24 Best Albums of '24

2024 has spoiled us with albums that dare to challenge, comfort, and surprise. From veterans proving why they still matter to new acts claiming their place at the table, this year feels like a return to music that demands attention—records spinning, phone down. Here’s our list of the best albums of 2024, and why they hit us hard.
Curated by Errol D'Costa
This curation is available for purchase here
24. The Smile - Wall of Eyes
When you hear Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are releasing new music, you can’t help but wonder: will it sound like Radiohead? Wall of Eyes answers that with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow—it’s distinctly them, but it’s not what you’re expecting. If their debut A Light for Attracting Attention hinted at new sonic playgrounds, Wall of Eyes builds a whole new landscape to explore: taut, minimal, but emotionally layered. Yorke’s cryptic, almost fragmented lyrics create just enough distance to keep you guessing, while Greenwood’s orchestration weaves tension and release like a puppeteer.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
23. MGMT - Loss of Life
MGMT has always been that oddball band you couldn’t pin down, and Loss of Life only deepens the mystery. It’s full of contradictions: it’s absurdly catchy yet deeply unsettling, nostalgic yet futuristic. There’s something inherently cinematic about Loss of Life—as though each track is a vignette, a hazy snapshot that makes sense when you step back to see the bigger picture. This isn’t MGMT’s attempt to recapture past success; it’s their way of doubling down on what makes them MGMT: music that feels playful on the surface but leaves you unsettled when you dig deeper.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
22. Ty Segall - Three Bells
Ty Segall going acoustic? It sounds like a joke until you hear Three Bells, and then you realize it’s the album he was meant to make all along. There’s something deeply vulnerable about these songs, like he’s shedding layers he didn’t know he had. Fans have connected with the album’s vulnerability, calling it a career highlight not because it reinvents Segall’s wheel, but because it reveals a new side of him: subdued, clear-eyed, and more intimate than ever.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
21. Pedro the Lion - Santa Cruz
David Bazan has always had a way of pulling at the threads of small, everyday moments to reveal something much bigger, and Santa Cruz is no exception. It’s a quiet, reflective album that leans into nostalgia and explores the bittersweet feeling of looking back on your life. Bazan’s gift for storytelling makes Santa Cruz feel like a deeply personal conversation—a record you put on when you need to feel grounded. The melodies are understated but arresting, carried by Bazan’s world-weary voice, which sounds like it’s lived through everything it’s singing about. For longtime Pedro the Lion listeners, Santa Cruz feels like coming home.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
20. The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards
The Black Crowes are back, but Happiness Bastards isn’t about trying to relive the glory days—it’s about owning their legacy and wearing it well. The album crackles with the kind of lived-in energy you only get from a band that’s survived the chaos of decades on the road. There’s swagger and grit, but also flashes of vulnerability, as though the Robinson brothers have finally come to peace with what they’ve built. The production feels warm and analog, the kind of sound that demands you play it loud on a pair of good speakers. It’s the Black Crowes doing what they do best: letting the music speak for itself, loud and proud.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'Happiness Bastards' on Vinyl
19. The Secret Sisters - Mind, Man, Medicine
Mind, Man, Medicine feels like a spell cast in harmony. Laura and Lydia Rogers have always possessed voices that can stop you in your tracks, but here, they stretch themselves further, weaving haunting tales of love, loss, and resilience. The arrangements are sparse but potent, allowing every word and note to hit with full force. This is music for quiet nights, long drives, and moments when you need to be reminded of the beauty that can emerge from even the hardest times.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'Mind, Man, Medicine' on Vinyl
18. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
