Top Albums of 2024

As we enter into 2025, it’s abundantly clear that 2024 was a great year for music with so many bold artistic statements, sonic reinventions, and deeply-personal themes from some of my favorite artists. Whether through electronic experimentation, folk intimacy, or blistering hip-hop lyricism, these artists pushed boundaries while refining and staying true to their unique voices. This end-of-year list, as always on this blog, isn’t just about which records I thought sounded great — it’s about the albums that really stuck with me, the ones that I returned to and discovered something new on every listen. Some transported me to other worlds, and others felt like they were giving a voice to my own experiences. These records defined the year for me, and I have a feeling that many of them will continue to resonate long into the future.

Honorable mentions (in no particular order):

Fearless Movement - Kamasi Washington
Where we’ve been, Where we go from here - Friko
SMILE! :D - Porter Robinson
Cowboy Carter - Beyoncé
The Great American Bar Scene - Zach Bryan
Charm - Clairo
The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift
Chromakopia - Tyler, the Creator
Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
Deeper Well - Kacey Musgraves
Short n’ Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter
All Born Screaming - St. Vincent

10. The New Sound - Geordie Greep

Best known for his bombastic work with Black Midi, Geordie Greep’s solo debut is as eccentric and adventurous as one would come to expect. Fusing avant-garde jazz, art-rock, and surreal lyricism, it’s an album that never overstays a single identity for too long. There’s an undeniable playfulness to this project, but it also has a clear sense of purpose — every detour and left-field decision feels intentional, making it one of the most thrilling and tantalizing albums of the year.

Score: 8.6/10

9. Mahashmashana - Father John Misty

A deeply immersive experience, Mahashmashana finds Father John Misty embracing a more esoteric, almost mystical approach to his songwriting. The arrangements are rich and varied, blending folk traditions with sprawling orchestral moments. It’s a record that demands full attention, rewarding patience with layers of meaning and some of his most ambitious compositions yet. There’s a thematic sense of finality that lingers throughout the project — hopefully not Josh Tillman’s last under the Father John Misty stage name.

Score: 8.6/10

8. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish continues to evolve, as evidenced by this album being a striking blend of her signature intimacy with grander, more cinematic production from herself and her brother FINNEAS. There’s an undeniable confidence making its way into her songwriting, as she effortlessly shifts between vulnerability and defiance to the norm. It’s an album that lingers long after its closing track “BLUE” ends, showcasing an artist fully in command of her sound.

Score: 8.7/10

7. I Lay Down My Life For You - JPEGMAFIA

Chaotic, confrontational, and unpredictable as always, this album cements JPEGMAFIA as one of the most exciting forces in experimental underground hip-hop. The production is as abrasive as ever — filled to the brim with distorted textures and relentless energy. But there’s also a newfound clarity in his vision. It’s a record that challenges expectations at every turn, making for one of the year’s most electrifying while admittedly challenging listens.

Score: 8.8/10

6. Songs of a Lost World - The Cure

The Cure’s long-awaited return is a triumph of mood and melody, capturing the same melancholic grandeur that made them legends while embracing a new sense of maturity and loss. The production is lush, the songwriting is deeply evocative, and the atmosphere is unmistakably theirs. It’s a record that bridges past and present, proving that their ability to channel beauty through sorrow remains as powerful and poignant as ever.

Score: 8.9/10

5. Patterns in Repeat - Laura Marling

Laura Marling has long been a master of folk introspection, and this album finds her refining her craft even further. The arrangements are deceptively simple, allowing her voice and lyrics to take center stage, but there’s a quiet complexity to every single song. It’s an album that feels lived-in and cared for, full of wisdom and reflection, making it one of her most affecting works yet as it explores the cyclical nature of parenthood. The full-circle parallels between this project and her album Song for Our Daughter are beautiful.

Score: 9.0/10

4. GNX - Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar continues to solidify his place as hip-hop’s most vital voice with GNX, an album that blends his razor-sharp lyricism with some of his most adventurous production choices yet. His storytelling remains unmatched, dissecting personal and societal struggles with a precision that few can rival. Every track feels like a puzzle piece, adding to a larger narrative that rewards repeated listens while also serving as a well-deserved victory lap and ode to Los Angeles after his feud with Drake earlier this year. MUSTAAARD!!!

