Since 2020, I’ve been ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.

Welcome to 2002. The year the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government signed a cease-fire agreement, ending 19 years of civil war, East Timor became a new nation, President Bush did his ‘axis of evil’ speech, Russia and the US agreed to reduce their nuclear weapons, and North Korea admitted they had some, in defiance of the treaty.

Musically, here’s what rateyourmusic.com users rate as the year’s top 5 albums:

#1 Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
#2 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
#3 Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
#4 Various Artists - The Fire This Time
#5 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

And here’s a bunch of others I’m getting from further down the list.

#7 Sigur Rós - ()
#10 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
#11 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
#16 The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas!
#19 Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
#22 Boris - Heavy Rocks

Finally, one from NPR readers’ best albums of all time by women list:

Tori Amos - Scarlet’s Walk

Off we go…

12. American IV: Man Comes Around

Johhny Cash

“American IV: The Man Comes Around is the sixty-seventh studio album by American country musician Johnny Cash, the last to be released during his lifetime. It is the fourth entry in Cash's American series of albums, considered by some critics to be his finest work towards the end of his life. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.” - Wikipedia

There’s a stark beauty to the stripped-down production here, allowing Johnny Cash’s weathered, magnetic presence to take centre-stage. His renditions breathe new life into the material—none more so than on “Hurt,” a haunting, visceral performance that’s rightfully iconic. That said, it’s hard not to see it as ground zero for the wave of brooding acoustic covers that would saturate movie and game trailers for years to come. Fortunately, that trend seems to have run its course, and it’s tough to fault Cash for the imitators. While this collection of mostly covers doesn’t quite hit with the force of his finest work, it’s still a compelling listen—resonant, reflective, and unmistakably him.

7/10

“Heavy Rocks is the fourth studio album by Japanese band Boris, released in 2002. It is the first of three Boris albums titled Heavy Rocks, with the others released in 2011 and 2022; all feature the band exploring hard rock and heavy metal sounds.” - Wikipedia

Boris’s Heavy Rocks lives up to its title—a thunderous barrage of tidal riffs that surge with unstoppable momentum. The band melds sludgy textures with swaggering grooves, but it’s the lead guitarist’s wailing, expressive solos that truly set them apart, slicing through the chaos with electrifying precision. The vocals, delivered in Japanese, would likely be a lot more interesting if I understood them, and that’s what, unfairly, holds the album back for me. They just don’t quite do enough to pierce the language barrier for me.

7.5/10

10. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

“Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is the tenth studio album by American rock band the Flaming Lips. The album saw the band pursue a more electronic direction than previous efforts, incorporating acoustic guitars and rhythms influenced by hip hop and top 40 music. The album was well-received critically and commercially, helping the band break into popularity, and was adapted into a musical in 2012.” - Wikipedia

A warm, woozy pop record that drifts through themes of mortality and technology with a gentle smile. Yoshimi trades the emotional volatility of The Soft Bulletin for a more subdued, psychedelic sweetness. It’s full of lovely sounds and comforting melodies—though a little too smooth to truly astonish. A hug in album form, if occasionally a bit predictable.

8/10

9. Yanqui U.X.O.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

“Yanqui U.X.O. is the third studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor. It was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago in late 2001, and was the band's first album released after their slight name change (moving the exclamation mark from the "emperor" to the "you"). Shortly after its release, the group announced an indefinite hiatus so band members could pursue differing musical interests; it was their last album for a decade until the release of 2012's 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!.” - Wikipedia

More Godspeed You! Black Emperor, more epically sprawling post-rock—but Yanqui U.X.O. brings with it a colder, more sinister undertone. The grandeur is still there: surging crescendos, mournful strings, complexities buried in the mix. But there’s a sharper edge this time, a sense of dread hanging over everything. The melodies feel like they’re decaying as they unfold, and even the quiet moments are tense, like something is about to collapse. It’s less cinematic triumph, more slow-motion ruin. Another brilliant record from the band—just one that feels more haunted than hopeful.

