Abby Holliday Amanda Bergman Ariana Grande Being Dead Beyoncé Billie Eilish Blind Pilot BLK ODYSSY Brigitte Calls Me Baby Camila Cabello Cementation Anxiety Chandler Leighton Charli XCX Childish Gambino Clairo COIN daysormay Doechii Dua Lipa Faye Webster Fie Eike Fontaines DC Geordie Greep Glass Animals Hakushi Hasegawa Halsey Hovvdy Jessica Pratt Jodie Nicholson KAGAMI Smile Kamasi Washington Kelsea Ballerini Kendrick Lamar Laci Kaye Booth Lainey Wilson Laura Marling Leif Vollebekk Lola Young Magdelena Bay Mannequin Pussy Matt Champion Medium Build MJ Lenderman Mk.gee Pillow Queens Sabrina Carpenter Sam Barber Samara Cyn Sheer Mag Sly Jr. St. Vincent State Faults Suki Waterhouse The Last Dinner Party The Marías The Smile The Staves The Warning total tommy Valley Vampire Weekend wave to earth Wilderado Wishy

From all of us here at Atwood Magazine, we wish you a happy and healthy new year!

2024 has been an inspiring year for music. Living legends have further solidified their legacies, whilst fresh faces have become new favorites.

Atwood Magazine has always had at its core the mission to celebrate music of all genres, and this year we continued our goal to be a space of inclusivity and representation by consciously highlighting art and artists from around the world. The year in music was made all the more exciting because of the broad range of music we featured and focused on – from those familiar names in the Top 40, to creatives in the most underground, indie, and alternative of circles.

For so many of these artists, music is more than a mere means of self-expression; it is a vessel full of awesome potential. In recent years, it has felt increasingly important to acknowledge and elevate those who use their art as a voice for the disenfranchised; the oppressed; the underrepresented; and the underprivileged. This year, we continue to recognize those who speak for more than just themselves, while at the same time indulging in the familiar, timeless themes of love, loss, hope, connection, courage, change, and the never-ending pursuit of happiness.

As the year comes to a close, our staff took a step back to honor the songs, albums, EPs, concerts, and artist discoveries that had the greatest impact on our lives. Without further ado, Atwood Magazine is proud to present our curated list of 2024’s Albums of the Year, in alphabetical order by artist.

These are our favorites – the tracks that influenced and inspired us the most. Please join us in celebrating 2024’s contributions to the music world!

Mitch Mosk, Editor-in-Chief

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Atwood’s 2024 Music of the Year 

2024’s Best Albums of the Year

Click on the artist’s name to skip right to their song’s entry!

Abby Holliday Amanda Bergman Ariana Grande Being Dead Beyoncé Billie Eilish Blind Pilot BLK ODYSSY Brigitte Calls Me Baby Camila Cabello Cementation Anxiety Chandler Leighton Charli XCX Childish Gambino Clairo COIN daysormay Doechii Dua Lipa Faye Webster Fie Eike Fontaines DC Geordie Greep Glass Animals Hakushi Hasegawa Halsey Hovvdy Jessica Pratt Jodie Nicholson KAGAMI Smile Kamasi Washington Kelsea Ballerini Kendrick Lamar Laci Kaye Booth Lainey Wilson Laura Marling Leif Vollebekk Lola Young Magdelena Bay Mannequin Pussy Matt Champion Medium Build MJ Lenderman Mk.gee Pillow Queens Sabrina Carpenter Sam Barber Samara Cyn Sheer Mag Sly Jr. St. Vincent State Faults Suki Waterhouse The Last Dinner Party The Marías The Smile The Staves The Warning total tommy Valley Vampire Weekend wave to earth Wilderado Wishy

Authentic… Original… Inspiring… Healing… Honest… Important… Abby Holliday’s third album CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE hits hard and leaves a lasting mark because it comes from a place of truth – and while our truths can be painful, they are equally liberating. Holliday’s most ambitious release to date is also her most vulnerable and raw, finding the Nashville-based singer/songwriter wrestling with demons past and present, processing traumas and unpacking relationships, and reckoning with herself (and her loved ones) as she dives deeper than ever into what it means to be human: A living, breathing being, thriving on some days, and barely surviving others.

Music like this – music that comes so unapologetically from the heart – is inherently delicate, and yet the songs on CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE are dynamic, energetic, and assertive – larger-than-life, despite their intimate nature. Produced with her longtime collaborator Jon Class, Abby Holliday’s third LP is gut-wrenchingly beautiful and breathtakingly bold: A dramatic fever dream that finds the artist at her absolute best, despite the dark clouds that often surround her. – Mitch Mosk

Ever since I first pressed ‘play’ back in June, Amanda Bergman’s sophomore album has become a constant companion to my daily comings and goings. It’s a soothing, soul-stirring, endless lullaby; a spellbinding set of sweet serenades that envelop the ears while warming the heart and nourishing the soul. Calm yet cathartic, charming yet charged, Your Hands Forever Checking on My Fever is a breathtakingly beautiful triumph of the human spirit. It’s at once tender and dramatic – an infectiously catchy, all-consuming collection of radiant reveries, intimate inner reckonings, and vulnerable reflections on life and death, purpose and place – what it means to live, and what it means to live well.

Amanda Bergman has described music as “the answer to life,” and this album certainly feels like the full-bodied realization of that philosophical statement. From the smoky, scintillating seduction of album opener “Wild Geese, Wild Love” and the heartrending romantic ache of “I Love Him Til I Love Him Right,” to the exhilarating propulsion of “Day 2000 Awake,” the cinematic, ethereal exhale of “My Hands in the Water,” the gentle, tranquil ebb and flow of “The World Is Tired of You” and beyond, Bergman unpacks life itself – the world around us, as well as her very own existence – through songs filled with light, love, and an intimate, undeniable sense of awe. Like a waking dream or a fantasy fulfilled, Your Hands Forever Checking on My Fever feels otherworldly, yet comforting. It’s the musical blanket we didn’t know we needed, ready to tuck us in every night. – Mitch Mosk

When we look back on the timeline of Ariana Grande’s career, 2024 will probably be best remembered as the year where she rocked it as Glinda in Wicked, her first starring role on the big screen. But it’s also worth noting that she also released one of her most consistently well-received albums to-date this year: Eternal Sunshine. It helped her to add to her collection of hits, two of which reached #1: “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Yes, And?” There were also plenty of delightfully sung and delicately produced album cuts to be found— “Supernatural” and the title track were some of my personal favorites in that department— and the “Slightly Deluxe edition” (lol) also featured a handful of enticing remixes, including Ariana’s debut collaboration with Mariah Carey, one of her idols and a singer she’s often been compared to due to their shared vocal dominance and penchant for hip-hop collaborations. Between Wicked and Eternal Sunshine, Ariana Grande deserves to be in the conversation for Performer of the Year in 2024. – Josh Weiner

I hate to say it because “Keep Austin Weird” is a notoriously corny phrase nowadays for the city, but it’s alive and well. Being Dead, the band hailing from the island of Austin in central Texas, create the most electric melodies through weird and quirky lyrics (some extremely relatable) while sounding more immaculate than others. Eels, released in July via Bayonet, continues the band’s amusement with a tighter resonance. Members Falcon Bitch, Shmoofy (better known as Gumball), and Ricky Motto preserve their call-and-response techniques and addictive harmonies to focus on their own world of sonic capability. It’s surf rock, indie rock, punk, and any other genres you could possibly think of, making Being Dead one of the most inventive bands of the year. – Kevin Cost

It was intimidating to think that, when announcing her acclaimed RENAISSANCE, Beyoncé would release three “acts” of music, after slowly pedaling through her discography in the 2000s and 2010s. How long would three concept Beyoncé albums take? She answered it with Act II – COWBOY CARTER, a sometimes rock, occasionally rap, always country album. This almost genre-less (genre-ful?) touches on Beyoncé’s gripes with the blindingly white country music scene that she gently entered in 2016 as a Black woman. It dwells not on this for too long, as Beyoncé must make us dance by the end. Something shifts midway on a track called YA-YA, in which we are reminded this is a Beyoncé album: “She’s giving off good vibrations / He’s looking for a sweet sensation”, she croons over an interpolation of The Beach Boys’ own “Good Vibrations.” – Blake McMillan

From atmospheric to melancholic to nightclub soundscape, the ten tracks of Eilish’s third studio album uncover the American singer’s vulnerability, identity, and love. The album either hits hard with topics like public scrutiny and rejection, such as in the opener “Skinny;” or hits soft, like “Bittersuite,” the second to last track that encapsules the album’s previous themes of love, attraction, and fear of falling again. With traces of her past work and experimental beats, Hit Me Hard and Soft has received enough praised for its production and coming-of-age nature. “The Greatest,” song that Eilish described as “the heart of the album,” contains perhaps some of her strongest and poignant lyrics: “Made it all look painless / Man, am I the greatest.” – Bárbara Martínez Campuzano

Human connection has always been at the core of Blind Pilot’s music, and this rings especially true on the band’s long-awaited fourth studio album. Their most beautiful, colorful, cathartic, and compelling record to date, In The Shadow of the Holy Mountain is an intimate and vulnerable indie folk record of human connection, born from human connection. The indie folk band from Astoria, Oregon celebrate the ties that bind us – all those things, both good and bad, beautiful and painful, that connect us to one another in this lifetime.

