The List: Every Single Album I Listened To In 2024
The List is complete! To keep things exciting I have included some brief unedited thoughts under each entry (except for those I wrote about here), but if you'd like me to elaborate, please feel free to DM me on instagram (@amar1thine). The albums are organized alphabetically by artist name in each section, those sections being a loose rating out of 5, as follows
I am already on the hunt for 2025's new releases, if you find any you like please send them to me.
I hope you enjoy the list!
Not bad, just disappointing
astrid - viscera
I feel like this album is trying to be Bladee for transgender women but Bladee is already Bladee for transgender women. Also I don't like Bladee.
Charli xcx - Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not
I listed the deluxe album here because I think those three extra songs are some of my favorites and I wanted to give this album every possible advantage but the fact is that I just don't like it. The songs on here are great but in terms of cohesiveness and presentation as an album it's an absolute mess. I had to check my phone multiple times because I thought I had accidentally put it on shuffle. Maybe I'm just being a contrarian and a fun-sucking hater on this one, but since putting this album down I haven't picked it back up even once, and in a year with such good music I can’t ignore a red flag like that
Faye Webster - Underdressed at the Symphony
I would like to say that this is just a slightly lower quality Faye Webster that I’m rating low because I know she can do so much better but this album was genuinely hard to get through
glaive - May It Never Falter
There are some ok tracks on this, but the glaive/ericdoa side of hyperpop is just so many miles behind everything else this genre has to offer
Glitterer - Rationale
God I miss title fight. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time so it really hurts to hear an album by one of their former members that is just so sonically empty and dull sounding
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD”
This album set itself a very high bar with its title, and it feels tonally inconsistent with its claimed subject matter. Musically this album feels desolate and defeated, grieving and softly crying from rubble. It is an album that feels like it looks at the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the war crimes Israel continues to commit and says “we lost we are defeated it is time to mourn”. There is certainly much to mourn and it feels impossible trying to exist in one part of the world when people are being systematically slaughtered in another, but the defeatist tone of this album left a really sour taste in my mouth.
Hovvdy - Hovvdy
Sounds like ed sheeran era indie mixed with pop country in the worst way possible. It’s like if someone tried to make a pinegrove album without any of the things that make pinegrove enjoyable to listen to.
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
It feels criminal putting a Kendrick album this low on any list, but he's such a visionary artist and this album is just so boring. I feel like he dropped an album with relatively conventional beats in order to showcase his raw lyrical talent, but he really doesn't need to do that, he’s Kendrick Lamar. We already know he's the best.
Lake Street Dive - Good Together
I've liked a lot of this group’s singles. Their jazzy pop-soul sound is funky and really infectious but this album steps way too far into the pop side though and ends up sounding really corny.
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
A lot of albums are in this category because I love the artist and as a result I am holding them to a higher standard and this is no exception. Mannequin Pussy’s Patience is one of my all time favorites. I Got Heaven starts really strong, the title track is amazing. But after that quality drops pretty dramatically and the second half of the album is so forgettable
Mk.gee - Two Star & The Dream Police
I'm trying to be as nice as possible in these reviews because I saw ratatouille at a young age and it left a big impression on me. That being said, GOD I hate this album. The whole thing sounds like a mix between sting’s solo work and a Brockhampton album interlude in the worst way possible. Every song operates on a scale between obnoxious and just plain boring. His first album is one of if not my #1 favorite indie albums of all time it really hurts to put Mk.gee so far down on this list.
Peach Pit - Magpie
Another really painful placement. Their 2022 album From 2 to 3 was a strong AOTY contender for me and dominated my spotify wrapped that year. This album sadly just sounds like B-sides from their other 3 albums, mostly using the From 2 to 3 slightly more folky sound. It’s very forgettable and I'm worried that they are reaching the limit of what they can do with their current sound.
Sarah Kinsley - Escaper
Her 2021 EP The King was so promising. It had so much range, from indie jam “Karma” to the sheer space and width that the title track had, tied together with some really sensitive piano tracks showcasing her vocal skills. This album however pivots more into a spacious 80s adjacent pop sound that just doesn't have even half the power that the King had. Quality-wise this album probably should be much higher on the list, and I may revisit it in a few years and find a lot more enjoyment then. But for now, and especially in the face of its contemporaries this year, it made very little impact.
emorave - near death for euphoria
Another case of someone trying to be Bladee for transgender women but again Bladee is already Bladee for transgender women and again I don't like Bladee.
Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
Besides some mediocre lyric writing I don't really have any direct nitpicks for this one, it was just so forgettable. I have been a huge Billie fan since her don't smile at me EP and since then she has had so much memorable music, but there has been a definite decline in quality ever since her 2019 album, and I think this is the point at which she’s finally lost me.
OK
Action Bronson - JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR
More of the same from action Bronson this album feels a bit stagnant.
Civerous - Maze Envy
Some interesting instrumentation but at far as metal goes I just didn't find this album very interesting.
Francis of Delirium - Lighthouse
It’s a solid indie album but it doesn’t do anything new and what it does do it doesn’t do as well as it’s contemporaries.
Half/Cross - Penitent
This album is incredibly heavy and not much else. If super heavy is your thing you’ll love this album but it didn’t click with me
Jia* - Yes, No Question
Cute at times but lackluster songwriting
KAYTRANADA - TIMELESS
Definitely everything great we’ve come to expect from kaytranada but I don’t see myself ever reaching for this over his other stuff.
LustSickPuppy - CAROUSEL FROM HELL
Definitely a couple bangers on here I love the blend of rap and digital hardcore but it feels less like an album and more like just that: a couple of bangers. I can absolutely see a full length project from LSP going absolutely crazy tho.
Machine Girl - MG Ultra
Similar thoughts to the kaytranada album. Definitely some solid tracks on here but overall felt kinda “eh” and I don’t see myself reaching for this over MG’s other albums
Matt Champion - Mika's Laundry
I listened to this once or twice but it just didn't stick with me. This Charlie Puth style pop inspiration is catchy at times but it didnt interest me and I never returned to it.
Microwave - Let's Start Degeneracy
This one only barely made it into ok. I’m a huge fan of their albums Much Love and Stovall but I’ve been really dissatisfied with their new stuff. I feel like ever since Stovall their music has just been gradually losing energy and heart and gaining more polish. I love the polish and their delicately written riffs but without that heart and that tasteful spoonful of emo edge it’s just not memorable music. What bumped this into OK for me was just that Circling the Drain, Bored of Being Sad, and Huperzine Dreams are undoubtedly bangers, but I don’t think that in this case a few good songs is enough to save the album as a whole.
Modern Color - There Goes The Dream
Definitely had some bangers (Star 9200 and Fortress especially) but the album doesn’t hold up as a whole.
Remi Wolf - Big Ideas
Remi Wolf is insanely talented and her voice does a lot of the heavy lifting for some very mediocre pop tracks. It's really hard to remember anything about this album
Soccer Mommy - Driver
Similar issue as the microwave album, a few good songs isn’t enough to save this album.
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE - YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING
This album is a weird spin on indie rock using a lot of unconventional effects and rhythms for the genre as well as samples (there was a tatsuro yamashita sample in there which was fun but didn’t really work). My issue with it is that it’s not really weird enough. Or that it’s too weird. It’s in a middle ground where it’s weird enough to separate itself from the things that make indie rock enjoyable, but not weird enough to have merit for weirdness alone.
Surf Hat - Surf Hat Ranch
Just all around eh
Sweet Loretta - No Small Parts
Some catchy tracks but this album was rushed and it shows.
Two Shell - Two Shell
Spent the whole time building up to a crescendo or drop that never came. In a year with so much great electronic music I saw no good reason to return to this.
Zild - Superpower
Some fun songs on this but loses a lot of points for cohesion it just felt all over the place and inconsistent
Good
Allegra Krieger - Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine
Never arriving one of my favorite songs of the year, and though the rest isn’t quite as good as that one song it’s still one of the better recent indie projects I’ve heard
Amethyst Michelle - Through the Tears
Shut the Hell Up and Uh Oh went triple platinum in my headphones they're super fun tracks and Amethyst’s vocal performance on here is absolutely showstopping. That being said, the other songs aren't nearly as memorable. Overall this doesn't really feel like an album it feels like an ep where Amethyst is trying out different genres to see what works.
