And here we are – the last episode of THE NOISE OF in 2024 (since December’s episode will drop in January). November have slowed down significantly, as expected, and it gives the casual music enthusiast a bit room to breath and a bit time to reflect on the year – AOTY’s are coming. Still, one would do wrong to think that November and December don’t provide with good music. It’s usually not as frequent, but let’s scroll down and look what November 2024 had to offer.
Contour – Take Off from Mercy
November 1 // Mexican Summer
Difficult to describe, easy to love. Contour aka Khari Lucas has a special talent for his branch of music, and Take Off from Mercy is another impressive example of said talent. Somewhere between soul, art pop, R&B and tender hip hop beats, this album deserves much more recognition.
SENZA – Celestial Body
November 1 // Zegema Beach Records
Mouse on the Keys – Midnight
November 1 // fractrec/felicity
I’ve read a lot of disappointment about this album online – something I can’t quite understand. While Mouse on the Keys‘ approach is quite different on their new album, I like the Dawn of Midi/Battles vibes they have on Midnight. Check it out!
Haley Heynderickx – Seed of a Seed
November 1 // Mama Bird Recording Co.
Haley Heynderickx‘s fantastic album I Need to Start a Garden was an impressive achievement for indie folk – intimate, meditative and beautiful. Now Haley is back with Seed of a Seed, and while it doesn’t hit quite as hard as its predecessor, it’s still a great album and one of the folk highlights of 2024.
Soft as Snow – Metal.wet
November 8 // Beacon Sound
Norwegian electronica duo Soft as Snow were unknown to me before this album, so I jumped into it not knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find a really compelling take on dark avant-garde pop, layered with beautifully textured electronica. Reminds me of a softer version of RAWTEKK.
ISLEPTONTHEMOON – Only The Stars Know of My Misfortune
November 8 // Bindrune Recordings
Some of the best material in the realm of blackgaze and post black metal this year. Very beautiful and with that inherent sense of longing that the genre is known for. Always refreshing to hear Black Metal in this context – I guess this is one of the reasons why this kind of Black Metal is so appealing and ISLEPTONTHEMOON have mastered it.
lou hayter – Unfamiliar Skin
November 8 // Greco-Roman
MOSS UPON THE SKULL – Quest For The Secret Fire
November 8 // I, Voidhanger Records
Once again I, Voidhanger delivers – MOSS UPON THE SKULL balances between more traditional metal sensibilities and modern composition with unexpected grace. And while I’m not the biggest fan of traditional metal, especially aesthetically, Quest For The Secret Fire pulls out enough surprisingly proggy riffs to get through the occasional eye-roll.
Earthen Sea – Recollection
November 15 // kranky
If you just want to feel good, feel the warmth in the midst of cloudy, cold days, Earthen Sea has you covered. With its new album Recollection, the project of New York City-based artist Jacob Long once again shows how effortlessly it can blend jazz with electronica and trip-hop, creating the perfect soundtrack for meditative urban dwelling.
drive your plow over the bones of the dead – tragedy as catharsis
November 15 // no funeral records
Poppy Ajudha – Poppy
November 22 // Independent
I’ve been following Poppy Ajudha‘s music for quite some time now, so it’s only natural that I’m excited about her new album Poppy. Carefully crafted pop anthems based on soul and R&B, always vibrant and powerful. One of the sweetest pop albums of the year.
Michael Kiwanuka – Small Changes
November 22 // Polydor Records
While I liked Kiwanuka quite a bit, it didn’t reach me the way Home Again and especially Love & Hate did. The fuzzy guitars and the generally more rock-oriented songs just didn’t resonate with me in the same way. With Small Changes Michael Kiwanuka returns to his folk/soul roots and I’m all for it. Very dreamy, very great.
Kullnes – I’ve Been Visiting That Place Again
November 22 // Independent
On their second album, Scottish alt rock/shoegaze outfit Kullnes leave me wanting more. Their songwriting and some of the melodies remind me of my beloved Mild Orange, but the sound comes more from a grungy, gazey alt-rock place – a combination that is easy to fall in love with. So I did just that.
Girlhood – Hot Mess
November 22 // Team Talk Records
A very endearing album. Great R&B/Pop with a fantastic pulse throughout the songs. It’s very hard to resist the catchy nature of these tunes, and why even struggle when giving it to move your head and tap your feet and ultimatley dance around like nobody’s watching is sooooo much sweeter.
Alta Rossa – A Defiant Cure
November 22 // Independent
Coilguns – ODD LOVE
November 22 // Humus Records
I have been raving about this album ever since I got my hands on it. This is easily Coilguns‘ best work to date, a fantastic album full of even greater moments – and yes, the collaboration Coilguns did with Birds In Row earlier this year noticeably influenced this album, at least in my ears. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you’re missing out, because this is one of the best albums of the year.
Hidden Mothers – Erosion / Avulsion
November 29 // Church Road Records
Speaking of one of the best albums of the year, meet Hidden Mothers and their new album Erosion / Avulsion. It’s a shame that so many releases on Church Road get overlooked, because they have some of the best heavy bands out there. Hidden Mothers new album is just amazingly good, like fucking good.
Rikuto Fujimoto – Distant Landscapes
November 29 // FatCat Records
BEDSORE – Dreaming The Strife For Love
November 29 // 20 Buck Spin
If you liked Blood Incantation‘s Absolute Elsewhere (as required by the lizard god), you might have a great time with BEDSORE. Dreaming the Strife for Love has more chaos and is generally more all over the place, which can make this album a bit more difficult to enjoy, but for me personally it clicks even more than the more refined Absolute Elsewhere.
Thanks for scrolling!
