The 25 best albums of 2024

The Hard Quartet, a Traveling Wilburys for the hipsters at the Gen X table, overcome the stigma associated with their silly moniker with a debut album that plays to each of the four men’s strengths. Due to the decades-long friendship between Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, Chavez/Zwan’s Matt Sweeney, longtime Will Oldham collaborator Emmett Kelly, and Dirty Three drummer Jim White, these 14 songs sound both familiar and new at the same time. And with Malkmus, Sweeney, and Kelly taking turns on the mic, songs like the barstool charmer “Rio’s Song,” the slanted and enchanted “Earth Hater,” and the Alex Chilton-inspired “Our Hometown Boy” have the fluidity of confidence that only seems to come from an old friend get-together in Malibu. We hope this particular supergroup has a longer lifespan than its predecessors. Ron Hart.

At the loud, discordant opening of “My Kind,” the barn-burning stomper on Rosali’s boisterous and tender third album, Bite Down, a distant voice yells, “Act natural.”. Rosali has success. Returning with an electrified, classic rock backbone, singer-songwriter Rosali Middleman reunites with David Nance’s Mowed Sound, one of America’s greatest rock bands, who also released a fantastic record this year. She and the band perform song after song in Bite Down, seeming to be doing this for years. In the bold “Hopeless,” luminous “Rewind,” and defiant “Slow Pain,” the band effortlessly counterbalances Rosali’s opulent vocals. Middleman’s ability to write incisive, evocative lyrics that provide glimpses of romantic vulnerability and interpersonal conflict has never been sharper, and the band entices her with a lighthearted energy. Through distortion, spilled drinks, and relentless grooves, her smoky, powerful vocals propelled her earworm melodies with assurance. Bite Down provides listeners with a lot to ponder. “Matt Schimkowitz.”.

The soft-rock serenade “Thinking About You,” which opens Faye Webster’s fifth album, sways for more than six long, beautiful minutes. Many people would think it would be better if the track ended halfway through. The Atlanta songwriter continues, though, repeating the dreamy title like a mantra while waves of piano and glockenspiel are accompanied by harmonized guitar leads that gleam like far-off stars. It is the pinnacle of “vibe first,” which seems to be the main goal of the elegantly understated Underdressed at the Symphony, which uses Webster’s ethereal coo as one texture in a bigger mosaic. From the icy chamber-rock of “But Not Kiss” to the shapeshifting art-soul of “Lego Ring” (featuring Lil Yachty), the arrangements are exploding with color, making it a bold yet satisfying move. Ryan Reed.

The title of the lead single from Maggie Rogers’ heartbreaking album Don’t Forget Me is “It Was Coming All Along,” but the title could equally well refer to the album as a whole. Although Rogers’ writing has always been wise beyond its years, these ten songs are the most confident example of that trait to date. The album’s outstanding title track, “So Sick Of Dreaming,” or “The Kill” would sound similar if you could capture the sweet ache of nostalgia combined with the final breeze of a warm summer day. Rogers goes full folk as she sings about childhood, lost love, and the unavoidable passing of time, drawing inspiration from her predecessors such as Brandi Carlile and Joni Mitchell. We couldn’t possibly forget her with this momentum. [Keates, Emma].

Despite being her most approachable album, Lorely Rodriguez’s fourth album as Empress Of is just as complex and captivating as her earlier releases. As only a member of the entertainment industry can articulate it, the title of For Your Consideration even expresses the desire to be widely liked and respected, if not loved. This type of art pop is capable of appealing to both casual fans and ardent critics. Rodriguez combines a variety of 2024’s most prominent dance producers with her talent for melody. Examples include Nick Sylvester’s mind-blowing beat for “Femenine” and Casey MQ’s fusion of flamenco patterns with a house beat for “What Type Of Girl Am I?”. However, For Your Consideration is also more than willing to forgo the feeling of coolness in favor of large, vulnerable choruses. Teaming up with MUNA, Rodriguez closes the album with a note of bewildered passion. “If this isn’t love, can you explain what love is to me?” she sings, “I didn’t want to have someone that I need.”. It seems possible that she is aware of the solution. [Gillis, Draw].

