2024 YEAR IN REVIEW: Pickled Priest's 50 Favorite Records of the Year
Another list of albums! Just what we all needed! You know the drill by now. The usual comments apply: these are our favorites, not the consensus selections of the hipster elite; we couldn't get even close to hearing everything we needed to hear this year and no one can; you're not going to like this list because it's not yours; our apologies to all the great artists not included for one reason or another (bad taste, not enough space, didn't get to it, ignorance); oh, and we ranked them in ascending order (50 to 01) to inflict maximum pain on ourselves as penance for our musical misdeeds. If you read this intro give yourself a gold star. You're a reader and a listener, a paragon of elusive virtues!
PICKLED PRIEST'S 50 FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2024
50
X
Smoke & Fiction
(Fat Possum)
Blurb
The story of X is non-fiction, of course, but forty-seven years in a rock band means even the true stories are likely blurred by the smoky haze of time, important facts embellished or forgotten along the way. The one thing that can clear the decks of shrapnel (mostly drugs) and detritus (mostly alcohol) is the music, of course. The official record of what really matters told in episodic fragments by our protagonists for decades. Consider Smoke & Fiction to be a fitting "series finale" then, the perfect ending to their story with the original cast in place delivering great songs for the love of it like they did when they were just kids. "Sweet to the Bitter End" sums up the feeling of ending a long, epic career way better than anything I could ever write.
3 Songs
"Big Black X"
"Sweet Til the Bitter End"
"Winding Up the Time"
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49
MAMA ZU
Quilt Floor
(Thirty Tigers)
Blurb
Jessi Zazu's Murfreesboro, TN-band, Those Darlins, appeared briefly in the late-00s/early-10s, but they left us with three albums of top-tier garage twang before splitting up in 2015. Jessi wrote and recorded some songs afterwards with the aid of Darlins drummer Linwood Regensburg, but before they could release that material she was dead of cervical cancer at 28—a heartbreaking loss. The material they recorded before she died was subsequently finished by Regensburg and finally released this year under the name Mama Zu, in obvious homage. Quilt Floor is beyond bittersweet, with Zazu's keen eye and biting humor a constant throughout, especially when she's delivering a robust middle finger to a worthy recipient.
3 Songs
"Lip"
"Emotional Warrior"
"Hole Thru My Head"
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48
KELLY FINNIGAN
A Lover Was Born
(Colemine)
Blurb
Not blue-eyed soul, just soul period. On the surface, you might expect Kelly Finnigan to be a bartender or darts champ at a local Irish pub, but he's somehow, someway been divinely blessed with the vocal cords of a vintage 60's-era soul belter, inhabiting his songs and not just singing them. You can just tell when the music comes from down deep and Kelly has the chops to make you not just feel but believe. A Lover Was Born is a blending of styles from late-60's Motown and Stax to 70's funk and Philly soul. Sure it's a bit of a retro vibe, but to this soul purist Kelly passes inspection with flying colors. An essential modern soul record.
3 Songs
"Be Your Own Shelter"
"Get a Hold of Yourself"
"His Love Ain't Real"
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47
PAUL KELLY
Fever Longing Still
(Universal)
Blurb
When Rolling Stone listed their 50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time, Paul Kelly was ranked #10, just behind legends like Midnight Oil, Nick Cave, INXS, and AC/DC (although they put Kylie Minogue ahead of Olivia Newton-John, which pissed me off). Paul is a Down Under legend, someone who reminds the locals who they are, where they came from, and where they should be going. Australia's Gord Downie, if you will. Worldwide success for such a songwriter will always be secondary, but his new songs, now four decades since his first, still inspire and resonate with no discernible dip in quality. He's simply a master of his craft, delivering touching ballads, rousing rockers, and some subtle humor along the way, too. Now let the guy get some sleep already. Eight hours to be specific.
3 Songs
"Eight Hours Sleep"
"Houndstooth Dress"
"All Those Smiling Faces"
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46
THE BUG CLUB
On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System By Means of Popular Music, on the Contemplation of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife
(Sub Pop)
Blurb
If there's a band on this list that better espouses the virtues this blog is built upon—music + humor—they're going to have to answer to England's the Bug Club first. And not just because of the absurd, Fiona Apple-worthy album title. Not since Art Brut debuted have I been so amused by a young British band. If humor was all they had, of course, you wouldn't be reading this. They have to have the tunes, too. Which they do. So while they revel in war movies and quality pints, fancy themselves as kinda James Bond-like, and lament that their new microwave doesn't have a "spinny plate" like their last one ("What gives?") they also have managed to make their songs quite proper, thank you.
3 Songs
"We Don't Care About That"
"A Bit Like James Bond"
"Quality Pints"
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45
SPRINTS
Letter to Self
(City Slang)
Blurb
Dublin's Sprints made quite a splash with A Modern Job, our #1 EP of 2022. Their debut full-length, long-awaited, delivers more of the same intensity that made that EP such a compelling force. No sleight to the band, of course, but we wanted a horse pill-sized dose of singer Karla Chubb and we got it. Like Jehnny Beth from Savages, Karla seems to gain power through cathartic repetition. When she perseverates on a thought, those thoughts suddenly become your thoughts.