In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain is achingly heartfelt and emotionally nuanced, yet refreshingly lightweight and breathable: An expressive and energizing record you can play on repeat ad nauseam. From the sweet revelry of album opener “Jacaranda” and the radiant passion of immigrant anthem “Brave” – an enchanting song breaking down borders and constructs like ‘home’ – to the dreamy warmth of “Don’t You Know,” the charm and churn of “Just a Bird,” the powerful perspective shift (being alone vs. lonely) of “Faces of Light,” and the tender, visceral yearning and catharsis of album closer “Believe Me,” Blind Pilot imbue their latest album with both a musical and a spiritual light. – Mitch Mosk

To make his third studio album, Juwan Elcock had to deconstruct not just his own music, but his own self-image as an artist. The old sounds just weren’t working anymore, and after pushing the boundaries of alternative R&B, hip-hop, and funk on his first two LPs (2021’s BLK VINTAGE and 2023’s DIAMONDS & FREAKS), the Austin-based artist and producer found himself ready to flip the script, take a few risks, and try something new.

Yet what started as a career move to broaden his scope ultimately sent BLK ODYSSY down a rabbit of transformation and self-discovery, opening his eyes and his ears to new possibilities and leading him to make what he now proudly calls his favorite album yet: A cinematic, seductive, and angsty fever dream, 1-800 FANTASY is a breathtakingly bold concept album that bends and breaks genre as BLK ODYSSY builds a world that is his and his alone – all while telling a story of desire and delusion, obsession and infatuation, romance and reckoning. The record hits hard and leaves a lasting mark on the ears and the heart as BLK ODYSSY breaks his own mold, holding nothing back as he meddles in matters of the head and the heart – exposing how fragile our psyches really are when love or lust is involved.

Whether we hear this album as one teenager’s intense erotic fever dream, the product of a 27-year-old rethinking what his art can look, feel, and sound like, or something in-between, 1-800 FANTASY is a unique, unparalleled musical experience: A creative and conceptual triumph that finds BLK ODYSSY successfully redefining himself, taking control of his own narrative while telling an instantly memorable and enthralling story. – Mitch Mosk

Chicago’s Brigitte Calls Me Baby solidified their place as one of the year’s most exciting new bands with their dreamy and dramatic debut album The Future Is Our Way Out, an introduction full of seductive, soul-stirring crooning, fervent post-punk passion, and heated indie rock sound. Combining their 2023 debut EP’s five tracks with six new songs, the full-length record exudes raw energy and urgency, with frontman Wes Leavins and his bandmates leaving it all on the field (or in this case, in the studio) through a feverish haze of sweaty guitar riffs, cinematic grooves, thought-provoking lyrics, and undeniable vocal performances that can’t help but send shivers down the spine. – Mitch Mosk

Camila Cabello’s C, XOXO confused a lot of people when it was released. Me included, but it is definitely my favourite Cabello album and one of my favourite 2024 releases. As soon as I heard the exquisite “Chanel No.5,” I was all in with Cabello’s new direction.

C, XOXO really is the gift that keeps on giving. I keep going back and listening to the record and discovering more. And since the deluxe version dropped, I’ve been spoilt for choice. It’s a record for all moods. The whole record is a sensory experience. I’m 37, so 10 years older than Cabello, and I can say without a doubt this record really does sum up your 20s and all the feelings that come with that decade so well.

How she writes about the contradictions of loving someone in your 20s on “Twentysomethings”:

Twenty-somethin’s in love, in lust, in confusion
Twenty-somethin’s, dancin’ while our hearts are bruisin’
Twenty-somethin’s, should’ve left the party sooner
Twenty-somethin’s, gotta have a sense of humor
When it comes to us, don’t know what the f* I’m doin’

C, XOXO feels very explorative and discerning; “Twentysomethings” is a good example of that awareness and experience. The rawness of her debut has gone but what’s left is a record that is confident and embodies a freedom that her other records didn’t have; “Chanel No.5,” “HOT UPTOWN,” and “I LUV IT” embody this freedom and confidence in her own exploration.

Chanel No.5” is the stand-out track for the mood and music. It sums up the whole record perfectly, and “June Gloom” for the lyrics; it sounds like the older sister of “Consequences.” My favourite lyric is below, and I like her flex about writing poems and songs. It’s funny, but also really sad.

Does she get this wet for you, baby?
Talk to you in poems and songs, huh, baby?

C, XOXO might not be for everyone, but I salute Cabello for her authenticity, bravery and growth on this record. – Emily Algar

As I have done before, I believe it important, when discussing this album, to briefly elucidate ‘agnosia’. It is a condition whereby an individual, despite the apparent normal functioning of their senses, cannot recognise an object, sound, person, or otherwise through one of more sense. It sounds bizarre, but it is a very real ailment, however rare. It is immortalised through certain marquee cases, for instance, the infamous tale of a patient who mistook his wife for a hat (again, absurd, but real). I am tentative to go further with this description, as I am not a medical professional who has committed any further research to this topic external to what my own curiosity has sought after. That being said, it is a fascinating thing to learn about.

AGNOSIAREIGN is a dark ambient work with a penchant for the ethereal, the shrouded, the tenebrous, but also the leap up to the noisy, the the bludgeoning, and the cataclysmic. It captivates you, transports you to a world of dimly lit corridors, obscured vision, and general trepidation, before inducing panic with threshing, musical chaos. Appropriately, the album tends on sensory overloads. To me, it seems to be an admirable capturing of the confusion, the alarm, the loneliness, and even the devastation that living with a form of agnosia could bring. ‘Mirage Beside’ still features one of the most notable times music has jump-scared me (the first time I heard it, I’m not sure I would say I ‘appeciated’ it). This album is, undeniably, one of the most evocative electronic projects of the year. – Frederick Bloy

Chandler Leighton’s Proof You Weren’t The Only One is an emotional tour de force that feels like a late-night heart-to-heart with your most empathetic friend. Anchored by her ethereal yet achingly raw vocals, the song explores the universal pangs of heartbreak and self-reflection, wrapping listeners in a cocoon of bittersweet melodies. The production strikes a perfect balance between lush, swelling instrumentals and moments of delicate quiet, giving Chandler’s poignant lyrics the space to truly resonate. It’s a cathartic anthem for anyone who’s ever felt alone in their pain, only to discover solace in shared vulnerability. – Danielle Holian

No matter what you did this year, it was impossible to escape Brat. From branding an entire season as “Brat Summer” to inspiring a viral TikTok dance and even influencing presidential campaign strategies, Charli XCX’s sixth studio album was nothing short of a cultural reset. While the English electro pop artist has been cranking out hits for over a decade, Brat, released in June, marked her breakthrough into global superstardom. The album is drenched in a euphoric club energy that begs to be blared through booming bass systems over packed dancefloors. Hyperpop fans will recognize echoes of SOPHIE’s pioneering influence alongside longtime collaborator A. G. Cook’s intricate production.

“Club Classics” epitomizes this unapologetic party vibe, blending thumping, almost liquid-like synth beats with a looping, chopped up vocal sample from Charli herself. Complete with a rave-worthy beat drop, “Club Classics” is an instant add to any DJ’s playlist. But Brat Summer didn’t stop there— Charli kept the momentum alive with bonus tracks (Brat and It’s the Same but There’s Three More Songs) and a star-studded remix album (Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat), featuring artists like Billie Eilish, Julian Casablancas, Lorde, and Ariana Grande. The album earned nine Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and landed the coveted title of Metacritic’s highest-rated album of 2024. In a year defined by chaos, Brat provided the perfect escape—a riotous, carefree anthem for the summer’s “party girl” ethos. Even as the year winds down, Brat still continues to dominate playlists and has truly cemented itself as, well… a club classic. – Haley Mitchell

Produced alongside his upcoming film of the same name, Bando Stone & The New World is a lush compendium of tunes which sees Childish Gambino in his most confident and creative mode. Viewed best as a showcase of his varied talents, this album contains huge beat-driven bangers, tender romantic ballads, and gentle, sandswept acoustic vibes. It’s roughly R ‘n B and pop-oriented, with plenty of other genres touched upon, which makes Bando Stone & The New World a dense listening experience, one which begs to be repeated. “Lithonia,” a triumphant guitar-driven piece, is the most immediately captivating song, however the gentler tunes such as “Steps Beach” and “Real Love” hit harder with each play. It’s absolutely a record which needs to be taken in one go or not at all, but the journey is well worth taking. This is something like the third record he has announced will be his last, so don’t put too much weight on those words. However, if this is Childish Gambino’s final project, it is a superb curtain-closer to a career which, at its peak, has seen him rub shoulders with some of the very best. – Adam Davidson