Few other artists of her generation have won as many awards as Billie Eilish, who just won her second Academy Award for Best Original Song. She seems to be firmly a part of a newly emerging establishment. She deserves a lot of credit for Hit Me Hard And Soft, her third album, not feeling smug or calculating in light of all these accolades. Although the tempos tend to be slower and the surfaces smoother, beneath that cool exterior, Eilish appears restless and eager to explore new emotional horizons with a sense of subdued urgency. That restrained resolve gives the hit song “Birds Of A Feather” a sweet ache and infuses “Lunch” with a raging carnality. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen.

$10 Cowboy, the first of two outstanding albums released by Charley Crockett this year, finds the most diligent country music artist settling into a calm, introspective groove. Despite being a Texan troubadour, Crockett’s voice is high and lonely as he sings his loser ballads and hard-luck pleas, leaving room for the plaintive cry of a steel guitar. However, this is by no means an austere situation. $10 Cowboy is a throwback to the heyday of progressive country, when southern soul rhythms supported working-class anthems. The melancholy tunes sink with ease thanks to the silky touch. A few months after $10 Cowboy, Crockett released Visions Of Dallas, a more conventional country album that nevertheless featured the singer-songwriter’s soulful swing. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen.

By 2024, these former adolescent beauties from Hawthorne, California, will be in their late 50s and early 60s. The youthful vibrancy that enchanted alternative rock fans in the 1980s and 1990s is still present in brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald, who broke out as children of the Los Angeles punk scene forty-five years ago. On their flawless ninth album, which is titled after The Beatles’ White Album, the band—which also features guitarist Jason Shapiro and drummer Dale Crover of Melvins—uses their years of experience to create seasoned power pop that is spot-on. More than any other song since Phaseshifter, songs like “Stunt Queen,” “Terrible Band,” and “Emanuelle Insane”—all 18 of these songs, for that matter—perfectly capture the essence of the Redd Kross brand. There are indications that this album might be the best of their storied career, but they could easily surpass themselves with the follow-up. [Held, Ron].

Few can play six strings with the ferocity and force of Niger-born Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar. Funeral For Justice, Moctar’s most recent album, is a flurry of emotion that captures the horror and rage of global political unrest without ever feeling hopeless. Pulling off and hammering on the strings as if his ax were on fire, Moctar bounces around the fretboard to danceable, syncopated rhythms. It is, in a sense. Layering heroic guitar leads over Moctar’s endless, energizing vocals, the jittery, desert blues of “Djallo 1” and the circular hypnotism of “Takoba” captivate with acute focus. Tears For Injustice, the album’s acoustic version, is hinted at in 2025 with the closer, “Modern Slaves,” which unites a community of chanting vocals and closes the album with a sense of peace and unity. Funeral for Justice is a scathing and proudly psychedelic political statement about violence and life in his native Africa. For everyone to feel, Moctar’s guitar lights the funeral pyre on fire. “Matt Schimkowitz.”.

On A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, Sturgill Simpson first revealed the moniker Johnny Blue Skies, concealing it in the liner notes. By attributing his eighth album to his alter ego, he elevated Johnny Blue Skies to the fore with Passage Du Desir. Alongside the name change, there is a change in mindset. While maintaining his musical wanderlust, Simpson softens his iconoclastic stance in Passage Du Desir and settles into soulful, mellow grooves. The breeziness of “Scooter Blues,” which joyfully embraces the banal details of domestic bliss, is the album’s primary element, but Simpson continues to push the boundaries of metamodern country music—the closing song “One For The Road” rises in psychedelic jams worthy of Pink Floyd. [Erlewine, Stephen Thomas].