Am I alive?
Do you ever feel like the room is heavy?
Is anybody happy?
Do you adore me?
Is everyone a wreck?
If I took my life, would you be happy?
By the end of the record, you sense that her audio therapy could finally be working as a breakthrough is implied in the album's final song, its title track...
I always had the willing
Now I'll find the way
Any habit can be broken
Any night can become day
I'll hoist a Guinness to that.
3 Songs
"Adore Adore Adore"
"Heavy"
"Literary Mind"
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44
PARSNIP
Behold
(Upset the Rhythm)
Blurb
Let's put it this way, things get done differently in Australia an nothing is completely normal on Parsnip's second record, Behold. The record opens with a bit of giggling, the kind of nervous tic only a band that doesn't know exactly what they're doing can muster. From "Monuments," the album's first song, that much is clear. I still don't know quite what to make of the song. I'll just say 'the B-52s on a carousel' and leave it at that. It turns out to be a bit of red herring, because from that point forward the album features one 60's garage-pop gem (evoking the Mamas and the Papas at times) after another, each with enough charm and quirk (and organ!) to keep you tuned-in to their weird creations. Soon, you'll be taking this odd little record for another spin and, if you're at all like me, you won't be able to get off the ride.
3 Songs
"Turn to Love"
"The Babble"
"Duality"
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43
HINDS
Viva Hinds
(Lucky Number)
Blurb
Madrid-based Hinds, a band that started raw, got a little poppier, and have now pleasingly landed somewhere in the middle, has perfected the art of coupling a laid-back beat to an airy, head-bobbing hook. They mostly sing in English, but there's a pleasing fracture in their translation, allowing the songs to have a girlish naivete on the surface without losing a bit of the girl power underneath.
3 Songs
"Boom Boom Back"
"On My Own"
"En Forma"
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42
IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE
Pull the Rope
(Merge)
Blurb
Although not as intensely riveting as Electricity, Pickled Priest's #5 record of 2022, Pull the Rope, in its own way, is similarly effective. It helps to have one of the best frontwomen in the business, Eno Williams, to host the proceedings, and here those proceedings involve dancing your ass off to positive messages of community, togetherness, equality, and hope. If I may quote The Streets, "Let Push Things Forward." That feeling is positively infectious throughout, but I hope the title track will hopefully usher in a new era of themed dances across the world just like we did in the late-50s and early-60s. I, for one, think the world would benefit from rallying, no dancing, in unity for once.
3 Songs
"Pull the Rope"
"Fire"
"Them Say"
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41
JOHN GRANT
The Art of the Lie
(Bella Union)
Blurb
Michigan native John Grant's new album, The Art of the Lie, is one of the most unpredictable records of 2024. At one moment, an electro-funk workout about blowing all your money on a useless education ("All That School for Nothing"). At another, a shattering tale about what it feels like to have the person you love most turn their back on you ("Father"). The record swings back and forth like an unclosed gate for its entire duration. You're either laughing or crying, but you're always listening. Records that don't sound like the others have a way of keeping you engaged.
3 Songs
"All That School for Nothing"
"Marbles"
"Father"
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40
FAKE FRUIT
Mucho Mistrust
(Carpark)
Blurb
Quite the skronk 'n' roll fest from this Oakland, CA, band. I do mucho of the record sounds a little like the first day of Freshman band practice. Sometimes a little freeform cacophony is just the ticket to breaking free of convention. Wanna bang on that cowbell? Have at it. Wanna howl like an alley cat in heat until real lyrics come to you? Go right ahead. It helps of course to have a magnetic lead singer, and Hannah "Ham" D'Amato is all that. She's can wail one moment, bring it down the next, and just start talking to you seconds later, all without losing her natural cool. When her band, guitarist Alex Post and drummer Miles MacDiarmid, kick in full throttle there's the distinct feeling that anything and everything is about to happen. How real rock and roll should always be.
3 Songs
"Mucho Mistrust"
"Gotta Meet You"
"Más O Menos"
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39 (tie)
HIGH ON FIRE
Cometh the Storm
(MNRK Heavy)
Blurb
Who needs yacht rock? The perfect time and place to hear High on Fire's Cometh the Storm is on an ancient viking ship sailing on a molten lava ocean during an electrical storm (conveniently captured on the cover), but you're never going to achieve that ideal yourself, so your only option is to go there in your imagination and let this firebreather of an album melt your mind from the inside. Every year we designate one record as Pickled Priest's Annual Clock Cleaning, and this is our winner for 2024.
