Top 50 Albums of 2024
Well its two weeks into 2026 and here I am posting my better late than never best albums of 2024! Lets just say that its been a year..and leave it at that shall we?! Amongst it all we still have music, and some good music at that! I'd say this is one of my most random lists yet with no clear theme on the albums that grabbed me this year, but theres always an undercurrent of melodic sounds and honesty with most of the music that ends up on this list. Here's the collection of Top Tracks, you can find the full list of 717 songs on my Spotify account if you really need the full immersive experience!
Honorable Mention:
Telos-Zedd
Third full length from the German DJ/producer full of banger dance hits.
Top Track-Automatic Yes feat. John Mayer
Cupidity Unlimited-Easy Honey
Mostly here because of the puns in the titles, but also just some good fun indie rock outta Charlston, SC.
Top Track-Homesick.
and it bloomed in august-Daisy Grow Yellow
German-American indie-folk outfit based out of Cologne.
Top Track-out to dry
counting on my hands-Babi Manatee
She wants a porch with a couch, and thats all I needed to know.
Top Track-hope you wonder why I blocked you
All Means, No End-Birdtalker
Third full length from the Nashville based indie-folk quartet.
Top Track-Dogs & Rocks
In Bloom-Jon Foreman
Most recent solo album from the Switchfoot frontman, great stripped down conversation about life and its small but mighty moments.
Top Track- Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)
Late Start-Carol Ades
Debut album from 2013 Voice competitor, I’m guessing it took her some time to get out from her contractual obligations to make more honest music that she is now.
Top Track-Dreams
Prima/Vera-Post Sex Nachos
Fun third album from Nashville alt-pop group.
Top Track-Growing Old
It’s Your Turn Now-Riley Pearce
Sophomore effort from Austrian multi-instrumentalist with some of the most heartbreaking lyrics out there.
Top Track-Come Up For Air
Sundust-The Ballroom Thieves
Indie-pop duo’s 5th album, full of spare guitar strums and harmonies.
Top Track-Right On Time
50. SOPHIE-SOPHIE
Posthumous release of the self titled album from the transgender female producer who passed away tragically at age 32. Sophie features heavily in Charlie XCX’s mind and most recent album raising her profile even higher in her death. Her dark electro pop is both the life of the party and a haunting reminder of how short life is.
Top Track-Reason Why
49. Softly Softly-Tall Heights
Some sad boy music right here from the Bostonian folk pop duo, this is the 4th full length from the childhood friends turned musical partners and features the expected lament over relationships gone wrong.
Top Track-Anti You
48. You Should Get Some Sleep-Aquilo
Another duo of friends from youth, the Lake District natives make dream pop that oscillates between slow and sad and hopeful.
Top Track-You Should Get Some Sleep
47. Into the Unknown-NERO
Pioneers of the London dubstep scene, NERO are still pumping out absolute bangers that beg to be turned up and danced to.
Top Track-Gravity
46. No Name-Jack White
A man who needs no introduction, a man who’s stamp on modern music is almost immeasurable at this point. Jack’s most recent album is a raucous romp full of guitar licks and lyrics shoved into stanzas like they are going out of style.
Top Track-Thats How I’m Feelin
45. All My Friends-Aoife O’Donovan
People throw around terms like “songbird of a generation” all the time, O’Donovan is actually one of those who might fit the bill. Her most recent album is an operatic exploration of the suffragette movement and she lends her beautiful vocals that effortlessly move up and down the scales to help us all reach a better understanding of what it means to struggle for something that will be unlikely to benefit you personally.
Top Track-The Right Time
44. Undefeated-Frank Turner
One of my favorite artists who has soundtracked my life for the past two decades, Frank’s most recent album if a great rock and roll album that is an exploration of the industry as an aging star. It also comes with a contemporary acoustic version that is just as good as the full power version.
Top Track-International Hide and Seek Champions
43. Don’t Forget Me-Maggie Rogers
Maggie’s back with her third studio album that certainly shows a level of maturity from an artist who has nothing to prove at this point. She verges a little further into come rock vibes than her previous hits, but still her crooning vocals are the center of it all.
