Most anticipated Irish albums of 2025

The Lambrini Girls, who qualify for our New Irish Albums preview by dint of singer Phoebe Lunny’s family connections, launched into 2025 with the release of Who Let The Dogs Out, a punk barnstormer that includes ‘Big Dick Energy’, ‘Filthy Rich Nepo Baby’, ‘Scarcity Is Fake’ and ‘Cuntology 101’ among its numerous standouts.

Also hitting racks on January 10 was New Wave Vaudeville, the debut long-player from Skinner which derives its title from the open mic variety show which ran from 1978 to 1983 in New York’s (in)famous 57 Club.

A keen student of the Big Apple’s No Wave scene, the Dublin-based artist also channels his inner Talking Heads on a record that, like Who Let The Dogs Out, is an early Irish Album of the Year contender.

January 24 was D-Day for You & I Are Earth, the latest from London-born, Donegal-based BIMM alumni Anna B Savage whose career has been simmering away nicely for the past ten years.

This latest collection, which nods at the likes of Nat King Cole, Owen Pallett and Joni Mitchell, might just be the one to help her achieve commercial lift-off.

Forty-two years after the official Thunder And Lightning swansong, a new Thin Lizzy album was unleashed on January 24 as well.

Titled Acoustic Sessions, it features stripped down versions of tracks from the band’s first three LPs with Philo’s original vocals augmented by new contributions from fellow founder member Eric Bell.

As well as staring out from the Hot Press cover this month, Belfast hip hop – with a twist of rock ‘n’ roll – sensation Jordan Adetunji released his A Jaguar’s Dream mixtape the same day as his Thin Lizzy heroes.

Having teased us with an each-one-better-than-the-last series of singles in 2024, former Revelino man Bren Berry goes the whole album hog on January 31 with In Hope Our Stars Align, which following major heart surgery finds him ruminating on family, friendship, home, resilience, music and creativity.

“I think of the record as a collection of love letters and protest songs,” Mr B. tells us. “The album title is inspired by Seamus Heaney’s ‘The Cure At Troy’.”

Tayne, a Dublin industrial pop band who’ve relocated to London, also unleash their LOVE album on January 31.

The missing link between Gaga and Nine Inch Nails with a soupcon of Depeche Mode thrown in for very good measure, it fair rattles the bassbins.

Talking as we were earlier of No Wave, there’s something very late ‘70s/early ‘80s about ‘Open Wide’, the latest taster from Inhaler’s third album, Open Wide, which is out on February 7.

It’s produced by Kid Harpoon who’s also done the honours recently for Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Florence + The Machine and Kings Of Leon who raved about him last year to Hot Press.

Also recorded under the influence of Nick Cave and lots of banging techno, it’ll get a live airing on May 30 when Elijah and the chaps play St. Anne’s Park, Dublin with pals Blossoms in tow.

Having signed to the brand spanking new Valley Of Eyes label, Adrian Crowley returns to the fray on February 7 with the John Parrish-produced Measure Of Joy.

Nadine Khouri guests on what the singer describes as: “A nocturnal album. Not in the usual commonplace sense of dark and moody though it can be. The night is present in the sounds that can only be noticed when most things rest. In the lost transmission and the ghost lips that talk on the phone over sleepy jazz.”

Out the same day is 11:11, the first official album from rapper and producer Biig Piig who also answers to the name of Jessica Smyth.

Completing a February 7 quadruple-whammy are Wexford duo The Ocelots’ Everything, When Said Slowly, which is full of heavenly harmonies, and The Wood Burning Savages’ Hand To Mouth, which finds the Derry quartet in top abrasive pop-punk form.

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and composer Alannah Thornburgh releases her debut Shapeshifter album on February 14.

Inspired by fairy folklore, it underlines her penchant for the Irish harping, Appalachian and jazz traditions and is based on over fifty interviews Alannah conducted with storytellers, historians, family and friends.

Also celebrating Valentine’s Day with a new album, is Wexford man Niall Colfer whose Americana-tinged The Coast Of Everywhere could just be his best yet.

Out on February 21 is Blindness, album number three from The Murder Capital which was assembled in Los Angeles with John Congleton whose Grammy award-winning CV also includes Eddie Vedder, Lana Del Rey and Phoebe Bridgers.

The various formats include a signed black splatter vinyl limited-edition and something called ‘a cassette’.

Also out on the 21st is The Way They Used To, the debut LP from Aislinn Logan who throws effervescent synths, pan flutes, soulful acoustic guitar, snare and shaker into the alt. pop mix.

Freshly signed to Decca, Ballybofey guitar picker Muireann Bradley has her stunning I Keep These Old Blues debut rereleased on February 28.

With Jools Holland a big fan, it could be a very big 2025 for the 19-year-old virtuoso.

Also out on February 28 is Teeth Of Time, the latest from Belfast-based singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside who once again turns heartache into great beauty.

“This album is about growing older, becoming a dad, getting by and making do,” he tells us. “It’s about changeless mountains that silently watch as our short lives pass, ice sheets melt, loughs die and stars vanish.”

West of Ireland alt. folker Maria Kelly proves why she was tipped as one of our 'Hot For...' acts with The Waiting Room, a warm winter duvet of a record which also drops on February 28.

Hot Press’ old mucker Ricky Warwick resumes his solo career on March 14 with the release through the fabled Earache label of Blood Ties.

It includes a duet with former Runaway Lita Ford and a video that takes a trip back to 1960s Belfast.

After decamping to L.A., the Thin Lizzy, Almighty and Black Star Riders man has bought a new gaff in the North and will be talking to us soon.

Somebody’s Child, the project lead by Dubliner Cian Godfrey, return on March 28 with When Youth Fades Away.

Described as “a bold new chapter in their musical journey”, the transparent orange splatter vinyl edition looks every bit as good as it sounds.

Honorary Irishman Mike Scott and the rest of The Waterboys return on April 4 with Life, Death And Dennis Hopper, a 25-track “song cycle” that includes guest appearances from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, Kathy Valentine from The Go-Gos, and Steve Earle.

“It begins in his childhood, ends the morning after his death, and I get to say a whole lot along the way, not just about Dennis, but about the whole strange adventure of being a human soul on planet earth,” says Scott who previously paid tribute to the Hollywood wild man on The Waterboys’ 2020 Good Luck, Seeker collection.

Also due at some point in April is Gamble, the exquisite new folk-inclined offering from Zoé Basha who is of French and American origin but mainly lives now in Ireland.

Also weaving in choice blues, jazz, ragtime and Appalachian influences, she’s definitely one to watch.

As for what else ’25 is likely to offer, My Bloody Valentine playing a sold-out Dublin 3Arena show on November 22 suggests that the new record Kevin Shields has been mooting will finally become a reality.

There’s also a chance that the album Sinéad O’Connor was working on with David Holmes at the time of her death, No Veteran Dies Alone, will get a posthumous release.

“It was wonderful to watch her work in the studio and see how she perfected things,” Holmes recalls. “There wasn’t a whole lot of producing to do, because when she sang there was nothing she didn’t give you. I just hit the ‘record’ button and sat back in wonderment. It was just pure, nuanced emotion and storytelling in its most beautiful, delicate, raw form.”

Definitely coming our way at some point this year is Oliver Cole’s Wingspan, which our studio spies tell us is a stunner.

The bad news from the Tebi Rex camp is that they’re breaking up after ten years together. The good news is that there will be one more album before they do.

The Hot Press Hot For 2025 issue is out now: