Published on
December 23, 2024
Category
Features
Fifty albums, EPs, compilations and reissues that shaped our world this year.
Words by Kelly Doherty, Annabelle Van Dort, James Hammond and Emily Hill.
50.
Various Artists
fabric presents Shygirl
(fabric)
Shygirl has enjoyed a phenomenal 2024, solidifying her meteoric rise by supporting global icons like Beyoncé and Charli XCX, and collaborating with artists such as Lyzza, Erika de Casier, and Björk — all while maintaining her distinctive artistic vision. Her fabric compilation showcases her identity as a DJ, featuring bold reworks of original tracks alongside contributions from Nick León and Coucou Chloé. The result is a powerful collection of 24 tracks that blend neo-trance and pop into an electrifying mix—euphoric, joyful, and steeped in nostalgia.– Emily Hill
49.
Nídia & Valentina
Estradas
(Latency)
Multi-instrumentalist composer Valentina Magaletti joined forces with Afro-Portuguese producer and DJ Nídia on Estradas, a captivating percussive exploration. Balancing moments of sparseness with bursts of intensity, the album represents a true meeting of minds —Magaletti’s experimental drumming intertwines seamlessly with Nídia’s vibrant synth work, creating a dynamic interplay between the organic and the synthetic. Like an enthralling jam session, Estradas continually evolves and shifts direction, highlighting the chemistry between their approaches. Unlike anything else released this year, Estradas is a truly unique proposition. – Kelly Doherty
48.
JAUBI
A Sound Heart
(Riaz Records)
This year marked the highly anticipated return of Pakistani trio Jaubi with their bold sophomore album, A Sound Heart. Seamlessly blending modal jazz, spiritual ragas, and South Asian classical music, the album delivers a powerful and evocative experience. Composed by the band’s guitarist, Kashif Ali Dhani, A Sound Heart is a heartfelt ode to love in all its forms — from primal desire to spiritual transcendence — passionately delving into the complexities of the human condition through moments of profound sonic introspection. Featuring Polish keyboard and synth virtuoso Latarnik alongside luminaries of the London jazz scene, including Tenderlonious, Nick Walters, Horatio Luna, and Tim Carnegie, A Sound Heart is a collective triumph. – Annabelle Van Dort
47.
Moin
You Never End
(AD 93)
You Never End marked a bold new chapter for Moin—the collaboration between Valentina Magaletti, Tom Halstead, and Joe Andrews—as they elevated their project into the vocal realm with contributions from Olan Monk, Sophia Al-Maria, James K, and AD93 label regular Coby Sey. Blending conventional and unconventional approaches to music-making, the band encapsulates the essence of unrequited emotion, channelling it through a distinctive fusion of grunge, shoegaze, and indie—while simultaneously crafting something wholly unique. – EH
46.
LWS
Palloon
(Can You Feel The Sun)
Edinburgh-based DJ LWS made a striking debut this year on Can You Feel The Sun with Palloon, a four-track UK techno journey that ventures into the realm of experimental electronics. The standout track “Steady On” takes listeners on a dynamic rollercoaster of soaring highs and plunging lows, while “Faster, Dryer” on the flip side slows things down, building tension with intricately programmed percussion. This debut release stands out as one of the UK’s finest dancefloor offerings of the year, destined to keep dancers moving well into the future. – EH
45.
Gastr Del Sol
We Have Dozens of Titles
(Drag City)
Gastr del Sol’s freewheeling ventures through sound were aptly condensed with this collection that interspersed the group’s final live show with a host of aural oddities from varying 7”s, EPs and compilations. An irregular retrospective approach and one that felt like the natural way to deal with the breadth of David Grubbs and Jim O’Rourke’s experimentation and compositional left-turns, that venture through acoustic guitars, musique concrete-inspired electronics and the occasional field recording. Coming 25 years after the group disbanded, We Have Dozens of Titles is a welcome reminder of the inspired approach to song form and experimentation that David Grubbs and Jim O’Rourke worked up both live or in the studio. – James Hammond
44.
