As ever, music has been the one constant and saving grace through both the mayhem and mundanity of the past year. In the chaos of it all, from 'The Eras Tour' to 'brat summer', there's no doubt I've missed hundreds more iconic moments and great releases - and I'm sure I'll spend the year to come wishing I'd included this or that in my list of favourites, making it more of a top 50 than a top 5 - but for now, here are the albums I couldn't get enough of in 2024.
empathogen - WILLOW
Starting in the springtime, Willow Smith's 'empathogen' from May is a record that has made me feel a hell of a lot more human this year. Overflowing with Fiona Apple adjacent piano riffs and breathtaking harmonies, this album always feels like pure sunshine, warm and rejuvenating, on my skin. I love music with layers, music with texture, music that you could almost reach out and touch, and 'empathogen' is rich with all these things.
The highlight on this album for me is 'run!'. It's one of those songs that starts off incredibly good and continues to get, somehow, even better; one of those songs you don't want to miss a single note of. By the time it reaches its last breath, the repeat button is impossibly tempting, just to experience the visceral rollercoaster it all over again.
The vivid humanity throughout 'empathogen' is in no doubt thanks to every instrument on it being played by a human hand - a fact I found out when watching a clip on YouTube where Willow and producer Chris Greatti dissect the heavily Tori Amos inspired single 'big feelings'. "Really, really good music," Willow said in this, "I feel like if you just listen to the music without the lyrics, it tells the story; it's like a personification of the emotions that are happening in the song." For me, that sums up 'empathogen' perfectly, and I can't help but agree with the closing statement that it's something we need more of.
This Is How Tomorrow Moves - beabadoobee
Impossible to pick a highlight from this one when, upon a relisten, I experience the same intense obsession for every track. From upbeat grunge in 'California', to the dreamy, quietly heartbreaking 'Tie Up My Shoes', to the bossa nova feel of 'A Cruel Affair', 'This Is How Tomorrow Moves' manages to be a wonderfully cohesive and delightful listen, bursting with both sincerity and whimsy.
Though I refuse to be pressed for a favourite, 'Ever Seen' in particular has been an unwavering presence in my on repeat playlist ever since I heard it. It begins with a soft flutter of acoustic guitar and soon soars into string symphonies that I can't get enough of, and though it sounds just like the euphoric reverie of a crush, there's also something so tangibly real in the lyrics, "spent some time waiting for your face / don't want to risk just making all the same mistakes." Whilst I absolutely adored its 2022 predecessor, 'Beatopia', this album feels like beabadoobee truly coming into her own as an artist.
Short n' Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter
An obvious choice, seeing as 'Espresso', 'Taste' and 'Please Please Please' ruled all of our 2024's. I'll admit, despite a close friend's best efforts to get me into her music, I never quite clicked with Sabrina Carpenter before the roll-out of 'Short n' Sweet'. Then 'Espresso' came out, and I was excited to texted that same friend that I liked one of her songs. It was, I remember thinking upon first listen, everything that a pop track should strive to be. And then came the album, and one became many.
"Oh, I leave quite an impression / five feet to be exact," is an undeniably genius way to open an album. 'Short n' Sweet' indulges in playfulness at all times, jam-packed with quick wit and charm that is endlessly enjoyable.
Beyond the flawless singles, I've been non-stop listening to 'Sharpest Tool' and 'Coincidence', back to back in the tracklist, two sides of a coin. Where 'Sharpest Tool' is harrowingly sincere, admitting that the situation upset her in a multitude of ways, 'Coincidence' finds humour in hurt, dusting it all off with a tongue-in-cheek chorus of "oh wow, you just broke up again / what a coincidence." It's all kinds of healing and empowering, and 'Short n' Sweet' will remain one of the ruling pop albums of this whole decade, I'm certain.
"&" (Ampersand) - Bastille
The truth is, I'm bound to love everything that Bastille do, but this is one hundred percent them at their very best. 'Ampersand' takes the listener on a journey through other people's lives, and most importantly - in classic Bastille fashion - through other people's hearts. It's love and suffering and fortitude and optimism; it's an infinite collaboration of talents - a total, wonderful indulgence in everything the band has ever been about.
I was lucky enough to get to experience one of the live 'Candlelight Sessions' that Bastille did in advance of 'Ampersand's release, a stripped back show in a stunning National Heritage concert hall, surrounded by hundreds of (battery-operated) candles. It was, in many ways, the perfect setting for songs so rich in history. In many ways, there was also a beautiful irony to the backdrop.
Previously unheard, 'Drawbridge & The Baroness' became my favourite song (and a strong contender for my top five Bastille songs ever, but that's a whole different list to get into) at this gig. I was already reeled in by the contradictions of the chorus, an almost operatic falsetto and then the colloquial lyrics, "I do stupid shit for love / like a sucker for connection," and how startlingly well they blended together, but oh, the second that Charlie Barnes's electric guitar came crashing in, I was head over heels. A previously serenaded crowd were suddenly sat in a room of trembling Neoclassical pillars - it was glorious. If anything could perfectly sum up 'Ampersand', it's that moment.
Alongside the album, lead singer Dan Smith has created a podcast titled 'Muses' with co-host Emma Nagouse. Each episode accompanies an 'Ampersand' track, discussing the history and mythos about the subjects of the songs, such as painter Edvard Munch (of 'Blue Sky & The Painter') and history's most successful female pirate, Zheng Yi Sao (of 'Zheng Yi Sao & Questions For Her'). Don't get me wrong, the album is indisputably a wholly enjoyable experience without knowing a single thing about any of the songs, but I had a great time listening to them chat about stories I already adore as well as picking up some new knowledge that gave the songs that extra kick of emotion.
Going Nowhere - Quiet Light
If Quiet Light's albums were books on my shelf, they'd be beyond worn; dog-eared and spines cracked from so many rereads. The margins would be full of pencil scribblings and practically every line would be highlighted in neon yellow.
'Going Nowhere' feels like more than just a tracklist of, undeniably excellent, songs; it's full of twinkles of piano and whispered fragments of spoken word, arrangements upon arrangements, music like a well-crafted novel. It's no doubt bottomless in all its intricacies, which is why it's so infinitely revisitable. I know I'll never get anywhere close to understanding how much brilliance went into making it, yet still I try.
Quiet Light builds worlds with her music, and that is why 'Blood Pours Like Wine' is the perfect opening track. The title calls back to my favourite song of hers, 'Track One', and it establishes the album onto the map of already existing Quiet Light music. Though familiar in a lot of ways, 'Going Nowhere' also feels fresh, another adventure for Quiet Light's endlessly creative experimentation. The blend of folk and synth instantly took me back to hearing '22, A Million' by Bon Iver for the first time. It's lavish in sound and sentiment, and Quiet Light is absolutely one to keep an eye on in 2025.