8/10

8. Songs for the Deaf

Queens of the Stoneage

“Songs for the Deaf is the third studio album by the American rock band Queens of the Stone Age. It features guest musicians including Dave Grohl on drums, and was the last Queens of the Stone Age album to feature Nick Oliveri on bass. Songs for the Deaf is a loose concept album, taking the listener on a drive through the California desert from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, tuning into radio stations from towns along the way such as Banning and Chino Hills. Songs for the Deaf received critical acclaim and earned Queens of the Stone Age their first gold certification in the United States.” - Wikipedia

I was first introduced to this album by a school friend who played in my band at the time, and while I liked it then, I’ve grown to appreciate it even more over the years. Josh Homme’s riffs have always had a singular presence—rugged, hypnotic, and dusted with the sun-baked grit he carried over from his Kyuss days. Grohl’s drumming, dry and tightly wound, doesn’t pack the raw punch of his In Utero performances, but that’s not the point. Here, his playing is like a frantic, mechanical heartbeat—urgent, precise, and perfectly offsetting Homme’s lurching guitar lines.

Vocals are shared between Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri, and the late Mark Lanegan, creating a dynamic push and pull that keeps things fresh while maintaining a surprising cohesion. It also reins in some of Homme’s more theatrical tendencies, adding grit and variety without ever losing the thread.

At its core, this is a hard rock record that leans into accessibility without sacrificing edge—call it pop hard rock, and I mean that in the best way. It’s sharp, weird, and catchy as hell.

8.5/10

“Turn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American rock band Interpol. Upon release, the record peaked at number 101 on the UK Albums Chart. It reached number 158 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, as well as spending 73 weeks on the Billboard Independent Albums chart, peaking at number five.” - Wikipedia

If Is This It was New York’s cool, leather-jacketed reintroduction to the world, Turn on the Bright Lights is its sleepless, overthinking cousin. Interpol’s debut trades swagger for tension, cloaking its post-punk revival in shadowy poetics and a glacial sense of drama.

The lyrics often flirt with nonsense (“The subway is a porno”) but somehow land with conviction. They’re less about clarity and more about mood, vaguely remembered impressions. Paul Banks’ monotone drawl only deepens the mystique. Meanwhile, the drumming is far more forward than you might expect from anything of this ilk—crisp, commanding, propelling the band’s mid-tempo dirges as they slowly build into something almost grandiose. Guitars shimmer, loop, and echo into the void, subtly driving the songs while less subtly thickening the atmosphere. It’s like watching city lights blur through rain-streaked windows—steady, detached, and hauntingly beautiful.

8.5/10

“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Wilco. The album showcased a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the band's previous work, and has been described as art rock and indie rock by music critics. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot received widespread acclaim from music critics at release, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s and of all time.” - Wikipedia

On the surface, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is just an album of simple, enjoyable songs, but the more you listen you realise it’s an album of simple, enjoyable, perfect songs. The production stays understated, never showy, but it’s laced with just enough experimental flair to keep things feeling fresh and quietly adventurous. Somehow, the album manages to echo countless influences while still sounding wholly its own—familiar yet distinct, and ultimately, timeless.

Song Picks: Jesus etc, Kamera, Pot Kettle Black

9/10

“Scarlet's Walk is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. The 18-track concept album (described by Amos as a "sonic novel about a road trip") details the cross-country travels of Scarlet, a character loosely based on Amos, and was greatly inspired by the changes in American society and politics post-September 11, 2001.

The album was a commercial success, reaching number seven in the US and becoming Amos's fourth top 10 album. Considered one of her best and most conceptually elaborate works, it received positive reviews. “ - Wikipedia

At 75 minutes, Scarlet’s Walk should feel too long for a pop album, but it doesn’t. Tori Amos somehow keeps things engaging from start to finish without ever resorting to shock tactics or dramatic reinventions. She isn’t particularly edgy here, but she doesn’t need to be.

There are plenty of catchy choruses and familiar pop structures, but they’re wrapped in a kind of mystique that’s hard to define. It’s accessible and melodic, yet it moves with the pacing and depth of something more progressive. Maybe that’s the secret — Scarlet’s Walk feels like a pop album filtered through a sprawling, introspective lens. The result is something quietly compelling, even hypnotic.

9/10

“The Fire This Time is an audio documentary on the history and consequences of the Gulf War and following economic sanctions against Iraq. Produced by filmmaker Grant Wakefield, the 2-CD set featured music from electronic artists including Michael Stearns, Pan Sonic, and Aphex Twin.” - Wikipedia

The Fire This Time isn’t interested in subtlety, nuance, or even musical cohesion—and that’s part of what makes it so gripping. A sprawling, furious protest record released in the aftermath of 9/11, it fuses spoken word, dub, electronica, and sampled media into something more like an activist transmission than a traditional album.

