Words by Finn Norris and Harry Turnbull
2024 has been, in our view, a fantastic year for music. From emerging artists bursting onto the scene
with instant hits to childhood heroes starting a summer movement, we have had plenty of new tunes
to feast upon to keep us through the year. These are our top five picks for the best albums of the year.
This is based on musicality, originality, and the impression they have made on us.
Romance- Fontaines D.C.
Fontaines, D.C., takes our top spot for album of the year with Romance. Their third studio album has
broken their formula and thrown us completely off guard with an honest, sophisticated, and
artistically excelling testament to their musical evolution: although the sounds of Skinty Fia propelled
the band to a fame worthy of headlining stages at both Reading and Glastonbury festival, the
emergence of Romance’s first single Starbuster brought a freshness that many groups fail to get quite
right. In short, it’s a korn-koded and simultaneously almost country-esque piece of brilliance birthed
entirely out of Chatten’s struggle with panic attacks — his sharp gasps interrupt the driving drums and
bassline from Coll and Degan, while Curley’s guitar and the keys haunt and build tension throughout.
Yet ‘Favourite’ crashes the album over the finish-line with an intense bittersweet feeling. ‘In The
Modern World’, ‘Motorcycle Boy’, and ‘Horseness Is The Whatness’ incorporate a melting and
Smashing Pumpkins-esque vocals and strings, whilst the rest of the album carries a similar homage to
the densely-packed shoegaze sounds of the 80s and 90s. Nonetheless, this pop-rock familiarity is
mingled with the correct balance of everything else you’d expect from the group. We think it’s a great
listen, with even greater relistenability.
Brat- Charli XCX
Thanks to Brat, Charli XCX has returned to the mainstream with a conversely un-PG theme of
cigarettes, poppers, and baggies. However, it’s arguable the surge of everything Brat in popular
culture and digital discourse has overshadowed the brilliance of the album itself. Although ‘360’ and
‘365’ bookend the album, Brat is not just packed with what you’d consider club anthems.
Throughout, there is no hesitation to slow down, and equally no lack of deeper moments either: on
multiple occasions Charli opens up about body dysmorphia and family trauma amongst other personal
struggles. It is this, and the stark comparison between the brazen production of exorbitant autotune
and bold synths which makes Brat a revolutionary presence in the pop ecosystem. And it does this in
a way that is far from obnoxious either; Brat is fun, careless, though still sensitive. Despite the flashy
and luminous green branding that might not strike you as your cup of tea, it offers something for
everyone.
Another article you may enjoy: Brat. Stay away from politics.
Tangk- Idles
Idles have made a stellar return to the limelight this year with the release of their fifth studio album,
Tangk. This is the most reflective and emotionally driven we have ever seen the five-piece. The
mantra behind this project, “Love is the thing”, is a simple yet equally impactful and compelling
message throughout the entire album. The production stays true to the Idles brand; that metallic clang of the heavy distortion, simplistic yet ominous bass lines and Talbot’s distinctive vocals place them as true pioneers of a fresh post-punk sound. I love this album because it is chaotic. It does not follow a formula but sends the listeners on a sonic journey with twists, turns and surprises right until the last note is played. The one consistency is the power of love, driving each track to a satisfying conclusion.
Charm- Clairo
After two extremely successful studio albums, Clairo returns with an album that is the best
representation of its listening experience. Charm is, above all else, charming. The album flows like a
summer spring with a consistency of elegance that makes it an appropriate choice for all seasons. I
listened to it for the first time on a hammock in the middle of summer, but you could also pop it on
your speakers in a winter cabin somewhere in Switzerland, and it would have about the same effect.
Compared to her previous projects, Charm is set apart by the nuance in her production. It has matured
to a new level of excellence, and she has found a fantastic blend of jazz, soul and indie pop that has
effectively redefined her soundscapes. I could not recommend this album enough.
Patterns- Laura Marling
After a four year Hiatus, the well-established folk artist returns with this lists’ perhaps most subtle
release. Marling almost picks up where she last left off, with her prior album addressed to an
imagined daughter and future generation of women. Patterns’ first track ‘Child of Mine’ opens the
album and gently transitions into her next stage of life; a beautiful homage to her daughter and
gratitude to the family unit. It’s particularly moving given that Marling had confessed her previous
fears of a postpartum detriment to her songwriting. Recurring throughout Patterns is the gentle
floating of her poetic vocals over stripped back, but quintessentially-British-folk instrumentals —
woodwinds creep and strings twirl amidst the intricate fingerstyle guitars. This all provides a great
sense of intimacy: listening, as alluded to in the final song ‘Lullaby’, is as if you are being personally
serenaded and soothed by Marling. Whilst largely an ode to parenthood, it’ll still jerk a tear out of you
regardless.