The standout albums for me in 2024 were all from new (or relatively new) artists. Some of the musicians have burst on the scene, while others have been working in the background and gaining experiences that helped them create fantastic breakout albums. It is very exciting to see what will come from these musicians in the years to come!

Music lists from past years: 2015/2016/2017/2018/2019/2020/2021/2022/2023

Best Songs

Runner Ups:

• i did, MAVI
• Cinnamon, Hiatus Kaiyote
• Light Your Way Home, Metz
• Purple Land, Amen Dunes
• Like I Say (I runaway), Nilufer Yanya
• Lowdown, Michael Kiwanuka
• The World’s Biggest Paving Slab, English Teacher

10. (tie) Docket, Blondshell, Bully – Blondshell (like many of us) is a big fan of Bully and when writing this song, she knew who to contact for fantastic vocals. In a strange coincidence Blondshell was also at #10 last year!

10. (tie) Unifying Thought, Chanel Beads – This lo-fi band is building an impressive catalogue, but for some reason the beat of this song sticks with me more than the rest despite being an unheralded 2 minute song in the middle of their new album.

9. Hammer, Hana Vu – I love the metaphor of being so desperate for change that you “swing the hammer just as hard the other way.”

8. Cut It Like A Diamond, MEMORIALS – Fantastic layering of sounds that build to a crescendo, and just when you think the song is over, the saxophone bursts the song wide open again.

7. Nothing Matters, The Last Dinner Party – This experimental song takes full advantage of its killer chorus. Abigail Morris seems to refer to the famous V-J Day photograph “You can hold me, like he held her. And I will fuck you like nothing matters.” Apologies for getting spicy on the top ten list.

6. Roy, IDLES – After a long intro, this song opens up to reveal a fantastic new sound for the band. Their first time working with producer Nigel Godrich sure seems to have paid off.

Top 5 Songs:

5. Una vida, Club del Rio

This song features a fantastic slow groove that puts you at ease to the point where you don’t need to understand Spanish to feel what this song is about.

4. Lego Ring, Faye Webster, Lil Yachty

While the tempo shifts in this song are jarring to some, I find them compelling. The song features two very different musicians (who were friends since middle school) and their amalgamation is fun and unique. 

3. Lithonia, Childish Gambino

Great song, but it appears that Donald Glover is going through a tough time. If somebody runs into him, will you please tell him that we do give a fuck. So many impressive compositional choices from the organ at the beginning, the acoustic guitar at the end, and everything in between. I love how the song abruptly ends before he can even finish the last word. Maybe he just liked how it sounded, but it could also indicate that he was interrupted while trying to communicate his feelings, reinforcing his isolation.

2. Neverender, Justice, Tame Impala

Veteran musicians from different genres and backgrounds came together to create something fresh and exuberant. Justice’s driving dance-beat foundation combined with Tame Impala’s indie rock melody overlap beautifully. While I’m new to Justice, my admiration for Tame Impala goes back more than a decade.

1. Literary Mind, SPRINTS

This Dublin-based band has made a big impression despite being a relatively new band. Unlike most of their catalogue, this song has more of the sharp corners sanded down leaving us with a fantastic guitar rock song with unique and intriguing elements including one of the best buildups to a screamed line that I can remember.

Best Albums:

Runner Ups:

• Unreal Unearth, Hozier
• Your Day Will Come, Chanel Beads

5. Pratts & Pain, Royel Otis

Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic from Sydney capture what was best about the early Strokes albums, with great carefree guitar-based catchy rock songs. How carefree you ask? This is the bio that the band released: “In the lyrical justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The Royel, who investigate rhyme and Otis, who prosecutes the offenders. These are their stories.” [dun dun] While the songs are all really good, there is no standout track to help define and center the debut album.

4. Greatest Hits, Deerlady

Much like Royel Otis, the music project of Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego is off to a very impressive start. In Native American mythology Deerlady is a vengeful spirit that lures men to their death after they have enacted violence against women. This anger is captured in the music with woozy and haunting compositions that let the guitar do most of the speaking. They are very skilled at creating some beautiful noise, where the guitar fuzz, distortions, and a mix of other sounds have intertwined. Also, I’m not sure if they are the first to do it, but naming your debut album “Greatest Hits” is pretty funny.

3. Peregrino, Carlos Ares

I don’t know the music scene in Spain, but it is no surprise that this was a big album there. Ares had been in the background as a producer or as an instrumentalist for years and when it was finally time to publish his first full album he came with plenty of fresh ideas. Packed full of dynamic songs with diverse genres, Ares cited James, Brown, Sheryl Crow, Arcade Fire, and Pearl Jam as his primary influences on this album.

2. Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, Suki Waterhouse

It didn’t take long for Waterhouse to breakout as a musical act. She found her voice and became a prolific and skilled songwriter in just a couple years. She is a great storyteller and has figured out how to use her sense of humor to bring her songs to life. This double EP is nearly an hour long. And while the ballads don’t always work, the release still has a long list of fantastic songs.

1. Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman

I didn’t know about Lenderman until he teamed up with Waxahatchee to help develop the great song Right Back to It. I’m not sure if the collaboration also unlocked something for Lenderman or if his recent breakup with Wednesday bandmate Karly Hartzman sparked the change, but shortly after the two events he created his breakout album. His Americana twang combined with his humorous lyrics and great guitar combine for a fantastic sound. The album is anchored by two standout songs: Wristwatch and She’s Leaving You. Wristwatch is a hilarious song from the perspective of Andrew Tate and his ilk.

I’ve got a houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome

And a wristwatch that’s a pocket knife and a megaphone

And a wristwatch that tells me I’m on my own

She’s Leaving You is not surprisingly about the aforementioned breakup, but the guitar is top-notch and I love the novel refrain “It falls apart, we all got work to do.” The song becomes meta as his ex (Hartzman) sings on the track. And it becomes very powerful when he gradually fades out all of the music except for her singing repeatedly “She’s Leaving You.”