The scattered production—sometimes sparse, sometimes dense—mirrors the global confusion and anger it’s responding to. That said, this is not a balanced or carefully moderated work. At times it feels like one of those very one-sided documentaries, hammering its points home with little room for interpretation. For some listeners, that might be off-putting—but the clarity of vision is also its power. It wants to persuade, unsettle, provoke. And for me, it did.

The instrumental second disc, while interesting, feels more like a bonus than an integral part of the experience. Without the political content, it loses much of the urgency and cohesion that makes the first disc so compelling.

Still, The Fire This Time completely sucked me in. It’s not easy listening, nor is it trying to be. But it captures a historical moment with fire and fury, and in doing so, becomes something more than just a compilation—it becomes a document, a statement, and a challenge.

9/10

“Geogaddi is the second studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada. The album was intended to be—and has been described as—darker in tone than their debut studio album Music Has the Right to Children, released in 1998. Geogaddi received critical acclaim upon release, in addition to being acclaimed by several publications as one of the year's best albums. It was listed by music website Pitchfork as one of the best intelligent dance music albums of all time.” - Wikipedia

Less optimistic than their debut, Geogaddi feels like a walk beside a 10-foot wall you’ve never been allowed to climb. You’ve been told what’s on your side is better—but you can’t shake the sense that you're being lied to. Tunneling synths and a subby, almost heartbeat-like kick drum lay the foundation, while disjointed field recordings and warped space-age flourishes flicker across the surface. It’s music that decorates decay, like ivy growing over an abandoned broadcast tower. Seductive, paranoid, and slightly unhinged.

9/10

“( ) (also referred to as Svigaplatan, which translates to The Bracket Album) is the third studio album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. It comprises eight untitled tracks, divided into two parts: the first four tracks are lighter and more optimistic, while the latter four are bleaker and more melancholic. Lead singer Jón Þór Birgisson ("Jónsi") sang the album's lyrics entirely in "Hopelandic", a made-up language consisting of gibberish words.” - Wikipedia

Brackets is another post-rock masterpiece from arguably the genre’s finest band. Jónsi sings in a made-up language, using his voice less as a conveyor of meaning and more as an instrument of pure emotion. Compared to its predecessor, the album feels slightly more modern—its synth textures more prominent, its drums more compressed. It may meander more, but the journey is so unwaveringly beautiful that it hardly matters. Post-rock can sometimes lapse into formula, with predictable crescendos and valleys, but here Sigur Rós once again make every note feel intentional and deeply felt.

9.5

1. All Hail West Texas

The Mountain Goats

“All Hail West Texas is the sixth studio album by the Mountain Goats. After the slight increase in production values on The Coroner's Gambit album of 2000, All Hail West Texas was the last Mountain Goats album recorded entirely on John Darnielle's trademark Panasonic RX-FT500 boombox until 2020's Songs for Pierre Chuvin. Similarly, it marked the end of an era for the band, as it was the last album by the Mountain Goats to feature only John Darnielle until 2020.” - Wikipedia

Captured on a Panasonic boombox that sounds like it’s breathing its final, wheezing breath, this record is as lo-fi as they come. Long presumed dead, the tape recorder Darnielle had used for countless previous recordings was exhumed from a closet and miraculously sputtered back to life, just long enough to catch one more dispatch from the margins. What emerged is a set of raw, urgent acoustic sketches—melodic, immediate, and devastating in their intimacy—written in the solitude of a home suddenly too quiet, with his wife away and only the ghosts of ideas to keep him company.

There are no tricks here, no overdubs, no studio sheen—just Darnielle, a guitar, and the soft mechanical churn of the boombox as it spins tape into a kind of lo-fi transcendence. The fidelity may be primitive, but the emotional clarity is crystalline. These songs feel like they were written moments before the red light flicked on, catching Darnielle in the act of discovery. It’s a document of artistic impulse in its rawest, most unfiltered form - thus the core brilliance of the songwriting hits all the harder.