Arooj Aftab
Night Reign
(Verve)
Acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Arooj Aftab unveiled another mesmerizing and poignant record with her fourth album, Night Reign. Featuring lyrics drawn from the Urdu poetry of Mah Laqa Bai Chanda and a bold, experimental interpretation of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves,” Night Reign is a lush, atmospheric record that finds beauty in the shadows. Aftab’s hypnotic vocal range and the album’s minimalist yet enveloping instrumentation lends itself to a soothing, slow-build wonder.– KD
43.
Low End Activist
Municipal Dreams
(Sneaker Social Club)
Low End Activist’s Municipal Dreams delves into the shadowy depths of UK garage, infused with elements of grime and a heavy bass-driven edge. Offering a semi-autobiographical journey through the Blackbird Leys estate where he grew up, Low End Activist has delivered one of the year’s standout bass records. With dynamic twists and turns that straddle the line between kitchen-sink realism and rave futurism, Municipal Dreams is a must-have for club sound systems. – EH
42.
Fred Frith
Guitar Solos / Fifty
(Week-End Records)
Reissuing his incendiary debut release in style, Fred Frith marked Guitar Solos‘ 50th anniversary with an accompanying disc of new material recorded on the same guitar. Never one to meet the guitar with its conventions, Guitar Solos was a work that blazed a trail of extended technique as Frith placed pick-ups at the wrong end of the guitar’s neck, before boundlessly setting off into the timbral possibilities of the instrument. This reissue showed no dulling of his talent and musical imagination as distinct tapping techniques, harmonics, and electrical interventions appear in an arc of sound that spans half a century. – JH
41.
DJ Babatr
Rise of The Raptor
(International Chrome)
DJ Babatr, often hailed as the Godfather of the Raptor genre, continues to push boundaries with his vibrant fusion of Euro trance, ghetto house, and Afro-Latin rhythms. In 2024, Babatr’s contributions ranged from a standout feature on the Chromesthesia compilation—a must-hear exploration of sonic dialogues around migration—to the groundbreaking Rise of the Raptor on International Chrome. Featuring a stellar remix from French producer Amor Satyr, Rise of the Raptor delivers five dynamic tracks that seamlessly blend ’90s Euro club influences with the raw energy of Venezuelan street raves, keeping dance floors energized and electrified. – EH
40.
SH
FXWL 24A
(Flux White)
FXWL 24A stands out as a cut above the rest, showcasing SH’s innovative, hardware-based approach to electro—aptly dubbed “electro mechanisms from the new world.” Released as a limited white label through London’s Flux imprint, this fiery offering is a must-have, packed with dynamic twists and turns. An essential release that’s been flying off the shelves. – EH
39.
Wakuenai
Music for Shape Shifters: Field Recordings from the Amazonian Lowlands, 1981-1985
(Sublime Frequencies)
This archival stunner presents a set of field recordings from the early ’80s of Wakuénai culture in the Amazonian lowlands of Venezuela and Colombia. Intriguingly, after anthropologist Jonathan Hill initiated these recordings he left his equipment with the Wakuénai, who continued recording the ceremonial and spiritual practices that are gathered on this LP. Catfish trumpets and flutes are at the heart of many of these recordings and are striking in their low-end resonance and mirroring of Amazonian surroundings. A vivid document that intimately shows the Wakuénai relationship between sound and transmutation. – JH
38.
Fergus Jones
Ephemera
(Numbers)
Fergus Jones, also known as Perko, unveiled Ephemera this year on the iconic Glasgow-based imprint Numbers—a project that has been in the works for the past five years. Featuring collaborations with kindred spirits like Huerco S, Laila Saikin, and Koreless, among others, the album explores a vivid sonic landscape, seamlessly shifting from dubbed-out techno to trip-hop. The result is a phenomenal and richly textured body of work. – EH
37.
