70
Laetitia Sadier
Rooting for Love
(Drag City)
Rooting for Love is a surprising album title from Laetitia Sadier, the lead vocalist and co-founder of Stereolab. Stereolab were once referred to as “Marxist background music”. Nonetheless, the matter of love is a topic Sadier has increasingly explored in her post-Stereolab oeuvre with songs like “Then I Will Love You Again” from Something Shines (2014) and “Love Captive” from Find Me Finding You (2017). A difference with this new LP is that Rooting for Love puts the title subject front and center without irony. By virtue of this placement, her engagement is more transparent but also more complex. These aren’t ordinary love songs. Similar to her past work with Stereolab, Sadier uses pop music as a vehicle for social criticism. In this instance, Rooting for Love sees love as a solution for our contemporary ills, whether personal, political, or planetary. For her, the stakes couldn’t be higher. – Christopher J. Lee
69
Joy Oladokun
Observations From a Crowded Room
(Amigo / Republic)
In a year when Beyoncé reframed the Beatles’ “Blackbird” in the triumphant voice of five black women in harmony, Joy Oladokun opens Observations From A Crowded Room with “Letters From a Blackbird”, a counter ode to the commodification of marginalized voices that rarely translates into full inclusion. Oladokun’s fifth album is a continued exploration of her question in 2023’s Proof of Life, “Can anybody light a candle for somebody like me?” Deftly weaving folk-pop, gospel tinges, and hip-hop, Oladokun explores with raw vulnerability the struggles of a black queer singer-songwriter in a city that feeds dreams and often consumes them. In “I’d Miss the Birds”, she explores the contradictions of Nashville, where she carved herself a space but still isn’t big enough to love her. Oladokun is a shining light illuminating our hopes and limitations. – Rick Quinn
68
Clairo
Charm
(Independent)
In case you didn’t know, even music critics sometimes change their minds about albums after spending more time with them—even when the scores are already set in stone. Yet, six months after its release, Claire Cottrill’s third full-length still feels effortlessly charming, spontaneous, magnetic, and packed with tons of intricate details. It stands firm as the best in Cottrill’s catalog and one of the highlights against the bright backdrop of this year’s releases. This train of thought leads to an unexpected question: What do you think Charm has in common with Transformers, Harry Potter, and The Twilight Saga? Readers who guess correctly get our playful wink. The answer, of course, is—young geniuses.
After the initial success of those film franchises, Shia LaBeouf, Daniel Radcliffe, and Robert Pattinson—wunderkind actors at the time—did everything they could to avoid being typecast as one-hit wonders. The same can be said of Clairo. Following the breakout success of her highly timely, youthful, and pretty bangers from her bedroom pop era, she immediately shifted to more “grown-up” genres. Surfing through folk and soft rock, Cottrill eventually found herself in sweet and charming soul melodies. Almost all the tracks on Charm, recorded with a live session band, are so funky and timeless they could’ve fit right into episodes of Soul Train from the 1970s—yet Clairo somehow gives them the feel of a new incarnation of bedroom pop.
By naming the album Charm, Claire Cottrill draws in a broader audience while slyly mocking the industry’s obsession with marketable slogans. Even going big pop, she remains an enigma—an outsider masterfully juggling upbeat tunes, a melancholic atmosphere, and delicately penned lyrics. – Igor Bannikov
67
Khruangbin
A La Sala
(Dead Oceans)
Houston’s Khruangbin have been highly in demand as musical collaborators over the past few years, but A La Sala, their fourth studio album, finds them getting back to their core elements. Relaxed, funky grooves and simple but catchy guitar melodies dominate the record. Bassist Laura Lee and drummer Donald Johnson, Jr. lay down sparse beats while guitarist Mark Speer pushes the songs forward.
Tracks like “Three From Two” and “A Love International” show the band working hard as an instrumental trio. When they use vocals, they tend to be simple and can be in English, Spanish, or French. The funky “Hold Me Up” and the easygoing rock of “Pon Pon” seem designed for Khruangbin’s sizeable international audience to sing along. Meanwhile, the languid and lovely “May Ninth” and the quiet guitar feature “Caja de la Sala” let the group display different moods. A La Sala helped Khruangbin receive a years-to-late 2025 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. While calling them a new artist is a borderline insult, it helps put this excellent record in front of a larger audience. That, at least, is well-deserved. – Chris Conaton
66
Vampire Weekend
Only God Was Above Us
(Columbia)
Only God Was Above Us is the first Vampire Weekend album in 11 years to feature bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson, after 2019’s Father of the Bride found frontman/guitarist Ezra Koenig working with a collection of other musicians. With the original members on board, Vampire Weekend sound more recognizably like themselves while incorporating fresh ideas. Koenig’s melodies are as catchy as ever, as “Prep School Gangsters”, “Mary Boone”, and “Pravda” stack up strongly with the band’s classic earworms.