Amigo the Devil - Yours Until the War is Over
Some really great country and folk tracks on here with some pretty engaging storytelling but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it’s all so disingenuous. Something about his voice as well as picking a name like “amigo the devil” just feels like he’s cosplaying.
Astrophysics - The Unending Need For Perpetual Motion
I really like astrophysics’s blend of breakcore and goth rock and though this album had pieces that felt weaker than previous releases it’s still a very fun listen.
Babehoven - Water's Here In You
Overall solid indie rock, but the songwriting often didn't do it for me. Something about it felt unsatisfying.
BABii - DareDeviil2000
As with everything involving iglooghost the production is insanely good. Unfortunately, while it is good in some songs, I found BABii’s vocal performance overall lacking.
Black Dresses - LAUGHINGFISH
This album starts strong but has a lot of inconsistent and at times just plain bad mixing, and isn't able to keep up with the pace it starts with.
Cage The Elephant - Neon Pill
Overall an enjoyable listen, but besides the title track I don't find the songs on here nearly as memorable as the ones on Melphobia
Clairo - Charm
Another enjoyable listen that didn't quite stick. In terms of soft groovy and romantic I just felt like there were much more interesting albums released this year.
Crumb - AMAMA
Crumb picks up the pace a little bit on this one. It's a noticeable step up in tempo from their previous Alice Phoebe Lou style slow indie on albums like Jinx. I think i resonated much more with the slow stuff though
DJ Re:Code - ReVertPunk!
Some of the tracks on this digital hardcore album are truly stunning sonically. I don't think this album is very cohesive as an album but if you are looking for new digital hardcore tracks for a playlist don't skip this album
Etta Marcus - The Death Of Summer & Other Promises
If you miss Be the Cowboy era Mitski you will love this but it doesn't offer much else.
Fax Gang; Parannoul - Scattersun
Mixing Parannoul with a Filipino cloud rap collective is such a crazy idea and I would recommend listening to it simply because of its unique sound. It’s interesting but not much else.
Floating Points - Cascade
A super cool very club style IDM album. Didn't blow me away but definitely an enjoyable listen
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flight b741
King Giz as a band is never really able to hold me for a full album. It’s cool to hear a bluesy Rolling Stones ZZ Top style rock album in the year of our lord 2024 but I think a lot of the tracks on here fall flat. But as usual with king giz, the tracks that are good go absolutely crazy.
Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat
Given that this is a soft intimate folk album I’ve seen this compared a lot to the new Adrianne Lenker album, but I don’t think it’s quite there. It’s definitely compelling, with great lyrics and interesting songwriting. It’s just overshadowed by a lot of other music this year.
Los Campesinos! - All Hell
Los Campesinos uses a bit more of a Counting Crows style sound on this album than usual and it is overall enjoyable, but i think their rougher less polished sound on albums like Romance Is Boring.
MAVI - shadowbox
I think in a year or two MAVI could definitely be mentioned among names like Smino, Saba, and Noname, but I don’t think he's quite there yet. But even getting close makes this album super enjoyable.
Mount Eerie - Night Palace
At it’s best this album reminds me of some of my favorite Radiohead songs minus the stick up thom yorke’s ass. It isn't afraid to use more ambient space, screaming vocals, and a much softer almost diy sound at times. However a lot of the tracks on this album just felt unfinished or out of place, which I think I would have been able to look past much easier if this album wasn't an hour and twenty minutes long.
Murrumur - SEWING UP THEIR SKIN
A rather interesting breakcore and digital hardcore project. There are definitely some cool tracks on here like Patchwork of the Twins and PLAGUE, but overall I found it a bit scattered as an album.
NxWorries - Why Lawd?
I think in any other year an Anderson .Paak album would have been huge, but in the face of everything else this year it doesn't feel that significant
Perry Maysun; Marika Sage - Reverie V
STOMACH BOOK - SOPHOMORE SLUMP CALLITHUMP
Insane eclectic songwriting is sadly held back by a super blown out production style that feels way too pointy and high in treble to turn it up as loud as I wanted to.
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
It's crazy that the Cure still sounds like the Cure. It’s even crazier that Robert Smith still sounds exactly the same. While not many individual parts of this album stuck out to me I think it works really well overall as an album.
