News :-

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DECEMBER 2025 / Early 2026

Music Highlights (2025) - Alex @ MTR

Thank goodness for music this year. I've (we’ve) especially enjoyed the following albums:

Tomo Nakayama — Ocean
A masterclass in writing and production, and a big favorite this year. More people this side of the Atlantic need to hear Tomo and his music. This album hit home for many, many reasons — learning to let go of blame, loss, and nature are all part of this record. Goose-bump moments galore for me. Lemon House Inc., in Japan released a stunning vinyl version. A constant listen.

Kathryn Williams — Mystery Park
Beautiful. I didn’t think Kathryn could move me as much as she did on 'Crown Electric', but this is something else. Play it a few times and you’ll be hooked. I’ve never fully understood the Nick Drake comparisons before — now I do 🙂

Ron Sexsmith — Hangover Terrace
His best album since 'The Last Rider', in my opinion. The song “Camelot Towers” is so clever and just one of many highlights — observational brilliance!

Bonnie Prince Billy — The Purple Bird
Beautifully recorded, with great songs throughout.

Photo Ops — Opening Up to Strangers
Superb song choices — eclectic and stunning renditions of tracks by Madonna, Billy Joel, The Smiths, and more. Terry (Photo Ops) makes each song his own. A very special listen 🙂

Tom Odell — A Wonderful Life
Tom with a full band. Great songs, and very different to a stripped back album like 'Best Day of My Life', but a superb collection all the same.

Cory Hanson — I Love People
Love this. Tom Waits–ian in parts, and more alt-country than I anticipated — certainly in terms of his debut. Solo album number 4 is something special. Thanks to Rob at Badlands Records in Cheltenham for the recommendation. Magic!

Mavis Staples — Sad and Beautiful World
Typically soulful, classy, and deeply moving.

Also on heavy rotation:

• Folk Bitch Trio — Now Would Be a Good Time

• Madison Cunningham — Grace

• Watchhouse — Rituals

Other favourites that would rank highly include albums by:

• Lucy Dacus

• Jason Isbell

• Ethel Cain

• Samantha Crain

• Lord Huron

• Nadia Reid

More recent releases I’ve really enjoyed:

• Jeff Tweedy

• Midlake

• Cameron Winter

• Big Thief

And finally, definitely give Ryan Davis and the New House Band a listen — there’s some wonderfully mad Americana in there.

 

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Mark Howson’s Favorite Albums of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

Ny Oh – Wildwood
Ken Pomeroy – Cruel Joke
Meredith Moon – From Here To The Sea
Emma Swift – The Resurrection Game
Steady Habits – Deviate
Hannah White – Fine Day
Judy Blank – Big Mood
Kathryn Williams – Mystery Park
The Right Reverend Crow – Demokracy Blues
Valley James – Star

Mark Howson’s Favorite Gigs of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

Aaron Lee Tasjan & Friends (Luck Reunion, Texas)
Amelia Coburn (The Blue Moon, Cambridge)
Ny Oh (British Music Embassy, Austin)
Boulder Fields (The Old Forge, Cranford)
Emma Swift (Troubadour, London)
Danny & The Champions of the World (Omeara, London)
Hannah White / Keiron Marshall’s Blues Matters (Great Easton Village Hall)
Peter Bruntnell Band (Great Easton Village Hall)

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Mark Kendrick’s Favorite Albums of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

Ron Sexsmith – Hangover Terrace
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded
Pulp – More
The Beatles – Anthology 4
The Lemon Twigs with Ronnie D’Addario – Written By

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Rick Wood’s Favorite Albums of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

Andy Bell – Pinball Wanderer
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Robert Plant – Saving Grace
Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Montefurado – Heavy Heads
M.J. Lenderman – Manning Fireworks
Alan Sparhawk & Trampled by Turtles – Self-Titled
Jason Isbell – Live in Dublin
Doves – Constellations of the Lonely

Reissue :-

J.J. Grey & Mofro – Orange Blossom

Compilation :-

Soul Psychedelique (The Sounds of Psychedelic Soul & Funk 1967–2024)

Gigs :-

Jason Isbell (Solo) – The Barbican
Oasis – Wembley
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – The London Palladium

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A Selection of Favorite Albums in 2025 – Phil Meek

The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road
Jimmy Barnes – Defiant
Lord Huron – The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1
Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough
Robert Jon & The Wreck – Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes

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John Oldham’s Favorite Albums of 2025

Sam Fender – People Watching
Deacon Blue – The Great Western Road
Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes in Angels?
Young Gun Silver Fox – Pleasure
Stereophonics – Make ’Em Laugh, Make ’Em Cry, Make ’Em Wait
Van Morrison – Remembering Now
Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Richard Ashcroft – Lovin’ You
Rob Thomas – All Night Days
Jon Batiste – Big Money

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Robert Tutt’s Favorite Albums of 2025

Sam Fender – People Watching
Snow Patrol – The Forest Is The Path (Extended Version)
Stereophonics – Make ’Em Laugh, Make ’Em Cry, Make ’Em Wait
Josh Ritter – I Believe in You, My Honeydew
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving

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Huge thanks to Graham and Neville for sharing their lists of favourite albums — and in Neville’s case, standout live shows from 2025 as well.

