Best music Albums of 2024
One thing I have weirdly learned from doing these lists every year is….some albums and pieces of music are harder to discuss than others, even if I love them. Maybe it comes from weariness or not quite being able to articulate something I admit, but this topic is on my mind and so I am changing my list up a little bit this year- I am going to talk about 35 albums I liked and even loved, but they are not necessarily my EXACT top 35 albums. They are close, and if anyone really wants to get an entire list of what I thought of every album this year (or any year) I will tell you when I complete this countdown don’t worry 😊 So these are …..the most intriguing records of the Year 2024 to me, the best in my opinion.
As per usual, I personally listened in detail to over 250 albums in the genres of rock, alternative, hip hop, electronic, folk, singer-songwriter, ambient, etc. and have a list of what I personally found to be the best ones. You won’t find much “Pop” music on here, but perhaps you will discover something you haven’t heard before or can look at it though new eyes. My favorite albums of the year may not have been your personal faves, the most successful in terms of sales, or at the tops of the other critics’ lists. However, I am making this list because I do think that this music is THAT GOOD and definitely worth talking about. As we are towards the middle of the 2020’s, many of these names will be new, but it is good to look at this concept as an exciting thing as opposed to a detrimental thing. If you don’t see an album or artist you liked a lot and are wondering where I would personally rank it, at the end of the listing countdown you can check about my full list of everything I listened to and rated albums from this year…
After today, I’ll be counting down my 35 (as opposed to 40 from last year) favorite albums of the year one at a time (sort of) :)
Honorable mention
36.Soft Power – Ezra Feinberg
37.Reservoir – Brown Horse
38.This Could Be Texas – English Teacher
39.Growing Eyes Becoming String – the Telescopes -
40.The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis – s/t
41.Love in Constant Spectacle – Jane Weaver
42.Proxy Music – Linda Thompson
43.Rampen – Einsturzende Neubauten
44.Letter to Self – Sprints
45.Scrapyard - Quadeca
46.Sky Hundred – Parannoul
47.There is a Garden - Beings
48.Something in the Room She Moves – Julia Holter
49.Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
50.Below the Waste – Goat Girl
#35. Marika Hackman – Big Sigh
A good little singer songwriter album, some songs have a more rock n roll sound than others. Production plays a key role for sure, as opener “the Ground” shows us with its indecipherable lyrics and ominous build up, leading into a streak of three pretty much perfect songs: “No Caffeine” which tells Hackman a tale of her generation and what it's like to be a human subjected to endless coffee and cola and what effect that may have on us. Title track “Big Sigh” is the most dramatic and thought out song, one I’ve listened to many times this year, it seems to have a kind of alien quality in the distance channel leading up to the chorus, which is in itself epic- a true heir to Blondshell’s atmospheric perfection from last year and a trend I would like to see more and more of -i.e. women really Rocking Out! “Blood” follows that, similarly effective and even more a question of reality and where do we go from here’ kind of stance challenging the listener to “drink her blood.”
The album is a little top heavy, but its still got some worthy songs to follow. “Slime” is another blistering sort of rocker, the catchiest chorus around and just grabs us by the heartstrings again, it comes in the middle of a second side that is more about aimless drifting then coherent songwriting. Songs such as “Hanging” and “Please Don’t Be So Kind” are good for what they are- but belong to the era of 2020’s “sad female” ballads that can be a bit discouraging in a world of Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridger’s lukewarm songwriting. The songs I don’t mention, beyond the intriguing lyrics of closer “The Yellow Mile” are not really worth mentioning, but if she can build off the promise of the highlights on the opening side of the record, Hackman has a promising career ahead of her. Perhaps there is something deeper here- a more upbeat first half and a languid second half- perhaps this is all an influence of Brian Eno’s 70s records and I am reading it completely wrong? Even so, an artist must play to their strengths and I hope to hear more songs like the title track next time around. Trust your true voice.
#34.Hex Dealer – Lip Critic
On their debut album, Lip Critic are heavily indebted some bands of the past but manage to carve out their own little niche as well. Death Grips loom large over this whole decade of music, even influencing a band who may be a little more than a 90's grab-bag of European big-beat (Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, even Atari Teenage Riot) and punk influenced rock-rap music (Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine). Lead singer/ rapper Bret Kaser has a nice forceful voice, often altered and pitch shifted high a la Frank Zappa while the percussion (by the other three members) is creative mix of electronic beats, bass booms, and old school drumming- see the spastic and out of control "Love Will Redeem You" and the heavy hitting “Spirit Bomber”, incorporating alien keyboards. “In the Wawa” (Convinced I’m a God)” deserves to be a teenage anthem of depravity.
The group has a knack for writing catchy songs- best of all “Bork Pelly” which incorporates some guest vocals, closer “Toxin Doger” which finds the fun single in all the chaos, and the dancefloor anthem “Milky Max” with chorus “All my life I wanted to live/ not I gotta die because of what I did.” However the struggle for identity is present on several songs that sort of blend into the others (the still pretty good “The Heart”, “Sermon” taking some major Nine Inch Nails influence) “I’m Alive” and “My Wife and the Goblin” towards the end of the album are more distracting and noisy than memorable, and opener “It’s the Magic” which is more a declaration than actual music. Still, what is promising here should be heard by all fans whole enjoy the mix of extreme hard rock with that of dance influenced Hip Hop. If that sounds like your bag, you will love this promising new group.
#33. Big Special – Postindustrial Hometown Blues
Definitely one of the most interesting rock albums released in 2024, its so spastic and all over the place its probably destined to be inconsistent and misunderstood. Lead Singer Joe Hicklin doesn’t really aim to offend, he is merely giving his perspective on life and its quite erratic and fragment in nature. For example, there are anthems that sound like they could be coming from old British drunken pub classics (opener “Black Country Gothic”, “This Here Ain’t Water”, spoken word poetry “Mongrel” ). There are some that use augmented electronic percussion to reach delirious heights (“Desperate Breakfast”, “Butchers Bin” another infernal cascade). It’s really just two members, including drummer Callum Moloney and live they play to a backing track like a hip hop act would, except for drumming and singing. When I first heard this band, I thought it was two people singing lead – but it’s just one.
Lastly there are some songs that contrast a sweeter voice with the harshness of the speak-screaming Hicklin song that merge passion with disgust like most bands wouldn’t dare (“Shithouse”, timeless lament “Black Dog White Horse” that has become a sort of British anthem, “Ill” pure schizophrenia with soulful chorus and rambling punk verses, “Dust Off Start Again” reaches a paranoid height). They try so many styles, certain songs are bound to not work as well- and some try too hard like “Trees” or some other forgettable moments (“For the Birds”, “My Shape”, “Broadcast”). In all the influences range from classic Titus Andronicus or even The Pogues, the deranged spasms of Pere Ubu and the storytelling of Blur’s famous “Parklife” and the tight rapping of The Streets and the fury of Idles. Closing song “Dig!” sums it all up, a band that is pretty great at being hard rock but also dares to be anthemic more often that is risks becoming cheesy but somehow….damn poignant. The best songs here point to a very bright future.
