Hearing Aid’s Top Albums of 2024

Party Album – Famous

Following two stellar EPs, London based Famous has finally released their debut album, Party Album. Though I consider it a no skip album, it really shines on the back end with the back to back perfect tracks ‘It Goes On Forever’ and ‘The Destroyer’, followed by a rerecording of ‘2004’ which originally appeared on Famous’ 2019 EP, England. Famous manages to craft a sound on Party Album that is brooding, mumbly, and messy while still being jam packed with expansive swells that add just the right amount of relief to keep the album moving.

– Mia Romanoff

New Last Name – Courting

Courting’s New Last Name is the alt-pop of the future. The deftness with which the band maneuvers through modernity via cheugy metaphor and crafty sound design captures today’s malaise better than any other pop group out there. If Britpop had to reinvent itself or die, New Last Name is proof the genre lives on, alive and well.

– Miles Silverstein

POPtical Illusion - John Cale

John Cale, 82, pioneer of drone, electronic, punk; sometime dabbler in neo-classical, minimalism, classic rock; regular in various avant-garde circles and movements; John Cale of Velvet Underground origins, who almost single-handedly dredged the young collective from art rock installation to proto-punk utterance in the perfect White Light/White Heat (1968); the same visionary is at work today. POPtical Illusion (2024) is made of the same stuff. Here, we have the irony, cynicism, industrial critique among many other recognisable contextual aspects which have informed Cale’s writing from the first. But the sound is more dreamlike, here, more hopeful than ever, while at once inflecting every thematic nerve ending throughout the album with that sardonic self-abnegation informed listeners have come to expect. This is not a celebrity at work on the same reproducible melody lines; this is an artist whose every output would be a work of art whether exhibited or not. You can’t say that for most.

– Aidan Monks

The Secret of Us – Gracie Abrams

Gracie Abrams explores the vulnerability of love, loss and terrible men. With songs like ‘Good Luck Charlie’ depicting the heartbreaking longing of distance, with a quiet, soothing melody. This is a complete opposition to songs such as ‘Risk’, a song about falling in love with excitement. Gracie Abrams effectively unravels a sense of emotional vulnerability. She collaborated with Taylor Swift on the song ‘us’, in which they released a behind-the-scenes video of them writing the bridge- followed by a video of them setting a kitchen on fire by accident! She followed the album up with a deluxe version, with four original songs and three live recordings of the original album. One song, That’s so True, has overtaken records on its charting, and she released a live version of that also. Overall, the album will make you both cry and dance around your room- a clear sign of a successful  pop album.

– Kaitlin Shaw

Here in the Pitch - Jessica Pratt

The wide eyed Jessica Pratt is a torch carrier for 60s California Folk Rock and a contributor to the Freak-Folk movement, stemming from neo-hippie psychedelic folk. Pratt seems to have attended the Kate Bush school of head cold vocals that gives her music the intangibly special quality that makes her so awesome. Here in the Pitch is a bossa nova album meets self-effacing twilight porch rock. This album is as entrancing as it is worry numbing. The album’s extensive use of percussion, especially in ‘Life Is’, is reminiscent of the Beach Boys, The Wrecking Crew, and the Brian Wilson composed ‘Guess I’m Dumb’. When I first started listening to Jessica Pratt, I thought I had stumbled upon an independent, time-gone-by artist from the 60s. Really, she released her self-titled debut album in 2012. Twelve years later, Here in the Pitch still sounds untied to any decade in particular. Troye Sivan, who has sampled her vocals in his own music, stated that Pratt’s voice “could have existed forever.” The album in both theme and sound expresses the sentiment of growing up in rainy and magically sleepy Northern California, with a “complicated” relationship with God. ‘The Last Year’ and ‘World on a String’ are a continuation of her roots composing on a thrifted nylon string acoustic, proving she doesn't have to be complicated to be deeply effective. Jessica Pratt’s expression makes you feel like she humbly knows something you don’t, like she's closer to some truth, and that's reflected in her music. Here in the Pitch has a 27 minute runtime, which stings only because you could linger in her world forever.  