Touché Amoré - Spiral In A Straight Line
Not bad by any means but far from Touché Amoré’s best work
Great!
8485 - software gore
Alex Walton - SHAME MUSIC 2
Lex Walton’s hyper-confessional noise rock style never gets old for me. Her album I WANT YOU TO KILL ME was one of my favorites of last year and this EP is a continuation of that sound. Her lyrics are absolutely devastating and specific to the point that if you do relate to them it hits like a train.
beau - haevn
Feels like breakcore meets lofi in an underwater dream
Ben Lukas Boysen - Alta Ripa
Before this album I only knew Ben Lukas Boysen from his more ambient works. On this he takes all those techniques for fullness of sound and gives us a spacey, almost videogame soundtrack vibe. It has this uncanny ability to fill any room I play it in, no matter the speakers. Those of you who enjoy the soundtracks of the games Into the Breach of FTL: Faster Than Light are going to love this.
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
Incredibly evocative goth metal. Wolfe’s vocals are at the forefront of this album and everything from her vocal style to her lyric writing is brilliant
Cheekface - It's Sorted
Cheekface delivered exactly what I wanted (a cheekface album). I don't know how, but Cheekface made every song on this album so catchy. The lyrics are funny even after listening to them a million timesThis album went triple platinum in my household it’s so so fun.
DATAGIRL - Hello World
If you go into this one expecting edm in the same vein as the other picks on this list you will likely be put off by how poppy this album is, but I think that’s it’s greatest strength. It’s super approachable and super fun
death's dynamic shroud - You Like Music
Super weird edm, messes with a lot of jazzier stylings but isn’t afraid to get heavy. No matter how deep you look it keeps giving new treats and experiences.
Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal
Not putting this in must listen just because I’m assuming most people already have. This album is so much fun doechii has a really contagious energy that makes the whole piece shine even though there are definitely tracks on here that could be stronger. The production is genuinely interesting throughout and her technical skill as a rapper is magic to listen to. Something here for everyone.
eevie echoes and The Locations - The Cons of Being a Wallflower
God I haven't had this much fun with a pop punk album in so long. The guitar riffs, the lyrics, the healthy sprinkle of ska, every piece of this album is so catchy and so danceable. The only thing holding it back from Must Listen status for me is the fact that I have seen them live. Live, their sound is entirely different, with almost all of that poppiness replaced with raw energy, a much more straight up punk and hardcore band. That energy fits them much better as a band. It lets the Locations show just how technically talented they are instrumentally, and most importantly, it lets Eevie scream. At live shows she shows exactly how versatile her voice can be, as well as the raw power she can put behind it. I wish there was more of that side of Eevie Echoes and The Locations on this album, but I would be lying if I said the pop punk sound isn't fun.
Eidola - Eviscerate
Eidola tends to have some of the most “divorced dad who’s still sad about the breakup” lyrics I’ve ever heard in my life so I went into this wanting to be a hater but god there are so many bangers on this album the guitar work is just beautiful and it’s such a fun listen.
Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
Brought me to tears with just its chord selection and melodies alone. It’s some of FJM’s best songwriting. Screamland is honestly a terrible song but it still doesn’t ruin the album. My main issue is that his voice really isn’t up to par for what this album needs. It’s very clear and even all the time and I don’t think that works with the level of intensity and emotion in some of these songs. I feel like I can name 10 people off the top of my head who would be better vocalists for this album.
Fcukers - Baggy$$
Super catchy super danceable. Truly infectious energy
femtanyl - REACTOR
Another handful of bangers she truly doesn’t miss. God I love femtanyl
GUPPY - Something is Happening…
Another one I really wanted to hate. I banned this album in my household because of how much my roommate played it, but it’s such a fun album. The lyrics are witty and genuinely funny
Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo
This album rips cover to cover. I heard someone describe it as “hyperkinetic” and that's really the best way I can describe this album it's so unique sounding
JOBA - Russell Boring
It looks like whatever ghost that possessed Alex turner and made him make Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino also got former brockhampton member JOBA. This is a Billy Joel David Bowie esque piano rock album and it’s so much fun. The songwriting is fun and catchy and Joba’s voice is so dynamic and versatile. This album is a wonderful surprise
John Roseboro - Fools
Out of every genre I really didn’t expect a João Gilberto style bossa nova record to be released this year. I think sadly something is lost when bossa nova is sung in English, the silky smooth romance of it all doesn’t come through as strong. Bossa nova is a beautiful entrancing genre and I think John roseboro’s songwriting really does it justice.