Score: 9.1/10

3. Brat - Charli XCX

An artistic left turn from her previous work’s aesthetic, Brat is Charli XCX at her most unfiltered and exhilarating. The production is sleek and aggressive, packed with high-energy club beats and earworm-y hooks, but there’s also a sense of vulnerability lurking beneath the hedonism on tracks like “Apple” and “So I”. It’s a record that balances chaos with clarity, proving once again why Charli remains at the forefront of pop’s evolution. Brat Summer just may live on forever.

Score: 9.2/10

2. Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker

Few artists capture intimacy as effortlessly as Adrianne Lenker, and Bright Future is another masterclass in her ability to turn quiet moments into profound experiences. Her songwriting is even more unguarded here, with warm, organic instrumentation complementing her poetic and haunting storytelling. It’s an album that feels like a conversation whispered in the dark — achingly personal while universally resonant. Lenker continues to prove that she is one of the best living singer-songwriters.

Score: 9.4/10

1. Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay continues to redefine modern pop with a sound that feels both meticulously futuristic and effortlessly nostalgic on Imaginal Disk. This album expands on their hyper-glossy aesthetic while delving into more intricate compositions, weaving together shimmering synths, warped production, and unexpected emotional and conceptual depth. It’s a dizzying, kaleidoscopic experience that proves they’re one of the most innovative acts in electronic pop. This album’s themes of introspective discovery, acceptance of imperfection, and self-actualization were very relevant to me this year, and its addictive and nearly flawless tracklist made Imaginal Disk my favorite album of 2024.

Score: 9.5/10

Looking back at these albums, I’m struck by the diversity of sound and vision that defined the past year of music. Each of these records, in their own way, pushed boundaries — whether through sonic innovation, emotional depth, or artistic ambition. Music has a unique and special way of anchoring us to specific moments in time, and these albums became the backdrop to a year with high highs and low lows.

2024 reaffirmed my love for music, and I want to do even more writing about it on this blog in 2025 — whether that means reviewing more releases or exploring older records. If 2024 proved anything, it’s that music remains as transformative, essential, and necessary as ever. Here’s to another year of discovery. Happy listening!

Album Review: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

Three years after the release of her critically-acclaimed sophomore album Happier Than Ever and multiple Oscar-winning ballads, Billie Eilish faced a monster more terrifying than any of those she doodled in her famous teenage notebook — Writer’s Block. Her rise to stardom was a surge so sudden and seamless that some deemed it impossible to be anything other than an industry plant, and it eventually started to feel like swimming upstream for the alternative pop megastar. Billie isn’t afraid to share her fears that she could already be on her way out or that her 15 minutes of fame are up. Those same fears, and consistent collaboration with her musical mastermind brother FINNEAS, may have been exactly what pushed her to keep swimming and write her way out of a corner, culminating in Eilish’s third and most personal studio album yet, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

When Greta Gerwig set out to create her box office smash hit film Barbie, she did so with the intention of creating a genuine portrayal of the unique and singular experience of womanhood through one of the most nostalgic and feminist icons in American culture — the Barbie doll. Knowing that the film’s score had to capture and convey its seemingly simple yet devastatingly complex and relevant themes, she sought out Billie to contribute as one of the world’s most talented songwriters. “What Was I Made For?” resonated with so many people because it channeled womanhood in its most poignant and pure form, matching the film’s themes and tone perfectly. After the success of that track, Billie found herself struggling to create the same flowstate of productivity in the studio that she had with her two album releases prior. After countless attempts to capture that same lightning in a bottle feeling, she used the speak-from-the-heart approach that she did for Barbie to write the opening track “SKINNY” for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

The album’s stripped back ambient acoustic guitar and softly sung lyrical content help develop Billie’s new theme of opening albums with life updates; giving her listeners a snapshot of what has been on her mind since they heard from her last. “SKINNY” is an immediate tear-jerker that introduces the album’s narrative themes of loss, regret, new love, and self discovery. “LUNCH” is a perfect example of Eilish coming to terms with every aspect of herself — a no-holds-barred, innuendo-packed and lustful banger in every regard.