Top Track-The Kill
42. The Great Imposter-Halsey
The fifth album from the multi-platinum dark pop princess is, as usual, a stinging rebuke of her personal demons with surprising clarity on her life so far. Across 19 tracks on this most recent album she criss crosses genres from country to rock in an effort to engage with conversations about health, identity, parenthood and more.
Top Track-Ego
41. Highway Prayers-Billy Strings
If you know Billy Strings, then you know he’s one of the best guitarists out there right now, it may be wrapped up in a bluegrass package and well hidden to the casual listener, but Billy shreds and in doing so he is one of the artists out there pushing the genre back into the mainstream. He sings about anything and everything with his distinctive vocals surrounded by an orchestra of bluegrass instruments that fill in in the studio for what is certainly an amazing live performance.
Top Track-Gild the Lily
40. Sha La La-Winnetka Bowling League
Somehow this is the LA power-pop trio’s debut full length album, they put out a few EPs through the pandemic and beyond but have built up to a thoughtful, punch, fun 10 track album that doesn’t rely on previous hits but provides plenty of new tunes to dance to and to make you think a bit.
Top Track-America in your 20’s
39. Talker-Wilderado
The sophomore album from the Oklahoma alt-folk trio is a driving southern drawl of a record, never getting too high or too low and understanding the assignment of playing good music that is easy to listen to.
Top Track-In Between
38. Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden-Valley
Valley returns with a fresh perspective after “Like 1999” hit over 100 million streams, the band almost broke up, fame is tough! But they worked through it and came out better on the other side as the second track on the album “A Little More in Love” tells us. Their brand of indie-pop is fun and light but they can still slow it down like on “Bop Ba” and the way they blend lead vocals and harmonies between the three members is unique and welcome.
Top Track-Bass Player’s Brother
37. Vicious Creature-Lauren Mayberry
The debut solo album from the lead singer of Chvrches is a fun exploration of what Lauren would be without her bandmates. It's a diminished version of the power that is Chvrches, but is a welcome opening up of Mayberry herself and a great opportunity for her to explore more personal themes. If anything this just makes me excited for the next album with the band back, please?!
Top Track-Something In The Air
36. Quinn XCII Presents: Mustard Mike’s Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner-Quinn XCII
The sixth album from the recently prolific Michigan proud hip-hop/pop singer is broken into three meal themed “discs” which the top albums list appreciates even if I listened to it all on streaming. Quinn aka Mustard Mike aka Mikael Temronski’s tenor vocals lighten the mood of anything even when he is dealing with difficult themes and loving and losing.
Top Track-Godspeed
35. Dopamine Detox-Chris James
James’ light and airy pop tunes are as easy to listen to as a cool glass of water on a summer's day. He speaks truly about his experiences and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable but wraps it in such a nice pop package that its always enjoyable.
Top Track-Sugar
34. Long Way Home-Ray LaMontague
La Montague is back with his first album since the pandemic and totals his ninth studio full length, a growing catalog that feels like it is from a different era but still hits today. Ray’s sandpaper vocals and smooth classical guitar riffs blend effortlessly into his motown inspired songwriting style to produce an effortless feeling but deeply engaging mood that wraps you in its glow.
Top Track-Step Into Your Power
33. In Waves-Jamie xx
One of the most influential beat makers in the British Electronic scene today and a huge piece of the influential group The xx, Jamie Smith returns with his second full length album this year. It is a no holds barred, unapologetic brit dance album that starts up and stays up. With this album he has likely surpassed his band for younger listeners in terms of modern influence, hopefully that inspires The xx to come back even bigger soon!
Top Track-Wanna
32. Changes All the Time-James Bay
Its been over a decade since Bay broke onto the scene with the iconic Chaos and the Calm and he hasn’t lost a step at all. The album kicks off with a collaboration with Noah Kahan and the Lumineers that is a stomp and clap romp and continues on a fun ride from there. He verges a bit more into rockabilly than previously, and slows it down a bit on “Speed Limit” but maintains his powerful vocals that draw you in throughout.
Top Track-Up All Night
31. The Early November-The Early November
A sixth studio album in the prolific career of the indie rock stalwarts Ace Enders and Jeff Kummer sees them return to much of the feeling you are used to with Ace’s emotive vocals layered over driving drums and guitars. This album deals particularly strongly with feelings of self worth and belonging both personally and in an industry that is always looking for the next new thing.
