As promised, here is Volume 2 of my Best Albums of 2024 list, continuing on from my previous post!
You can continue your journey listening to a playlist of my top songs from these albums here.
31. Clairo – Charm (July 12, Self-Released)
Massachusetts-based and Georgia-born bedroom pop singer-songwriter Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, who performs as Clairo, is truly a musician of the modern age. She hesitantly started posting music recorded on her MacBook online at age 13, and it wasn’t long until one of her songs, “Pretty Girl,” went viral in 2017.
“Sofia,” a single off her major label debut, then launched her into mainstream awareness in 2019. Her third studio album, Charm, was self-released, and sees her exploring different genres like ‘70s soft rock, psychedelic folk, and soul. Her gentle, husky voice brings the romantic songs to life, and the album’s catchy-as-sin lead single, “Sexy to Someone,” easily stands alongside Brat’s singles as a song of the summer.
My top songs: “Sexy to Someone,” “Glory of the Snow,” “Pier 4”
Check the album out here.
32. Jamie xx – In Waves (September 20, Young)
British musician, DJ, and producer Jamie xx is best known for being a member of the indie pop band the xx, but he’s also been busy releasing his own singles, scoring films, and remixing other artists’ songs. In Waves is his second solo album, and it pulls in his xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim as well as many other big names, including Robyn, Panda Bear, and The Avalanches.
Jamie xx recorded the album over the course of four years and told Hot Press that he wanted to “make something fun, joyful, and introspective all at once” that mirrored “the best moments on the dance floor.” It definitely lives up to that mission statement, as all of these poppy and disco-tinged songs are incredibly cathartic and danceable and are best enjoyed at top volume.
My top songs: “Dafodil (feat. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, Panda Bear),” “Waited All Night (feat. Romy, Oliver Sim, the xx),” “Life (feat. Robyn)”
Check the album out here.
33. Khruangbin – A LA SALA (April 5, Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories)
Houston, Texas-based rock band Khruangbin (Thai for “airplane”) have made a serious splash in recent years. The group’s expert fusion of predominantly instrumental rock, soul, surf rock, dub, and psychedelia that some have called “Thai funk” has even earned them a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. It’s another situation where they’ve basically created their own genre, and it’s probably better to just enjoy it rather than try to quantify it.
The band’s fourth album, A La Sala (Spanish for “to the room”), comes from the sentiment of calling everyone to regroup and go back to the basics sound-wise. It’s more mid-tempo groove than vocal-centric, and it’s easy to get lost in the heavy bass and swirling guitars. Lean into what the kids call “Khruangbin vibes” on this one.
My top songs: “May Ninth,” “Pon Pón,” Todavia Viva”
Check the album out here.
34. Royel Otis – Pratts & Pain (February 16, Ourness)
I’ve been looking forward to Australian indie pop duo Royel Otis’s debut album for a while, and now that it’s here, it does not disappoint. The duo, which consists of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, have been catching everyone’s attention since they first started releasing music in 2019, with songs like “Oysters in my Pocket” and “Going Kokomo” putting the group on peoples’ radar.
Named for a London pub that the pair would frequent during recording, Pratts & Pain presents what Maddell describes as an interesting dichotomy, since the songs were written on warm beaches in Sydney and recorded in the darker and drearier atmosphere of England. This can be heard on glummer songs like “Heading For The Door” (the SiriusXM live version of which blows me away), but other songs are bonafide windows-down-on-a-warm day bops.
My top songs: “Heading For The Door,” “Adored,” “Sofa King”
Check the album out here.
35. Hermanos Gutiérrez – Sonido Cósmico (June 14, Easy Eye Sound)
Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez grew up in Switzerland but often visited Ecuador. Both taught themselves to play guitar, drawing from influences like salsa, milonga, and surf rock. The pair started releasing music after a 2015 jam session in Zürich.
Sonido Cósmico is their sixth album. Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, it combines elements of Latin music with spaghetti western vibes. Like previous releases, the brothers let the music speak for itself—It’s fully instrumental, with guitars being the focus and other percussive elements providing accents and flourishes. I guess we can call this “Hermanos Gutiérrez vibes.”