#32. Common and Pete Rock – The Auditorium Volume One
I love Common. His slightly goofy, optimistic form of rap is a breath of fresh air today, where most young immature wanna be’s just try to be so ‘hard’ all the time. His collaboration with producer, music maker, and songwriter Pete Rock is a breath of fresh air in 2024. Rock is a welcome return to the spotlight, he is always on point and even gets a chance to rap himself on this record- best on the charming mishmash “All Kinds of Ideas”. However, it is true that Common's rapping can be too old fashioned, sometimes the flow is off and it's hard to tell if just another vocal take might have fixed it? It sounds like a funny thing to say with professional musicians working here, but it's true- the album leaves an impression that Pete Rock poured his heart and soul into this and Common was almost freestyling the entire time (maybe that was the point?).
When the songs work, which seems to be about every other song for quite a bit of time, it's amazing (seriously look at the track listings: tracks 1,3,5,7,9, and 11 are just about the best ones! The exception is killer closer “Now and Then” at track 14, ending the album on a strong note. There are plenty of songs that sound forgettable unfortunately, and I feel like I am spending time working out the great 7 to 9 song album that exists here. In an age where we can just download/ stream what we like, sure this method of throwing out every idea can work, but the age of the internet has turned many people like me (yeah im still young at 41 dang it!) into little critics-in-practice and we rate every song. So, like many Common albums before it (we exception of the pitch perfect Be from 2005) I take what I love from him, and move along.
#31. Kaia Kater – Strange Medicine
In the six years between releases, Kaia Kater has done some rethinking to her approach to her addition to Folk music taking the sound of Appalachia to the northern rules of Canada. Kater does an interesting, takes bluegrass instruments and applies a soulful, wandering spirit to it. Take a song like “Montreal” it is pure abstraction on one level while amazing banjos are strummed all over the place and life is distorted and beautiful. Concepts like “The Internet” seem foreign to Kaia, she has a more real presence to her and she has the kind of staying power that will outlast many of her contemporaries. The album has aa splendid first half, other Highlights include opener “The Witch” which serves as a manifesto for the odd journey that we go on- part Joni Mitchell and part something all her own.
Side two opens with “Fedon”, another beautiful awe defining merging of all these styles- credit goes to her drummer Phil Melanson as well. He keeps the tunes such as “Floodlights” and “Tigers” fairly interesting, while some “History in Motion” and “Often as Autumn” sort of just drift. But the excellent first six songs are enough to recommend here, and one of the most unique and powerful experiences folk-rock of the year. The lyrics and instrument playing are always on point. Perhaps Kaia will embrace her psychedelic side even a bit more, she does seem very in touch with nature and I can more see some epic songwriting in her future.
#30. To All Trains – Shellac
If anything the final Shellac album (due to Albini’s sudden death right before it’s release) is their most fun album. The sense of humor has always been there but it used to be always twisted and here they just seem to be having fun. On Opener “WSOD” as he sings his sarcastic lyrics you can basically hear him smiling, and that part when the distorted-metal-ic guitars come in is example of the band at their best. “Scabby the Rat” has this sense of fun as well, and it’s the briefest song here (but it earns this) and “Chick New Wave” cant help but be in love with its subject line. All along, the drumming is perhaps the best feature as it always is, courtesy of the versatile Todd Trainer. Bassist Bob Weston shines on his song “How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man” that has a killer bass line and the most easily digestible melody. If you could call these songs…. melodic? I use that word a lot, but I'm not positive it applies to Shellac or any of Albini’s music.
The instruments have a unique sound to them, its instantly recognizable at this point, and their interplay determines if the song is worth revisiting or not; “Tattoos” and “Days are Dogs” are good songs, but memorability is not one of their strong points – I enjoy them while they are on, but do they stick with me? Not much. Also, “Wednesday” and “Scrappers” are for sure too meandering for their own good.
Most of the album is good to great for sure, though it may lack the absolute memorable singles that most of Albini’s previous projects have. Many of these songs I feel could have been longer and more fleshed out and in the end, it gives the album a slightly unfished feeling. But still, any Shellac is of high quality and high instrumental ability (though there were no actual pure instrumentals this time) so I am glad we got a final album, 10 years from the last one or not. When the album is over perhaps fittingly, the song “I Don’t Fear Hell” is as perfect a closer to Albini’s career as we could hope for with that demented guitar work and lyrics about his take on the afterlife- we are left wanting more.
#29. Fragile as Humans – Emily Barker
I've listened to dozens of female singers songwriter albums this year, and so many of them are forgettable (like any genre) that it can become a blue. Some are over-hyped and some just never made an impression on me. But then I remember I love Lisa Germano. I love Joni Mitchell and Lida Husik and Liz Phair. Forget about it trying to find an answer to who is the next genius like Joanna Newsom. Sometimes I just love old fashioned and I like newfangled somewhat "trendy" sounds because some people's music lasts forever even when there is dated production (looking at you 80’s Suzanna Vega and 60’s Laura Nyro). Give it time, and a true album sounds like it is ‘supposed to sound’ no matter what.
So when I look at an artist like Emily Barker its the more old fashioned route for sure, but songs like "Wild to be Sharing This Moment” truly are timeless classics, the martial tempo mixed with the honesty and pathos on display make for one of the year's greatest achievements. “With Small We Start” and “Sad Songs” are other melodic gems that might already sound like from another time, but they are beautiful creations in their own right. “Fragile as Humans” shows years of wisdom inside the verses, and “Life is for an Hour” is the trickiest track- incorporating some odd off-kilter sounds in an innocent wrapping.
Even with some of the songs not as immediately strong, the minimal “Loneliness”, airy for the fitting “Feathered Thing”, touching sorrow of “Acisoma”, they grow on you and Barker can win you over on about every track in some way. There are elements of even a more adult contemporary sounds (not necessarily a bad thing!) on “Call It a Day” which is terribly traditional, but just because it sounds easy- doesn’t make it easy. It may be old fashioned, but sometimes that's the best cure for melancholy.
#28. .I Saw the Tv Glow – Soundtrack/Various Artists
This is a movie that really dives deep into the human psyche and is not afraid to be brutally honest and challenging. The soundtrack is probably the best fitting of music to movie I saw this year, with many songs that managing to be both rewarding and personal – “Riding Around in the Dark” by Florist is a soft litany that illustrates this point brilliantly, as well as Yeule's cover of one of Broken Social Scene’s best songs from 20 years prior, “Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl”. Many artists I don’t always admire, at least not their completes albums, have songs that also work brilliantly in this context – the strange dance along of Bartees Strange’s “Big Glow”, the awesome and awkward closer by Phoebe Bridgers “Claw Machine, and best of all Caroline Polachek’s “Starburned and Unkissed” one of the best pop songs of the year with bombastic and futuristic production and a catchy chorus.
