Our 2024 Albums of the Year
For the end of 2024, our blog team put together a list of our favorite albums released this year. We wrote some blurbs to prove our points!
Note: The order of this list is arbitrary.
Remi Wolf, Big Ideas
If there’s one thing that can be said about Remi Wolf’s sophomore studio album, it’s that it truly lives up to its name. Equipped with a bold mix of funk, disco, and indie-pop, the singer has successfully cumulated a glittery mosaic of sound, strung together with the all-too-real desire to leave the world behind and party. The album opens with the single “Cinderella,” which functions as an exhilarating thesis statement for the album; Wolf sings about all of the highs of the life of a touring artist, which includes partying in hotel lobbies and dancing under the moonlight. She balances these sentiments with a deeper, more intricate anxiety, asking herself halfway through the song: “Is there something wrong with the way that I'm designed?” This punch of doubt, not dissimilar to the pockets of anxiety Charli XCX sprinkles throughout BRAT, is continued in many other songs, allowing us to see through the cracks of confidence and allure into a more conflicting, nuanced display of humanity. Other highlights on the album include “Toro” and “Kangaroo,” in which Wolf lets her jubilant and unrestrained lyricism shine through (“Lil’ baby love / Will you be my kangaroo?”), all the while working with distorted vocals that perfectly itch the back of the brain. From the beginning to the end of this 43-minute dancefest, Remi Wolf curates an experience that is so unforgetably her.
Simon Gess.
Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
One of my most cherished feelings when listening to new music is when a song evokes a combination of newness and familiarity in my heart or mind. Katie Crutchfield knows, possibly better than most anyone else in the 2024 indie-country-rock-pop landscape, just how to do this. Her newest album as Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood, is a musical and lyrical victory lap full of self-reflection, fearlessness, and theatrics. On Tigers Blood, Crutchfield expands on her previous record, 2020’s acclaimed Saint Cloud, showing us her daring yet undeniably classic and deliberate songwriting. Tigers Blood is deeply rooted in the places that have made her who she is – the rusted signs, hot nights, and cross-country excursions, but always manages to stay universal. As of now, I can see no world in which “Right Back To It,” her duet with MJ Lenderman, does not enter the beloved singer-songwriter canon. On the up-tempo country-rock ballad “Ice Cold,” Crutchfield sings, “And I might fall in love with the next story I’m told / but I’ll never have another burning hot coursing through me.” Throughout Tigers Blood, she expresses a constant desire to feel it all, whether it is “burning hot” or “visceral [and] crushing,” combined with a refreshing levity. Take this fall’s deluxe track “Much Ado About Nothing,” where Crutchfield revels in and even begins to subtly mock her contradictory actions (“Tell you to lose my number / and then I call you twice”). She may be “tragically amiss,” but not without an undercurrent of perspective and joy. Crutchfield once again proves the merit of the timeless, accessible pop chorus on “Much Ado About Nothing,” showcasing her flawless transition into head voice and her ability to revel in her feelings. She is dramatic, but with such an awareness and wisdom that you believe that you, too, can look at your own personal heartbreaks and disappointments through a new lens. Tigers Blood is a love letter to those of us who have never been able to be nonchalant, and a command to simultaneously embrace the past and present.
Nava Bahrampour.
Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
2024 can be considered something of a golden age for the world of girly pop music. Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter is one of the cornerstones of this renaissance. At only 36 minutes, the 25-year-old singer’s sixth album is packed full of gorgeous vocals, cheeky lyrics, and catchy bridges. Never shying away from classic pop sounds, Carpenter delivers danceable, dramatic, and sexy tracks that will never leave your head. “Taste” is a glittering opening to the album, while “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” the album’s other two singles, stop at nothing to show off Carpenter’s incredible vocal control while flaunting her powerful femininity. Carpenter’s smooth voice also shines in the album’s quieter moments, morphing beautifully into a country flair for the clever “Slim Pickins” and flowing into mellow harmonies on the melancholy “Lie to Girls.” Tongue-in-cheek, immensely catchy, and normalizing of female sexuality, Short n’ Sweet redefines what it means to make music for the female gaze. With this album, Carpenter proves she has the makings of a true pop star.
