Hey y’all, it’s David again. 2024 certainly was the year of all time, wasn’t it? As my pal Dominik alluded to in his cool personal retrospective feature, it was an abject mess globally, macroly, but when we focus down to the individual level? Well, that could have also been bad too I guess, but one thing’s certain no matter what: good music. Lots of it. 85 musics to be exact.
Funny story: this was originally supposed to be a top 80 list, but thanks to some oversights and errors on mine and Toni’s part, we ended up extending it out to 85 to facilitate the equity that we always strive for in these lists, to make sure everyone has a touch to this final product and feels included. If we did honorable mentions, I know most of us could produce another full article of those as well. It was an uncommonly good year for music. My favorite genre was hip-hop – tons of artists, mainstream and otherwise, really gave it their all on projects, features, videos, and just overall cultural dominance. My Tidal monthly statistics were a grand majority rappers each and every month.
But it’s lists like this, built in the way that they are, that give us a much bigger view of the year music had. There’s picks on this list I didn’t even hear of until we formed this list, and ones I overlooked by artists I’ve liked in the past (HOW THE FUCK DID I MISS A NEW VIVA BELGRADO ALBUM?). So please enjoy what we put together for 2024. I personally had a bigger hand in constructing this actual article this year due to my dude Toni getting his ass kicked by health and believe me, a lot of work goes into it. It certainly makes me appreciate his work for these massive lists a lot more, including THE NOISE OF! We hope you appreciate it too! And feel free to comment what picks we missed that are on your list. 🙂
Novo Amor – Collapse List
April 5 // AllPoints
Many folks at EIN, myself included, were blown away by the first Novo Amor collaborative project, Heiress, in 2017. Novo Amor‘s singular voice, combining experimental and ambient textures with raw folk instrumentation and pop sensibilities, has only been refined in his solo records since. Collapse List is the next step in that evolution and what feels like his most vulnerable release yet (just listen to “Land Where I Land”).
Landon Turlock
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry
May 17 // Jamla/Roc Nation
The rightful queen of hip hop takes her technical lyrical beauty to new heights that puts on full display why she should never be slept on. Whether it’s Sway losing his mind on hype interviewing her, or an unapologetic kill-them-all feature putting everyone on notice, Rapsody provides so many shining moments like she carries a bag of diamonds. Please Don’t Cry proves it again, and I suspect she’s far from done. When Rapsody raps ‘y’all threw some rocks at me, I threw back some asteroids,’ she ain’t lying. The queen can’t be slept on.
Daniel Reiser
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas
April 12 // Nice Swan Records
English Teacher’s debut album, This Could Be Texas is hands down the best debut album this year. It has become a comfort album for me, as if I had been listening to it for 20 years. The blend of post-punk and indie-prog is perfectly done. Every note feels right, and the band’s willingness to employ numerous instruments and experimentation to achieve their textures and climaxes is a treat. Vocalist Lily Fontaine’s sung-spoken lyrics draw from details from her own life as well as literature and pop culture enveloping the listener into poetically relatable themes at times playful, philosophical, and heartbreaking.
Broc
Eye Eater – Alienate
August 1 // Independent
Ulcerate got all the love this year – as they should, they’re really something else – but these prog death metal kiwis more than earned their own shine as well. Alienate is abysmally dark and yet carries a melodic soul to ensure its approachability among genre fans. Each new listen unveils new malicious details around a horrid corner you didn’t turn before. Nothing’s known about the band which further adds enigmatic value and allure to Eye Eater, not to mention helps shroud their music in a disorienting cloak. Alienate’s as close to the audio form of staring into the void as you can get.
David Rodriguez
Replicant – Infinite Mortality
April 12 // Transcending Obscurity Records
I can’t think of another metal album from 2024 that was so immediately likable as Replicant’s Infinite Mortality was. Their last, also amazing album, Malignant Reality, really set the bar high for dense, mobile death metal and this new LP just axe kicked the shit out of the bar entirely. Melodies and writing were even better, song structures rewarding, and atmosphere chilling in the H.R. Giger sort of way. It’s a technical paradise. I don’t know what’s in New Jersey’s water and, if this album is any indication, I probably don’t wanna know.
David Rodriguez
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven
March 1 // Epitaph Records
Ferocious joy is the only thing that comes to mind. Missy’s vulnerability, acceptance, and resilient tenacity illuminate against an unwavering chemistry that reflects a band that not only delivers in studio, but provides a live performance comparable to nothing. These darlings dialed in their formula for a spectacular display, and we should all be grateful.
Daniel Reiser
Aseitas – Eden Trough
May 30 // Total Dissonance Worship
By a fair margin 2024’s best progressive death metal album, Eden Trough took everything great about Aseitas and genuinely turned it up to 11, especially the progressive stuff. Between the earthquaking “Break the Neck of Every Beautiful Thing” and the kaleidoscopic, epic explosion of color that is “Tiamat”, this album defines short and sweet, not even breaking the half-hour mark and yet it’s affecting in ways most albums weren’t this year. This band just continues to curb stomp expectations, and they’ll get a hearty ‘hell yeah’ from me every time they do it.
David Rodriguez
Pharmakon – Maggot Mass
October 4 // Sacred Bones Records
Maggot Mass sees Pharmakon with biting intensity, taking aim at humanity’s array of environmental ills. By dialling back her usual aural terrorism back into rawer industrial territory with notes of punk, Pharmakon finds herself channelling Earth First if they were members of Skinny Puppy. With loud synths, all manners of human shouts and lyrics as thought provoking as they are aggressive, Maggot Mass is probably the most vital record of the year. Pharmakon pledges her body to the Earth, with every bit of her left on this record it’s hard to imagine much will be left.
Dom South
Benighted – Ekbom
April 12 // Season Of Mist
Benighted are like fine wine, only getting all the more rancid…err fine over time. When you think this French deathgrind unit has reached their pinnacle, they just go out of their way and top it. Ekbom saw the band stretching their extremes far and wide by means of literally insane instrumental prowess while Julien’s vocals have never been so pristine as they are here, and the adventurous compositions have gained tremendous amounts of depth–and dare I say–emotion, over time. ”Mother Earth, Mother Whore” alone is a song of the century in this realm of aural violence
Eeli Helin
Michelle – Songs About You Specifically
September 27 // Transgressive
Nothing was more catchy this year, nothing made me say ‘well, just one more round’ more often – Songs For You Specifically wasn’t one of those records that I fell in love with immediately, but I found myself going back to it again and again until I was absolutely in love with it. There is a wonderful and vibrant feeling to Michelle‘s third album – from the otherwise extinct phenomenon of a ‘girl group’ to the beautifully produced feel-good songs, there is an endless well of just good vibes. In a year full of shit, Songs For You Specifically made me smile every damn time, it made me feel genuinely good, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.
