X-Press Magazine’s Top 24 Albums of 2024

24. St Vincent All Born Screaming

After over fifteen years shifting genres and producers, St. Vincent stepped out on her own with the self-produced All Born Screaming. Her trademark haunting and wide-ranging vocals are lent to a dystopian landscape, filled with beeping and buzzing synths. The singles in particular, Broken Man, Flea, and Big Time Nothing, see the Berklee drop-out fighting her anxieties with fat guitar riffs and earthquake-conjuring drums, eventually arriving at a bopping closer to remind us of our similarities with the title track. The decision to self-produce this record has proven to be yet another demonstration of her artistry.
– AJ MAHAR

23. High Vis Guided Tour

While filled with more melodic moments and pop hooks than their first two albums, High Vis still managed to retain all of their angst on their third outing, Guided Tour. The London-based group is at its best when decimating boundaries between genres, and nowhere was this more evident than on the album high point, Mind’s a Lie, with its dreamy vocal samples and Baggy-electronic beats serving up one of the year’s most groovy and starkly unique tracks. Elsewhere, the band fuses Britpop and hardcore (Drop Me Out), enters goth post-punk territory (Gone Forever), and even tries their hand at shoegaze on Mob DLA, all the while sounding like themselves. Guided Tour is a self-aware and confident nod at the musical past from a band that is only ever looking into the future.
– MICHAEL HOLLICK

22. Jessica Pratt Here in the Pitch

At just 27 minutes, Pratt’s newest offering is a brief but perfect glimpse into the elusive LA songwriter’s world. The 60s folk-popisms and nostalgia are all at the fore, yet this time around, her world is bigger, more panoramic, with delicate retro arrangements that complement her otherworldly voice. Here, the intimacy is less a vision of Pratt’s own private universe but rather an echo chamber that’s as familiar as it is mysterious, akin to a forgotten dusty record, optimistically brushed off and embraced. By Hook or by Crook charmingly recalls Gilberto/Getz’s Ipanema, while album highlights Life Is and World on a String abound with life learnings and acceptance, and even the most poignant moments of the record are tinged with optimism and a dappled glow: “I want to be the sunlight of the century.”
– CAT LANDRO

21. Vampire Weekend Only God Was Above Us

On their best album since 2008’s exhilarating debut, Vampire Weekend grow up. If a Jewish songwriter bookending an album with a couple of anti-war protest songs in 2024 doesn’t register as interesting, how about an ode to policing anything and everything on Gen-X Cops: “Each generation makes its own apology,” Ezra Koenig sings with a wink and a nudge. Inspired string and piano arrangements delight, and it never feels short of momentous. “The enemy’s invincible/ I hope you let it go,” Koenig finally surmises on Hope, and you can’t help but feel he’s using his platform to speak directly to the Zionists.
– HARVEY RAE

20. Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology

Not for the first time, 2024 was the year of Taylor Swift. From concluding her record-breaking Eras Tour, which landed in Australia in February, to announcing a surprise double studio album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, Swift shows no signs of slowing down. The new album sees Swift push genre boundaries, with dark synth-pop beats in My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, soft folk-indie sounds in The Prophecy, and the feminist gothic-pop hit Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?. Across the 31-track album, Swift traces poetry and pain from old and new romantic flames, exhibiting her brilliant lyricism to embody both the burns of heartbreak and the raw power of self-discovery.
– NATASHA PAUL 

19. Doechii Alligator Bites Never Heal

When Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal dropped, it generated an inescapable buzz—and for good reason. The TDE signee’s debut full-length mixtape is a thrilling showcase of unbridled artistry that illustrates an appreciation of hip-hop’s greats while forging a refreshing new path. Across 19 tracks, the Tampa-born ‘Swamp Princess’ channels the spirit of legends like Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill, balancing boom-bap grit and R&B charisma. Tracks like Denial Is a River display her storytelling brilliance, while Catfish and Nissan Altima highlight her lyrical dexterity and Southern swagger. Doechii’s bold exploration of identity, sobriety, and ambition feels as unrelenting as a death roll, leaving an indelible mark on modern hip-hop.
– CALOGERO ALGERI

18. Remi Wolf Big Ideas

Wolf’s second album brings a much grander vibe than her first; grooves with a healthy bottom end for hip shaking and glorious horn sections create a sound big enough to match her voice and personality. The album slides along with a somehow loveable sense of entitlement, particularly on songs like Cinderella; however, songs like Motorcycle and Cherries and Cream balance this with a sense of sincerity. A Miami sun-drenched soundtrack for a bit of summer mischief.
– AJ MAHAR

