Juicer Hours,” “Big Al Dente,” “Spiral,” “Disaster/Peace”
#7 – saturdays at your place – these things happen
Back when I was first getting into music, the best way to discover new bands was by watching the openers for the bands I already loved. I saw New Found Glory and Fenix TX open for blink-182. Paramore opened for Acceptance. The Early November opened for The Starting Line and Taking Back Sunday. Hot Rod Circuit seemed to open for everyone. Good openers eventually became great headliners in their own right.
I first saw SAYP in that exact role, opening for Ho Ho Hot Mulligan in 2023. At the time, they were riding the social media momentum of their breakout track “tarot cards” from their debut EP (one of my honorable mentions that year). The crowd was into it, everyone screamed along to that line, and even though they were still clearly new, the potential was obvious. The hooks landed, the songs moved the room, and there was an earnest, genuine energy that made them instantly likable. You could tell bigger things were coming.
Fast-forward to 2025, and I saw the band three times this year alone. Early in the summer they announced a new album, and after months of buildup, they released these things happen alongside their first full nationwide headlining tour. From the jump, especially with the lead single “waste away, ” it was clear the band had leveled up.
Across the album’s 10 tracks (clocking in at just over 24 minutes, more on that in a bit), the most striking quality is sincerity. These songs feel personal and conversational, tackling depression, loneliness, love, and friendship in a way that feels lived-in rather than performative. Vocal duties trade back and forth between bassist Esden Stafne and drummer Gabe Wood. Their styles overlap for much of their range, but Esden leans a little softer and more earnest, while Gabe can snap into a sharper, more aggressive edge when needed. Guitarist Mitch Gulish rounds things out perfectly, delivering modern Midwest emo parts that shift between clean, twinkly melodies and distorted, driving riffs without ever feeling forced.
Despite the heavier themes, most of the album feels light and upbeat, creating an effective contrast – you’re singing along to infectious melodies while the lyrics talk about wasting away or feeling invisible. That push and pull keeps you hooked from start to finish, helped in part by the album’s tight runtime. At 24 minutes, it’s all killer, no filler, but it also leaves you wanting more. Only two songs creep past the three-minute mark, and just barely. A repeated chorus or extra verse might have added some weight, but then again, would I just be complaining about bloat instead?
Any lingering doubts disappeared when I saw the band headline The Crofoot in downtown Pontiac. The room was packed wall-to-wall for their home-state show, with the entire crowd singing along. It’s the same stage where I’ve seen some of the biggest bands in the scene (Taking Back Sunday, The Wonder Years, etc.) and here was a band not even five years into their existence commanding the room like veterans. Watching them get their flowers in Michigan after putting together such a strong album was genuinely special.
Good openers really do become great headliners – and SAYP is well on their way.
Standout tracks: “cross my heart,” “waste away,” “what am i supposed to do?,” “i’d rather be in michigan”
#6 – Arm’s Length – There’s A Whole World Out There
Arm’s Length has been on my radar for a while now, ever since “Garamond” from their 2021 album popped up on my Spotify. From that moment, it felt inevitable. Not if this band would blow up, but when, and how big it would be. If I’d done a year-end wrap-up last year, their 2022 release Never Before Seen, Never Again Found probably would’ve landed as my Top 2022 Album of 2024, one that only grew on me over time. Seeing them headline early that year confirmed it. The room sang nearly every word, and you could feel the momentum building. When I caught them again later that year opening for Origami Angel, the energy was just as electric. I love shows where a band feels like they’re standing right on the edge of something bigger, and Arm’s Length has been there for a while now.
In early 2025, a Reddit post leaked news of a new album – There’s A Whole World Out There, set for a May 16 release – and the hype cycle kicked off immediately. More details trickled out until the band themselves jumped in to confirm it. Whether the leak was genuine or manufactured hardly matters because it worked. A week later, we got the official announcement and the release of “Funny Face.” On first listen: holy shit. As more tracks dropped ahead of the album, it became clear the band wasn’t just capitalizing on momentum, they were embracing a bigger and bolder version of themselves, pushing their emo/pop-punk blend into new emotional and sonic territory.
