Albums that invaded my brainspace in 2024
I know, I know, we're starting out like shit. Bear with me for a second.
I generally despise listicles so allow me to simply just throw some albums out here that I liked and talk about them for a bit. No top tens. I'll try not to waste your time.
Kloke - On Rhythm
I am an unabashed Drum and Bass-head so I appreciate this modern form of atmospheric DnB in the style of the old stuff. Kloke understood the assignment through and through and it's a joy to listen to. I can tell where the influence is and I appreciate it immensely. Some of it ranges from very Origin Unknown to Future Engineers. There's some drumwork in here that's damn good, emulating the old chopping style of years and legends past, yet still keeping it fresh.
Give it a listen here and on bandcamp:
TURQUOISEDEATH - Kaleidoscope
Continuing the Drum and Bass streak, TURQUOISEDEATH released Kaleidoscope this year on an unsuspecting me. I'm a little ashamed that I initially missed this album, actually. It has a wide range of overall vibes, and the drum programming is superb. It shares some overlap with Progressive Breaks as well, an interesting fusion that plays nicely with the overall sense of the album. Nostalgic and new all at the same time. Highly recommend.
Give it a listen, and check out the bandcamp whilst you're at it:
Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Beth Gibbons continues to be an amazing vocalist and songwriter post-Portishead. It's melancholic, it's Folky, it's incredibly bittersweet. I initially thought I was going to bounce off the sound pretty hard, but I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to new material.
Listen to it please I'm begging you:
Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo
I am not the hugest fan of Deconstructed Club, but I couldn't ignore this one. The glitchy, chaotic beats and amazingly sculpted sound means the album's found a way onto a non-insignificant number of my playlists. Some tracks are definitely out of my wheelhouse depending on my mood, but I've found that it's a no-skip album more than something I pick and choose out of.
Shoot it a listen, and check the bandcamp!
SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup de Grâce
A friend of mine recommended this album and band in the midst of a very amusing talk about Sass as a concept, something this album has much of. It has a very throwback Hot Topic-esque sound that I oddly enjoy, maybe because I grew up through that era. It's very brain candy in comparison to the band's earlier works, but it incentivizes me to go through the rest of their discography as a jump point.
Give it a listen and by goddess please visit the bandcamp:
Black Dresses - LAUGHINGFISH
I might get some shit for this one, but I don't really care.
The overall diaspora appears to describe this album as a breakup album. Despite the duo's previous splits and rejoins, I can see it, and I can hear it. It's an implosion of emotion that I sympathize with on a level I can't describe, and I can't really see anything ending it like this album does. Breakups are often messy, and this is the distillation of absolutely fucking messy.
Give it a listen, and I'm going to keep telling you to check out the bandcamp.
Haujobb - The Machine in the Ghost
Having relatively recently dipped my toes back into the electro-industrial genre, I was pretty excited about the new Haujobb album. It's been a damn long time since we've heard anything from them, and the style and atmosphere is all there. I listen to this album and I can hear it playing at Goth Church.
Give this one a listen, too! On the bandcamp!
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She.....
I am imploring you to listen to this album if you haven't already. It's so fucking good. The production quality is insane. The genre spread is done so well and frankly absurd. "House of Self-Undoing" and "Eyes like Nightshade" hit like trains barreling down rail line 16. She even managed to fit Trip-Hop in there!
GIVE. THIS. A. LISTEN.
Final Thoughts
I listened to a lot more music that released this year than I initially thought, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of stuff that came out that I actually did like. Some it's pretty predictable, but some of it, I hope, went against expectations. Trying to keep the overall detail yet still distill my thoughts of the album is pretty non-trivial, so hopefully I didn't waste any of your time.
May 2025 grant us good music again, and once again, may we use it when we're on the frontline.