Top Track-The Empress
30. Flood-Hippo Campus
Four childhood friends from Minneapolis put out their fourth studio full length at a point in their careers when they are firmly established as an indie rock band to know. You can feel the maturity and confidence in the variety of tracks they put out on this album, though you could probably make the argument that they aren’t as “fun” as they have been in their previous albums.
Top Track-Fences
29. Never Better/Better Now-Wild Rivers
Canadian Indie Folk trio put out two 8 track albums in quick succession this year with introspective, insecure themes surrounded by beautiful harmonies, as they swing back and forth between female and male lead vocals. Never Better is more of a pop-rock album while Better Now lives more in the folk realm, combined they are a really fun exploration of what this band can be going forward.
Top Track-Never Better
28. All For Something-Tiny Habits
The debut album from Tiny Habits feels like you are in the room with them when they recorded it. Their three part harmonies that define their sound are both delicate and all encompassing. The Berklee College classmates have successfully transitioned out of stairwell and bedroom recordings into a group that has a full sound all of their own while staying true to their roots.
Top Track-People Always Change
27. Two Star & The Dream Police-Mk.gee
Heralded as one of the best albums of the decade by Pitchfork, Mk.gee had a big breakout year with his debut release sharing his alt-pop/experimental psy rock with the world. His signature staccato style combined with the unique way he uses his guitar to bring out sounds that you wouldn't expect has set him apart in a modern music scene that is full of people trying to do the same thing.
Top Track-New Low
26. Older-Lizzy McAlpine
Gaining recognition during the pandemic has left a mark on McAlpine’s brand of bedroom pop that shows a level of maturity on her most recent effort as the title indicates. Still centered on her vocals and observational lyrics like “caught you in bed with a redbull vodka…even when you break your leg drunk running.” Its hard to believe she can wrap such contexts in such a sweet sounding little package.
Top Track-Come Down Soon
25. The Secret of Us-Gracie Abrams
The sophomore effort from Taylor acolyte Abrams sees her successfully shed her nepo-baby perception and grow her into a legitimate star. With a little help from The National’s Aaron Dessner (also a Swift collaborator), Abrams channels her somewhat frenetic style into something infectious and engaging. Her and Taylor blend vocals perfectly on “us.” while the back half of the album verges into more folk before finishing off with a legit dance hit “Close to You.”
Top Track-Risk
24. The River-Driftwood Choir
On their spotify profile they describe themselves as “two lifelong nomads from opposite sides of the world who washed up in Berlin” Ed Prosek and Portair have certainly created something greater than the sum of its parts here. Two singer/songwriters channel their folk roots in a search for what the meaning of home is as two people living in different countries than they were born in and constantly traveling to make a living. We can only hope that this isn’t a one off!
Top Track-a bad dream from an old life
23. OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM-Joy Oladokun
As black, queer, non-binary person trying to make it in the folk/americana space, Joy certainly had the deck stacked against them. The sophomore full length from Oladokun doesn’t shy away from this struggle, and while it is well in the themes of the songs, they also take time on the record for super honest spoken word interludes to put it right out in the open. All that wrapped in some great musicality certainly deserves the recognition that is starting to come from Nashville for Joy..
Top Track-I’d Miss The Birds
22. Ghost Town Road-Smallpools
Almost a decade since they burst onto the scene with LOVETAP! Smallpools is still cranking out retro-pop bangers that are just plain fun. They are self aware enough to feel the passage of time and address it but at their core they just want their music to move you.
Top Track-Swayze
21. The Tortured Poets Department-Taylor Swift
Well it has certainly been a wild couple of years for T Swift, rocketing from super stardom to mega-stardom. The story of the year was the tour of course, but the album that served as the launching platform for the tour was Tortured Poets. Taylor doesn’t pull any punches here knocking Matt back into last century and propelling herself forward into a new stratosphere.
Top Track-I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
20. Persona-half-alive
The third album from the Long Beach, CA three piece is an exploration of perception, how people perceive you, how you perceive others, what you think of or how you interact with strangers or partners. They wrap all that in a package of indie pop with two alien mascots who act out different scenes through a movie they made about the album. The multimedia artistry is bold and fun and only adds to the weird and wonderfulness of the music.
