Top 10 Albums of 2024 — Ayron Rutan

A strong year for albums. Here are the ten records that stuck with me most.

10. Aghori Mhori Mei — The Smashing Pumpkins (Mary’s Music / Thirty Tigers)

(Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock)

After the near-substanceless and bloated three-act rock opera ATUM in 2023, it became debatable whether the Smashing Pumpkins would ever recapture the sound that made them alt-rock gods on Gish or Siamese Dream. While I’m all for experimentation, it hasn’t seemed to work in the band’s favor on any of their releases dating back to 2012’s Oceania. However, Aghori Mhori Mei sees the band going back to basics while still maintaining a sense of musical maturity. Billy Corgan’s screeching guitar tones and Jimmy Chamberlin’s signature drumming take you back to the band’s heyday in the mid-90s with the rocking riffs on tracks like “Sicarus” and “Edin.” While also featuring plenty of dreamy synth leads and soundscapes, this record feels like the Pumpkins have finally figured out how to harness what made such different albums like Gish and Adore work together.

FAV TRACKS: “Edin,” “War Dreams of Itself,” “Sicarus”
LEAST FAV: “Pentecost”

9. Only God Was Above Us — Vampire Weekend (Columbia)

(Indie Rock, Chamber Pop)

It’s a real shame when an extremely successful band drops what is arguably their best album to date and it doesn’t get nearly the same hype as their previous efforts. Coming off three straight #1 albums in Contra, Modern Vampires of the City, and Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend dropped the gritty, complex, and to-the-point Only God Was Above Us — which has only peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200. This new effort from the New York City natives is them firing on all cylinders, doing what they do best with abstract instrumentals, youthful vocals and erudite writing courtesy of Ezra Koenig. The record is rather self-referential, but definitely in a good way — the band seems to dive into its past musically in a way that’s both fresh and familiar at the same time.

FAV TRACKS: “Ice Cream Piano,” “Gen-X Cops,” “Mary Boone”
LEAST FAV: “The Surfer”

8. Hit Me Hard and Soft — Billie Eilish (Darkroom / Interscope)

(Alt-pop, Bedroom Pop)

A dramatically dynamic record, the listening experience of this new effort from Billie Eilish is best described by its title. Hit Me Hard and Soft is certainly Eilish’s most musically mature album to date, with a track listing that ebbs and flows through gripping lows and swells to soul-crushing highs. Tracks like “The Greatest” see Billie writing from an incredibly vulnerable place as she details her experience with an unrequited lover. The track takes things slow before gradually building to a climax that serves as one of the best moments on any track Eilish has released to date. The album is also a top-tier producing hat trick from the singer’s brother and studio virtuoso Finneas — the record’s instrumentals are rich, emphatic and inviting.

FAV TRACKS: “The Greatest,” “L’Amour De Ma Vie,” “Blue”
LEAST FAV: “The Diner”

7. Tigers Blood — Waxahatchee (Anti-)

(Folk Rock, Alt-Country)

This most recent installment from Katie Crutchfield’s folk/country project Waxahatchee serves as a warm yet gritty follow-up to 2020’s Saint Cloud, seeing Crutchfield in a far more grounded and peaceful place lyrically. Tigers Blood is loaded with Americana storytelling that tackles frayed relationships, family conflicts and the faded memories of a once blissful past. The album’s harshly authentic writing paired with a pop approach to production creates an eclectic, yet relatable record that grips you slowly but tightly for all of its 42 minutes. While maybe not as “mainstream” as some of the other entries on this list, Tigers Blood has much to offer for any music fan that values great songwriting.

FAV TRACKS: “Burns Out at Midnight,” “3 Sisters,” “Tigers Blood”
LEAST FAV: “365”

6. Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii (Top Dawg / Capitol)

(Alternative Hip-Hop, Trap)

Although technically a mixtape, I would be remiss if I failed to show some love for Top Dawg Entertainment’s most recent signee Doechii. The first female rapper to be signed to the famed label has somehow fallen under the radar in the mainstream despite releasing some impressive EPs in 2021’s Bra-Less and 2022’s she/her/black bitch. Her most recent installment, however, has garnered widespread acclaim — including some Grammy nominations — and for good reason. Alligator Bites Never Heal is a 47-minute showcase of lyrical and stylistic versatility, white-hot braggadocio, and hard-hitting bars above all else. While I still feel we’ve yet to see Doechii’s best work, this mixtape should put the rest of the industry on notice.

