Conceived with the crisis in the Middle East in mind, the venerable post-rockers bring light to Palestine while making some of their most hopeful music to date. This album is in the same vein as their last record, with a touch more exuberance than you’d expect for an album titled for the number of people killed in Gaza. Bright chords on “BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD” contrast the imagery conveyed in the title, and all tracks build to impressive climaxes as you’d expect them ... read more

“MILLION DOLLAR BABY” is a once-in-a-lifetime type single, the type of hit that could transcend the toxic beef that dominated music headlines at the time it came out in late April. COYOTE tries to prove Tommy Richman is more than his biggest song, and while there’s not much variety, there are plenty of fun songs to go around. Richman is really good at the falsetto sadboy thing, and though “WHITNEY” or “VANITY” might not bang like “MILLION DOLLAR ... read more

Chris Martin has one of the most pure singing voices in all of music, pure enough to fill a stadium of 100,000 people with emotions only he and Coldplay can provide. It’s the emotional part that’s lacking on Moon Music, an album that, while an improvement of 2021’s lousy Music of the Spheres, is too focused on appealing to everyone to mean a whole lot. Empty pop singles like “feelslikeimfallinginlove” and “GOOD FEELiNGS” have the nutritional value of a ... read more

A frequently beautiful ode to domestic life, Laura Marling finds joy in the little things on Patterns In Repeat. Those patterns are the daily tasks concerning parenthood and taking care of a child, something she and her partner recently experienced for the first time. Marling’s voice, as usual, sounds like it could break at any moment, but she keeps composed for her little one, and songs like “Patterns” and “Nobody’s Gonna Love You Like I Can” are amongst the ... read more

16 years since their last album and it sounds like Robert Smith and company haven’t aged a bit. Smith’s voice is still as youthful and yearning as it’s ever been, and over gothic rock instrumentals that could fill 18th century cathedrals, he croons about mortality (And Nothing Is Forever), personal tragedy (I Can Never Say Goodbye) and more. The Cure take their sweet time to let these songs develop, but for the most part they feel right at home and operating on all cylinders. ... read more

The victory lap doesn’t seem like it’ll end any time soon for Kendrick, and he’s still having a hell of a time on the surprise album GNX. Following in the footsteps of his smash “Not Like Us”, Lamar opts for a brisk affair full of bangers and short on patience (minus the pedophilia accusations). The Drake beef hangs over the record for sure, but K-Dot doesn’t have time for lesser artists. He’s too busy rapping over fiery beats on “squabble ... read more

It’s easy to see the appeal of a band like Amyl and the Sniffers. When they’re firing, their brand of fiery punk music can light a fire under anyone. Snarky rockers like “U Should Not Be Doing That”, “Doing In Me Head” and “Chewing Gum” have enough grooves and hooks to get a pub rocking. It makes it a shame that Cartoon Darkness doesn’t consistently provide songs like that. Across 13 songs and 30 minutes, Amyl & company flip flop between ... read more

Wondering what Tyler has been up to since his world tour he took us on with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST? A lot of introspection apparently. He’s returned with CHROMAKOPIA, an album that sees Tyler looking at his success and his sudden crossing into his 30’s, along with all the life questions aging brings. This look inside is presented with the familiar sound Tyler has shifted to with his last few albums, full of melodic pop, R&B and hip hop that range from bright and glittery (Judge ... read more

Hard to believe it’s been 5 years since the last Bon Iver album, but this return EP is a nice reminder of why Justin Vernon’s project is as good as it is.

The Australian quartet have been diving deeper and deeper into the club ever since their debut, and it’s no surprise 3AM (LA LA LA) sounds like something that’d play at that time of the day. It’s loud, it’s energetic, and it’ll make you move and groove as intended. Janet Planet and Sugar Bones are still charismatic singers, ensuring the party never stops on songs like the chunky “JANET” or the high-flying “SO WHAT”. The whole affair is a ... read more

A remix album of a popular record is nothing new, but the way Charli XCX rearranges the hit songs of BRAT is something entirely new. These songs aren’t remixes so much as they’re reimaginings, keeping the essence of the original while building on them with new synths, new emotions and most importantly, new friends. The already catchy “Talk talk” is given new life and new grooves, and Troye Sivan provides Charli a perfectly horny complement. The new rendition of ... read more

What’s with all these celebrated electronic artists going full pop mode in 2024? Caribou follows Jamie xx and Floating Points in crafting an easy on the ears album full of melodies and rhythms you’d find in the top 40. Honey isn’t as successful in my mind as In Waves or Cascade at blending intelligent dance music with pop rhythms, but there’s a couple songs worth returning to.

In the same lane as Jamie xx’s latest album, Floating Points goes for a more friendly, listenable approach with his brand of IDM. Some of the songs on Cascade are among the catchiest he’s ever made, and though it’s a far cry from the spiritual, haunting electronic jazz he made with Pharaoh Sanders a few years ago, it’s got plenty of reasons to return to it.

I can’t stay I’m usually a guy who dives deep into a death metal album, but an album like Absolute Elsewhere should get any music fan’s attention. Blood Incantation’s dedication to not only death metal but prog rock and psychedelia make their third full record a fascinating journey, respecting the genres that hold it up but never becoming derivative of them. The two songs (split into three acts) often stop and restart into thrilling passages of classic shredding and ... read more

143 is just the kind of megaflop album this year needed. It checks every box of a pop star desperate to reclaim some of her former glory, starting with the worst vocals and lyrics Katy has ever put to recording. Hits like “Firework” and “Hot N Cold” were unserious for sure, but the fun in Perry’s voice was irresistable. Nothing on 143 is remotely fun, and it’s painful to hear her sound so robotic and unsexy on stinkers like “I’M HIS, HE’S ... read more

The xx’s star producer is an extremely intelligent musical mind, but even he needs to let loose sometimes. In Waves shows he’s adept as a true blue dancefloor DJ, embracing the raw power of electronic music to reach a kind of euphoria he hasn’t yet made. “Baddy on the Floor” and “All You Children” are two of the best EDM tracks of 2024, thrilling numbers with no letup. The album has a wonderful flow as any Jamie xx project would, and if it’s a ... read more

The sense of fun throughout SHINBANGUMI is absolutely infectious. Cameron Lew’s love of music, specifically city pop, jazz and boogie, shows on every track, with no groove misplaced and no rhythm unintentional. It’s catchy track after catchy track, and Lew’s voice proves a perfect match for the sometimes chaotic nature of the tracks. They’re very busy songs but never overwhelming, and it make SHINBANGUMI one of the most purely enjoyable listens of 2024.

SOTB frequently live in a misty realm where rhythms and sounds flow in and out of their tracks, but YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING find them operating in a much more conventional pop space. There’s a more straightforward approach to song structure than on their previous album, but with enough experimentation within those bounds to keep things interesting.

You’ve been Greep’d!!! Give yourself to The New Sound and you’ll be rewarded by one of the most ersatz rock albums of 2024. Ersatz is a word I’ve used to describe Greep’s former band Black Midi for a long time, and that band’s style makes its way onto Greep’s solo debut, but in a much more accessible yet still challenging manner. Every song on this record is meticulously crafted, from the every wild guitar and vocal yelp purposeful. Flipping between ... read more

The artist who made my favorite album of 2022 returns with a more organic effort that’s still an incredible showcase of her malleable voice. Nilüfer’s emotions are like leaves in the wind, blowing softly through these subtly-produced tracks. But they always end up where they’re supposed to, and there’s nary a moment on any track that’s unpurposeful. It’s hard to follow up such a diverse album like PAINLESS, and I like that she went more specific with the ... read more