Deadly Headley
35 Years From Alpha
(On-U Sound)
Adrian Sherwood has been busy this year, releasing anthologies from On-U sound legends Creation Rebel and Prince Far I, as well as reissuing a late-career triumph from jazz trumpeter, Harry Beckett. However, here at the Vinyl Factory, our 2024 pick goes to the only solo record produced by the saxophonist Deadly Headley Bennett, best known as a prolific session player with Sound Dimension and The Arabs. Originally released in 1982, 35 Years from Alpha is a vibrant display of Headly’s prodigious skill: from the sweet, lilting melodies of “Head Charge” and “Headley’s Melody” to the strutting riffs of “Little Dove”, Bennett is the lynchpin, in full command of his instrument. – JH
36.
Los Campesinos!
All Hell
(Heart Swells)
Following a seven-year wait, Los Campesinos! returned this year for their self-released seventh album. All Hell retains the hallmarks responsible for the Welsh band’s long-time cult status – the lyrics are unwieldy and verbose, leftist politics and football references are omnipresent and they continue to veer between heart-on-sleeve emo and acerbic British indie-rock swipes. That’s not to say All Hell is treading redundant ground; All Hell is expertly conducted, expressing the neuroses and anxieties that haunt us far beyond our teen years through tight, rousing anthems. A moving, thoughtful reminder that while times may change, the struggles remain the same. – KD
35.
Daisy Moon
System Creak
(Peach Discs)
Since her debut release in 2019 on the Idle Hands imprint, Daisy Moon has been an artist to watch. Her latest EP, released via the Bristol/Berlin-based label Peach Discs, is a playful and melodic club-focused offering that showcases the evolution of her sonic identity. This joyful third physical release on the label brings a refreshing buoyancy to the year, making it a perfect addition to the dancefloor.— EH
34.
Bon Iver
Sable,
(Jagjaguwar)
On his first project in five years, Justin Vernon peels back the layers, crafting raw, rootsy folk songs emboldened by Vernon’s bare-bones vulnerability. Ready to face his internal battles head-on, Vernon returns to the intimate, fire-side acoustics of 2009’s Blood Bank EP. Gone are the luscious choral arrangements and glitching electronics of more recent works. Accompanied by chiming finger-style guitar, his raspy, soulful voice echoes out into the ether, searching for catharsis within the confessional nature of his songwriting.
“Man, I’m so sorry / I got the best of me”, he sings on the quietly devastating “S P E Y S I D E”. In this acceptance of wrongdoing, Vernon moves closer towards renewal. As he sings on the closing track, “AWARDS SEASON”: “Oh, how everything can change/Oh, how everything can change/ You can be remade/You can live again”. – AVD
33.
Catherine Christer Hennix
Further Selections From the Electric Harpsichord
(Blank Forms)
Blank Forms’ ongoing survey of Catherine Christer Hennix’s expansive archive brought forth another gem this year with Further Selections from the Electric Harpsichord. A revisit of sorts to her seminal The Electric Harpsichord, which sparked a much-welcomed retrospective of the Swedish polymath’s work when finally released in 2010, Further Selections presents a recently unearthed and comprehensive live recording of the same piece.
With fidelity intact, the transcendent qualities of Hennix’s work are on full display here and benefit from a longer duration than the previously released version. A ferment of justly tuned keyboards and tape feedback like no other. – JH
32.
Various Artists
Dekmantel Ten: A Decade Of Dekmantel Festival
(Dekmantel)
2024 has been a year of anniversaries and expertly curated box sets, and this rings especially true for the legendary festival and label Dekmantel. The Dutch-based festival, now celebrating its 10th year in the fields of Amsterdam Bos, marked the occasion in spectacular fashion with a massive vinyl compilation that captures elements from each of its seven stages—an experience we’ve been fortunate to enjoy over the years.
Featuring a select handful of the many artists who have graced the festival’s stage, the compilation includes special tracks from the likes of Call Super, Kode9, and Wara Igarashi. It’s a joyous reflection on the evolution of this iconic event in the Dutch music scene, and its lasting impact that stretches far beyond the festival grounds. – EH
31.