3 Songs
"Lambsbread"
"Burning Down"
"Cometh the Storm"
39 (tie)
CHAT PILE
Cool World
(The Flenser)
Blurb
The second consecutive Top 50 list for Chat Pile, a band that can no longer be ignored despite the fact their brand of metal normally resides in its own secret corner of the record store. I've seen albums like this relegated to the back corner of some stores just like the porn section of a video rental place, right behind the impenetrable swinging saloon doors. Rest assured, making that leap to the other side, at least in this case, will be a rewarding journey, for this Oklahoma City band is different from the rest of those necrophiliac hellhounds not only because they can cite Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 1762 book, The Social Contract, as the inspiration for Cool World's first song, "I Am Dog Now," but also because they take on the environment, Gaza, the horrors of war, religion, rural depravity, toxic masculinity, and Instagram, too, thank god, in the process. They are a ferocious band housed within a think tank, capable of blowing your head off with volume, but also making you ponder the state of our world a little before they do.
3 Songs
"The New World"
"I Am Dog Now"
"Tape"
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38
BASIC
This is Basic
(No Quarter)
Blurb
Overly simplified summary: Back in 1984, Robert Quine and Fred Maher, fresh off a stint in Lou Reed’s backing band (fun!), released an album titled Basic, an improvised, minimalist instrumental record mixing electric guitars with programmed drums. Brian Eno is often name-dropped when attempting to describe the record (although he's name-dropped so often, does that mean anything anymore? Discuss). Some critics claimed to like the highly experimental affair, many did not. In other words, it was either bad, ahead of its time, or both. Fast forward forty years where we find one of the record’s acolytes, über-guitarist Chris Forsyth, along with partner Nick Millevoi, recording a new record that draws its creative inspiration from the album. They not only named their project BASIC, they named the album This is Basic in tribute. It’s still a peculiar creation, but not as out of place these days as it probably was four decades ago. It’s a fascinating exercise for guitar that involves repetition, drone, and improvisation. If you’re a fan of the long-form work of the Necks or 75 Dollar Bill, this is for you in particular, but even the novice outre-music fan might just find themselves locked in the zone as this strangely addictive music unfolds.
3 Songs
"Versatile Switch"
"Nerve Time"
"Last Resort of the Gambling Man"
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37
FAITHNYC
Love is a Wish Away
(Good Deeds Music)
Blurb
File under: Sleeper Records of 2024. New York's FaithNYC is the band of Felice Rosser and they've been playing around the Big Apple since 1988. I didn't hear about them until 2024. Must be the time zone change. They are an hour ahead after all. There are countless bands just like this everywhere of course, with most never getting anything beyond a local fan base. While that may continue with Love Is a Wish Away, it shouldn't. The record mines soul, reggae, dub, Afrobeat, and rock, so its diversity might be one of its drawbacks, but it's also its biggest asset. A difficult record to market perhaps, but then again it never gets bogged down in one style for long either. In this day when international influences are more common than ever, maybe this is the time for Felice and friends to finally get their moment in the sun. She and her band deserve all the attention they can get.
3 Songs
"Love is a Wish Away"
"Everything Is Always Around You"
"Overpass"
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36
ANGELICA GARCIA
Gemelo
(Partisan)
Blurb
Angelica Garcia came out of nowhere and landed her album, Cha Cha Palace, and a song, "Penny in My Back Pocket," on our Top 25 Albums and Top 25 Songs lists respectively back in 2020. We've been impatiently waiting to see what would come next from Ms. Garcia. This year we found out on her very different, but equally brilliant new record, Gemelo. It's a remarkable record to behold. The first half of the LP is a more traditional take on her rich heritage (Salvadoran and Mexican) and showcases her amazing voice. Side two, on the other hand, brings back the relentless energy and experimental tendencies of Cha Cha Palace. Thrilling any way you slice it.
3 Songs
"Y Grito"
"El Que"
"Color De Dolor"
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35
THE JOY
The Joy
(Transgressive)
Blurb
I adore how these five young South Africans harmonize together. Each time I listen it makes me stop everything I am doing to bask in its natural splendor. The band's self-titled debut album is reportedly all first takes (they've been together since 2018, so that's not entirely surprising), just the boys doing what they do, which is combining their regional culture with soul, gospel, and even doo wop, and the magical moments never stop coming throughout. It's the feel-good record of 2024, sure to lift your spirits and fortify your soul.
3 Songs
"Amaqatha Amancane"
"Mama Ka Nomthandazo"
"You Complete Me"
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34
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN
Lemons, Limes and Orchids
(PlAS)
Blurb
I always find myself interested in what Joan Wasser is up to. She's in her 50s now, and she's done a little bit of everything with everyone over the last two decades, never really breaking big despite putting out a formidable body of work. Her solo work as Joan as Police Woman (a tribute to the ahead-of-its-time 70s drama, Police Woman, starring ultra-sexy Angie Dickinson in the lead) has been all over the map with her soulful voice and adventurous spirit the main constants. I do believe she has finally put out the definitive Joan album with Lemons, Lines and Orchids. She's a cool cucumber with a sultry voice capable of navigating myriad styles. If you like that late night jazz club vibe, look no further. Once this starts, you ain't goin' anywhere, so sit down a spell.