In press releases and pull quotes, it’s simple to sound cool by mentioning Modest Mouse and The Beach Boys alongside Philip Glass and Frédéric Chopin. Blending those influences with coherence and originality is far more difficult, but this Chicago duo succeeds in doing so on their exciting debut album, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here. Consider the mid-album standout track “Chemical,” which starts with an ambient haze and progresses into a brief rendition of “Ave Maria” before introducing some bouncy post-punk riffs that are complemented by choral-style vocals. It turns out that Friko can live pretty much anywhere: emo-leaning power-pop (“Get Numb To It!”), piano-and-strings balladry (the very Elliott Smith-like “For Ella”), and the heart-on-sleeve, early 2000s indie-rock that few can pull off with conviction (“Crimson To Chrome”). I would like more. Reed, Ryan.

It’s crucial to allow yourself some room to mope during a year as difficult as this one without sinking into total and utter despair. Mahashmashana, a sprawling, cinematic ode to nihilism that somehow resists giving in to its most melancholy impulses, is the endeavor of Father John Misty. FJM alternates between disco, stadium pop, and his iconic orchestration from the 1970s in Mahashmashana, but it all somehow works together to paint a stunning and complete picture of our era. Songs like “Josh Tillman And The Accidental Dose” and the standout “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All,” in which he sings about “Pynchon yuppies,” a “himbo Ken doll,” and receiving career advice from a dead rattlesnake, showcase his razor-sharp pen. Even though the album at times reads like a course syllabus, the journey is ultimately so fulfilling that you won’t mind putting in the effort. [Emma Keates].

A Kim Deal solo album didn’t seem necessary because she is so closely linked to the Breeders, the alt-rock icons she has helped navigate through lineup changes and sporadic hiatuses over the past 35 years. That assumption is shown to be incorrect by Nobody Loves You More. Deal is able to explore new musical horizons thanks to the structure of a solo album, using brass to support the upbeat pop of “Coast” and strings to support “Nobody Loves You More.”. Jolts of noise, cloistered electronics, and fuzzed-out guitars counterbalance all the new, opulent textures, demonstrating that she hasn’t given up on the spiky rock and roll that is her specialty. Deal is able to process the recent deaths of her parents and Steve Albini, a friend and collaborator since the Pixies, with frank candor on Nobody Loves You More thanks to the musical freedom. Particularly when paired with the wide-ranging musical perspective, the immediateness of feeling is remarkable. [Stephen Erlewine].

With an equal emphasis on shaggy songs and unkempt guitars, MJ Lenderman, the heir apparent to the slacker kingdom, continues the work that Neil Young was doing in the 1970s. The follow-up to 2022’s critically acclaimed Boat Songs, Manning Fireworks, moves at a lazy crawl, which gives Lenderman the opportunity to linger with his guitar and drawl his cocked observations with a shrug that obscures the accuracy of his words. Manning Fireworks’ intentionally retro style is infused with a fresh perspective, but his devotion to classic album rock makes him sound like an old favorite, with the songs evaporating into the subconscious with each new listen. It eventually starts to sound like a classic record as well. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen.

Tyler, The Creator has established a distinctive sound over the past ten years, particularly since 2017’s Flower Boy, alternating between funkier, more introspective, vocal-forward cuts and massive, swaggering, percussion tracks. “Like Him” is a particularly beautiful example of the latter, and that’s a compliment. Chromokopia has both of these in abundance. The next step is to keep improving the style once you’ve discovered one that works. Tyler accomplishes this precisely here, utilizing the album to delve into fresh and frequently more sophisticated subjects than his earlier work. “Hey Jane” delves into an unplanned pregnancy and whether he’s prepared to become a parent; “Noid,” the single, examines the level of access people anticipate from the rapper as his fame only grows. However, chromokopia is frequently a lot of fun as well. For instance, Tyler leads a blustery procession with Lil Wayne, GloRilla, and Sexyy Red on the posse cut “Sticky.”. It is something he has earned. [Gillis, Draw].