Alice Coltrane
A Monastic Trio
(Verve)
In the vast discography of Alice Coltrane, A Monastic Trio arrives like a prophecy, bearing illuminations of Coltrane’s spiritual journeying to come. Recorded in the wake of John Coltrane’s death, Alice Coltrane’s first solo stands as a striking monument to her late husband’s memory — with each of the featured players (saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Rasheed Ali) being part of John Coltrane’s final quintet. Transitioning between post-bebop experiments into spiritual jazz ascensions, the first half of A Monastic Trio sees Coltrane at the piano, playing in cascading, expressive arpeggiated phrases before taking to the harp on album highlight, “Lovely Sky Boat” — signalling to the path ahead, with her harp pointed heavenward. – AVD
30.
claire rousay
sentiment
(Thrill Jockey)
sentiment marked a shift for claire rousay — her most accessible and immediate release to date. While the found sound and distinct experimental language of her previous work remained at the core, this time the previously implied emo atmospheres were brought to the forefront. Twinkling guitars intertwine with Rousay’s isolated ambient productions, adding a layer of emotional depth. There’s a profound sadness in the everyday sounds captured on sentiment — these compositions belong to an inner world haunted by loneliness, self-doubt, and conflict. A deeply moving body of work from one of experimental music’s most dynamic figures. – KD
29.
Katy J Pearson
Someday, Now
(Heavenly)
“Modern catastrophe / it’s mine now / this tragedy’s mine now”, sings Katy J Pearson on the striking “It’s Mine Now”; steadfast in the face of disaster, Pearson reclaims the peaks and the troughs of her own story. Someday, Now, the third album from the Bristol-based songwriter, is tied together by this overarching theme of self-actualisation, brought to vivid life through her collaboration with producer Bullion, who accentuates Pearson’s earthy, west-country twang with dazzling electronic arrangements, producing her most ‘pop’ adjacent album to date. – AVD
28.
Moor Mother
The Great Bailout
(ANTI-)
VF artist and poet/musician Moor Mother was on exceptional form with the breathtaking The Great Bailout. A dense and artful interrogation of the British slave trade and colonial project, The Great Bailout is a heavy fog of echoey, dark vocals and minimalist, deconstructed productions. The project is spearheaded by defiant spoken word – refrains such as “Where they get all the money?” (“ALL THE MONEY”) and “God save the Queen because who else life has value” (“GOD SAVE THE QUEEN”) pack a raw punch, staying with the listener long after the record stops spinning. Boasting a list of collaborators including Lonnie Holley and Kyle Kidd, The Great Bailout is Moor Mother at her best.– KD
27.
Porridge Radio
Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me
(Secretly Canadian)
Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, the fourth record from rising UK outfit Porridge Radio, is a picture of a woman on the edge. Built around the alternately fragile and storming vocals of band leader Dana Margolin, Clouds in the Sky… carries the daily pains of love and loss to god-like proportions. Lamenting former lovers with a thunderous rage, treating human connection with a sacred devotion, Margolin builds an emotional landscape fuelled by intensity, desperation and exhaustion. Raw emotion has never sounded so good. – KD
26.
Ezra Collective
Dance, No One’s Watching
(Partisan Records)
Hot off their historic Mercury Prize win in 2023— making them the first jazz act ever to win the award — London-based quintet Ezra Collective returned with a euphoric third album filled with a sublime blend of West African rhythms, sensual Son Cubano, alongside quieter, more introspective moments. A paean to the dancefloor, Dance No One’s Watching captures the catharsis of a night on the town: whipping up roof-raising, peak-time floor-fillers that segue effortlessly into laid-back jazz instrumentals — the perfect soundtrack to the early hours, journeying home or kicking back at the afters. – AVD
25.