My top songs: “Low Sun,” “Sonido Cósmico,” “Barrio Hustle”
Check the album out here.
36. Emma Donovan – Til My Song Is Done (April 19, Jindahood/Civilians/Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Emma Donovan is an Aboriginal Australian singer-songwriter who has been making music for decades. She started singing in her uncle’s country band, The Donovans, at age 7 and later performed in several other bands. She’s also released three albums as part of Emma Donovan & The PutBacks–One of their songs, 2014’s “My Goodness,” is particularly amazing and incredibly underrated.
Til My Song Is Done is Donovan’s second solo album, and it blends elements of smooth soul, gospel, and country, all presented in her rich tenor voice. On her website, she states: “My new album is honouring that legacy of our family country music ways. That’s exactly what this album is for me, like if they’re proud and they’re happy, if the family is honored, that’s all I need to know. And mum would be proud.”
My tops songs: “Til My Song Is Done,” “Change is Coming (feat. Liz Stringer),” “Liquid Gold”
Check the album out here.
37. Amythyst Kiah – Still + Bright (October 25, Rounder Records/Concord)
Tennessee singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah sang in church growing up, and performed for the third time ever when she sang at her mother’s funeral. A guitarist and banjo player, Kiah describes her music as “Southern Gothic,” and she’s made a career of it, performing solo and alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla in the supergroup Our Native Daughters. Still + Bright is her fourth album, and it’s a dark, rootsy exploration of self-discovery, anxiety, the cruel forces of the modern world, and nature featuring her bluesy guitarwork and expert clawhammer banjo playing.
My top songs: “Die Slowly Without Complaint (feat. Avi Kaplan),” “S P A C E,” “Play God And Destroy The World (feat. S.G. Goodman)”
Check the album out here.
38. Porches – Shirt (September 13, Domino Recording Co.)
The indie synth-pop project of New York musician Aaron Maine, Porches has been making his quirky and catchy music since 2010. Shirt is his sixth album, and it’s also probably his sluttiest (lyrics like “celebrated it all over your chest” and “you fucked me in the mask, I’m cured” come to mind). It’s also a pretty angsty album compared to his previous releases, with intense guitars and aggressive vocals.
There are also some calm, tender moments, like the banjo-enriched “Voices In My Head.” On his Spotify bio, the album is described as “the weight of your dreams crashing up against your reality.” The anger certainly comes through, and it feels justified and cathartic.
My top songs: “Rag,” “Voices In My Head,” “Itch”
Check the album out here.
39. Super Infinity – In A Dream I Lived This Before (August 23, CS Press)
Super Infinity is the side project of The Districts’ Rob Grote, and pretty much any time he releases something under this project, I fall in love. Named after the Super 8 logo turned on its side, Super Infinity offers earnest musings on the state of the world through beautiful acoustic guitar-driven music, upbeat melodies that sometimes seem at odds with the lyrics, gentle drumming, and Grote’s soothing vocals.
This, Super Infinity’s second album, was recorded in Grote’s old apartment. On the project’s Instagram announcing its release, Grote says of the album, “Lots of blown out tape machine and acoustic guitars … feels like I died a good death and the world is lovelier for it.” It’s got a lo-fi Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens vibe, and might have a monopoly on the concept of “happy sadness.”
My top songs: “Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel,” “Black Rose,” “Satellite (O No)”
Check the album out here.
40. Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me (April 12, Debay Sounds/Capitol Records)
Maryland singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers got her start when Pharell Williams heard her song “Alaska” during a Master Class in 2016, and she’s taken that and run with it, releasing many albums and EPs, touring seemingly nonstop, and earning a Grammy nomination in 2020.
Like Charlotte Day Wilson, Rogers has synesthesia and sees colors in response to hearing music. The aptly-named Don’t Forget Me is Rogers’ third album—and we certainly won’t forget her after hearing it. A combination of folky and rocky music, diaristic lyrics, and her warm voice, the songs on this album will stick with you. For her part, she’s described the album as a “Sunday afternoon.”