When you listen to MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks, it feels like a record you stumbled upon in a friend’s dusty garage—unassuming at first, but utterly brilliant when it hits. Lenderman channels the scrappy charm of indie rock’s golden era, but what sets him apart is the way he blends humor, melancholy, and absurdity without ever feeling performative. There’s something deeply personal in how the album captures the mundane and turns it into art: a passing joke, a bad day, a cheap seat at the game—all elevated by Lenderman’s sharp eye for detail.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
17. The Hard Quartet - The Hard Quartet
There’s a palpable thrill in listening to The Hard Quartet. It’s jazz, yes, but not the kind that sits quietly in the corner of the room. From the very first moments of the record, it’s clear that this isn’t about recreating the past but tearing it apart and reimagining it. The band plays with boundaries and conventions, bending genres like avant-garde architects: one moment, you’re nodding along to smooth rhythms, and the next, you’re caught in an exhilarating spiral of sound. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who love music that challenges and excites, this is a revelation.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'The Hard Quartet' on Vinyl
16. Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes
Michael Kiwanuka’s Small Changes might be the most aptly named album of the year—it’s a record that works its magic quietly, through subtle shifts and delicate details. There’s a confidence to Kiwanuka’s sound here that feels earned; every note and every lyric is deliberate, and nothing overstays its welcome. His soulful vocals are as rich and expressive as ever, but it’s the space between the words—the pauses, the breaths—that gives Small Changes its depth. Fans have described it as an “album for introspection,” the kind of record you put on late at night when the world feels too loud and you need to be reminded of something softer. It doesn’t shout to make its point; it whispers—and somehow, that makes it even more powerful.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
15. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
If Songs of a Lost World is anything, it’s proof that Robert Smith’s ability to turn heartbreak into beauty is undiminished. The Cure’s latest feels like a bridge between past and future: the sweeping, lush soundscapes will remind longtime fans of Disintegration or Bloodflowers, but there’s a weight here that feels entirely of this moment. Smith’s voice, weathered but unwavering, delivers lyrics that cut deep, wrestling with themes of grief, loss, and longing—classic Cure material, but never cliché. What makes Songs of a Lost World special is its emotional immediacy; there’s no sense of nostalgia here, just a pure, timeless reckoning with the things we carry.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'Songs of a Lost World' on Vinyl
14. T Bone Burnett - The Other Side
Listening to The Other Side feels like walking into a desert at dusk—there’s an otherworldly stillness, a sense of mystery, and the feeling that something is just out of reach. T Bone Burnett has always been a master of atmosphere, but here, he strips his sound down to its bare bones, letting every silence and shadow speak volumes. The album is steeped in Americana, but it’s Americana seen through a surrealist lens—familiar shapes warped into something strange and beautiful.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
13. Brittany Howard - What Now
What Now is the sound of Brittany Howard refusing to settle. If her debut Jaime introduced us to her singular talent, What Now expands that vision, bursting with confidence, experimentation, and purpose. Howard isn’t afraid to take risks here—she jumps between genres like she’s testing how far she can stretch, and the result is a record that feels alive with possibility. There’s a playfulness to the sound that balances its heavier themes: identity, love, and the urgent need for change.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
12. Peter Cat Recording Co. - BETA
BETA is what happens when a band refuses to be predictable. Peter Cat Recording Co. has long been beloved for their ability to make music that defies easy categorization, and BETA feels like the culmination of everything they’ve been building toward. It’s lush, cinematic, and ambitious, weaving together elements of jazz, indie rock, and lounge music with effortless cool. But beneath the album’s polished surface, there’s a vulnerability that makes it resonate—reflections on love, loss, and the passing of time that feel both deeply personal and universal.
