For his latest pick of a 2025 album, Shane selects the striking debut album Drive to Goldenhammer by Nottingham’s genre-defying band, Divorce. Balancing grit and vulnerability, Divorce delivers a bold introduction with their unique blend of alt-country, art rock, and post-punk flair. Shane and Trevor explore the raw emotional terrain of this album — from heartbreak to self-destruction — and appreciate how the band’s dual vocal dynamic deepens the storytelling. Whether dissecting lyrical nuance or nodding along to a groove-heavy breakdown, Trevor and Shane find plenty to love in this eclectic and unpredictable debut.

_______________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS: *You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at: (502) 792-8080 *Leave us an audio message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. *Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers *Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com *Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

For Shane's next pick of an album that has "been around awhile" he selects the iconic debut "Ten" by grunge legends, Pearl Jam. Even with Trevor's Seattle roots, and Shane's incessant teasing about being him being old, Trevor and Shane were too young to remember the grunge movement while it was happening. Nonetheless, these songs were and continue to be pervasive both in their lives and in the historical backdrop of rock music in general. Though Trevor didn't own this album growing up, and Shane may have only had a Napster copy, songs from this album were played on friend's older siblings boom boxes and '87 trans ams in the background of both their coming of age years. For all of these reasons, a wish for a vinyl copy made it's way onto Trevor's Discogs list years ago and finally into his hands this month as album number 2 of 3 in a gift box from Shane as he revealed his pick to Trevor. Trevor and Shane have fun breaking down each track, analyzing where Pearl Jam sits within rock's history, and attempting to define what the term "grunge" really means as elusive as it may be.

__________________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS: *You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at: (502) 792-8080 *Leave us an audio message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode. *Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers *Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com *Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!

On this final episode of 2024, Trevor and Shane each select 5 albums and together compile their top 10 albums of the year. The ground rules were simple and were the same this year as prior years:

1. They couldn't select an album from 2024 that already had a "deep dive" episode.

2. They wouldn't be ranking their top 5 or the final top 10 in any particular order

3. They couldn't both select the same album.

Finally, at the end of the episode, Shane and Trevor each announce their #1 album of the year, information they have not previously shared with one another until this moment recording.

With these self-imposed rules in place, Trevor and Shane took turns sharing their picks for the year one by one. The list is as follows:

Trevor: The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World, Pedro the Lion - Santa Cruz, Grandaddy - Blu Wave, Orville Peck - Stampede, Royel Otis - Pratts & Pain

Shane: MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks, Khruangbin - A LA SALA, The Felice Brothers - Valley of Abandoned Songs, Sierra Farrell - Trail of Flowers, Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us

Did your favorite album make our list? Write us and let us know what we forgot!

**Thanks you to all of our listener contributions for “Album of the Year.” Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear listener picks and your voice if you contributed

________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO CONNECT WITH ALBUM DIVERS:

*You can submit your questions or comments about this episode or anything else on your mind here via our text line at:

425-287-6832

*Leave us an audio message here:

https://www.speakpipe.com/AlbumDivers

We promise to respond and may even feature your thoughts on a future episode.

*Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Album Divers

*Email us at Albumdiverspodcast@gmail.com

*Please subscribe and review wherever you get your podcasts!