The album opens with frontman Alan Steinberg screaming his way into “The World,” and right away it’s obvious this isn’t a band easing into anything. It might be the heaviest song they’ve written to date, hitting hard and immediately setting the tone. Just as important, it establishes one of the album’s defining traits: dynamics. The band constantly shifts between crushing heaviness and quiet restraint, using contrast as an emotional weapon, and they return to that approach throughout the record.
Lyrically, the album is just as compelling. Alan moves fluidly between lived experience and metaphor, exploring anxiety, grief, loss, weight, and isolation with striking clarity. This is the kind of album that makes you rewind songs or pull up the lyric sheet and follow along. I talked in depth about “The Weight” the other day, but nearly any track could’ve served as an example. Even the very first verse on the album immediately pulls you in:
I love watching you in crowded rooms
You look lost looking for me
There’s something pure about it
You seem genuinely worried sick
Like you needed me to live
And when you find me
You are smiling so big
Set against heavy minor chords, it carries a creepy, almost manipulative tone – an unsettling but perfect introduction that tells you exactly what kind of emotional space this album occupies.
Later on the album, “Palinopsia” captures nostalgia and displacement with painful precision:
Drove back to my hometown, but I can’t find our old house anymore
I’ve got good sense of direction, I just didn’t expect it
Between all the chain stores
I knew it would change, but I wished not in the ways that made it pure
You used to know me so well, I tell you, “I’m still myself
Time’s just run its course”
Named after the phenomenon of seeing something linger after it’s gone, the song perfectly mirrors the feeling of returning to a place that no longer resembles the one you remember.
Then there’s “You Ominously End,” which delivers one of the album’s most jarring (and effective) moments:
When you tried to take your life
You felt ashamed that you survived
Thought if there was one thing you’d do right
It’d be the best Irish goodbye
It’s brutally dark humor wrapped inside one of the poppiest songs on the record, and that contrast makes it hit even harder.
That track also introduces one of the album’s most interesting recurring musical elements: banjo. While it’s most prominent here, it appears subtly elsewhere as texture, adding warmth and a slight twang that sets the album apart. The band even introduces the song live as a “country song,” which feels half-joke, half-truth.
More broadly, the instrumentation across There’s A Whole World Out There is lush and ambitious. At times, you can hear three or four guitar parts layered together – clean arpeggios, driving distortion, melodic leads, and ambient textures – supported by synth pads and additional instrumentation that give the album a massive, almost cinematic feel. The drum work is equally impressive: dynamic, expressive, and constantly driving the songs forward without overwhelming them. It’s some of the strongest percussion on this list outside of the top spot. The band has even added a third guitarist to their touring lineup just to fully realize these songs live, which speaks volumes about the care put into the arrangements.
Despite all of that praise, this album lands at #6 on my list, and that’s me being honest with myself. At one point, it was higher, but I consistently lose steam in the back third. I almost always make it through “You Ominously End” before falling off around “Early Onset.” The stretch from “Early Onset” through “Genetic Lottery” and “Attic” is the weakest part of the record for me, even though the album finishes strong with “Morning Person,” which feels tailor-made to close out future sets. This might be more about my attention than the songwriting, but it’s what ultimately kept the album from climbing higher.
Still, seeing these songs live erased any lingering doubt. Opening for Hot Mulligan, Arm’s Length commanded the room, and the crowd absolutely devoured the new material. The energy was undeniable. With a headlining tour on the horizon, it feels like everything is lining up. If 2025 was the breakout, 2026 feels poised to be the takeover, and I can’t wait to watch it happen.
Standout Tracks: “Fatal Flaw,” “Funny Face,” “The Weight,” “Palinopsia,” “You Ominously End,” “Morning Person”
#5 – Motion City Soundtrack – The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
When people talk about the best three-album runs in pop-punk, Motion City Soundtrack deserves to be in the conversation. I Am the Movie (2003), Commit This to Memory (2005), and Even If It Kills Me (2008) are front-to-back classics, stacked with songs that helped define the scene. Yes, I’m biased. Those records were formative during my late teens and played a huge role in shaping my musical tastes, but their influence extends far beyond just me.
