2024 was a great year for music, with fantastic releases in Pop, Rock, Folk, and Hip Hop music. Here are my ten favorite records of the year.
10. CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler the Creator. Starting off as a loudmouthed teenager in the early 2010s, Tyler the Creator’s music has gone through an astounding transformation, and this album is just a confirmation of that. On this album, Tyler combines the psychedelic, soulful sounds and lo-if aesthetic of his 2019 album IGOR with the more straight-forward rapping of 2021s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. From the opening single Noid, which samples a Zambian rock song, to the opener ST. Chroma, which builds up to an explosive ending, to the more heartfelt I Hope You Find Your Way Home, this album shows that Tyler’s artistic evolution is far from over.
9. Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee. At over two hours, Diamond Jubilee is a monumental achievement. It functions less as a singular collection of music to be listened to in one session and more as a compilation of ideas and aesthetics- all the songs flow into each other and sound similar, and create a wider, dreamy, hypnagogic aesthetic. The usage of guitar and vocals to create this vibe is reminiscent of bands like Red House Painters, Cocteau Twins, and especially Duster. To me, the album is reminiscent of being a child and being around old people, or at least the feeling of being around dusty walls and kitschy rugs. A brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable artistic statement.
8. Songs of a Lost World by The Cure. The Cure formed in 1976, 48 years ago. Songs Of A Lost World feels like a return to form for the band, which has for the most part produced clichéd dreck since the mid-nineties. But it also feels like a final statement, a reflection on their career. There’s a strong sense of melancholic nostalgia to songs like “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and “Endsong”. A fitting end to a legendary career.
7. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU by JPEGMAFIA. For over a decade, JPEGMAFIA has pushed the boundaries of Hip Hop as an art form. On this album he implements more rock and metal elements than ever before, to great effect on songs like “I Scream This in the Mirror Before I Interact With Anyone”, “Vulgar Display of Power”, and “Exmilitary”. “It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot” takes cues from Brazilian music, “loop it and leave it” breaks up the tracklist with a more laid-back, traditional boom-bap track, and “SIN MIEDO” is one the best songs he’s ever made. Overall, I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU is a dark, aggressive, and groundbreaking album, that shows Peggy at his absolute peak as a rapper and producer.
6. Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend is one of the best bands to come out of the indie pop scene of the mid 2000s, and this album is on the same level of quality as their first few records. “Classical” and “Capricorn” are fantastic pop songs, “ice Cream Piano” is a great opener, “Gen-X Cops” sees the band reflecting on their generation and growing older, and “Hope” is a sprawling, eight minute closer. Overall, Only God Was Above Us is an addictive album of wonderful psychedelic, lush Indie Rock. No band has as good of a melodic sense as Vampire Weekend.
5. Night Palace by Mount Eerie. Folk musician Phil Elverum has made some of the best music of the 20th century, with modern classic The Glow Pt.2, avant-grade masterpiece Mount Eerie (after which his second band was named), and the stripped back, heart-breaking A Crow Looked At Me, which reflects bluntly on his grief after his wife’s passing. On Night Palace, Elverum goes through many of the sounds he’s explored throughout the years- noisy rock on “Swallowed Alive”, quiet folk on “I Heard Whales (I Think)”, “My Canopy”, and “November Rain”, catchy indie rock on “Broom Of Wind”, atmospheric post-rock on “Night Palace”, and strange avant-garde poetry on “Demolition”. But unlike the albums by The Cure and Vampire Weekend, “Night Palace” doesn’t just serve as a decent reminder of a legendary career but as one of Elverum’s best albums in its own right. There’s no doubt that in time, this too will be considered a classic in its genre.
4. Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay. Magdalena Bay’s 2021 album showed promise, but the jump in quality between it and this album is staggering. They have perfected their sound, and this album is endlessly listenable- catchy, polished, exciting, well-paced. It starts with atmospheric “She Looked At Me!” And crescendos, never really letting go after that point. The stretch at the end of the album with “Cry For Me”, “Angel on a Satellite”, and “The Ballad of Matt and Mica” is thirteen minutes of pop perfection. Magdalena Bay shows a willingness to put almost anything in a song if it sounds good- “Killing Time” has bongos and a blues solo- and every song seems to build up to a satisfying crescendo- “Vampire In The Corner” in particular stands out as a slower track that builds up to a rocking finish. A fantastic album that we’ll be listening to well into the future.
3. gnx by Kendrick Lamar. Over the past decade, Kendrick has solidified his position as one of the greatest rappers of all time. After a massive row with Drake early in the year, Kendrick had the ear of the listening public, and in November, he released an unannounced album. While most of Kendrick’s career since 2012’s good kid, m.a.a.d. City has been Conscious Hip Hop, with lyrics about society, this album sees him turning away from that a bit and flexing his muscles, showing off his skills as a rapper without necessarily sending a message. And it is so much fun. This album is an absolute tour de force, with songs like “Reincarnated”, “Peek-a-boo”, and “Wacced out murals”, Kendrick is firing on all cylinders. Another classic in a legendary discography.
2. The New Sound by Geordie Greep. As part of black midi, Greep made some of the most interesting and exciting rock music of the 2020s so far, pushing the bounds of progressive rock forward. On this album, he implements more sounds of salsa and tango, with dynamic, rapidly changing songs and technical instruments work. Lyrically, Greep is on full force, with abstract poetry and different characters. His performances are theatrical and exaggerated, and it’s now clear that he was the driving force behind black midi. “Holy, Holy” is fantastic, “Motorbike” is extremely compelling, and “Bongo Season” is a great instrumental. Extremely excited to see where Greep goes next.
1. Brat by Charli XCX. What is there left to say about Brat? It’s a complete cultural moment in of itself, the absolute peak of Charli XCX’s career. Every song is an instant classic, from the more thoughtful tracks like “i might say something stupid” and “i think about it all the time” to the more aggressive EDM songs like “von Dutch” and 365, to more straight-forward pop songs like “360” and “girl, so confusing”. There’s no moment that drags- it’s exciting the whole way through. With this album, Charli has undoubtedly made the best album of 2024.
We look forward to all the albums coming in 2025!