When Clairo released her sophomore album Sling in 2021, it was clear that she was making a distinct shift from the bedroom pop genre to softer ’70s influences, littered with bass, flutes, and percussion. In those three years away, Clairo had been crafting Charm, an album that only builds on its younger sister’s sonics and lives up to its title, making for one of the most alluringly warm, cheeky, lyrically impressive album releases to come out of 2024. Charm is sure of who it is from front to back, each track feels completely necessary to the narrative that encompasses the album and it feels like Clairo has found her sound with this project. Clairo explores themes of heartbreak, solitude, and friendship on this project, but takes these common themes and spins new interpretations of them through her unique talent of storytelling mixed with the varied and fascinating production choices. One of the leading singles, “Sexy to Someone” stands for all Charm represents. With witty lyricism like, “Sexy to somebody, it would help me out / Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house / And it’s just a little thing I can’t live without,” in combination with the production full of drums, synthesizers, and enchanting harmonies, this is track is just one of the many examples of the musical excellence present on Charm. – Marc Maleri

Going into COIN’s fifth album, Chase Lawrence and his bandmates took an opportunity to reset. The more you grow as an artist, the greater the expectations – the more voices inevitably enter the room, the more pressure there is to live up to (and do better than) your past, and the more there is to lose. Rather than succumb to the noise, COIN boldly and bravely shut out the world and made the music they wanted to make, and the music they wanted to hear. I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore presents COIN at their freest, their most candid, and their most self-expressive. It’s an honest, unapologetic record that finds strength in vulnerability, blending catchy and cathartic music into one powerful, all-consuming vessel of radiant energy and raw emotion.

The songs themselves are simultaneously loud and soft, intimate and in-your-face, sonically and emotionally charged, uncompromising and unfiltered. From the opening salvo of “It’s Hard to Care About Everything” through to the captivating finale “Leaving a Light On,” COIN expose their hearts and souls, reflecting on life’s highs and lows, what it means to accept yourself, and the things we as individuals need not just to survive this life, but to actually thrive from day to day: Love, friendship, empathy, hope. A shoulder to cry on; an ear to listen; space to fail; room to grow. “Now I’m owning my mistakes, baby, how did it get this way?” Lawrence sings in the gentle confessional “Sing Along,” wondering aloud in the chorus, “How many times can I be wrong? I’ve been down for way too long. How many tries can I fit in a song, hoping you still sing along?”

It’s rare that music can feel so resolute, and still so vulnerable; this authenticity is COIN’s best trait, and it’s one that permeates throughout all of I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore‘s fourteen tracks. – Mitch Mosk

Canadian musical collective daysormay unveiled their full-length album this year, teaming up with 3-time Grammy and Juno award-winning producer Chin Injeti, to deliver some of their strongest work to date.The 10-track album MODERATION saw the trio breaking the mold and pushing boundaries beyond their limits to create something truly unique that defies categorization.

Take the song “AUTO” for example – a track which was named after ‘Auto-Destructive art’, with the band explaining how it sounded like it was destroying itself from the inside out. “AUTO” sees the band stepping further away from anything they’ve done before, almost rejecting their former selves in an act of rebellion and creative defiance. The unpredictable song is almost a shock to the system, with its bold, disorienting sound and jarring synths challenging the listener’s expectations.

Delivering a fearless and experimental musical landscape, daysormay have crafted a daring yet refreshingly original album with MODERATION. – Joe Beer

Singer, rapper, musician extraordinaire Doechii really brought it on her first full-length debut (technically a mixtape, but whatever). You learn a lot about Doechii throughout Alligator Bites Never Heal, important for a debut. Having toured with Doja Cat, SZA, and Beyoncé she’s clearly absorbed from their skillsets and made them her own. Doechii showcases her musical abilities across the 19 tracks on the project—harmonizing, swooning, storytelling, crafting strong hooks, and most importantly rapping skills. Take “DENIAL IS A RIVER”—it’s a fully formed sketch that could hold its own on Saturday Night Live all while maintaining musicality and depth. If you haven’t seen it already, her recent late night Colbert performance is legendary. – Eric Schuster

How does one follow up an album like Dua Lipa’s 2020 masterpiece Future Nostalgia? It seems with neo-psychedelics and bouncy ABBA-inspired rhythms. The long awaited body of work is not nearly as sprawling in length as her previous one, with only 37 minutes in length. If in less time, she pulls off some impressive melancholies in Radical Optimism, with the interlude-like “Anything For Love,” and brings the vibe back with tracks like “Houdini” and “Training Season.” – Blake McMillan

This indie and soft rock album by singer/songwriter Faye Webster marks a new phase in the artist’s career: New sounds, new experiences, new messages, but an old subject. Although breakup themed records have been seen plenty of times before, Webster’s approach on Underdressed at the Symphony is honest, rare, and remarkable. Some of the songs on this album start out slow, yet surprisingly are built up by more instruments that make the melody combine with the singer’s vocal timbre, such as in the case of the title track. This track represents the universal definition of the album through the metaphor of going to the symphony while being underdressed, showing emotional turmoil and heartbreak. Many of the songs simultaneously explore the feelings and thoughts of self-discovery, with instruments like guitar and piano driving the tracks into an unusual dreamy landscape that allow the listener to reflect on their own feelings and thoughts. – Bárbara Martínez Campuzano

Fie Eike dropped her debut album this year, which was nearly four years in the making. It’s now evident it was worth the wait, with the 12-track release, Water, delivering a mesmerizing and truly poetic exploration of emotion and nature. The intimate and immersive soundscapes take the listener on a journey, as the songwriter highlights the healing and transformative power of water.

Like the ebb and flow of the ocean, every track on Water offers something different. “The Wave” for example is a unique work of art, with Fie Eike creating a sound installation using recordings of water sounds that the artist captured from different locations across Denmark. The only lyrics to be featured in this track are the haunting whispers that introduce the song, “Close your eyes and dive deep down under, the wave.” This song emphasizes the incredible qualities of water and its meditative power. Water’s spellbinding abilities will linger long after the last track fades. – Joe Beer

Released in August 2024, Romance is the fourth studio album by Fontaines D.C. Ever since the release of their second LP, A Hero’s Death – in 2020 – this post-punk band from Dublin has been growing exponentially. Romance is the climax of all this work, an 11-track masterpiece, which will no doubt have a place in lists of the best albums within the post-punk/rock genre for decades to come. The music is biting, bold, and inspired – without sounding too derivative. The lyrics are poetic, moving, expansive and convey a nuanced magnetic relationship between lead singer, Grian Chatten, and his beloved homeland. The album cut, Bug, stands out as having taken the best possible notes from revivalilst 60s band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, as well as a raft of other punk, indie and spaghetti-western sounds. Produced by the genius James Ford, the entire artistic direction of this LP has been tight, insightful and refreshing. A must-listen for any rock fan. – Hamish Monk

After the immense success of British Avant-Prog act Black Midi, it was a shock to see lead singer Geordie Greep break away from the group for a solo debut. While not a complete departure – many stark Black Midi-isms remain present – The New Sound lives up to its bold name by offering more than Greep has ever done before. Elements of jazz fusion, Brazilian samba, and classic 70’s prog converge in a series of winding, maximal compositions which flaunt dazzling, near-flawless instrumental work and stunning musicianship. Greep’s trademark vocal delivery adds the cherry on top of what is easily the most sonically impressive album of the year. But the true genius of The New Sound lies in its taboo themes. Geordie Greep speaks from the point of view of a conceited incel, touching on seemingly every fallacy and insecurity of the poisoned “beta male” mindset. The singer spews tales of elegant dates with prostitutes, raunchy boasts of fake sexual conquests, violently misguided egotism, overcompensation with materialism, and the finely tuned misogyny that stems from a lack of romantic attention; it’s about as bizarre as it presents itself to be. Yet, Geordie Greep’s imaginative presentation successfully veils the absurdity with humor and a razor sharp wit, resulting in a fever dream that is equal parts cheeky, powerful, grotesque, and wildly fantastical. The New Sound makes the unpalatable palatable, inhabiting a feeling that, truly, has never been captured before. – Jake Fewx

Glass Animals stuck to their guns for their fourth album, making a record that feels true to who they are and who they’ve always been. I Love You So F***ing Much caters to a massive, global mainstream audience without sacrificing style or substance. It’s ten songs about love and the cosmos, sung from the perspective of four best friends who have seen their worlds turned completely upside down over the past four years.

“Show Pony” and “How I Learned to Love the Bomb” are two of this album’s all-stars, and for good reason. That sinister, seductive synth on “Wonderful Nothing” hits like nothing else I’ve ever heard, and I love that Glass Animals had the guts to do what they did with that track. It’s bold, and it’s perfectly executed. My favorite is, was, and remains “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” not for any scientific reason, but for how cathartic it feels to sing the chorus: “Water, running down my face. Water, running different ways. Water, like a billion waves. Water, just a tear in space.” It’s simple, catchy, and absolutely immersive. When you talk about being drawn in by an artist, for me, that song is the tractor beam at full force.

