Our 40 favourite albums of the year ranked - featuring Jack White, Fontaines D.C., Wunderhorse and more!
So, that's another year gone. What has now become a yearly tradition since Blinded By The Floodlights launched in 2020, we've bashed our heads together and put forth a list of our favourite albums of the year. And boy has it been another good one.
Without further ado, here are 40 records we've been obsessing over (oh and no need to worry, this is a Taylor Swift-free zone!).
40-21
40. Porij – Teething
39. Justice – Hyperdrama
38. NewDad – Madra
37. English Teacher – This Could Be Texas
36. Jamie XX – In Waves
35. IDLES – TANGK
34. SOFT PLAY – Heavy Jelly
33. Michael Kiwanuka – Small Changes
32. The Vaccines – Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations
31. The Mysterines - Afraid of Tomorrows
30. Dylan John Thomas - Dylan John Thomas
29. The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy
28. Blossoms – Gary
27. Bill Ryder-Jones – Iechyd Da
26. Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA)
25. Bob Vylan – Humble As The Sun
24. Japandroids – Fate & Alcohol
23. Kim Gordon - The Collective
22. The Smile – Wall Of Eyes
21. Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More
20. MGMT - Loss Of Life
MGMT’s fifth studio album was amongst their most ambitious and eclectic pieces of work to date. Loss Of Life incorporates folk, dream-pop and psych-pop for a jubilant and, at times, emotive listening experience. Many still associate Andrew VanWayngarden and Ben Goldwasser with their indie dancefloor-filling album Oracular Spectacular and while their latest didn’t have anywhere near the same commercial success as their 2008 debut, it’s arguably their best since. A record likely to be cherished by the early fans as well as those seeking the experimental journey they’ve chased thereafter. The pair again proved their musical depth and willingness to progress, all the while still containing a similar earwormy draw that drew so many to them in the first place. A truly stunning and gripping piece of work.
Best three: Mother Nature, People In The Streets, Phradie's Song
19. Orlando Weeks – LOJA
Upon release earlier this year, LOJA felt like the moment Orlando Weeks finally stepped out of The Maccabees shadow and into the limelight of his own (although this statement can possibly be revised considering his old band are reforming!). Swapping his hometown from London to Lisbon, Weeks offered up a truly stunning solo record and one that places the Portuguese capital city as a beautiful backdrop. Across this assured collection of 11 tracks, the 40-year-old singer’s soothing tones and the beauty of the music come together superbly for an emotive yet uplifting listening experience. A gorgeous listen.
Best three: Dig (ft. Rhian Teasdale), Longing, Good To See You
18. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
After their inconsistent last album Father of the Bride (albeit containing some excellent moments), Only God Above Us got things back on track for Vampire Weekend, even if its immediacy is lacking on first listen. Only God Above Us is not as attention-grabbing an album like their first three records. But their fifth is a far more succinct body of work than their last; It wonderfully merges an old sound with a progressive new, sounding both chaotic and soothing. A fantastic return from them and one that sounds as elegant as anything else we’d heard this year.
Best three: Capricorn, Classical, Pravda
17. The Dare – What’s Wrong With New York?
I really wanted to hate this album, but something about it kept driving me back for more. The Dare is the musical persona of producer Harrison Patrick Smith, an artist whose debut album plays out like a crazy night out of excess and debauchary in New York City. The record itself contains nostalgia for dirty “indie sleaze” dancefloors - one man’s quest to take us back to the mid-00s and he does a pretty great job in the process. A heavy LCD Soundsystem influence and a nod to the likes of CSS and early Calvin Harris (around 2007 when the Scottish DJs bangers were grittier and less polished). Horny, shallow and deliberately retro, What’s Wrong With New York? won't win any awards for its depth or substance, but it's a heap of fun regardless!
Best three: Girls, Perfume, Elevation
16. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
The Lemon Twigs have long walked a thin line between acknowledging classic ‘60s songwriters and being a pastiche of that period. After the success of 2023’s Everything Harmony, the New York-based brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario wasted little time delivering their fifth album A Dream Is All We Know. The strength of their joyful melodies and meticulously-crafted indie-pop songs keeps them on the right side of things. This is the duo’s best and most concise effort yet, leaning heavily on upbeat Beach Boys harmonies and swatches taken the Beatles in their early experimental era (some are calling the combination of the two sounds “Merseybeach”) alongside the reflective Simon & Garfunkelisms of their previous LP. A blissful ode to the past from two extremely talented brothers.