– Ella Bernard

Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 (Soundtrack from the Animated Series)

The animated series Arcane continues the story of two warring sisters, Vi and Jinx, as they flit between utopian Piltover and its dark, seedy underside Zaun. The soundtrack draws together unexpected genres from various tongues, including rock, country, K-pop, and electronica. Among twenty original tracks, the album features artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Stray Kids, Stromae, Pomme, King Princess, and d4vd. A personal favourite is ‘这样很好 (Isha's Song)’, a soaring Mandarin ballad by Eason Chan. Complementing the show’s vibrant and gritty animations, the soundtrack translates the sharp sense of risk and adventure into a compelling audible rendering.

– Enya Xiang

Romance - Fontaines D.C.

Fontaines D.C. 's Romance marks a bold evolution in the band’s distinctly ‘Irish’ sound, seamlessly blending elements of shoegaze, hip-hop, trip-hop, jangle rock and grunge. The record introduces new sonic textures to the band’s soundscape, notably opulent string arrangements that evoke classic cinema, while never overlooking the raw freneticism that defines them. Grian Chatten’s intelligent, insightful lyricism cements his place as one of the most original songwriters in modern rock, exploring themes of love, existentialism and the human condition with sharp precision.  It’s bold and bright, but simultaneously dark and dingy (weird, I know), and seems a fitting progression from their virtually flawless third album, Skinty Fia. What results upon listening is a feeling of limitless possibility set against a backdrop of impending doom. Get into it.

– Ellie Crosbie

Bright Future- Adrianne Lenker

The sixth solo album from Big Thief's front woman, Adrianne Lenker, is a masterclass in folk music from start to finish. Recorded straight to tape, Bright Future embraces the sounds of nature, studio tapes whirring and small talk between artist and producer, providing an intimacy which is reflected in the album’s somber lyrics. Lenker has always been heartbreakingly honest in her lyricism and this album is no different. From accepting growing up to musing on the end of the world, Lenker plays with comedy and clever word play on the album’s stand out tracks ‘Donut Seam’ (a pun on the phrase ‘don’t it seem’) and ‘Evol’ a song full of backwards spelling. Nominated for best folk album at the 67th Grammy awards ceremony, Bright Future is a must listen. 

– Fatima Krida

Diamond Jubilee - Cindy Lee

Diamond Jubilee is a fuzzy and warm journey through many genres: a magical double LP. Patrick Flegel, under his mysterious persona Cindy Lee, creates a world of sounds originating from all colorful corners of psychedelic pop, 90’s lofi, and perhaps Cindy Lee’s own planet of origin. 2 hours long, Diamond Jubilee is a gratifying listen despite its length, each song having its own style. Being Cindy Lee’s second major available release, it feels more structured, better, and bigger than its predecessors. During your travels home, or just your walk to town, Diamond Jubilee allows you to leave the bubble that St Andrews is, and listen to something totally new. 

– Alvar Ekeus

Older (and Wiser) – Lizzy McAlpine

Lizzy McAlpine came out with Older (and Wiser), an introspective collection about the lesions she learned during her latest relationship. This album, she has mentioned while on her tour, has felt more authentic to create than past albums, finally writing for herself rather than what people expected of her. Songs like ‘I Guess’ and ‘Come Down Soon’ highlight the insecurities of being in an unstable relationship, waiting for when things start to crash. Internal debating and bargaining is a theme of the album. Lizzy’s voice adds a vulnerable feel to each song, contributing to the risk and rawness of sharing thoughts, especially when admitting to not being perfect. ‘Drunk, Running’ is a beautiful confession to sitting idly when someone needs help. The honesty of the album is a beautiful concept that Lizzy McAlpine has revealed in past albums, singing about mistakes she has made and owning up to them. Listeners can hear the pain and regret behind each lyric, evident in ‘Method Acting (Demo).’ Older (and Wiser) takes listeners through the relationship, and can see Lizzy grapple with overthinking her part in the relationship and the pain the relationship left her. The album leaves listeners with both clarity in being able to reflect but also a hole for the person she, or anyone that relates, was before.

– Eva Sawdey

The Last Flight – Public Service Broadcasting

An album that blends indie with niche history. Get in my belly. PSB’s fourth studio album delves into the story of Amelia Earhart, who attempted to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. The gripping tale is beautifully brought to life by the band through their use of audio clips from the time and evocative instrumentation. A cameo appearance on single ‘The Fun of It’ from Andreya Casablanca of Berlin rock-duo Gurr (another one to check out) is a particular highlight. The band’s wider discography is well worth a listen for fans of guitar music and history - two of life’s great pleasures.

