The Essential Albums of Summer 2024
2024 has been one of the most interesting years for music in a while, and there’s been a plethora of great projects released. Since I couldn’t give my usual album roundups over summer vacation, here are the albums released this summer that I think you need to hear. The albums here were released in May at the earliest. I’ve also included a song recommendation from each album so you can dip your toes into these albums and see if they sound intriguing.
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish (8/10)
Eilish presents her most lush-sounding and mature crop of songs yet on a brilliant pop album that I think is her best. I love her explorations of queer love here as well. If you’ve been a doubter of her music in the past, this might be the album to convert you. Incredible production and smart lyrics coupled with powerful vocal performances — it’s all I could ask for from an alternative pop record.
Essential Track: BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Dark Times – Vince Staples (8/10)
An incredibly consistent rap album from Staples that has gloomy and great production to match the dour songs. Not groundbreaking, but just perfect at establishing an introspective vibe. Feels understated in a very tasteful way.
Essential Track: Black&Blue
POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – Bring Me The Horizon (8/10)
Despite a messy rollout, the UK rock outfit brings a fun and eclectic mix of songs that blends rock, pop, metalcore, and hyperpop elements. Not everything works, but when it does, it’s some of the catchiest and most interesting rock of the year. Give it a listen whether you’re a fan or not, it’s a pretty creative album that surprised me with how much it holds up to re-listens.
Essential Track: a bulleT w- my namE On (feat. Underoath)
Night Reign – Arooj Aftab (8/10)
Aftab weaves a tapestry of folk and jazz that is incredibly soothing and beautiful. Serene production and lovely vocals. One of the most relaxing albums of the year.
Essential Track: Aey Nehin
NO HANDS – Joey Valence and Brae (8/10)
The two rappers modernize the Beastie Boys sound in the best way while making sure their songs are still fresh and interesting. Some of the funniest lyrics I’ve heard in a while, as well as some great in-house production from Joey Valence.
Essential Track: PACKAPUNCH (feat. Danny Brown)
BRAT – Charli XCX (8/10)
If you’ve heard it, you get it. If you haven’t, go listen. Probably the most culturally significant music release of the year, and one of the best. Charli’s brand of eclectic, confident, and self-aware electropop is at a peak with this album.
Essential Track: von dutch
Mare – Mirar (8/10)
A thrilling trip of bizarre djent riffs that feels both groovy and apocalyptic. Mirar takes elements of progressive metal that I often find boring and combines them with crisp production and a cinematic vision that elevates them above other acts in the saturated prog scene.
Essential Track: Rose Bonbon
Where The Butterflies Go In The Rain – Raveena (8/10)
Incredibly tasteful R&B record that feels like a nod to earlier strains of the genre. Raveena’s voice is gorgeous and the production on the instrumental side is warm and comforting.
Essential Track: Junebug (feat. JPEGMAFIA)
What’s Left Unsaid – Foreign Hands (8/10)
A fierce throwback metalcore album with biting production and seething with energy. If you’re into the early 2000s sound of this genre, this is a must-hear.
Essential Track: God Under Fingernails
Veta – Zake (8/10)
A simple but well-layered drone record that’s great for focus, sleep, or just vibing. Not necessarily the most dynamic in terms of ambient music but it still does its job very well.
Essential Track: Glory (w/City of Dawn)
AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS – Bilmuri (8/10)
A fun, tongue-in-cheek rock album with some elements of pop-country thrown in. Manages to be silly and often memetic while covering some personal subject matter.
Essential Track: BETTER HELL (Thicc boi)
Samurai – Lupe Fiasco (8/10)
One of the most lyrically dense and well-rapped projects of the year. Don’t let this one pass you by, Lupe raps like he’s still hungry and outclasses pretty much everyone else behind the mic right now.
Essential Track: Cake
Impossible Light – Uboa (8/10)
A frightening and beautiful noise and death industrial album that is a nightmare worth trying. Not going to appeal to most people but to those who give it an honest chance and an open mind, it’s incredibly revealing and powerful.
Essential Track: Endocrine Disruptor
The Great American Bar Scene – Zach Bryan (8/10)
Easily the most tasteful release to come out of mainstream country music this year. In an era where 90% of the genre getting attention is bland, gentrified trap-slop, Zach Bryan is taking the genre back to its roots both lyrically and instrumentally. This album feels rustic and personal in the way the best country albums do.
Essential Track: 28
Who Are You When No One Is Watching? – Graphic Nature (8/10)
A vicious nu-metalcore record that pays homage to Slipknot while not giving into copycat tendencies. Lyrically very raw and delves into the darkness of a damaged psyche. Also, to add a nerdy note, one of my favorite snare tones I’ve heard in a while.
Essential Track: Locked In
Charm – Clairo (8/10)
A lovely, soothing indie pop album. I feel like Clairo has done herself a favor by leaning into this very sophisticated pop sound. In doing so, she creates a cozy album anyone can enjoy while letting her writing and personality shine through.
Essential Track: Sexy to Someone
King of the Mischievous South Vol.2 – Denzel Curry (8/10)
Back-to-back Southern hip-hop bangers from the seasoned rapper. After a very lyrical and conscious-leaning album with 2022’s Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Denzel returns to his roots with high-energy, grimy, and personality-filled tracks.
Essential Track: HOODLUMZ (feat. PlayThatBoiZay and A$AP Rocky)
Life’s Promise Dies – Starve (8/10)
A brief but throttling metalcore record from the Melbourne outfit. Pissed-off vocals and lyrics, with great production from Lance Prenc. Starve exhibits why Australia is such a force in metalcore.
Essential Track: Starve2death
SMILE! 😀 – Porter Robinson (8/10)
An exciting and emotional synthpop album with some of my favorite songs of the year. Porter brings soaring hooks, charming production with an indietronica flair, and an emotional range that goes from crying in the club to raving in your room.
Essential Track: Cheerleader
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU – JPEGMAFIA (8/10)
JPEGMAFIA continues to be one of the most forward-thinking and consistent artists not just in hip-hop, but music in general. His incorporation of obscure samples with rock instrumentation and electronic elements on this album makes him sound wholly unique on this project. Lyrically, this album sees him getting a bit more personal than usual, leading to some surprisingly emotional highlights.
Essential Track: SIN MIEDO
Flight b741 – King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard (8/10)
KGLW reminds us that rock and roll can be just plain old fun. It’s surprising for an album so loose and jam-band feeling to work so well in 2024, but this does the trick. As someone who hasn’t really been into King Gizzard in the past, this clicked with me, and it’s a wild hoedown from front to back.
Essential Track: Field of Vision
Umbilical – Thou (9/10)
Oppressive sludge-doom metal that leaves you floored. Thou’s Umbilical is a brutal and riveting journey through a grim soundscape, never once allowing itself to get stale throughout its nearly 50-minute runtime.
Essential Track: Emotional Terrorist
ONLY ONE MODE – SPEED (9/10)
The most fun and off-the-wall hardcore album of this year. Melbourne’s very own Speed shoots out the gate with a debut that’s a back-to-back bundle of bangers with great production, breakdowns galore, fun mosh callouts, and a welcoming vibe that makes you feel part of the gang called Speed.
Essential Track: REAL LIFE LOVE