Being a Glass Animals fan used to feel like being in a cult only you knew about; it’s been exciting to welcome so many new members into what is no longer a secret society by any means, and it feels good to know that the band are meeting their moment with music that feels larger than life. Dave Bayley’s creativity – he is, after all, the driving lyrical, melodic, and production force behind the scenes – clearly knows no limits, nor is it faltering in the slightest. Stepping into any of the worlds they make has always been a special, unparalleled experience, and the spacey landscape of I Love You So F***ing Much is as exhilarating as it is all-consuming.

I Love You So F***ing Much feels very much like one for the fans – a world unto itself, a record born in the shadow of meteoric success, and an album that lives up to the hype without closing any doors for future endeavors. It’s home to some of the best songs Glass Animals have ever made, and for that, I’ll forever love it.

Hakushi Hasegawa has never been one for conformity. With a history of bold takes on nu-jazz and art pop, the Japanese singer-songwriter’s newest LP manages to deconstruct every sense of traditionalism in pursuit of a sound that is ruthlessly dynamic. Mahōgakkō (translated as “Magic School”) will smack you like a hurricane. Gargantuan waves of pulsating synth crash against blazing bouts of Hyperpop and a blitzkrieg of unpredictable time signatures. Yet, Hasegawa weaves through the pandemonium with ease. With every thrilling high comes an equally calming low, Hasegawa offering effervescent moments of reprieve which showcase the artist’s sugary sweet vocals and true songwriting prowess. Mahōgakkō is a sprawling effort which bursts at the seems with nuance. While challenging in many (many) aspects, Hakushi Hasegawa consistently remains fresh, exhilarating, and musically rewarding, offering world-class musicianship, and a new creative benchmark which will not be matched for some time. – Jake Fewx

Reinvention or rebirth? Or, something else entirely? Ashley Frangipane masquerades as Halsey no longer – were they ever truly indistinguishable? A decade into her career and the artist has yet to abandon her concept album roots but has opted for the most intimate, rawest reflection of her life – one she believed was nearing an end due to chronic health struggles. The Great Impersonator finds the 30-year-old emulating her greatest influences track-by-track – from PJ Harvey-esque post-rock (“Dog Years”) and Joni Mitchell inspired fingerpicking (“The End”) to her own origins circa the Badlands era (“Hurt Feelings”). Life and death intertwine through the 18-tracks, phasing through pleading, anger, acceptance and the ever-so-confusing in between.

Has the muse revealed her true self or is she still navigating her own identity? After all, in here lies the Great Impersonator. – Marissa DeLeon

There’s really no better way to say it: Hovvdy have never sounded more ‘Hovvdy’ than they do on Hovvdy. Building upon the intimacy and vulnerability of 2021’s critically acclaimed fourth LP True Love, the Austin-based duo of Charlie Martin and Will Taylor realized their full, true potential on their self-titled fifth studio album – an ambitious, sweeping 19-track double album that, despite its considerable size and scope, still manages to feel like a tight, focused hug from your best friend.

The music is dusty, dreamy, cozy, and warm; the songs themselves range from introspective reflections on life and love to tender snapshots of those little moments of meaning and connection that fill our days with light, beauty, and purpose – in essence, making our very existences worthwhile. Not a single song breaches the four-minute mark, and yet Hovvdy naturally and effortlessly foster a sense of space and depth throughout their record’s hour-long journey.

Ultimately, Hovvdy is a breathable, lightweight masterpiece delivering the very best of that soothing, soul-stirring folk-soaked indie rock that has already made the Texan duo a household name in so many circles. It’s Hovvdy at their most refined, at their most experimental, at their most expansive, and at their most vulnerable – giving their full, unfiltered, uncompromisingly raw selves to audiences through an hour of radiant, deeply resonant songs. – Mitch Mosk

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Lerhaps that’s the key to inner transformation: We must first unravel ourselves in order to rebuild; we have to break down before putting our pieces back together. Otherwise, why transform at all?

The soul’s unraveling is one of the key themes in Jodie Nicholson’s breathtaking sophomore album, and the deeper you listen, the clearer it becomes that hers really is a beautiful breakdown: Like a phoenix, she soars gracefully out of her own wreckage, channeling her own darkness and pain into inspiring warmth and wonder as she finds her footing and her voice, and harnesses both the to the best of her abilities. Nicholson’s inner light shines on Safe Hands, an intimate, achingly vulnerable alt-pop album of self-assurance, inward connection, empowerment, and release. – Mitch Mosk

This is, simply, a very unique album. At times, Same Dream Pond makes you feel as though you’re suffocating amidst something noxious, at other times, as though you’re drowning, your ankles throttled by tendrilous vines, the lights perforating the water, cascading into rays, obscuring, then dissipating slowly, everything becoming heavier and darker. Alternatively, at its less sinister moments, you are transported to a muggy, restless night, exacerbated by the thrumming bass of a house party a few gardens away. It is 2AM. Sweat sprigs on your furrowed brow as you try to locate an icnreasingly elusive cold-spot on your pillow. You have your window opened for air, but that only lets the music percolate deeper into your bedroom, rattling your eyes that now will not close.

I’m sure there’s a riveting discussion that could be had about the production of this album. However, I do not have the technical acumen to catalyse it, and secondly, I’m not sure it would make for the most engaging of brief reviews. Ultimately, the whole album is muffled in a way that is antithetically both alluring, and disconcerting. Synths eddy out beguiling melodies, too distant to hum, or snarl stridently, evoking distant dangers. Alien voices trickle indecipherable incantations, their utterances too close for comfort. In this album you are a stranger, a trespasser. It is a cacophony, a city of noise, the happenings of which you were never invited to see, the traffic of which does not stop to let you through. There are moments of respite, moments of chaos, moments of peril – lurking in the shadows, occasionally thrust into the jeopardy of it all, you are privy to everything. – Frederick Bloy

2024 may well have been the year in which I consumed the most live jazz in my life, and while I sadly did not make it to another Kamasi Washington show– hopefully that’ll change once he returns from his ongoing tour in Europe– he still played a key role in making my year particularly jazzy via the release of Fearless Movement. “Jazz music has a proud and intelligent leading living ambassador in this man,” I wrote in my review this past spring, and definitely stand by that statement several months later. Kamasi proved to be as dominant on the tenor saxophone as ever all across Fearless Movement, and also proved more open than before about bringing aboard guest artists this time around. It paid off: Fearless Movement features some exciting collaborations with some of Washington’s longtime partners in the Los Angeles music scene, and giving Andre 3000 the space to give his flute-playing experiment another go (“Dream State”), as well as letting a couple rappers to do their thing (“Computer Love”) produced some wondrous results as well. Fearless Movement represents ninety minutes of the most masterful music produced all year, jazz or otherwise. – Josh Weiner

Country artist Kelsea Ballerini dropped her highly anticipated record PATTERNS in the fall. The album followed up her critically acclaimed EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which Ballerini created when she was going through some major life changes. At the time of writing my review, I wasn’t sure about some of Ballerini’s creative choices, but after a couple of months of listening, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.

The record is an evolution for Ballerini in terms of her songwriting, musical landscape and storytelling. There are beautiful moments on the record. “Sorry Mom,” which is written like a conversation, the ethereal “First Rodeo,” and the sprawling Americana title track, all are exquisitely arranged. In these moments, the record soars and Ballerini’s evolution feels organic. “We Broke Up,” which comes at the halfway mark, stands out with its heavy, anthemic beat and Ballerini’s sultry vocal and her lyrical playfulness. Her singing/shouting “We Broke Up” in the chorus makes the song tough and fun all at once.

“Beg For Your Love” is the standout song on the album. It is seemingly quiet and gentle with an acoustic guitar and Ballerini’s vocals, but her lyrics are made of steel. On a personal level, this song is Ballerini honouring all the work she’s done on herself, but this song is much more important that just one person.

PATTERNS closes with “Did You Make It Home (outro),” a soft lullaby to all of us who are searching for a home. The sparseness of the track and Ballerini’s soft vocals, bring that emotion of ever searching for “that place” to the forefront. Ballerini has clearly found her home in music and in her personal life. PATTERNS is Ballerini’s invitation for all of us to find our place, even only for an hour. – Emily Algar

Kendrick Lamar has been in the game for 10+ years making rap tunes. He’s 37 now, has multiple acclaimed projects, plenty of accolades, and not a whole lot yet to prove at this point. And he still came out and tore GNX to shreds. That says a lot about his talent and work ethic— and there’s way more evidence of that to be found by actually putting the time into listening to this surprise release. Its 44 minutes are lined all the way through with fiery rapping on the main man’s part; impressive work in the production department (bringing aboard Jack Antonoff for his first full-scale teamup with Lamar is a gamble that largely paid off); and valuable contributions from all of the guest vocalists, from SZA down to Roddy Rich. As far as I’m concerned, all of the primary criteria for a great hip-hop album has been satisfied in a one-two-three punch right there. – Josh Weiner

Singer/songwriter Laci Kaye Booth’s debut album, The Loneliest Girl in the World was released in the Spring of 2024. It is now December, and Booth’s debut album is not only my favourite country album of 2024, but my favourite album of 2024!

In the bridge of her debut album’s opening track, “Cigarettes,” Laci Kaye Booth sings/shouts, “I learned sometimes your first don’t last, I learned to scream, I learned to laugh, I learned to live with my regrets, I learned I hate, I hate cigarettes.” Quickly, you realise this woman with the Rapunzel-like golden locks, pillowy lips, and doe-eyes, is made of steely determination – and will take no prisoners when it comes to making her art.

The record is a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by mediocre bro-country and problematic singers throwing chairs off rooftop bars. Booth brings a realness and authenticity to the table of country music. There are moments on this song that all women will relate to: A first love, and how we loved that first love, compared with how we love now as we’ve grown. “Now that we’re older, and I can see what you did when I loved you like a kid.”

Booth described the album opener, “Cigarettes,” as “a true-life story, not a highlight reel… ‘Cigarettes’ has multiple meanings throughout the song. I wrote this at one of the lowest points of my career and life, with my dear friend and producer, Ben West. It has sorrow, shame, grit, and hope written all within it and I hope the message that’s received from this is to learn from the hard shit, learn to let it go, and let it make you better.”

Booth and West have created a very special record that pushes the boundaries of country lyricism, and showcases a complete female perspective, something that is often missing from American country music. – Emily Algar

Country was cool again in 2024. Pop stars stampeded over Nashville’s gatekeepers with some help from blue-collar champs both past and present, but nobody did the genre more proud than Lainey Wilson.

Whirlwind could’ve wound up a disaster. Wilson’s fifth album and first since notching a Grammy was recorded in spurts during her torrential touring schedule. Such is the life for the CMA’s reigning first lady. Writing under the gun might’ve kept these songs within her wheelhouse, but that’s just peachy when your bread and butter covers pop-country, ’70s rock, bayou funk and two-steppin’ honky-tonk. Even when her bell bottoms stretched into rhinestone disco, she hit the bulls-eye.

Trends come and go in the music industry quicker than an ornery palomino, but with Lana’s sundress phase on the horizon, country’s moment might have a long tail. It’s easy to poke fun at Northeast frat bros for their trucker caps and patchy mustaches, but whether real or imagined, we all long for the comforts of home. Wilson belongs to the open road, but it didn’t matter if she was tasting the Rockies or driving herself crazy in a 4x4xU, babe; amidst the whirlwind of the past few years, Wilson stuck by her roots.

“Now that’s a trend I can get behind“, she hollered on “Country’s Cool Again”, leaning full hog into her backwoods, backporch, Louisiana drawl. It took her a daggum decade to blow down country’s barn doors, but this year, the wind was at Lainey Wilson’s back. – Will Yarbrough

Attempting to capture the catharsis of motherhood, Laura Marling’s 2020 triumph Song For Our Daughter was dedicated to a figurative daughter. Four years later, the English singer-songwriter has taken the step into parenthood and to actualize those blissful feelings on Patterns in Repeat, and the result is nothing short of stunning. Marling’s spellbinding melodies envelop the listener like a longing embrace. Every song like an entry in a diary book, reading as a series of familiar feelings that, when woven together, create a rich tapestry of life experience. Marling’s focus lies in what makes these emotions profound and entirely relatable, yet the album’s true beauty lies in its duality. The singer’s imaginative approach allows the music to be viewed through not only the lense of her own experience, but from the lense of a parent watching their children experience life’s beauty for the first time; a true musical testament to the wholesome, unconditional love of a parent. Birth to adolescence, young love to heartbreak, childbirth to parenthood, life is a cycle where mother and daughter are forever intertwined through the bond of their shared experience. And it is in that cycle where we may find solace: “We are patterns in repeat … and we always will be.” – Jake Fewx

Easily one of the most beautiful records released this year,  Leif Vollebekk’s Revelation is a musical masterpiece. The singer/songwriter’s fourth album marries his intimate storytelling with dreamy melodies and stunning harmonies that send shivers down my spine every time I listen. It’s enchantingly sweet, achingly emotional, and breathtakingly cinematic: A warm, welcoming, wondrous world unto itself. – Mitch Mosk

Bold, brash, and forever true to herself, Lola Young is a musical maverick. Unapologetic in every sense of the word, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Croydon, South London, has been spilling her guts in song for five years now. She made a splash with 2023’s major label debut album My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, yet it’s with this year’s sophomore record – the critically acclaimed This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway – that she has transcended the local scene to become somewhat of a beloved cult figure in the alternative and pop worlds.

The attitude Young displays in songs like “Messy,” “Conceited,” “Wish You Were Dead,” and “F***” is infectious and undeniable; she holds nothing back in asserting her unfiltered, charismatic self, blending raw vulnerability with youthful vigor and charm through songs that fuse her emotionally charged, soul-soaked voice with indie rock and alternative pop instruments. – Mitch Mosk

Magdalena Bay’s bio on Spotify, unlike countless artists, simply reads, “Synth pop straight from the simulation.” This sentiment is the perfect description of Magdalena Bay’s entire discography, but more specifically for the musical masterpiece that is Imaginal Disk. The pop duo made up of vocalist Mica Tenebaum and producer/writer Matthew Lewin have been putting out futuristic, mind bending pop tracks since 2019, but Imaginal Disk stands as one of their most impressive works yet. The album chronicles a psychedelic journey into becoming human and what that means. The narrative about the human experience is only strengthened by the seamless transitions throughout; the story being told effortlessly shifts into each subsequent track.

A track that is most representative of what Magdalena Bay achieved with this record is “Image,” a song that sounds like it was pulled from a time and reality far from our own. It’s filled to the brim with so many unique choices in production, from synth that has a mind of its own to sounds that are so unique and layered, they almost feel indistinguishable, but never to the point of a headache inducing experience. Tenebaum’s distinctly powerful yet airy vocals on top of the trip-inducing medley of sonics on “Image” makes up one part of a project full of dynamic, original, moving moments. – Marc Maleri

Mannequin Pussy have been working hard in indie and punk circles for a decade, but I Got Heaven was a great crossover moment for the band. Without sacrificing heaviness on songs like “Of Her” and “Ok? Ok! Ok? Ok!” the band have composed some of their catchiest songs of their career, firing off about sexuality, religious trauma, and injustice. While the punks certainly leans towards hardcore, a few songs like “Loud Bark” and “Nothing Like” lean more towards a more straightforward indie rock, and some songs meet in the middle like the title track.

Seeing singer and frontperson Marisa “Missy” Dabice bring these songs to life at shows also cemented the album as a favorite for the year. Seeing her flip between sensual cooing to a powerful scream quickly both in songs and during her banter really is a great metaphor for the impact that these songs have. Whether she was strutting across the stage at Brooklyn Steel or running around in the rain at Forest Hills stadium, I Got Heaven had a biblical impact this year. – James Crowley

True to his last name, Matt Champion has emerged as a singular, striking visionary with his sweaty, smoldering, and soul-stirring debut solo album. Mika’s Laundry is more than a “breakout” for the former Brockhampton member; it’s a reintroduction, and to a certain degree, a revolution. Champion lets neither genre nor song structure hold him back from building worlds of sonic wonder and emotional weight as he experiments with textures, timbres, beats, bars, and everything else under the sun.

The music is alternative; it’s ambient; it’s hip-hop; it’s expressive; it’s visceral; and it’s human. From the charming churn of album opener “Green” and its brooding, laid-back refrain of “Alabama blue,” to the sweet, hazy, irresistibly danceable intoxication of “Slug,” the unassailable intimacy of “Code Red,” the exhilarating pulse of “Steel” (ft. Dora Jar), and the spiritually cleansing cathartic release of “Aphid” (ft. Dijon), Mika’s Laundry feels like a portal to another dimension – one where we all wear our hearts unapologetically on sleeves, where emotions swim through the air in striking psychedelic currents, and where our wildest dreams can become our truest reality.

And so yes, Matt Champion is a champion, in my book. He has defied convention, subverted expectation, embraced the unconventional, and dared to be unique throughout his debut solo LP. With Mika’s Laundry as a ‘new’ creative benchmark and his artistic launchpad, there’s no limit to what Champion can do, where he might go from here, or how high he might climb. To join him on that adventure, merely as listener, is both an honor and a privilege. – Mitch Mosk

Released in April via slowplay / Island Records, Medium Build’s fifth studio album (and his first major label LP) Country is an honest and achingly vulnerable masterpiece: An intimate, unfiltered, and unapologetically exposed folk rock record that highlights and embraces Nick Carpenter’s humanity in a way that his past records, while personal to him in their own rights, never quite accomplished. It’s an album full of real, raw highs and lows – moments of heartfelt confession, human connection, spiritual release, inner reckoning, soul-searching.

Now 32, the singer/songwriter who once fled the Lower 48 to Alaska is no longer hiding – at least, not in his music. The goal of Country was to make something sweet, raw, and direct – “something you love with and dance with and cry with and sleep with and lean into” – and by all accounts, he succeeded: Working with his longtime creative partner Jake LiBassi, aka Laiko, Carpenter dug deep – into his childhood and upbringing, into his family and friends, into his own hopes and dreams, insecurities and fears. Prevailing over many of his songs is a search for home and a sense of belonging; of Carpenter the human trying to understand his place in the world, and get in touch with his roots.