3 Songs
"Full-Time Heist"
"Oh Joan"
"Long for Ruin"
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33 (tie)
ANNA BUTTERSS
Mighty Vertebrate
(International Anthem)
33 (tie)
SML
Small Medium Large
(International Anthem)
Blurb
Anna Butterss is an amazing and in-demand bassist and composer from Australia, has featured on countless records by well-known recording artists, hangs with some cutting-edge musicians (not exclusively jazz), and is signed to the nearly infallible Chicago institution International Anthem Records. Mighty Vertebrate is their formal solo outing and SML (aka Small Medium Large) is a band record composed of notable friends from L.A.'s teeming jazz scene. Each LP sounds completely different and they're proof of of a giant talent. Frustratingly, both are also outside of my descriptive capabilities. They do deliver me what I crave the most, that "I know it when I hear it" sensation when I find something thrillingly new for my tired ears to play with.
3 Songs (Butterss)
"Shorn"
"Dance Steve"
"Seeing You"
3 Songs (SML)
"Industry"
"Search Bar Hi Hat"
"Chasing Brain"
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32
PETER PERRETT
The Cleansing
(Domino)
Blurb
I've limited myself to just a handful of Peter Perrett songs for my entire life. I'm not alone in this, I'm sure. It's definitely not fair to boil his entire career down to his most famous song, 1978's "Another Girl, Another Planet" by his one-time band, the Only Ones, but it is one of those era-defining power-pop songs (new wave, if you prefer) that you cannot deny and don't want to either. Timeless. Well, he started a solo career at the same time he got his AARP card at 65 and now he's on his third solo album since, making him 72 at the moment. The Cleansing, this year's model, adds 20 new songs to his arsenal, which is by any account way too many. But fuck, I don't want the editing job. They are almost all uniformly excellent, some bordering on "new classic" status. His sarcastic, nasal, croon is still top-notch, his snappy way with a lyric reminds me a little of John Cooper Clarke, and his songs all sound like they came from a source less than half his age. Added bonus: he looks like Klaus Nomi and Bob Dylan merged into one person.
3 Songs
"Solitary Confinement"
"I Wanna Go With Dignity"
"Do Not Resuscitate"
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31
NILÜFER YANYA
My Method Actor
(Ninja Tune)
Blurb
Nilüfer Yanya is a creative pop force for now people bored with the current Top 40. My Method Actor is her third fabulous record in a row with no dip in quality. Each thong, I mean song, sounds like a should-be hit, the production is innovative, the taut melodies and skittering rhythms consistently next level. She has her own distinct sound, which is not easy to do these days. Her genetic material has been sourced from Ireland, Turkey, and Barbados, so I'm not surprised her creativity reflects that eclectic mixture.
3 Songs
"Like I Say (I Runaway)"
"Method Actor"
"Call it Love"
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30
DUCKS LTD.
Harm's Way
(Carpark)
Blurb
This jangle-pop duo calls Canada home, but one-half of the band is from England (raised in the US), which means nothing really as long as they're adept at kicking out high quality songs in one of our "pet" genres of music. That said, I'm not a pushover for any band with a Rickenbacker propped up onstage. They originally busted into my Top 10 Songs of 2021 list with the infectious "18 Cigarettes" (from album Modern Fiction) and now they're back with more of the same on their new album, Harm's Way. The good news for this band is that they're becoming even better songwriters, poets even. I particularly love this sound when it's paired with just the right kind of voice, and lead singer Tom McGreevy (originally from Blackpool, England) is a doppelganger for Australian pop legend, Paul Kelly (see album #47!), which doesn't hurt matters. What works Down Under seems to work in the Great White North, too. The jangle has no boundaries. The jangle does not discriminate.
3 Songs
"Cathedral City"
"Train Full of Gasoline"
"Deleted Scenes"
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29
AROOJ AFTAB
Night Reign
(Verve)
Blurb
Oh my, does this go down smooth. Pakistani singer and composer Arooj Aftab's stunning album, Night Reign, is a magnificent audio experience. Just give it the right atmosphere, time of day, and rapt attention, and it will drape over you like a sonic blanket. It sounds like nothing else, but it's also accessible. The sounds created throughout the album will pull you in and sort you out in short order and may be just the thing to help you forget about your troubles and worries for awhile. Immerse yourself.
3 Songs
"Na Gul"
"Whiskey"
"Aey Nehin"
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28
SLEATER-KINNEY
Little Rope
(Loma Vista)
Blurb
I, for one, have loved pretty much verything Sleater-Kinney have recorded throughout their long career. The early classic albums still sound groundbreaking, but I've personally found myself gravitating to their later material even more. Does this mean I've been evolving with them, possibly maturing along the way? I don't think so, but I do think it is mainly because the back-end of their career arc has been wholly and wildly successful and fascinating to watch unfold. No, I didn't love Janet being cut out, but I understood it, too. They were becoming a different band, one that had to try different things to survive. Especially Corin, who has by necessity found nuances and vulnerabilities in her powerful voice that allow a whole new breed of songs to come into the band's repertoire. She has become more versatile, gaining power by pulling back a bit. Carrie, always the epitome of NPR cool, has been my favorite for years and continues to be a driving creative force. Little Rope is one more installment, chock-full of new S-K gems for a new generation of fans and manna for us old farts that have been around forever.