Top Track-People
19. Hotspot-NIGHT TRAVELER
The sophomore release from the Austin based retro-pop duo feels like a long drive down a dark road to nowhere, in a good way. Their multi-instrumentalist, cinematic approach to songwriting is yearning and desperate for connection as their guitar lines call out to you and the soft gravel vocals draw you into their experience.
Top Track-Hotspot
18. A Mirror Brightly-Geographer
Geographer, aka Mike Deni opens his latest record exclaiming “you don’t get a lover, you've got too many feelings,” as he seeks to understand the world he is moving through as someone who feels outcast, but still has a voice. Deni’s emotive synth pop feels like an ideal vessel for trying to have this conversation about how we engage with each other in todays fractured society but does it without hitting you over the head with it too much.
Top Track-The Burning Handle
17. Employee of the Year-Landon Conrath
Conrath puts out his second full length this year in a career that I think even he is a little surprised is working out so well. The Minneapolis native’s brand of indie pop is infectious and honest blending his background as a drummer and his new found skill as a frontman always pushing things forward with a beat and easy and fun guitar riffs.
Top Track-Spill
16. All Kinds of Light-Hayden Calnin
Calnin has been busy the last couple of years, putting out EP after EP of drifting atmospheric music that washes over you. This 8 track EP is the culmination of a years worth of singles and represents continued form for the Australian multi-instrumentalist.
Top Track-All These Kind of Light
15. Wolves of Glendale-Wolves of Glendale
I generally take myself pretty seriously, and take this silly list pretty seriously as well, so you might find it a bit funny to have a comedy album this high on the list, but these guys are just the best. The musicality is there with this LA 3 piece putting together harmonies and beats that are as inviting as funny. I think the magic of the Wolves is how they weave back and forth between the plainly ridiculous, like a song about dating a ghost, to the very real like not being able to spell restaurant (yes I had to use autocorrect to spell that correctly).
Top Track-Vapin in Vegas
14. brent iii-Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler
Another heartbreaking album from two of our best young singer songwriters out there today. Zucker and Cutler’s effortless duets lend to the heartfelt feeling behind each minimalist track on this record full of acoustic guitars, slow drum beats, and emotive lyrics. The cherry on top is that they genuinely seem to enjoy working with each other.
Top Track-and the government too!
13. Weird Faith-Madi Diaz
The Nashville based singer-songwriter’s fifth full length is a raw and fearless exploration of what happens when a relationship you think is going to last forever doesn’t. Diaz doesn’t hold back, she shows you all her scars whether she is embarrassed to do so or not. Her honest and raw songwriting is surrounded by nashville style guitars and her vocal range provides the ability to whisper secrets to you or pierce your heart with a single line.
Top Track-Everything Almost
12. Some Things Break-Benjamin Francis Leftwich
The most recent effort from the Alt-Folk solo act continues to explore the themes of faith, addiction, and love in a world that sometimes feels too big for our own good. It feels like he wrote most of these songs on the road, away from home, and feeling a lot of guilt for his actions, but always with a silver lining of hope as he ends the album with “Don’t Give Up On Light.” The sad boy vibes might not be for everyone, but he certainly wants you to come on the journey with him and know that you’re going to be ok on the other end.
Top Track-Spokane, Washington
11. SMILE :D-Porter Robinson
Robinson is back with his third full length album full of big time electronic hits as the kid from North Carolina who started making music because he liked the music in video games is basically living a video game life. This album deals with some heavy themes mostly centered around the difficulties that come along with fame and he slows it down on a few tracks to show his appreciation for those who have stuck with his through these struggles. He uses even more of his natural voice than on his last record which is fitting considering the themes he is dealing with, but still surrounds it with his typical DDR style beats and Japanese influence.
Top Track-Cheerleader
10. People Who Aren’t Here Anymore-Future Islands
The seventh album from what may be America’s best synth pop band out there today, Future Islands continues to bring their driving emotional sound to a genre that doesn't always have a ton of depth. Frontman Samuel Herring is as strong as ever with his deep baritone vocals and thoughtful lyrics. This album centers on his experience navigating the pandemic while trying to keep touring and hold a relationship together and sees some of his most accessible songwriting come to life.
