Top 10 Albums of 2024 – Bruce Trujillo

Music in 2024 felt like colors and experimentation – musically and consciously. As art and music are a reflection of the times, artists across genres found ways to release and reflect, but continue to offer hope through exceptional lyricism, sure, but the musicality underneath as well. While we can sing along to these releases, I’m particularly blown away by releases like Helado Negro’s “PHASOR,” utilizing a one-of-a-kind instrument called the SAL MAR, for another perfectly balanced release that redefines Latinidad, reclaiming electro-pop. Brittany Howard’s band that compliments (and at times, brilliantly contrasts) her voice throughout “What Now,” and features her exceptional playing on guitar and keys only underlines the sometimes messy and complicated subject matter throughout. Sunstoney provided one of the brightest pop moments of the year with her “The Mirror Is Calling” EP, and introducing herself to the Denver music scene. Chile’s Nicolas Jaar invites us to stop and listen to each crafted note on his two releases, “Piedras” 1 and 2, on the reflection of resistance and action in Santiago’s 2019 uprising, and the relation in struggle across the world in Palestinian genocide. Joshua Idehen breaks down ideology and their pitfalls in “Mum Does the Washing,” over upbeat and driving beats. Fake Fruit hark to the early wild days of femmes crafting what would be distilled down to white, male dominated punk, invoking X-Ray Spex and early Sonic Youth. Mannequin Pussy’s “I Got Heaven” is maybe the most interesting thing Epitaph has released since the early 00’s, a tight collection of songs that define and expand the label as pop-punk. Angélica Garcia’s debut, full length, “Gemelo” expertly shuffles American pop into cumbias and clavé driven beats, creating danceable moments throughout. With several releases under their belt this year, badbadnotgood’s “Mid Spiral” is a sprawling collection in size, yes, but also sound and genre – a true journey through their influences and interests. The highly anticipated debut, full length from Reyna Tropical is easily summed up by the title, “Malegría” – this album was supposed to include her long time producer and collaborator, Sumohair, who unexpectedly passed in 2022, but who can be heard throughout this album – it continues his legacy, while forging a new path rooted in queer, Afro-Indiginous exploration.

Each release provides earworms that stay with the listener, and invite them to focus in on each layer of their offerings. These artists explore identity and it’s global impact, resisting convention, and in increasingly violent times. In each, though, joy and abundance. These releases are just a small sample of the wealth we’ve been imparted here in an otherwise extractive and exhausting year.