Song Picks: Jenny, The Mess Inside

9.5/10

So, as I try to keep up with the present while writing about my favourite albums of every year from 1960, here’s my list of a whole bunch of albums from 2024. Over the past few months I’ve listened to all of Pitchfork’s ‘Best New Music’, the top 10-15 or so at rateyourmusic.com, Anthony Fantano’s top 10, and some other stuff, hence why this list is rather long. I also moved house, and welcomed my second son over the same period, so time has been very limited! On that note, there are no song picks for some of these albums, this is generally nothing to do with the albums, and everything to do with a lack of time while I was writing that particular review.

To save all your data plans and scrolling thumbs, I’ll only give the top 20 the honour of having their album art posted here. But anyway, let’s get going:

The ‘didn’t do it for me’ list
Before we get into the list, here’s a few that didn’t massively do it for me, and so despite their reception elsewhere haven’t made my list:

Empress Of : For Your Consideration - ‘One night stand - the album.’ And not a particularly memorable one.
Kali Malone: All life Alone - Creepy, a bit too churchy, dunno.
Still House Plants: If I Don't Make it I Love U: Very inventive, but sounds kind of like the vocals and instrumentation for two separate songs plonked together in a way that doesn't match up. It's deliberate, and no doubt difficult, but I just didn't enjoy it that much.
Vampire Weekend - God Was Above Us - I must have undergone some traumatic event while listening to the band’s vocals at some point, as somehow they just make me feel unpleasant. Unfair, but I couldn’t get into this.
Chief Keef - Almighty So 2 - Was all a bit much, probably my mood at the time...

And now, finally, onto the actual list. There’s 50 albums on it, so let’s get cracking.

50. JUS - 3rd Shift

Love the production and beats, but the lyrics are doing very little for me.

6/10

49. DORIS - Ultimate Love Songs

One of those 'song snippets' albums with songs never over a minute long. I like what it's doing and it's a fun listen, I'm just a little over the auto-tuned spoken style which seems very popular this year.

6/10

48. Yaya Bey - Ten Fold

Like a silky smooth luxury hot chocolate in the dim light of the small lamp in the corner. But, much like that comfortable blanket, it doesn’t leave much of a mark.

Song Picks: crying through my teeth

6.5/10

47. Starchris - Body Meat

I feel like it does some really interesting stuff as it approaches its end, but begins by just sounding like decent but unremarkable auto-tune-math pop.

Song Picks: Obu No Seirei

6.5/10

46. Schoolboy Q - Blue Lips

Schoolboy Q’s sixth album was one for the ‘very enjoyable’ pile. Just a solid rap album, with some filthy grinding bass.

6.5/10

45. Bladee - Cold Visions

Swedish rapper Bladee’s seventh album is essentially an album of those 16th note, half-time songs that usually make up a couple of tracks on your average rap album. In going in so hard on a very specific style you focus more on the intricacies: Bladee’s sad auto-tuned melodies, the atmosphere, the words. None of those quite do enough, and it’s a little too bloated for me to rate it more highly, but there’s some real gold in there.

Song Picks: FLATLINE, Terrible Excellence

6.5/10

44. Sumac - The Healer

Atmospheric, sparse, epic, downright filthy, but a bit roary for my tastes, if roaring metal music is your bag, I’d highly recommend.

Song Picks: World of Light

7/10

43. Jeff Barker & ETA IVtet - The Way Out of Easy

I have to say the repetitive, aggressive bass-line of the opening track got to me after a while, but other than that I really loved this hypnotic jazz album. It has a nice raw, band feel, and some great expressive playing.

7/10

42. The Smile - Wall of Eyes

It sounds luxurious, with innovative and compelling production, but it doesn’t massively go anywhere until the explosive Bending Hectic. It meanders beautifully, but - probably due to the amount of music I’m getting through for 2024 - I’m feeling the need for more focus.

Song Picks: Bending Hectic

7/10

41. Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God

ROOAARR. A thoroughly rollocking listen.

7/10

40. Nala Sinephro - Endlessness

Jazzy, pleasant, futuristic but with an eye to the past, much like her debut, but somehow less captivating.

7/10

39. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World

A slow, dramatic descent into apathy. A good comeback.

Song Picks: Alone, Endsong, And Nothing is Forever

7/10

38. Johnny Blue Skies - Passage du Desir

Just bloody good country folk. Nothing groundbreaking, but it does feature plenty of lead guitar noodling, which has gone somewhat out of fashion, but I very much welcomed.