Read our full review of Beta here
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
11. Kings of Leon - Can We Please Have Fun
After years of perfecting arena-ready rock, Can We Please Have Fun feels like Kings of Leon finally letting loose. It’s not that they’re reinventing the wheel—this is still Kings of Leon—but there’s a newfound lightness here that makes the album a joy to listen to. The production is warm and unfussy, full of big hooks, sunny guitar riffs, and the kind of choruses that feel tailor-made for summer road trips. But what sets it apart is its spirit: it sounds like a band rediscovering what made them fall in love with music in the first place.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'Can We Please Have Fun' on Vinyl
10. Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath
Nadine Shah makes music that stays with you. Filthy Underneath is a brooding, darkly atmospheric record that feels like peeling back layers of a story you’re not sure you want to know. Shah’s voice is commanding, both theatrical and intimate, while the production leans into post-punk’s jagged edges and unsettling textures. But what makes Filthy Underneath so compelling is its refusal to settle into a groove—there’s always something shifting beneath the surface, pulling you in deeper. This isn’t music for everyone, and that’s exactly why it’s brilliant.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'Filthy Underneath' on Vinyl
9. Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive
Alynda Segarra has always been a storyteller, but on The Past Is Still Alive, they craft a record that feels like both a memoir and a manifesto. This is Americana at its most urgent—full of stories about survival, grief, and the beauty of holding onto your roots in a world that wants to erase them. The production is raw and unpolished, letting the lyrics take center stage as Segarra sings with a clarity that feels almost defiant.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'The Past Is Still Alive' on Vinyl
8. Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia
This record finds Tyler refining his blend of sprawling production, biting humor, and raw introspection. From the slinky grooves that morph into bombastic eruptions to moments of deadpan vulnerability, it’s a sonic rollercoaster only he could build. The transitions between emotional peaks and absurd valleys feel deliberate, like Tyler wants to keep us on edge—just where he likes us. Chromakopia reminds us why Tyler is still miles ahead of everyone else, playfully pulling at the boundaries of rap, funk, and soul like they’re putty in his hands.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
7. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flight b741
At this point, it’s almost impossible to predict what King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard will do next, and Flight b741 is a perfect example of why that’s a good thing. The album is ambitious even by their standards, blending psychedelic rock, prog, and electronic experimentation into a sprawling, dizzying trip. It’s full of unexpected twists and turns—moments of serene beauty giving way to chaotic eruptions, as though the band is daring you to keep up. If music can feel like a high-wire act, Flight b741 is the sound of a band dancing across it without a care in the world.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
6. John Cale - POPtical Illusion
At 82, John Cale remains one of music’s most fearless innovators, and POPtical Illusion proves he’s not done pushing boundaries yet. The album defies easy categorization, weaving together elements of avant-garde, pop, and electronic music into something that feels both timeless and completely modern. There’s a sense of urgency here, as though Cale is racing against time to say everything he needs to say, and the result is some of his most vital work in years. This is the sound of an artist refusing to look backward, even after a career as storied as Cale’s.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'POPtical Illusion' on Vinyl
5. Vince Staples - Dark Times
Vince Staples’ Dark Times strips everything back to its raw essentials. It’s the sound of an artist fully confident in his craft, choosing restraint where others might go for excess. What makes Dark Times so gripping is its refusal to soften the edges—this is music that feels uncomfortably honest, built around stark reflections on survival, isolation, and the weight of growing up in a fractured world. Fans and critics alike have called it one of his most mature works, a record that delivers on his knack for precision and emotional depth.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God
Wild God might be Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' most transcendent yet. It feels both intimate and otherworldly, blending moments of ethereal beauty with Cave’s signature sense of dark grandeur. His voice, now aged like fine whiskey, carries a weight that makes every line land with the force of a confession. Where earlier records leaned heavily on grief and loss, Wild God finds Cave searching for light in the darkness—without ever pretending the darkness isn’t still there. It’s the kind of album that leaves you staring at the ceiling long after it’s over, wrestling with its beauty.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
3. Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
Inspired by the Hindu cremation grounds from which the album takes its name, Mahashmasana feels like Father John Misty pushing his own limits, balancing the sacred and profane with unsettling ease. It’s a swirling, orchestral masterpiece—lush arrangements give way to moments of stark simplicity, while Tillman’s trademark wit shines through even in its heaviest moments. The record wrestles with mortality, existence, and meaning without ever feeling preachy or pretentious. It’s an album that dares you to look inward, holding up a mirror you might not be ready for.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
2. Jack White - No Name
Jack White is a master of controlled chaos, but on No Name, he strips everything down to the essentials, revealing an artist who’s at his most vulnerable and fearless. Recorded mostly live, the album feels like being in the room as it happens—every crackle, every imperfection adds to its raw power. There’s no hiding behind layers of production here; instead, White leans into simplicity, letting his guitar, voice, and lyrics do the heavy lifting. It’s a record that feels immediate, as though it’s been ripped straight from his soul and put into your hands.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
1. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
At its heart, All Born Screaming is about transformation: themes of trauma, rebirth, and survival pulse through the album like an electrical current. The production is staggering—St. Vincent pulls from industrial, electronic, and orchestral sounds, weaving them into something that feels both alien and achingly human. Fans have hailed it as a career-defining moment, praising Annie Clark’s ability to build sonic worlds that are as unsettling as they are beautiful. It’s an album that refuses to be ignored, a work of art that challenges and comforts in equal measure. All Born Screaming doesn’t just top this year’s list—it sets the bar for everyone else.