– Ben Bagley

Highway Prayers – Billy Strings

It’s just about impossible to overstate Billy Strings’ influence on bluegrass over the past 10 years, and Highway Prayers is the latest assertion that all the other flat-pickers can hang up their spurs; there’s no catching Billy. Across an astounding 20 tracks, Strings shows once again that he can do it all: from the bucolic harmonies of ‘Seney Stretch’ to full outlaw in ‘Seven Weeks in County’ to the brilliant lyricism of ‘In the Clear’. To those new to bluegrass, it’s a great starting place, and for genre loyalists, it’s yet more perfection, as Billy Strings makes Americana only wonder how it ever managed without him.

– Soren Rasmussen

Live at the Salt Shed  – Mt. Joy

The flame of the American jam band continues to burn strong. Mt. Joy’s evolution from a Philly-based ‘indie-folk’ group into a behemoth live touring act is all too clear with the release of their second live album, Live at the Salt Shed. Taken from their 2023 New Year’s run in the beloved and intimate Chicago venue, the 22-song set boasts a handful of new tracks while the presence of billboard classics ensures that the band doesn’t stray too far from its humble roots. For all you Fleetwood Mac fans out there, the band even takes ‘Dreams’ and makes it their own in a hidden gem cover in the album’s latter half. If you’re looking for the perfect blend of instrumentals and indie sing-along love tunes, your ear will thank you for giving this a listen. 

– Finn Wentz

Cartoon Darkness – Amyl and The Sniffers

Punk is NOT Dead and Melbourne-based band Amyl and The Sniffers proved this with their recent release and third studio album Cartoon Darkness. Including some previously released singles such as ‘Jerkin’, ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’, ‘Big Dreams’, and ‘Chewing Gum’, the album has an electrifying and empowering feel, driven mostly by rebelliously charming front woman, Amy Taylor. Taylor’s distinct voice, intensified by her Australian accent, imbues their sound with a unique expressivity. Tracks like ‘Tiny Bikini’ and ‘Me and The Girls’ feel reminiscent of Riot Grrrl tunes with their tauntingly playful tone and in-your-face lyrics. Every song on the album feels like an inventive reworking of an old yet amazing sound, like something I have loved before yet never knew I needed. 

– Evelyn Donnelly

Interview With the Vampire Season 2 (Soundtrack from the AMC+ show) – Daniel Hart

A show that spans time and space calls for a soundtrack that does the same. As AMC’s Interview With the Vampire follows the immortal lives of Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand, winding through the cobblestone streets of 1940s Paris, the sleek high-rises of modern-day Dubai, and the hurricane-battered roofs of old-town New Orleans, Daniel Hart brings every scene alive with a soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates place and era. Hart’s A Vein Winding Through The Heart of Paris intersperses strings, flute, and bells before giving way to a classical violin-piano duet, bringing to mind nighttime riverside walks and dimly lit cafes where you might spot a vampire or two. Come to Me on Rue Royale takes a decidedly different note, paying homage to New Orleans big-band stylisation. Horns take the lead, backed by a steady piano comping and a traditionally swung beat; the audience may as well be seated with Louis as he returns to New Orleans for the first time in decades. The strongest piece of the soundtrack, however, is its closing tune. Entitled I Didn’t Know It Was A Gift, the piece is set over a scene sparse with dialogue, allowing the song to take centre stage. A haunting, familiar melody set to piano, orchestral strings swelling, a crescendo that builds slowly until it breaks like a wave to the shore. Hart is the master of atmosphere, and this soundtrack proves it: no matter where or when the scene is set, he transports you there in an instant.

– Aki Sanjay

Midas – Wunderhorse

The English rock band Wunderhorse made a return this year with their sophomore album Midas, which sees the quartet refining their raw, guitar-heavy sound. The album is a step further in the sonic direction established in their 2022 debut Cub, with even sharper riffs and vocals from frontman Jacob Slater which could verge on strained, but instead strike the perfect combination of chaos and pleading. The album covers themes of love, guilt, failed relationships, and the darker sides of the music industry, and does so in the form of a ten-track masterclass in making simple chords feel supersized. This album came out at the end of August and has since been the perfect soundtrack for many of my treks into town this semester, with tracks like ‘Arizona’ being perfect for a gloomy autumn day, and ‘Midas’ for library seat-searching during deadline season. There’s no doubt that Wunderhorse are about to dominate the rock scene and become the band that every man on hinge tells you he’s into. Unfortunately, they just are that good. My personal favourite is ‘Silver’. Have at it!