Top Track-King of Sweden
9. BRAT-Charli xcx
Certainly an album on the list that needs no introduction, Charli went to a new level this year with the sound of the summer and the sound of the year and maybe defining the decade. She basically has her own color now, has a spoof tour movie coming out soon and is pushing back against the perfect pop girl image in every way. Despite all that her music is surprisingly honest and personal all be it wrapped in a package of highly produced electronic dance music. Oh and there is a whole extra remix album that is as good if not better!
Top Track-Sympathy is a Knife
8. Revelation-Leif Vollenbekk
The most recent effort from the Canadian singer-songwriter is full of pandemic musing, Vollenbekk spends time thinking about his heritage, religion, and how the world ever go back to feeling normal again. He uses his poetic lyricism, an plucky guitar lines mixed with his violin prowess to create song stories that feel like he is sitting in your living room serenading you.
Top Track-Moondog
7. Zinc.-Gallant
Alt-RnB singer Gallant’s third effort is as passionate as it is calculated with his falsetto vocals always the center of every track surrounded by carefully curated beats and synth lines. Gallant uses his voice as an instrument as much as anything else but has a good grip on the rest of the instrumentation surrounding it as well. His songs tug at your heart strings, even when the subject matter isn't as forlorn as he makes it sound.
Top Track-Monorail.
6. Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now-Donovan Woods
It's hard to believe that Canada’s main sad boy is already on his eight studio album of his own music while still writing and producing plenty of work for others. The most recent effort is full of stories of love and loss and living a life back and forth across borders but somehow always maintains an engaging level of wit and levity that defies the lyrics and guitar strums. He as always is in on his own joke and keeps things from spiraling down into complete dread by making a little fun of his musings while his life is actually better than he ever could have dreamt.
Top Track-Well Read
5. Bloom-Ben Bohmer
This album came completely out of nowhere for me this year, I had never heard of Ben before I heard “The Sun” because Oh Wonder features on it and it showed up in my feed at some point. This turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the year and certainly my favorite new discovery, Bohmer is a German DJ known for contemplative production style that is reserved yet still welcome in the Berlin club scene. He uses repetitive layered beats and minimalistic lyrics to draw the listener into the core of whatever concept he is exploring. The opening track is probably my favorite instrumental song since Midnight City.
Top Track-Martin
4. Country-Medium Build
After several years of LPs and Singles, Medium Build aka Nicholas Carpenter put out his fifth studio album and first since the pandemic. The album centers mainly on his insecurities, particularly body image and substance abuse, but also contains some really thoughtful love songs, or as love songs as you can get in the alt-folk space.
Top Track-Cutting Through The Country
3. Lola-Goth Babe
The first full length from the chillwave/folktronica artist Goth Babe aka Griff Washburn is just trying to have a good time. Written on his 36 ft off grid sailboat Lola this album is full of fun, light, carefree tunes about the beautiful work that surrounds us and of course his dog Sadie. Griff is just trying to live every van/sailboat lifer’s dream and support himself through music as well as donate to non-profits that are working to protect the wilderness that we all love and enjoy.
Top Track-Alone in the Mountains
2. CRACK A SMILE COME ON STAY A WHILE-Abby Holiday
On the heels of last year’s debut album, Abby is back with another gut wrenching exploration of some challenging themes like her relationship with her father and abuse, but she tries to balance it with some odes to more productive relationships. The Bon Iver apprentice is growing into her own as an artist using her impeccable production skills to build songs that feel wise beyond her years with the interjection of electronic elements and auto tune sparingly to layer her natural voice into something more powerful. I also greatly appreciate that this is constructed as an album with tracks that blend together and echoes from previous songs in later ones.
Top Track-Sleeping Sculpture
1. Collapse List-Novo Amor
Welsh multi-instrumentalist Ali John Meredith-Lacey, or Novo Amor for short, put out another dreamy album this year that is an introspective view on what things that need to change in his own life. I would say a slightly more upbeat than his previous records with some stop-start rhythms in a few songs that give you a jolt, but also interspersed with devastatingly spare instrumental tracks. I was fortunate enough to pick this album to soundtrack my South American journey and it did a beautiful job playing the theme for trekking through the mountains and riding on giant buses on windy roads.
Top Track-Same Day, Same Face