7.5/10

37. Kim Gordon - The Collective

Kim Gordon’s second solo album is a distorted, industrial, shouted list of modern life where the bass is so high it’s shattering against the noise ceiling and fuzzing out across it. The Collective is that feeling of picking up a phone and being pissed off that you just spent 20 minutes taking in inane shite. It’s the realisation that tech is working against you, and it’ll exploit your psychology for ‘engagement’ - for your time is another man’s money. “Fuck you” you scream, in a manner reminiscent of the angrier passages on the album - but it’s a battle you’re doomed to loose.

Song Picks: BYE BYE, The Candy House, Psychadelic Orgasm

7.5/10

36. Kali Uchis - Orquideas

Uchis’ fourth album is an enjoyable, exciting and sumptuous sounding blend of Spanish and English, both in linguistic and musical terms. A refreshing stylistically free pop release that features a bunch of addictive hooks, but also keeps things interesting and colourful on the production front.

Song Picks: Me Pongo Loca, Heladito,

7.5/10

35. MJ Lendermann - Manning Fireworks

Great, catchy alt-country reminiscent of Spider Bags.

7.5/10

34. Los Campesinos - All Hell

It feels at times like they're trying a little too hard to be 'that band that uses football references in their songs', but it's another collection of addictive, catchy indie-rock tracks, with generally engaging lyrics more intelligent than most of their indie brethren.

7.5/10

33. Nilufer Yanya - My Method Actor

I loved her previous release, and I like the fuzzier, heavier development in her sound here (on the excellent Like I Say for example), which plays well with her more poppy vocals and production. One of the things I loved about her debut was the driving drum loops, and the latter half of this sophomore effort is a little lacking in that regard, which makes it lose some momentum. Still great, but not quite as impactful as her debut for me.

Sing Picks: Like I Say (I runaway), Method Actor, Binding

7.5/10

32. Being Dead - EELS

My favourite indie-pop record of the year. It just has a lovely vibe you know. Colourful instrumentation, nice melodies, and it doesn't get old on repeat listens.

Song Picks: Godzilla Rises,

8/10

31. Mount Eerie - Night Palace

I think you have to be in the mood to absorb an Everlum album, and I’ve not quite been in the headspace to properly absorb its bleak melancholy, but I have thoroughly appreciated the way he mixes more acoustic, quiet elements with heavier, more explosive ones. It sounds like a man honestly conveying a mental struggle both musically and lyrically, and I think that was the goal. One I’ll return to in future years and will no doubt love when it hits me at the right time.

8/10

30. Nicolas Jaar - Piedras 1 & 2

I don’t have time to translate the Spanish lyrics, which by all accounts make this a strong political statement. Read the excellent Pitchfork review for info on those. Musically it’s classic Jaar - we’ve got a mix of music and sound effects, combining to create soundscapes that are uniquely his. Piedras 1 has more of the catchy stuff on it, but the catchiness is deliberately obscured by haunting timbres, industrial drones and more. It’s like the melody is the heart and soul of Latin America, trying to shout through the endless drone of oppression from within and without. Or something like that.

8/10

29. Helado Negro - Phasor

Helado Negro’s 8th album is a beauty. Though not quite as memorable as 2019’s This is How You Smile, it provides a different flavour of the black ice cream that Roberto Carlos Lange has named his project after. A soothing, abstract album of soundscapes and flowery melodies sung in a gorgeous hush. It’s not necessarily one that will stick in the brain, but it is one that soothes the soul, and does so in a way that is consistently engaging and magical.

Song Picks: LFO, Colores del Mar, Flores, Wish You Could Be here

8/10

28. Charli XCX - Brat

I can’t say I’m much of a fan of Club Classics, but other than that this thing is just packed full of bangers, and at 42 minutes it feels the perfect length. Charli XCX’s hyper-pop is for the attention deficient and yet discerning - it’s immediate - but it’s also lasting thanks to it’s buried complexity. No mean feat - one of the year’s strongest pop releases.

Song Picks: 365, Sympathy is a knife, So I,

8/10

27. Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

I'm always slightly wary before putting on a death metal release. 'Is this going to be another one I cast aside and feel like I can say very little about beyond the music being technically brilliant and intricate but there being too much roaring'.