Newer artists arise too, Jay Som's “If I Could” is an old fashioned lo-fi anthem that sounds joyous, a rare feeling for the downbeat album. L’Rain pens the charming and atmospheric “Green”. King Woman is the backbone of the album, having several songs mainly the horror show “Psychic Wound” and aptly titled song if there ever was one. There are many artists from the 2020's making an effort tom create a time and place that this music would work, and its the best soundtrack of the year I think. In all, the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and if you stomach the reality of the movie (prepare yourself mentally first!) it accentuates it perfectly.
#27. Ritual – Jon Hopkins
The modern master of soundscapes and mood pieces, any new release by Jon Hopkins is a treat. While his last couple of albums lacked some cohesion, this one comes as close to anything as a full length, 42-minute song with sections as he has ever done. Everything is dreamy and everything is of another world. Each track is a ‘part’ one through eight, and each song ranges from three to almost eight minutes in length. Some songs are mere sound effects, the whispers of opener “Altar” or percussive beats and ambient space noise like “The Veil”. The ones that stand out though: the lengthy and operatic journey in “Palace/Illusion”, the verbose bass lines of “Evocation” culminating in the climax of “Solar Goddess Return” with its female warbling and repetition make a new kind of atmospheric electronic rock music. This is more than ever about going on an adventure, ending up in a Heaven of sorts on closer “Nothing is Lost”.
It is interesting, so see where Hopkins came from, as his music was always instrumental but more about a kind of scientific dissection of normal phrases and patterns, somehow in synch with a beat but always sort of off, a true disciple of great from the 1990’s like Aphex Twin or Amon Tobin but an evolution of Electronic music nonetheless. With this album, he approaches Ambient and New Age genres but again…..with his own unique imprint. Like the ‘Space Baby’ at the end of 2001 a Space Odyssey, he is evolving into something unknown.
#26. Amen Dunes – Death Jokes
Remember, it’s all about the presentation of a song or an album. With his first album in six years, Amen Dunes once in comes in from out of nowhere sounding not quite like anyone else. The songs use electronics in ways I have never heard, fairly straightforward songs are made to be weird by sudden noisy/crazy sounding endings (“Boys” comes to mind, easily the most accessible song until the very ending). There is a nearly ten-minute ramble of an evolution of a song in "Around the World", less melodic changes and more mad rambles, think a modern Tim Buckley or Van Morrison – and I do mean modern because its less about lyrics and more about feelings. “Rugby Child” is all clashing drumbeats and abstraction. If you thought Michael Stipe was hard to understand in his early days, you haven’t heard anything yet.
Damon McMahon is trying to be edgy for sure, I fell like he hits the mark quite often but not all the time. In a way, it reminds me of things Unrest did in their brief tenure. But there are few comparisons that makes since. The rhythm of “Ian” doesn’t quite go with the song, very off beat and off putting, but I am liking it now. Electronic sounds and drums made to sound off beat, cut and paste for sure- like it was edited over an over at a computer. There are 4 tracks under one minute thirty seconds, more like snippets, and they are also randomly placed around the album, two towards the beginning and two towards the middle. I still would count them as “songs” though because they each of distinct personalities- “Predator” and “Death Jokes” don’t work for me, but “Solo Tape and “Joyrider” do, so there.
Its experimental music by a singer-songwriter known for this, and really the last album was not nearly this bizarre the more accessible Freedom (2018). It’s carefully crafted and in a way its perfect look at a song like “Purple Land” and how it builds to create something that is uniquely his own. AD leads the way for us all in songcraft and experimentation- and this album truly stands out. Honestly i didn't like it much on first listen, but now I'm convinced: It's a work of art however mangled and frazzled it may be.
#25. Little Rope – Sleater Kinney
Sleater Kinney have unexpectedly reformed and added to their legacy, now having up to 10 albums to their name. Since their reformation they really have squandered a bit trying to find a direction, odd for a group that had a nearly perfect ten year initial run. Since the reformation in 2010s, the band has lost a core member in Drummer Janet Weiss over general credit or disagreement in song credits, and even with only two members left (tucker and Brownstein) the band still feels more divided than usual. On albums like The Hot Rocks or The Woods, the songwriters/singers were perfectly in synch and sound did not really change THAT much in ton form song to song. It was punk rock, hard rock, classic rock, mixed all together and amazing. However, its ok that the two voices left in Sleater Kinney are now their own distinct thing. Tucker can write a ballad like “Say it Like You Mean It” and as different as it is from a tight rock song form Brownstein in “Don’t Feel Right” the production melds it together (John Congleton this time) and the attitude seems close enough in spirit that the band which really has felt scattered and different” since 2015’s Fade now seems of a whole. This unity makes this album work. Sleater Kinney as they age and evolve are not as angry in the same way as they were when they were younger, and that’s for the best. Youthful rebellion and rage is supposed to grow wiser with time, and the times have greatly changed.
What doesn’t change is the bands ability to meld the feelings of the modern times in articulate and amazing songs: “Small Finds” is as dangerous sounding as anything in their past and pushes the boundaries of rock n roll in the right way; “Hell” is a perfect way to lure the listener in to the record, slowly but seductively; “Needlessly Wild” keeps the hardcore feeling of the Ramones but comes off unique to SK; “Untidy Creature” saves the best for last like so many of their records do, and epic chorus and plenty of space to breathe, like the return of Led Zepplin but even better with female empowerment behind the hard rock façade. There are some songs that work best in moments of course, the smaller charms of the placid “Dress Yourself” or the slightly experimental “Six Mistakes” with some angular guitars and charming drum work by Angie Boylan. Only a couple of songs don’t work for me, as “Hunt You Down” may Try a Bit too Hard and “Crusader” recalls the last album with a disco friendly sound that NEVER has worked for me. Still, at its best this is the most mature statement from the band since their reformation, happy to hear it.
#24. Cassandra Jenkins- My Light, My Destroyer
Jenkins writes every song like she is in a dream. Her music fun to get lost in, precious, heartfelt and vast. When comparing the 9 songs on this record to the previous one, I do think this is a more consistent and varied listen. The slight issue that holds this album back is the need for four songs that serve as sort of interludes here, where are pretty much all completely unnecessary. "Hayley" is a mess of violins, but hardly Lisa Germano quality, and if you are going to have interludes that are this long (over a minute thirty) have them more engaging than this or "Attnete Tele", not to mention "Betelgeuse" which just kind of lists moons for its three minute run time.
Other than that, you have like 7 to 9 pretty great songs! She is a master of textures for sure. I love the way "Omakase" drifts in this vacuum of space (a lot of space themes here. "The Only One" works in context of the album, easily the most straightforward song of her career ballad wise. "Aurora, IL" many would site a Neil Young influence but its newer than that, at least Red House Painters quality slow drifting and chugging guitars. The more rocking "Petco" and "Clams Casino" are genius little evolutions of her sound, part Julia Holter (her biggest influence it seems) and part just the whole vast legacy of great female songwriters.