julie - my anti-aircraft friend
I love julie’s style so much this shoegazey indie rock really has something for everyone. It’s approachable to people who have never really tried out shoegaze but the deeper you look the more it unfolds and you see just how well put together their composition is.
Katy Kirby - Blue Raspberry
I'm always a sucker for gay indie music and this album delivers on every front. Drawing from country instrumentation combined with a soft jazz vocal style highlighting control, this album is so beautiful. It effortlessly moves between catchier upbeat tracks with really clever lyrics like Cubic Zirconia and Drop Dead, and some really heartbreaking trac
Kishi Bashi - Kantos
God this album is such a blast I love kishi bashi so fucking much. The instrumentation is diverse and never dry, the crecendos send shivers down your spine, and the lyrics are so well written. The space synth rock opera vibe is so contagious.
Mild Universe - Everything Must Change
This album has a fantastic groove to it, the soul, disco, and psychedelic funk influences are super fun. Overall I feel like I would almost always reach for a Little Bird album over this, but in terms of what was released this year it absolutely stands out.
MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
Sounds like every album I grew up on, Jayhawks and Wilco especially. Melancholy and genuine. I couldn’t stop coming back to it.
Ninajirachi - girl EDM (disc 1)
One thing about me is that you could market almost anything as “_____ for girls” and I instantly go “well now I gotta try it”. This really worked in my favor in the case of this album because oh my god it’s so good. Taking heavy inspiration from Monstercat era edm, it is a pulsing electric reminder of why so many people went through an edm phase in 2012.
ok cuddle - Gijinka
Midwest emo outfit Ok, cuddle is one of my favorite bands out of the Brooklyn transcore scene and this album is a great showcase of why. Witty song titles and lyrics combined with deliciously catchy riffs and fingertapping and ever engaging song structure add up to some of my all time favorite live performances, helped in no small part by frontwoman Nicole Harwayne infectious energy. All of this comes through and so much more on the album, tied together with interviews of the band members talking about their names. This theme of names and what’s in a name holds super strong and becomes a sort of abstract essay put to music. The production style is interesting, distorted and treble heavy. It’s a truly unique sound but at more energetic points of the album it drowned out the lyrics and instrumentation. I found myself playing with the eq at certain points of the album to remedy this. But that aside this is a super well put together album and I’m super excited to see more of Ok Cuddle in the future.
Oso Oso - life till bones
Oso Oso takes a step away from their Midwest Emo roots. On this album they sound more like Phoenix and I love it so much. Catchy and well assembled every song on here is so fun.
othrwrld - Relic Attunement
Super interesting dark ambient idm ep. It's entrancing in a way I’ve only experienced from fully ambient albums.
Perry Maysun - Naked.
Perry Maysun - In Yesterday’s Light
Perry Maysun - Roll With The Punches
Pop Music Fever Dream - Songs For Emotion
POP MUSIC FEVER DREAM IS A POST-PUNK/NO WAVE BAND FROM NYC. Unmatched energy and unwavering in who they are. To say anything else would spoil the experience.
Preacher & Daisy - Wyoming, Do You Dig Madonna?
A very all around solid soft folk project, but I didn’t find myself returning to this album as much as I did the other preacher & Daisy album on this list. That being said the vocals are beautiful, flipping between head and chest voice in a way that’s so evocative. The lyrics are witty and the guitar melodies are beautiful. If you liked the Adrianne Lenker album definitely check this out.
Preacher & Daisy - All Your Many Eyes
P&D’s more upbeat album this year, we’re stepping more into country territory here. The shuffling beats and electric guitar accents really round out everything I love about P&D. The added space also leaves room for some really beautiful vocal harmonies. Love Won’t Mind has quickly become one of my favorite songs of the year.
