Top 10 Albums of 2024 – Damon

Women came out in strong numbers this year, especially in pop and punk music. My pop artist of the year, was the UK band The Last Dinner Party, whose album sweeps with a grandeur and theatricality reminiscent of Sparks or Suede. Their track “Nothing Matters” earned Song of the Year honors from me—a rallying cry for nihilistic empowerment.

Some other standout singles that’ve been on repeat: Clairo’s “Add Up My Love”,
with its chords that glimmer like classic ’70s Philly soul, bringing to mind Laura Nyro with Labelle. And then there’s “Starburster” by Fontaines D.C.—a no-holds-barred anthem I’d gladly hear over any Oasis reunion.

When it all gets a little too much, though, Arooj Aftab’s “Last Night Reprise”
is the perfect reset button. It’s slow building, meditative, and grooves.

My other favorite backbeat and groove was “”Mutations”” by Nilüfer Yanya that sounds like a Tony Allen, trip-hop and jazz blend slowly poured into an iced concoction. A lot of great electronica this year, but my favorite was “”All You Children”” by Jamie xx, featuring the Avalanches.

Many established artists take a long time to make music, including Beth Gibbons and Nick Lowe, but I think their new albums are worth the wait. And shoutout to Los Campesinos!, a Scottish band I shamefully didn’t discover until this year. Their new album, All Hell, is a great post-election pick-me-up, manic, cathartic, and hell of a lot of fun.

I love the music of 2024, especially seeing some of the bands in my list live. Even though music can’t really change the world, here’s hoping 2025 gives us something even bigger—a collective leap out of our current rut.