CCL & Ciel
Tilda’s Goat Stare
(naff Recordings)
Two of Canada’s finest musical exports joined forces for the highly anticipated EP Tilda’s Goat Stare, featuring remixes by legendary Bristol producer and DJ Yushh, alongside naff head honcho Priori. Both artists have had an extraordinary year in production, releasing with labels like K7 and Banoffee Pies, to name just a few. This eagerly awaited collaboration, partly inspired by their shared love of experimental cinema, incorporates dialogue clips from the film Teknolust, starring Tilda Swinton—aptly described as a cyberpunk feminist film. The EP delves into the darker realms of progressive house and techno, resulting in a trippy dancefloor groove perfect for sweaty basements. – EH
24.
Raf Saperra
5 Deadly Venoms
(Mass Appeal/ Fat Boy Records)
With the release of 5 Deadly Venoms on Nas’s Mass Appeal in March of this year, South London’s Raf Saperra is cruising in his own lane, fusing an intoxicating blend of bhangra beats, sinuous Punjabi folk melodies and East Coast hip-hop swagger into one idiosyncratic package. Featuring appearances from memorable appearances from Conway the Machine, Dave East and Bobby Kang, 5 Deadly Venoms is an inventive, star-making turn from Raf Saperra. – AVD
23.
Ayo Ke Disco
Boogie, Pop and Funk From the South China Sea
(Soundway)
Crate-digger, DJ, and Soundway record manager Norsicaa conducts an exhilarating whistle-stop tour through the musical styles and scenes igniting dancefloors across Southeast Asia in the 1970s and 1980s. Ayo Ke Disco, (translating to ‘Let’s Go to the Disco’ in Indonesian) captures the smoke-filled allure of late-night discotheques, where traditional sounds collided with disco, funk and psych, refracting against the mirror-ball in dazzling new constellations. Featuring ten rarities—reissued for the first time— from local labels in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines, Ayo Ke Disco is a lovingly curated compilation, complete with a detailed zine produced by Norsicaa herself. – AVD
22.
Various Artists
Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996
(Light In The Attic)
In the bleak geo-political landscape of 2024, when Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine wages on, the release of Even the Forest Hums —the first anthology of Ukrainian music produced in the years before and after the fall of the Soviet Union— feels like an act of resistance, an urgent project aimed toward sonic solidarity. A collaboration between Light in Attic and Shukai—a Kyiv-based archival label specialising in Ukrainian obscurities— the compilation celebrates the creative energies and transgressive imagination of Ukrainian musicians, who in disregarding Soviet cultural restrictions, pioneered a diverse underground culture that encompassed haunting electro-acoustic experiments, ‘moustache’ funk floor-fillers and flute-centric jazz grooves. Essential listening! – AVD
21.
Charli xcx
brat
(Atlantic)
No one could have foreseen the cultural effect of Charli xcx’s brat throughout 2024 — from the omnipresent neon green aesthetic to Charli’s absurdist declaration of Kamala Harris as “brat.” Amid the surrounding frenzy, it’s easy to overlook just how enjoyable the album itself truly is. On brat, Charli xcx fully leans into her party-girl persona, capturing both its wild, full-throttle highs and its more introspective, vulnerable moments. Drawing inspiration from early ’00s indie-pop, ’90s rave, and everything loud and fun-loving, brat serves as both a hedonistic soundtrack and a comforting companion for the comedown. – KD
20.
Laura Marling
Patterns In Repeat
(Chrysalis Records)
Eight albums in, Laura Marling reaches a career high with Patterns In Repeat, a stunning and tender meditation on motherhood, family, and domesticity. An intimate record filled with the ambient hum of household life, Marling’s lyrics explore the choices and sacrifices entwined with domestic commitment. From the heartfelt assurance to her child that “nothing real was lost in the bringing of you to me” (“Patterns In Repeat”) to reflections on past lovers (“Caroline”), the album captures the complexity within settled life’s seemingly mundane moments. Patterns In Repeat is a heartfelt ode to the power of family and the daily decision to embrace consistency and love. – KD
19.
Emahoy Mariam Gebru
Souvenirs
(Mississippi Records)
Honouring what would have been Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s 100th birthday, Mississippi Records continued their reissue survey of the Ethiopian nun’s musical work with the spellbinding Souvenirs. Following on from last year’s Jerusalem, which gave us a tantalising glimpse of Gebru’s rarely heard vocals, Souvenirs arrived as a full collection of home recordings that placed her voice alongside her beautiful cascades of piano notes.