My top songs: “Don’t Forget Me,” “The Kill,” “So Sick Of Dreaming”
Check the album out here.
41. Cigarettes After Sex – X’s (July 12, Partisan/Spanish Prayers)
It’s no secret that El Paso, Texas dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex are a swoony, sexy operation. And their third album, X’s, only furthers that notion. Drawing from shoegaze, ambient pop, and indie rock and adding romantic lyrics and unique dreamy vocals, songs like the mermaid-vibed “Tejano Blue” seem to be made for swimming in warm waters on a summer vacation.
Here, primary songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Greg Gonzalez explores recent break-ups and past relationships through dreamy ballads tinged with sadness—a process that he called “brutal.” When writing the album, he drew inspiration from all sorts of places, including slow dance pop ballads, Selena, and Cocteau Twins.
My top songs: “Tejano Blue,” “Baby Blue Movie,” “X’s”
Check the album out here.
42. Reyna Tropical – Malegría (March 29, Psychic Hotline)
Formed in Los Angeles in 2016, Reyna Tropical were originally a duo consisting of guitarist Fabi Reyna and former DJ Nectali “Sumohair” Díaz, who were both born in Mexico and shared a love of the Columbian band Bomba Estéreo. Díaz encouraged Reyna, primarily a guitarist (she has played with Raveena, who also appears on this list), to sing, which she was hesitant to do.
Sadly, Díaz passed away in 2022, and Reyna made the difficult decision to carry on solo. The result is Reyna Tropical’s debut album, Malegría, which was inspired by a Manu Chao song and combines the Spanish words for “bad” and “happiness.” Many of the Latin American and African-styled songs on the album were started by the late Díaz and Reyna when they worked together in 2020, but the album ultimately represents Reyna stepping out on her own. These up-tempo songs celebrate queer love, nature, and feminine energies.
My top songs: “Cartagena,” “Conocerla,” “Huītzilin”
Check the album out here.
43. Thee Marloes – Perak (August 9, Big Crown Records)
Often called “one of music’s best kept secrets,” Thee Marloes are a three-piece band from Surabaya, Indonesia, that make fantastic modern soul music. Ever since they formed in 2019, smooth-voiced singer Natassya Sianturi has been delivering calming, sensual vocals over groovy guitars and tinkling piano notes in live performances. Though few others were creating soul music in Southeast Asia, Thee Marloes forged their own path. As she explained to Big Crown, “We want to share what we live.” Believe it or not, Perak is the group’s debut album.
My top songs: “Not Today,” “Over,” “No One Else”
Check the album out here.
44. Empire of the Sun – Ask That God (July 26, EMI Music Australia/Capitol Records)
Veteran Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun have been at it since 2007 at this point and show no signs of slowing down. Known for their flamboyant stage outfits and catchy tunes, the duo have three albums under their belt—and Ask That God is their fourth. It’s in keeping with their previous releases, with even more added disco flair. If you loved 2008’s “Walking on a Dream,” you’ll want to give this one a listen, too. And according to the duo’s Nick Littlemore, the two wrote a shocking 1,200 songs when preparing this record, so there’s a lot more where this came from!
My top songs: “Changes,” “Music On The Radio,” “The Feeling You Get”
Check the album out here.
45. Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future (March 22, 4AD)
Best known as the leader of the indie folk band Big Thief, singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker now has six solo albums under her belt with the release of Bright Future. The album’s vulnerable and minimalist songs were recorded in a studio in the woods in the fall of 2022, and this vibe comes through in the tender, slightly melancholy folk songs focused on introspection and personal relationships.
And yes, there are banjos. Lenker looked in all directions when selecting songs for the record, and even revisited one she wrote at age 25. The album is also fully analog. Says collaborator Philip Weinrobe on Instagram, “Adrianne and I never once looked at a computer screen while making this record.” Bright Future is nominated for a 2024 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
My top songs: “Free Treasure,” “Vampire Empire,” “Already Lost”
Check the album out here.
