Campfire Tales Favourite Albums of 2025

Tyler Childers - Snipe Hunter

One of the leading lights of the contemporary country outlaw set, Tyler Childers has been evolving his sound with each new album, and giving less of a fuck about the country scene with each step. Snipe Hunter is his masterpiece. Including long-requested live favourites like ‘Nose On The Grindstone’ and ‘Oneida’, the real treasures here are a song about Indian religion (‘Tirtha Yatra’), a song about payback (‘Bitin’ List’), and the funkiest country vibe of 2025, ‘Dirty Ought Trill’. But then again, every song on Snipe Hunter is a treasure. Listen to Snipe Hunter on your favourite streaming service.

Ken Pomeroy - Cruel Joke

A quietly devastating record, Ken’s stories of her youth and weaving of her Cherokee childhood is fascinating and subtle. The haunting duet (with John Moreland) of ‘Coyote’ and the beautifully brutal ‘Cicadas’ are highlights on a record filled with them. Listen to Cruel Joke on streaming.

Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman

Welcome back to the country Margo! It’s been a while since Price released as pure a country record as this. One of the original neo-outlaws she’d moved into a hazy post-country sort of space but ‘Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down’, ‘Losing Streak’, and ‘Too Stoned To Cry’ bring her right back to what she does best. It’s so good to have her back. Listen to Hard Headed Woman on streaming.

Sunny Sweeney - Rhinestone Requiem

Sunny Sweeney’s sixth record carries on her excellent run of music that started with 2014’s Provoked. Her sound has matured since then, taking on themes of longing and reminiscence alongside her casual burns of ex-boyfriends and wittisisms of life. Long past her mainstream label days Sunny has also doubled down on the twang, slathering steel guitar and country music mechanisms across songs like ‘I Drink Well With Others’ and ‘As Long As There’s a Honky Tonk’. This is no pistache though, it’s pure original country from one of the best. Listen to Rhinestone Requiem on streaming.

Jason Isbell - Foxes In The Snow

A quickly announced and released solo acoustic record from one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, Foxes In The Snow is as pure as it comes. From the anger of some lyrics - looking at you ‘True Believer’ - to the softness of the guitar on the title track, with elements of resentment (‘I was a gravelweed and I needed you to raise me / I'm sorry the day came when I felt like I was raised’) on ‘Gravelweed’ and reminiscing on ‘Good While It Lasted’. There’s very little wistful or misty-eyed here, this is Jason Isbell at his most ferocious and bitter. Listen to Foxes In The Snow on streaming.

Amanda Shires - Nobody’s Girl

If ever a title tells the story of a record it’s Nobody’s Girl. Amanda’s use of language has always been exemplary, and often had a fairytale-like lightness to it, not here.

I got him help, and then he bailed

What were all those promises for?

Cover me up, nothing's ever enough

Gonna have to put the house up for sale

He scared me then, he still scares me now

Never will hear me out

The thing is he justifies it, using me

And cashing in on our marriage

Oooof. And that’s just one verse of ‘The Details’. This is music swathed in anger and resentment, but also in a certain kind of lightness and a sense of moving on. But don’t be fooled, this is a tough listen if you join the dots, they always say never scorn a songwriter… Listen to Nobody’s Girl on streaming.

Willow Avalon - Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell

After a couple of EPs trailed the sort of sound we should expect Willow Avalon gave 2025 the kick in the nuts it needed to get started back in January. With “love” songs like ‘Homewrecker’ and ‘Something We Regret’, the seaside humour of ‘Hey There, Dolly’, the small town escapism of ‘Country Never Leaves’ or the family razzing ‘Gettin’ Rich, Goin’ Broke, this is a record full of attitude. The biting lyrics trade off against Williow’s unique vocal style to create one of the countriest records of 2025. Listen to Southern Bell Raisin’ Hell on streaming.

Olivia Ellen Lloyd - Do It Myself

On her second album, Olivia Ellen Lloyd surprised somewhat with her level of growth. In the four years since her debut she’s obviously been honing her craft, and with the release of Do It Myself you csn heard that craftsmanship everywhere. In the lyrics, the music, and the feel of the record. This is a terrific listen with not a wasted song among the ten here. Listen to Do It Myself on streaming.

Caylee Hammack - Bed Of Roses

There’s a theme brewing on this list, that of woefully underappreciated women. Caylee has been bubbling under in mainstream Nashville since her debut got slightly lost in the COVID days of 2020. Five years later Bed Of Roses confirms what that debut showed, that she has a knack for writing country songs. Funny and feeling, often both in the same song, Caylee’s songs are radio-ready and fit for a much bigger audience. Where to start with recommending songs? The final track, ‘Tumbleweed Men’ is a beaut, ‘The Pot & The Kettle’ a twist on the phrase and ‘Bread & Butter’ a tremendous amount of fun. Or ‘Breaking Dishes’, ruminating on relationships. It’s all here. Listen to Bed Of Roses on streaming.

Carter Faith - Cherry Valley

Well, another full-length debut to marvel at. Carter Faith has been bouncing around with EPs and releases for a few years now, yet she’s still only 25. She’s chosen wisely in her songwriting partners, co-writing on every track with the likes of Ashley Monroe, Jessi Alexander, Shane McAnally, Aaron Raitere, and you can hear some of that influence throughout. This is all Carter though, her voice, her approach to the songs, her ability to flick between bitter and sweet, funny and melancholy; she’s terrific in every way. Listen to Cherry Valley on streaming.

William Prince - Further From The Country

What more to say about William Prince? He’s one of the most underrated artists of the last ten years. On Further From The Country he pushes the boundaries of his sound further than before, not just staying in his folk-country lane, introducing pace and a harder edge to his sound. Lyrically William’s as on point as ever, with beauty and fear throughout the nine songs here. What really lifts him is his voice, oh that voice, it’s as smooth as silk, as rich as butter, and with a tang like orange juice, it’s a wonderful instrument whose owne makes the most of. The perfect summary of all of that is ‘The Charmer’, what a song! Listen to Further From The Country on streaming.

Ashland Craft - Dive Bar Beauty Queen

Ashland Craft’s one of those artists who writes accessible country music with a rock edge. In an alternate timeline where country music radio wasn’t misogynistic and didn’t just rely on white blokes playing country-pop-rnb-rap she would be a huge star. I mean, listen to ‘Yard Sale’, it’s a bop that’s country to it’s core. Listen to Dive Bar Beauty Queen on streaming.