Dec. 13, 2024

2024 ALBUM REVIEW!

I listened to all sorts of albums this year, all of which I'd call "good." It's not really a worst to best ranking, more of a "good to holy crap" list. It was very tight for sure. Anyways:

Welcome to yet another album review. Completely biased and my opinions always change, as usual. Peak example of this is 2022: Looking back, I'd switch the Chili Peppers albums, throw the Spoon album on top, and put Will Wood's "In Case I Make It" on top of all of 'em. Speaking of Will Wood, have you heard "The New Normal?" Now that is how you remaster an album. But I digress. Here's the list:

I am NOT a music critic, if you disagree with me YOU'RE PROBABLY OBJECTIVELY RIGHT!

---ALBUMS---

#43: Coldplay - Moon Music

It's a modern Coldplay album, what can I say. I used to like Coldplay, but all their modern albums are just much too "synth background noise with not much else." The closing track was pretty good though.

#42: Blue Öyster Cult - Ghost Stories

These guys still sound the same! I'm sure Cult fans enjoyed this. Truly some solid songs. Just would like to see something a little new, but the album stands up pretty well.

#41: Crane Wives - Beyond Beyond Beyond

I may be biased 'cause I never liked the Crane Wives. I keep on listening to them but I can't get into them. That being said, this is a step off from their typical work, and I can kinda get behind it. Can really hear the Decemberists influence in this album.

#40: Sheryl Crow - Evolution

Sheryl Crow sounds great as always! The songs are good, but I've listened to this album a couple times and I just can't remember how they go. I remember enjoying the songs, I just find them a little... basic? That might be the wrong word. Also, the title track is very good.

#39: Cage the Elephant - Neon Pill

Not the biggest Cage the Elephant fan, but this was a solid album. Catchy for sure. That's all I got on this one.

#38: Thåström - Somliga Av Oss

This guy was recommended to me by my Swedish friend, Will (BoomWentTheSheep on Twitch). We both agreed that his early stuff was really good for sure. We listened to this album together on release day, but were a little disappointed. It's all ballads. I like ballads but he was so good with punk rock, and I miss that.

Not really concerning this album specifically, but I really like a balance of songs on an album. Some rockers, some quiet ones. Josh Ritter was always really good at that, but lately he's also been going down the quiet song route. Which is fine, styles change, but I can't say I don't miss the old stuff of both artists.

#37: Pixies - The Night the Zombies Came

Same sort of thing I had to say about Sheryl Crow. Solid songs, just a little forgettable. Again, the title track "Jane (The Night the Zombies Came)" is good stuff. I never really listened to the Pixies, so I don't know how this holds up compared to their older stuff, but I enjoyed it.

#36: Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

It's the Rolling Stones. It sounds like the Rolling Stones. If you like 'em, you'll like the album. That's all I've got to say.

#35: Mary J. Blige - Gratitude

Mary J. Blige has got this really cool rap/rock/funk thing going on, and I think it's particularly great on this album. That being said, a lot of the tracks are really similar. Similar, thankfully, in that they all sound good instead of they all sound bad, but I'd have liked to see a little more variety here.

#34: The Avett Brothers - The Avett Brothers

Classic alt-country. Solid album if you want to chill out. I think my dad would like this one (If you're reading this, hi!).

#33: Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

Opposite problem of Thåström: nothing but ridiculously hard rock. That's how Judas Priest rolls, I guess. Solid stuff, real head-bangers, and you will not get a break. Feel free to sing along. Your throat will be sore. Enjoy, I know I did :P

#32: Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards

Like the Pixies, I never really listened to the Black Crowes before this album. I thought it was pretty good. Not good enough to make me want to check out their other stuff, but this album stands up well.

#31: J Mascis - What Do We Do Now

It sounds like J Mascis for sure. He's grown as an artist since Dinosaur Jr., and perfected his unique sort of sound. It's not as experimental as his other stuff, but it doesn't have to be. It's a very chill album, but good all around.

#30: Peach Pit - Magpie

I've listened to a few Peach Pit songs, since Robin recommended them to me, and I thought they were alright. Nothing special. But I saw that this album came out, so I gave it a shot. I thought it was better than I expected. Not something I see myself listening to all too much in the future, but again, I'm not a big Peach pit fan.

#29: Tears for Fears - Songs for a Nervous Planet

Never really listened to Tears for Fear, but I thought this album was good. I only gave it like 2 listens, but I enjoyed it.

#28: Bon Jovi - Forever

It's a Bon Jovi album. He sounds a lot different than in his older albums, and better in my opinion. "The People's House," with the War and Treaty, was the track that really shined here.

#27: Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

The best recent Pearl Jam album I'd say. I enjoyed it. Eddie Vedder's voice is great as always. That's all I got.

#26: Smashing Pumpkins - Aghori Mhori Mei

Not the Pumpkins' best work. A lot of guitar, and I mean a lot. Kinda overpowers everything else at times. But still, a solid album. And they finally stopped OVERUSING THOSE DANG SYNTHS. THANK YOU.