FAV TRACKS: “Bullfrog,” “Catfish,” “Nissan Altima,” “Fireflies”
LEAST FAV: “GTFO”

5. You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To — Knocked Loose (Pure Noise)

(Hardcore, Metalcore)

In a musical landscape currently dominated by squeaky-clean pop and radio-friendly hits, Kentucky-based hardcore outfit Knocked Loose has burst onto the scene with their new record — a brutally triumphant metal album that’s as catchy as it is abrasive. It’s got all the key elements of a great hardcore record: chunky down-tuned guitars, soul-crushing drums, and guttural vocals. However, the band adds some spice with elements of funk and even reggae with the clave-style riffs on tracks like “Suffocate” and “Piece by Piece.” “Suffocate” peaked at #10 on Spotify’s Viral 50 charts back in May, topping industry giants such as Taylor Swift. The album’s success even landed the band a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which garnered massive praise from the metal community. All in all, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To served as the swift kick in the tail that the mainstream needed.

FAV TRACKS: “Piece by Piece,” “The Calm That Keeps You Awake,” “Sit and Mourn”
LEAST FAV: “Take Me Home”

4. Songs of a Lost World — The Cure (Fiction)

(Gothic Rock, Space Rock)

When other bands or artists attempt to make huge comebacks after a long hiatus from releasing new music, they seldom hit the mark quite like The Cure did with this LP. The album’s flamboyantly grim lyrical themes and droned-out instrumentals take the listener on a sonic journey through time and space as they come to grips with loss, grief, and mortality. Tracks like “A Fragile Thing” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye” illustrate the inner doom one feels when love dies, while the instrumentals and production on “Warsong” and “Drone:Nodrone” are so warm and thick you could wear them like a coat. Featuring 8 tracks that span just under an hour, the record takes its sweet time — after all, it takes nearly 3 minutes into the opener “Alone” before we get Robert Smith’s first vocal. Despite such a slow, glacial pace, Songs of a Lost World still maintains the listener’s attention with every note. The first full-length project from the goth rock icons in 16 years, and they’re simply doing what the Cure do best.

FAV TRACKS: “Drone:Nodrone,” “A Fragile Thing,” “Endsong”
LEAST FAV: “All I Ever Am”

3. GNX — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang / Interscope)

(Rap, West Coast Hip-Hop)

Just when we thought 2024 couldn’t be a better year for Kendrick Lamar, fans were blessed with a certified West Coast classic on a random Friday morning in November. Just a few months removed from his high-profile beef with Drake — where Lamar proved victorious in arguably dominating fashion — the Compton native surprised dropped his fifth studio album GNX. The album sees K-Dot wearing his influences on his sleeve with beat after beat inspired by the G-Funk era of the 1990s, while displaying a level of aggressiveness and willingness for confrontation not seen since his infamous verse on Big Sean’s “Control.” The record’s opener “wacced out murals” sets this tone, with Kendrick addressing Lil Wayne’s response to not being selected for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, as well as Snoop Dogg’s role in sharing one of Drake’s diss tracks. Even with this newfound anger and resentment, Lamar’s introspective side still shines through on “man at the garden” and “reincarnated.” GNX serves as a brutally honest love letter to Los Angeles and West Coast hip-hop. MUSTARRRRD!!!

FAV TRACKS: “man at the garden,” “reincarnated,” “luther,” “hey now”
LEAST FAV: “dodger blues”

2. No Name — Jack White (Third Man)

(Garage Rock, Blues Rock)

Jack White is somewhat of a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance man. Whether it be his work with the White Stripes, The Raconteurs, or his record label/vinyl production company Third Man, White has always marched to the beat of his own drum. His latest beat is that of No Name, a rambunctious hard rock album that wears its Detroit influences on its sleeve flawlessly. White’s signature blues-punk riffage and wailing vocals are as good as they’ve ever been, cementing the album’s “all killer no filler” vibe. There isn’t much else to say about No Name, but albeit for good reason — it’s simply a raw, relentless and elating hard rock record that is sure to be the source of plenty of speeding tickets.

FAV TRACKS: “Old Scratch Blues,” “It’s Rough on Rats (If You’re Asking),” “Missionary”
LEAST FAV: “That’s How I’m Feeling”

1. Chromakopia — Tyler, the Creator (Columbia)

(Alternative Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul)

In the current landscape of mainstream hip-hop, where deep conceptual themes and the commitment to personal reinvention are few and far between, Tyler, the Creator has stood out as one of those rare artists who greatly embodies both elements. His most recent full-length effort Chromakopia takes a personal dive into his experience growing up in Greater Los Angeles. Throughout the track listing Tyler explores the lessons he learned from his mother during adolescence, his newfound understanding of said lessons, and ultimately his paranoia and anxieties around growing up, his fame, and his navigation of personal romantic relationships. Whether it be the exploration of polyamory on “Darling, I” or the rambunctious freak-anthem “Sticky,” Chromakopia is a deep, conceptual, and relatable album for anyone coming to grips with early adulthood. Combined with the luscious production and energetic instrumentals throughout, the record makes for an introspective, yet fun-filled hour of listening.

FAV TRACKS: “Rah Tah Tah,” “Darling, I,” “Sticky,” “Take Your Mask Off”
LEAST FAV: “Judge Judy,” “Noid”