3 Songs
"Hell"
"Say It Like You Mean It"
"Hunt You Down"
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27
MARY TIMONY
Untame the Tiger
(Merge)
Blurb
These days, this would be considered a demo at best. Raw guitar licks and understated vocals. Not bad, flesh it out and get back to us when it's done. Back in the indie-rock 1990's, however, this would've been the end product. And we liked it that way! It was real, sans processing, sans production, sans record sales. But you had your credibility. That's all that mattered. Mary Timony has made her record in that very same spirit and she's delivered what could be called modern indie for now people. A novel concept.
3 Songs
"No Thirds"
"Dominoes"
"The Dream"
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26
YARD ACT
Where's My Utopia?
(Island)
Blurb
James Smith, singer/speaker of Leeds-based band, Yard Act, is a natural storyteller. I imagine he's as naturally compelling in routine conversations as he is when delivering songs of considerable depth like those on Where's My Utopia? While his sense of humor is his calling card, there continues to be some real meat on these bones, too, showing a tendency toward sentimentality, repentance, and, gulp, maturity. But not to worry, every word is still worth hearing.
3 Songs
"Down By the Stream"
"When the Laughter Stops"
"We Make Hits"
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25
JACK WHITE
No Name
(Third Man)
Blurb
There are few things more exhilarating than hearing Jack White fire up his blowtorch with reckless abandon. No Name features the return of the guy we've all known and loved for years bringing his most electric stuff in from the backroom for a high-volume airing. Even better, the king of the parenthetical song title has brought some prime weirdness along with him for the record, too. The ultimate daily double.
3 Songs
"It's Rough On Rats (If You're Asking)"
"Tonight (Was a Long Time Ago)
"Archbishop Harold Holmes"
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24
DELGRES
Promis Le Ciel
(PIAS)
Blurb
Guitar, drums, and tuba (in lieu of bass) are featured on Promis le Ciel, the third album of French creole blues and Caribbean soul by the amazing and criminally unknown Delgres. If that combination of influences intrigues you in the least, know that I'm still only scratching the surface, with tastes of Brazil, Cuba, Africa and even British rock and roll also in the recipe. That may sound like a lot of ground to cover for one album, but the band seamlessly blend them all into one cohesive package. A band worth getting to know right now.
3 Songs
"Á La Fin"
"Autorisation"
"Walking Alone"
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23
THE MESSTHETICS AND JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
(Impulse!)
Blurb
The legendary Fugazi rhythm section, Joe Lally and Brendan Canty, alongside notable avant-garde D.C. guitarist Anthony Pirog, do their jazzy-punk business as the Messthetics, this time with added special guest, saxophonist and flautist James Brandon Lewis, who is rightfully double-billed on the project. His work here is nothing short of brilliant at all times. Alas, it's only a guest turn, but I wouldn't mind if he made this gig permanent for there is palpable chemistry on display throughout.
3 Songs
"Emergence"
"Fourth Wall"
"Boatly"
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22
CHICANO BATMAN
Notebook Fantasy
(ATO)
Blurb
I learned to love L.A.'s Chicano Batman back in 2017 when their song "Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)" made my year-end best songs list. Fashioning themselves as a Latino kaleidoscope incorporating influences from North, Central, and South America, along with African beats and rhythms swirled into the same potion, they seemed like a band with limitless creative possibilities. After its follow-up got lost in the pandemic in May of 2020, they're returned in better circumstances with their most fully-realized album to date, Notebook Fantasy. (Ryan Gosling is not involved in the project whatsoever, if you're wondering.) If you're looking for a record that defies time, this is it. If you told me you discovered it while crate-digging at some Tijuana record store in the mid-70s I would not question the veracity of your claim. It's an epic, sweeping collection that never settles into one style for long. Vinyl copy hereby mandated by edict of the Pickled Priest himself.
3 Songs
"Era Primavera"
"Lei Lá"
"Tears Away"
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21
AMARO FREITAS
Y'Y
(Psychic Hotline)
Blurb
If you're like me, your record collection is painfully short on Brazilian jazz pianists. Well, I'm pleased to report Amaro Freitas's stunning record, Y'Y, will partially solve that issue. When we first wrote about this album earlier this year we called it "One of 2024's 'You've gotta hear this!' albums." We stand by that statement now more than ever. Amaro is an amazing musician himself, but also knows when to phone a friend. So we get cameos from luminaries like Brandee Younger, Shabaka Hutchings, and Jeff Parker for starters, each bringing their A-game. Like they had any choice. Music this good requires it.
