Best Albums of 2024

There was a time when I would sit down to write a Top 10 Albums of the Year post and think “how am I possibly going to get this to ten albums”. Sitting down for this one, I still had that question. Only instead of trying to narrow down a massive list to just ten albums, I realized I hadn’t even listened to ten new albums this year.

Kind of a depressing realization that sent me into a bit of a tailspin. I still consider music a big part of my life, I guess I just engage with it differently now. I have fully entered my old man, only listening to stuff from a decade ago phase. Actually, maybe it’s more accurate to say my old man phase is listening to more podcasts and audiobooks. I used to blast hardcore albums on the way to work, now I fire up informational podcasts like a square.

I did make a concerted effort to listen to more music this year but for the most part that was me going back and listening to classic albums because I needed comfort. A lot of MxPx, Frank Turner, The Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers, Citizen, and Jeff Rosenstock. Also still spinning some of my favorites from 2023, THE BRIGHTEST DAY by Origami Angel, THE WEAKNESS by Ruston Kelly, WHY WOULD I WATCH by Hot Mulligan, and SOUTHERN CHARM by Alex Melton.

So with all that preamble, what new music did I listen to and love in 2024?

In a reflection of the state of the music industry, I listened to a bunch of singles by bands who didn’t put out full albums. Holy Pinto put out a new track called “death is in the air” which got added to my giant Holy Pinto singles playlist and I listened to that a ton. MxPx released a song called SET A FIRE.

Then there are the YouTube musicians I follow: Alex Melton and Todd Barrage. They both make interesting, genre bending covers that seem to be made explicitly to lodge in your brain and never leave.

For true albums, I have three.

analysis paralysis by Four Year Strong

First up is “analysis paralysis” by Four Year Strong. I had fallen off the FYS train a while back and hadn’t really listened to their last couple of albums. For whatever reason, when the singles started dropping for this I decided to give them a go and was blown away. The singles are like a mix of Turnstile and Every Time I Die. An extremely cool sound that still has many of the great Four Year Strong qualities like incredible vocal hooks and technical musicianship. The album as a whole is more varied than the singles would suggest, with some slower songs and some pop punk songs. Altogether it’s just a fun album by a band that seems to be having a blast again. This became my go to running album.

Visitor by John Moreland

Then we have “Visitor” by John Moreland. Every year that John Moreland puts out a record is a year that I include a John Moreland record on my best of the year list. This album feels a little more stripped down like his earlier stuff, which I really appreciate. He can touch your soul with just his voice and a guitar. There were stretches of time where I had this album on repeat and I basically can’t tell you what specific longs I like because it’s in my head as one big John Moreland experience.

Last, we have the cast recording of The Outsiders musical. My best friend saw this on Broadway at the beginning of 2024 before the album was out and raved about it. From the day this came out it’s been in constant rotation. My wife and I have listened to this and sung together countless times. I love the mix of folk, jazz, and early rock n roll they use to tell this story. The cast features some incredible voices and some hooks that are going to be stuck in my brain forever. I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back home to visit family without singing “This is Tulsa, 1967!”.

So there you have it. Three albums. That’s what I’ve got. Time to go look through some other best of the year lists to figure out what all I missed.