It’s time for not temporary or partial, but radical change - here reflected in lyrics from lifestyle to career, to triggering experiences, love and relationships, fortune or tragedy, a sudden huge idea or even spiritual revelation, sudden or gradual

Share your music and thoughts about the year. It’s a time of Christmas baubles but also bigger social patterns. While we can see our own reflection in them, are they so controlled by AI that we don't know what other bubbles exist?

With metaphors for the fragility of life, relationships and more, and inspired by last week’s topic nominations, guest of the week Marco den Ouden lights a bright and beautifully illuminating selection on this festive and glowing theme

They were our only source of light for thousand of years, and burn in the imaginations many meanings and emotions - mutability, time’s remorseless melt, a fragile beauty, time passing, life, hope and sharing. How are they used in song lyrics?

Among the many joys of solitude is being able to do exactly what you like. Guest playlister DiscoMonster does exactly that, throwing a personal party in splendid isolation, inspired by last week’s topic nominations, which we can all enjoy on our own too

New album: An inspiring, evocative, sensual and sonically tactile experimental compilation from the fabulously named underground French label Camembert Électrique, with range of international electronic artists capturing cold winter weather’s many textures - cracking, delicate crunchy ice, snow, electric fog, and frost in many fierce and fragile forms across 98 adventurous tracks

Welcome to the second part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also a first part and a third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity

New album: Personal upheaval, grief, powerlessness, trauma, sudden change inform the title and colour the lyrics of this latest LP by the seasoned Boston indie artist but her songs are packed with brutally honest, candid, concise reflections and warm, catchy, stirring riffs and melodies

Song of the Day: Deliciously slow, sensual lo-fi by the Austin, Texas singer-songwriter and band, with a humorously odd video, heralding the upcoming self-titled album out on 16 January via No Quarter

Song of the Day: With clattering rhythms, sonic throbs and screaming guitars, exciting, menacing siren-like goth noise rock and electronica with French lyrics by the experimental Manchester four-piece, heralding their upcoming album, URGH, out on 6 February via Sacred Bones Records

Song of the Day: The Leeds-formed indie legends led by David Gedge return with this stirring, emotional, guitar-rich love song from their latest 6-track EP, Maxi, echoing an EP from three decades ago, out on Scopitones / Clue Records

Song of the Day: Canterbury’s innovative experimental pop duo Verity Susman and Matthew Simms return with a striking, quirky, restless folk/dub/krautrock/pop/electronica fusion about finding yourself bogged down and tangled in knots, out on Fire Records

Song of the Day: Deliciously slow, rich, warm, bittersweet folk-country-Americana by the Liverpool duo of Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle in this double A-side paired with a gorgeous number by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, out on City Slang