Toni Meese
Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer
February 23 // Metal Blade Records
The task to follow after Sun Eater is a job only one band can fill, and they did not disappoint. They pick right where they left off with Sun Eater and continue their foray into progressive death metal. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to: Moon Healer’s performances play to the strengths they showcased in Sun Eater – atmospheric writing, thoughtful and interesting riffing. It’s never easy to live up to the high standards of a fantastic preceding album, and Job for a Cowboy not only met them, but exceeded them: the songs flow seamlessly together and it feels very innately peak Job for a Cowboy.
Nathan Kwon
Lowen – Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran
October 4 // Church Road Records
Lowen’s latest record is like battling a cosmic maw dragon in the middle of an arcane thunderstorm—and somehow winning. This isn’t just an album; it’s a sonic saga that grabs you by the soul and drags you through mythic landscapes dripping with sheer awe and tension. Marching through the album feels like staring down eternity and being sucker-punched straight in the feels with riffs the size of planets. It’s larger than life, crushing, and weirdly elegant, mixing doom, prog, and folk into a cauldron of pure magic. If you’re not listening, what are you even doing with your ears?
Robert Miklos
Moiii – Moiii
August 2 // Someoddpilot Records
Moiii’s self-titled debut is one of those rare experimental releases that is wholly original and exciting while not being alienating. The Texan duo blend industrial metal, electronic elements, and arcane percussion into a mind-bending meditation; 31 minutes of utter immersion. Each track is recognisable and unique, but the album really shines when it’s observed as a whole. Moiii is alive with juxtapositions and contrasts, as well as layers of subtlety that only become fully evident with repeated listening. This is a truly a release like no other, and a wonder to behold.
Hanna Ott
Fainting Dreams – Those Left Untouched by the Light
January 12 // Candlepin Records
An album released early in the year has to be truly extraordinary to battle not only our middling attention spans, but the swaths of other extraordinary work that come out after. Elle Reynolds (also of Endless, Nameless whose 2023 album graced last year’s list) and their project Fainting Dreams are up to the task though. This is lovely slowgaze from Denver, eternally moody and touching. Those Left Untouched by the Light feels like a dirge for a better time before and a hopeful hymn for the future, the lyrics and themes prodding at your empathy. It’s really beautiful stuff.
David Rodriguez
Secret Gardens – The Impermanent Amber
October 25 // Independent
What can I say, every album from Secret Gardens resonates like no other and The Impermanent Amber was the culmination of Greg Almeida’s project’s years of existence and work. It spoke to me on one of the rawest levels this year, casting autumn into our hearts to weave stories of friendship, longing, love, and growing (up, old, whatever). It’s a testament to the human spirit, sepia-toned yet not emotionally muted in the slightest. It’s also remarkably joyous sonically despite some bittersweet themes. Goddamn, I love this album. If you just like music and wanna feel something, this is for you.
David Rodriguez
Montell Fish – CHARLOTTE
September 27 // Virgin
Former Christian rapper Montell Fish has been moving away from dogmatics in both his life and music. On CHARLOTTE, he grapples with these changes and questions through metaphors of personal relationships, which makes each track a layered examination of romance, faith, fame, and the music industry. Fish swirls these tunes in a mixture of R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and rock that channels Prince and Frank Ocean rewarding repeat listens, like picking out the subtle flavor notes of a fine cognac. Seeing growth and self-liberation flourish is a grand thing.
Broc
Night Verses – Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night
March 15 // Equal Vision Records
2024 saw Night Verses finish their album, Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night, and it’s as surprising (a really good Brandon Boyd vocal feature?!) as it is expected for the trio’s astounding track record. Progressive instrumental metal might be duller these days, but this trio is anything but thanks to them being profoundly acute and aware of what made/makes the genre good: compelling performances and strong writing. It’s just a fun time – “Plague Dancer” rips the floorboards up with its ferocity, “Karma Wheel” overdoses with groove, and “Crystal X” gets alien on our asses to highlight just a few.
David Rodriguez
Spectral Voice – Sparagamos
February 9 // Dark Descent Records
Going back to Sparagmos after all this time feels like returning to a cave you found on a hike and got hopeless lost in for hours in the heat of exploration, panic filling your being from toes to nose as you navigate a claustrophobic, coarse crag that’s just as content swallowing you whole as it is spitting you back out a changed person. Spectral Voice really dug deep for this ugly clinic on death-doom metal, its four songs really grinding you down with a sonic mortar and pestle. This band can do no wrong.
David Rodriguez
Fashion Tips – I Wish You Every Success
July 12 // Human Worth
I Wish You Every Success seems to be a super personal, cathartic album for Fashion Tips, but don’t let that mislead you to believe that it’s dreary or sweetly reflective. The album aches with frustration and righteous anger, and at the same time bristles with an infectious party energy. If I feel annoyed or a bit flat and powerless, I Wish You Every Success gives me the push to get off my ass and do something. The anger it portrays is raw, but the songs are clever and carefully constructed. It’s both fun and very serious – the perfect adrenaline shot.
Hanna Ott
Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
October 4 // Century Media Records
We all knew that whatever this band was cooking up after their last few records was going to be something special and different. Absolute Elsewhere ended up being that and more. While their unique take on death metal serves as an anchor throughout the album’s 40+ minutes, the moments between find Blood Incantation flexing their prog muscles and the result is a digestible, immersive, and endlessly thrilling trek through human consciousness. Each listen elicits new findings and feelings and while it may not be obvious given the album’s structure, it’s surprisingly accessible. Quite the feat.
Jake Walters
Svaneborg Kardyb – Superkilen
October 18 // Gondwana Records
Gondwana Records had another massive release year in 2024, and it’s this Danish duo that take the cake regarding the cream of that label’s crop. Svaneborg Kardyb turned heads with their debut record and a stellar appearance at NPR’s Tiny Desk sessions, but their sophomore release expanded upon their sonic identity with care and finesse. As such, Superkilen presents a clear step forwards for these two magnificently talented young musicians, building upon their established tropes with confidence and a refined vision. Nordic jazz always has a tendency to go for the quietly sublime, and Svaneborg Kardyb take those elements to the stars without losing their footing. Absolutely brilliant!