#23. Jon McKeil - Hex
Jon Mckiel really has a hold on the do-it-yourself production aspect, combining influence from other self-producers like Beck, Todd Rundgren, or Menomena. There is such a sense of discovery in lyrics that match the music pasted together- “String” evolves as it asks “how long is this piece of string?”, “Still Life” is so dense it threatens to implode with its many ideas (and maybe could have been twice as long?) and opener “Hex” really does what the track says and entices you to listen to the entire record in one of the best album openers of 2024. This opening triad of songs sets the tone for the album, and while giving it an effortless feel that demands to be listed to in headphones for full effect.
Folk rock jumps out somewhat too, channeling the lo-fi kings of the past, with “The Fix” harking to the sky like Van Dyke Parks would, lyrics “I get the feeling something isn’t showing/ in the shadow of another sun/ still running form the zeros and ones.” There is also the ability to craft an old fashioned pop song out for the basic ingredients, the fantastic “Everlee” which towers above almost everything else on the album, evoking not only the Everly Brothers but also Mark Lanegan’s supreme angst. “Under Burden” is still an interesting ditty, and the two versions of “Memory Screen’s” while interesting maybe could have been combined to produce a more complete thought but the haphazard nature is part of the charm. It also produces the amazing era defining lyric, “I found you hard to find.” Only the mundane “Lady’s Mantle” really fails to entertain. It all, Hex is an amazing listen, leaving us wanting more of this type of creativity in modern pop artists.
#22. Talib Kweli + J Rawls - The Confidence of Knowing
Talib Kwali seems to be on some kind of winning streak again this decade, much like his contemporary Nas was with his King's Disease and Magic albums several years ago. Talib stands out as he has for most of his career, super literate and topical when it comes to identity of self (the defining title track "Confidence of Knowing"), the group mentality of being around others who think like you - "Native Tongues" is the obvious throwback to his influences, where "Swat" is more of a posse cut that is the most powerful epic on the album combining rap, rock, and jazz in an ultimate statement. J. Rawls as producer/music maker definitely is a nice combination for Kwali, it seems to rejuvenate his words as they tend to be almost stream of consciousness.
The duo tries a lot here, the dark alley feel of "Turnstyle", the 80s laid back smoothness of "Shalamar" which recalls the funk of Stevie Wonder, the operatic alien sounds of Niko S in the part one two closer "Sing into the Sky" showing the old master MC has a true grasp of his sound more now than perhaps ever; "It's Workin" ends everything on an upbeat note, sounding effortless. It's a bit sprawling at times, and doesn't quite match the perfection of last year's Liberation 2 (2023) but it's a worthy sophomore effort and shows Kwali is setting a high standard for us all to look up to.
#21. Ezra Feinburg – Soft Power and Patrick Sansone – Infinity Mirrors
Soft Power is such a fitting name for this album, as it flutters along it sort of moves you in spirit with it even though i don't think it needs to. "Flutter Intensity" lives somewhere between an ambient song and a electronic symphony as all of these songs do, though it is a much briefer and more lively version. "The Big Clock" has the most room to breathe, and in its eight-minute length it becomes the definition of electronics symphony, sort of like a tree singing and playing keyboards for the first time. The title track and closer "Get Closer" live more in the Brian Eno vein, but still take that ancient melodicism and put it to good use.
#20. Thurston Moore- Flow Critical Lucidity
Thurston Moore is the kind of songwriter that can do anything he wants/ I mean that do, he can write a hell of a catchy song, but he tends to dwell in the noise-making sphere he helped create in the 1980’s with Sonic youth in its heyday. On his solo albums since the 15 year delusion of his band, Moore really has created all kinds of albums- noise abstraction full album length songs ( ) , attempts at Moore straight forward merging of melody and revolution (the awesome and wild Psychic Hearts (1995) ) and mostly, an uneven mix of both. While he has had his successes but never really matched the might of say mid 2000’s Sy, this album is a happy return to form mainly because it sounds at peace with who he is at the ripe old age of 66. At seven songs, his new album is the perfect length for what he has to say in 2024.
Whether its songs containing elements of the glory of guitar explorations that main rooted in rock music (the Laetitia Sadier guesting “Sans Limites”) haunting but charming atmospheric slower rock songs (“Shadow” and “We Get High”, two of his best songs in quite a while) or tribal more drum-based harking back to his beginnings (Rewilding”) the album really hits on all fronts. He is not one for verse-chorus-verse structure, and god bless him for that, as his group was always good at bringing disruption to the normal- even here with the epic closer “The Diver”, echoing late period Wire/Colin Newman. When it doesn’t quite work, for me opener “New in Town” is the weakest track and the 7 minute “Hypnogram” has a nice ending but is not as entertaining as the rest, it is still kind of fascinating. When noise rock became fashionable in the lovely time in music from about 1986-1996 Moore has the biggest influence in rock music. He still sits here on the sidelines, quietly directing us all.
#19. Whitelands- Night Bound Eyes are Blind to the Day
Some records wear their influences on their sleeves while some transcend it, the fun thing here is both happened. Perhaps it’s the smooth singing of Etienne Quartey-Papafio or the majestic guitar playing that just never misses a chance to create epic echoes. There are the mood pieces like opener “Setting Sun” or the fabulous and translucent “Born in Understanding”, or songs that really swoon combining not only Slowdive and Swervedriver (the obvious comparisons) but also the indie rock calm of Broken Social Scene, the easy stand out track “Tell Me About It" with a bass part to die for.
While reassuring their foundations in classic rock, My Bloody Valentine is another touchstone on the ethereal “The Prophet and I”, but again more noise and obscurity shows off a deeper understanding of the hard rock of Band of Susans or even Serenah Meneesh in “How It Feels”. Slight missteps are there, as the pretty good “Cheer” and “Chosen Light” are just kind of background ambience come pared to other tracks that really groove. In all, Whitelands debut record is beyond a promising one that establishes the band knows what it is doing at and executes it almost flawlessly- see closer “Now Here’s the Weather” for an immaculate prospect of future greatness.
#18.Wild God – Nick Cave
Yes of course, old age makes all of us calm down a bit, but it also makes us wiser and more careful in many ways. With a songwriter, it tends to have us slow down and see things more honestly- it's not that we don’t want things to be loud and fast all the time, we know nothing can sustain itself that burns itself out without rest and rejuvenation. Nick Cave sees this clearly, and his newest album is his most open and honest in quite a while, probably since Skeleton Tree (2016) or even all the way back to Murder Ballads (1996). Spiritual and gospel music has been Cave’s music of choice since the 1990’s, though it has never flown over to complete Christian rock as so many before him have. More like there is an undercurrent of his faith intertwined with his strange persona that makes him one of the better storytellers in rock music.
“Wild God” would not be a concept that works, otherwise. “Song of the Lake” is another in his 'song of' series and it is a beautiful one that uses an angelic background to cascading effect. “Final Rescue Attempt” is another brave song, a more naked piano ballad fused with synth and harking back to his sorrow’s child feel of The Good Son (1990). This supreme depth and angst is channeled through gospel hymns, but there is still a huge punk rock emphasis to it all. As far as punchier songs go, it’s not exactly his side project Grinderman, but “Frogs” and “O wow O Wow” channel a bit of his famous mystical power. Best of all, “Long Dark Night” is among his best songs ever, a tune that really brings to the forefront Cave’s ability to move the soul with just his voice. Albums hit and albums miss, but this is one of Cave's true strong records in his long and impressive discography.