Across those albums, the band was anchored by Justin Pierre’s unmistakable voice, sharp lyricism, and singular onstage presence, fronting a synth-driven pop-punk sound that managed to balance infectious energy with genuine emotional depth. Motion City was always a blast live, whether in tiny rooms or on big stages, but their albums hit differently. Tracks that didn’t get played on stage were often deeply personal, sometimes devastating, all while wrapped in bright melodies and buzzing synths.
I fell off around My Dinosaur Life (2010), and the following releases, Go (2012) and Panic Stations (2015), didn’t do much to pull me back in. As interest waned, the band announced their retirement in 2016. That break didn’t last forever, as they reunited post-pandemic for anniversary tours, but at that point it felt like a nostalgia run. Add in Justin’s back surgery and time away from performing, and it was hard to tell what direction, if any, the band still had.
Then in 2024, they dropped a new single titled “Stop Talking,” and something clicked. There was a spark there that had been missing – a sense of purpose and urgency that hadn’t been present in years. That song proved to be a sign of things to come, leading into 2025’s The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World.
This album sounds like a band that’s rediscovered both itself and its love of songwriting. Opener “Some Wear a Dark Heart” could easily slot into Even If It Kills Me, but the band isn’t content to simply rehash the past. This is a revitalized Motion City Soundtrack, one that knows exactly who they are and isn’t shy about saying it literally, with the unapologetic “You Know Who the Fuck We Are,” a track that celebrates being back onstage with the fans who’ve been there all along. That kind of boldness is essential for a comeback, and MCS leans fully into it.
Lyrically, this is the strongest the band has sounded since their classic run. Justin’s self-reflective storytelling is still intact, but it’s paired with sharper metaphors and a more grounded sense of perspective. The songs wrestle with looking back, letting go of old versions of yourself, and figuring out who you want to be moving forward. Gone are the spirals into substance abuse that dominated earlier records; in their place is a more self-assured voice that feels confident without losing its vulnerability. Compared to the band’s last few releases, which often felt paint-by-numbers, this album feels like a genuine rebirth.
Tracks like “She Is Afraid,” “Particle Physics,” and “Things Like This” sit comfortably in classic MCS territory, catering to fans who fell in love during the Commit This to Memory era. But some of the album’s most interesting moments come when the band stretches a bit. “Your Days Are Numbered” opens with jangly guitars reminiscent of the quieter moments on Even If It Kills Me before erupting into a massive chorus, with Citizen’s Mat Kerekes stepping in to add grit during the bridge. “Mi Corazón” veers into darker territory, opening with a brooding bassline and a vocal delivery that’s moody and unsettling in the best way. Both tracks stand out while still feeling unmistakably Motion City Soundtrack.
Another clear sign of the band’s confidence is the collaboration with Patrick Stump on “Particle Physics.” Patrick’s history with the band runs deep, from backing vocals on “Everything Is Alright” to filling in on vocals when Justin couldn’t perform. This doesn’t feel like a desperation move: it feels like a victory lap. Motion City knew they had something special here and wanted to elevate it just a bit further.
Yes, this is a comfort-food pick. I’m fully aware of that. But comfort doesn’t mean complacent. Motion City Soundtrack finding themselves again, and doing so with an album that can stand alongside some of their best work is a genuine success. After everything they’ve been through, it’s incredibly rewarding to hear them sound this alive again. It’s great to have them back.
Standout tracks: “She Is Afraid,” “Particle Physics (feat. Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy),” “You Know Who The Fuck We Are,” “Your Days Are Numbered (feat. Mat Kerekes of Citizen),” “Mi Corazón,” “Things Like This (feat. Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer)”
That’s it for today, come on back for the wrap-up tomorrow!
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