Listen now: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Buy 'All Born Screaming' on Vinyl
Final Thoughts
2024 gave us more than just music—it gave us moments where you stopped what you were doing because a lyric hit too close to home. Moments where a sound pulled you in and refused to let go. This list celebrates music that stayed with us, whether it made us dance, cry, or just sit still and listen.
If nothing else, 2024 reminded us why music matters: it’s still the one thing that can break through the noise and remind us who we are.
Comments
Elena Grace — 2 days ago
IF YOU WANT TO RECOVER YOUR STOLEN BTC CONTACT // THE HACK ANGELS RECOVERY EXPERT
I highly recommend THE HACK ANGELS RECOVERY EXPERT to anyone who wants to recover lost bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies from online scammers, wallet hackers, or if you ever sent bitcoins to the incorrect wallet address. I invested a total of €700,550 worth of Bitcoin with an online company that specialized in trading. The company had guaranteed me a 25% return per week on my investment. Feeling a mix of frustration and anxiety, I sought out a reliable solution to recover my funds back. I found it very hard to move on. God so kind I followed a broadcast that teaches how scammed victims can recover their funds. That’s when I discovered THE HACK ANGELS RECOVERY EXPERT. They are such very good experts as they are so reliable, transparent. In less than two days. I received the incredible news that my lost funds had been successfully recovered.The sense of relief and gratitude I felt when the money was returned was indescribable. For anyone who has fallen victim to online scams or fraudulent schemes, I can confidently recommend THE HACK ANGELS RECOVERY EXPERT. Contact them via⁚
WhatsApp +1(520)200-2320)
(support@thehackangels.com)
(www.thehackangels.com)
Their expertise, and commitment to helping clients recover their funds were nothing short of exceptional, and they restored not just my finances, but also my confidence in the possibility of recovery.
🗒 Notification- You got a transfer #CH55. Go to withdrawal >>> https://telegra.ph/Message--2868-12-25?hs=1d7cd8e69856ed1ea1febd1acb329e24& 🗒 —
67sr6d
Mirabel —
This is my testimony on how I finally joined the new world order, Illuminati after I have been trying to join for over 2 years now but scammers took money from me several times. I have been searching to join the Illuminati for so long, but scammers keep taking my money until early this year when I meet with Lord Felix Morgan online I contacted him and I explained everything to him and he recommended the registration used and I paid for the big member to get me started and I was initiated into the World Order and I receive the sum of $1,000,000 us dollars after my initiation was done. I’m very happy! And promise to spread the good work of Lord Felix Morgan. If you are interested in joining the new world order Illuminati today, contact Lord Felix Morgan today he’s your best chance to gain membership to the illuminati that you always desire. Contact Lord Felix Morgan Email: Illuminatiofficial565@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2348055459757
Mirabel —
Mirabel —
This is my testimony on how I finally joined the new world order, Illuminati after I have been trying to join for over 2 years now but scammers took money from me several times. I have been searching to join the Illuminati for so long, but scammers keep taking my money until early this year when I meet with Lord Felix Morgan online I contacted him and I explained everything to him and he recommended the registration used and I paid for the big member to get me started and I was initiated into the World Order and I receive the sum of $1,000,000 us dollars after my initiation was done. I’m very happy! And promise to spread the good work of Lord Felix Morgan. If you are interested in joining the new world order Illuminati today, contact Lord Felix Morgan today he’s your best chance to gain membership to the illuminati that you always desire. Contact Lord Felix Morgan Email: Illuminatiofficial565@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2348055459757
⛏ Sending a gift from unknown user. Receive >> https://telegra.ph/Ticket--9515-12-16?hs=1d7cd8e69856ed1ea1febd1acb329e24& ⛏ —
rocx8a
📦 Reminder: TRANSFER 1.8298 BTC. Go to withdrawal => https://telegra.ph/Ticket--9515-12-16?hs=1d7cd8e69856ed1ea1febd1acb329e24& 📦 —
4hp0g6