Hi and hello!
Since we’re halfway through the year, here are my favourite albums of 2024 so far, in alphabetical order.
And a playlist of one track of each album (23 songs/artists, 1 hour, 16 minutes ).
Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
The latest and sixth full-length solo release from Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker. This is a fantastic album, and she also did one of my favourite gigs of the year.
10/10 The Skinny 9.7/10 Slant 9/10 MusicOHM 8.4/10 Pitchfork 8/10 Slant / Uncut Mojo / Glide
Alkaline Trio - Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs
I've got a real soft spot for this Chicago pop punk band so me loving their tenth album is not a big surprise.
9/10 Sputnik / Distorted Sound 8/10 The Skinny / Dork 4/5 Kerrang 7/10 Under the Radar 6/10 DIY / The Arts Desk
Benny the Butcher - Everybody Can't Go
Fourth album from the busy Griselda Buffalo, New York rapper, and his first on Def Jam. I'm a big fan.
8.6/10 HipHopDX 8/10 Clash 6/10 Beats Per Minute 6/10 The Needle Drop
Beyonce - COWBOY CARTER
I played the eighth album from Beyoncé when it came out, need to get back to it.
5/5 Rolling Stone / The Independent / The Telegraph 4/5 The Guardian / The Irish Times / Evening Standard 7/10 Line of Best Fit
Bill-Ryder Jones - Iechyd Danik
I'm a fan of the Wirral native and former / founding member of The Coral, but slept on this album that came out in early January. It's very good.
5/5 Far Out / NME / Record Collector 9/10 Louder than War / The Line of Best Fit / Clash / musicOHM / Uncut / Spill / God is in the TV / 8.4/10 Sputnik 4/5 Guardian 8/10 Mojo / The Skinny / DIY
Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
LA pop sensation's third album, you know the drill! It's nice and cool.
5/5 Evening Standard / The Independent / The Telegraph / 10/10 DIY / Dork 9/10 musicOHM / Still Listening / The Forty-Five / The Line of Best Fit / Slant 8/10 Slant / Spectrum Culture / The Observer / Guardian / Clash / Rolling Stone / Exclaim! / NME 7.8/10 Beats Per minute 7/10 The Needle Drop / Sputnik / Irish Times 6.8/10 Pitchfork
Charli XCX - BRAT
The sixth full-length studio release from British pop singer-songwriter Charli XCX. Feat. A.G. Cook and Addison Rae. Pop until you drop.
5/5 Guardian 9.1/10 Consequence 9/10 The Line of Best Fit 8.3/10 Beats per Minute 8/10 Slant 4/5 The Independent / NME
Dina Ögon - Orion
The Swedish jazzy group (with Swedish lyrics) released a great album almost one year exactly after last year’s one, which is not as good as the one from last year, but that was one of my favourite of 2023 so get a grip!
8/10 Mojo
Filipsson Gamba Rangstad – Filipsson Gamba Rangstad
Can't get enough of this quirky Swedish instrumental album and its fun melodies. Feels like Yann Tiersen Amelie era has become a genre for Swedish musicians, which I don’t mind at all.
Future and Metro Boomin - WE DON'T TRUST YOU
Maybe now this is an album that will be forever be remembered as having one of the tracks that escalated the Drake / Kendrick Lamar feud / diss tracks, but if it lead to "Not like us" it's a very important album in the canon of hiphop, and I can’t like - I’m into the album overall.
7/10 Pitchfork / The Needle Drop 6.8/10 HipHopDX 6/10 Clash 4/10 Slant
ALBUMS IN 1134 x 1134 size
Ghetts - On Purpose, With Purpose
Fourth album from the London rapper doesn’t disappoint. Great lyrics as ever. Feat. Kano, Unknown T, Sampha, Skrapz etc etc.
4.5/5 DIY 4/5 NME / Clash 6/10 The Obobserver
Heems - LAFANDAR
Second solo album from the Das Racist rapper from Queens, who’s also released an album with Riz Ahmed (under the name Sweat Shop Boys) which was a real favourite of mine. Some great lyrics and beats on it.
8.4/10 HipHopDX
J Mascis - What Do We Do Now
The latest and fourth full-length solo studio release from Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis Another solid J Mascis album with an amazing album cover. He always delivers!
