Our Favorite Roots and Americana Albums of 2025 So Far
It seems like every year, we proclaim just how strong the Americana and roots music selection is for that year. And every year I'm right. This year included. More than any genre, Americana is celebrating the album as an art form, skipping the world of streaming-friendly singles for the skill of crafting an album top to bottom. But only ten can make our cut for our favorites from the first half of 2025, leaving out excellent releases like Willie Nile's Great Yellow Light and Liz Longley's New Life, not because they aren't worthy, but simply because there isn't room. So, what albums made the cut? Let's get to it. As always, where we reviewed the album, we have included a link to that review. Where not, we have included a YouTube clip of a favored album cut.
10. Willi Carlisle- Winged Victory
Had this album not come out in late June, it might have been further up this list. But even with such a small amount of time to spend with it, Winged Victory comes out as one of the year's best. Willi Carlisle is as good as anyone at the kind of shaggy dog folk and talking blues that used to dominate folk music as there is today.
9. Nefesh Mountain- Beacons
Talk about dedication to the art of the album, Nefesh Mountain released not only one album but a double album in Beacons, their first in four years. Titling one half of the album 'Americana' and the other 'Bluegrass', Nefesh Mountain divides the two parts of their style into what is a cohesive collection of music that pulls from Southern rock, bluegrass, Celtic, and other genres, all told through the lens of their Jewish faith.
8. Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters- Good Morning, Sunshine
Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters haven't put out a studio album of original material since their 2018 debut, a problem they rectified this year with the release of Good Morning, Sunshine. While the album finds them exploring many of the same tropes as their debut, there is also significant growth for the band, from the raucous drinking anthem “Drunk in Ojai” to the topical “Tilly Jane Ridge”, there's something for any fan of honky tonking rowdy country rock on this album.
7. Mike Farris- The Sound of Muscle Shoals
I can't think of any modern artist to carry forward the blues meets country meets soul sound that is unique to Muscle Shoals than Mike Farris. The former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies frontman has always embodied the dynamic soul that owed its existence to the likes of Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, and Duane Allman. Wisely eschewing an album of Muscle Shoals covers, Farris instead worked with the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section to create an album full of original songs that stands its ground among the pantheon of great Muscle Shoals sound classics.
6. Yola- My Way
Many will argue that Yola's My Way veers too far from her soul-tinged country roots to even qualify for a roots music countdown. I say otherwise. Sure, there's a lot more electronic beat than acoustic guitar on this EP, but if you drill roots music down to its core, it's the songs that influenced a particular artist and, while the likes of Dolly Parton and Roberta Flack showed through in her influences on past album, the dance music of her childhood comes through masterfully here. If this were a full-length release, it likely would have been higher on this list, but 18 minutes of Yola is just not enough for those of us starved for her particular and unique brand of music.
5. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson- What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow
Damn, is it good to hear those two voices together again. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson are founding members of foundational black string band Carolina Chocolate Drops and, after many years fallow while Giddens embarked on a stellar solo career, two-thirds of the band is back together on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, a collection of primarily fiddle and banjo-heavy traditionals that reminds us all of just why Carolina Chocolate Drops were so special without ever leaning on that band's output for inspiration.
4. Paul Thorn- Life is Just a Vapor
By now, any fan should know what to expect from Paul Thorn: humorous blues rock songs with a gospel base. On this album, he highlights another set of oddball characters, from an evangelical ventriloquist to a Tinder-addicted pair just looking for love. But, as he does so well, Thorn can also tug at the heartstrings with songs like the album's wistful title track and nostalgic “Old Melodies.”
3. Kentucky Gentlemen- Rhinestone Revolution
Some say there's nothing new in the music world today. Everything that can be done has already been done. The Kentucky Gentlemen reject that premise. The duo consisting of twins Brandon and Derek Campbell melds traditional Americana with '00s R&B, a pop sheen, and cowboy anthems to create something never heard before. From the old-time flourishes of “Banjo” to the soulful playfulness of “Loose Screws”, there's something for everyone here.
2. Jason Isbell- Foxes in the Snow
This was supposed to be Isbell's “breakup album” after his divorce from fellow roots musician Amanda Shires, and there's certainly an element of that on Foxes in the Snow (“Good While it Lasted”), but there are also odes to new love blossoming (the title track) as well as the kind of character studies that Isbell does better than anyone (“Ride to Roberts”). Acoustic and solo, it's a departure from the more rock-oriented 400 Unit albums Isbell's been putting out since his generational Southeastern. It's good to have him back to his stripped-down best, letting the lyrics shine above all else.
1. I'm With Her- Wild and Clear and Blue
Any one of Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, or Aoife O'Donovan releasing a new album would have likely been cause to see them near the top of this list. Put them together in the supergroup I'm With Her, and everything they touch is magic. Seamlessly and selflessly trading leads while the others supply the kind of virtuosic instrumentation all three are known for, there are no filler songs on Wild and Clear and Blue. Top to bottom, it's the best thing to come out of the Americana world in 2025 so far.