Recorded directly into a boom box between 1977 and 1985 and largely whilst in exile from Ethiopia, these works hold her homeland close to heart as she traverses love and loss through the frame of lilting melodies and Amharic poetry. Essential listening from a legend of Ethiopian music. – JH
18.
Mount Kimbie
The Sunset Violent
(Warp)
After the career-defining Love What Survives in 2017, it’s no surprise that musical shapeshifters Mount Kimbie leaned fully into post-punk territory this year. With the addition of Andrea Balency-Béarn and Marc Pell to the lineup, the band has further distanced itself from the bleeping post-dubstep roots of their early days, opting instead for a dreamy, understated industrial sound.
The Sunset Violent may not be the year’s most immediate record, but its subtle layering, hazy atmospheres and a mix of humorous and nonsensical lyricism create a cohesive expression of yearning and modern discontent. It’s a quietly powerful statement from a band that continues to evolve with ingenuity. – KD
17.
Dar Disku
Dar Disku
(Soundway)
The eponymous debut from Bahraini-born, British-based duo, Dar Disku is a groove-filled portmanteau of multi-cultural influences: from Raї to Turkish psych, cosmic house to Khaleeji disco. A jubilant celebration of Dar Disku’s Arab heritage, the record reimagines the musical traditions of the SWANA region within the realms of the contemporary dancefloor. Featuring memorable guest appearances from legendary Indian singer Asha Puthli and musicians from Algeria, Bahrain and Turkey, Dar Disku has charted thrilling sonic geographies in their innovative blend of styles and influences. – AVD
16.
Nicolas Jaar
Piedras 1 and 2
(Other People)
Condensed from the original five-hour radio play that takes in a conceptual narrative of disappeared persons and interlocking themes of power and memory within the injustices of colonial history, Nicolas Jaar’s Piedras 1 & 2 is his most ambitious and transportive work yet. Setting out an elliptical and reflective narrative, Jaar employs the breadth of his sound palette to traverse club-ready works alongside those that readily float out into the aether. Vast in scope and the imaginative sounds that propel this work, Piedras 1 & 2 is packed full of pensive, sparking electronica. – JH
15.
Jlin
Akoma
(Planet Mu)
Jlin continued her run as one of dance music’s most intriguing auteurs with her third studio album. As we’ve come to expect from Jlin, Akoma is an artful interrogation of club-ready sounds, driven by a precise and deliberate understanding of the power of percussion. In its glitchy traversing of genres as disparate as footwork, classical and trap, the release is unpredictable and intentionally disjointed, yet simultaneously silky smooth and fluid. Danceable and thoughtful, Akoma is an exhilarating collection that cements Jlin’s reputation as a singular talent in her field. – KD
14.
Jennifer Walshe and Tony Conrad
In the Merry Month of May
(Drag City)
Tony Conrad’s final studio album, In the Merry Month of May arrived in the titular month, eight years after Conrad’s passing and a fitting testament to the vibrancy of his collaboration with Jennifer Walshe. With both being established sonic troublemakers in their own right, this studio effort sprang forth from their untethered live shows, channelling the improvisational spark into a remarkably odd record. Pairing contortions of language with anti-Pythagorean, anti-establishment strings; drones and absurdist anxieties abound in this experimental highlight of 2024. – JH
13.
Jack J
Blue Desert
(Mood Hut)
Jack J, the mastermind behind the Canadian label Mood Hut, teams up with Diego Herrera and fellow Pender Street Stepper Liam Butler on a phenomenal 11-track album. Blue Desert sees Jack J firmly in singer-songwriter mode, offering a true demonstration of his artistic talent. This body of work stands as one of his greatest – hypnotic and nourishing in all the right ways. A must-listen that evokes a faint nostalgia for summer during these cold winter nights.– EH
12.
