Best new music of 2024 – midyear

So far this year, I have been underwhelmed by this year’s releases and have spent more time listening to old rather than new music. That being said, there are still some excellent 2024 releases to tout. The following list is in no particular order.

Billie Eilish – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie is 22 years old and can no longer be considered a wunderkind. On her third album, she has released her best. After saying that this list is in no particular order, I will contradict myself and say I have placed the album first as I think it is the best on this list. In my original blog post, I was excited enough to say: “I will stake my measly music-head reputation on the line and say that the new Billie Eilish album is a pop masterpiece and one of the year’s best new albums. I am not saying that it will have any significant cultural impact or that anyone other than her hardcore fans will care about this album in a month; just that it is excellent, and I want everyone my age to hear it.” Some time has passed, and I stand by my original statement.

Cat Power – Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert – In my original blog post, I said: “The arrangements are faithful to the Dylan originals, yet Cat Power’s unique vocals make the material her own. Hearing her interpret these songs opens up new meanings and nuances.”

Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well – In my original blog post, I wrote: “This album will burnish Kacey’s reputation as a singer-songwriter and recording artist. The songwriting is simple and direct, and the music/arrangements perfectly augment the lyrics. Golden Hour was a huge step forward, moving Kacey from an up-and-coming country star to a brilliant pop singer-songwriter. Deeper Well is evidence that Golden Hour was not a fluke and Kacey is for real.”

The Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards – The Brothers Robinson got back together to celebrate and financially exploit their debut album. That went well enough that they were inspired to record an album of quality new material. I also saw them on tour, and the new material mixes well with their greatest hits. Here is my full review.

Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me – When this came out, I wrote: “On Don’t Forget Me, Rogers has found the Maggie Rogers sound: a soft rock guitar-forward production and an updated version of a 70s singer-songwriter vibe. There is a quiet confidence in Rogers; she sounds comfortable as a pop star.”

Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement – In my blog post about this album and the tour supporting it, I wrote: “Fearless Movement is my new favorite Kamasi Washington album. At 86 minutes, it is a relatively short Kamasi album, which helps – it is more digestible. I like how it more deliberately incorporates Kamasi and the WCGD’s hip-hop influences. Witnessing this material live has only enhanced my appreciation of the album.“

Kenny Garett & Savoy—Who Killed AI—Earlier this year, I wrote: “The ghost of Miles Davis hangs over this album both in the sound (late-period Miles) and in the experimentation (combining electronics and jazz). Garrett and Svoy’s concept of a Miles-inspired combination of jazz sax with electronica works is inspired—it sounds fresh but also honors the past.”

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us – I like this album, but it did not pass the “if I like it, I will buy it on vinyl” test. Maybe that will change later this summer when I see them live. In my review, I said: “Overall, this is an excellent album. It is not significantly different from the rest of their catalog, but it distills what they do best. This would be a great introduction to the band.”

Pearl Jam – Dark Matter – The band continues with a nice late-career renaissance (they have been around for nearly 35 years). 2020’s Gigaton was excellent, and Dark Matter is even better. It might be too pop for hardcore fans, but I think it sounds great. It also did not pass my “if I like it, I will buy it on vinyl” test.

Maggie Rose—No One Gets Out Alive—If you like Linda Ronstadt from the 1970s, you will like this album.

Norah Jones – Visions – In my review, I wrote: “Norah has advanced on several fronts. I assume the pandemic gave her a chance to really woodshed. Her vocals are the most adventurous and satisfying in her catalog, and her guitar playing now rivals her piano. Her songwriting is strong. The arrangements are loose but serve the songs.”

Wilco – Hot Sun Cool Shroud EP – This is a last-minute entry as it was released on 6/28/24. This six-track EP (18 minutes) is a collection of leftovers from Wilco’s last album, 2023’s Cousin. They were demos finished by Jeff Tweedy and engineer Tom Schick. I loved Cousin, and these are quality leftovers.

Some albums I initially liked but have not stood the test of time:

• Beyonce—COWBOY CARTER—I was blown away when I first listened to this album. I had not critically listened to a Beyonce album until this one. I wrote a long blog post about it, but I have not returned to it.
• Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department – Simple problem here – it is just too much volume. I recently made a playlist of the TTPD songs she added to her latest leg of The Eras Tour, which was much more digestible. It reminded me that there are some excellent songs on this album. My review is here.
• The Smile – Wall Of Eyes – I completely forgot about this album until I reviewed my blog and Instagram posts. It did not blow me away like the debut did. I originally wrote: “My assumption is that Radiohead is on indefinite hiatus, and so The Smile is likely the closest we will get to fresh Radiohead. The Smile is a satisfying substitute. As for the lyrical content, I have rarely paid attention to Radiohead’s lyrical content, and I am not about to start now with The Smile. Enjoying the soundscape roll over me is all I need.“

And one more thing—I just finished Ann Powers’s outstanding new book on Joni Mitchell (Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell. Rather than writing a typical biography, Powers takes a music critic’s approach. She also takes an autobiographical approach by sharing her relationship with Joni’s music. After five decades of listening to Joni, I gained new insights reading this book.