True to the HighClouds spirit, we’ve once again tried to shine a light on overlooked releases and new or under-the-radar artists alongside some more familiar names. And yes… for the second year the same artist is topping our Best Songs list. At this point, it’s safe to say we’re obsessed. All of the tracks featured here (and many others) are also gathered in our Spotify playlist, that you can find below.

Thank you for reading, listening, and sharing music with us throughout 2025. We wish you a beautiful end of the year, and we’ll be back very soon in 2026 to share even more amazing music with you.

60 Avalon – Harder To Reach Than God
59 Farao – Waiting for You
58 Reggie Devoyage – Down Town
57 Nuovo Testamento – Picture Perfect
56 Yumi Zouma – Drag
55 Boyhood – A Grand Time
54 Danny L Harle; Caroline Polachek – Azimuth
53 Fernette – Lowlands
52 Jouska – Season of Dread
51 Charli xcx – Chains of Love

50 Pearly Drops – End Credits
49 Marina Zispin – Penthouse Samba
48 Boyish – Jumbos
47 Sword II – Sugarcane
46 TOPS – Chlorine
45 Robyn – Dopamine
44 The Deep – KPOP B!TCH
43 Juliana Madrid – Jamie
42 Men I Trust – Come Back Down
41 R. Missing – Telepolartears

40 Jenny Hval – The artist is absent – 89 seconds rewrite
39 Fontaines D.C. – Before You I Just Forget
38 hemlocke springs – the beginning of the end
37 Sea Lemon – Stay
36 Georgie & Joe – Pacemaker
35 Fine – I could
34 Jessy Lanza – Slapped By My Life
33 Arny Margret – Day Old Thoughts
32 Lipsticism – Erased
31 Clara Kimera; notinbed – angel candles

30 Neggy Gemmy – Mysterious Girl
29 Joanne Robertson; Oliver Coates – Always Were
28 Hannah Jadagu – My Love
27 HTRK – Swimming Pool
26 Night Tapes – television
25 Raisa K – Affectionately
24 helen island – hot zone, regular day
23 Dean Blunt; Elias Rønnenfelt – 1
22 Cole Pulice – After the Rain
21 crushed – starburn

20 AMORE – Delirio
19 Oneohtrix Point Never – Rodl Glide
18 Erika de Casier – Delusional
17 Judeline – chica de cristal
16 Dijon – Yamaha
15 Rochelle Jordan – Ladida
14 PinkPantheress – Illegal
13 Maria Somerville – Garden
12 Ethel Cain – Fuck Me Eyes
11 Sophia Stel – Everyone Falls Asleep In Their Own Time

10 Jim Legxacy – ’06 wayne rooney
9 Magdalena Bay – Human Happens
8 snuggle – Woman Lake
7 Addison Rae – Headphones On
6 After – 300 dreams
5 FKA twigs – Striptease
4 james K – Play
3 Nourished by Time – Max Potential
2 Smerz – You got time and I got money
1 Oklou – blade bird

We know these lists are completely subjective and that ranking music can feel a little weird at times but these are the records we’ve had on repeat over the past 12 months. More importantly, in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, highlighting lesser-known and often overlooked artists remains the very essence of our blog. We hope you’ll take the time to dive into the artists and projects you might not know yet.

Like last year, the list is ordered alphabetically, because the “real” ranking changes every day depending on our mood. That said, if you’re looking for a top three, keep an eye on Oklou, Nourished By Time, and Smerz.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and stay tuned next week for our Best Songs of 2025 list.

The 47 EPs, Albums, And Mixtapes that defined 2025 according to HighClouds

Acopia – Blush Response
Addison Rae – Addison
After – After EP 1/2
AMORE – Top Hits, Ballads, etc
Annahstasia – Tether
crushed – no scope
Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt – lucre EP
deer park – Terra Infirma
Disiniblud – Disiniblud
Erika de Casier – Lifetime
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
FKA Twigs – Eusexua
Georgie & Joe – What I Made With Joe
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
Ichiko Aoba – Luminiscent Creatures
JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
james K – Friend
Jane Inc. – A Rupture A Canyon A Birth
Jenny Hval – Iris Silver Mist
Jim Legxacy – black british music (2025)
Joanne Robertson – Blurrr
Jouska – How Did I Wind Up Here?
Laura Groves – Yes
Lipsticism – Wanted To Show You
Malibu – Vanities
Maria Somerville – Luster
Marina Zispin – Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
Men I Trust – Equus Caballus / Equus Asinus
Molly Nilsson – Amateur
Neggy Gemmy – She Comes From Nowhere
Night Tapes – portals//polarities
No Joy – Bugland
Nourished By Time – The Passionate Ones
Nuovo Testamento – Trouble EP
Oklou – Choke Enough
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Pearly Drops – The Voices Are Coming Back
R. Missing – Like The Sound Of Injured Love
Raisa K – Affectionately
Rat Heart – Dancin’ In The Streets
Sea Lemon – Diving For A Prize
Smerz – Big City Life
snuggle – Goodbyehouse
Sofia Kourtesis – Volver EP
Sophia Stel – How To Win At Solitaire EP
Yawning Portal – Anywhere

Now, just under two months after Equus Asinus, the band has delivered its companion album, Equus Caballus. While the first release leaned into a more laidback, mellow vibe, Equus Caballus brings a touch more tempo, without straying from the band’s signature dreamy soundscapes. The 13-track album includes reimagined or previously released singles like “Ring Of Past (2025),” “Billie Toppy (2025),” and “Husk (2025).”