#17. Vince Staples - Dark Times
Vince Staples made an album that matched his first couple in my opinion with this new record, and you can tell he dug deep into his soul on this one to craft a masterwork. Dark Times is an accurate name, as Staples at times sounds like everything is over and it is too late to rejuvenate; some would call it stale, but it is actually a futurist, fatalist tone that he has pioneered throughout his ten-year career. When Staples and his soulful cohorts sing that “Nothing really Matters”, we believe him. The deadpan delivery feels epic on “Black and Blue”, feels downright apocalyptic on “Shame on the Devil”, feels nihilistic with the rapping of “Radio.” There are also some amazing new classic tracks, the shuffling psychedelic warlord he becomes on “Etouffee” perhaps his most powerful epic in a while; the repetitive “Little Homies” comes at us fast and hard toward the end of the record and while it may feel hopeless, Staples actually chimes in at the end “Keep your head up/ Things will get better!” in an unusually optimistic message.
Staples form of Hip Hop can hit hard and can seem like it blends a bit together, like his last couple albums Vince Staples (2021) and Ramona Park Broke My Heart (2022) did a little more than my liking. However, blending the pessimism party music of his amazing era defining EP Prima Donna (2016) and his dance beat heavy Big Fish (2017) he comes full circle here and paints the way for a possibly groundbreaking future. He keeps it short at 35 minutes and that is just about enough this time around, culminating in a preacher’s ode like “Freeman.” It feels like Vince Staples’ world weary draw and way of passive rapping is finally matched by production and music to match (mainly by LeKen Taylor), similar to how Al Green found Willie Mitchell as producer/collaborator or so many atmospheric bands were flocking to Kramer in his prime.
#16. Hannah Frances – Keeper of the Shepherd
There are some artists that get by on the power of their voice alone, and there are some that get by on having a band that remains unpredictable and special all the way through. With the newest album by Hannah Frances, you get both. Opening track “Brownyn” has a time signature that would take a mathematician to explain, but somehow the voice of Frances floats along and carries us through making it super accessible. Frances has an odd power to entrance the listener, much in the vein of Jesca Hoop or maybe a more eccentric Neko Case – or even Nico? Frances can SING but she is not a show off, she stays true to what her chamber ensemble band is doing and they all work together in unison, creating the folk rock shuffle of “Keeper of the Shepherd” or the back an forth emotional rollercoaster of “Vacant Families”.
She also perhaps above all has the power to haunt us. “Haunted Landscape Echo Cave” sort of spells out its intentions and works as an album closer even if it’s a bit ramshackle in form. Above all, “Husk” is one of the most powerful vocal rock statements of the year, using overlapping and loops to a hypnotic effect and reaching for the supreme depths of the soul; that song along is worth the price of the album! At only seven songs, each having their own sort of personality, Frances joins the ranks of Hannah Marcus, Joanna Newsom, and the above-mentioned female artists that reach for new forms of songcraft and have wild ambitions. Make no mistake- Frances is one to watch in the near future for amazing music.
#15. Rosali - Bite down
Definitely one of the more interesting albums of the year that is in the vein of Singer/Songwriter. Rosali has a way of making the mood relaxed but also controlled, with a friendly earthly vibe on every song. Whether its upbeat or downcast as the album does alternate between the turtle's pace of title-track "Bite Down" or the rather upbeat legacy of Christine McVie on "Hopeless", a breezy lullaby if there ever was one. Best of all, "My Kind" captures your attention from the get go, one of those choruses that sounds so simple but feels to right like a party in the barnyard; it sort of puts most other similar folk rock acts of the year so far to shame.
Its an album that tries many different things: As "Hills on Fire" features some of the most unique guitar work I have witnessed on an album like this in a while. "It's Too Late" has a brilliant structure to it, patient like the best of Lou Reed. "Change is the Form" may just be the best slow burn on here, a real mysterious atmosphere and once again a galvanizing guitar solo. The album ends in the same way, with the slow burn of "May it Be an Offer" while showing off a classic rock feel and vibe that is all to rare in this day and age. In all, Rosali has made a great album here, channeling all of her world weariness into something palpable and truly touching to anyone who listens.
#14. Samurai – Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco’s discography is that of a true artist. It is full of supreme highs and supreme lows, partially because he is a risk taker or partially is he became part of a system of corporate promotion and record label greed when that old school business model was fast dying out (mid-2000's). As a rap lyricist, his lyrics remain the most erudite and convalescent in the entire history of the genre. As a creator of music and shaper of sounds, he collaborates with some of the best people in the business and always creates a complicated menagerie of sounds. I like when Lupe releases a lot of music, simply because it can hit or miss but what MATTERS are the times its hits, which have left is with some of the finest albums ever made (Food and Liquor (2006), Tetsuo and Youth (2015) and especially the modern classic Drogas Wave (2018) which is a candidate for best hip hop album ever made.
Most of all though, I just love how he mixes humor with insight (“Number One Headband”, “Samurai”) fast rapping that makes you dizzy (new classic “Mumble Rap”, and catchy closer that will stay in your head for days “Til Eternity”), and moments of real emotional truth (“Palaces” with its two part structure, “Bigfoot” with its effortless eloquence) each time out, over and over, ever expanding. His newest album is only 8 songs, and most of them are truly great additions to his cannon but I just wish….i just wish it wise twice as long. Because its super literate and addictive in ways most rappers could only dream of. Perhaps 8 songs was perfect, maybe he felt he only had so much to say at this point; I imagine a lot of my favorites of his as only the best 8 songs and then I go…maybe this is just right, hmm. We are witnessing a person who knows he is a master at what he does and he makes it look very easy, think Chappelle or Pryor with comedy, think De Niro or Pacino with classic actors.
#13. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again – The Decemberists
The Decemberists have evolved into a band that has control over every aspect of their sound. They self-crafted a niche for themselves over the years, based on old fashioned pop music and elegant chamber sounds (opening “Burial Ground” is the quintessential example, sad but perfect pop ballad); but they also excel at being quite unpredictable. So this album covers all aspects of their sound- in a way, they always sound like a holiday band, but there is a menace to a lot of their stuff too, like a disturbed pirate ship crew run amok. "Long Black Veil" is an obvious new classic, merging the country folk of old into something uniquely theirs. “Oh No” has a sort of Spanish flair which works pretty well for them as mainly what the band tries are variants on traditional music.
