My Favorite Albums of 2024
2024 was a great year for music - at least, music that I like. I discovered plenty new stuff, and lots of artists I love released incredible albums. So here are my top 6 albums of the year!
#6
Gold Mine - Stephen Day
You’ll notice a trend with a few of these albums - a shift toward the sounds and aesthetics of the past. I’ve loved Stephen Day since I discovered his first EP in 2017, and he has consistently delivered. This retro funky bluesy smooth bunch of awesome is his best work in a long time, and that’s saying something. Stephen’s mustache is the first that you will see today, but not the last. half of my top albums this year have a mustache on the cover. Which is kind of fun.
Standout Track: 4321
#5
Older - Lizzy McAlpine
This album does not have a mustache. Lizzy quickly went from “really great underground artist” to “extreme mega superstar” overnight, but her music is still just as personal and poignant and well-crafted. She’s a great songwriter, and incredible vocalist - though her album covers need some serious work. Once you listen to the album, you should watch the short “Making Of” doc on YouTube.
Standout Track: Staying
#4
The Bygones - The Bygones
Joshua Lee Turner rocks. His 2020 album Public Life is one of my favorite albums ever. “The Bygones” is his collaboration with Allison Young, who is mega awesome too. This is like Simon and Garfunkel meets Dolly and Chet. One aspect of Josh’s music that doesn’t get enough attention is his production. He’s a great audio engineer and big equipment nerd, and the warm, fat, real tape sounds of his music give it that vintage edge. “Folk perfection” is what I’d call all this. Go listen.
Standout Track: Secondhand Store
#3
Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden - Valley
Still not one of the mustache albums, though this could technically count if you wanted it to. Valley is a synth-pop group that make the best darn pop songs you ever heard. They know exactly what they’re doing, and they do it so incredibly well. The title track was my most listened song of 2024. Valley makes perfectly catchy pop songs to get you in your feels. Or out of them. Or whatever.
Standout Track: Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden
#2
Cold Beer and Country Music - Zach Top
Mustache. I really entered my country music era this year. I was always flirting with it, and this year when the A/C went out it my car, I was fully seduced. Zach Top played a part in this, with his beautiful voice and sexy face (oops) and his ability to sound just like all your favorite country singers from the late 80’s and early 90’s. He’s bringing country back, baby. This album and the next are the hardest to pick just one “standout track” from, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be this one. Yee-haw baby.
Standout Track: Lonely for Long
#1
Eating & Drinking & Being in Love - Theo Kandel
Here we are - my favorite album of the year. And final mustache album of the year. And in many ways, one of my favorite albums ever. I discovered Theo Kandel early this year, before this album came out, and immediately fell in love with his tunes. He is exactly the kind of songwriter I love, and is influenced by all the same old songwriters I am. THIS is folk perfection, and you better love it. Go listen to the best album of the year, now. P.S. Theo is a super cool and friendly dude, and now is your chance to befriend him before he is packing out the Hollywood Bowl, or something.