Well Hi, its been a minute hasn't it? This will be my first post in about 4 years. I will say mainly because I have not had a home computer in most of that time but you know other things get in the way too. I'm sure the world has been missing my take on the music scene. Anyway 2024 I have been listening to a LOT of music, according to Last.fm, I have had my prolific listening year.. well, ever! so this one should be based on some good listening. And so onto the list;
10. Bright Eyes - Five Dice, all Threes
It was touch and go whether this album was going to make my list as there was another which ran it very close. Five Dice, all Threes is the 10th album from Bright Eyes if you exclude their Christmas release and whilst not there best it is a solid listen. All being well I would have seen Bright Eyes live this year but they cancelled the UK part of the tour due to front man Conor Oberst losing his voice. Best tracks on the album include; Bells & Whistles, Rainbow Overpass and El Capitan.
9. Sum 41 - Heaven :x: Hell
This is a lot lower than I had foreseen putting this album. Unlike Bright Eyes I did manage to see Sum 41 this year on their farewell tour. It was great fun seeing the pop-punkers bringing out all of their former glories such as "In Too Deep" and "Fat Lip" but actually I really enjoyed some of the tracks from this new album too. The singles "Landmines" was one of my top tracks of last year and "Rise Up was another great single coming from this release but my personal favourite was "Future Primitive", a song that sounds like it has been taken straight from an early Tony Hawk's video game. The downside to this album is that in being a double album its just too long, ironically for the band its not All Killer and has plenty of filler including a fairly poor Rolling Stones cover of Paint it Black.
8. Kendrick Lamar - GNX
A very late entry onto the list and one that had it come out a bit sooner may have been a few places up the list. K-dot was named rapper of the year and that was before this album even dropped, heavily based on the "beef" between himself and Drake which Kendrick resoundingly came out on top of with the release of the non album track "Not Like Us". As for the album, I not only enjoy the tracks but have found myself researching the lore behind them which has helped to build them out and make them more enjoyable. Some of my favourites from the project include; "Squabble Up", "Hey Now" and "Reincarnated"
7. Fontaines D.C. - Romance
Romance is the 4th studio album by Irish Post-Punk band Fontaines D.C.. This was the first time I had really given the band any time of day and it was only after I heard the single "Starburster" which was one of my absolute highlights of the year with its odd rap like verses and chorus with its gasping noises, I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but I couldn't stop listening. Some of the other songs on the album took me a little longer to get into but over the course of the year it has been an album that I keep finding myself coming back to. Favourites include "starburster", "In the modern world" and "favourite".
6. Soft Play - Heavy Jelly
5. JPEGMAFIA - I Lay Down My Life For You
4. Yard Act - Where's my Utopia?
3. Jack White - No Name
2. The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
1. The Libertines - All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade