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The 10 Best Albums of 2024

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The 10 Best Albums of 2024

I’ve been listening to these albums like I’ve been living them, my friends! It’s truly a journey through the lives of some incredible artists, each one leaving their unique mark.

Over the last ten years, streaming has significantly transformed the structure of an album, extending tracklists, altering the placement of likely hits, and shortening song durations. However, this year, artists appeared to be less influenced by the financial constraints imposed by record labels and tech firms, instead releasing albums that reflected their personal narratives and musical preferences.

These ten records, ranging from death metal to Americana, dance, rap, and beyond, not only showcase some of the most remarkable and proficient songwriting this year. The artists masterfully utilize the sense of confinement within these albums – their authentic aura as a unique space, time, and environment – to delve profoundly into a specific sound or theme. Despite their exploration of the apprehensions and delights of our current world, these albums exude a fascinating otherworldliness, governed by distinct rules of nature and molded by singular encounters.

During January, I initially viewed music as a refuge, like a treehouse, helping me escape the bewildering and sorrowful aspects of an election year. However, these albums predominantly functioned as a mirror-like body of water, where I honed my perception – learning to observe and listen more intently.

Note for readers: The albums featured here are chosen considering our upcoming list of Top 10 Songs from 2024, with an aim to present a more diverse musical spectrum. As a result, you won’t find any artists appearing in both these album selections.

10. Malegría, Reyna Tropical

Among the original members of this LA-rooted Latin band, one unfortunately didn’t survive to witness the drop of their first studio album: Nectali “Sumo” Diaz, who established the duo alongside guitarist Fabiola Reyna in 2016, tragically passed away in 2022. Despite this heartbreaking loss, the music exudes a sense of warmth and victory. With the help of several producers, Reyna steers an exhilarating journey through the dance scenes of the Latin diaspora, blending infectious polyrhythms, sweet melodies, and natural sounds like bird songs and flowing water. The album’s title is a Spanish term for “bittersweet happiness,” symbolizing both the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the album’s conception and the ongoing interplay of joy and sorrow. This music serves as a dancefloor escape from despair, inviting us to embrace both our grief and the moments within it.

9. Night Reign, Arooj Aftab

On her fourth solo album, composer and singer Arooj Aftab paints the night with vibrant shades of possibility and wonder. As an artist skilled in texture and negative space, she constructs stunning compositions that resonate with depth despite their tranquil melodies. Influenced by a diverse upbringing spent between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, formal education at Berklee College of Music, and young adulthood in New York, Aftab blends various musical traditions. Her songwriting encompasses classical Hindustani music, Western music, and lyrics penned by herself along with an 18th-century poem and a jazz standard. However, Aftab’s style is not confined to traditional boundaries. Her innovative compositions, some of which incorporate contemporary elements like Auto-Tune, evoke the atmospheres of film noir, trip-hop, and Sade in her Lovers Deluxe era. For Aftab, night serves as a harmonious fusion of various cultures.

8. Please Don’t Cry, Rapsody

On her fourth album, Rapsody showcases a different side of herself, venturing into unexplored creative territories, inspired by her role model Lauryn Hill. Instead of focusing on sharp wit, she prioritizes raw expression, sharing insights into her personal life and artistic journey. The North Carolina rapper weaves elements of R&B, soul, and reggae throughout the album, resulting in a sonorous blend that serves as a backdrop for introspective conversations ranging from leisurely vacationing to emotionally charged moments like witnessing a loved one’s decline due to memory loss. The album is structured as a profound therapy session, offering listeners a glimpse into her thoughts and feelings. It stands as her most compelling work to date, with her lyrics serving as the framework for songs focused on introspection and self-care, while her versatile flow, tone, and melodies breathe life into these compositions. Her pen remains as powerful as ever.

7. Absolute Elsewhere, Blood Incantation

Blood Incantation’s third album, titled “Into the Stargate,” is actually composed of six distinct musical pieces that are split into three tracks each. However, keeping track of these parts might prove challenging as this album propels you through space and time with its intense arrangements. Hailing from Denver, this death metal quartet masterfully blends drone, progressive rock, and ambient elements throughout the album, creating a captivating, ever-evolving sonic experience.