Dominik Böhmer
Blind Girls – An Exit Exists
July 5 // Persistent Vision/Secret Voice/Life Lair Regret
Skramz had a wonderful year, and there are records that showcase post-rock and melodic textures. Then there is An Exit Exists, a barb-wire tangle of stabbing riffs, tense breakdowns, and technical flourishes from Australian emoviolence act Blind Girls. It is the impassioned vocals that give Blind Girls their push into the S-Tier. Tracks like “Make Me Nothing” and “AI Generated Love Letter” have the capacity to conjure as much tears on the floor as sweat from the circle pit while each musical shift rallies the crowd.
Broc
ScHoolboy Q – BLUE LIPS
March 1 // Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope
ScHoolboy Q’s bodies of work have always been sadly hit-or-miss for me since Oxymoron, coming up noticeably short from that project’s tightness and power. Well, after a five-year break – the biggest gap of major releases for Q – BLUE LIPS kicks expectations in the dick so hard it explodes, with a full-bodied, grown, reflective album that still talks a superfluous amount of shit. Dark, wavy production complements Q’s distinct voice across 18 songs that see him at his creative peak for this kitchen sink-ass album. My only complaint was Rico Nasty should’ve had a longer verse on “Pop”!
David Rodriguez
Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss
April 26 // Closed Casket Activities
Full Of Hell released something so unique and yet so familiar to their style this year that it was hard not to return to it many times and continually think ‘yeah, this band’s got it’. So far, I’ve not found myself disinterested with anything the Ocean City, MD kings have cooked up, but even the lower moments of this record continue to burn a fire they’ve had since their earliest era. There are tracks that both do and don’t sound like them, all kinds of twists and turns on Coagulated Bliss, and not one second feels subpar whatsoever.
Dylan Nicole Lawson
Chat Pile – Cool World
October 11 // The Flenser
Call them sludge, call them noise rock, just don’t call them late for the apocalypse. Chat Pile provides a soundtrack for the end times with Cool World. The Oklahoma band have a city’s worth of industrial waste infused in their DNA. Toxicity permeates their namesake, ethos, and soundscapes. As much as Cool World is a challenging record it is also an intimate one. Woven through the themes of climate anxiety, existential dread, and critiques of capitalism there is the hope of unity through a common thread of brotherhood. Like bards outside the coliseum, Chat Pile are lamenting the fall while the masses within cheer on the end.
Adam P. Terry
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
August 30 // Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol
Aside from Kendrick Lamar, the MVP of rap this year was undoubtedly Doechii. Putting out great videos, landing a Tiny Desk performance with NPR, all centered around this masterful mixtape that hardly ever left the minds of hip-hop heads since its late August release. Alligator Bites Never Heal is brimming with personality, humor, diverse flows, tasteful culture callbacks, awesome quotables; from the smooth, eclectic storytelling of “DENIAL IS A RIVER” to the flashier bravado of “NISSAN ALTIMA”, there is a not a single damn weak track on here. 2025 is hers to take with a highly anticipated LP on the way.
David Rodriguez
Alcest – Les Chants de l’Aurore
June 21 // Nuclear Blast
Les Chants de l’Aurore is a breathtaking culmination of Alcest’s musical evolution, drawing from the unique elements of each of their past records to create something truly transcendent. It blends the ethereal beauty of Écailles de Lune, the hopeful optimism and accessibility of Shelter, and the raw emotion of Kodama into a cohesive musical entity that acts as the definitive Alcest experience. This is them at their most expansive, yet intimately personal, creating a journey that both honors their legacy and looks toward a new horizon. Just when you needed some musical balm for the soul, Alcest are here to deliver.
JP Pallais
Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
January 12 // Secret Voice
Infant Island’s Obsidian Wreath masterfully encapsulates the collective sense of overwhelming futility and the resulting fury that characterize these past couple of years. Sure, you may argue that many other bands and artists have sonically and lyrically explored this idea to great execution, what Obsidian Wreath accomplishes in comparison to other releases, though, is in providing a thorough gamut of emotions that encourages catharsis whilst creating an aperture for tenderness and resilience, all through devastating yet equally earnest blackened skramz. Truly, the lasting impact this album leaves on you is nothing short of impressive.
Carlos Vélez-Cancel
Homecoming – Those We Knew
April 19 // Copper Feast Records
Another gem coming from France, Homecoming’s second release is a perfect blending of genres. Progressive metal, post-rock/metal, blackened metal, sludge, stoner… these all sound like a common blend, but Homecoming manages to do it whilst catering to fans who want the mania of Between the Buried and Me, but also those coming from more traditional metal like Opeth who desire softer, easier to stomach songs. “Shores” is one of the best tracks of last decade in progressive metal. Usually, you’re holding on for the climax, but here you’re happy to revel in the ambient sections as much as the magnificent finale. An incredibly adaptive band that will go far with more recognition!
Pete Overell
Mustafa – Dunya
September 27 // Jagjaguwar
Without a doubt the most impactful record of 2024, at least for me personally. I must’ve listened to this at least 50 times ever since I discovered it; hell, there were entire days where I would listen to it on my way to work, on the way back, and then some more at home. The beautiful combination (and at times dichotomy) of voice, instrumentation, and lyricism is unlike anything else I’ve heard this year. Mustafa has a delightful way with words, and tells gritty, heartfelt stories in a way anyone could at least somewhat identify with. Through its combination of folk, Middle Eastern music and religion, soulful vocals, and urban themes, Dunya is a spectacularly diverse and emotional record.
Dominik Böhmer
Kollapse – AR
March 8 // Fysisk Format
When Kollapse released their debut album SULT back in 2021, I was already quite enchanted by it. Nothing I never heard before, but there was a raw energy to it, which made it stand out within the post-metal/sludge universe – I kept them on my radar. In 2024, and the Danish trio returned with AR, which just absolutely stunned me. The subtle improvements in production, the flow of the songs, how expertly the band manage the ebb and flow of dynamics – AR is a breathtaking display of the very best that the genre has to offer today, creating a timeless masterpiece that will certainly turn some heads when Kollapse finally get the attention they deserve.
Toni Meese
Planes Mistaken For Stars – Do You Still Love Me?
November 1 // Deathwish Inc.