3 Songs
"Y'Y"
"Dança dos Martelos"
"Uiara (Encanta de Água) - Vida e Cura"
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20
THE CURE
Songs of a Lost World
(Capitol)
Blurb
More like Songs for the World to Get Lost In if you ask me. There's not another Cure record quite like their long-awaited and triumphant comeback record, Songs of a Lost World. It is as dramatic as it is patient, holding out on the payoff while the band luxuriates in its creation. The band sounds unified and confident and lets the material shine thanks to spectacular production and extended compositions that envelope the listener, taking them into an alternate world that sounds unlike anything else in the Cure discography. When I first heard it, I was floored. This is not the sound of a band that is content to rest on their laurels or repeat past successes. One of the most unexpected surprises of 2024 and a stunning achievement.
3 Songs
"A Fragile Thing"
"Drone:Nodrone"
"Endsong"
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19
SHELLAC
To All Trains
(Touch and Go)
Blurb
Ten fucking years since Shellac's last album and Albini dies ten fucking days before its release date. To All Trains is without a doubt a vital return worthy of standing alongside the band's best albums. I didn't doubt for a moment that Albini, Bob Weston, and Todd Trainer could pull it off—they're not the kind of guys to phone shit in. Integrity, what a concept. To All Trains has everything you'd want in a new Shellac record and more. I feed on sarcasm and bile, the more biting the better, and this record sounds like I think sometimes. It puts me in just right mood to deal with all the crap being pumped into life's pipeline lately. I think that may have been Shellac's secret purpose all along.
3 Songs
"Tattoos"
"Wednesday"
"I Don't Fear Hell"
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18
KIM GORDON
The Collective
(Matador)
Blurb
There's nothing she can't pull off, it seems.
3 Songs
"Bye Bye"
"I'm a Man"
"I Don't Miss My Mind"
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17
NADINE SHAH
Filthy Underneath
(EMI)
Blurb
The title infers she's not afraid of to reveal her dark side (sides?) and the record taps into that theme regularly. What I most appreciate about Shah is her willingness to take personal challenges head-on. She lays herself bare on the record for all to see. Just as impressive is her ability to do so without losing a steadfast dedication to the groove while she does it. Filthy Underneath is a deep record, in content and songs, constantly revealing itself on repeated listens. Every listen is better than the previous one.
3 Songs
"You Drive, I Shoot"
"Keeping Score"
"Twenty Things"
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16
THE THE
Ensoulment
(Cinéola/EarMusic)
Blurb
What I wasn't expecting this year was the return of Matt Johnson and The The, but I consider their new album, Ensoulment, to be thee biggest surprise of 2024. Not only is he back, he's also got something to say. And he hasn't spent the last two decades without an album of new material with his head under a rock, disconnected from reality. He's fully engaged and spot-on, justifiably disappointed with the state of the world with the U.S. a particularly deserving and obvious target, although his native Perfidious Albion is equally under the microscope. His deep voice (aging like wine), keen eye, sharp tongue, and poetic gift are all on display throughout. A remarkable return.
3 Songs
"Some Days I Drink My Coffee By the Grave of William Blake"
"Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot"
"Cognitive Dissident"
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15
DEHD
Poetry
(Fat Possum)
Blurb
Anointed Pickled Priest's house band earlier this year, our fellow Chicagoan's have given us three lovable records in a row. We flipped our wigs over 2020's Flower of Devotion (#45 of the year) and we blew a gasket over 2022's Blue Skies (#24), and we're similarly enamored with this year's offering, Poetry, which now outranks them all. To say we're hard-wired into what this band is doing is an understatement.
3 Songs
"Alien"
"Light On"
"Hard to Love"
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14
COLIN STETSON
The Love it Took to Leave You
(Envision)
Blurb
The brilliant and unclassifiable Colin Stetson, who gets a jazz tag affixed to his name for convenience, is so far beyond that imposed boundary it begs to be eliminated, leaving him in a genre-less category of his own creation. As I said earlier this year, The Love It Took to Leave You is unlike anything I've heard this year or any other. Yes, he plays saxophone, but that's not always obvious. The things he can do with it are remarkable. He is without a doubt, the most innovative musician on this list, creating a new world with his instrument that wouldn't exist without him. Amazing, mind-blowing stuff, but not for the faint of heart.
3 Songs
"The Love It Took to Leave You"
"Strike Your Forge and Grin"
"To Think We Knew From Fear"
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13
JOY OLADOKUN
Observations From a Crowded Room
(Amigo/Verve Forecast/Republic)
Blurb
We're delighted to find Joy in our Top 50 list again so soon after placing 2023's Proof of Life at #4 on our annual list. Here, her #13 spot implies a slight demotion, but that's far from the case. Observations is that record's equal in most every way. Same great songwriting, same general vibe, same great voice. Her songs say so much about her current world without beating you over the head, but her points still land hard. Even her observational interludes pack a punch, in fact they are key to understanding the album itself. She's has a crowded mind (room) and this unique songwriter is far from being done.
3 Songs
"No Country"
"Hollywood"
"Dust/Divinity"
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12
LIAM BAILEY
Zero Grace
(Big Crown)
Blurb
Liam Bailey's Zero Grace, a steady, simmering, instant reggae/soul classic, captivates in a subtle way with laid-back grooves that still bring his songs vibrantly to life. The record didn't come to me all at once, I needed to recalibrate my inner barometer in order to get on its wavelength. Once I did tap into his unique approach, his free-flowing vibrations made me feel like there truly is a light in every darkness. Which is good news for all of us.
3 Songs
"Boy"
"Disorder Starts at Home"
"Light Up the Darkness"
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11
ST. VINCENT
All Born Screaming | Todos Nacen Gritando
(Total Pleasure)
Blurb
Annie Clark, no relation to Caitlin, has accumulated one of the most consistently interesting bodies of work of any artist over the last 15 years, yet I feel she's somehow still underrated. What I see and hear is a restless artist willing to experiment and take chances, somehow sticking the complicated landing each and every time. She's among the most compelling live performers I've seen, capable of dazzling a crowd and dropping jaws with her songwriting originality, guitar mastery, and visual innovation. Her latest record, All Born Screaming, ranks among her best, too. More of the same, but totally different. A sly trick. To take that idea even further, Annie released a Spanish language version later in the year that is just as good as the English version, if not better. It allows you to hear the record in a completely new way, which is pretty much her career motto by this point.
3 Songs
"Broken Man"
"Reckless"
"Big Time Nothing"
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10
ENGLISH TEACHER
This Could Be Texas
(Island)
Blurb
OK class, listen up. We have some precocious new students to welcome to our Top 10 list this year. They're from Leeds in the UK and feature a magnetic singer and rhythm guitarist, Lily Fontaine, as master of ceremonies. Lily's brought her crack band with her and together they've proven adept at shifting styles, speeds, and moods on a dime, like a band far more experienced. They're going to play the songs from their impressive debut LP, This Could Be Texas, for us so let's give them our full attention. I think you'll find that song-by-song their album carves out its own distinct identity, making them one of 2024's most interesting and unpredictable new bands. So be nice to them and show them around the place. Hopefully, they'll be here awhile.
3 Songs
"Nearly Daffodils"
"You Blister My Paint"
"The World's Biggest Paving Slab"
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09
MJ LENDERMAN
Manning Fireworks
(Anti-)
Blurb
It's difficult to sum up an album like this with a simple blurb, especially when the artist responsible for it uses his well-chosen words so economically. It's almost not fair. I've taken in Manning Fireworks a little at a time this year and it has slowly but surely crept into my psyche to the point where I couldn't shake it if I tried. I can't think of another recent songwriter who says so much with so little and in such a peculiar way. A true gift. And his guitar playing is next level, making it hard to focus on anything else once he starts shredding. His fractured voice has the exact level of imperfection, too. These songs wouldn't be as captivating if delivered pitch perfect. A good example of an album that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
3 Songs
"Wristwatch"
"She's Leaving You"
"On My Knees"
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08
WAXAHATCHEE
Tigers Blood
(Anti-)
Blurb
Katie Crutchfield continues to captivate with her deceptively complex brand of trailer park poetry all over Tigers Blood, seemingly never at a loss for a drop-dead observation or lyrical couplet. Rarely do even thirty seconds pass before another double-take arrives that calls for a circle-back or a brief pause to appreciate it. It took me a while to get beyond this one key moment from "Evil Spawn." "Take my money, I don't work that hard / I fall asleep in the beating heart / Of a dying breed peddling some lost art." And there's a seemingly endless supply of similar moments built into her offhanded phrasing and front-porch melodies.
3 Songs
"Right Back to It"
"Burns Out at Midnight"
"Bored"
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07
BETTE SMITH
Goodthing
(Bette Smith)
Blurb
Bette Smith, a fiery R&B singer seemingly plucked out of space and time, is possibly the closest we'll get in the 21st century to the badass soul divas of the 1970s (Tina Turner, Betty Davis, Chaka Khan, et al). That said, she somehow sounds contemporary, too, reminding me of Lisa Kekaula (BellRays), Macy Gray, and even Amy Winehouse at times. She's now put out three legitimate rippers in a row, all of which have made my year-end Top 50 lists. Goodthing has a throwback appearance and sound, but in any decade it's a motherfucker of a soul record, not mining a retro vibe so much as joining forces with those before her, marching side-by-side.
3 Songs
"Goodthing"
"Happiness"
"Time Goes Slower"
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06
LIZZ WRIGHT
Shadow
(Blues and Greens)
Blurb
I've always been entranced by those chocolate fountains oft found on the buffet table at Sunday brunch. There's something beautiful about that thick chocolate waterfall smoothly cascading down that makes me want to totally Augustus Gloop the shit out of it. I feel the same about the rich, thick voice of Lizz Wright. Her instrument soothes the soul, the definition of God-given talent. And I don't even believe in God. That's how special it is. On Shadow, we get a collection of songs that wouldn't sound out of place in the Southern Georgia church where Lizz first started singing as a young girl. A religious experience indeed.
3 Songs
"Root of Mercy"
"This Way"
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes"
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05
MDOU MOCTAR
Funeral for Justice
(Matador)
Blurb
Mdou has dropped our jaws before, but on Funeral for Justice (a timely title) we may need to have our jaws wired shut so routine are the moments of awe contained within. The Nigerian throws a guitar feast throughout, amping up the speed and energy even beyond his previous electrifying records. There's some real anger driving some of these songs that comes through even without the lyrics translated. If you're like us, true believers in the power of six strings and a giant amplifier, this African gunslinger is for you. If you do care to translate his lyrics, there's some serious shit to digest, too.
Blurb
"Funeral for Justice"
"Imouhar"
"Sousoume Tamacheq"
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04
IRON & WINE
Light Verse
(Sub Pop)
Blurb
After seeing him live at a large and crowded venue earlier this year (Chicago's Salt Shed), I realized once again the singular power of Sam Beam's unique songwriting style. I've been in every kind of venue over the years and most aren't kind to artists who proffer "quiet" music, but despite the crowd size, you could hear a pin drop in the cavernous venue. Even Beam himself was a little unnerved by his rapt audience, but he had to realize their undivided attention was the highest possible compliment. A mass of people hanging on your every word, every acoustic guitar strum. Now that's power. Sam's Light Verse is one of those records you can immerse yourself in, soak up, and take with you. It deserves nothing short of complete investment.
3 Songs
"All in Good Time"
"Anyone's Game"
"Angels Go Home"
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03
HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF
The Past is Still Alive
(Nonesuch)
Blurb
The third straight Top 10 finish for Alynda Segarra's Hurray for the Riff Raff, one of the most important artists in music today. Her ability to shed light on and offer dignity to the stories of the people on the periphery of society is her defining characteristic (also the source of her band name) and when she sings, "Say goodbye to America / I wanna see it dissolve" in "Colossus of Roads" she may not mean it herself, but her character, ducking bullets in a gay dance club, does. For more unforgettable stories and personal reckoning, inquire within.
3 Songs
"Buffalo"
"Colossus of Roads"
"The World is Dangerous"
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02
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
Wild God
(PIAS)
Blurb
I have adopted Nick Cave as somewhat of a spirit guide in the last ten to fifteen years. His ability to mull over deep existential questions on his Red Hand Files site and respond with cogent personal responses demonstrates a level of vulnerability and insight I don't think I could ever to come close to attaining. Same for his book, Faith, Hope and Carnage; it just goes deep, very deep. His work has helped me immensely dealing with my life in general. That said, his return to the Bad Seeds, after a long, dark period of reckoning with reality (the death of two sons) was beyond welcome for me and I have to imagine, for him. Wild God finds Cave not beyond his darkness, but able to find joy in spite of it. Honestly, once again, I'm not sure if I could do the same. The Bad Seeds are just the right companions to help him find his next steps and the album's tone reflects that sense of community. When the stakes get too high or he needs help, the band kicks in or a gospel choir swoops down in support. It's nothing short of uplifting. Of course, Cave rarely does anything that's straightforward by design. There's not another mind out there quite like his and that's why his albums, wildly imperfect and wholly impenetrable as they may be a times, are always a source of great mystery ("She rises in advance of her panties"?) and inspiration ("We’ve all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy"). Nobody does it better.
3 Songs
"Wild God"
"Frogs"
"Joy"
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01
LADY BLACKBIRD
Slang Spirituals
(Foundation/BMG)
Blurb
With Black Acid Soul, Pickled Priest's #2 record of 2021, Lady Blackbird (Marley Munroe) delivered an interpretive soul masterpiece of mostly covers with a spellbinding late-night jazz club vibe. The world did not take much notice. What a tragedy. I'll admit, word of a new record in 2024 initially brought with it some trepidation. Could she deliver the same magic again? Would it be more of the same style? Would it be anywhere near as good? Slang Spirituals is now officially our #1 record of 2024 and it's by a substantial margin, so deliver she did, but with a completely different record than I (or anyone) expected in almost every way. I can't tell you how many times I've shaken my head in disbelief when listening to this record. The other day I was cranking it in my car and started laughing almost nervously. Is this really happening? You've gotta be kidding me! And what makes that response even more mind-blowing is that, this time, she wrote all but one of the songs herself (co-written with creative cohort and producer Chris Seefried). Her songs, nowhere close to conventional, are jaw-droppingly great, too. They show staggering range, scope, versatility, and complexity. This is not a rubber-stamp soul record. In fact, gospel is its most overt throughline (hence the title), then soul, a little jazz, some rock, a little funk, some psych, and god knows what else. Blend and play. Somehow it comes out sounding like nothing else you've ever heard. No matter what you call it, call it a masterpiece. Because that's exactly what it is.
3 Songs
"Let Not (Your Heart Be Troubled)"
"Like a Woman"
"Whatever His Name"
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Word limit exceeded.
Next Post: Our annual year-end mixtape countdown.
Cheers,
The Priest