Best three: How Can I Love Her More?, My Golden Years, Rock On (Over and Over)
15. The Libertines - All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
Nine years after the mixed bag that was third album Anthems For Doomed Youth arrived All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade back in April. A gratifying fourth album sonically exploratory while remaining true to the group’s swashbuckling indie heart. A shabby sort of elegance swallows many of these tracks, with the Libertines enjoying a wider range of stylistic influences than before to prove there is plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Best three: Shiver, Run Run Run, Merry Old England
14. Jack White – No Name
Jack White caught everyone, including his own publicist, by surprise when he released his new album on vinyl and having Third Man Records hand it out to lucky customers. There were minimum details on its contents with a social media post commanding fans to "Rip It". Ironically enough, that’s what White himself has done. It’s both bluesy and punk without an ounce of fat on it. Nothing is wasted. Picking a single track as a standout is cruel when the whole collection is as good as this. It might have arrived without a name but that doesn’t matter when you can call it one of the finest released this year. And easily his best material since The White Stripes. (Words by Neil Renton)
Best three: That's How I'm Feeling, Archbishop Harold Holmes, Bombing Out
13. Real Estate – Daniel
Over the past 15 years, Real Estate have mastered the sort of gentle jangle-pop that might soundtrack days spent at the beach following sunny road trips along coastal highways. Daniel is the result of nine days spent recording in Nashville with producer Daniel Tashian, and it’s safe to assume Real Estate were happy with the final product given they appear to have named the record after him. Reflecting their surroundings, a country influence also pops up on occasion. ‘Flowers’ has been described by the band as “the closest Real Estate will ever get to like a Shania Twain style country rocker” even if it doesn’t quite betray their typical jangly style. So, while Daniel only scratches the surface of its new textures, it’s hard not to find joy in these beautifully crafted songs.
Best three: Water Underground, Flowers, Victoria
12. SPRINTS - Letter to Self
Irish punk band SPRINTS emerged towards the end of last year when the blistering anthem ‘Up and Comer’ began receiving heavy rotation on BBC 6 Music. Letter To Self emerged in January and proved they could maintain the song’s standard over a frenetic debut record. The Karla Chubb-fronted band are one of Ireland’s most promising young band’s at the moment and will surely go from strength to strength in the coming years. Their debut itself is an assured opening statement of intent, carrying a heavy sense of bleaknesss and melodrama, but most of all presenting an unforgettable collection of banging rock tunes.
Best three: Heavy, Up and Comer, Adore Adore Adore
11. Declan McKenna - What Happened To The Beach?
Four years on from second record Zeros, Declan McKenna advanced his sound again on What Happened To The Beach? – sun-kissed Californian self-indulgence was very much the new order of the day. Less breathless, super fun and lightly psychedelic, the London singer’s third effort is surrounded by a warm glow of West Coast sunshine. McKenna admits he felt pressured to neglect his own intuition on his third album. And the rejection of such feedback can’t fail but gain him extra kudos. His third is a fun yet wonderfully composed record that sounds radically different to what he’s produced before. If a little odd at points with a dialling down of immediacy, patience is required to fully appreciate the pay-off.
Best three: Mulholland's Dinner and Wine, Nothing Works, The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)
10. Royel Otis - PRATTS & PAIN
Brothers Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic joined forces in 2019 to form Royal Otis, making their name in the coming years with three excellent EPs, an acclaimed hit in ‘Oysters In My Pocket’ and a much-celebrated reworking of Sophie Ellis Bextor’s ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’. Their debut album PRATTS & PAIN is actually named after a bar in South London, but the contents within continue the breezy style of indie pop that we’ve become accustomed to with Australian bands of late. The sound is warm, nostalgic and delightfully melodic – the perfect sound for sunnier days and the festival season.
Best three: If Our Love Is Dead, Merry Mary Marry Me, Sofa King
9. Fontaines D.C. – Romance
Fontaines D.C. finally released their fourth album in August. Was it as good as we all wanted it to be? In a word - yes. Don’t be caught off track by the day glow costumes and their new appearance that owes a debt to Korn. They’re still the same band as they’ve always been, now just more confident in their own abilities. We should all be well familiar with ‘Starburster’ by now which isn’t the finest song on here. That could be ‘In The Modern World’ a stunningly beautiful song that leaves Fontaines peerless. It could be ‘Death Kink’ a dark, vitriol-fired love number that you could imagine The Pixies knocking out the park. Album closer ‘Favourite’ is another, eh, favourite, more poppy than the rest that. Its musical style might be all over the place but the band aren’t. They’re at the top of the pile. (Words by Neil Renton)
Best three: Favourite, Starburster, In The Modern World
8. Yard Act - Where’s My Utopia?
On Where’s My Utopia?, Yard Act’s creative boots were thoroughly strapped on for a new exploration of eclectic terrain, ending up as a fun, reflective exercise full of quirky charm. Their latest leaps far beyond their, occasionally, one-note and undercooked debut. And soon into the record, you’ll be questioning if we can even call them a post-punk band at all. Yard Act’s sophomore record encompasses a wide range of genres into one coherent sound: from disco to art-rock to baroque pop, and, surprisingly, they even flirt with hip hop-beats. The risk paid off big time. Yard Act smash through all expectations on album number two and some.