Absolute Elsewhere is full of technical brilliance, and has a fair bit of roaring, but you know what? I do not feel like casting it aside. It blends the epicness of prog-rock and the strangely calm repetitiveness of krautrock, with the pulverising riffs and roaring of death metal - and it bloody works. Lyrically I can take it or leave it, although it's nice to have something a bit more futuristic sci-fi than about the orcs and monsters and blood and the devil that is common in the genre. From an instrumental enjoyment perspective, it's one of the best band albums of the year, no doubt, and many of the sections are simply sublime. It creates a hellish atmosphere, but it's a hell that I keep wanting to return to.

Song Picks: The Stargate - [Tablet 1] and [Tablet III]

8/10

26. 1010benja - Ten Total

Ten Total is just what you want from a debut, An unfiltered, expressive and somewhat raw collection of songs that displays 1010benja’s obvious talents. He flits around, but always sounds at home, and the album has some of the year’s best hooks on for sure. I’ve had Waterworks going round my head all day as a case in point, and I Can is one of those simple songs that goes straight for the feelies.

Song Picks: Waterworks, H2HAVEYOU, Mire, I Can

8/10

25. Mabe Fratti - Sentir Que No Sabes

The avant-garde cellist’s fourth album is a journey reminiscent of all those female musical pioneers such as Bjork, Laurie Anderson, PJ Harvey - that is to say it kicks ass. Sentir Que No Sabes sucks you in with its weird textures and mysterious vocals again and again. I feel like I’m walking in a new world, with someone whispering poetics to me from the old one.

Song Picks: Kravitz, Enfrente, Elastica II

8/10

24. Jack White - No Name

Bouncy guitar riffs, plenty of energy, and production that strikes the perfect balance between raw and polished for this 70s inspired sound.

Song Picks: Old Scratch Blues, Tonight (Was a Long Time Ago), Underground

8/10

23. Hovvdy - Hovvdy

Hovvdy’s self-titled sixth album is a treat. It reminds me of the John Mayer, Joshua Radin type stuff that was coming out in my teens, but it’s way less cookie-cutter. Full of catchy melodies and charm. Probably the album of the year that I’d recommend to more or less anyone.

Song Picks: Jean, Meant, Every Exchange

8/10

22. xaviersobased - Keep It Goin Xav

“What on earth is this? It sounds like 300 T-Pains competing with each other. Is this what the kids are making nowadays?”

“You know, there’s some interesting layering work going on here”

“Damn, I’m lost in an auto-tuned haze of smoke”

“Damn”

“Fresh”

8/10

21. Verraco - Breathe.... Godspeed EP

Relentlessly innovative. A splash of cold water to the face.

Song Picks Godspeed

8/10

20. You Won’t Go before You’re Supposed To

Knocked Loose

My favourite death metal album of the year. Is that because it’s the shortest, or because it features only a sprinkling of roaring? Probably a bit of both; 28 mins is the perfect length for me to listen to something as intense and frenetic as this. Angry, intricate, constantly winding, YWGBYST is a thrill ride you won’t want get off.

8.5/10

Pulverising riffs and a vocal anger that hits like a truck, but with an ability to play with dynamics beyond many of their peers. It’s a rollercoaster of mumbled, quiet to loud and crushing; something Loud Bark encapsulates particularly well - a transition which is done many times, but never gets old.

Song Picks: I Got Heaven, Loud Bark, Aching

8.5/10

A lovely, simple and pure expression of the joy of motherhood. I’m rather jealous that her child gets to listen to lullabies from those warm, comforting vocal chords.

Song Picks: Caroline

8.5/10

JPEG is back with another hyperactive, intense mix of energetic rap and the cut up riffs of some slightly disturbed AI Tom Morello. It doesn’t massively stick out from his previous albums, but it does feel like a slightly more mature, compact and consistent package. Definitely one of the albums I’ve flat-out enjoyed the most this year.

8.5/10

A pretty darn perfect pop record. Lovely melodies, constantly engaging production choices, and a kind of mystical vibe that makes sure it never gets old. Ram that disk right into my forehead.

8.5/10

15. Keeper of the Shepherd

Hannah Frances

Hannah Frances - Keeper of the Shepherd

I’m not sure if prog-folk is a genre, but if it is then this is it, surely. While we have none of the guitar solos or riffs of a King Crimson, we do have musical passages that change time signature - and instrumentation - on a dime. It never feels ostentatious though, just a natural turn of the river, or crack of a twig underfoot changing the road of one’s thoughts. Undoubtedly the star of the show are Hannah Frances’ vocals, which are sublime, giving everything she sings a level of weight akin to that of a cathedral. Whatever note she sings, it soars above the mix with a deserved confidence. In its 37 minutes, Keeper of the Shepherd transports you to somewhere wonderful, mysterious, and somehow familiar.