MJ Lenderman
Manning Fireworks
(ANTI-)
North Carolina singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman has been steadily gaining cult status for some time, but with Manning Fireworks, his place in the spotlight is now firmly cemented. A blend of the slacker sound pioneered by Pavement and a distinctly Gen Z sense of humour, Manning Fireworks is as dry as they come — filled with awkward, uncomfortable tales of losers and underdog anthems. While Lenderman’s eyes may reflect the misery of stumbling through life, his sharp storytelling and keen perspective breathe life into every character. Packed with shredding guitar riffs and unforgettable one-liners, Manning Fireworks proves that dudes truly rock.– KD
11.
Tyler, The Creator
CHROMAKOPIA
(Columbia)
CHROMAKOPIA, the unexpected seventh album from Tyler, The Creator, landed in October, bringing with it a flurry of anxious energy. Tyler’s most personal release to date, CHROMAKOPIA is anchored by the voice of his mother, Bonita Smith, and charts a winding journey through his fame-related fears, reluctance to commit romantically, and the existential questions that accompany ageing. Whilst all are familiar concerns for a 33-year-old, Tyler’s grinding beats and claustrophobic production throughout the record lend it a sense of the walls closing in. Larger-than-life and featuring standout contributions from Doechii, ScHoolboy Q, and Daniel Caesar, CHROMAKOPIA solidifies Tyler’s place as one of the greatest of his generation. – KD
10.
Various Artists
Naya Beat 2: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music
(Naya Beat)
From the fiery chutney beats of Sharlene Boodram to the hypnotic tabla rhythms of Kuljit Bhamra, Naya Beat 2—the second compilation of South Asian dance music from the eponymous LA-based label— is a feast for the ears: a diasporic stew of bhangra, acid house and trip-hop, blended with classical Indian styles, bursting with dance-floor ready flavour. Label heads Turbotito and Ragz elevate this compilation beyond the typical archival format, scattering a selection of remixes across the tracklist, connecting the dots between the styles of the past and the club sounds of the present. – AVD
9.
Still House Plants
If I don’t make it, I love u
(Bison Records)
Still House Plants’ third full-length album, If I Don’t Make It, I Love U, stands as their strongest work yet, showcasing the group’s seamlessly intertwined yet delightfully off-kilter approach. Rooted in their enduring friendship, the record strikes a curious balance between pop sensibilities and abrasive textures. These tracks come alive through the enveloping repetitions and unexpected shifts of Finlay Clark’s guitar, Jess Hickie Kallenbach’s evocative vocals, and David Kennedy’s dynamic drumming. – EH
8.
Nilufer Yanya
My Method Actor
(Ninja Tune)
On her most assured release to date, London-based singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya lingers in the melancholy, forging a sultry collection of songs that surprises with unexpected hooks and luscious inflections. Co-written with Wilma Archer, Yanya’s third album—her first on Ninja Tune— is cohesive and fully realised. The writing partnership between the two results in an intoxicating moodiness: Yanya’s lyricism is incisive, her voice raw, and her signature, hard-strummed guitar reverberates with a grungy urgency— sadness hasn’t sounded this cool in a long time. – AVD
7.
Clairo
Charm
(Clairo)
On her third album, former bedroom-pop sensation Clairo completed her transformation into a confident, soulful 70s-styled troubadour. Building on the soft-rock influences of its predecessor, Sling, Clairo’s latest record is hushed but bold–a self-assured examination of desire.
Where her impressive debut Immunity was packed with youthful, messy yearning, Charm leans into the sensual; the desire to be desired and romance through the eyes of someone comfortable in the driver’s seat. Recorded direct-to-tape, Charm is warm and full of character, calling upon retro soul, soft-rock and psych with a nuanced touch and meticulous arrangements that prove this is no tribute record. Charm is perhaps not as immediate as Clairo’s early work but it is markedly more dense and rewarding. A realised vision from a young artist forging a path away from the mainstream. – KD
6.
