TOP TEN 2024

TOP TEN ALBUMS 2024

INTRO

I’ve joked that I listen to music like it's my job. Putting down in words what I like or don’t like about a particular album brings me joy, but not nearly as much joy as the simple act of listening and experiencing. With that in mind, I've decided to streamline a bit and have tried to be as succinct as possible in sharing my TOP TEN 2024 list. 

As I choose to do each year, these are in no particular order. What they represent, out of the several hundred new albums I listened to this year, are collections that made an indelibly positive impact on me - each in their own unique way.

Enjoy - Cheers!

The Cure / Songs Of A Lost World 

This is a monolith of a collection - a huge iceberg sinking slowly into black waters. The songs explore the fragility of life, deep regrets and mournful musings on, well, just about everything. This isn’t an album to turn to for a pick-me-up, but rather an ice-cold stare down of those shadowy corners we all must navigate. The intentionally languid pace of the album plays out in thoughtful and effective ways. To rush things would greatly diminish the impact - and man oh man, does this album move along cautiously and beautifully. The lush production provides such atmospheric fullness, echoing Disintegration (The Cure’s 1989 masterpiece) musical approaches, but layering in a more world-wise understanding. Each time I gave this album a concentrated listen it pulled me further in. Its companionship was emotionally moving and intriguingly unsettling.

Nadine Shah / Filthy Underneath

Though I always try to be fair, it is true that albums released in the first few months of the year - like this one - always face a tougher challenge to end up in my TOP TEN. Time doesn’t (and shouldn’t) topple their impact, but there is a tendency to lean in more intimately to albums that you have recently experienced. The simple truth is that this record got its hooks into me following my first listen and only dug in deeper with each that followed. I came in blind as I had never heard this Pakistani/Norwegian singer/songwriter from England previously, but that didn’t keep me from immediately being excited by this inventive collection. It is immediately obvious that the vibe of these songs is not at all interested in placating a typical pop audience. There are plenty of twists and turns that challenge, but I found the mix to be a really interesting hybrid of familiar and other-worldly. Maybe the best way I can describe it is that Shah shines as if from a different musical galaxy. I especially found the songs to morph and intrigue following repeat listening - offering an alluring opportunity to become more intimate with this unique artist. 

Jack White / No Name

Admittedly, I’ve drunk deeply from the Jack White Kool-Aid (in all of his incarnations - solo work, White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, etc.). It seems impossible to try and deny that the dude is anything but the dedicated heir to the Jimmy Page riff-king crown. More than that - you can actually feel the love, passion, humor, & joy he shares through his music. It is infectious and utterly convincing. This latest (surprise!) solo release is loose and perfectly in-touch with the stripped-down foundations of The White Stripes - in all the best ways. It is a spot-on end-of-summer release, and I can’t stop cranking it. 

St. Vincent / Broken Man

St Vincent (aka Anne Clark) has certainly earned my respect as a consummate artist - one that I am prepared to follow down pretty much any musical rabbit hole she feels inclined to explore. All the better when that exploration wraps tight in classic singer/songwriter approaches that sound as forward leaning as just about any release I’ve heard yet this year. From the intriguing pull of “Hell Is Near” to the epic finality of “All Born Screaming”, this is a perfectly crafted musical statement not to be missed. 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds / Wild God

Some albums strike in such a way that finding words to describe the experience seems impossible. This is made worse when there is a self-imposed focus on delivering a brief, summary review. In the most accurately economic way I can put it in this space - this collection is an epic stunner. Both musically and lyrically, every moment is sublime and infinitely moving. The loss of two children in 10 years makes an impact at every turn - but is never overwhelmed by a resolute search for meaning and relief from grief. This is an album to listen to again and again - appreciating and benefiting from one of the finest modern songwriters/performers still releasing new music. 

Arooj Aftab / Night Reign

The beauty of Aftab’s music is undeniable. Her alluring collaborative lean into ambient jazz with Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily (who are both guests on this latest album, Aftab’s 4th) on last year’s brilliant Love In Exile - one of my TOP TEN 2023 selections - seems to have perfectly served as a prelude for this new collection. As the title suggests, there is a formidable layer of shadow and mystery at work - connecting the songs (featuring both English & Urdu lyrics) in fascinating ways. She continues to employ jazz approaches, but there is also a modern touch that is strikingly engaging. While listening I thought - more than once - this is the Sade album I’ve been waiting fourteen years for. 

Pearl Jam / Dark Matter

Some acts will always get a biased positive reaction from me. That is, one built on decades of love & trust in their artistry. Pearl Jam is certainly an example of the first order. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean I give them a ‘license to kill’, but I go in listening to new music with high expectations. With their first new music in four years (& their 12th studio album), the band hits with an urgency that measures as equal parts adventurous foraging & well-deserved reflection. This is a ferocious & thoroughly thoughtful album of first-rate American rock, and I absolutely love it! 

Faye Webster / Underdressed At The Symphony

I knew it would happen! You spend all the formative years doing your best to expose your child to excellent music in hopes that they will someday gravitate to music beyond Disney pop stars. Enter Faye Webster - the first artist that June exposed me to that I can absolutely endorse. Extremely solid songs, spot-on arrangements & a winning overall vibe. Of course, the sophisticated pop trappings and jazzy leanings deeply remind me of post-folk Suzanne Vega, Aimee Mann & 10,000 Maniacs - all artists June had plenty of ear-time with on road trips growing up, so I’ll take a tiny bit of credit - HAHA! And to give June another nod, one of their other favorites, Clairo, also released a highly impressive album (Charms) that only barely missed out on making this year's Top Ten - so squeeze that one in too if this style is to your liking.

Nada Surf / Moon Mirror

On their 10th studio album, the NY quartet continues to deliver the same clever rock/pop that was displayed in ‘96 through their Ric Ocasek produced debut. This is smart, well-crafted bursts of the sort of quality orchestrated rock that has its foundational roots in the blueprints of Cheap Trick and the modern flourishes of ‘90s contemporaries like Guster and Death Cab For Cutie. Music that feels familiar and earnestly alluring at the same time. This felt like the perfect summer record, even though it was released in October (though in S Florida, that almost still counts!). Even if you live somewhere that has a nip in the air, roll the windows down and turn this one up! I’d also pick “In Front Of Me Now” as one of my most played (& deeply enjoyed) standout rock singles of the year.

Nala Sinephro / Endlessness

With some music, I love to be kept guessing and appreciate the adventure of not knowing what is around the next corner. On her second album, Caribbean/Belgian composer Sinephro has created the first jazz album in some time to so strikingly grab my attention. I would be hard-pressed to label this collection with a definitive, all-encompassing genre label. Jazz fusion, atmospheric ambient, electronic/synth soundscaping, art-film soundtrack. They all work! A continuous 45-minutes of sound - I discovered this album to work on lots of levels, not the least of which was an enveloping guide helping to navigate this hypnotic and alluring musical topography. Don't make the mistake of treating this as calming background music. The intricate attention to detail found within this music definitely deserves closer attention.