Raveena - Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain
Easily one of my favorite recent neo soul projects. As the cover suggests this album is so sunny and so floral. Come summer this is gonna go platinum in bluetooth speakers at picnics with friends. And the JPEGMAFIA feature is so good.
salute - TRUE MAGIC
Come for the Rina Sawayama feature, stay for the really groovy pop style house/edm.
Samara Cyn - The Drive Home
If you are a fan of Doechii and Little Simz you’re gonna love this. The only bad thing I can say is that I wish it was longer. I think Samara Cyn is going to blow up very soon.
Still Woozy - Loveseat
This man cannot miss. His super melodic groovy brand of indie oozes with this adorable domestic romance that never fails to put me in a good mood and fill me with warmth. This album doesn’t stray from this usual style (aside from a bit more acoustic guitar and a slightly gentler touch) but it absolutely didn’t need to. This is sunny day music that I can’t not dance to.
Tek lintowe - KILL YOU
I really didn't expect to enjoy a cloud rap album as much as I did, it's usually a genre that doesn't resonate with me. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of any of the tracks alone, but as a whole album it's a really evocative experience. Its spaced out lofi production makes this whole album feel like dying, like bleeding out in the snow.
The Hellp - LL
It would be incredibly difficult to find a situation in which this dance electro indie album wouldn’t be a fun pick. Singing along in your room or dancing in the club it just goes so hard.
The Marías - Submarine
The Marías were actually my top artist of the year on Spotify wrapped which came as less and less of a surprise the more I thought about it. There were many days where I would just listen to their full discography on repeat, and while this album doesn’t rank as high for me as CINEMA, their previous album, it is a fantastic addition. This album doesn’t have the sonic range and variety that CINEMA had, it instead opts to zoom in and really hone their signature brand of floating sensually groovy indie pop rock. As an album it feels much tighter and more consistent than their previous works. Their songwriting is as always fantastic. Really engaging not always conventional chord progressions, beautiful vocals, some super tasty bass lines, the Marias never cease to impress.
The Society Of Rockets - Tough Trip Through Paradise
Tough Trip Through Paradise, the the ninth album from San Francisco based psych-rock band Society of Rockets, sounds wonderfully familiar. Drawing inspiration from ELO, Elliot smith, and the Beatles (especially George Harrison’s later work), this album is one of the most beautiful homages to that era of music that I’ve heard in a long time. Everything from the production to the instrumentation to the string arrangements sounds like it was pulled directly from a time capsule. Society of rockets delivers a a gentle reminder that not every new album needs to push the envelope. It’s a scrapbook of old photos for everyone who grew up listening to the Beatles, every little harmony and guitar flourish reminding me of how it felt to hear all those songs I know by heart for the first time.
Um Jennifer? - The Girl Class EP
Wisp - Pandora
This shoegaze EP has a chilled out deftones influence that I love and the lead singer’s whispery high voice compliments it perfectly
yungatita - Shoelace & A Knot
Super fun, super catchy, and instantly replayable. Easily one of my favorite recent indie rock albums.
MUST LISTEN
Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
This might be my all time favorite Adrianne Lenker album. Her lyric writing is clever and heartrending, the guitar riffs are interesting even at their simplest.
Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer
This album has some of my favorite standalone songs of the year (clams casino, aurora IL, and Only One just to name a few), but in the context of the album they get so much better. This album is a masterclass in album composition. The pacing, interludes, and emotional progression of this album are all such a treat.
CPU Buddha - CPU Buddha
Duster - In Dreams
Duster’s early style is well known for its muffled bedroom slow rock sound, and for being the soundtrack to the depressive episodes of many. This is admittedly my first foray into duster’s post 19 year hiatus work and I have to say I am incredibly impressed with how they’ve evolved. This new album showcases a much clearer production style, keeping some muffling on the lyrics so they function as a background texture. Tracks like Aqua Tofana sound like they could be off one of the early albums, albeit remastered with even more texture and body, but songs like Isnt Over add so much new flavor with digital drums with an almost early clairo pretty girl. It’s a gently swaying exploration of the band’s style, testing limits but never losing sight of their original sound and traditional MO. Also, I can’t find any credit for the artist so please someone let me know if you find one, but I wanna give a shout-out to the cover of this album, it’s one of my favorites of the year.