I’ve heard quite a few albums over the years, but there are always only a few that really stick with me. Do You Still Love Me? is one of those rare releases. It’s emotionally super dense, a bittersweet tribute to life, death, grief, and love; musically, it’s no less intense. Everything about it hits hard, every song digs deeper, burrows into you, until you’re both hollowed out and completely filled with riffs and emotion. Do You Still Love Me? floored me the first time I heard it, and haunts me still. What a gem.
Hanna Ott
Pallbearer – Mind Burns Alive
May 17 // Nuclear Blast
Pallbearer have been a doom metal workhorse for years now, always finding interesting ways to riff on what makes modern doom one of the standout subgenres of metal. This year’s Mind Burns Alive is far more of a rebuild than an iteration with the focus being pulled from the sonic weight of the music and placed on structure, lyrics, and dynamics instead. This change worked. And while it was almost a full change of identity in some respects, their musical genius is still the most recognizable element throughout Mind Burns Alive. This is the album where everything fell into place.
Jake Walters
Bruiser Wolf – My Story Got Stories
January 12 // Fake Shore Drive/Bruiser Brigade
Not gonna front like I’ve been following Bruiser Wolf for years and I’m a day-one fan, but My Story Got Stories absolutely sold me on the Detroit rapper after not exactly feeling his last project, Dope Game Stupid. This is a genuinely laugh-out-loud album propelled by a unique voice, bolstered by other cool, funny, and unique voices like Danny Brown, ZelooperZ, and Trinidad James. It has its more grounded moments like “Waiting In The Lobby” and the title track, but no matter where you’re at on the tracklist, you can count on stellar production from Raphy, Skywlkr, and more.
David Rodriguez
Hakushi Hasegawa – Mahōgakkō
July 24 // Brainfeeder
Leave it to Japanese singer-songwriter and producer Hakushi Hasegawa to deliver a brain-buster of an album that also somehow manages to capture the distant whimsy wonders reminiscent of childhood. Mahōgakkō teeters to the brink of insanity with its maximalist approach to avant-pop yet harbors a playful warmth that is just as inviting. Admittedly, I am left confused every time I listen to this record – though it never fails to leave me with the biggest grin on my face as I subject myself to sugary daydreams of made-up worlds and insatiable superpowers.
Carlos Vélez-Cancel
Haley Heynderickx – Seed of a Seed
December 6 // Mama Bird Recording
With every year that passed since the release of Haley Heynderickx‘s 2018 debut album, it seemed harder to imagine what a follow-up would sound like. And yet when Seed of a Seed arrived, it fit in naturally with what had come before, expanding upon it, bathing it in new light. And while Haley’s growth is apparent, it’s not a question of competing pieces, but complementary ones: her voice and guitar of yesteryear echo in today’s, and vice versa. If I had to describe Haley’s discography in one word, it would be ‘nourishing’. Listening to her songs, allowing them to course through me, I feel tended to, like a plant in a garden.
Vetiver Lowrey Ball
Moor Mother – The Great Bailout
March 8 // Anti-
No record this year has managed to be so simultaneously dense and difficult to pull apart sonically and thematically, but also so sparse and empty and desolate sounding. Moor Mother builds dark narratives regarding colonialism, slavery, and white authoritarianism. She weaves all of these themes together into a tapestry that reaches far into the past and future to present to the listener a dismal portrayal of the grim reality that comes with living under these systems. It is quite a concentrated listen, but it is beautiful, it is daring, and it is well worth any listener’s time.
Bryson Chapman
Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown
May 17 // Domino Recording Co.
Lives Outgrown is an emotionally visceral experience, a work of the highest order, worthy of recognition alongside not only the oeuvre of recorded music, but also global cinema, visual arts, theatre, etc. The orchestral approach to composition with a practical museum of instruments creates melodic complexities and arrangements that rival Pet Sounds, Astral Weeks, Sgt. Pepper’s, etc. are chillingly gorgeous. Meanwhile, Gibbons’s enchanting vocals muse on aging, loss, love, and impermanence captivate and inspire. Lives Outgrown is an album for the ages.
Broc
Terror Cell – All Quiet
November 1 // Fisher King
Terror Cell are one of a handful of bands that continue to make me proud to be from Richmond, VA. In my not-so-humble opinion, they released one of the best metal records of the year with All Quiet. Before release, and now after, “Come and See” had been and continues to stay in heavy rotation. Presenting a mix somewhere between Converge, Russian Circles, and other beautiful influences peppered in, this record is an esoteric riff city; A thinking man’s metal band if you will. It’s just as pretty and polished as it is raw and abrasive. Listen immediately and replay constantly.
Dylan Nicole Lawson
Burial Etiquette – Mise-en-scène
March 25 // Zegema Beach
The debut full length from Burial Etiquette is equal parts emo, screamo, and indie rock shaken violently with just a dash of hardcore energy. Overlapping interwoven voices abound throughout Mise-en-scène utilizing multiple styles. The record is a showcase of anguished screams, angelic cleans, soft spoken word, fierce growls, and animalistic shrieks like a vocal art house collage. Just as the singing is extreme and varied the instrumentation shifts from its screamo core to sections that flirt with metal, folk ballads, and beyond. Burial Etiquette unapologetically wear their hearts on their sleeves. Freshly carved from their chests still beating dripping with red for the offering. Take a bite.
Adam P. Terry
SLIFT – ILION
January 19 // Le Bosquet/Sub Pop
The mind-bending psychedelic rock trio from France added extra heaviness and weight to an already burgeoning soundscape. The result is like a commander leading a damned vanguard into a heavenly psychedelic battle. SLIFT take the post-rock formula and turbocharge the everliving fuck out of it, dropping multiple overwhelming climaxes per song, screaming guitars, and rolling basslines complemented by pounding high-speed drums and jarring synths that add so much room to the music. Paired with the group’s ability to dial it back from those cataclysmic moments to softer progressive and neo-psychedelic, you get a journey that far surpasses much of the band’s associated genres this year.
Pete Overell
Everything Everything – Mountainhead
March 1 // BMG
The guys came back in 2024 with some of their most exciting and catchy material to date. “The End of the Contender” features one of the stickiest hooks of the year in ‘A bomb for a body, a hammer for a head/My battery’s a hundred percent.’ Then “Buddy, Come Over” has no business getting as wild and frantic as it does. And if “Your Money, My Summer” isn’t on your chillest indie rock playlist then wtf are you even doing? I really hope if this mountain of great songs flew over your head last year that you’ll give them a listen as the new year rips open.
