Ryan's Top 5 Albums of the Year
From The Smile to Waxahatchee to Geordie Greep, these are my best albums of 2024
5. The Smile-Wall of Eyes/Cutouts-The project of Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with drummer Tom Skinner released not one but two albums this year. Wall of Eyes is a bit more oblique and slow prioritising atmospheric while Cutouts is more limber and showcases Skinner’s drumming and Greenwood’s guitar noodling. Together they were both great. Yorke has said he is really loving the freedom that the project offers and has no timeline for future Radiohead projects. The Smile is proving to be a more than acceptable stopgap although they don’t quite scratch the Radiohead itch to satisfaction.
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds-Wild God-legendary British songwriter returned after two experimental and bleak albums dealing with the deaths of his two sons. Wild God is a full-band album, though it stays pretty mellow even when rocking its hardest. Cave seems to have come through his grieving and despair with a renewed appreciation for life and its beauties, and these songs are tinged with hope and occasionally burst into actual joy, something Cave hasn’t done in a while. He is, as always, a generous guide to these deeply human experiences and moments.
3. Los Campesinos!-All Hell-the perennial acerbic indie punks return with their seventh album. While some might miss the rowdy, raucous character of their earlier albums, this is a fantastic showcase for their songwriting chops. The production, which the band helmed themselves, is rich and textured, allowing their songs to breathe in ways the older albums didn’t. Together with their lyrics full of social critique it makes for a thrilling return for the unabashedly leftist Welsh band. Some might even call it their best.
2. Waxahatchee-Tigers Blood-Katie Crutchfield returns with an album that picks up right where her masterful Saint Cloud left off. Her brand of indie folk has been honed to a sharp point and this album is just perfect song after perfect song. Her country drawl, melodies, and the unhurried tempo of these gems made for my most listened to album of the year. She’s doing something a lot of others are trying to do and she’s better than them all.
1. Geordie Greep-The New Sound-I’ve written at length about this album here
Greep has to be one of the most perplexing and brilliant musicians currently working. His blend of experimental rock, progressive jazz, and orchestral rock is difficult to describe and can be even more disorienting to listen to. But something about it just works, and works brilliantly. It’s all in the service of an in-depth exploration of alpha males, which is as disturbing as it is revelatory. Greep has made a musically and topically difficult but essential album. I have no idea why he has not gotten more love on end of year lists. No one came close to the level of musicianship and social and political commentary Greep achieved here.
Other albums of note:
Mount Eerie-Night Palace-something for every kind of Phil Elverum fan. Low-fi acoustic ramblings, blown out fuzz rockers, nail grinding metal screams, and spoken-word atmospherics. At 26 songs and 80 minutes it feels like the culmination of Mount Eerie.
Charli XCX-Brat-there’s no denying the cultural and musical impact this album had this year. It’s topped the most year-end lists and would have been number one on the UK Billboards if not for Taylor Swift’s last minute release sabotage. It’s full of bangers, state-of-the-art club production, and Charli’s swagger. Just a ton of fun.
The Hard Quartet-S/T-Stephen Malkmus returned with another side project with some like-minded musicians who have been around the indie scene forever. The result is a great album full of great songwriting. Not every song here is a winner, but the band’s chemistry is undeniable and when they hit their stride, it’s slacker-rock gold.
Wild Pink-Dulling the Horns-John Ross returns with another album that’s raw and immediate compared to the fussed-over feel of his last couple. This one features heavy fuzzed-out guitars and thundering drums, all tied together with his mundane and often profound lyrical explorations.
The Decemberists-As it Ever Was, So it Will Be Again- Colin Meloy and company return with the quintessential Decemberists album. It’s their best in a long time. Nicely splits the difference between their jangle-pop, morbid acoustic dirges, and long prog epics. A welcome return from a great band.
Magdalena Bay-Imaginal Disk-warrants a mention for its boldly experimental production that still manages to be really catchy and accessible. Some killer melodies as well even if the vocals are a bit irritating and babyish. I started listening this one late in the year and it’s still growing on me.
Fool of Stars-The Everything Under Your Feet-full disclosure, this is my daughter Olive’s band. But damn they rock. I love every song on this album. Their mix of indie guitar pop, shoegaze, and synthpop is infectious and ambitious without sacrificing accessibility. Song 7, Sol 127, and the title track I could listen to for days—and did.
Jazz album of the year:
Nala Sinephro-Endlessness-incredible ambient electronic jazz. Really chill vibe with incredibly textured production and depth on close listen. Great to have on in the background or as a focused listen to pick up on the nuances.
Album of the year not from this year:
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart-S/T-I’ve driven my daughter June to so many rehearsals this year and she always turns this on (this or OK Computer). It’s a perfect album. Mixes jangle pop, indie synthpop, and some really smeary shoegaze guitars into an inimitable debut. These guys flamed out after two perfect albums but their brand of pop music is endlessly replayable.
Biggest disappointment of the year:
Adrianne Lenker-Bright Future-I wanted to love this album but I couldn’t get into it. A few great songs but mostly really slow and meandering and leans too much into fiddle and bluegrass for me. Her last double album Songs/Instrumentals was my album of the year and this just didn’t match that masterpiece.
Sunset Rubdown-Always Happy to Explode-I absolutely loved these guys during their initial three-album run. This is their first album since 2009’s Dragonslayer. Unfortunately everything that made these guys vital has been removed from this plodding, unimaginative album. Sadly feels like a shell of their former selves.