Meanwhile, tracks like “Ice Cream Piano”, “Classical”, and “Connect” take fascinating musical twists and turns. Throughout the record, Vampire Weekend use a wide array of instruments and tones to make Only God Was Above Us sonically diverse and interesting. The songs are the thing, though, and this set gives the band’s earlier albums, including PopMatters’ #1 album of 2013, Modern Vampires of the City, a run for their money in terms of quality. – Chris Conaton
65
Kelly Lee Owens
Dreamstate
(dh2)
Two years after the minimalist, abstract excursion LP.8 showed a new side of her increasingly fascinating work, Kelly Lee Owens opted for a bit of a reset on her fourth album. Perhaps it was inspired by her experience opening for Depeche Mode on their arena tour, or maybe it was the endorsement of Charli XCX, but Dreamstate sees the Welsh producer shaping her music into something breezier and more accessible than many expected. To consider this a dilution of Owens’ music would be a mistake, though, as Dreamstate is an immensely appealing exercise in a hypnotic electronic groove, awash in glitter and sunshine.
Less a pop album than something more akin to krautrock, Owens shifts from trance to acid house as she creates a techno ebb and flow that moves gracefully from dancefloor bangers to more hushed ballads. Also, by utilizing her singing more, she’s able to draw listeners in more easily than before, making such tracks as “Love You Got”, “Higher”, and “Sunshine” so irresistible. Arriving on the heels of Brat Summer, this record was the perfect comedown, but as time passes, the sunny warmth of Dreamstate will bring listeners back for many repeat listens. – Adrien Begrand
64
Hannah Frances
Keeper of the Shepherd
(Ruination)
One of many exciting 2024 releases from the Brooklyn-based independent label Ruination, Hannah Frances’ latest album is a curious blend of folk and jazz, with odd time signatures and thorny guitar figures mildly hinting at progressive rock. Her songs often rise above the pack and are more like exquisite puzzles that seem to defy traditional structure.
From the gently propulsive album opener “Bronwyn” to multifaceted tracks like “Husk” and “Floodplain,” Frances is adept at crafting elegantly and eloquently poetic lyrics accompanied by lush, complex, and deeply felt music. On Keeper of the Shepherd, she places herself among eclectic, “complete” artists like Joni Mitchell and Jeff Buckley. – Chris Ingalls
63
Ariana Grande
Eternal Sunshine
(Republic)
Even if Ariana Grande weren’t starring in one of the biggest movies of 2024, it would be a banner year for the pop songbird. Even though her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine, is somewhat overshadowed by Grande’s upcoming performance in the film version of Wicked, it proved to be the songbird’s best work. Not merely a showcase for her three hit singles – “Yes, And?”, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and “The Boy Is Mine” all hit the Top 20, with the first two going to number one – Eternal Sunshine is a near-perfect pop tale of love and heartbreak.
Featuring high-profile collaborators, including legend Max Martin, Eternal Sunshine is a shimmery, multi-textured record with influences of 1980s new wave, 1990s house, and millennial urban pop. Grande’s voice is a constant marvel, all light and strength: a hummingbird crossed with an eagle. On the summery “Bye”, Grande dismisses an errant lover, but it’s the sweetest breakup, all 1970s soul pop, and the soulfully poignant “Imperfect for You” is moving and oh so vulnerable. The best moment is “Yes, And?” which invites the audience to the club. The breadth and depth of Eternal Sunshine show off an artistic confidence that’s bracing and impressive. – Peter Piatkowski
62
The Decemberists
As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
(YABB)
The Decemberists‘ ninth studio album was a long time coming. Not only did they take six years between records, but it’s been a full 13 since the band made a record (The King Is Dead). The break must have done wonders for frontman/songwriter Colin Meloy’s inspiration, though, because As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again has all the finicky charms of their classic material and a few new wrinkles.
The first single, “Oh No!” finds the band doing a hot jazz-inspired track to significant effect, while epic closer “Joan in the Garden” goes on for nearly 20 minutes and nearly justifies its running time. Meanwhile, songs like “The Reapers”, “Don’t Go to the Woods”, and “The Black Maria” find Meloy in his dark ballad mode, while “Long White Veil”, “William Fitzwilliam”, and the bouncy “America Made Me” show that the band hasn’t lost their touch for catchy hooks. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is among 2024’s most welcome comebacks. – Chris Conaton
61
Jane Weaver
Love in Constant Spectacle
(Fire)
British singer-songwriter Jane Weaver has built a solid reputation by situating accessible melodies against a backdrop of diverse musical textures. Her twelfth solo album, Love in Constant Spectacle, refines this approach by drawing the listener into a dense mood-scape of analogue synths, hypnotic rhythms, and darkly serene vocals. Longtime PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish adds production polish to the material without dulling Weaver’s experimental idiosyncrasies.
Each of the ten songs on Love in Constant Spectacle occupies a distinct place in Weaver’s sonic landscape. “Perfect Storm” recalls classic synthpop and darkwave. “The Axis and the Seed” delivers a menacing trip-hop groove. “Is Metal” presents a midtempo indie rock strut. The closing track, “Family of the Sun”, echoes the haunting minimalism of Nico’s 1968 classic The Marble Index. Through it all, Weaver performs with the cool confidence of an artist entirely in command of her vision. The title track of Love in Constant Spectacle is plausibly prophetic as Weaver teases the listener with “Signs of greater things to come.” – Peter Thomas Webb