Christopher Rós
Outlander – Acts of Harm
June 28 // Church Road
Acts of Harm is an entity of staggering beauty and power from Outlander: simultaneously enveloping and expansive, it encloses with monumental, layered dissonance one minute, before imparting an intense liberation the next through emotive, reverberating rhythms and maundering vocals – all scattered with sparse glimpses of respite. Mostly, it’s a world in which brooding, midtempo soundscapes evolve, deftly entwining gentle gaze and ethereal touches that frequently bow out to crushing, low-slung guitar and cacophonous percussion. The album rises and falls, lumbering powerfully towards unfurling horizons, but as with many great records, the true beauty is in the journey itself; here is one worth embarking on time and time again.
Shaun Milligan
Julie Christmas – Ridiculous And Full Of Blood
June 14 // Siviana/Red Crk
You’ll find very few artists out there as unique as Julie Christmas, and she’s just made her career defining solo record. Driven by her unmistakable voice and backed by Johannes Persson’s trademark riffing and growling, Ridiculous And Full Of Blood sees Julie ripping her soul wide open and exposing her demons for all to see – it’s an experience that is as viciously intense as it is personal and vulnerable. From the unhinged madness in “Thin Skin” to the glorious catharsis of “The Lighthouse”, there’s never a dull moment in this modern post metal classic.
Thomas Mendes
DIIV – Frog In Boiling Water
May 24 // Fantasy Records
Forged in an attempt to push the boundaries of the band’s sound as well make their creative process even more collaborative, DIIV’s fourth album is a sonically delightful chronicle of the apparently unstoppable collapse of society under capitalism’s foot. Much like the frog unaware of its pleasant bath’s rising temperature, it could be easy to lose oneself in the music, as the New York shoegazers have crafted the most luscious dreamscapes of their career. But in spite of their mesmerizing beauty, there’s an aura of anxiety creeping just beneath the pounding drums and branching guitars, a darker meaning, a warning shining through the captivating haze.
Vetiver Lowrey Ball
Melted Bodies – The Inevitable Fork
October 18 // Independent
Melted Bodies really know how to strike a nerve and The Inevitable Fork LP was the motherfucking Super Saiyan punch I needed in that regard. Completing the Inevitable Fork canon with the best set of songs yet, this now fully-fledged LP stews in traumas all too relatable to the victims of end-stage capitalism, birthed by boomers and/or Gen X into a world that’s constantly giving us error messages and alerts we never collectively heed or fix. The wacky industrial metal pomp barely stays on the rails as it’s contorted and fixated song after song to showcase our most maligned insecurities and self-destructive downfalls.
David Rodriguez
Heave Blood & Die – Burnout Codes
July 5 // Fysisk Format
Post punk isn’t often the most daring genre outside of the traits that will get a band listed as a participant in the genre. Heave Blood & Die manage to definitely be post punk but also definitely other things. Catchy choruses, layered vocals and harmonies, hooks for days, some noise rock leanings, and more. There’s an indie rock quirkiness to this band that helps differentiate them from a lot of this scene and that balance makes HB&D a genuine horse of a different hue and the songs speak for themselves.
Jake Walters
Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk
August 23 // Mom+Pop
There were a number of releases from pop’s biggest acts this year (Dua Lipa, Ariana, Beyoncé, and the all encompassing Floris Wyatt and their never ending rereleases), but the highlight for fans was acts like Magdalena Bay growing into some of the best modern pop makers. Imaginal Disk is an excellent album, and one that grows on me more and more each time I listen to it. It’s one of the best examples of what dancey synth-pop can be and “Imagine”, “She Looked Like Me!”, and “Tunnel Vision” are magnetic bangers that will stay trapped in your head for a lifetime.
Alex Eubanks
Kidnapped – Disgust
March 19 // Daze
Kidnapped crafted easily the most blood pumping and pissed off thing I have heard all year with Disgust. Key tracks whizz by at a pace so dizzying it may take several listens before you are able to fully sink them into your mind, but I’m sure you’ll have no problem playing this gem over and over. This is the year’s best ode to misanthropy and isolation. I look around and am filled with hate. I do not want these people around me. I do not care if they want me here. All I feel is pure disgust.
Bryson Chapman
Sans Froid – Hello, Boil Brain
September 13 // Independent
Hello, Boil Brain by Sans Froid isn’t just an album—it’s a kaleidoscopic brain-bender wrapped in avant-garde joy and wrapped again in post-punk curiosity. With a sound that flits between dramatic piano, dreamy vocals, and bursts of avant-pop playfulness, this record doesn’t follow rules—it dropkicks them into the sun. Tracks like the deceptively catchy “Hello” and the dramatic “Hardware Bruise” showcase a masterclass in unpredictability, yet the album somehow feels cohesive. Sans Froid wields genre like a painter uses color, crafting a sonic smorgasbord that’s equal parts art rock grit and raw, unfiltered emotion. What’s next? Hopefully, more brilliance.
Robert Miklos
Locrian – End Terrain
April 5 // Profound Lore
It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that Locrian are masters at jagged, experimental yet moving music, and they’ve just proved that again. Equal parts apocalyptic and achingly beautiful, their latest End Terrain is yet another gleaming gem in their excellent discography. Theirs is a hard sound to pin down, blending noise rock, black metal, electronics, and even traces of stoner, math, and post-rock, but it all comes together for a richly atmospheric soundtrack for a world in decay. Be it hooky riffs or lush ambient drones, the end times have rarely sounded so good as they do here.
Iain Ferguson
Viva Belgrado – Cancionero de los Cielos
January 19 // Fueled By Salmorejo
Cancionero de los Cielos is a thinking man’s post-hardcore record – there’s no way around it. The Spanish act’s latest release brims with genre experimentation and constant literary allusions to resentment towards the musician lifestyle and towards the self, and yet it never amounts to seeming pretentious. The sheer heart emanating from each track is unmistakable and, although a heavy listen, there’s so much to be excited here, whether it is the sprawling yet blunt penmanship or the carefully thought-out songwriting throughout it.
Carlos Vélez-Cancel
Ka – The Thief Next to Jesus
September 19 // Iron Works
It is lamentable that Ka’s brilliance as an artist seemed to explode into the zeitgeist upon his untimely passing. This often seems to be the case, but The Thief Next to Jesus, like Ka, is a complex and unique work of art that adds to the post-humous recognition he has received over the last couple of months. On Thief, Ka explores his place and view in the often bloated and fake hip hop landscape, utilizing religion as a metaphor for hip hop culture while being critical of blind faith adherents to any religion. Few rappers possess this level of lyricism and insight.