Men I Trust will support both releases on a world tour this summer. Check the itinerary below (a lot of shows are already sold out):
07/02 Montreal QC, Montreal Jazz Festival
07/04 Québec, QC, Festival d’été de Québec
07/12 Ottawa, ON, Ottawa Bluesfest
07/18 Brooklyn NY, Prospect Park Bandshell
07/19 Boston MA, Roadrunner
07/24 Toronto ON, History
07/25 Toronto ON, History
07/26 Toronto ON, History
08/05 Detroit MI, Masonic Temple Theatre
08/06 Chicago IL, Huntington Bank Pavilion
08/07 Cincinnati OH, Andrew J Brady Music Center
08/08 St. Louis MO, The Pageant
08/09 Kansas City MO, Midland Theatre
08/11 Denver CO, Mission Ballroom
08/12 Salt Lake City UT, Rockwell At The Complex
08/14 Seattle WA, Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheater
08/15 Portland OR, Pioneer Courthouse Square
08/17 Stanford CA, Stanford Uni. – Frost Amphitheater
08/19 Anaheim CA, House of Blues – Anaheim
08/20 Anaheim CA, House of Blues – Anaheim
08/21 Los Angeles CA, Greek Theatre – LA
08/22 Las Vegas NV, The Theater at Virgin Hotels LV
08/23 Phoenix AZ, Arizona Financial Theatre
08/25 San Antonio TX, Boeing Center at Tech Port
08/26 Houston TX, 713 Music Hall
08/27 Dallas TX, The Factory in Deep Ellum
08/29 Atlanta GA, Coca-Cola Roxy
08/30 Nashville TN, The Pinnacle Sun
08/31 Charlotte NC, Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
09/02 Richmond VA, Brown’s Island
09/03 Pittsburgh PA, Stage AE
09/04 Washington DC, The Anthem
09/05 Boston MA, Roadrunner
09/06 Philadelphia PA, Franklin Music Hall (early)
09/06 Philadelphia PA, Franklin Music Hall (late)

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As usual, Men I Trust‘s latest track doesn’t disappoint, showcasing the band’s signature production finesse. “Husk” explores the more upbeat side to Men I Trust, reminiscent of “Billie Toppy” or the excellent “Tailwhip,” yet maintains their singular smoothness. Their new song effortlessly bridges the gap between yacht rock and indie pop, enveloping us in its dreamy atmosphere. Emmanuelle Proulx‘s ethereal vocals float above a backdrop of subtle, shimmering guitars, mysteriously singing: “Erosion, shadow be thy husk / Go downwards, at your behest / Devotion, hard to find / Repay me, in kind.”

EDIT – October 12: Men I Trust has just released a new music video for “Husk,” featuring footage captured over the past two years while touring.

Five years after her self-titled debut via Universal Music, Gabrielle Shonk is readying the release of her sophomore record. Marking the beginning of her collaboration with indie label Arts & Crafts, Across The Room was inspired by her return to her roots and the sounds she truly loves as a musician. Chronicling the enormity of heartache and hope that comes with endings and new beginnings, the album was crafted with her childhood friends, Jessy Caron of Men I Trust and producer Jesse Mac Cormack (Helena Deland).

To introduce this new chapter, the Montréal-based singer-songwriter already shared the dreamy and elegant ballad “How We Used to Be” ; a song about “a relationship that was hard to leave.” Watch below.

Over the years, Men I Trust have become a reference for dreamy and autumnal indie pop. Following their 2011 Untourable Album and 2022 single “Hard to Let Go“, the Montreal trio just shared a new track where they toughen up their sound. We don’t know yet if this new direction is just a simple post-punk side note or the beginning of a new era, but be sure we’ll follow this closely. In the meantime, you can watch the accompanying video visualizer below, in which singer Emmanuelle Proulx aka Bernache freely swings in the sky like a bird.

Men I Trust are by far one of our favourite bands. On top of their excellent groovy music and their unique visual style, the Montreal trio command respect for their incredible success as a self-made band. So it’s no wonder we were happy to find a new video documentary this weekend on their YouTube page.

Shot in early 2022, the 17 minute-long video follows founding member Jessy Caron in the USA, Canada and Germany. Although the video is titled Music Documentary 2022, Caron mainly talks about fly fishing, tries to get a dream job at Bass Pro Shops, hangs out with his cousin and then gets lost in the nature, causing concern to his friends and relatives. It all starts like a real documentary, but things soon take a turn for the bizarre. What’s real? What’s fake? Is he making fun of us? Why am I stupidly smiling while watching? Anyway, better to watch and judge by yourself.

Stream Men I Trust‘s recent single “Hard to Let Go” (and our other favourite tracks of the year- in our Best of 2022 playlist, or via Bandcamp below.

Over the last few months, Men I Trust has been touring to support their latest project, which is paradoxically named Untourable Album. While the Montreal trio has just finished the European leg of their tour (they’ll be back on the Old Continent later this Summer), they just surprise-dropped a soothing new track, “Hard To Let Go.”

Boasting a sultry bass line and a lofty lounge atmosphere matching Emma‘s Proulx’s dreamy vocals, “Hard To Let Go” is quintessential Men I Trust, at least in its first part. Elevating the track to another level, the guitar solos and closing piano jazz improvisation, courtesy of Gabriel Desjardins, are the definition of pure class.