The Cure
Songs of a Lost World
(Fiction)
Sixteen years after their last album, The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World arrived as a set of songs that had been lived with for some time – an unhurried, personal and concise work marked by grief and the passage of time. With the unmistakable dynamics of the group in full bloom from the outset of opening track “Alone”, their familiar strain of melancholy appears, yet with Songs of a Lost World it’s a melancholy that serves where they stand in the present tense, in a world far removed from those of past albums.
For all the loss and ageing that’s present in Smith’s lyrics, the longevity of his voice and indeed songwriting powers are remarkable – always one to buck trends by existing outside of them, to that extent it’s certainly within The Cure’s fabric to deliver one of their best albums 45 years on from their debut. – JH
5.
Julia Holter
Something in the Room She Moves
(Domino)
Given the immediacy and melodic focus of Julia Holter’s sixth album, references to pop music certainly make sense, yet it was the unplaceable and idiosyncratic undercurrents that made this a work to return to throughout the year. Playful and free-flowing, Something in the Room She Moves set percussion, fretless bass, mellotron and Yamaha CS60 synth lines within a swirl around Holter’s voice. Effervescent songs that create space as they go, irrespective of genre specifics. – JH
4.
Nala Sinephro
Endlessness
(Warp)
On her second record, London-based composer and jazz musician Nala Sinephro conjures a dreamlike state through minimalist exploration. Endlessness is calm and soothing yet unafraid to soar into the dizzying heights of experimental jazz, building around a central arpeggiation that unfolds across cosmic dimensions.
While ambient jazz can often risk blending into background music, Endlessness captivates with its inner tensions — the nuanced shifts and interactions between players, and the vast, immersive stretches where time and space seem to dissolve. Subtle yet addictive, it offers a luxurious antidote to the relentless noise of daily life. – KD
3.
Astrid Sonne
Great Doubt
(Escho)
Bringing in 2024 with a left turn in her sound, Astrid Sonne set a high bar for the year with Great Doubt. Imbued with the diaristic songwriting that has come to define the current crop of singer-songwriters, Sonne took the genre in a different direction – one where admissions of love, confusion about having children, and pleas for the return of a lover were placed alongside angular, minimalist ambient-leaning production.
For each moment that Great Doubt’s lyricism was bluntly framed, it was matched with the obscure – creating a sense that plainspoken declarations concealed an entire universe of contained feeling. Not quite a pop album, not quite an ambient album, Great Doubt is a third more interesting and unpinnable proposition – a restrained canvas for uncertainty that offers increasing reward upon repeat listens. – KD
2.
Adrianne Lenker
Bright Future
(Domino)
Not quite content with her role as leader of one of the world’s most lauded indie folk acts, Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker returned to her solo side-project this year with the highly raw and heartfelt Bright Future. Recorded, mixed, and mastered on analogue tape, Bright Future is a deeply intimate listen – Lenker’s wise tales and narrative-building crackle with life and warmth. Despite a few gut-wrenchingly sad cuts, the earnest maturity of Lenker’s lyricism truly shines here, for every moment of pain and heartache, there’s an optimistic core that views life’s ups and downs with a calm acceptance. — KD
1.
Kim Gordon
The Collective
(Matador)
Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon returned this year for her second solo album and it is the most thrilling body of work from 2024.
The Collective sees Gordon confront the attention economy, set against a backdrop of blown-out rap beats and grinding industrial soundscapes. While drawing from familiar threads of post-punk, trap, and alt-pop, The Collective feels entirely fresh — an experimental hip-hop record brimming with distortion and visceral energy.
Gordon’s casual deadpan delivery offers a stream-of-consciousness lens through which she examines the world, pulling listeners into her perspective with exhilarating force. Her detached, arm’s-length approach mirrors the cold indifference of modern society, while her sharp, shopping-list-style lyrics rail against late capitalism with a blend of confidence and rage that’s far more powerful than any simplistic sloganeering.
Kim Gordon has long been the epitome of cool, and more than forty years into her career, she continues to shock, provoke, and redefine expectations. – KD
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