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The albums we can’t stop talking about this month

Welcome back to Sound Check — a new column where NMM ranks each new album we listened to in the previous month. Whether we wrote a review or not we aim to sum up our monthly listens so you know how to get the good stuff.

June was packed with standout releases and unforgettable album drops, from Lorde’s landmark performance at Glastonbury to Yungblud’s annual BludFest. It’s safe to say we witnessed some of the most creative ways to launch an album in 2025.

1. Turnstile – Never Enough
No surprises here: Never Enough is a hardcore masterpiece. Turnstile continues to redefine the genre with urgency and flair, and this record is already a lock for countless Album of the Year lists.

2. Lorde – Virgin
Lorde returns with her fourth studio album, Virgin, and proves once again she’s in a league of her own. The first three singles set the bar high, and the full album delivers in spades — personal, bold, and endlessly listenable.

3. Olivia Lunny – Velvet & Denim
On her second LP, Olivia Lunny levels up with a polished, confident sound that cements her status as a rising pop force. It’s a big step forward in both craft and vision.

Further down the list, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard return with another characteristically experimental release — this time blending orchestral arrangements with their psych-rock roots. While ambitious, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of their best work. Haim’s latest is a solid, well-produced rock album, though it doesn’t break any new ground. Meanwhile, Yungblud leans into a slower, more introspective sound on a ballad-heavy record that feels like he just discovered Snow Patrol.

Check back next month for our July picks.