Author: James Fenney

Belwood Music Awards 2025

/ James Fenney

As we look back on another year rapidly fading in the rearview mirror, it’s time to cap off our Listmas celebrations with one last round-up of the best that the music world had to offer these past twelve months. Thank you to everyone who has supported the site, and new music in general, this past year, and my utmost love and appreciation goes out to all the artists who have shared their work with us all. With the last few hours of 2025 rapidly ticking away, let’s take a final look at its highlights before we ring in the new year. Continue reading →

Top Ten Albums of 2025

/ James Fenney

Though 2025 had its fair share of misfires and disappointments, a few high points rose out of the gloom to stand tall and proud. Musical highlights that made the year than bit brighter and more wondrous. Records that resonated in the back of my mind, that sparked an inferno of excitement in my veins right from first pressing play, that kept me coming back time and again for another helping. It’s time for this year’s Listmas celebrations to reach their grand crescendo as take a look back at the very best albums of the past twelve months. Continue reading →

Top Ten EPs of 2025

/ James Fenney

They say that the best things come in small packages, and there have been plenty of EPs released this past year that give credence to that old adage. Some artists are able to say more in a handful of songs than many are able to across an entire album. Most often, EPs act as an elevator pitch for new and upcoming acts looking to leave their mark. First impressions matter, and what better way to win hearts and minds than by packing everything you’ve got into one intense opening salvo. Though we can always count on a few appearances from more established favourites, our EP list is first and foremost a celebration of rising talents, and this year is no exception. Continue reading →

Top Ten Songs of 2025

/ James Fenney

It’s time for our Listmas celebrations to leave the world of visuals behind, and finally dive headfirst into the very best music of the past twelve months. The tracks that had me joyously dancing around the kitchen (if you can call my awkward flailing “dancing”). The hooks and melodies that have been playing on repeat in my head for months on end. The pieces of music that have wowed me just as much on my hundredth listen as they did the very first time I heard them. Without further ado, here’s a round-up of our favourite songs of 2025. Continue reading →

Top Ten Videos of 2025

/ James Fenney

My favourite end-of-year list to compile changes every given year, but 2025 certainly feels like an exceptional year for music videos. I’ve adored revisiting so many different unique, inventive and entertaining visuals, many of which still feel fresh and exciting many months down the line. I truly think this is our strongest crop of videos to date, many of which could well have been worthy winners in their own right had the timing been a little different. So before we dive into the best music of the past year, let’s first feast our eyes on 2025’s most arresting visuals. Continue reading →

Top Ten Album Covers of 2025

/ James Fenney

Season’s greetings to one and all! It’s the most wonderful time of the year – time for our annual Listmas celebrations! Starting in earnest with a look at the most interesting and imaginative artwork of the past year. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A great cover can say a lot about an album before you ever press play. Depending what the album calls for, the artwork can serve to catch your eye, spark your imagination, set the mood, or even tell an entire story all its own. Here’s a look at our favourite examples from 2025. Continue reading →

Forgotten Gems 2025

/ James Fenney

We live in the golden age of new music. More new albums are released now than at any other point in history. We are quite literally spoiled for choice. Even with the best will in the world, we can only listen to a small fraction of all the albums released in a given year. Fewer still can be given the time and attention necessary for a proper review. Free time is in short supply, but that doesn’t mean that these records which fall by the wayside aren’t worthy of note. Brand new for this year, we’ll be kicking off our Listmas celebrations with a look at the “best of the rest”. The overlooked albums that didn’t get a proper feature on the site, but nonetheless left an impact on me, soundtracked my year, and left me longing to share them with people in some capacity. Here’s a brief shout out to a handful of the best Forgotten Gems of 2025. Continue reading →

Live Review: Mumford & Sons, Sheffield Arena, 5th Dec 2025

/ James Fenney

Sometimes the universe decides to send you a sign, and what else can you do then but follow. A few months back I remarked to a friend how long it had been since I last saw a gig at Sheffield Arena. “All the major tours used to stop in Sheffield; what happened? I’m sick of trekking all the way to Leeds for shows, when Sheffield is right there!“. Lo and behold, later that very same day, Mumford & Sons announced their latest UK tour, and offered up precisely what I’d been asking for. Not one to question such a well timed coincidence, I took it instead as a sign that I was long overdue seeing the Mumford lads live. They feel like such an important cultural pillar of my generation, one of the big bands of our teenage years, the folky soundtrack of a simpler time since passed. Surely there’s no better time of year than the run up to Christmas for reigniting that youthful spark within; just the kind of energy I needed for my final live show of 2025. Continue reading →