Foxing - Foxing
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
Hello Mary - Emita Ox
I actually had the pleasure of playing a house show with Hello Mary in I think 2019 and it’s so cool to see how much they’ve evolved since then. This album has so much in it from American football’s friendly but weird rhythmic structure (Hello Mary and American Football have actually been touring together recently if you get a chance to see them I highly recommend it), the crunchy indie alt rock charm of momma and mannequin pussy, and so much more. The production is bright and clear in a way that really drives home just how well written the instrumentation is.
JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU
Truly no one else sounds like JPEG he has honed his style to such a fine point. Using metal jazz r&b and so many more influences for his addictingly eclectic production this album is back to back bangers cover to cover. The variation of sounds on this album is massive and JPEG weaves it all together so well.
KAVARI - Laudanum
This album is SLUTTYYYYYYYY. Ripe with texture, Laudanum is evil sounding heavily distorted dark edm/idm with this undeniable hard hitting pulse. Even though it wasn’t released until Dec 28th, Waistline is easily one of my favorite electronic tracks of the year. I always love a song about sex and ritual sacrifice. This is music for those into monsters and blood, those who know that sex is something you do with your teeth.
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
God I love Mag Bay so much they simply do not miss they are incapable or releasing a bad project. This album takes a slight step to the side of their usual synth pop stylings and brings in more acoustic instrumentation that echoes ABBA at times. Song by song the album is flawless literally every track is amazing and stands up on its own, but the dedication they put into making a full an album work as a whole is unshakable. If you’ve never listened to mag bay you are missing one of the best artists of the last two decades.
More Eaze and Kaho Matsui - Computer and recording works for girls
A mostly instrumental mostly ambient album, computer and recording works for girls feels like floating, like seeing a Monet for the first time. It feels like sunnier weather, like being a girl on the best days. And the 8485 feature is amazing. Her voice is so versatile.
Perry Maysun - Avoid Second Death
Ravyn Lenae - Bird's Eye
spiral staircase - the perfect child
This album is almost 2 hours long and every second is stunning. It glides between duster style slow rock, doom metal, and blown out noise metal. Sonically it absolutely sounds self produced, but it uses that to really hit home this desolate sobbing sound. This album demands your full attention and god does it deserve it and so much more.
tracey brakes - my twee monsters
Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA
Not much to say here that hasn’t been said, the man’s a genius.
Uboa - Impossible Light
Ugly (UK) - Twice Around the Sun
Vince Staples - Dark Times
This has very quickly become a strong contender for my favorite Vince staples album. At this point if you see his name on a track you know the production is going to be brilliant, and this album is no exception. This is one of his mellower projects, using jazzy beats made mostly of acoustic instruments and slower flow, and that really lets every piece breathe, making so many memorable moments. The echoing hook on Shame on the Devil, the Tribe Called Quest style flow on Justin along with its chilled out almost boom bap beat, and especially the flanged synth on Little Homies echoing Big Fish Theory (huge shout out to Kilo Kish for the bridge of this song it and the way it kicks back into the verse is one of my favorite moments in any recent rap music). I have come to expect nothing less than flawless work from Vince Staples and this album goes above and beyond in every way.
Vylet Pony - Monarch of Monsters
Wendy Eisenberg - Viewfinder
Wendy Eisenberg is a genius and a visionary, there’s no other way to put it. Easily one of the most interesting and unique sounding jazz albums I’ve heard in a long time. Almost untraceably complex rhythms that still retain an undeniable groove, unconventional percussion instruments, and really surprising Melodie’s and dissonances that always dodged and exceeded my expectations for how they would resolve. Eisenberg also brings some really memorable vocal performances on this album. Their voice is light, thin, and airy in a way that complements their guitar playing perfectly, and starting the album off with a rather haunting vocal forward track about vision that repeats “changing isn’t healing” sets a brilliant conceptual tone. That concept, that of seeing the future and the self, is followed so consistently and expands and develops that idea so well. It all adds up to an album that, while not particularly accessible, is a must listen for every weird jazz fan. This is a magical magical piece of art.
Where's Connie - Rosie Knows
- wishlane - Nobody's listening!