Sonia Suben.
The Lemon Twigs, A Dream Is All We Know
So many amazing artists released fantastic albums this year, but my favorite would have to be A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs. Their third album in the past four years, A Dream Is All We Know blends 1960s classic prog-rock with a hint of psychedelia, ‘70s singer-songwriter power pop, theatrical production, and upbeat modern indie instrumentals. Led by brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario, the band has been extremely prolific in recent years –– but their latest record is by far their best-received and most critically acclaimed, earning positive reviews from NME and The Guardian. The brothers’ sonic influences, including The Association, The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Big Star, and The Beach Boys, are evident in their soaring harmonies and doo-wop melodies, brilliant songwriting, and whimsical moments of glam rock-inspired musicianship. “My Golden Years,” “A Dream Is All I Know,” and “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place” are some of the highlights of the record, with softer songs like “In The Eyes Of The Girl” and “Sweet Vibrations” rounding out The Lemon Twigs’ most polished, glittering, and earnest project yet. More than a few songs from this album appeared on my Spotify Wrapped “Top Songs” playlist, pointing to just how catchy and well-crafted every track on A Dream Is All We Know is. I’m confident this is still just the beginning for this band –– and I would highly recommend this album for any fans of ‘60s and ‘70s feel-good grooves or fresh, modern interpretations of the retro power pop sound.
Em Townsend.
Current Joys, East My Love
In this new emotional album by the solemn band Current Joys, we experience Nick Rattigan deviating a bit from his regular sound. Many riffs of violas are heard in this 12-piece set as I would categorize this cut as groups of gorgeous modern folk sonnets turned to melodies. The meaning behind the band’s 12th album is the feeling most know all too well, love. Rather, the passionate declaration of love. I interpret the word “East” as a way for the singer, Rattigan, to symbolize the journey towards his beloved or a reference to a location that he and his lover hold dear. The second song on East My Love is the most streamed on the album as it has over one million plays. Titled “California Rain,” this 3:23 ballad is a requiem on releasing pain. His voice trembles as he says, “But isn't it nice to run away?/Clear my head up from abhorrent fits of rage/It's hard to see you, but I'm so glad you came/'Cause I don't feel too much in the California rain.” He sings as if rainwater can wash away lovesickness. In this, Rattigan provides us with a tangible thing to cure something intangible, a feeling. His music is extremely creative in this way.
The transition from “California Rain” to the next song on the album, “Days of Heaven” is seamless. With 3 beats per bar, “Days of Heaven” can easily tug at your heartstrings. The key of B encompasses this song with a layer of melancholy and desolation…sadness with no discernible cause. Halfway through, he starts to parallel play on the spinet and leads us to another feeling…urgency, as if he is signaling to us to catch up with his piano playing. One of the reasons why I adore this most recent album of his, is because through his refrains we hear and feel the pain he is trying to let go and subsequently the love he is trying to get back.
Current Joys will never fail to make you think critically about desire and loss. This recent release does a phenomenal job at reasoning with both, through song.
Dali Silverberg.