Cowboy Carter, ostensibly a country album, is the second in Beyoncé’s intended trilogy of albums honoring underappreciated contributions by Black musicians to American music culture. Cowboy Carter certainly has the hallmarks of country music: line-dance shuffles, ballads, and country-soul slow-burners, as well as appearances by Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, and Post Malone. The album is intriguing because these overtly country elements are woven into a tapestry that combines rock ‘n’ roll, folk, funk, and even The Beatles, when Beyoncé performs “Blackbird” with Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. Cowboy Carter, an album whose conceptual daring never takes the place of visceral pleasures, offered a rich and revelatory text like few other records in 2024. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen.

Doechii executed one of the biggest star turns of 2024 by sneaking up on anyone who wasn’t paying enough attention. The 26-year-old rapper showcased her own work in its most lucid and self-assured form to date with Alligator Bites Never Heal, in addition to her impressive appearance on Tyler, the Creator’s Chromokopia. The hazy atmosphere of a muggy summer day with no air conditioning and a desk fan blowing idly in your direction intermittently is frequently captured in the album. The Tampa native rarely maintains her composure, preferring to indulge in theatrics that harken back to Nicki Minaj’s finest early work. “Denial Is A River” is a lengthy dialogue in which she reflects on the hardships she has endured over the last five years; in “Boiled Peanuts,” the emcee performs a chorus in the style of a cartoon villain. In particular, “Nissan Altima” displays her mastery of rhythm, calling herself the “lyrical Madonna” and equating herself with Carrie Bradshaw. The vast majority of the songs are under three minutes, and Doechii keeps the pace going despite the abundance of ideas. This is exciting in this situation, but it could be draining in the wrong hands. [Gillis, Draw].

Long before he and Q-Tip were working together on the insane prog-rap song “Hi-De-Ho,” Jack White had been recording incredibly bizarre music for decades. However, critics have been complaining more and more as he has moved farther from his blues-rock roots, obviously wishing he had some of the garage-rock magic of the early 2000s. He succeeds in that and other areas with No Name, his unexpectedly released sixth solo LP. It’s unfussy and heavy, a comforting salve for people who were initially offended by his marimba experiments on Get Behind Me Satan. The squealing bad-reception guitar solo on “What’s The Rumpus?” and the rabid-sermon delivery of “Archbishop Harold Holmes” complement every monster riff (“Old Scratch Blues” sounds exactly like you’d expect) with the kinds of surprises that White Stripes has come to love over the years. In this way, No Name is a close sibling to 2007’s Icky Thump. Ryan Reed.

Clairo has been quietly and subtly discovering her distinctive sound over the past five years. This year’s effort, Charm, re-creates the mellow-out sounds of soul from the 1970s with piano tones that are equal parts Mac Miller and The Holdovers. In other words, the sound is also very contemporary; the quick delivery of the memories that the singer, Claire Cottrill, recounts in “Thank You,” reflects the anxiety of the social media age and the desire to share your own life for your own camera. The outcome, however, seems more timeless than a fusion of the old and the new. “Second Nature” features a Carpenters-style sing-along refrain that is perfect for humming along with a group of people in the pit of a Clairo show or to yourself while preparing dinner. In the lead single “Sexy To Someone,” Cottrill sings, “Sexy to somebody, it would help me out / Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house.” This desire for connection is the main theme of Charm. Charm sounds fantastic on both sides of that door, so she’s lucky. [Gillis, Drew].

With Here In The Pitch, Jessica Pratt transcends the minimalist, nearly skeletal arrangements that defined her first three albums while maintaining her sense of intimate, painfully felt intimacy. Jazzy chords, spectral strings, a faded piano, and dramatic percussion are some of the hints of chamber-pop and bossa nova that reverberate throughout Here in the Pitch. The scale of all this extra equipment is kept to a minimum. Pratt expertly uses the colors in her broadened aural palette, allowing a few accents and fleeting phrases to influence the record’s emotional impact. Here In The Pitch is an album that evokes the sense of twilight reflection, and these subtle selections make it feel tantalizingly out of date. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen.