6. My Method Actor, Nilüfer Yanya

If Nilüfer Yanya were to set aside her guitar and focus on a vocal career instead, it’s unlikely her fans would object. Her voice is velvety, deep, vibrant – something truly special. However, Nilüfer Yanya isn’t just a talented singer; she’s also an adept guitarist. And on her third album, she showcases the importance of the instrument in her music about young love and growing up. Co-written entirely with electronic producer Will Archer, who has collaborated with artists like Jessie Ware and Sudan Archives, “My Method Actor” demonstrates how less can be more. It derives power from its restrained melodies and soft vocals that only serve to amplify the intensity of her songwriting.

5. BRAT, Charli XCX

Imagine an album like a personal MySpace page for a pop record – this is the innovative concept behind Charli XCX’s BRAT. This vibrant dance album celebrates the liberation found in living without order, embodying the spirit of messiness that is uniquely Charli. Although she lacks a polished vocal range, award-winning choreography, or Grammy awards, her coolness is undeniable and authentic. Her taste is not just a facade; it’s a genuine love for specific melodies, lyrics, and beats that move her. In embracing brattiness, Charli unveils her inner anxieties, cruel side, and many other aspects of herself, adding depth to the electronic music she has long advocated for. The depth of the brat persona and the relatable songwriting transformed the album into a cultural phenomenon, but its massive success is secondary to its unique perspective. BRAT provides a comprehensive view of the scenes and sounds that are dear to Charli, showcasing her impeccable style.

4. What Now, Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard’s second solo album since parting ways with Alabama Shakes in 2018 lacks a question mark in its title. This versatile musician and vocalist aims to convey a powerful message through this collection of funk, pop, soul, and rock tunes. Abandoning the personal narratives of her debut, she allows the music to take center stage, demonstrating her prowess as an arranger with intricate rhythmic and melodic layers. The music doesn’t feel overly dense, instead, it supports the introspective lyrics that frequently explore the delicate nature of love. So, if you’re curious about what she might do next, think again!

3. I Lay Down My Life For You, JPEGMAFIA

As a fervent admirer, I’d say that JPEGMAFIA, the producer and rapper, whips up tunes that vibrate and pulsate like an overloaded washing machine on steroids. His beats often transition unexpectedly, and he pulls samples from diverse sources, making his rapping styles range from sleek to gritty, sometimes even sounding high. However, on his fifth album, there’s a shift in tempo as he grapples with the aftermath of collaborating with his contentious role model, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), on the album “Vultures 1”. The songs remain muscular and eclectic, but unlike his usual antagonistic self, JPEGMAFIA adopts a more introspective and contemplative rhythm. This shift gives the music a new dimension, transforming it from a battering ram to a soothing salve. Interestingly, JPEG doesn’t reconcile these two modes in this album, but with repeated listens, they seem less contradictory, appearing as facets of a single, complex mindset.

2. Tigers Blood, Waxahatchee

Following four records of hazy indie rock, Katie Crutchfield, a singer from Alabama, shifted to folk and country for her fifth album titled Saint Cloud. This genre switch, influenced by a feeling of returning home and her recent commitment to sobriety, reshaped her songwriting and expanded her listener base. She continues to polish those heartland sounds on the album Tigers Blood, offering a delightful collection of laid-back, down-home tunes chronicling the ups and downs of midlife experiences. The rhythm section, led by multi-instrumentalist Brad Cook, produces marvelous results, mirroring Crutchfield’s powerful yet agile voice. As she sings on the title track, “Oh, when that siren sounds, it echoes everywhere in town,” truly reflecting reality.

1. Lives Outgrown, Beth Gibbons

Beth Gibbons, the acclaimed singer known for her band Portishead’s groundbreaking trip-hop album “Dummy” three decades ago, has been relatively quiet in both music and interviews since then, earning a reputation for her strong privacy. However, this doesn’t mean she leads a reclusive life. Her second solo album, filled with baroque chamber folk, delves into the theme of mortality with great vigor. This is an introspective record, brimming with images and thoughts that seem to stem from deep reflection and personal experience. The intricate compositions, often featuring strings, percussion, and woodwinds, ebb and flow as Gibbons sings about her aging body and domestic life. While the slow rhythms of trip-hop evoke an eternal night, the blissful aftermath of a club visit, this album captures the tranquil energy of knowing that every night, and every day, eventually comes to an end.

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2024-12-08 17:06

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