Best Albums of 2024
A Time Honored Tradition
Thereโs something about this time of year. When I lean to two of my favorite online music blogs, still active after all these years. Large Hearted Boy & Brooklyn Vegan.
Thereโs a website called Album of the Year that aggregates the best reviewed albums and automatically sorts that data into an image laden website. I visit it often.
I know that so many people no longer listen to complete albums, and thatโs a shame, since 2024 was a heavy year in many ways, so it was comforting to have the Cure back in my life for the first time in decades. At least I had a great soundtrack to moan along to, mentally, to myself, instead of out loud this time. Iโll let music drawing and art do the screaming for me for awhile.
So here they are, in the opposite order they usually are, this one is top to bottom.
Best Albums of 2024
Ducks Ltd. - Harm's Way
This is my album of the year, probably on the number of plays it got from me. It was a Ducks LTD summer. I saw them at Polaris hall here in Portland in July, and they were even more frenetic than they were when they opened up for Archers of Loaf when I saw them back in 2023, the singer talked about that gig, about how they had to struggle to find eqiupment to play the show.
Think 1980s jangle bands like The Feelies, or Television, the songs are catchy repetitive, engaging and fun, youโll want to sing along to these songs, and your feet will be a tappin, at least mine were.
File Under: A power pop Robyn Hitchock.
Pedro the Lion - Santa Cruz
This was the album that I felt the most this year. Iโve been a fan of his for sometime now, but it took him treating albums like memoirs for me to really start paying attention. David Bazan, the singer/songwriter behind Pedro the Lion wrote a three album about his life. This one tackles Bazanโs late teenage years .Mainly the time spent in Santa Cruz, as Bazanโs family moves around every few years.
Bazan chronicles chapters about finding partners, both romantic and musical, and how he starts to see himself as a musician and an artist.
โSanta Cruz โthe song has Bazan in green acid wash backpack that looked cool in Arizon where his parents bought it, but now looks dated in Santa Cruz.
Little Help covers falling into the familiar habits of califronia, learning to surf. How if you played Birthday โbackwards it said turn me on dead man. โ
My favorite track, โModestoโ covers a brief time spend in Modesto, and how the music of Granddaddy made Bazan see the potential for his own musical output.
โIt was a beautiful tragic mess that send tears streaming down my cheekโ
By the time we get to Spend Time, an all out rocker about playing music with other people and rehearsings over and over again that showcases the full range of Bazan on Santa Cruz. By the end we feel like we just grew up over the course of an hour or so, or at least I did.
โBut thatโs a very lonely decade in the rearrview and it feels like only yesterday.โ
And to this fan, itโs Bazanโs most realized work. โSo many places where you donโt belong.โ Swoon.
MJ Lendermen - Manning Fireworks
I got to see MJ Lendermenโs band Wednesday last Spring in Portland, and I saw him sing on the bands cover of Drive By Truckers opus Women Without Whiskey with a sublime guitar solo.
MJโs last album Boat Songs was one of my albums of the year so I was all hot and bothered for this one to come out and it has the same level of well observed character studies. To the point where you forget about his brilliance until heโs talking about a watch thatโs a compass and a cellphone. And a wrist watch that tells me your all alone, with supple lap steel, and in the pockets southern grooves. It all comes across as casual and doesnโt try to hard, but yet nails it every time. Thatโs the joy of listening to MJ Lendermenโs music in 2024, it sounds analog, and not perfect and so damn human.
Wild Pink - Dulling the Horns
Wild Pink is perfect music for recovering from a concussion that was the result of you not sitting down when you felt dizzy when you and your wife were washing the dog in 2018 and you passed out on the floor and split your head open leaving a two inch gash in your head that had to be sewn up at the mergency room after you passedout twice in your livign room because your blood pressure was that low. After that. after three days in the hospital, after a bus ride to your therapist because you couldnt drive after the pass out incedent and you walk home from therapy that day and the sun is shining and things are looking up that is the perfect moment for Wild Pink to slide into your life and this one is no different. Iโm seeing them in February opening up for MJ. Great music for making art, or journaling. Heart on your sleeve indie rock that recognizes what youโve been through and gives you sustenance for the ride. At least thatโs what this album does to me.
The Cure - Songs for a Lost World
What a moment for a comeback. Hey guys, its been awhile and yeah you are still my favorite band and whatโs that on this mask faced head like structure? Itโs spinning visage was the first thing I saw when I went to the Cureโs webiste and heard the first opening bars of their comeback song Alone. And that did it for me, just that was enough to pull me into the speaker and make my body want to crawl up inside the computer speaker noisemaker thing whatever was making that sound I needed it inside me, now.
Ahem, now that its been a few weeks since its been out, Ive had the need to lose myself in this album, on vinyl, in my living room, the boom in the bass makes the floor rattle a little just like it does when I play Disintigration. But now Iโm an adult, and the world is on fire. But from here, it sure feels good to feel sad along with Robert and company. His voice my god, I still canโt tell you how it feels to have that wailing yowl at my side in these dark dark times. Love you all. Take care of yourselves.
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Glasgow Eyes
Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch
Julie - My AntiAircraft Friend
Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee
Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
The Smile - Cutouts
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard & Soft
Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past is Still Alive
Clairo - Charm
Wishy - Triple 7
Shady Cove - Part II
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More
Office Dog - Doggerland
Bubbling Under:
Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
Bright Eyes - Five Dice All Threes
Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes
Brittany Howard - What Now
Guided By Voices - Strut of Kings
The Felice Brothers - Undress
Porridge Radio - Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be For Me