#25: Kendrick Lamar - GNX

Note: I don't really listen to rap. Take what I say with a grain of salt on rap albums.

I don't have anything bad to say about this album. A lot of people said I should put it higher. At this point I'd like to remind people how tight all these rankings are, especially the top 25 we've just entered. I really love how Kendrick can get so much emotion across purely with words alone, no need to yell or cry or what have you. Unless you're yelling "MUSTAAARD" at the top of your lungs, of course. Some of the best lyric work of the year, I'd say.

#24: Collective Soul - Here to Eternity

It's a Collective Soul album! I like those. Nothing stuck out, but everything was good. All I got to say.

#23: IMT Smile - EXOTICANA

This is my favorite Slovak band's first original release since 2018, and it read as a sort of look through their past. It also was quite a bit more pop than I would've liked, unfortunately. Far from their best work, but "Nič sa nemení" with Kali (and all the songs with Kali, really) was really good.

#22: Islands - What Occurs

I like Islands. I loved early Islands, and their predecessor the Unicorns even more. This is a solid album, but it's missing that experimental edge that the early stuff did so well.

#21: Caravan Palace - Gangbusters Melody Club

I only learned of the existence of this band and this album like 2 weeks ago when Felix (who you may have seen in Plebian Animation) mentioned them. I gave it a listen and enjoyed it. They've got a very particular style for sure, and I really like it.

#20: Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA

Definitely some of the best percussion, and rhythm in general, of the year. Again, I don't really listen to rap all too much, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Also, I gotta mention that Tyler says "okay" like Keanu Reeves says "yeah": you know something really cool's about to happen.

#19: Jack White - No Name

This guy just keeps getting better. As good as the White Stripes were, Jack White keeps improving on their formula on his own. Another solid album for sure.

#18: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Fuckin' Up

I love their sound. No one else sounds like these guys. Something special about yelling "why do I keep fuckin' up?" along with the song. Me too, Neil.

#17: Blind Pilot - In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain

Yet more chill alt-country. Or alt-rock. Something in between. I never listened to Blind Pilot aside from the few songs my dad put on a playlist a couple years back, but this album was thoroughly enjoyed by yours truly. "Coming Back" hit me in the feels for sure, as the kids these days say. Maybe they don't. I'm out of touch. Whatever.

#16: Deep Purple - =1

These guys have still got it. 56 year old band and still rockin'. I'm all for it! No complaints. Rock on guys.

#15: Glass Beach - Plastic Death

Glass Beach is getting more prog than emo now, aren't they? Maybe an unpopular opinion, but this was better than their first album. Yeah, better than "bedroom community" and all. Okay, that's still their best song but as a whole this album tops the first.

Also, J McClendon sounds like a young Thom Yorke and you cannot convince me otherwise.

#14: The Smile - Cutouts

Oh, hey, speaking of Thom Yorke! Cutouts was the second album released by The Smile, Yorke's newest band, this year, and filled with weird experimental rock from top to bottom. People thought this would be cut tracks from Wall of Eyes and considerably worse, but I am happy to report that it is a good album indeed if you're a Thom Yorke/Radiohead/Smile/Atoms For Peace fan.

#13: St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

I first heard St. Vincent opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and thought, "hey, this is good stuff!" As is this album. Catchy, rockin', experimental at times... what more could you ask for?

#12: Linkin Park - From Zero

Well, they proved that they could make a really frickin' good album even without Chester Bennington (RIP). It's... different, for sure. Like they're starting from scratch. From zero, I guess. It still really rocks at points, and has some more reflective moments. This is the balance! This is what I was talking about! Emily Armstrong stepped in as a very good vocalist. They had a hard time making this album, but they did it well.

#11: David Gilmour - Luck and Strange

Sounds like Gilmour-era Pink Floyd. And isn't that what we all wanted? The songs with Romany are some of my favorites. Please listen to this if you're a Pink Floyd fan.

#10: Mother Mother - Grief Chapter

Mother Mother hits it out of the park again. It's no O My Heart, but it's still an incredibly good album. I didn't think much of it upon first listen, but I kept coming back to it. "Forever" has to be one of Molly's all time greatest songs. "Explode" ends far too early though, dang it. I want to scream more!

#9: Cure - Songs of a Lost World

The Cure is back and they are still so, so good. Wow. I don't have as much to say about this as the rest of my top 10, mostly because SOALW released pretty late into 2024, but rest assured that the Cure reestablished themselves as the kings of their genre. What genre is it anyway? Goth rock? Maybe.

#8: Old 97s - American Primitive

I really like this album. I don't know why. It's not particularly up my alley (it is kinda, I guess, but not really), but I keep going back and listening to it. I don't know. Give it a spin. Maybe you'll like it too.

#7: Linda Lindas - No Obligation

This album surprised me! I had no idea who the Linda Lindas were, but it turns out they're really good! They sound like Green Day but they scream even louder. They're a fairly new band, but they've already proven their worth time and time again. No complaints again. Nothing but banger after banger.