More traditional folk ballads are found on “All I want is You” and “William Fitzwillam”, which they perform effortlessly but with also having a lot of emotional resonance. “Born in the Morning” performs some psychedelic rock wizardry, and “America Made Me” is the pallet cleanser for the record showing off the band in full operatic power. At least, until the closing song on the album, the nineteen minute closer "Joan in the Garden " which is basically like throwing their EP The Tain (2004, 20 years ago wow) onto the end of the record. Stating off as modest pop song with a killer hook and evolving into full blown 70’s arena rock excess at the end- you to admire how all their influences coalesce into something uniquely them (not to mention the pure noise/abstract section in the middle). In all, it’s the best album the band has made in about 15 years that shows off what they do in a perfect way. #thedecemberists#bestalbumsof2024
#12. Jesus Lizard - Rack
It’s great to see a band like The Jesus Lizard back in action since they haven’t made an album since the late 90s but have made several efforts to tour in the 21st century, which were always very successful. Jesus Lizard’s music yearns for a world that is accessible to different forms of artistic expression, and they are fed up with the pop trends of the current time, pointing out how artificial they are; not with humor but with a supreme, aching dread. Reuniting with the best and original line up the band ever had (core members guitarist Duane Denison, singer David Yow, bassist David W. Sims, and returning drummer Mac McNeilly, ) since their Shot album (1996), the goal seems to be continue on with what worked before, while adding some new elements to show how the members have aged gracefully over the last 25 years. A slow burner like “Armistice Day“ being so early in the track list makes for a bit of a surprise, but it’s one of the best songs here showing the band can slow down its fury and still achieve the same level of menace and fear. “What If?” goes back into that Pere Ubu territory the band loves so much (see also the David Thomas style warbling in moody closer “Swan the Dog”), pondering a bunch of what if scenarios over a crawling kind of murky rock n roll. Denison gets to show off his unique trebly slide guitar chops all over the place, especially in the visceral “Grind” which beautifully slows down in the middle section to exclaim “We saw this coming!”
All over the map, its actually one of the groups most varied albums, where you have some of the more experimental songs listed before combined with the energetic opener with different sections “Hide and Seek”, “Falling Down” in which they sound more like Husker Du then ever, and the spectacular hardcore punk punch of “Dunning Kruger”. Harking back to their masterwork Goat (1991) some on “Alexis Feels Sick” is either talking about the rise of A.I. in our tech driven world and how it could all come crashing down or….just someone named Alexis who doesn’t feel well. Some results can be mixed, as the rhythm section stand out “Is that Your Hand?” which does not quite add up to the sum of its parts. Still most of these songs are amazing example of how to make noisy rock roll well, and even the ones that take a while to choose in the listener’s mind have moments that really work – look at that bass solo on “Lord Godiva”. As easy as it is to forget, there will always be a need for this type of visceral music and the longevity of this band is not surprising to any of its long standing fanbase.
#11. Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown
It is telling to see Portishead members Beth Gibbons and Goeff Barrow take on different projects this year, and in a way impossible not to speculate what a 4th Portishead album would have been like. Barrow has two main achievements- the Soundtrack for Alex Garland’s Civil War and his band Beak>>> that realized a very interesting album of futuristic beats melding his favorite influences once again, Krautrock of the 1970’s and Hip Hop instrumentals. Gibbons however carries all the emotional torch, her songs delve deep in to the pain and longing of Portishead’s best music that made them more than just a trend of phase and several of these songs, while disputing all of the Hip hop instrumentals of old and relying more on tribal patterns and folk instrumentation.
Whether completely drowning the listener in waves of overkill (“Beyond the Sun” and “Reaching Out”, perhaps my favorite two songs maybe that is telling ha) or mering a minor chord obsession until we break in half (“Rewind”) Gibbons songs often scar more than they heal. There is some healing present though, closer “Whispering Love” and opener “Tell Me /who You are today” lull us into a false sense of security. “Floating on a Moment” is her version of a pretty ballad, it’s too bad life has beaten her down so much. Don’t worry, a song like :oceans reminds you real quick that you don’t have a clue what real sadness is. In a way, its easy to overlook her real pain- but its also easier to ignore than to confront- listening to the record is sort of like a therapy session. Make no mistake, you will come out of any Beth Gibbons album battered and bruised until you admit you feel her pain. Unlike Portishead’s harrowing Third (2008), at least at the end of this one there’s….like some flutes and stuff.
#10. Mach-Hommy - RichAXXHaitian
The heated fervor of Mach-Hommy is just right for the climate of 2024, and his overall best album is born out of a mix of internal and external strife. You can hear the stress in the gospel flavor of “Politickle” and in most songs the is an undercurrent of dread, like something in the world just isn’t right now. It’s a great and consistent hip hop release, not quite like anything else and the flow seems endless at times (“Sopnje” is one long tirade, “Sur Le Pomnt D’avignon” is subtitled reparation #1) and of course the title track “RichA$$Hatian” has a fun party element that sounds sort of like if The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s theme song met Third Eye Blind’s “Semi Charmed Kind of Life”. It’s one of the most fun dance-rap tracks of the year, or actually the decade!
At other times the background becomes the reason to hear the song, with “Padon” elevated guitar lines, “The Serpent and the Rainbow” has a sort of descending harmonica line, “Copy Cold” featuring Black Thought with its psychedelic touches. “Lon Lon” has an edge of depression to it, contrasted with a flute solo in the background. This second half of the record is particularly flawless. Some of the best is for last, closing triad “Same 24” is another mad rant, with a follow up more than one way to skin a cat Mos Def homage “Guggenheim Jeune”, ending with “Holy ___” epic closer that sums up with an entire career era defining line “Praise the Lord and pass the ammo/thread the lord and pass the needle/ these people actin’ evil.” Mach Hommy makes one of the best albums of the year here, in any genre.
#9. Ducks Ltd – Harm’s Way
Ducks Ltd is a band that plays very well one song at a time. On randomizer, when the singles are given to us as make believe hit singles, it's really some genius jangle pop with throwbacks on purpose to the prime era of the early 80s neo-psych revival from Robyn Hitchcock, REM, DBs, you name it. But it is funny when listening to the album all at once, something strange happens and the songs blur together wildly forming a sort of blissful happiness or a soundtrack to a land where songs like "Hollowed Out" and "Deleted Scenes" are national anthems.
We have all heard of too much of a good thing, but I actually wish this rejuvenating record was about twice as long. The killer songs are present for sure- "A Girl Running" portrays that feeling of innocence like no other, "Train Full of Gas” provides a nice base bluesy structure like a well crafted machine full of pop songs, and title track “Harm’s Way” tops all that came before in terms of pure bliss in guitar lines learned from Ira Kapaln and Peter Buck. There is even an attempt to change the pace with longer closer “Heavy Bag” that serves as an epic ending….well epic by this band’s standards. Much like the carefree band’s of the 1980’s before them with a tiny spark that made bands like The Feelies craft some perfect records, Duck’s Ltd are on the precipice of making a masterwork album for certain. Let’s have some more soon!
#8. Iglooghost – Tidal Memory Exo
Some music artists are just that- artists. They sculpt out of sound and the color of their music is the color of everything around them. Iglooghost is such an artist, you could call his music electronic yet it is rarely purely rhythmic. He also uses vocalists, more for the feeling of the vocals- like vocals as an instrument. On some of these songs ( the underwater feel of “Coral Mimic”, the echoing effects of Echo Lace”) the vocals provide percussion and the beats are the things improvising in the background. On others, vocals are only used occasionally or are like alien sound effects- the strangely haunting “Spawn No. 1” which is one of the most brilliant songs of the year. Conventional electronic music is just the paint he uses to put odd melodies into glitchy pastures- “Nematode”, “Germ Chrism”, and “Pulse Angel” show everything warped and demented in a fun and charming way.
