The Best Music of 2024
According to Me
Before listing my favorite albums from 2024, a quick note on my song of the year. No single track from the past twelve months gave me a better rush than “Starburster,” D.C. Fontaines’ vigorous trip-hop anthem. With each new record from this Irish band (their fourth and latest is “Romance,” for which “Starburster” was the lead single), I’ve found more to love about their sound, from their hard-driving, cyclical melodies to the mesmeric deadpan of Grian Chatten’s vocals. The breathless vision statement behind “Romance”’s scintillating twist on post-punk, “Starburster” is the song that time and again I’ve been most eager to blast whenever I get into my car solo. It’s for any of the moments in 2024 that might have left you out of breath, if not on the verge of an outright panic attack.
Top ten:
1. MJ Lenderman, “Manning Fireworks”
2. Kim Gordon, “The Collective”
3. D.C. Fontaines, “Romance”
4. Denzel Curry, “King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2"
5. Ducks Ltd., “Harm’s Way”
6. Chari XCX, “Brat”
7. The Cure, “Songs of a Lost World”
8. Schoolboy Q, “Blue Lips”
9. Waxahatchee, “Tigers Blood”
10. Merynn Jeann, “Dog Beach”
#11-20:
11. This Is Lorelei, “Box for Buddy, Box for Star”
12. Parannoul, “Sky Hundred”
13. Vampire Weekend, “Only God Was Above Us”
14. Jessica Pratt, “Here in the Pitch”
15. Julia Holter, “Something in the Room She Moves”
16. Claire Rousay, “Sentiment”
17. Bibio, “Phantom Brickworks (LP II)”
18. The Belair Lip Bombs, “Lush Life”
19. Erika de Casier, “Still”
20. Moin, “You Never End”