Lizzy McAlpine, Older (& Wiser)
Few albums can soundtrack a healing journey quite like Lizzy McAlpine’s Older (& Wiser), the deluxe run-up to her junior record Older. Like most, I came into this record conventionally captured by an Instagram Reel of “Soccer Practice;” though first lured in by poetic images of domesticity, the album’s romantic imaginations, beautiful narratives of friendship, family, and appreciation toward the wonders of the natural world were all the more enrapturing. This album’s chord choices, string arrangements, melodies, and instrumental accompaniments build a vibrant, intimate world of pure songwriting prowess. McAlpine holds something familiar but utterly new within each of these songs’ universes and, with a fervent voice, doesn’t shy away from being in the wrong or being intimately honest. Highlights are “Spring Into Summer,” a brilliant composition that I take to be about loving and losing someone through the seasons. The second verse on this one may be the best thing I’ve ever heard and I keep coming back: as does the music, as does the meaning, and as does the love. “Come Down Soon” is a great example of how careful McAlpine is with her instrumentation enhancing her storyline. “I Guess” and “Pushing it Down & Praying” are two other show stoppers, with wonderful string arrangements and storytelling techniques. So whenever you need comfort or care, Older (& Wiser) won’t fail to bring that sonic and lyrical devotion to your door.
Liv Stripling.
Megan Thee Stallion, MEGAN (Acts I & II)
Perhaps the biggest snub of this year’s trending Top Releases lists has been Megan Thee Stallion’s third studio album, MEGAN. This June release, followed by an October reissue titled MEGAN: ACT II, marks Megan’s first drop after the opening of her own production company, Hot Girl Productions. The rapper is definitely on the top of her game, exuding confidence and self-assurance in each track. From the Houston-inspired bass lines of “BOA” and “Bigger in Texas,” to the electrifying fusion of punk-rock and rap in “He Think I Love Him” and “Cobra,” Megan’s 2024 releases showcase an exciting new chapter in the rapper’s sound, as well as the trajectory of the genre as a whole. With features including GloRilla, TWICE, Flo Milli, UGK, and RM from BTS, Megan Thee Stallion successfully appeals to a worldwide audience, with tracks hitting charts in several continents. The rapper, known for her sexually explicit lyricism (among other things), approaches her identity with what some consider openly queer lyrics in “Broke His Heart,” “Best Friend,” and the rapper’s long-awaited freestyle “Like A Freak.” If there’s one release you won’t want to miss from this past year of music, it’s Megan Thee Stallion’s MEGAN (Acts I and II). Full of genre-bending beats, anime references, and sexually honest lyrics, these 31 tracks are some of the rapper’s best and boldest works yet.
Daisy Lerner.
Clairo, Charm
This past summer was indeed a Charm summer: a summer full of embracing femininity, intimacy, and the enchanting essence of having a crush. Clairo’s third studio album could not have come at a better time. Released in July, Charm is full of warmth. Her soft vocals provide introspection into her feelings towards love, sexuality, and romance. The flirty yet intimate nature of her lyrics are both raw and charming. This album’s instrumentally driven focus creates this whimsical atmosphere through the notable use of keyboard, flute, clarinet, and saxophone. It is clear that Clairo has developed a new confidence with her songwriting. After releasing two varied masterpieces, from the bedroom pop sensation of Immunity, to the lyrical pastoral folk of Sling, she has finally settled on a sound that suits her best. Charm seems to be a perfect balance between her two previous records. Produced with Leon Michels, her classic hushed voice backed with jazzy and folksy undertones are reminiscent of 60s/70s soft rock. Her perfected sound takes inspiration from jazz pianist and singer Blossom Dearie, to the Beach Boys, to singer-songwriters Margo Guryon and Harry Nilsson. Now Grammy-nominated artist, Claire Cottrill comments that Charm was written about those “fleeting moments,” those sparks of connections between two people. At least to me, Charm sounds like what falling in feels like. Each song off this album has something to offer on the intimate nature of love and is worth the listen. On that note, I shall leave you with a line encapsulating all of this album's charm from the beloved track, “Juna,” “with you there is no pretending, you know me, you know me...”
Sara Yanelli.
Honorable Mentions
Tyler, the Creator, CHROMAKOPIA
Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
Faye Webster, Underdressed at the Symphony
Charli XCX, BRAT
The Marías, Submarine
MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
Aidan Puntes, Love Soundly & Shadow Flowers
Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us
Ezra Collective, Dance, No One’s Watching