From the innocence and youthful yearning of lead single “In My Room” to the dramatic emotional release of “Cutting Thru the Country,” Carpenter holds nothing back in his writing and performance, painting vivid images of life’s little sparks of meaning and letting colorful, catchy melodies run wild and free.

Truth be told, every song is a highlight. The tender “Knowing U Exist” is beautiful folk balladry at its finest – a tranquil, softly-sung acoustic number (reminiscent of The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Acoustic #3” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”) that expresses just how much Carpenter’s loved ones mean to him in two and a half deeply moving minutes. The Springsteen-esque folk song “Hey Sandra” aches from the inside out as Carpenter delivers a gut-wrenching love song, in the form of a confessional letter written by a fictional man (very loosely based of his father) to the love of his life, who has walked out on him (or kicked him out of the house).

There’s a bee’s nest buzzing in Travolta’s bald head and a shitfaced Lightning McQueen. A helping of Catholic guilt and cum swirling down a hotel shower drain. There are milkshakes, and then there are smoothies (depending on who you ask, the differences are crucial). And, of course, there is the illustrious Himbodome.

M.J. Lenderman’s breakthrough September release, Manning Fireworks, is chock full of bizarrely specific scenarios and wryly humorous one-liners that will be lodged in my brain for the foreseeable future. The heartaches underlying them, though, burst out like puss from a bruise when Lenderman strips his characters of their armor — without the half-jokes and gloriously scuzzy guitar solos they hide behind, how they’re really doing becomes painfully clear (spoiler alert: they aren’t in remotely good shape). Perhaps the heaviest blow comes from the wince-worthy couplet opening “She’s Leaving You”:“You can put your clothes back on / She’s leaving you,” Lenderman sings, offering nothing to chuckle about. The song’s propulsive chord progression, both as simple and heart-stopping as those three titular words, drives home the album’s thesis statement: “It falls apart, we all got work to do.” We can snark at the guy passed out in his Lucky Charms, or admonish the perfect-little-baby-turned-Bible-beating-jerk, but at the end of the day, haven’t we all got some work to do? – Anna Pichler

The phrase “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” has been used time and time again as it pertains to Michael Gordon, better known as Mk.gee, but it is an honest claim. One could even say that his level of cultural and/or generational influence has not been seen since the rise of Frank Ocean in the early-mid 2010s. Both examples present a reclusive artist who falls under the category of a “vibe,” but the music on Two Star & The Dream Police itself, even more so than the mystique, is what is driving the conversation forward. Genre-bending. Experimentation. Storytelling. A comprehensive listening experience that is repackaged, though only enhanced further, in a live setting.

Elements of modern electronica, ’80s rock, and even hints of Afrobeats all find their way into just the first tune, “New Low,” though pure alternative, whatever that means in 2024, is likely the closest thing to an accurate labeling of these songs. This instability of just the basic sounds, underlined by a slight crunchiness to the instrumentation, is deliberately employed in his melodies, which emerge as rather quirky and hayward on this tune as well as on “Rylee & I,” yet far more linear on “Are You Looking Up,” “Little Bit More,” and “Dream police,” as well.

The trio of “I Want,” “Alesis,” and “Breakthespell” best represent the idea of minimalist maximalism across this collection of songs. “Breakthespell” in particular is, somewhat ironically, the most entrancing, futuristic song of the project, allowing for the celestial feel of the track to marinate within itself: “Most of the time I can’t win/ And I wanna end what I began.” Mk.gee’s use of extended intervals between thoughts and passages is used regularly throughout this project, but is, arguably, done most effectively here, as both the sonic and lyrical aspect completely align.

His Jersey roots are scattered throughout the previously mentioned trio, positioned towards the end of the record, but are not copycat items. Admitting to a late-stage appreciation for Bruce Springsteen and similar acts and music within the ‘working class rock n’ roll’ category, Mk.gee has adapted the gravitas and unbridled adrenaline of the E Street Band to a sound that is, again, done in a minimalistic fashion, but is seen as intricate, complex, and emotionally enthralling. – Noah Wade

Pillow Queens’ third album opens in the midst of a heavy, sweaty mess. Guitars drone and drums churn as the Irish indie rock band channel emotional pain into a thick musical heat. “Tell me if I’m gonna wake up… Tell me how I’m gonna dissolve this body quicker,” Pamela Connolly sings, her voice white-hot on the mic, distressed and passionate and yearning for release as tension rises all around her. “If I’m gonna wake up, I just wanna learn to avoid this hairline trigger.” It’s a sonic and emotional fever dream; the wreckage after the storm. We’ve all been to that dark place, and Pillow Queens bring us back there once more on Name Your Sorrow, a bold, brutal, and breathtaking record of grief and growth, heartache and healing.

It’s a heavy, sweaty, beautiful mess the whole way through – and one that unapologetically dwells in the raw, vulnerable depths of the human experience, processing what it means to feel emotions so intensely; to hurt so badly; to lose yourself in someone else; and to find your way back from the darkness, into the light. – Mitch Mosk

This past summer, Sabrina Carpenter released her sassy, beautiful, pop-infused album Short n’ Sweet on August 23. The about 36 minute album has 12 tracks that recount stories related to love in all of its aspects – jealousy, heartache, nervousness, irritation and infatuation. Need a song to scream at your ex for going back to theirs? Carpenter has that covered. Scared to fall in love again because of the past? She has that covered too. Even when that special someone shatters your heart, there is a song on Short n’ Sweet to turn up to full volume and marinate in your feelings too. It is through the way Carpenter tells such stories though that makes this record so unique and special. Carpenter excels at metaphors and witty lines with a hint of sarcasm and boldness. It is a clever way of making what could be hard feelings to understand and digest, relatable and humorous. Even more so, in her harder hitting songs such as “Lie To Girls,” she writes very straightforwardly. She says it how it is – which women have been yearning for within music. As the 2024 saying goes, she is a girl’s girl. What Carpenter writes about, the good, the bad, the sassy and the poetic, one could easily find in any girl’s diary lying around. She encapsulates the women’s brain and experience in love in a truthful yet entertaining and captivating way.

Carpenter’s first single off Short n’ Sweet was “Espresso.” She released this track on April 11, days prior to her Coachella performance. “Espresso” ended up soaring high on the charts and became Carpenter’s breakout moment. Shortly after, she released “Please Please Please” on June 7. This single also took off on the charts and even became Carpenter’s first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. But other tracks on this record also had memorable moments including “Bed Chem,” “Juno” and “Slim Pickens,” which had lyrics that took to social media trends. However, all of Carpenter’s tracks within this record stand as their own individual strength that give to the overall listening experience of Short n’ Sweet. And the album is exactly that – short and sweet. – Lauren Turner

“Now so many nights have led me here, thinkin’ bout’ the things I fear and when I’ll finally get some rest.” This, one of the opening lines of “Man You Raised,” the first of 28 tunes off Frohna, MI-based singer-songwriter Sam Barber’s debut album Restless Mind, sets the tone for much of the discourse to come. Barber, who utterly blew this writer away with a stellar performance at Brooklyn, NY’s Music Hall of Williamsburg earlier this year, is, quite possibly, the rawest, ‘least experienced’ performer in modern country music. Despite this, it could be argued that his level of emotionally connectivity and unaffected, unprompted vocal style has not been seen since the late-great Johnny Cash.

Many of the tunes, both from a vocal and instrumental level, sit in a similar place in terms of melodic flow, tempo, structure, and, fortunately or unfortunately, key. However, it is the songs that deviate from this makeup that ultimately create magic. Breakout hit “Straight and Narrow,” included on the record, is one of the more commonplace inclusions, falling flat to a voice note from his befuddled grandfather on “G-PA” directly into “Restless Mind” with Avery Anna, “Better Year,” “S.O.B.,” “Home Ain’t Far,” “Different Kind of Pain,” and “Gambler.” These, and select others, seem to carry emotional and musical stakes that are ever-so-slightly increased from the rest.