46. Kaiser Chiefs – Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album (March 1, V2 Records)
English indie rockers had massive worldwide hits in the early 2000s with songs like “I Predict a Riot” and “Ruby.” But after the garage rock craze ended, you probably forgot all about them. (To be fair, there was a hiatus, and some band members have departed over the last two decades.) Fear not, their eighth album reminds us why they are still so great. With this lively collection of upbeat songs that easily qualify as bangers, Kaiser Chiefs remind us that the complementary flavors of dance, pop, and rock can be mashed together to make a perfect cocktail—and it’s a vintage taste you’ve probably been missing.
My top songs: “Feeling Alright,” “How 2 Dance,” “Sentimental Love Songs”
Check the album out here.
47. The Halfway Kid – Myths In Modern Life (October 18, Halfway’s Corner/F.A.N.)
The Halfway Kid is the name for British-Sudanese singer-songwriter Saeed Gadir’s folk solo project. Gadir, who started out making hip hop and then became taken with the storytelling of Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, and Elliott Smith, started playing guitar when he was in his early 20s. As The Halfway Kid, he tells stories centered on the everyday happenings of modern life over a backdrop of bouncy Afrobeats and acoustic guitar strums.
On Myths In Modern Life, his second album, he explores the difficult aspects of being an unmoored touring musician, a member of a big migrant family, and being personally tied to a country directly impacted by war. His brand of folk music is inherently approachable. “I really wanted to speak directly and tell stories that don’t get told as much,” he told Hyphen of the album. “Stories of what it’s like living in the city, having to navigate working life and rising rents and the pressures, and trying to build and maintain relationships.”
My top songs: “To Get to the Other Side,” “Immigrant Song,” “I Wanna Be Ignored By You”
Check the album out here.
48. Johanna Warren – The Rockfield Sessions, Vol. 2 (July 12, Self-Released)
A Florida native now living in Wales, Johanna Warren is a nomadic and criminally underrated woman of many talents. These include drawing and painting, acting, film-making, regenerative farming, and Reiki among many others—but making intimate dark folk music has been a lifelong pursuit. Warren taught herself to play guitar at age 13 and honed her songwriting craft over many years of touring.
What started as a few MySpace uploads soon evolved into six full-length solo albums and two live albums—The Rockfield Sessions, Vol. 2 being the follow-up to last year’s first volume. On her Instagram account, Warren announced that this album, which features live versions of songs throughout her career recorded at a Welsch studio in July of 2023, would mark the end of her life as a touring musician, though she will likely (and dare I say, hopefully) still make music.
My top songs: “A Bird In The Crocodile’s Mouth,” “Hungry Ghost,” “Twisted”
Check the album out here.
49. Chance Peña – Ever-Shifting, Continual Blossoming (September 13, Self-Released)
If you somehow haven’t heard of him yet, Chance Peña is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Tyler, a small town in Texas. He started playing guitar at age eight, and has already released several EPs, performed live at local bars, and even competed on The Voice in 2015. Fast forward to this year, which sees him releasing his debut album, Ever-Shifting, Continual Blossoming, some songs of which he also produced. These are honest modern folk songs, offering just the right amount of raw intimacy and anthemic production flourish to get them stuck in your head. There are Noah Kahan and Bon Iver vibes here, but Peña’s songwriting voice is very much his own.
My top songs: “i am not who i was,” “Cold,” “Blackbird”
Check the album out here.
50. Ac Sapphire – December 32nd (March 8, American Standard Time Records)
Portland, Oregon’s Annachristie Marie Sadler, known as Ac Sapphire, has an unusual perspective on things, having divided her life between a suburb of Philadelphia, the dusty desert Southwest, and the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest. The desert certainly comes through in her folky and rocky third solo album, December 32nd, which features howling coyotes and lyrics about “dang dust.” It’s what Sapphire refers to in her Spotify bio as “a meta-modern version of Americana.” And yes, there are banjos.
Sapphire is a skilled guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with a unique, resonant voice and often pens personal and on-point lyrics (“are you dreaming to live, or living to dream?”). She’s equally skilled at shredding, plucking, and gently strumming, and this album showcases the full range of her talents.
My top songs: “Oblivion,” “Chaparral Bottoms,” “String Breaker”
Check the album out here.