– Katlyn Mortimer

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish

Unlike other teenage sensations, Billie Eilish has once again shown in her newest record that she is constantly growing up, musically. Lightyears away from bedroom/lo-fi pop (but still written alongside her brother FINNEAS, as all her past records have been), HIT ME HARD AND SOFT stands out as the best album of the year. From the catchy song of the summer ‘LUNCH’ to the perfect pop song ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ to the lyrically clever breakup anthem and sonic escape to a club scene ‘L’AMOUR DE MA VIE’, every single off the record has swept the music scene — and rightfully so. They’re so good that they can’t be ‘overplayed’… at least in my opinion. That said, the singles are not the only stars of the album. Other stand-outs include: ‘CHIHIRO’ and ‘THE DINER’ for their production and unconventional structures, ‘SKINNY’ for its vulnerability and vocals, and ‘BLUE’ for its all-encompassing nature — a beautiful closer. In a time of chart-topping being many of our biggest pop stars’ primary concerns, Eilish shows us the importance of meticulously crafting the playthrough of an album. Listen to it in order to get the full experience. The tracklist tells a story: melodic/rhythmic and lyrical themes, genre blending, satisfying transitions into and out of each song, reprises of certain tracks within others… all the right ups and downs to hit the listener at full capacity, both hard and soft.

– Bailey Tolentino

Dance, No One’s Watching – Ezra Collective 

Ezra Collective's Dance, No One’s Watching is rooted in the vibrant London jazz scene, which, as a Londoner, makes me slightly biased. The album masterfully blends Afrobeat, funk, hip-hop, and jazz, creating a tapestry that feels both grounded in tradition while being innovative and forward-facing. Each track radiates infectious energy, inviting listeners to revel in the joy of movement and rhythm. It’s the perfect soundtrack for dancing, tidying the house, or working away in the library. Having loved Ezra Collective since I first discovered them on the 2018 collaborative album We Out Here, I loved witnessing  their growth as a group and as artists. This album beautifully accentuates that journey. Their instrumental brilliance shines on tracks like Ajala, showcasing their technical and creative prowess. Additionally, Ezra Collective’s collaborations are always a delight, and Dance, No One’s Watching delivers on this front as well. Tracks like ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’, featuring one of my favorite artists, Yazmin Lacey, highlight the group’s never failing ability to elevate their sound with rich, collaborative energy. After winning the acclaimed Mercury Prize in 2023, hopes were high for this album, and by no means did they disappoint.

– Oona Wollsely

Mahashmashana – Father John Misty

Apocalyptic and satirical  Father John Misty’s sixth album Mahashmashana embraces West Coast existentialism brilliantly. The cinematic landscape of Chloe and the 20th century bleeds over to the new album, while embracing the older, disruptive rock influences from his earlier works. After a chaotic year, this album is the perfect closer, blending religious imagery with apathy and conscious grime. The eight song album feels like a film soundtrack for the listener in which the narration makes us all feel a little less alone for noticing hypocrisy. The album is arguably the return to Father John Misty’s finest since Fear Fun. I highly recommend ‘She Cleans Up’ and ‘I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All’.  And may you too finish your year with the lyrics “I had a vision that Mary of Magadelene / Saw the future that awaits us on  Good Friday eve/ Figured the wages of salvation were a little too steep/ Said no one is fucking with my baby/ Lord, and got armed to the teeth.”

– Arielle Friedlander

Silence is Loud – Nia Archives

Silence is Loud backs up the claim that Nia Archives is the preeminent “Emotional Junglist.” It is impressive how she balances a rich thematic throughline with emotive melodies, inventive splashes of electric guitar, and the genre’s customary heavy breakbeats. The high BPM of Jungle, and rich synthesis of adjacent genres, are used ingeniously to reflect the intensity of romantic desire and familial strife, and the resulting sound is equal parts desperate and triumphant. She does the fundamentals well on the dark and murky ‘Forbidden Feelingz’, while also dipping into Acid House and Trance on ‘Tell Me What It’s Like’. Silence is Loud is a homecoming for a genre (a marriage of British and Jamaican subcultures to its core) repackaged for a new lonely generation.

