Top 5 Best Albums of 2024: Our Favourite New Releases You Need to Hear
We’re getting closer and closer to the end of the year and just as we covered some of our favourite movies of 2024, we now turn our attention to music and go through some of our favourite albums of this year. So if you’re looking for the best albums of 2024 or trying to round out your listening for this year (too late to influence your Spotify Wrapped though), here are 5 of our favourite albums this year.
We wrote about some of our favourite albums of 2024 back in the summer so this time, we're diving into our top picks for the latter half. You can pair the two for our top 10, and hopefully you’ll discover something fresh for your playlist from our selection!
Father John Misty – Mahashmashana
Known for his satirical lyricism, a lot of Josh Tillman’s work as Father John Misty can be described as that one tipsy friend on a night out who swears he’s figured out the meaning of life, except Mahashmashana is a little more like you’re going through some LSD-infused fever dream whilst sitting around a campfire in the middle of the woods. Blending a melancholy sound with just the right amount of sarcasm so as not to let it get too heavy, there are also occasional sprinkles that feel like a late night 50s musical.
The album does feel like a darker, more experimental venture for Misty, blending his usual humour with talk of love, death, and the very messiness of existence, like he's highlighting it all but also rolling his eyes. The orchestration and brooding, production create a rather ominous vibe with a complexity that demands multiple listens. Music journalist John Amen said that Tillman “plays both Hamlet and his jester, a philosopher and satirist, a doomsdayer and Zen poet”, which is as good a description for this album’s lyrics as any, capturing the album’s philosophical depth mixed with its playful satire.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Wild God
Somebody else who is known for his brooding sound and dark themes, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Wild God feels like I’m sitting under the stars somewhere far away, thinking about life in a movie-like montage going down memory lane. Cave’s signature mix of hauntingly beautiful melodies and raw, poetic lyrics perfectly marry to explore themes of “convention and experimentation" that are set to enhance "rich imagery and emotive narratives.” Even when it feels sad, Cave’s swagger makes it feel cool, like he’s sharing the wisdom he’s gained over years and years.
In this way, the album’s title seems very fitting. It wasn’t the first choice for the band, with them considering both “Conversion” and “Joy” but ended up thinking that they might be misleading. Wild God was agreed to be powerful and mysterious, which really encompasses its feel. This album isn’t what you’d put on for a dance party, but it’s raw and emotional, inviting you to stare into the abyss for a moment and just feel. There is a bit of variety in its soundscape, with haunting arrangements, more upbeat nostalgic sounds along with gospel and gothic rock. It feels both grand and very intimate.
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
The Cure have a long history and have remained just as beloved as they ever were. Pioneers of the goth rock subgenre and forerunners of the UK post-punk and new wave scene during the late 70s and early 80s, Songs of a Lost World is their first album in 16 years, and feels like a bittersweet stroll through their legacy. As melancholic as it is nostalgic, the album is haunting and also flamboyant. With Robert Smith’s unmistakable voice, the tracks feel both timeless and fresh, reflecting the band's blend of sorrow and optimism, with Andrew Trendell of NME commenting that “there's colour in the black and flowers on the grave.”
Songs of a Lost World is a rich, immersive experience for fans of The Cure’s signature sound. The album expertly mixes melodic guitars and moody synths, evoking a sense of sadness through its themes of loss and heartbreak, to create one of the finest goth rock albums of 2024, but it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s not The Cure’s most upbeat album, but it’s certainly one of their most evocative. It feels very mature and very sophisticated in its way.
Linkin Park – From Zero
Linkin Park made their triumphant return this year after a near-decade-long hiatus following the tragic passing of vocalist Chester Benningfield in 2017. The aptly named From Zero presents a return but also a bit of a reset, as the band return to their roots with a fresh energy. The album’s sound is reminiscent of their early work with new vocalist Emily Armstrong’s raw and powerful vocals perfectly complimenting the band’s dynamic. She brings something fresh whilst staying true to the intensity and aggression that fans have come to love. It feels like Linkin Park are looking to their past to shape their future, and From Zero feels like a bit of a love letter to everybody who has listened over the years but also to the band themselves.
Is this album groundbreaking? Not really. But this album marks a new chapter for Linkin Park while honouring their legacy and the sound that made them one of the most iconic bands of all time. It’s a compelling blend of old and new, blending nostalgia with innovation, making From Zero one of the most significant albums of the year and of the decade, and a particularly exciting one for all those former emo kids, and the ones that still live on.
Poppy – Negative Spaces
It's hard to believe that less than a decade ago, Poppy was on YouTube repeating the phrase “I am Poppy” and making people wonder what-in-the-uncanny-valley-is-going-on-here. She then started to release music based on her android persona with a couple of dance-pop albums sprinkled with Japanese and vaporwave influence along with some ambient music albums also. Then she evolved and went full-blown metal, stuck with that for a little while and then softened her sound again and returned to pop. Sitting here going back and forth between her albums is quite the musical adventure, and all of this constant reinvention and experimentation makes Poppy one of the most consistently interesting artists around today.
That brings us to 2024 and Negative Spaces. For her latest, Poppy mixes her more accessible pop sound by utilising synth and industrial sounds with her earth-shattering screams and even bringing in former Bring Me the Horizon producer Jordan Fish. Shania Richards of Distorted Sound wrote that "This album proves Poppy is more than a metal vocalist, nor is she a mere pop-turned-metal singer; she is gradually evolving into something far greater." Lyrically, Negative Spaces explores themes like isolation, self-reflection, and the search for meaning and the emotional weight of the modern human experience, and that paired with her ever-evolving sound elevates her from merely another experimental venture to something much bigger and much deeper.
2024 has been a great year for music with both new and established stars having their time in the spotlight. Tell us what your favourite has been, and give us your recommendations for albums to listen to, and we look forward to what 2025 has to offer!
If you don't see your favourite here, it might have appeared in this one:
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