20. Mount Eerie: Night Palace
A reflective, experimental work from Phil Elverum, “Night Palace” has stylized tonal and textural shifts between songs and sections of songs. The return to analogue recording is reflected in the quality of the recordings, ear-tickling noise and hiss. Orchestras of distortion like in “(soft air)” and triumphant smashed drum sounds in “Wind and Fog,” and the melodic bass parts of Pt. 2. “Night Palace feels like an expansive expression of the artist that traverses a new direction in many ways that still remains true to Elverum’s song-writing voice. A song like “I Spoke With A Fish” employs trilling high-hat and auto tune, while in “Myths Come True” we hear a more rhythmic, spoken part from Elverum. – Ash Richter
19. Maggie Rogers: Don’t Forget Me
Maggie Rogers’ February album Don’t Forget Me is an incredibly solid addition to the artist’s discography. It’s an album you could just as easily throw on for an afternoon dance party in your kitchen as for a night playing games with friends. The album is consistent, and anchored by some of Rogers’ best work; opener “It Was Coming All Along” and middle track “The Kill” highlight her vocals and seem perfectly engineered for live performance, where Rogers shines. – Ali Meizels
18. Jim Marlowe: Mirror Green Rotor in Profile
Just five days into 2024, Kentucky native Jim Marlowe dropped his wonderful instrumental avant-pop album, Mirror Green Rotor in Profile, on the world. A record needs to have some pretty memorable qualities to be loved throughout almost the entire calendar year, and Mirror Green Rotor in Profile certainly has its share. As if attempting to scare away any potential uncool, unappreciative undesirables, Mirror Green Rotor opens with overmodulated noise that warbles through. In time, however, track by track, sincere pop melodies reveal themselves, bouncing through the chaos via piano, brass, woodwind, Eno-esque guitar improvisations, and a myriad of percussive instruments. Jim Marlowe’s Mirror Green Rotor in Profile is a feast for adventurous ears. – Andy Mascola
17. Beyonce: Cowboy Carter
Beyonce’s ode to country music, Cowboy Carter isn’t always a good album but it doesn’t mean that it is not important. The single “Texas Hold ‘Em” is a country-pop amalgamation that won a BET Awards and is nominated for Best Country Song at the 2025 Grammy Awards. While covering the Beatles‘ “Blackbird” would seem very un-country, Beyonce gathers a group of four black female country artists to take on the track. As with anything Beyonce does, the album is well thought out and very calculated as both a pop artifact and a cultural criticism. – Adam Tercyak-Morgan
16. Duster: In Dreams
Back in full force, Duster has had a lot of releases in the past year, including a collab release with lo-fi hip hop project The Dirty Art Club. Clean and clear analogue sound recorded to tape, minimalist compositions and melodic simplicity all contribute to the symbiosis of the styles. In Dreams has a great range and hits expressive chordal moments full of texture and depth. Drum machine sounds on “Space Trash” and synth leads on “Poltergeist” are emblematic sounds for the band. The vastness of the sonic picture painted mirrors the live sound perfectly, you get the feeling you’re really in the room with the band on a close listen. – Ash Richter
15. Waxahatchee: Tigers Blood
Tigers Blood feels like a victory lap for Katie Crutchfield. Here, on her sixth studio album, she seems settled, confident, in tune with herself and her collaborators. It’s a deeply comfortable listening experience, though listeners will find themselves struck at times by the power of Crutchfield’s vocals and her impeccably phrased lyrics. Highlights of the album include “Right Back to It” featuring MJ Lenderman, “365,” and “Burns Out at Midnight,” although each track is a home run. – Ali Meizels
14. Hooky: Mirage
Yet another band to come out of the powerhouse Philadelphia scene, Hooky is working into their own pocket within the genre. Upon immediate impression, the use of sampling and sonic composition on “Mirage” is playful, fun-loving and upbeat with a strong sense of melodic leads throughout. Songs like “Pix” and “Heart Eyes” layer and unravel around hooks that come in and out, while songs like “F*****g Up” traverse diverse chord progressions and transitions. The production on this record feels balanced with lots of ear candy, quirky sounds and ever-present melodies. A follow up to releasing three records in 2021, Mirage does not disappoint. – Ash Richter
13. Katie Gavin: What A Relief
Katie Gavin, lead singer of popular indie-pop band MUNA, put out her first solo work in October. As a longtime MUNA fan, I admit I was skeptical at first, wondering how Gavin’s solo work would be different from, and similar to, what I was used to from her. But What a Relief slots perfectly into place in a completely different niche than Gavin’s previous discography with MUNA. It’s folky in a way that feels like a warm sweater and a candle, subtly catchy, honest, and deeply vulnerable. Gavin’s voice shines in the rawest moments on the album, like opener “I Want It All” and “As Good As It Gets,” the latter featuring Mitski. A concise, well-organized, flawless debut album. – Ali Meizels
12. Geordie Greep: The New Sound
Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep’s first album of solo material, The New Sound, collects eleven songs that range in style from prog and art rock to Latin and jazz fusion. The substantial roster of musicians recruited for the creation of the album, along with the sleezy characters Greep embodies lyrically, are impressive given Greep’s young age (25). “Like a talented pestilence, she unzips the air,” Greep sings over samba rhythms on the excellent “Terra”. On “Holy, Holy”, The New Sound’s first single, Geordie slides into the sinister flesh of a womanizing barfly and expounds, in the most dramatic and graphic manner, his character’s plans for a night on the town. If The New Sound is where Greep’s solo career begins, where he’ll go next is anyone’s guess. Regardless, we’re here for it. – Andy Mascola
11. Nia Archives: Silence Is Loud
An insanely fun record overall, Silence is Loud is full of four-on-the-floor kick and glitched out breaks, from the title track through to the end. This Nia Archives record is crave-worthy and begs for looped listens, Archives draws from classic Britpop jungle to write about themes of loneliness and self-acceptance. “Crowded Roomz,” and “F.A.M.I.L.Y” explore complex topics in a raw and direct way, and Archives’ lyrical candor stands as the voice of reason behind the chaotic intensity of a breakbeat. On “Forbidden Feelingz” Archives offers a bit of a switchup to the sound, favoring a heavier, more dub-inspired and dark feel, while “Crowded Roomz” is a bigger, stadium pop style vocal. Each song feels extremely personal yet relatable, and the juxtaposition between energetic breaks and melancholic lyrics gives the album depth, which will give it true staying power. – Ash Richter