“Bet On My Ghost,” “Indigo,” again with Anna, and “Stay The Night,” featuring the fullest, most comprehensive, and most complex arrangement of the pack, truly diversify this project, and cement Barber as a mainstay in the renaissance of the neo-traditional country genre. On both “Restless Mind” and “Indigo,” Anna fights with herself to maintain composure as Barber’s temperament and restlessness flairs, knowing that, even with all the love she can give, he must ultimately face his demons alone. These two tunes, along with “Stay The Night,” the latter of which may be overlooked due to its placement buried near the end of the tracklist, are the most accurate representations of Barber as a performer on either side of his musical spectrum. – Noah Wade

Up-and-coming rapper and singer Samara Cyn is doing her thing on her debut album, The Drive Home. With dynamic flows, a cool accent, a unique voice, and undeniable swagger she exudes confidence. I predict big things for the talented young artist. – Eric Schuster

Playing Favorites from Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag hits the ground running with the band’s signature blend of raucous music and biting social commentary. It’s full of rock songs that sound both modern and like throwbacks to classic ’70s and ’80s bands. Singer Tina Halladay has so much grit in her voice, it’s a joy to listen to. “Golden Hour” is an absolutely perfect track to go driving to, especially at the titular time; “Mechanical Garden” cruises you through a flurry of tempos and arrangements with a feel-good riff buoying it all. Perhaps the best example of the boundless energy surging through Playing Favorites is represented by “Eat It and Beat It.” A thundering, rowdy, in-your-face track that became my number three song of the year. I could not stop listening to it. With lyrics decrying those who believe people who don’t fit the typical (or outdated) image of a “rocker” can’t have a place in rock music, it’s an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new jam ushering in and encouraging those who’ve found themselves on the fringes, or those who have yet to see people who look like them in spaces they want to inhabit. While the album is polished compared to their earlier, rawer releases, it never loses its sense of urgency or passion. If anything, Playing Favorites proves that Sheer Mag are still as committed to rocking hard as they are to challenging the status quo. – Kendall Graham

Procreation, and really the entire Sly Jr. project, feels like a special treat for the real fans – not least because you actually had to be paying attention to even know this music existed! The solo project of Sir Sly’s Landon Jacobs finds him channeling his band’s signature angst-fueled sound into new terrain as he unpacks his life’s current chapter – exploring themes like marriage, fatherhood, sobriety, and faith with a fine-toothed lyrical comb and soul-stirring, emotionally charged melodies.

Thankfully, a nonexistent marketing budget couldn’t keep me from discovering – and subsequently falling in love with – procreation’s ten breathtaking, brutally intimate songs. Sly Jr. is an achingly raw triumph of the heart and the soul, and if you were ever a fan of Sir Sly, then I am confident that, like me, you will fall headfirst in love with its son, Sly Jr. – Mitch Mosk

Sounds surge, surround, and shout on St. Vincent’s seventh (but first self-produced) LP, All Born Screaming. The 10-track record offers a curious consistency in her discography: experimentation. The gloomy yet paradoxically vibrant sonics dissipate the enveloping fog as dark-pop elements ignite the industrial-rock soundscape. Annie Clark remains reliably unpredictable as ever… Remaining true to her experimental nature, Todos Nacen Gritando followed seven months later – a near replica of the album except sung entirely en Español. (I suppose there’s a new Vicente in Spanish music… ¿Saludos, Santa Vicente?) – Marissa DeLeon

When the Atwood staff gazed into our crystal ball at the beginning of this year, I was curious to see if indieheads would do more headbanging in 2024. After Brat summer, it’s safe to say that the hipster intelligentsia were more interested in hitting the club, but that didn’t stop screamo from quietly enjoying another banner year. Infant Island lived up to the hype I blew around Obsidian Wreath. And Frail Body earned their flowers with Artificial Bouquet. But my favorite screamo album of 2024 is the one that almost didn’t happen.

Before they brought Children of the Moon kicking and screaming into the world, State Faults had already broken up once. They almost broke up again between the failed relationships, financial pitfalls and production delays that circled their new album like sharks. What kept the band afloat is the belief that we can transcend our lowly circumstances. Children of the Moon stretched a shade over an hour — a dangerous game for a genre that’s best contained to violent outbursts — but the album never dragged beneath its LSD-assisted flowstate. Whether it was blackened dissonance, Midwest twinkles, mathy melodies or a bongo that shook like a Pentecostal preacher, State Faults channeled the surrounding chaos into a luminary fever dream.

“Floating in the night / Above the lunar tide“. Jonny Andrews sang like a fallen angel over the album’s moonlit closer. When his bandmates rise up with the ominous force of a tidal wave, he’s possessed by a shriek that could chill the blood of a banshee. “Bodega Head” made for a grand finale, but Children of the Moon is far from the end. Once again, State Faults were reborn. – Will Yarbrough

Suki Waterhouse’s Memoir of a Sparklemuffin shimmers like a glittering night sky full of heartache, wit, and dreamy nostalgia. The album feels like stepping into a hazy, pastel world where vulnerability meets playfulness, with Waterhouse’s ethereal vocals floating over lo-fi beats and lush instrumentation. Tracks like “Blackout Drunk” and “Big Love” evoke a cinematic vibe, perfect for late-night drives or wistful daydreaming. She balances lyrical intimacy with a cheeky edge, inviting you into her universe where heartbreak isn’t just survivable – it’s sparkly. It’s indie-pop storytelling at its quirkiest, a soundtrack for anyone who wants to cry, laugh, and dance under a disco ball all at once. – Danielle Holian

Alight here fans of Kate Bush, Sparks, and Queen. In February 2024, The Last Dinner Party dropped Prelude to Ecstasy, which shot to the top of the UK Albums chart – propelled by the daisy-fresh, scorching hot, lead single, “Nothing Matters.” These days – as we plough into our shared, amorphous, metamodernist future; where art is derivative, hybridized, and worn – nothing quite engages the ears like this album. It’s triumphant, arresting, fiercely catchy, and as kooky as a box of frogs. Other great tracks include “Sinner,” “The Feminine Urge,” “Caesar on a TV Screen,” and “Burn Alive.” The Last Dinner Party are one of the headline acts of the year, and evidence that UK guitar music is as alive as it ever was. – Hamish Monk

The Marías’ sophomore album Submarine, a passionate mix of the sultry and vulnerable like sound we’ve all come to love from the group. Though, this album in a way seems very much so an extension or even a bit of an evolution. With the dreamy and moodier tracks like “Vicious Sensitive Robot” a synth heavy addition to the album’s closer “Sienna,” is a vulnerable expression reminiscing on the what ifs. While “Lejos de Ti” expresses an emotional yearning for a lover far away. Though “No One Noticed” seems to be the breakout song that has garnered the attention of fans and non-fans alike – for good reason. “No One Noticed” a very melancholic expression of loneliness and longing for her lover to stay. The soft pattering of a drum and low guitar paired with Maria Zardoya’s voice speaks to the overall somber and vulnerable words she sings. In a way, the album itself embodies the title, an overall experience of being submerged in a dark and dreamy space, as Zardoya swims by your side. – Jada Moore

With Thom Yorke’s idiosyncratic falsetto paranoia and Jonny Greenwood’s delicate guitarwork, Wall Of Eyes serves to cover some of the major Radiohead touchpoints as the band’s hiatus continues. However, this album, and its 2024 sister release Cutouts, has positioned The Smile as a key rock group in their own right. Wall of Eyes is the best of this trio’s keenly-crafted sound, a not-so-nuanced and rougher perspective than we’re used to from these musicians. Tom Skinner’s ability to syncopate irresistible percussive rhythms alongside these two legendary creatives proves his worth at this level, and is a fresh baseline for them to build on.

“Bending Hectic” is the undisputed jewel in the crown, an eight minute epic across a couple of movements. It starts gently enough, with Greenwood’s deft utilisation of the tuning key being a point of focus in a sweetly balanced guitar collage. This softened complexity gives way to an earth-shattering channel-clipping outro, the only time on Wall of Eyes that the band allow themselves a foray into heavy rock distortion. Other highlights such as “Friend Of A Friend” and “Read The Room” are The Smile at their very best – progressive, groovy and feral. – Adam Davidson

A product of passion and perseverance, soul-searching and self-knowing, All Now is an emboldened, cathartic release that sees The Staves basking in beautiful folk rock pastures as they take on the world, one song at a time. Released in March via Nonesuch Records and produced by John Congleton, the band’s fourth studio album is a spirited and expansive joyride filled with moments of light and love, grief and wondering, and that cheeky, biting English humor that, quite literally, kicks off the whole record with the simple, loaded phrase: It’s all now, isn’t it exciting?

From the unfiltered, cinematic title track “All Now” and the breathtakingly beautiful, achingly exposed campfire singalong “I’ll Never Leave You Alone,” to nuanced reflections on emotional overload (“I Don’t Say It, But I Feel It”), sisterhood (“After School”), love (“So Gracefully”), processing grief (“Recognise”) and everything else life throws our way (“Fundamental Memory”), All Now is utterly enchanting – a catchy, cohesive, and many-sided listening experience with endless returns. – Mitch Mosk

I’ve considered each album The Warning has released their best album. Each time, I say, “This is the one!” and with each subsequent release, I am proven wrong and have to change my answer. Keep Me Fed, The Warning’s third and most-recent album, released this June, explodes with fury, fervor and the three Villareal sisters’ trademark synergy. Experimenting with things like heavier production, lower instrument tunings and seemingly disparate style influences, this has become the album that’s really put The Warning on more of a mainstream circuit. They’ve performed songs from this album everywhere from Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the Latin Grammys, all while maintaining their ridiculously robust touring schedule. Keep Me Fed finds The Warning engaging with ideas of overindulgence, dissatisfaction and, in drummer and vocalist Paulina’s words, “Participating in that same overconsumption that we are trying to disrupt. We all ask to be entertained, to have something to consume.”