The following three tracks showcase FINNEAS’s ability to foster and hone in on Billie’s innate musical instincts. “CHIHIRO” may be a career highlight, with its crescendoing synths and guitars that build to the point of bliss. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a beautiful ode to loyalty, commitment, and staying strong for others even when the going gets tough. “WILDFLOWER” also builds continually while outlining the messy and complicated intricacies of Eilish’s friendships and role helping navigating others’ failed relationships.

“THE GREATEST” and “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” utilize similar songwriting structures by starting slowly and eventually exploding in their back halves. The first utilizes “Happier Than Ever”-like rock guitar instrumentation over some of Billie’s most ambitious vocal deliveries yet, and the second evolves into an 80’s synth-heavy bop so well-received by fans that Eilish released an extended cut of the track just days after the album’s release.

“THE DINER” and the first half of “BITTERSUITE” are where some of my criticisms of the album come to the forefront, unfortunately. The first reverts to the tonal aesthetics of her first album over what some are calling a “Luigi’s Mansion typebeat” — I love the internet sometimes — and while its perspective switch to the eyes of one of Eilish’s stalkers is a creative choice, its lack of sonic development makes it stand in the shadows of the tracks that come before it. The second is a narrative extension across songs, something Eilish does very well throughout this album, but its initially slow progression just fails to captivate me. That, of course, changes in the end when Eilish introduces the fan favorite and long-lost chord progressions of “True Blue”, an unreleased but idolized track from her early days of touring.

Now a combination of “True Blue” and “Born Blue”, “BLUE” is another album highlight, featuring self-referential songwriting that references every other song on the project. Its second half leaves things off on a more dark and mysterious note, setting Eilish up to take her musical career in any direction that feels natural to her and her brother.

While others have connected the dots on what fans are calling the ILOMILO theory, essentially that this project could be the first half of a potential double-album drop, I am completely content with HIT ME HARD AND SOFT being the product of Eilish’s hard work in escaping the beast of the void that is Writer’s Block. Of course I would be excited to hear more, as I love ambitious and fan-centric surprise artistry, but this is also more than enough for me. I thought there would be no better way to return to my blog after 5 months of inactivity than positively reviewing a genuine, incredibly-talented artist who learned how to swim upstream by creating lightning instead of catching it in a bottle. This is instantly a contender for album of the year, and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.

Favorite Tracks: “SKINNY” - “LUNCH” - “CHIHIRO” - “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - “THE GREATEST - “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” - “BLUE”

SCORE: 8.7/10

Top Albums of 2023

Another fantastic year of music is now behind us. From rising stars turning heads to established stars making triumphant returns, fans of most genres were rewarded with compelling and impressive releases and projects in 2023. Although I listened to many, many albums in the past year, there are some that I find myself returning to the most and will continue to for years to come. Before diving into what made my top albums of 2023 so special to me, I’d like to acknowledge some honorable mentions that just missed the cut. These include: Quaranta - Danny Brown, the record - boygenius, This Is Why - Paramore, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) - Yves Tumor, and O Monolith - Squid. All of these were fantastic albums, but there were too many more impressive projects to let them be immortalized in my best-of list. Without further ado, here are my top albums of 2023.

10. Haunted Mountain - Buck Meek

When a member of indie supergroup Big Thief announces a solo project, fans are in for a treat. Guitarist and backup vocalist for the group Buck Meek released his third album in 2023 to high critical acclaim. This alt-country, indie folk project has an alluring and welcoming tone throughout, channeling memories of simpler times and recounting the joys of getting safely lost in the world and in life. This project’s title track was one of my most played of last year, and songs like “Secret Side” or “Lullabies” are too heartfelt to be forgotten.

9. GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo knocked her sophomore follow-up out of the park with GUTS in 2023. The release of her debut studio album SOUR set an extremely high bar for such a young artist, but this release put any doubt to rest with its angsty, punk-inspired pop often outshining many of the tracks from the project that put her on the map. From the lead single ballad “vampire” to earworms like “bad idea right?” and “all-american bitch”, this album knows exactly what it wants to do, and it does it well. I’m excitedly looking forward to the GUTS World Tour this Summer.

8. Weathervanes - Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell’s ability to write and sing from the heart is unmatched in his genre. Increasingly poetic and sophisticatedly beautiful, his albums continue to impress — particularly last year’s Weathervanes — one of his best in years. These are some of the most haunting and devastating songs in Isbell’s catalog. “Cast Iron Skillet” and “Save The World” are the two I return to most often, but the entire project makes for an excellent, albeit challenging listen.

7. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey’s continuous maturation as a singer and songwriter is increasingly impressive with every album that she releases. Ocean Blvd is likely her most evolved, elegant, and whimsical project yet, with almost every theme and sonic idea fleshed out and realized to its full potential. Each track develops naturally yet cautiously, eventually blooming into beautiful and memorable moments of their own. While some of the interludes seem superfluous to me, the core songs on this project are nearly flawless. “A&W” is one of my favorite songs of the entire year.

6. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek

Rising art pop star Caroline Polachek flew under my radar before the release of Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. While I recognized her voice and had heard songs here and there from earlier projects, I had never committed to listening to an entire album of hers. I can now say that I was far overdue to give her the attention she deserves. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is one of the greatest achievements in pop music in years. Each track is lush, ethereal, and surprisingly lyrically dense. “Welcome To My Island” is one of the best openers of the year, and the tropical aesthetics of “Sunset” and “Blood and Butter” keep me coming back for more.

5. Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Another rising star that I was only made aware of last year, Zach Bryan released one of the best country albums of the decade in 2023 with this self-titled powerhouse. Channeling the likes of Dylan, Cash, and Springsteen, Bryan’s nods to the genre’s roots are tasteful without registering as derivative in any way. The instrumentation is more Americana than it is Country Pop, which is a sound that I much prefer. This project has essentially been on repeat for me since its release, but “East Side of Sorrow” and “El Dorado” are the two songs I return to most often.

4. Lahai - Sampha

One of the greatest voices in R&B, Sampha, made his return in 2023 with the release of his newest album Lahai. Six years after his debut, I was very interested to see where Sampha would take his sound next, and needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed with how advanced his sound has become in such a short time. This atmospheric, hypnotic, and spiritual project has an incredible amount of complexity to its production, culminating in one beautiful song after another. “Spirit 2.0”, “Suspended”, and “Only” are some of my favorites here, but you can’t go wrong with any cut from this project.

3. That! Feels Good! - Jessie Ware

I sincerely believed that Jessie Ware would have trouble following up her fantastic 2020 album What’s Your Pleasure? after it set such a high bar for disco-inspired bangers. I was extremely delighted to be proven wrong by That! Feels Good!, which elevates the Dance Pop aesthetics she established to even greater heights. Playful, energetic, and uplifting, That! Feels Good! fires on all cylinders to get its listeners on their feet. “Free Yourself”, “Pearls”, and “Hello Love” are fantastic tracks, but “Begin Again” with its crescendoing finale is my favorite song that Ware has released yet.

2. SCARING THE HOES - JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

In a rather sparse year for Rap and Hip-Hop, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown stood out as the trendsetting gold standard of the evolution of a genre that has somewhat stalled in the mainstream. Experimental, brash, and aggressive, SCARING THE HOES is both self-aware and referential with its humor but direct with its messaging. This project will likely be looked back on as an inflection point that allowed chaotic, eclectic underground Hip-Hop as a whole to finally find major mainstream success. “Lean Beef Patty”, “Burfict!”, and “Kingdom Hearts Key (ft. redveil)” are some of my favorite tracks on this album. This could’ve easily been my favorite album of the year if it weren’t for the triumphant return of…

