BY TOM MURPHY Despite 2024 ending on a fairly ominous note, more thrilling and inspiring music was on hand and these selections are a mere vibrant slice of that sonic rainbow. A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – SYNTHESIZER Harrowing emotional clarity through radical spontaneous musical combustion. BLOODHYPE – TRENDOIDS Vaporwave electroclash subversion of corporate training video sounds. THE BODY & DIS FIG – ORCHARDS OF A FUTILE HEAVEN A scorched and vulnerable portrait of personal and civilizational transcendence. CHARLI XCX – BRAT Self-aware swagger synth pop supreme. CHAT PILE – COOL WORLD The poignant noise rock evocation of America’s cultural and societal failings and nightmares in the current century. THE CHILDREN… – A SUDDEN CRAVING Dark, art folk post-punk theatrical poetics. CINDY LEE – DIAMOND JUBILEE Sprawling triple album pastoral hypnogogic psych pop masterpiece and swan song. No. 132 THE JESUS LIZARD – RACK Front to back splintery lunacy against dullard foolishness. J.R.C.G. – GRIM ICONIC... (SADISTIC MANTRA) Engrossing polyrhythmic psychedelic prog dub punk. JULIA HOLTER – SOMETHING IN THE ROOM SHE MOVES Guided by organic, intuitive flow, rhythm and structure, a fascinating work of ambient futuristic dream pop. KAMASI WASHINGTON – FEARLESS MOVEMENT Densely dynamic, cinematic, transporting, cosmic post-bop orchestral jazz embodiment of collective liberation. LUNA HONEY – BOUND Brooding, visceral catharsis swimming in darkly mystical goth psychedelia. MAMALEEK – VIDA BLUE Downtempo and mournful-free jazz black metal meditation on loss. MANNEQUIN PUSSY – I GOT HEAVEN Scathing and uplifting punk bangers about yearning and scorching of religious indoctrination. MEATBODIES – FLORA OCEAN TIGER BLOOM Kaleidoscopic fuzz-drenched heavy psych excursions into the surreal. THE DRIN – ELUDE THE TORCH Weirdo psych folk kosmische akin to Ghost from Japan. EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN – RAMPEN (APM: ALIEN POP MUSIC) Born of liminal improv, an entire record of heavenly creative industrial solvents of the international fash. FONTAINES D.C. – ROMANCE A moody and manga-and-beat-inspired cinematic post-punk odyssey. KAREN HAGLOF – ONE HAND UP Masterful New Wave art rock Americana with massive chops. KONTRAVOID – DETACHMENT The sound of dancing off the dissociating instinct of surviving in dystopian times. LESSER CARE – HEEL TURN Gloriously melancholic and vulnerable shoegaze-infused post-punk. LETTING UP DESPITE GREAT FAULTS – REVERIES Most memorable melodic hooks on an album, dream pop or otherwise, of 2024.
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