8/10 Uncut / Mojo / Dusted 7/10 Clash 6.4/10 Pitchfork 6/10 The Line of Best Fit 5/10 DIY / Popmatters
Laura Jane Grace - Hole In My Head
Third solo album from the Florida Against Me! (one of my favourite bands of all time) singer now doing acoustic singer songwriter stuff with great lyrics.
8/10 DIY / Dork / Kerrang 7/10 Exclaim!
Les Amazones d'Afrique - Musow Danse
The third album from West-African collective Les Amazones d'Afrique was produced and mixed by Jacknife Lee. I’ve really enjoyed listening to this album this year, uplifting and fun!
9/10 PopMatters 8/10 Rolling Stone / Mojo / Uncut
mui zyu - nothing or something to die for
Second solo album from Hong Kong British singer mui zyu (Eva Liu), who's also the singer in UK trio Dama Scout. This album is coooool.
10/10 The Skinny 8/10 DIY 8/10 Far Out 7/10 Clash
Nathy Peluso - GRASA
Second album from the Grammy-nominated Argentine–Spanish pop (?) singer. Never heard of Nathy Peluso but before (shame on me) but thoroughly enjoyed this album.
4/5 Guardian 7.9/10 Beats Per Minute
Serpentwithfeet - GRIP
Serpentwithfeet's "DEACON" was my favourite album of 2021, this is Josiah Wise's third album and it’s one of my most played albums of 2024. Feat. Mick Jenkins, Ty Dolla $ign etc.
8.2/10 Paste 8/10 DIY / Exclaim! 7.7/10 Pitchfork 7.2/10 HiphopDX 6/10 Line of Best fit / Loud and Quiet / The Observer
Shellac - To All Trains
Sixth album from Steve Albini's (RIP) legendary band Shellac. This a great and solid Shellac album.
10/10 Louder than Wars 9/10 Clash 8.5 Spectrum Culture 8.4/10 Sputnikmusic 8.3/10 Spin 8.1/10 Pitchfork 4/5 Kerrang 8/10 Far Out
Strand of Oaks - Miracle Focus
8th album from the Austin based folk rock songwriter and producer Timothy Showalter. I've got a real soft spot for him. He's definitely moved away from the folky stuff and gone more synth rock-y lately and on this album he’s embraced … disco? It’s a slower burner but great.
7/10 Uncut 6/10 Mojo
The Chisel - What A Fucking Nightmare
Second album from the London punks. Great modern oi-ish punk.
8.5/10 4/5 Kerrang Blabbermouth.net 7/10 Uncut 6/10 Mojo
Tierra Whack - WORLD WIDE WHACK
Debut album from North Philadelphia rapper / singer Tierra Whack, and I really love it, it’s a joy..
4/5 NME 8/10 The Line of Best Fit / The Skinny / Rolling Stone / Slant / Clash / Dork 7.4/10 Sputnikmusic 7.3/10 Pitchfork 7/10 Exclaim! / Spectrum Culture 6/10 The Needle Drop
Unknown T - Blood Diamond
Debut album from the East London grime rapper, and what a debut album it is.
9/10 Loud and Quiet 8/10 Clash
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Fifth from the NYC indie rock trio Vampire Weekend and this will probably be one of my favourite albums of the year.
9/10 DIY / Uncut / Glide 8.6/10 Pitchfork 4/5 NME / The Independent 8/10 Mojo / Rolling Stone 7/10 Slant / Line of Best Fit
Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
The latest and sixth full-length release from fantastic singer-songwriter Waxahatchee. This one didn’t disappoint despite me being very hyped about it.
10/10 The Skinny 5/5 NME 9.1/10 Consequence 9/10 Uncut 8/10 Slant / Mojo 7.5/10 Under the Radar
Some other albums that are also great and might be in my top list of the year, after I’ve listened to them some more!
Camera Obscura - Look to the east, look to the west
Lynks - ABOMINATION
Pet Shop Boys - Nonetheless
Phosphorescent - Revelator
St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
The Lovely Eggs - Eggsistentialism
Kisses and hugs,
Simon