1. Javelin - Sufjan Stevens

In August of 2023, Sufjan Stevens announced that his 10th studio album Javelin would be releasing in October. Immediately deemed an “indie emergency” online, the anticipation for this album was off the charts, as Stevens has established himself as an indie darling with now classic projects like Carrie & Lowell and Illinois. I could have never prepared, though, for the emotional reckoning that Javelin would cause. After the project’s release, Stevens revealed that in many ways, it was an ode and memorial to his partner who passed away. This re-contextualizes the entire project as one of loss, sorrow, and melancholy, but ultimately reminds its listeners to hold onto what they love dearly and continue to search for beauty in the darkness. Some of the best songwriting in the decade is found on the project, with heartbreaking ballads and cutting lyricism throughout. This incredible album spoke to me on a personal level, and was an easy pick as my favorite of 2023.

I absolutely love music. I always have. The albums that make my favorites lists are just some of the many projects that I almost always have in my ears. Re-visiting these projects transports me to where I was in life at the time of their release and my discovery of them. Every artist on this list is immensely talented, and I’m grateful for the art they give to the world. I look forward to what music is to come in 2024, but am more than happy to continue listening to these projects in the meantime. They are all so, so special.

Album Review: Javelin - Sufjan Stevens

It had been nearly a decade since indie music legend Sufjan Stevens released a solo singer-songwriter studio album when he announced his 2023 return: Javelin. Before venturing into more experimental territory with albums like 2020’s The Ascension, Stevens found success sharing his impeccable storytelling skills with now classic projects Illinois and Carrie & Lowell. Not one to release an album just for the sake of doing so, Stevens instead releases reflections packed full of emotional revelation and catharsis for his fanbase to relate to. Javelin doesn’t divert from this formula; while this is an exciting and triumphant return for Stevens, it comes with a heaviness in the context of its origin. In its accompanying message, Stevens shared that he tragically lost a life partner earlier this year, and it quickly became evident that this project is an embodiment of his grief. His recent diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome also shapes this project’s context — Stevens is navigating unimaginably difficult circumstances, but doing so with a musical beauty and intentionality in ways only he could. His most personal project yet, Javelin is an accomplishment in both storytelling and thematic resolution, and perhaps his best work to date.

The album’s themes and ideas resonate much stronger in the context of loss and grief, such as the opening track “Goodbye Evergreen,” with lines like “Goodbye evergreen / You know I love you / But everything Heaven-sent / Must burn out in the end.” Lamenting his fear, describing his circumstances as “poisoned pain,” and coming to grips with this new reality is his heartfelt way of setting the stage for what’s to come on this project. The following “A Running Start” turns back the clock to a more joyful time in Stevens’ life — the lovely beginnings of a relationship that celebrates the beauty of new romance and the sublime feeling of being in nature. The album’s turbulent dichotomy of emotions comes next with “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”, a highlight on the project that eagerly and tragically questions if the narrator will be able to again recapture the love that he has just depicted and eventually lost.

“Everything That Rises” utilizes acoustic guitar and ethereal background vocals to elevate its many biblical and literary references. “Genuflecting Ghost” is a haunting and cascading ballad of communicating to a parted loved one. “My Red Little Fox” sees the narrator begging their lost love to visit them from beyond, to “kiss (them) from within … kiss (them) like the wind.” These tracks all effectively and chillingly develop a tragic narrative and aesthetic that acts as a through line for the rest of the project.

The album’s back half is just as strong and powerful as its compelling start. “So You Are Tired” is an all-time Sufjan track that creates a melancholic hole in its listener, carrying an emotional weight of relationship struggles unlike most songs I’ve heard attempt to do so. There’s a addictive and hopeful beauty to this song’s instrumentation that stands in stark contrast to its helpless lyrics. The album’s title track captures the essence of its core messaging: that those in relationships hold power in restraint over one another, and that the recognition of that ability to resist inflicting pain is both a necessary and terrible realization to face, particularly in relationships as true and complicatedly beautiful as Sufjan’s. “Shit Talk” expounds on these themes, reflecting on the intricate complexities of forgiveness, grace, and compassionate understanding of a partner’s shortcomings, especially when choosing unconditional love for them. “There’s A World” is a re-imaging of a Neil Young classic in Stevens’ aesthetic, serving as a hopeful and appreciative closer to an emotionally-complicated project.

