Another year has passed and, once again, it’s been soundtracked by remarkable works of art from musicians still finding new ways to express themselves and connect with listeners.
The albums compiled here, those I’ve returned to most over the year, span grand cinematic visions to intimate reflections. They contain anger, despair, confusion and, most importantly, hope.
Claire Rousay – Sentiment
Jessica Pratt – Here Is The Pitch
Eric Cheneux Trio – Delights of My Life
Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future
Finn Rees – Dawn is a Melody
Uranium Club – Infants Under the Bulb
Watch Paint Dry – Horsebones
Myriam Gendron – Mayday
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks
Helado Negro – Phasor
Work Money Death – People of the Fast Flowing River
Yerba Mansa – Gravity’S Joke
Saagara – 3
Felix Hatfield – House of the Artist
Bill Ryder Jones – Lechyd da
Jacken Elswyth – At Fargrounds
Ben Seretan – Allora
Natalia Beylis – Lost (For Annie)
Marisa Anderson – Music from a Perfect Day for Caribou
Yara Asmar – Stuttering Music
Oaagaada – Music of Oaagaada
Andy Hay – Polaris
Phil Smith – TageBuch
Bingo Fury – Bats Feet for a Widow
Ruthven – Rough & Ready
Nala Sinephro: Endlessness
Being Dead – Eels
EPS
Hamburger – Beat Back the Ghouls
Mould – MOULD
And here’s a playlist of some of my favourite tracks of the year. Apologies that it’s Spotify, but it was proving too difficult to compile on Bandcamp.
Check out my favourite live shows of 2024.