17. Mannequin Pussy I Got Heaven

I Got Heaven, both the album and the stellar title track, signal a landmark year for these Philly femme-punks. Balancing indie girl-group harmonies with fierce snarls throughout, the record expands upon their former outings’ identity crises and relationship drama with clarified intent: Mannequin Pussy know what they deserve and ask for it. This is no trauma dump but rather a rallying cry, bolstering the self by banding together. Part riot grrl, part grunge and often melodic, I Got Heaven sounds visceral and current while drawing upon its predecessors: OK? OK! OK? OK! punishes the entitled with an auditory assault, delivering a Loud Bark with bite, yet Softly walking away from the ruins of former flames.
– CAT LANDRO

16. Tyler, The Creator Chromokopia

Long been a cause for community concern, Tyler, The Creator takes a slightly different path with CHROMAKOPIA. A soul-searching exposé of his thoughts and feelings, it’s real, it’s deep, but it’s tactfully engaging and intriguing. In a new wave of musical and personal exploration, he doesn’t stray from exploring the boundaries of subject and sound or even pushing them to the limits of rupture. Rollercoasting from the extremes of saintly gospel vibes to dense aggressive bass segments, it’s a chaotic mix of sounds that somehow just work. Despite the impressive number of feats (ten across seven of the LP’s 14 tracks), it’s the vocal snippets of Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, that act like a grounding maternal narration throughout that stand out the most. CHROMAKOPIA’s uniqueness alone is likely to make it an enduring one.
– RYAN ELLIS

15. Middle Kids Faith Crisis Pt II 

Sydney-based Middle Kids have a remarkable capacity for projecting deeply emotive lyrical contemplations through some of the most hook-ladened melodies and catchiest darn choruses ever to get stuck in your head. The band’s third album, Faith Crisis Pt 1, not only continues that tradition but, by channelling it through a laser-sharp focus, takes it one step further. Take songs like Dramamine and Bootleg Firecracker, for example. Their impeccably sculpted soundscapes are brimming with vivid imagery, while infectious choruses help implant the songs deep within your psyche, where they play over and over again. Add to this the plaintive piano-driven ballad of All In My Head, which is arguably the most moving end to any record this year, and Faith Crisis Pt 1 delivers an album of refined perfection.
– BRETT LEIGH DICKS

14. Magdalena Bay Imaginal Disk

Magdalena Bay have had a cult following for a while with their brand of synthy hyperpop, but Imaginal Disk is an unprecedented leap forward in production, performance and songwriting. One hopes this is their ticket to stardom, as there are multiple LPs’ worth of highlights here. It’s at its heart a synth-pop album featuring beautiful dance cuts like Killing Time, Image, and Love Is Everywhere, but the duo’s breadth is wide. Death & Romance is a triumphant, stop-start synth-pop gem, while Vampire in the Corner and Angel on a Satellite are achingly beautiful ballads. There’s also creatively written art pop (Tunnel Vision) and pop punk (That’s My Floor, The Ballad of Matt & Mica) among a myriad of highlights to round out this kaleidoscopic pop masterpiece.
– MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

13. Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft

Hit Me Hard and Soft is a fantastic continuation of Eilish’s dominance over alternative pop music and bedroom pop. Returning to Eilish’s musical world, a place that is both dark and noir but also candid and quietly hopeful, new and returning fans alike enjoyed a collage of orchestral ballads and softly-intoned lullaby-like tracks, infused and interspersed with high-energy moments. Now 23, and having spent the majority of her teenage years as a professional performer in the spotlight, Eilish’s work is not necessarily more ‘mature’ (as it would be completely ridiculous to suggest her previous works were less so); however, it was certainly a departure from some of her earlier sounds and a refreshing experimentation in genre. Lunch and Birds of a Feather may be two of the standout songs, but the album also finds its voice in the quieter moments of exquisite songs like Blue and Chihiro. Adorned with her signature vocal flair and spine-tingling range, Hit Me Hard and Soft is peak Eilish and an exciting milestone in this incredible artist’s ascent directly into music history and significance.
– BEC WELDON