51. L’Impératrice – Pulsar (June 7, microqlima)
A French pop/nu-disco band formed in Paris in 2013, L’Impératrice (which means “The Empress” in French) has been in the game a minute. Pulsar is the group’s third full-length album, and it stays true to form with disco bops and upbeat dance songs.
It also features many special guests, including Maggie Rogers, who sings on the disco earworm “Any Way.” Despite the success of this album, founding vocalist Flore Benguigui left the band in September 2024 citing mental health reasons and difficult working conditions, so it remains to be seen what the future of the band holds.
My top songs: “Any Way (feat. Maggie Rogers),” “Me Da Igual,” “Amour Ex Machina”
Check the album out here.
52. LEATHERS – Ultraviolet (August 16, Artoffact Records)
LEATHERS are the electro-pop project of Canadian musicians Shannon Hemmett and Jason Corbett, two members of the post-punk band ACTORS. It’s been a big year for LEATHERS, who performed at Pasadena’s Cruel World Festival and released their debut album, Ultraviolet. It’s a slick, gothy record loaded with ‘80s-inspired synths, tasteful guitar licks, shoegaze and darkwave vibes, sexy lyrics like “elevate, penetrate, fascinate,” and Hemmett’s captivating vocals.
My top songs: “Phantom Heart,” “Fascination,” “Day For Night”
Check the album out here.
53. Ogre You Asshole – Nature and Computers (September 18, Office Rope)
The thing about Japan’s Ogre You Asshole that you need to understand first is that they asked a drunk member of Modest Mouse (bassist Eric Judy) to supply them with a name in 2001. This is all made more hilarious when you consider the fact that a.) It’s a line from “Revenge of the Nerds” and b.) Judy has no recollection of this whatsoever.
In addition to Modest Mouse, the four-piece indie rock band were also inspired by Fugazi, Can, and Talking Heads. The band, which is beloved for their creative live shows, has eight full-length albums under their belt, and their ninth, Nature and Computers, sees them tackling themes of technology via fully Japanese lyrics, Krautrock, and electronics.
My top songs: “outside of the house – alternative ver.,” “where I stand,” “more you than you”
Check the album out here.
54. The Black Keys – Ohio Players (April 5, Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records)
The impact of Ohio’s The Black Keys cannot be understated. The rock duo, comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, formed in 2001, and have been releasing music, touring, and producing (Auerbach notably works with Hermanos Gutiérrez, who also feature on this list) for decades at this point. Ohio Players is their 12th studio album, and offers a welcomed dose of the veteran duo’s signature garagey, bluesy, and melodic indie rock.
My top songs: “This Is Nowhere,” “On the Game,” “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”
Check the album out here.
55. Mk.gee – Two Star & The Dream Police (February 9, R&R Digital)
New Jersey-native Michael Gordon, who performs under his stage name Mk.gee, started dabbling in music when he was around 6 years old. He soon found that he enjoyed recording songs by himself, playing all of the instruments. This extended to a career writing and producing songs for other artists (including Omar Apollo, who also occurs on this list), though he also released songs here and there. Two Star & The Dream Police is his debut solo album. Naturally, it’s considered bedroom pop—but that kind of diminishes it. It’s a funky lo-fi album full of jangly guitar, nostalgic ‘90s flourishes, tasteful vocoder, and catchy melodies.
My top songs: “Are You Looking Up,” “Candy,” “Alessia”
Check the album out here.
56. Field Guide – Rootin’ For Ya (May 24, Birthday Cake Records)
Field Guide is a Manitoba, Canada-based musician who loves making music wherever he happens to be. According to his website, “Usually he writes songs in the kitchen, sometimes in the studio upstairs with the help of a drum machine, and occasionally they are beamed down to a hotel room somewhere in America when there is a day off to be had on the road.”
While he enjoys collaboration, his fifth album, Rootin’ For Ya, was recorded mostly solo and often in full isolation—this he fixed by getting a few musically-inclined friends together in a cabin and recording the results live. Overall, it’s an intimate, delicate, and gentle record composed of simple elements (acoustic guitar, occasional keys) that worms its way into your heart and sticks with you.
My top songs: “Fair Bit of Time,” “See You Soon,” “Style”
Check the album out here.
57. Amaria – Free Fallin’ (October 11, Amaria/Fashionably Early Records)
Coming to us from Tampa, Florida, Amaria is a young, up-and-coming R&B and neo-soul artist who has been steadily releasing singles and EPs since 2020 (she was still a teen when her first song was released). In the Back of My Mind is her debut album, and it’s full of sexy grooves that showcase her breathy vocals. In a conversation with Rated R&B, Amaria stated, “The main theme of the album, represented by the name, is the idea of going through different life experiences with no safety net. Letting life take you whichever way it wants—essentially ‘free falling.’”
My top songs: “Beggin’,” “Free Fallin’,” “Endlessly”
Check the album out here.
58. AURORA – What Happened to the Heart? (June 7, Decca/Glassnote/Petroleum Records)
Whimsical Norwegian singer-songwriter-turned-pop-star AURORA has been making music since she was 6 years old. Her unique voice and fairy-like nature-loving persona has rocketed her to stardom, but to her credit, she has stayed weird and true to herself the whole time. Her fifth album, which boldly asks the question “What happened to the heart?” miraculously manages to combine indie pop, disco, techno, and folk music in a way that totally works. If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to give it a listen. Speaking about the album in a press release, AURORA says, “With the world being so corrupted by money, power, and selfishness, you cannot help but ask yourself – what happened to the heart?”
My top songs: “The Conflict of the Mind,” “A Soul With No King,” “Do You Feel”
Check the album out here.
59. Aquilo – A Quiet Invitation to a Hard Conversation (August 9, AWAL Recordings)
When a friend told me about English duo Aquilo in 2016, we drove out to L.A. to see them perform in an intimate setting. Amid jokes about band member Tom Higham’s various exes, they proceeded to play some of the most beautiful music I’d ever heard. Consisting of two neighbors who grew up together in rural England, Aquilo creates what the industry refers to as dream pop (and, according to The Guardian, a “ravishingly refined sort of dreamily sad electronica”). A Quiet Invitation to a Hard Conversation is the band’s fourth album, and it brings more of Higham’s signature falsetto vocals. A fifth album entitled You Should Get Some Sleep followed almost immediately on December 6.
My top songs: “Painkiller,” “Even If The World Don’t Understand You,” “Keep Moving”
Check the album out here.
60. Maya Hawke – Chaos Angel (May 31, Mom + Pop Music)
While there’s a lot of talk about nepo babies these days, I’m being honest when I say I didn’t know who was singing when I fell in love with the ridiculously catchy tune “Missing Out.” Maya Hawke might be the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, but it seems she’s also a singer-songwriter. It is what it is!
Oddly enough, Chaos Angel is her third album. Drawing inspiration from James Blake and Adrianne Lenker (who also features on this list), Hawke created an overall joyful album, though it does touch on themes of anxiety, toxic relationships, and FOMO. Listen with an open mind—This one has some She & Him vibes that are quite enjoyable and her voice is lovely.
My top songs: “Missing Out,” “Dark,” “Promise”
Check the album out here.
61. Joy Oladokun – OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM (October 18, Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records)
If it feels like Arizona/Nashville/L.A. singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun just had an album, that’s because she did. Her (technically second) breakout album, Proof of Life, was released just last year (and also happened to make my year-end list). This, her fifth album, sees her grappling with newfound stardom, identity, grief, and uncertainty about the future through her signature pop folk music and spoken word. It also sees her taking creative control over her music, as she wrote and produced it completely on her own.
My top songs: “AM I?,” “I’D MISS THE BIRDS,” “LETTER FROM A BLACKBIRD”
Check the album out here.
62. Arab Strap – I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore (May 10, Rock Action Records)
Scottish indie rockers Arab Strap don’t give a fuck anymore—and it’s totally awesome. After enjoying some success in the 1990s and early 2000s, the band split up. They then reformed in 2016 and started releasing music again. I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore (album title of the year?) is their eighth studio album, and their second full-length offering since their return. Despite being a tad nihilistic and morose about the modern state of things, it still manages to find the humor in everything. Plus, these depressing songs are damn catchy! “Strawberry Moon” could easily be a song by The National.