– Abena Oppon

This Is How Tomorrow Moves – beabadoobee

Beabadoobee never ceases to impress. Her latest album, This is How Tomorrow Moves, released in August, is a lush blend of shimmery guitar and her signature ethereal soft vocals. The British indie artist keeps to her 90s-inspired shoegaze sound, though slightly more stripped down, with fewer grunge-y tracks. ‘Real Man’ keeps to a simple guitar progression, yet has a sultriness that is unique to the album. Other notable tracks include ‘Coming Home’, an ode to daily mundanity, and ‘Take a Bite’ – cool and catchy with its well-paced lyrics and fast beat. 

– Sophie Coory

Rong Weicknes – Fievel Is Glauque

Fievel is Glauque’s sophomore album is the ultimate realization of two creative visionaries, Zach Phillips and Ma Clément, faced for the first time with the means to truly experiment. Given the band’s international background, inviting an octet of musicians from New York to Brussels to Canada, recording sessions had previously been limited to a single day. However, for Rong Weicknes, bandleader Phillips took full advantage of a week long recording process to finally implement a technique he calls “live in triplicate,” wherein a foundational, duplicate, and improvisational antagonistic take are overlaid—all live, all sans click track. The outcome is a whirlwind of jazz-inspired instrumentals that almost seem to converse with and fight back against each other, encapsulating a whimsical sophistication bordering on chaos. The album’s title, based on mystic dichotomies, evokes themes of strength found in humbleness and the fear of forsaking such strength through the embodiment of a “wrong weakness.” Within the music these themes are heard in constant subversions of standard pacing, lyricism, and style, as Phillips and Clément explore complexity harbored in simplicity, levity as a mechanism for communicating solemn truth, and direction found in the surrendering of intention. For me this album has no equal; with a sound enigmatically floating above time and space, tempting a submergence into what is purely experiential while synchronously invoking cerebral discussion through the third track’s solicitation: “would you rather have an explanation or an image?”Rong Weicknes defies all that is “right” and yet emerges miraculously as a masterpiece for the ages.

– Joie Matsuda

The New Sound – Geordie Greep

For someone who seldom listened to Geordie Greep’s work in his former musical act Black Midi, I was surprised at how much I loved this album. Building upon Black Midi’s strength for concept albums and storytelling, Greep delivers a compelling narrative of male loneliness, desperation, and lechery. The power of the album is in its duality. Electric guitar solos accompanied by lewd and violent lyrics are followed by moments of genuine grace and tenderness, recalling the warmth and sincerity of classic love ballads (A cover of Frank Sinatra’s ‘If You Are But a Dream’ closes the album). This juxtaposition is used to no better effect than in ‘As If Waltz’, my personal favourite track off the album, and arguably the most sympathetic and pitiful representation of its themes.

– Caroline Clark

Bleachers – Bleachers

Bleachers have delivered a standout experience with their self-titled 2024 album, a triumphant fourth studio release that masterfully blends their signature 80s-inspired nostalgia with bold sonic experimentation. Frontman and producer Jack Antonoff once again proves why he is among contemporary music’s most innovative forces, crafting a record that feels both timeless and forward-thinking. The album’s structure mirrors the energy of a live concert, taking listeners on a dynamic journey that alternates between soaring anthems and introspective ballads. Tracks like the minimalist and emotionally resonant "Woke Up Today" and the tender love song "Isimo" showcase a raw vulnerability, drawing listeners into moments of universal connection. Meanwhile, the pulsating synth-pop intensity of "Jesus Is Dead" pushes creative boundaries, demonstrating the band's willingness to challenge expectations. Antonoff’s knack for crafting anthems for every emotional moment shines through, as themes of love, grief, and self-reflection weave seamlessly into the album’s fabric. The result is a body of work that feels cohesive yet adventurous, reaffirming Bleachers' unique place in today’s musical landscape. Bleachers  not only elevates the band's artistic standards but also secures their legacy as pioneers of their era. With its emotional depth and inventive soundscapes, this album is more than just a listening experience—it's a testament to the enduring power of music to connect, inspire, and transform.

– Lila Rucci