We’ll be publishing Mystery Train Radio’s own favourites here very soon 🙂
Feel free to get involved.
Email: alex@mysterytrainradio.com

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Graham Bollands’ Favourite Albums of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
Kingfishr – Halcyon Days
Lord Huron – The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis & Karin Polwart – Looking For The Thread
The Delines – Mr Luck and Ms Doom
Rob Jones and The Restless Dream – Stars
Great Lake Swimmers – Caught Light
Van Morrison – Remembering When
Paul Givant – Marigold
Midlake – A Bridge Too Far

Streets of Philadelphia Sessions rather trumps all of these, but can’t really be counted, I suppose.

Just outside the Top 10 :-

Sparks
Josh Ritter
Brown Horse
Cory Hanson
Tomo Nakayama

Thanks as ever for recommending those last two!

And it’s a sign of the times that I’ve only got physical copies of two of these, even though I still love the feel of a CD.

We had a great evening a couple of weeks back at Jess Fitz’s “Miss Romantic” EP launch party. I know I’m her dad, but she really is a great live performer!

No concerts in the diary at all at the moment — probably just as well, as we need a new roof, and the car broke down coming back from Reading last week and cost over a thousand pounds to repair.

— Graham Bollands

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Neville Dalton’s Favourite Albums & Gigs of 2025 (in no particular order) :-

If I were doing this for your show, I’d take out the albums that weren’t released this year — but now that I buy so many, it would take an age. Several are remastered versions, but genuine 2025 releases.

Thank you for replying so quickly — and fingers crossed we still get a chance to meet. I wish you well for Christmas and the tough year ahead.

Albums :-

Red Sky July – Misty Morning
Probably a 2024 release. Pretty much perfect — not a sub-par track.

Katherine Priddy – The Pendulum Swing
Definitely 2024, but such a lovely album.

Procol Harum – The Prodigal Stranger
A few years old now, but a really good album.

Brandi Carlile – Returning to Myself
She can’t really do much wrong musically.

Kristina Train – County Line
Her best work since those early days.

Ron Sexsmith – Hangover Terrace
Feels like his earlier work, packed with fresh melodies.

Rhona Macfarlane – As the Chaos Unfolds
Possibly released earlier, but I loved it.

Judie Tzuke – Now or Never
Sounds more like her early work.

Kathryn Williams – Mystery Park
A beautiful album.

Midlake – A Bridge Too Far

Elton John – Ice on Fire

Paul McCartney – Flowers in the Dirt

Gigs :-

Lake Street Dive – Rough Trade East
Red Sky July – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
Red Sky July – Half Moon, Putney
Brandy Clark – Islington Assembly Hall
Rhona Macfarlane – Green Note
Emily Barker – Prince Albert, Brighton
Lake Street Dive – Roundhouse
ABBA Voyage – ABBA Arena
Karli & James – The Spice of Life, London
George Boomsma – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
SpaceAcre – WaterBear, Brighton
Nerina Pallot – Komedia, Brighton

I already have five gigs booked for next year — Red Sky July, Ron Sexsmith (Brighton and London), Kathryn Williams, and Katherine Priddy.

I’ve also recently ordered forthcoming albums from Elles Bailey, Katherine Priddy, Hollie Rogers, and Danni Nicholls.

— Neville Dalton

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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024/25

Send us your album of the year list (2024) and we'll publish them here... 

A big thank you to Graham, Phil, John, Dan, Mark, Rick, Neville and Kevin for the lists. A fine selection of albums... I'm sure you'll agree :))) Here's a few of Alex's (from MTR - we couldn't live without too)

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Alex from MTR here - a few favorites from 2024!

 

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God – Proof if proof were needed Nick Cave still has something to say. Wonderfully produced and containing some of his most accessible songs to date.

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Graham here....

 

So onto music... sorry I never got organised to send in my favourite albums of 2024 to MTR till now. Had I done a top ten (in no particular order), my list would have featured Peter Bruntnell, Crowded House, Polite Company, The Lostines, Fairground Attraction, Bonny Light Horseman, Sarah Jarosz, Blossoms, Danny And The Champs and MRCY. My top live experiences were Bruce in Cardiff and War On Drugs at The Royal Albert Hall.

 

Have got tickets to see Seth Lakeman at Exeter Cathedral in February and Danny And The Champs in Guildford in March. Was tempted by Bruce Springsteen at Anfield in the summer, but decided I couldn't top taking two of my three children to see him in Cardiff so I would leave it at that!! Looking forward to the new Mary Chapin Carpenter release later this month, and then to our daughter Jess is releasing some new songs in the spring- we've heard the demos and maybe, just maybe, these will be the ones!!

 

I'm going to take your advice and listen to George Harrison while I crack on with paperwork and prep now. A friend who saw McCartney at the O2 just before Christmas tells me that he's listened to nothing else but the Beatles since that night!

 

Phil here -

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John here - Mine would include

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Hi Dan here.... I saw you were inviting lists for the year 🙂

I've attached mine here...

Tricky to choose favourite ones but my Top 3

might be (in no particular order): Mark Geary, 

Martin Praetorius and Emily Duff...