Best three: We Make Hits, Dream Job, Blackpool Illuminations
7. The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure waited 16 years to deliver number 14. Was it worth the wait? Abso-bloody-lutely! They delivered a late-career highlight of brooding elegance; heavy sonically and thematically. Of course, The Cure have never been a band to do things by half measures. So, eight tracks over 46 minutes feels both a little reined and also not considering almost half the tracks are over six minutes. Typically, the moody soundscapes develop effortlessly until they’re felt in the very depths of your soul. Overall then, Songs of a Lost World exceeds all expectations. Robert Smith’s voice is ageless and wistful, and, as the song’s meander and embolden, each of the other member’s talent’s shine through into one unified, cohesive sound.
Best three: Alone, A Fragile Thing, Endsong
6. The Smile – Cutouts
After a busy year, Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood and Tom Skinner struck while the iron was hot with Cutouts, The Smile’s second album of this year. Rapidly following up January’s also excellent Wall of Eyes, it further justified the band’s continued existence in the face of Radiohead reunion calls. ‘Foreign Spies’ stunningly opened proceedings in a lullaby-esque manner, ‘Instantly Psalm’ was a gorgeous slice of ’60s chamber pop, while frenetic highlight ‘Zero Sum’ offered an absolute earworm and an unforgettable pre-chorus jab to old operating systems (“Windows 95! Windows 95!”). Meticulously crafted songs possessing heaps more groove than before, all without sacrificing the band’s knack for tense atmospherics. Their best work yet.
Best three: Instant Psalm, Foreign Spies, Zero Sum
5. DIIV – Frog In Boiling Water
While beginning over a decade ago as band known for shimmering, dream-pop, DIIV doubled down on a heavier shoegaze vibe first heard on 2019’s Deceiver. This year they offered a natural follow up to the darkened sonics on Frog In Boiling Water. And dare we say, their fourth is even gloomier, even moodier and even more beautiful than their last. The despair and despondence offered on Frog In Boiling Water makes for a fascinating listen. Still immediate, albeit in a different way entirely. Mood music carrying the weight of the world on its shoulders, progressing the band even further into dark and haunted terrain. DIIV have refined their brooding vibe and produced as gorgeous a record as you’d hear this year.
Best three: Brown Paper Bag, Raining On Your Pillow, Soul-Net
4. Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
Amyl and the Sniffers carried their typical unpretentious punk appeal into third album Cartoon Darkness, but something about this one felt more universal. A record that allows for sonic evolution, melodic progression and self-reflection without compromising the band’s customary raucousness. Produced at Foo Fighters’ 606 Studio in Los Angeles by renowned English producer Nick Launay a subtle dash of polish complements their gritty aesthetic. Of course, a significant part of Cartoon Darkness explores the paranoia and insecurity that have accompanied their growing fame and fortune. The band remains aware of their musical limitations, yet they progress through deeper lyrics and a broader range of sonic influences. Cartoon Darkness is the Melbourne outfit’s most rounded and accessible record yet.
Best three: Chewing Gum, U Should Not Be Doing That, Big Dreams
3. Fat Dog - WOOF.
The debut album from south London trailblazers Fat Dog had just about everything. Not only did it mix techno, punk and industrial sounds, it threw some unhinged charisma into one of 2024’s most unique efforts. James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Foals) lent his capable hands to production duties and what arrived was a thrill-a-minute journey from raucous live performers who never take themselves too seriously, as evidenced by drummer Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutchinson’s uniform latex dog mask. WOOF. is 33 minutes of chaotic joy, unrivalled in the excitement levels it causes.
Best three: King of the Slugs, Wither, Running
2. Been Stellar - Scream from New York, NY
Close but just missing out on the top spot are a young band I’ve been digging a lot this year! As the title suggests, Been Stellar are a new artist from New York City who captured many an imagination with the release of their above-titled debut album. And it’s an absolute post punk delight, carrying a reference to famous Big Apple bands while still maintaining their own sound. They draw heavy inspiration from the bands featured in Lizzy Goodman’s Meet Me In The Bathroom oral history book and subsequent feature film about the New York indie rock scene of the ‘00s, and thus draw comparisons to the likes of The Strokes, Interpol, The Walkmen and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Typically then, the five-piece produce gritty soundscapes and a melodic shoegaze sound packed with raw energy and confidence.
Best three: Start Again, Scream from New York, NY & I Have The Answer
1. Wunderhorse – Midas
For any followers of my Twitter/X account number one really shouldn’t be much of a surprise! Two years after winning hearts with the introspective cult classic Cub, Wunderhorse returned with Midas, a deliberately raw follow up that was more vulnerable and self-destructive. Their second outing was recorded at Minnesota’s Pachyderm Studio with producer Craig Silvey and impressively captured the visceral atmosphere of Wunderhorse’s live performances. The record’s immediacy is its main strength, further progressing Jacob Slater and co’s status as one of the hottest bands of the moment. Having been selected as the main support for elite-tier acts Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C. — alongside a sellout headline tour of their own — Wunderhorse are going from strength to strength. They’ve delivered my album of the year and it’s still one I can’t get enough of.
Best three: Silver, Arizona, July
You can find the best of the above in the Blinded by the Floodlights albums of 2024 playlist.
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