Overview of the most interesting albums of 4/2025

Genre: Pop, R&B
Publisher: RCA Records

Unique shades and the power of visitors in the soundscape of London's streets

Blood Orangen, or Dev Hynes's new album Essex Honey, gets four stars in the Helsingin Sanomat review. The album immediately builds the atmosphere of rainy London with its whimsical characters and warm Stratocaster guitars. The critic describes the whole thing more as an aesthetic experience than as individual songs – the work opens up better with multiple listens.
Especially noteworthy are "Somewhere In Between", which exudes a Stevie Wonder vibe with its harmonica melodies, and the two strongest tracks: "The Field" and "Mind Loaded". On these tracks, we hear guests such as Caroline Polachek and Mustafa, whose voices blend beautifully into Hynes' own world. "The Field" sounds refreshing as a cool ambient track, while "Mind Loaded" builds around a rugged riff and melancholic urban emptiness.

The album has plenty of collaborations, but the overall sound remains coherent and radiates the joy of working together. Among the guests is Turnstile's Brendan Yates, whose voice brings a gritty shoegaze dimension to the song "Scared Of It".

According to the assessment, Essex Honey also works excellently as background music – but at its best it is a delicious, diverse, and beautifully sounding album that deserves to be heard.

Reported in Helsingin Sanomat on September 8, 2025. Written by Joonas Lahtinen.

Genre: Instrumental music, jazz/funk influences
Publisher: Mustic Motel Music

Behind the technology comes a sense and a unique atmosphere

Sound's Pekka Laine praises Lauri Kallio's solo album Cats, Turtles and Other Creatures for being a fine example of how instrumental music can work at its best. The album offers the listener an open landscape where one can search for stories and meanings on their own – or simply surrender to the flow of the music.

Kallio is known, among other things, for being a skilled player and producer in the ranks of Pambikallio, but on this album he brings up the central question: are we playing the guitar or are we making music? According to Laine, Kallio’s playing is technically effortless, but it falls short of the musical sense and atmosphere. The melodic clarity remains throughout the album, and the pomp built on delicate orchestration of details is not broken by careless detachment.

The review paints a picture of a variety of musical influences surrounding Kallio: David Axelrod’s orchestral funk, Italian film music, afrobeat, Alice Coltrane’s spiritual jazz, and a combination of ambient music and funk. However, all of these remain appropriately distant, as the end result is purely Kallio and his band’s own art.

Estimate in Sound 6/2025. Written by Pekka Laine.

Genre: Pop
Publisher: Matador

Playfulness, wit and satire – Byrne finds the glow of youth

David Byrne's new album Who Is the Sky? receives a perfect five stars in the Helsingin Sanomat review. It is the artist's first album since American Utopia in 2018, and this time the 15-piece Ghost Train Orchestra accompanies it. The arrangements, which are colored with strings, wind instruments and percussion, make the whole thing more fresh and lively than its predecessor.

The opening track Everybody Laughs is a carnival-like but satirical portrayal of a world where everyone is looking for inspiration in the trash. Byrne combines his usual African and Latin influences in What Is the Reason for It?, a song that takes us into a Mexican atmosphere, where the nature of love is discussed in a humorous and absurd way.

The review states that Byrne continues the familiar line of questioning and questioning everyday phenomena, while also cultivating dry humor. His witty singing voice also serves as a comedic element, as in the song "When We Are Singing".

Overall, Who Is the Sky? is Byrnen’s most playful and joyful album, with its technicolor landscapes and musical shades sparkling with youth – an astonishing achievement from a musician over 70 years old.

Report in Helsingin Sanomat on September 7, 2025. Written by Harri Römpötti

Genre: Pop, indie
Publisher: Johanna Publishing

A magical ensemble combines fairytale elements with the everyday nuances of life

In Helsingin Sanomat's review, Lydia Lehtola's (known as Lyyti) fourth album Pidän sulle paikkaa (I'll make a place for you) appears like a novel, with pages glowing with light and where small animals live inside mushrooms. According to the critic, the album's opening track Jos et kerro kellekään calls on the listener to discover the secret, and many of the songs deal with feelings of alienation and friendship. In Singless Tuolileikki Lyyti summarizes the experiences of a website follower, while Runotyttö describes the journey and challenges of the music creator and his path to fame.

Lyyti has produced a number of impressive, time-consuming songs. On this album there are more of them, but at the same time the release relies more on the magical overall picture.

The review praises the album’s cohesive and thoughtful composition, which is built from a mix of traditional band sounds, orchestral instruments, and electronic effects. Helm highlights tracks like “Paras ystävä” and the single “Jos tää on unta.” The lyrics of Lyyti receive special attention: its conversational, bubbly, and smiling expression makes the songs come alive. Overall, the album is hopeful, forward-looking, and magical, building its own musical world.

Report in Helsingin Sanomat on September 5, 2025. Written by Sara Harju