Mostly Iglooghost (aka Seamus R Malliagh) is a producer of cut up sounds, and these sounds reflect the state of our confused world. The brilliant ways in which the songs are ‘catchy’ are kind of backwards and any kind of conventional music and normal to him is alien to most. On previous albums he has pushed for pure abstraction and offbeat jamming Neon Wax Bloom (2017) or even pushing for a kind of new hip hop collaborations Lei Line Eon (2021), but on this album he might have found his best balance yet of the obscure and the futuristic calliope of life. “Geo Sprite Exo” closes the album with unlimited potential for music that sounds like mathematical precision, equations waiting to be solved. I don’t know how else to describe it, but the music is very beautiful and rarely has the umbrella term rock music been used to create something as intangible and prismatic.
#7. King Hannah – Big Swimmer
Big Swimmer is one of the more underrated albums of the year, for many reasons. I have seen it get many glowing reviews, which is a shame because it is perfect at what it does. I look at the list of genres this album incorporates, and it doesn't surprise me as it's quite all over the place. When a band has an album that has songs in just about every genre imaginable I always think that is perhaps the hardest feat to pull off in rock music; as long as it sounds good that is. While they could probably coast by on the ballad front, whether its the slow kind now in style like the opener "Big Swimmer" or closer country throwback "John Prine on the Radio", the band has a ‘base’ sound that is much more entertaining. Jefferson Airplane mystique takes over on “the Mattress”, thrown in at third song of the record. It’s almost like this album is sequenced in the wrong song order, on purpose. Hannah Merick sings and Craig Whittle handles the guitar work. Whittle is one to watch, and maybe my favorite guitar player of the year.
The mix of 90s grunge and Neil Young tortured guitar solos on "Lily Pad” is case in point, off one the best songs of the year and its deep chasms could carve out a career unto itself. There are two eight-minute dirges in the MIDDLE of the record that stop and make you think, surround you in their glory: “Suddenly Your Hand” and especially "Somewhere Near El Paso" has to be heard to be heard to believed. The ending is sort of a talking guitar ourto, something that you think would have been out of fashion by now but again that’s part of the charm. Balancing everything out there is the ultra-catchy somewhat Patti Smith meets Fugazi influenced "New York, Let's Do Nothing", the minor chord chug of "Milk Boy" and the indie rock throwback "Davey Says" all different styles and flavors but somehow, magically smashed together. Every take on music seems effortless, but also painstakingly planned out. King Hannah has performed a fusion of all genres I can think of in rock n roll on Big Swimmer, and it makes me want more and more.
#6. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past is Still Alive
Focus, on the other hand, can sometimes be a saving grace. With her newest record, Alynda Segarra is focusing on more of a country rock sound that sounds very lived in and believable. Consistency wise, it’s definitely an improvement over anything I have heard from her before, some of these songs are among the most accomplished I have ever heard, seriously. "Vetiver" has a real force to it, the vocals nearly exploding out of the microphone. "The World is Dangerous" knows when to pause in a ballad, and uses dynamics superbly. "Ogallala" brings it all home using all the magic of a great singer/songwriter tradition, like the best of Bob Dylan. On a lyrical front, “Colossus of Rhoades” has a similar vibe and is very captivating.
The first three songs are among the catchiest I have heard from her: “Alibi” gliding along like a great country classic, “Hawkmoon” is even better like the kind of music that should be on the radio but its time has past. “Buffalo” is very repetitive and might have worked better as a b-side…but it still has its charm. “Dynamo” is one you don’t want to look past, world-weary songwriting as its best by someone who feels misunderstood but gets her feelings across very well. It is certainly more country-rock then the last album, but no matter what genre it sounds so self-assured that it pretty much all stuns. “Hourglass” is all slow-motion mood; it reminds me of Rickie Lee Jones' Traffic in Paradise (1993), which is a compliment, that album is an underrated classic. Whatever got her here exactly, Hurray for the Riff Raff and her band play it all perfectly and The Past is Still Alive is an instant classic.
#5. Metz – Up On Gravity Hill
For the best pure rock album of the year, we have METZ. This is Metz's 5th and best album, evidently it's their final one too. If that is true they are going out on a high note with all the songs they have learned along the way. For every part of the record that is 'harsh' there is another that is soft. Often in the same song- see the lovingly twisted "Entwined". "Wound Tight" and "Glass Eye" are the struggle ahead heavy hitters, something the band has ever shyed away from. More complexity is shown on the demented dance of "Superior Image"- "I feel your gravity" is a perfect lyric sample for the entire cannon of METZ's music.
Lead guitarist/ Singer Alex Edkins and his band have used melody in the best possible way and the currents and waves of distorted guitars are as good as ever, probably aided by Owen Pallet as an arranger on the record. Opener "Love Comes Crashing" is one of their longest songs, a bit unpredictable for what is usually a punch-a-hole-in-the-sky kind of rock music. The mix of catchy punk has always been present in METZ's music, but the second half of the record really emphasized the emotional power on closer "Light your Way Home" with guest female vocalist Christina Mitchell f/ Gouge Away and the clanging, memorable raw "Never Still Again" - which are their two best songs ever??!?
Each of their 5 record's has been sort of a lesson in how to make heavy music relevant with just guitar, bass, drums. And this will always be the core of rock 'n roll. They never made that expanding double record like I know they had in them, like Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You (2001) for one example, but that's ok. I will forever remember them as a force to be reckoned with and a great reminder of blistering emotions.
#4. Phosphorescent - Revelator
Like all of Matthew Houck’s music, these songs take on a world unique of their own pretty quickly. Phosphorescent songs are like little gems found in the woods under a bush- they feel a natural part of the earth, kind of like a song an animal would sing to you. I’ve heard the album described as more ‘country’ than usual, but I think Phosphorescent defies easy categorization like that. His music seems sort of outside of time, if it is folk or country or something else- it comes from a different angle about it; I can’t see him taking stage at the Country Music Awards or anything. Perhaps the waltzing “All the Same” or the truly time freezing “Wide as Heaven” which floats along so well it’s almost rhythmless, fit best into this old fashioned mode. I wish more country music sounded like the seven minute closer “To Get It Right”, but like the song states, that is very hard to do. A song like “Moon Behind the Clouds”, where does that even come from, I wonder? The music itself so easy to play but so immortal sounding, to me it’s easily another instant classic, laid back rock song.