12. The Smile Wall of Eyes

In a world of their own, Radiohead offshoot The Smile further honed their fantastical musical whims on their second album, Wall Of Eyes. The trio, comprised of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and drummer Tom Skinner, once again let their krautrock and jazz influences shimmer, as they did on their debut A Light For Attracting Attention, but the result this time around is even more of a fever dream. The free-floating Teleharmonic and Bending Hectic are both so texturally delicate that they often feel close to disappearing completely, whereas the proto-glamness of Read The Room and Friend of a Friend emerged scarred with paranoia and suspense equal to that of Hitchcock at his cinematic best. A high point of musical adventurousness, Wall Of Eyes is ultimately as much a record for your ears as it is for your subconscious.
– MICHAEL HOLLICK

11. The Last Dinner Party Prelude to Ecstasy

This was hard to see coming in 2024. Prelude to Ecstasy is a huge coming-out party for the most hyped new alternative rock band of the year, The Last Dinner Party. The music is utterly bombastic, owing heavily to the art rock of 80s Kate Bush crossed with the pomp of 70s and 80s arena rock (there are strings and piano here aplenty). It would be laughable if it weren’t so excellently done, and the band have some excellent lyrics and feminist themes to back them up. Songs like Burn Alive, Sinner, Nothing Matters, and particularly The Feminine Urge are worthy of the classic rock canon (if it’s still taking new entries), while the lush strings and dynamics of Caesar on a TV Screen and My Lady of Mercy are truly cinematic.
– MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

10. Fat White Family Forgiveness is Yours

Fat White Family have always worn their blackened sense of humour on their parched sleeves, but their focus has matured over the years from the shambling shock rock of earlier efforts to the more languid grooves of 2019’s Serf’s Up! and now Forgiveness Is Yours. The formula of dark, rhythm-first electro-rock remains intact, but the songwriting is dialled up a further notch for the band’s most cynical yet catchy set of tunes to date. There’s the bleating horror crescendos of John Lennon, the misanthropic but lovably hooky Work, the slinking and downright mean Polygamy Is Only for the Chief, and of course Today You Become Man, a Trainspotting-esque slice of fevered paranoia and one of the most memorable songs about male circumcision that you’re likely to hear in a while.
– MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

9. Adrianne Lenker Bright Future

When you were raised in a Christian cult and nearly died from having a spike impaled in your skull as a youth, you would have an excuse for being a little jaded. Not Adrianne Lenker. She may be best known for fronting indie darlings Big Thief, but Lenker has been releasing records under her own name since the age of 14. A couple of decades later, and Bright Future has her nominated for a Grammy and riding a creative high point. Recorded on analogue tape with Lenker never once looking at a computer screen during its making, Bright Future is both poignant and engaging, full of soft tones and folk guile.
– CHRIS HAVERCROFT

8. Waxahatchee Tigers Blood

The sixth Waxahatchee album from singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, Tigers Blood is her second collaboration with producer Brad Cook. Under Cook’s guidance, Waxahatchee’s sound has evolved from its lo-fi beginnings into a lush landscape of folk-infused Americana. With 12 perfectly weighted songs driven by piercing songwriting and exquisite production, Tigers Blood provides a rollercoaster ride through Crutchfield’s inner landscapes. Floating on a breezy bed of banjo and pedal steel, Right Back to It is a shimmering contemplation of relationships, while the stirring 3 Sisters and brooding 365 beautifully further the album’s connective forethought. Rich in intimacy, Tigers Blood is propelled by seductive melodies, rousing choruses, and Crutchfield’s impassioned vocals and radiates both precision and poise.
– BRETT LEIGH DICKS

7. MJ Lenderman Manning Fireworks

After having burst into people’s orbit in 2023 as the guitarist for buzz band Wednesday, North Carolina native MJ Lenderman has eclipsed that effort with his fourth album, Manning Fireworks. As expected from an MJ Lenderman album, there is melody that just won’t quit, fuzzy guitar lines, and the laconic drawl of a man who doesn’t have to try too hard. There isn’t a weak track on Manning Fireworks with Lenderman leaning into his reverence of Mark Linkous, who was also a master of the intersection of wit and sadness.
– CHRIS HAVERCROFT

6. Amyl and the Sniffers Cartoon Darkness

In this currently divisive but meme-worthy era, an album called Cartoon Darkness simply had to exist. From its opening attempt at conflict resolution on Jerkin’, lead singer Amy Taylor screams and snarls throughout the record with raw accuracy and insight about an angry world only few are built to survive in. The band, meanwhile, thrash and swagger along with a hint of newfound style, from haunting slide guitar to ominous sax and even sombre string sounds. Some might think U Should Not Be Doing That, but the combination of fancy and trashy will stick like Chewing Gum.
– AJ MAHAR

