Jeff's Best of 2025 - #6: Ezra Furman - Goodbye Small Head

I will preface this by saying that I don't believe there's a way to be a casual fan of Ezra Furman. She has produced so much great music over the decades that this latest release, Goodbye Small Head, feels less like a release and more like an event. A lot of people will ride or die for Ms. Ezra Furman, and this record shows exactly why.

There is a raw, almost feral energy to this record that we haven't seen from Furman at length before. She howls, she growls, she spits out lyrics as angry as anyone (and who wouldn't be angry right now?). This record works because of this ferocity, as the emotion and drive that she puts forth give the extra juice to already great songs to turn this into a great experience. Yes, "Power of the Moon" is the likely highlight here, but it's just as easy to point out the way "Submission" works, the raw emotion of "You Mustn't Show Weakness," the harsh reality of "Grand Mal." It's an achievement.

In a year where the trans experience itself is unfairly in question, Ezra Furman puts out a amazing piece of art for the moment. Easily one of the best of the year.

Songs of note: "Grand Mal," "Power of the Moon," "Submission," "You Mustn't Show Weakness," "You Hurt Me I Hate You"