Books & Audiobooks
2024 has come to a close, so let’s highlight some of the amazing new music that was released last year. Here are five albums from 2024 that I loved.
Brittany Howard – What Now
Genre: funk rock, psychedelic soul
One of the first albums I fell in love with in 2024 was multi-instrumentalist Brittany Howard’s What Now. Released February 9th, this tour-de-force of an album felt like a sign that 2024 was going to be a great year for music! This album showcases Howard’s innovation, combining elements of jazz, soul, funk and R&B – plus some songs that dabble in rock music – with ethereal synths and a spirit of experimentation. There are lush acoustic ballads, bursts of chaos and psychedelia, and songs that are just plain groovy. These eclectic styles are unified by the mellow sounds of singing bowls that book-end each song – and each track showcases Howard’s powerful voice and incredible guitar playing.
Stand-out track: “Power to Undo”
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Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us
Genre: indie rock, chamber pop
2024 gave us an album years in the making… the fifth album from iconic indie band Vampire Weekend. Written and produced over the five years since the band’s prior album, the long-awaited Only God Was Above Us does not disappoint. This album has classic sounds reminiscent of their first two albums, while also bringing new ideas to the table, such as lo-fi trip-hop beats. The tracklist is varied and always fresh, including songs that are the most psychedelic, the most energetic, and the most beautiful the band has ever sounded.
Stand-out track: “Classical”
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Wallows – Model
Genre: indie rock
On their third album, Wallows – a relatively new band – continue to find their footing and develop their own style of indie rock. From its groovy basslines, sparkling synths, and memorable guitar hooks, Model creates an enjoyably mellow-yet-upbeat tone. The production adds depth with its distinctive lo-fi bedroom pop flavour, and even explores some more psychedelic and dream-like sounds. Lyrically, the album explores the ups and the downs of romance: it’s sentimental, but with an almost deadpan delivery that keeps it from feeling overly saccharine. There’s a nostalgic quality to this music that reminds me of some older indie rock; fans of the Strokes or the Arctic Monkeys may find a lot to enjoy on this album.
Stand-out track: “Bad Dream”
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Charli XCX – brat
Genre: dance pop, EDM
The summer of 2024 saw the release of what is possibly the year’s biggest album, and a certified cultural sensation: Charli XCX’s brat. This album is a successful throwback to a time period that is becoming increasingly nostalgic to many: Charli captures the frenzied, pulsating sounds of Y2K-era rave music, and embodies the rowdy, edgy aesthetic of this time period too. Lyrically, brat allows Charli to showcase various sides of herself. Some songs are aggressive and confrontational, others unapologetically flirty – while some of the slower and more stripped-back tracks see Charli at her most emotionally vulnerable. There’s a little something for everybody; even those who are not fans of electronica will find something to appreciate.
Stand-out track: “Everything is Romantic”
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The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Genre: gothic rock
2024 saw the grand return of one of the most legendary alternative rock bands of all time, The Cure – a full 16 years since their last studio album! Not only is this monumental comeback a momentous occasion for 80s music fans, the music itself truly lives up to the band’s reputation. Songs of a Lost World boasts a tight tracklist of eight songs, showcasing the spellbinding and often haunting songwriting that Robert Smith is known for. With its dark, brooding atmosphere and lyrical themes of loss and isolation, Lost World is most similar to The Cure’s 1989 all-time classic Disintegration – but this album is not a mere retread. The music sounds fresh and new while still maintaining the same appeal that will please longtime fans of the band.
Stand-out track: “Alone”
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