As it emerged from the digital ether, Diamond Jubilee felt disconnected from the form and content of 2024. Cindy Lee, the stage name of Patrick Flegel, the former frontman of the indie band Women from the late 2000s, weaves together girl group melodies with the stylized primitivism of the Velvet Underground, drawing from a wealth of pop and indie-rock history. Like a half-remembered hallucination, the sound is both familiar and alien. The internal logic of Diamond Jubilee is like a dream. During its two hours, it cycles through sighing melodies, tinny fuzz, sparkling harmonies, and ominous shuffles before quietly fading into view and ending abruptly. In contrast to other lengthy albums that typically build momentum on their own, Diamond Jubilee floats and drifts, allowing the listener to become engrossed in its haze. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas.

At the end, Songs Of A Lost World starts. On the album’s opening track, “Alone,” Robert Smith croons, “This is the end of every song that we sing.”. The stars became faint with tears, and the fire turned to ash. Before Smith’s vocals finally take over, the song’s first half is composed entirely of ethereal instrumentals that build to a boiling point. It takes about three and a half minutes to reach those words. Throughout the eight tracks on the album, Smith reflects on time: how it eludes us so swiftly and how little of it he actually has left. When he was a teenager, he founded The Cure and sang about spending the night waiting for a girl to call. He is currently 65 years old and singing about the end of everything, including his legacy, career, and body of work. His life. . Although Smith has always had a slight obsession with death, it now hits in a different way. Songs Of A Lost World is much more than a comeback album; it re-establishes Smith as one of the most important rock music voices. In the album’s closing track, “Endsong,” Smith sings, “I will lose myself in time.”. There won’t be much time. Hopefully, he is mistaken. [Jennon].

It’s uncommon for a pop star to become extremely popular more than ten years after making their debut, but Charli xcx did just that this year. Having released six albums and approaching her thirties, she is looking back with boredom rather than fondness. Charli xcx masterfully highlights beats and hooks, making it easy to overlook the melancholic undercurrent that permeates Brat while still finding excitement in the dazzling rush of indie sleaze. She is still captivated by the discovery of the new and feels the pull of club classics, but she also reflects on her past mistakes and lost chances. Charli xcx is more worried about the cost of the road she has traveled than she is about the routes she hasn’t taken. Brat’s urgency comes from this self-awareness: Charli xcx still finds late nights at the club seductive, as evidenced by the album’s throbbing, visceral sound, but she can’t help but notice the passing of time. [Stephen Erlewine].

Waxahatchee’s solo artist Katie Crutchfield references David Foster Wallace on the third track of Tigers Blood. She references the author’s well-known commencement address to the 2005 Kenyon College graduating class when she sings, “This is water.”. Subtitled “Some Thoughts, Delivered On A Significant Occasion, About Living A Compassionate Life,” the speech was included in the print book that was released following his passing. According to Crutchfield’s argument in Tigers Blood, every event is important and every moment of our lives is deserving of consideration. Wallace also addressed this point: It’s difficult, but ultimately worthwhile, to remind ourselves to be in the moment and interact with the world in an empathic manner. Crutchfield adds, “It’s blood loss.”. As she acknowledges in the very next song, having that level of hyper-awareness wears you out, but it can also keep you going. On “Right Back To It,” Crutchfield croons, “Your love written on a blank check / Wear it around your neck / I was at a loss.”. The country-inspired instrumentals that defy the genre are layered over Crutchfield’s slow, deliberate vocals. Crutchfield’s first career nomination at the annual awards show, Tigers Blood, was nominated for Best Americana Album. That’s about as close as it gets to neatly labeling Waxahatchee’s music. The songs on Tigers Blood exude empathy, but Crutchfield is receptive to it as well, learning to live in the world without becoming overwhelmed by it. [Jen Lennon].