2024 has been an incredible year for music so far. From innovative indie releases to groundbreaking electronic albums, the musical landscape continues to evolve in exciting ways.
Top Albums
1. Hovvdy - Hovvdy
- Released: April 26, 2024
- Standout track: Bubba
I’ve been a long time fan of Hovvdy ever since their album Cranberry, and every release since has captivated me. Charlie and Will have always traded songwriting duties, yet their albums consistently feel cohesive. Their melodies are subtle but quite moving, and their lyrical approach to storytelling pulls you in and paints a vibrant picture. Hovvdy’s songs span the gamut from fun to contemplative to a downright gut punch. I also love recording and producing my own music, so when I found out that the band employed a new production technique for this new record, I was intrigued. They called it “Operation Magma”: they recorded the new album using only iPhones and a Zoom recorder to enable them to record whenever inspiration struck.
2. When I’m Called - Jake Xerxes Fussell
- Released: July 12, 2024
- Standout track: Leaving Here, Don’t Know Where I’m Going
Jake is a folklorist, whose parents also had a penchant for history and uncovering songs and writings from America’s past. I don’t quite understand what percentage of Jake’s songs are actually 100% his vs. lyrics he’s found from some dusty corner of an antique store book, but his albums always capture my heart and soul. He’s a phenomenal guitar player, and more often than not his finger picked guitar lines are what will get stuck in my head long after I’ve listened. This newest album is perfect for a summer day’s drive through the country, when you’re daydreaming about what’s around the next corner and happy to be alive.
3. Three - Four Tet
- Released: March 15, 2024
- Standout track: Storm Crystals
I haven’t historically connected with Four Tet’s albums, due largely to the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of dance music. He’s mostly worked in the realm of EDM/four on the floor work for his last several albums and the results didn’t stick with me for much longer than one or two listens. Three is an exception: there’s something so dynamic and engrossing about the songs that Kieran has put together that it ended up playing on repeat for me earlier in the year. It also helped that he graciously agreed to be a guest on Tape Notes, one of my absolute favorite podcasts, to speak about how the album came together. It has some dancey bits, but overall feels like a more meditative electronic album.
4. I Wish You Way More Than Luck - Lo Moon
- Released: April 5, 2024
- Standout track: Waiting a Lifetime
This album was so much fun, and it came out right when I was in the mood for a bigger, bombastic rock record. I didn’t know about Lo Moon, but discovered them when Dave Hartley (bassist for the War on Drugs) shared via social media that he had tracked some bass parts with them for this album. I felt I should give it a shot, so I followed the link he shared and was immediately hooked. The production is really beautiful and the end result is a moody, atmospheric rock album that is best listened to at full volume.
5. Superkilen - Svaneborg Kardyb
- Released: October 18, 2024
- Standout track: St. Pancras
I discovered the Danish duo Svaneborg Kardyb when they performed a tiny desk concert several years ago, and was immediately drawn into their blend of live percussion and swirling synthesizers. This album came out at the perfect time in 2024 to usher in the fall and become fully engrained in my listening habits by the winter. It’s cozy melodies and tones made a fantastic companion to the dark and wet Pacific Northwest winter.
6. A Million Easy Payments - Little Kid
- Released: February 23, 2024
- Standout track: Bad Energy
This record captured my attention immediately, from the lovely cover painting by James Lee Chiahan to the slow burn songwriting of Kenny Boothby. The album is full of delicate instrumentation that serve as crucial pieces of slow building songs. It’s not an album that the impatient will resonate with; Boothby likes to embrace repetition while taking his time. The vocal delivery paired with some truly phenomenal lyrics made a big impact on me, and I purchased a copy on vinyl after only a few listens through.
7. Talker - Wilderado
- Released: September 20, 2024
- Standout track: Talker
I’d never heard of Wilderado until a post by James McAlister caught my eye: James is a talented drummer who’s also newer to the producing space who partnered with Wilderado to produce this treat. I’m not one for partaking, but Talker is the musical equivalent of a spliff and a light beer on a perfect summer day. It’s just got an easy, breezy ethos that permeates through every square inch of the record, and it was a blast to turn on and chill to.
8. Horrible Occurrences - Advance Base
- Released: December 6, 2024
- Standout track: The Tooth Fairy
Owen snuck this record in under the wire in December, and it immediately found a place in my top ten. The album is full of wonderful (yet horrible) stories of characters and their love, loss, and pain shared with a backdrop of electric piano and drum machines. The music itself is straightforward and somewhat elementary, but I was drawn in by his storytelling and emotional delivery of these made up characters and their little fragmented worlds.
9. Bellow - Witch Bolt
- Released: July 21, 2024
- Standout track: Lifting Light from the Ground
Dungeon Synth is cool.
Honorable Mentions
- [Other notable albums…]
Looking Forward
[Discuss upcoming releases you’re excited about…]