Song Picks: Bronwyn, Husk

8.5/10

The Youtube rapper’s album of leftover stuff that didn’t fit on previous albums and won’t fit on new ones is a surprisingly cohesive collection of shoegazey, distorted, blurry and grainy tracks that are both emotionally impactful and smart. One of my favourite albums to get lost in in 2024.

Song Picks: Guide Dog, Pretty Privilege, Dusctutter

8.5/10

I don’t think there’s any doubt left that Kathryn Crutchfield is one of the best songwriters living today, and Tiger’s Blood yet again proves that. Every song draws you in with how well it’s performed and paced, and Crutchfield’s melodies soar. Apparently there’s more storytelling on this album, in that some of these aren’t from her perspective as such. But you’d never know - she builds a feeling that feels completely genuine every time.

And if this isn’t one of the best lines of the year my name is Persephone: ‘You play the villain like the violin’.

Song picks: 3 Sisters, Right Back to It, Burns Out at Midnight, Crimes of the Heart

8.5/10

I’ve not followed the whole rap-beef with Drake so some of this is probably going over my head, but lyrically this is definitely less up my street than Kendrick’s earlier, more ambitious albums. That aside though, this is still one of the, if not the, most enjoyable hip-hop album I’ve heard this year. Kendrick’s flow, cadence, and lyricism is still in a class of its own, and when coupled with some impactful, accessible and yet interesting production - as well as lovely appearances from SZA - it makes for an album that is just a straight up cathartic and fun ride.

Song Picks: wacced out murals, reincarnated, luther

8.5/10

Arooj Aftab’s fourth album is dubbed as a combination of Pakistani folk music and be-bop jazz - and it’s stunning. Gentle rumbling basslines, twinkled jazz notes, vocals that sound like they’re coming from the gods, and so much atmosphere it’s almost impossible not to get completely sucked in. Night Reign sticks out as sounding refreshingly unique, while still being comfortable.

Song Picks: Aey Nehin, Last Night Reprise

8.5/10

10. The Past is Still Alive

Hurray for the Riff Raff

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s eighth album is just a fabulous testament to great songwriting. It strips things back to uncomplicated, country productions, with evocative, hummable melodies, and yet it does so in a way that is constantly immersive and entertaining, working just as well as an active listen as it does in the background. This is helped no end by Alynda Segarra’s gorgeous delivery, and colourful vocals. Full of great lines that stick with you (“Here's a silver spoon, so you can gouge out both your eyes”), The Past is Still Alive feels authentic; it’s not trying to appeal to everyone, but in not trying it somehow does.

Song Picks: Alibi, Buffalo,

8.5/10

I’ve never got into FJM before, but this one has me sold. The production is pretty bombastic, and there are some particularly great crescendos during the title track and the superb Screamland. Misty’s lyrics are some of the year’s best, and there’s a Dylan-esque feel to the way his vocals mix with the busy arrangements, particularly on the more driving tracks like She Cleans Up. I’d say it’s varied rather than particularly cohesive, but Misty’s wry lyrical style and his engaging and yet quite monotone delivery tie the whole thing together like one piece of wrapping paper holding together a few too many presents.

Song Picks: Mahashmashana, Screamland, She Cleans Up

8.5/10

**8. “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD”**

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Post-rock can be a bit of a one-trick pony at times, with emotional twinkling leading to humongous crescendos of fuzz and reverb all with a melancholy and yet hopeful drive. NO TITLE is different. It has those crescendos, but they’re achieved in a myriad of ways, and the mix of emotions evoked feels more complex. Despite its bleak inspiration, there’s that characteristic post-rock hope there, but it all feels a bit grittier, down to earth, and well, real. The hope feels earned, with a refreshing grime.

8.5/10

‘Hendrix of the desert’ Mdou Moctar is back in a glorious sandstorm of jagged riffs. His 2021 album Afrique Victime was one of my favourites that year and - would you believe it? - this is one of my favourites in 2024. There’s an energy and free-ness to his guitar playing that makes him one of the most interesting players I’ve come across in decades, and - even though I don’t understand the lyrics of course - the tracks have an optimistic power to them that transcends language. I think some of the slower songs show great melodic skill too, such as closer Modern Slaves.