My top songs: “Haven’t You Heard,” “Hide Your Fires,” “Strawberry Moon”
Check the album out here.
63. Hamish Hawk – A Firmer Hand (August 16, Fierce Panda Records/So Recordings)
And speaking of Scots, indie artist Hamish Hawk snuck a pretty great album in this year, too. The group’s third album, A Firmer Hand, is classified somewhere between sophisti-pop and art rock. It’s intentionally slutty, gothy, and synthy, and explores Hawk’s openly gay sexual relationships, shame, and the concept of masculinity. Speaking about the album with Loverboy Magazine, Hawk said, “Whether they’re long-term relationships, flirtations, or one-night stands, this album deals more with a masculine currency and energy.”
My top songs: “Nancy Dearest,” “Juliet As Epithet,” “Big Cat Tattoos”
Check the album out here.
64. Sacred Skin – Born In Fire (September 13, Artoffact Records)
L.A.-based duo Sacred Skin is composed of two Brians (DaMert and Tarney), and they have been serving up delicious synthwave music for years now. The duo’s second full-length offering, Born In Fire, takes things in a decidedly more epic ‘80s pop direction. It features anthemic synths paired with soaring vocals, and, according to the group’s label, “is ready to take on and blow up the standard tropes of the electronic new wave scene!”
My top songs: “Call It Off,” “Waiting,” “Runaway”
Check the album out here.
65. Rachel Chinouriri – What A Devastating Turn of Events (May 3, Parlophone Records/Atlas Artists)
English singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri grew up between Zimbabwe and U.K. cultures (her parents were child soldiers). After being inspired by artists like Lily Allen, Coldplay, and Daughter, she started recording songs using a laptop and microphone and uploading her creations to SoundCloud and other streaming platforms. In 2019, her song “So My Darling” blew up on TikTok, and she began playing shows and working on her debut album, What A Devastating Turn of Events. Recording it involved flying and living in L.A. – two things Chinouriri was not a fan of (she sings about it on “The Hills”).
Curiously, the album’s songs are an even split between happy indie pop anthems and aching laments about losing a friend to suicide. Speaking about the album with DIY, she said, “[The track list is meant to] replicate what I felt when I was growing up as a kid. Life could be super normal, but you’re always anticipating something major to happen … [I wanted the album to convey] this false sense of security, [as you pass through the lighter first half], then suddenly … boom! You’ve been hit with a very deep and dark song, and then everything changes.” The album tackles themes of loss, body dysmorphia, and growing up and finding your identity.
My top songs: “All I Ever Asked,” “Robbed,” “So My Darling – Acoustic”
Check the album out here.
66. I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack) (May 10, A24 Music)
I had to give this soundtrack an honorable mention, simply because the music was so great—and the concept of its creation turned out to be really cool. The 2024 A24 film I Saw the TV Glow has been lauded as an important moment for the trans community. When creating the film, director Jane Schoenbrun told The Cut that she sought to create “the last great ‘90s teen-angst movie soundtrack that never actually existed.” To accomplish this, she gave all participating artists a 10-song mixtape and prompts like “Write a song that could have been Teenage Fanclub’s biggest hit.” While the album does feature two covers, the majority are startlingly original modern ‘90s songs. And hey, that’s kind of the theme of the year, it seems.
My top songs: “Starburned and Unkissed (Caroline Polachek),” “Psychic Wound (King Woman),” “Photograph (Drab Majesty)”
Check the album out here.
Important note on year-end album lists: This is just one person on the internet’s humble opinion about what is good. And while I like to think that I’m alright (sometimes, anyway), I would in no way claim that I know best when it comes to art (which we sometimes forget is what music is all about). That said, this is hardly an exhaustive list of every good album that came out in 2024, and the order in no way indicates that one is superior to another. These are just my absolute must-listens.
Until next year!