Standout track “Sharks” hits with a reflective yet combative mood. The song’s title is a metaphor for the predators and pressures that surround us—whether it’s toxic relationships, societal expectations, or inner demons. “Sharks” navigates the instinctive need to fight back, swim against the current, and not succumb to the dangers circling around. It’s an exploration of resilience in the face of adversity and a declaration of intent to survive, no matter the cost. The sibling trio – sisters Daniela “Dany,” Paulina “Pau” and Alejandra “Ale” – have long been known for their youthful energy, impeccable musicianship and fearless attitude. But with Keep Me Fed, they’ve elevated their sound to a level of maturity and emotional depth that will surprise fans and casual listeners alike. – Kendall Graham

Intimate, unfiltered, and unapologetically intense, bruises is an undeniable – and irresistible – beast of an album. A bold, brash, brutally honest coming-of-age record, total tommy’s aptly titled debut LP aches inside and out as singer/songwriter Jess Holt bares her full self – scars and all – in twelve impassioned, vulnerable, and raw songs. Holt first ‘launched’ total tommy at the top of this year, and has spent the past eleven months dazzling audiences the world over through an exhilarating array of dreamy and dramatic alternative rock reveries. Her raw, scuzzy, emotionally charged guitar-driven music has been hailed as a neo-bedroom pop return by some, and as an homage to grunge-era legends like Garbage and (her personal heroes) Hole by others; whatever you call it, there’s no denying the fact that the sound she and producer Mark Zito (of Fractures) have crafted together has done its job to get people talking and listening.

Highlights abound on the turbulent journey from the album’s urgent, emotionally charged opener “ADELINE” to its tender closer “Shark Attacks.” Holt spills her soul twelve times over as she aches openly and unapologetically, treating her audiences to a nonstop slew of heated alt-rock eruptions and impassioned upheavals. “microdose,” initially released as total tommy’s debut single this past February, is an intoxicating three-minute head-spin: A hazy, hypnotic, multi-layered reverie that hits hard through emotional vocals, intense Strokes-y drums, and angsty guitars. “Losing Out,” the artist’s heated second single, is a dreamy, dramatic alt-rock upheaval of intimate and epic proportions – a much-needed confrontation and cathartic release all at once that sees an empowered and energized Holt calling out someone who wronged her deeply. Additional standouts include the soft, heartfelt confessional “ribs” (another “really special” Holt favorite), the exhilarating pop/rock anthem “SODA,” the grungy rager “SPIDER,” and the feverish and infectiously catchy sex-fueled singalong “Plus One.”

A breathtaking triumph of a debut, bruises ultimately shines a hopeful, healing light on our own inner darkness. Whatever changes or upheavals we might be going through at the moment, total tommy’s music is a passionate reminder that we’re not alone – and that we’ll make it through. Aching though it may be – and unapologetically so – this debut album is a cathartic, and truly captivating, release. – Mitch Mosk

Part ‘breakup’ album and part ‘soul-searching’ mission, Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden sees Valley closing one door and opening another as they grieve together, grow together, and relearn how to be a band together. Their third studio album is the trio’s most intimate and vulnerable offering to date – a catchy, beautifully cathartic collection of songs that sees them actively, and in real time, working through their collective pain and sadness. It’s a sonically and emotionally charged triumph from a band that, at the top of the year, wasn’t sure who they were anymore and didn’t know quite what their future looked like. That’s all (mostly) in the rearview now, thanks in large part to these songs, whose very creation process was a form of group therapy.

Highlights abound on the journey from the opening title track to album closer “Cocoon,” as Valley wrestle with their rawest emotions, learn to accept life and the things they cannot change, and plant a few hopeful seeds of their own. “When You Know Someone,” the record’s lead single, sees them channeling those salient feelings of betrayal and abandonment, heartache and helplessness into a fiery, impassioned, and emotionally charged anthem.

That song is joined on the record by other standouts like the breathtaking “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden” (with its visceral chorus line, “I guess that I’d rather laugh than cry ‘bout my problems, when honestly I don’t know how to solve ‘em. I’ll water the flowers and pray for a garden, ’cause honestly I’m just all out of options“), the buoyant and upbeat empathy-fueled “Crawlspace,” the bittersweet upheaval “Growing (Apart),” the dreamy, dramatic life-sucker “Mosquito,” the achingly emotive “Bop Ba,” and the spirited story-song “Bass Player’s Brother.”

It’s hard to quantify just how much Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden means to Valley – and to Valley fans, such as myself; it most certainly saved the band from their own collapse, and now stands as a testament to all that they are: A group of three best friends, three humans, unpacking life together in song. – Mitch Mosk

Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us is an intricate blend of the band’s signature indie-pop sound with fresh influences of punk and jazz, marking a skillful evolution in the band’s discography. Seamlessly blending genres while incorporating thoughtful callbacks to their earlier work, the album feels like a treasure trove for longtime fans and an exciting point of entry for any newcomers. Familiar piano melodies, string arrangements, and vocal effects resurface as clever easter eggs, evoking nostalgia while still propelling their sound forward.

At the heart of the album is “Capricorn,” the standout lead single that encapsulates the emotional depth and vibrant musicality of Only God Was Above Us. A calming yet irresistibly catchy track, it pairs existential musings with that classic easy-listening indie rock vibe. Lyrics like “Can’t reach the moon now / Can’t turn the tide / The world looked different / When God was on your side / Who builds the future? Do they care why?” juxtapose weighty questions of faith and future against a deceptively soothing melody, underscoring the album’s reflective tone. This balance of lyricism and dynamic musical energy defines Only God Was Above Us, reaffirming Vampire Weekend’s status as indie rock icons and delivering one of 2024’s most compelling albums. – Haley Mitchell

Following quite an impressive 2023, the Seoul based trio recently released their third studio album play with earth! 0.03. Though only 25 minutes in length, with seven tracks each one leaves quite the impression. From a vulnerable expression of love, to the resentment of the highs and lows that comes with fame. “…are you bored?” starts the album off as a funky, instrumental packed track. While “play with earth” is another fun, lighthearted track meant for swaying. Tracks like “slow dive”, and “…holyland” are the slower, more vulnerable tracks that are more familiar in nature to the group’s characteristic sound. Though “annie” is the most surprising and unapologetic track amongst the entire album. The track’s instrumentals this time more laid back while Daniel Kim’s voice takes center stage, as he hits back at everyone’s expectations. Expectations that come from their growing fame. The once understated instrumentals comes to halt, as Daniel Kim gives his big “f you.” An overall extension of the band’s seemingly more confident tone – as they begin to cement their legacy. – Jada Moore

In some ways, Wilderado’s sophomore album is a reclamation of the term ‘talker’ – but perhaps it’s best understood as an evolution: An embrace of what it can mean when you put genuine, authentic thoughts and feelings behind your words; when you listen first, and then speak second – which is exactly what Max Rainer and his bandmates did with these songs. A spirited, soul-searching record built out of real passion and raw emotions, Wilderado’s Talker is a beautifully warm, tender, and achingly vulnerable folk rock reverie that finds the Tulsa, Oklahoma band living in the moment and taking in everything life has to offer them. Rainer’s hard-won lyrics feel earnest and exposed; he sings about everything from cherished, intimate memories with his wife and his kids, to unresolved questions about God, and candid, cathartic ruminations on his own purpose and place in the world.

While yes, he is the one doing the talking, these introspective songs are the direct result of keeping an open mind, an open ear, and an open heart – and maybe that’s the best kind of talker you can be.

Highlights abound on the twelve-track journey from the album’s heart-on-sleeve opener “Talker” to its sweet and mindful closer, “What Were You Waiting For.” Lead single “In Between,” which received two remakes over the past year – one featuring fellow Tulsa native Ken Pomeroy, and the other featuring The National’s Matt Berninger – remains an unmistakable standout. A dreamy indie rock song, it’s at once a reverie, a reckoning, and a soul-stirring surrender that succeeds at capturing Wilderado’s Western warmth and wonder. “In Between” is joined by the confessional indie folk ballad “Sometimes,” the charmingly jangly and emotionally charged “Higher Than Most,” and the dynamic, soul-stirring, and spirited “Bad Luck” (amongst many others).

Ultimately, Talker is a record of Wilderado’s life and times; of being present with yourself and with your loved ones, being intentional and honest, vulnerable, uncompromising, and unapologetic. Wilderado may have named this album Talker, but all Rainer really wanted to do was be a listener – and in point of fact, that’s what these songs are really all about. – Mitch Mosk

The summer season always tends to gift us with music to thrive, reminisce, and genuinely enjoy, no strings attached. Wishy, a five-piece band out of Indianapolis, manages to evoke that without hesitation. Triple Seven, released in August via Winspear, is a collection of anthems to sing your heart out to. This album is one I could not stop thinking about. It’s clean, raw, and full of energy. Each track takes you to a new sonic world, blending genres seamlessly while carrying a deep emotional core. There’s a sense of hope throughout, offering a potent mix of catharsis and optimism as the new year approaches. It’s a transformative listen and an album that stays with you, urging you to return for more. – Kevin Cost

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