I love reading end-of-year music wrap-ups from the personal blogs I follow (two highlights this year include the posts by Sarah K. Moir and Simon Collison), so I wanted to make an attempt at my own as well. I decided to wait until Dec 31 so I can have accurate data from my Last.fm profile, where all my listening stats go (I use Spotify and Roon for streaming, and I also send my physical media listening stats there).
So according to my listening stats, here are my favorite releases from 2024 (plus two standouts from earlier years that I discovered this year and became obsessed with). Links will take you to my side project site Listen To More with some more info about each album.
#1 – A LA SALA by Khruangbin
A return to super chill vibes from the Texas indie soul trio, this is #1 in listen count because it’s a beautiful album, but it’s also wonderful dinner / hangout music. So we put it on a lot over here.
#2 – Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure
Only #2 in listen count because it was released so late in the year… This is my personal Album of the Year. What a gift to get this absolute masterpiece so late in The Cure’s career. If Endsong is the last song they ever make, I will be happy. “Left alone with nothing at the end of every song”. Dang.
#3 – Kontrapunkt by Markus Guentner
This year I started to dive even deeper into the Dark Ambient and Drone genres, so there are 3 such albums on the list, starting with Kontrapunkt. Most folks (myself included!) think of ambient music as “background fluff”, but this is… not that. This is anxious music, and in a weird way I find that it calms me down. If you give this a try (you should!), don’t just turn it on and walk away. Immerse yourself in it. And that goes for the next one too…
#4 – RITUAL by Jon Hopkins
Most of us know Jon Hopkins from his collaborations with Coldplay and his harder dance albums. This is very different—it’s a dark ambient collaboration with several artists that flows like one continuous track. I love this thing. It gets really intense in the middle before settling down in the last couple of tracks to a beautiful, calm release.
#5 – Leon by Leon Bridges
I will gobble up anything this neo soul artist puts out, and Leon is another wonderful entry in his discography. Really chill but also intricate.
#6 – Ohio Players by The Black Keys
I know most people have kind of moved on from The Black Keys, but their last few albums have been a return to form in my opinion. Ohio Players is solid blues rock from start to finish.
#7 – Sonido Cósmico by Hermanos Gutiérrez
If you like #1, you’ll love this. These brothers manage to pull off a sound that reminds of Khruangbin, but is also its own thing altogether. That’s a lot of chill on the list, so let’s go to…
#8 – Vega by Anberlin
Ah Anberlin. The crown jewel of the Tooth and Nail label for years, before things happened. I still love this band—Cities is such peak 2000s emo hard rock. I didn’t expect much from their latest, especially considering that some songs feature a different lead singer. But this thing goes hard, y’all. It’s definitely their best effort in years.
#9 – Small Changes by Michael Kiwanuka
The self-titled album from Michael Kiwanuka remains my favorite, but the new outing from this (yes, another!) neo soul artist is a solid entry, and I enjoy it a lot.
#10 – FAÇADISMS by Rafael Anton Irisarri
The last of the dark ambient albums, and the most devastating. Rafael Anton Irisarri is my favorite ambient artists (check out Solastalgia), and his latest is another fantastic entry in his prolific discography.
And based on how much I listened to these two new discoveries (for me), I have to give them honorable mentions:
Every Moment, Everything You Need by Deserta (2022)
My most-listened song in 2024 was I’m So Tired by Deserta. I discovered this album early in the year, and it remained in constant rotation all year long. It’s shimmery guitar shoegaze at its best, with lyrics that feel just right:
Guess you’ll know why I’m so tired
Too tired to be cool
Guess you’ll know why I’m so tired
Dreams You Don’t Forget by NIGHT TRAVELER (2021)
This is an album that’s on the verge of being synthwave, but not quite. It’s just this side of pop, but it has that neon 80s DNA that I love so much (see also On the Corner Where You Live by The Paper Kites and Red Earth & Pouring Rain by Bear’s Den). Another one that was in constant rotation despite being a little older.
As for 2025… I don’t know? This has been a wild year (but it feels like they all are, these days). I enter 2025 with a fair bit of anxiety. But I also know that, as always, music will be there for me. A companion for every mood, a friend in every circumstance. I remain eternally grateful for this undying obsession of mine.
Happy New Year, everyone. May you find your Album of the Year early, and hang on to it steadfastly.