#6: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Wild God

This album is almost ridiculously cinematic. Each song feels like an event, especially at the start of the album. "Wild God" in particular. I don't know what that vibe is, but I love it. No one did it like Nick Cave this year. Eels came close. We'll get to that.

#5: Green Day - Saviors

I've been told that Saviors should be booted down the list. Screw that. This album is fire. To be fair, I heard Green Day play some songs off it live, and they sound SO good in a packed stadium with fire going off everywhere. Surprisingly, I like the quieter songs more. Except for "One Eyed Bastard." Another song I wish would go on longer.

#4: Eels - TIME!

Another album I don't know why I like so much. I just keep going back to it. I compare the vibe to Wild God. The song "Wild God" is better than the best song on TIME!, "Goldy" (change my mind), but I feel like the album as a whole just baaarely ends up better. It's better than the last few Eels albums for sure.

#3: Jesus and Mary Chain - Glasgow Eyes

I've listened to a Jesus and Mary Chain song here and there, but never sat down and listened to an album. This year I did, and I'm glad I did so. It's songs aren't quite as good as some of the others in my top 10, but almost those albums have at least one filler song, and I don't feel like this one does.

#2: The Smile - Wall of Eyes

Apparently the key to dropping a great album is putting "eyes" in the name. I'd put this on the same level as the other Smile album on this list, Cutouts, but this album has one distinct advantage: "Bending Hectic." "Bending Hectic" is QUITE THE SONG. Best thing Thom's made since Radiohead as far as I'm concerned. And better than most Radiohead songs anyway. What a song, what an album.

#1: Decemberists - As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

MAN I love this album. I never listened to the Decemberists before this year, and this album got me to binge almost their whole discography and pushed 'em to my 4th most listened band this year (behind Rush, Spoon and R.E.M. in 3rd through 1st). "Oh No!" was my #1 song of the year, and "Joan In the Garden" is a frickin' masterpiece. Listen to this album.

---EPs---

In no particular order. Actually, the order I listened to 'em to.

Wilco - Hot Sun Cool Shroud

Wilco not dropping a full album every year and instead an EP? Unbelievable! Jokes aside, this is solid stuff. Wilco has still got it.

Hozier - Unreal Unearth: Unheard/Unending

Okay it's technically not an EP so sue me. Unreal Unearth was released in 2023, but I'm counting the bonus tracks on Unheard and Unending as an EP. That being said, most of these songs are... okay. "Too Sweet," however, is SO RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. DANG. My problem with Hozier is that he sounds a little overproduced (same problem I have with Noah Kahan), which works for his harder rocking songs, but tends to mess up the quieter ones (in my opinion). But somehow, "Too Sweet" works, and works well.

Josh Ritter - Heaven, or Someplace as Nice

I mentioned Josh Ritter being a tad too quiet for me nowadays right? This is no exception. All these songs are really good on their own, but back to back on an EP it's... well, fine, but still. Quiet. Good EP of course. Josh Ritter doesn't make bad songs.

---Singles---

Also in order of listening

Chappel Roan - Good Luck, Babe

Okay this is the first modern pop song I've legitimately enjoyed since like... I don't know, "Uptown Funk?" Whatever Chappel Roan's doing, she's doing it right.

Fish in a Birdcage

Fish in a Birdcage doesn't really release songs in albums, but rather one at a time. So they've been steadily dropping stuff, and it is all good stuff.

Mother Mother - Devil Town

I don't normally mention covers, but Mother Mother's cover of Cavetown's "Devil Town" is better than the original I'd say.

Mogwai - God Gets You Back

Good. Chill. Mogwai fans should enjoy this.

Waitress

A brand new band. Also a few songs like Fish in a Birdcage. Not entirely sure whether they're an EP or not, so I put them here. That being said, these songs are wild but they are pretty good indeed.

The Guest List

My sister recommended them to me, and they are great! They released a few singles this year and they are all pretty good, especially "161."

---Soundtracks---

No organized category, just wanted to say that the folks at Epic: The Musical are still cranking out bangers. Thom Yorke's soundtrack for Confidenza was also really good (in case you were worried 2 albums this year wasn't enough for the guy). I should also mention Hazbin Hotel I guess. You watch it for the songs 'cause they're good and they are good! Not a single bad one. Helluva Boss is also always releasing new songs. "Mastermind" off the newest episode is ridiculously good.

---Other Stuff---

Here's some youtube music creators 'cause why not.

CG5

"Cherish in the Dark" is his best song since "Lonely King." Dang. Also he just released "Finding Maria" today, so I don't have too many strong opinions on it yet but it seems good.

Stupendium

They don't miss. "Gospel of the Geiger" nailed the vibe perfectly.

Derivakat

Can I talk about Derivakat? She cooked up this whole really cool "Archivist" persona last year, and locked in to make Archive 01: Anger, the GREATEST EP OF 2023. And then she spent all of 2024 making Valorant songs. Valorant? Valorant!?! Regardless, I'm looking forward to Archive 02, whatever it may be.

Is that it? I think that's it.

I'll leave you with one last thing:

WHERE IS THE MICHAEL STIPE SOLO ALBUM?!?