There is beauty in struggle. Hard times bring loved ones closer together. Grief is real and unavoidable. On Javelin, Sufjan Stevens concisely and gorgeously reveals the intimate and unimaginably challenging details of his relationship with his partner, himself, and the world around him. Simultaneously a deep look into an artist’s psyche and a spellbinding, relatable, and necessary piece of art, Javelin is one of the greatest musical accomplishments about the beauty in grief and hardship in my lifetime. I wish Sufjan all the best and thank him for the magnificent art that he gives to the world.

Favorite tracks: “Goodbye Evergreen”, “A Running Start”, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”, “Everything That Rises”, “My Red Little Fox”, “So You Are Tired”, “Javelin (To Have And To Hold)”, “Shit Talk”, “There’s A World”

SCORE: 9/10

Album Review: Weathervanes - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Country is likely the most divisive genre in all of music. While legends like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton are widely regarded as some of the greatest musicians of all time, many of today’s most popular country artists make headlines for the contrarian and conservative ideologies that constitute their overly simplistic songwriting. While many of the genre’s tropes are predictable and made for the masses, country music’s conventions and aesthetics can also enable artists to engage in incredible storytelling. A historian and adoring fan of the roots of his genre, Jason Isbell’s poetry and hard-hitting lyricism have elevated his music above the noise since he joined the scene. He has described each of his albums as a snapshot in time that captures his current mindset, and the maturity of both his sound and character have been evident with every release. Weathervanes is no different — on Isbell’s newest record, he offers some of the most intricately orchestrated and carefully crafted tracks of his entire career. His masterful storytelling, instrumental choices, and thematic cohesiveness makes this one of the most exciting albums of the year so far.

Each of this album’s lead singles are tasteful examples of all of the flavors it has to offer. “Death Wish” gnashes and grapples with the devastating reality of navigating a relationship with an addict. “Middle of the Morning”, born from the pandemic, explores the existential dread of cabin fever that lockdowns forced on us all. “Save the World” directly confronts the tragedy of school shootings, which unfortunately has to directly affect the way Isbell parents his daughter. “Cast Iron Skillet” creatively and expertly uses common Southern idioms to highlight the backward, brainwashing ideologies that Isbell was taught justify the injustices he saw in the world. Highlights from the project in and of themselves, Weathervanes’ lead singles are complemented by the rest of the album’s tracklisting.

As previously stated, Weathervanes is made up of some of Isbell’s biggest songwriting accomplishments to date. “King of Oklahoma” is a heartbroken and sprawling violin-backed ballad describing the shattered remnants of a failed relationship. “If You Insist” is a tragic track that features the most show-stopping lyrics from the entire album: “My momma spent every day alone / In a house of noise and names / She got so tired putting out fires / She just laid down in the flames.” That line is so effective and chilling that it still gives me goosebumps every time. “White Beretta” narratively recalls Isbell’s experience with navigating an unplanned pregnancy with a previous partner — one of the project’s most understated yet poignant and important political statements. “Miles” is an epic, 7-minute long journey that morphs and evolves over its long runtime, serving as a perfect closer for this album. While not every track here hits its mark, a vast majority are very strong and others are some of the best in Isbell’s discography.

The unclear direction of tracks like “When We Were Close” and “This Ain’t It" left me wanting more from ideals that didn’t feel fully fleshed out, but these shortcomings were more than made up for by the rest of this fantastic project. Jason Isbell’s perspective is a unique and important one in country music — his Americana roots and poetic lyricism are better than any in his field, and Weathervanes may just be his best album yet.

Favorite tracks: “Death Wish”, “King of Oklahoma”, “Strawberry Woman”, “Save the World”, “If You Insist”, “Cast Iron Skillet”, “Volunteer”, “Vestavia Hills” “White Beretta”, “Miles”

SCORE: 8/10