Broc
Tyler, The Creator – CHROMAKOPIA
October 28 // Columbia
So many of hip-hop’s vets brought their A-game in 2024 and delivered some of their strongest work to date, and that includes Tyler, The Creator. CHROMAKOPIA continues the trend of rappers staring down their midlife crisis, turning inward, trying to find meaning in their lives, and Tyler’s might be the best of the bunch. Tyler’s introspective look into his struggles with his parents, possibly becoming a parent himself, fame, love lost, and his ongoing quest for partnership is all some of his best writing to date. Toss in his unique production style and you don’t just get one of the year’s best albums, you get one of his best period.
Alex Eubanks
God Is War – Boogeyman Inc.
September 20 // Profound Lore
God Is War is to your psyche what a jackhammer is to your spleen–rather thought provoking. God Is War has been laying everything on its path to waste for a while now, and it seems like the LA BASED BAD GUY is merely getting started with his hyperaggressive electronics. Boogeyman Inc. is fucking ruthless and grating entirety that soothes its listeners with a baseball bat rather than a caressing touch, and I’m all for it. Listen to God Is War and get rekt.
Eeli Helin
Coilguns – Odd Love
November 22 // Humus Records
I always liked Coilguns, but they never stood out to me, so I went into Odd Love expecting a cool hardcore/mathcore experience. I’m still picking up the pieces of my jaw after it fell so devastatingly onto the floor. I don’t know if their fantastic, way too short collaboration with Birds In Row had anything to do with it, but Coilguns basically exploded with Odd Love, crafting so many great ideas with elegance – nothing goes over your head, everything comes from the heart, direct and authentic, so much attention to detail. I got lost countless times in the energy of Odd Love, the twists and turns, making every second you immerse yourself into it worthwhile. A triumphal crescendo.
Toni Meese
Vitriol – Suffer & Become
January 26 // Century Media
The long-awaited sophomore album was released earlier this year, but make no mistake – this is a completely different beast. To Bathe in the Throat of Cowardice is raw, relentlessly savage, and focused on beating the shit out of the listener. Suffer & Become is polished and expresses a wider range of emotion, but remains relentless. It feels soaring in parts like the sweeps in “Shame and its Afterbirth” and the ambience behind the soloing in “The Isolating Lie of Learning Another”. They expand upon their already impressive technical skill and explore the depth of melody without compromising their core sound.
Nathan Kwon
Defacement – Duality
July 26 // Avantgarde Music
For me, 2024 is the year I rekindled my love for heavy music. There are a handful of records I attribute this change in attitude to, and Defacement contributed significantly with their sophomore release Duality. I went from being grossed out by their artworks to being absolutely spellbound by their claustrophobic, atmospherically dense take on dissonant death metal. There is a genuine aura of looming threat to these songs and interludes, and ambiance of dread and despair that’s hard to shake over multiple listens. Their compositions are threateningly efficient yet expansive enough to keep their formula from becoming stale. Defacement are definitely a disso-death band to keep close tabs on in the future.
Dominik Böhmer
Cave Sermon – Divine Laughter
January 18 // Independent
Tastefully dissonant, well written, every riff is thought out. No filler – only killer. One problem I often have with dissonant metal is dissonant for dissonance’s sake. In fairness, that can be an artistic statement in of itself, but the listener can tell when it’s used intentionally and used well: take Artificial Brain and Ulcerate as great examples. The latter part of “Liquid Gold” and the intro groove to “Divine Laughter” often lives in my head rent free. Charlie Park has created a dissonant death metal album that is equal parts powerful, emotive, and memorable – no easy feat.
Nathan Kwon
DVNE – Voidkind
April 19 // Metal Blade
Voidkind is yet another triumph for a band who can’t stop pumping out massive albums and who can’t stop improving their live experience. Even though the rawer days of Asheran are over and the newer sound of DVNE is thicker and better produced, they’ve managed to retain their emotive storytelling through music. There is no better example of this on the album than “Reaching for Telos”, a track that starts with turbulent instruments, paired with these amazing desperate yet hopeful-sounding vocals, dropping back into psychedelic drone, before reaching back up to the stars to deliver a stunning emotive finale. Very much looking forward to seeing where they go next with their sound.
Pete Overell
Couch Slut – You Could Do It Tonight
April 19 // Brutal Panda
Before this year I had not doused myself in the sonic kerosene and lit myself ablaze for Couch Slut yet. This record quickly changed that. With a blood soaked ode to the addiction of self-harm “Wilkinson’s Sword”, the band easily placed me in the most alone and the most damaged headspace I have experienced all year listening to music. Whether you want it to or not, this record will leave a mark on you emotionally that not many things can. If this isn’t on your noise rock radar as of yet it better be now.
Bryson Chapman
Dååth – The Deceivers
May 3 // Metal Blade
Dååth ushered in an eclectic, experimental approach to American death metal in the early oughts, incorporating jazz, industrial elements, classical influences, and more into a still groove-oriented, hooky, and heavy blend. However, their last release was in 2009. How do you come back after 15 years? With The Deceivers – this record is exceptional, even without the qualifier that it is a comeback album after more than a decade of silence. Rich production, ambitious arrangments, well-integrated features, and peerless songwriting more than justify The Deceivers‘ place on AOTY lists.
Landon Turlock
Cold Gawd – I’ll Drown On This Earth
August 30 // Dais Records
Cold Gawd excel once again with a release so strong it didn’t leave my daily queue for an entire two months or more. “Portland”, “Tappan”, “Nudism”, and the single, “All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned For A Thing I Cannot Name” are all masterclasses in a grungegazey, atmospheric crossover that shines in a new era of ‘ugly-pretty’ music that’s clearly taken notes from the style of a band like Deftones into its own, distinct, gorgeous path. Cold Gawd possess an art of their own in how they blend catchy and gritty, and this record belongs in any shoegazer’s collection.