5. Kendrick Lamar GNX

Kendrick’s back with a surprise album just in time for Christmas! All fired up from his beef with Drake, which saw him destroy the Canadian pop star and drop the biggest tune of the year, Not Like Us, K-Dot is sounding rejuvenated on this raw, rough, and ready rap album, following the deeply personal, high-concept epic that was Mr. Morale. Opener Wacced Out Murals is a statement of intent featuring Lamar in ferocious form, spitting fire over tough beats. Squabble Up samples Debbie Deb’s 80s electro anthem When I Hear Music. Reincarnated is a rolling existential exploration, and TV Off is club ready. Then there’s the silky smooth Luther (feat. Sza) and the lush golden age vibes of Part 6 in The Heart series. Kendrick continues to surprise, innovate and lead.
– ALFRED GORMAN

4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Wild God

Is Nick Cave himself the ‘wild god’ of the album’s title? One of Cave’s most compelling and conflicted characters yet reckoned with the well-documented grief of recent records while also making time for ‘joy’ this year; respite from heartache care of gospel choirs and endlessly uplifting refrains. There’s even an elevating song dedicated to former Bad Seed (and ex-girlfriend), the late Anita Lane, in O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is), and it’s a perfect eulogy. “I was really struck by that song Joy where he sings, ‘We’ve all had too much sorrow, now it’s the time for joy,’” Bob Dylan said recently. “I was thinking to myself, yeah that’s about right.” Here it is.
– HARVEY RAE

3. The Cure Songs of a Lost World

Who saw this coming? At 65 years of age, and with a run of albums dating back to the 90s delivering diminishing returns, Robert Smith pulled a rabbit out of the hat with Songs of a Lost World. One of 2024’s best guitar records, the shreds hit harder than just about any Cure album before it. But it’s the consistency across eight epic tracks that just gets better with every listen, even as Smith’s mortality and that of his loved ones drifts further into question. Every song is a highlight, from singles Alone and A Fragile Thing through to the centrepiece I Can Never Say Goodbye and the 10-minute finale Endsong. It’s their best album since Wish, definitely; perhaps even Disintegration. Put it on repeat.
– HARVEY RAE

2. Charli XCX Brat

Charli XCX’s Brat has made waves in pop culture this year, solidifying her reputation as a pioneer in shaping modern pop music. The album’s fearless fusion of hyperpop and electronic genres reflects the chaotic, digitally driven world of 2024. Tracks like 360 and 365 embody Charli’s usual confidence and party-ready energy, whilst Sympathy Is a Knife and I Think About It All The Time see her experiment with showing her raw, unfiltered emotions. Charli’s embrace of vulnerability and rebellion in her music has redefined pop’s boundaries, encouraging a shift towards individuality and imperfection in mainstream music. Culturally, Brat symbolises a rejection of traditional pop formulas, influencing fashion, memes, and online discourse. Its unapologetic, edgy aesthetic has been adopted by fans worldwide, fostering a community that thrives on self-expression and inclusivity. Ultimately, Brat cements Charli’s legacy as both a disruptor and a trendsetter in the ever-evolving landscape of pop music. Brat wasn’t just an album; it was a state of being.
– KIERRA POLLOCK

1. Fontaines DC Romance

The rightful ascent of Fontaines DC continues with their most accessible, yet unpredictable album so far, released through XL. One of the best, most exciting bands in the world right now, Ireland’s finest continue to evolve on each album. Romance is a kaleidoscopic mixed bag of sounds and styles in garish neon packaging, and this vibe has followed through to their bold new image, far removed from the basic, dark, post-punk stylings of their 2019 debut, Dogrel. The boys are spreading their wings creatively, drawing on a more experimental palette, pulling in elements of 80s, 90s, indie, shoegaze, and orchestral flourishes with a general sense of cinematic grandeur.

Grian Chatten’s vocals sound more melodic than ever, his voice sitting comfortably in the mix, rather than his customary up-front, unvarnished Dublin accent. The dramatic title track sets the scene before the fearless, frenetic, indie dance freak-out Starburster kicks in with its stomping breakbeat and rapid-fire stream of consciousness surrealistic lyrics, punctuated by sharp gasps for air. Chatten’s poetic eloquence has never been stronger, and there is a distinct artistic intent on this album, with greater depth and level of production from James Ford and some of their most grand and emotional tracks yet, Desire, Motorcycle Boy, and Horseness Is The Whatness, while Favourite is shimmering indie-pop perfection.
– ALFRED GORMAN