Revelator is his best album so far, and here Houck and company have created easy tunes to absorb like opening title track “Revelator” in which that tricky solemn opening then blooms like a flower into a mature song of its own. Gordon Lightfoot’s influence seems strong on the patient “Fences”, a ballad that does seem to harness a kind of otherworldly presence. While some songs feature pristine drums (by Noah Denny) and killer arrangements by pedal steel with effects like the louder catchy “Impossible House” )closet to his previous hit song “Song for Zula” made ten years ago) or the punchy folk rock of “The World is Ending” much of the album is a little harder to absorb and a bit quieter. “A Poem on the Men’s Room Wall” seems to recite random poetry that maybe he really did find on a bathroom wall and turn into some sort of new 21st century hymnal; Lyric sample, “Phyllis Diller is a Cop thriller.” It seems like Phosphorescent really actually waited the six years between albums until he had every song like he wanted it, and the album shows this in its pacing, presentation, and majestic radiance like only this band can pull off.
#3. JPegMafia – I Lay down My Life For you
Jpegmafia is definitely the sonic terrorist of our time. He is cataloged as a hip hop artist, and the art of sampling is definitely on display with a lot of rapping inside, but there are also so much punk rock fervor and electronic manipulation that it kind of defies an easy genre. Looking at a song like "New Black History" feat/ Vince Staples, and I just wonder what goes on in that mind of Jpeg, as it really seems to come from something that finds pleasure in being disjointed and confusing. "Don’t Rely on Other Men" is one of his best productions yet, fusing heavy bass, metallic guitars, and manic rapping with some kind of magical operatic ending that has to be heard. To listen to Jepg's records are the modern day equivalent of Frank Zappa' college arrangements form the late 1960’s- it seriously is on par with that and he’s only getting better with time. That’s a nice summation, read on for more –
"Vulgar Display of Power" is like a Henry Rollins mixed by The Bomb Squad. "Sin Meido" has the nostalgia of the 1990's song like "Tootsie Roll" but turns it on its head, like Danny Brown (his partner in crime form last year’s Scaring the Hoes (2023)) would. “It's Dark and Hell is Hot" is a reference to DMX by name, but not really in form, its way to excited and lightweight, constantly changing forms. "I'll be Right there" is unpredictable and more about the noises than the words said for sure, mixing in the gospel choir. “Jihad Joe” and “JPEG!” feat/ Denzel Curry do not let up for a second, showing off Hendrick’s disturbed viewpoint; the latter is very special, building up a repeating horn section line on a loop that should not work at all but somehow it does. It is music like this, nasty and vulgar but also endlessly inventive, that pushes us into the future. We have to remember what we are like at the base, to see how far we can go into outer-space.
One of the more interesting things about I Lay Down My Life For You, and what separates the album from his other records, is the last couple of songs that are more talking then rapping (“Loop”), more soulful than he ever has been before. “Either on or off Drugs” is like a confessional, “Don’t Put Anything on the Bbile” feat/ Buzzy Lee with psychedelic female vocals that propel it along. “I Recovered From This” – from what exactly? The tragedy of life that made him react to life the way he does. Hendricks’s life certainly contained some trauma, and without it would we have got this music- he is rebelling against everyone, everybody…..any body that looks at him. It almost sounds like the work of another artist, but tis the calm to the storm of torrential rapping that came before and a magical way to end things. Jpegmafia’s masterpiece so far? Perhaps. There is so much going on in all of his records that we just never know what will come next, but I can’t wait.
#2. John Canning Yates – The Quiet Portraits
The music of John Canning’s Yates really depicts a sort of place in time, it might be the Irish countryside of his home, but it also could be a forgotten past time hundreds of years ago. The air of nostalgia is noticeable from the get-go, songs such as “The Way I Remember It” or “Dreams Forgotten” tell simple stories about loving other people and missing a lost hometown. You think the mood would evolve and the single ready tunes might pop up like a popular music album normally would or even a folk record usually does, but this atmosphere of haziness exists over every single song and never really wears out its welcome. The are really are some masterpieces of whispered melodies abound: the six minute flute driven “Under Cobalt Skies”, the heartbreak of “Until You Find Me”, the still photograph feel of “Life in a Different Time”. The album builds and builds, crafting each moment as sort of a pause in time- its not quite folk music or country or 1970’s soft-rock balladry but some kind of odd hybrid of all of it, and that’s not a bad thing. See the tearful “It Could Be So Good”, which is delicate and littered with pedal steel and woodwinds talking to each other.
“Healing” might be the only song, oddly placed toward the front of the record, that succumbs to the Caribbean vibes a bit too much. The album order seems like destiny it is so perfect- “In the Stillness of the Night” shines bright early in the album, “October Song” is a shorter, peddle steel driven more country tinged version of this sound, “Faraway Blues” is the most upbeat song (and its still very languid) that may have more ties to traditional rock music and that flows right into the foreboding “Riches” which blows away everything before it with its soothing calm confidence. By the end of the record each song improves on the one before and the consensus is clear- this is one of the best albums ever made and holds up to JC Yates’ influences- Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, Van Morrison, and the best of the singer-songwriters. It’s a singular kind of experience, and stands very tall in 2024 as one of the supreme artifacts of its time, one with the Earth and maybe even a hymn to the planet itself.
#1. Joana Serrat – Big Wave
I'm not sure what grabs me about some music, but I really do like to believe that regardless of popularity or influence, I try to figure out the best music of the year each time. Sometimes I can agree with the hype but at times I find it on my own, and with Joana Serrat I have found a diamond in the rough. Serrat has been recording gentle, slightly atmospheric folk-country rock for years, and while several past albums are worth checking out (especially 2016's Cross the Verge) with this album she has created her true masterpiece and one of the best rock albums of all time. Some kind of perfect mix of old fashion, Americana at its heart but the production and surroundings embraces the psychedelic stylings of so many artists of the 1990's like Slowdive and melodies of Mercury Rev. A song like "Feathers" that floats along almost effortlessly is a prime example of this, a song like "The Ocean" is another that just can’t get psychedelic enough towards the ending.
Best of all, regardless of the kind of music we might rely on in the past, with the production and cascading effects the music of Serrat reaches new heights in several different ways here. "Broken Hearted" is a majestic country ballad, ever so accentuated with a touching wordless chorus and synthesizer touches. "Are You Still Here" is perhaps the catchiest moment, drifting through one verse and chorus before the real music comes in and proves how rock music can be made vital again in 2024. "Freewheel" manages to be touching and also poignant to the point of heartbreak when the chorus hits “Am I falling into the nothingness?” The dramatic “Sufferer” finds the singer at the point of having a nervous breakdown, as the music video she made for it shows off so well.
While those are the highlights, covered in layers of distorted guitar and pianos at times, there are songs that hark back to her past and really to all of Earth’s foundations. “The Cord” is the great example, on one hand it could be a keyboard led song by Peter Gabriel or Kate Bush but it is changes ever so slightly with Serrat’s tight and powerful message. There is emotion in these songs, sometimes that is mainly all there is- “This House” is the most fragile, the ocean wave feel of “Big Lagoons” is the most overwhelmed, the Enya inspired “A Dream That Can Last” is well….the dreamiest. Truly, this goes beyond mere pop music into something magical, but every single song is breath taking in one way or another. Serrat has given it her all and created something that adds unto her already amazing ability to write classic melodies, sending it far up into space as a beacon for future societies to discover. Album of the year 2024 easy.