Dylan Nicole Lawson
KEYGEN CHURCH – Nel Nome Del Codice
March 22 // Metal Blade
Imagine a pipe organ commandeered by a rogue AI, a choir singing hymns to the digital ether, and chiptune metal tearing through gothic cathedrals—it’s Nel Nome Del Codice. KEYGEN CHURCH’s latest is a genre-defying epic that pairs its bombastic arrangements with unapologetic flair. Vittorio D’Amore’s boldest move? Adding a colossal choir to elevate tracks like “La Chiave Del Mio Amor” into stratospheric territory. The album oscillates between haunting, grandiose drama, and unapologetic metal ferocity, crafting a cinematic soundscape that invites endless imagination. Equal parts ecclesiastical and apocalyptic, this is music for your inner cathedral, wired straight to the mainframe.
Robert Miklos
convulsing – perdurance
March 1 // Independent
Out of nowhere, convulsing pays us a visit to let us know that not only is it alive as a project, but so are we. perdurance is an affirming masterpiece in the sense that we’ve fought so fucking hard to survive up to this point, and each listen of the album is another reminder, a new checkpoint in life to hopefully celebrate among the ghastly death metal tumult where you can imagine what would happen if you gave up. The final line of the album is the best reminder/affimation you can tell yourself at the end of it all: ‘I’ll endure a while longer’.
David Rodriguez
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING
August 23 // Saddle Creek
The band is back with a refined and lean 39 minutes of cinematic indie rock bliss. Despite the brevity, there’s still plenty of soundscape indulgence here. Acid soaked transitions and ear candy moments are nestled within all the songs. Bold choices shine throughout the tracklist like the auto-tuned vocals on “LET THE VIRGIN DRIVE”, a Dre sounding sample on “1/500”, and the elegant strings on “EARTH KIT”. There’re so many details that’s futile to list them all. The little flickers here or flashes there make it ideal for multiple listens. So if you like sound design or hallucinating while sober, then stick this bloody avocado on at your earliest convenience.
Christopher Rós
Lizzy McAlpine – Older
February 13 // Indigo Blue/RCA
As opening moments blossom into the hazy wistfulness of a full band, little prepares you for just how wonderful Lizzy McAlpine’s third album is. Older packages profoundly charming songwriting that captures McAlpine in a seemingly more authentic light, candidly portraying a breadth of lived emotions and experiences. Musically, every component flourishes: the harmonies of “Come Down Soon”; the whimsical passing chords of “All Falls Down”; the gradual textural washes of “I Guess”; even the poignant title track and eventual crescendo of “Vortex”. Pensively lingering piano and lambent guitar drive proceedings amidst a rich instrumental ensemble, all overseen beautifully by McAlpine’s divinely breathy, mellifluous vocals. Stunning from start to finish, I simply cannot concisely do this record justice.
Shaun Milligan
State Faults – Children Of The Moon
July 26 // Deathwish Inc.
Children Of The Moon is an album that taps into the unspoken, emotional complexities of human existence, pulling you into an intimately bleak journey of our psyches. It explores the turmoil of self-questioning, the ache of longing, and the fragile hope that flickers in the face of true darkness. Each track feels like an emotional confession, a glimpse into the heart of someone unable to reconcile with their own identity and mortality. State Faults transcend the constraints of skramz, offering something deeply personal and universally relatable, a harshly beautiful exploration of what it means to be human, flawed, and ever-evolving.
JP Pallais
Mildlife – Chorus
March 1 // Heavenly Recordings
In a world of stress and uncertainty, sometimes you just want to feel good. And for times like that, we have Mildlife. They’ve always been excellent at crafting impeccable warm, cheerful psychedelic jazz funk, but Chorus has got to be their brightest album yet. Bolstered by outstanding, yet understated, musicianship, there’s nary a bum note across this wonderfully diverse album. From the smooth grooves of “Yourself” to the retro-futuristic disco of “Musica” and the Floydian jam of “Return to Centaurus”, Chorus is practically built out of earworms that invite you to just forget your worries for a while and vibe out.
Iain Ferguson
Ulcerate – Cutting the Throat of God
June 14 // Debemur Morti Productions
Ulcerate have been carving their own particular brand of metal for a while now, and Cutting the Throat of God is yet another sonic onslaught that could only be born from the masters of dissonant death metal. Violent, punishing, and unrelenting, this record easily pulls you in to its haunting, yet hypnotizing atmosphere, leaving you hollow and drained by the end. It’s like the musical equivalent to a From Software game. That is a compliment, by the way.
Thomas Mendes
Frédéric D. Oberland, Grégory Dargent, Tony Elieh, Wassim Halal – SIHR
May 24 // Sub Rosa
SIHR is a sonic journey unlike no other, traversing the vastly different tonal tapestries with ease while existing free of any set confines, in a way where each and every listen presents something new and fascinating you missed before. It’s perhaps not the easiest album to listen to since it requires effort to take all of it in, but it’s sure as hell all the more rewarding one for it. A definitive highlight of my year, and I hope the quartet gets together again to further explore these unique territories
Eeli Helin
Remi Wolf – Big Ideas
July 12 // Island Records/UMG
Full of character and colour, Big Ideas is a vibrant outing of soulful, punchy pop from Remi Wolf that overflows with toe-tapping, hip-swaying confidence – a compendium of hook-laden earworms that swiftly take root. While the likes of “Soup”, “Toro”, and “Cinderella” channel shimmering, upbeat vibes, there are shifts in tempo (see the sultry “Motorcycle” or dusky indie vibes of “When I Thought Of You”). However, Big Ideas largely propels itself – right up to emboldened, sparkling close of “Slay Bitch” – on the inarguable magnitude of Wolf’s powerhouse vocal performance and the glistening production of saccharine arrangements sweet enough to leave you in dire need of a dentist.
Shaun Milligan
Charli XCX – Brat
June 7 // Atlantic
Charli XCX’s Brat has been unavoidable. Good. It’s one of the best albums of the decade so far, elevated Charli from indie darling to one of the biggest artists in the world, it deserves all the praise it’s gotten, and you have likely seen much of it. Therefore I will list my one and only nitpick for my AOTY. Lorde broke “Girl, so confusing”. Listening to what was a flawless track originally now feels like listening to half a duet. AOTY, a remix turning into my song of the year. Charli is a generational talent.
Alex Eubanks
Lea Thomas – Cosmos Forever
September 20 // Triple Dolphin Records
Cemented as the slowcore summer soundtrack I desperately needed, the peacefulness and powerfully affecting nature of Cosmos Forever still astonishes in midwinter. Rich, soothing tapestries of instrumentation accompany Lea Thomas’s tranquil lyricism and lingering delivery. Nothing is rushed, but rather we are taken by the hand and led to wander – to meander and make the most of each moment, whatever our surroundings. It’s incredibly therapeutic. Every track is peppered with charm and personality: “Thousand Leaves” and “Bauhinia” blossom at glacial pace, while “Cosmos Forever” channels a sizzling energy that simmers without sacrificing softness. Truly a remarkable record, and one that remains my go-to sanctuary when the world seems unbearably dark and jagged
Shaun Milligan
LustSickPuppy – CAROUSEL FROM HELL
April 26 // Independent
LustSickPuppy’s take on wild, hyper rave rap broke brains and speedometers alike. It foregoes the typical cruising speed of club bangers and blasts off at the speed of fuck for a sweaty good time. CAROUSEL FROM HELL is rife with varied textures all self-produced by the Brooklyn vocalist, their sonic and fashion aesthetics forging otherworldly connections to an audience as weird as them. It’s a communal thing, made evident by the photos and videos of like-minded individuals going full-send on meeting LustSickPuppy on their level at shows. It’s also catchy as hell – I have not known peace since this released in April.
David Rodriguez
Medium Build – Country
June 28 // Island Records/UMG
Placing Medium Build into a discrete genre is a bit of a fool’s errand. Bits of Americana, folk, indie, and Midwest emo are all ideas that swirl within this record but all aesthetic trappings take a backseat to the raw lyricism. Sarcasm, earnesty, fear, tempered joy: it’s one of the most relatable albums I’ve heard this year. Lyrics perfectly capture adolescent isolation and how those feelings can shape how we view ourselves into adulthood. This record is stacked front to back with witty, lovely songs that always find a way to squarely hit the nail on the head.
Jake Walters
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
November 22 // pgLang/Interscope
What better way to cap off an unprecedented beef in hip hop that captivated the entire world than a glorious victory lap. Kendrick finally relaxed, and put on a hyper regional display that balanced his bravado, idiosyncrasies, and quirkiness. Even better, almost every feature competes for the limelight putting on some underground up-and-comers hungry for the throne. Drake be damned, the hip hop heir apparent has ascended his throne.
Daniel Reiser
Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
February 9 // Loma Vista Recordings
Everyone’s favorite goth queen exceeded even the wildest expectations with this one. As approachable as it is unique, She Reaches Out… may be Chelsea Wolfe‘s most essential record yet, pulling from every type of music she’s worked with and then some. Ranging from trip hop to industrial, from pop to metal and everything in between, it manages to excel in all fronts. It is grand yet introspective, aggressive yet soothing, somber yet dreamlike. Wolfe did, ahem, reach out to the very depths of her artistic soul with this album, and anyone can find something to love in it.
Thomas Mendes
dim – planted in the soil
July 19 // Independent
Wading through the sea of outstanding screamo releases from 2024 for an AOTY is a little like trying to pick a favorite amongst your children if they were all super awesome, beautiful, and talented. So to say planted in the soil has earned serious consideration for the absolute apex of any such list is high praise indeed. dim meld screamo, post-rock, and hardcore forming a heaviness that sticks with you. This record combines anguish and rage at the fore with melodic undertones to results that are staggering. There are jagged moments of beauty found here that transcend all earthly imperfections.
Adam P. Terry
Plantoid – Terrapath
February 2 // Bella Union
Terrapath was such an early year treat, something to ease the pain of time’s ceaseless crawl and provide escapism to new worlds. Plantoid tell us to make ourselves at home among their progressive, jazzy rock clutter that’s more tasteful than busy and hectic, like being at a messy friend’s house and seeing familiar objects like cool books and DVD cases jut out from the amalgam. This UK outfit deserves shine for that alone, but they take things further with resplendent writing and exquisite performances, particularly by vocalist Chloe Spence (who also wields guitar). Don’t miss this trip.
David Rodriguez
SOFT PLAY – HEAVY JELLY
July 19 // BMG
SOFT PLAY‘s HEAVY JELLY is an all-caps raucous stomp through the history of the band and the history of punk rock. In a year where music’s gnarliest genre made a glorious comeback, HEAVY JELLY uses an over-driven, four-chord background to plot a path through a world populated by over-flowing trash cans, ‘roid-headed meatballs, John Wick fanboys, and insufferable keyboard warriors. It’s a ridiculous, over the top, deeply empathetic celebration of life and a creative peak for the English duo.
Steve Loschi
Thou – Umbilical
May 31 // Sacred Bones Records
With Umbilical, Thou have crafted a true wrecking ball of sludge. By removing much of their experimental (and softer) sides, they’ve made one of the most direct offerings of their career. Taking their cues from both the punk and hardcore scene where many of the band cut their teeth as well as their own heaviest work, they’ve ended up with one of the year’s best metal albums. At 48 minutes, it’s much shorter than some of their neolithic works having cut away some of the ambience and clean vocals, leaving nothing but the essential pure sludge vitriol.
Dom South
Yirinda – Yirinda
February 16 // Chapter Music
If someone had told me in early 2024 that one of the most interesting albums I would hear that year would be a project rooted in Aboriginal folk music, I would have been intrigued, especially since I had no idea what to expect. Fast forward to the end of 2024 and I’ve spent a lot of time immersed in the beautiful world of Yirinda. Deeply rooted in the culture of the Butchulla, Australian Aborigines living in Queensland, this album has opened new doors for me and I’m totally fascinated by it.
Toni Meese
Revival Season – Golden Age Of Self Snitching
February 23 // Heavenly Recordings
For decades, rappers have lamented, harangued, and warned against the act of telling on yourself or your pals when living a grimy life. Shit, you don’t even have to be doing anything illegal to get in trouble or appear as a mark to others. Golden Age Of Self Snitching, while not focusing solely on that topic, is a deft call to awareness with keen production from Jonah Swilley and quick flows propelling wise lyrics from BEZ. If it’s survival of the fittest out there, this album can be seen as a bench press of underground hip-hop greatness to get you in form.
David Rodriguez
Nala Sinephro – Endlessness
September 6 // Warp Records
To stand out among all the great jazz records that 2024 had to offer is no easy feat, so for Nala Sinephro to so effortlessly drop one of the best jazz albums of the year is absolutely stunning. Hailed by both the jazz and more mainstream music press, Endlessness is a transcendent piece of modern jazz that does what the genre does best: reflect, twist, and turn contemporary culture. And yes, being slick and groovy in the process.
Toni Meese
Thanks for reading. See you next time, I guess.