SP: Sousoume Tamacheq, Funeral for Justice, Modern Slaves

9/10

A quite outrageous debut from the ex Black-Midi frontman. The 30 odd session musicians on this thing are absolute gold, playing as tight as a guitar string on even the most complex of arrangements. Influences from across the board, it’s a complex style of jazz-rock with more than a hint of Brazilian influence (no surprise that some of it was recorded in Sao Paolo). Greep’s vocals are dramatic, at times comedic and unhinged, and always engaging (while remaining just the right side of irritating). The vocals are those of a horny madman, and as Anthony Fantano notes; the rambunctious instrumentation makes it all feel a lot lighter than some of the slightly disturbing lyrics would otherwise.

Overall, this thing is just super engaging from start to finish, and completely unafraid to cross new boundaries. It’s nice to have something so instrumentally superb in an age where I think instrumental prowess has become somewhat out of vogue. Here it’s front and centre, and it’s glorious.

9/10

Cowboy Carter is absolutely glorious. Quite probably the year’s strongest vocal performance on a record, and songs rooted in what we know (country, pop, folk) while pumping those genres with new, tasteful ideas. Cowboy Carter sounds massive, and the covers (Blackbird, Jolene) caught me off guard initially - but the more you listen, the more they blend into this album’s classic but oh-so-modern tapestry. Beyonce is Queen - and can we please make sure all her albums have her riding a horse on the cover? I like this trend.

Song Picks: Texas Hold ‘Em, 16 Carriages, II Most Wanted

9/10

Brittany Howard’s second solo album What Now sounds like the entirety of the musical past has been thrown into a blender and then tastefully spread into our ears. Howard's vocals cut through the densest mixes, and keep an R&B influence threaded through everything. But around her things are constantly changing, with influences as far and wide as The Strokes and Curtis Mayfield. If an alien came to Earth and said, “what’s this music thing all about?” I’d give them this and that would pretty much sum it up. A cosmic, mountainous, varied record - all in a tight 38 minute run time.

9/10

UK producer and DJ Djrum’s Meaning’s Edge features quite probably the most interesting and immersive use of the stereo field I've ever heard, and as such I would highly recommend listening on headphones. Sounds are often accented not by volume or timbre, but by their place in the stereo space, something that is particularly evident on the opening track Codex, which is among my favourite tracks of 2024. The percussion, both melodic and rhythmic, flits around you like a musical, flutey version of the innards of a microchip. It’s an anxious fidgeter like me’s dream, every tic, bam, and bop satisfying another over-energetic synapse.

Meaning’s Edge sounds so confident and futuristic, it’s impossible to feel like we’re headed anywhere but a utopia listening to it. And that, in 2024, is quite something.

Song Picks: Codex, Frekm Pt. 2

9/10

Lenker’s sixth album is yet another masterstroke. Gorgeous, varied production that blends the rough with the smooth with aplomb. Lovely, evocative instrumental sections - such as the piano twinkling as the violin gives out a triumphant solo on Sadness is a Gift - melt like butter into Lenker’s warm melodies and personable vocals. Bright Future is a candle in a dark room, it’s cosy, it’s sad, and it slowly burns up any loneliness as fuel.

On a personal note, Anti-depressants are great, but sometimes they make it hard to cry when you need to, you know? Bright Future opened things up - a loving hand through the fog.

Song Picks: Sadness as a Gift, Free Treasure, Vampire Empire, Evol, Candleflame, Ruined

9.5/10

I don’t really like baths, but this albums makes me feel like what I imagine most people feel like during/after a bath. Pratt’s vocals are effortless, delicate, and perfect in such an understated way they’re a whole new level of soothing. Her melodies don’t demand attention - and she’s not one to insist on a standard verse-chorus structure. The songs here aren’t building to anything as such, but they don’t need to as every damn moment is so delicately beautiful that I can’t stop listening. Her nylon string strums are added to with some atmospheric production choices, but it still feels like she’s playing a very intimate gig in your head - every aspect of the songs massaging your brain in a way very little else does. It really is rather special. At less than half an hour, I kind of wish it was a little longer, but it’s brevity means what’s there feels even more precious.

Song Picks: Life Is, Better Hate, World on a String - ‘yeah, I’m just going through all the songs on the album aren’t I?’

9.5/10

2002 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challe

2024 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge