Top 25 Tracks 2024

25. Genie – Crumb

“Genie” is the platonic ideal of a psychedelic rock song. It’s dreamy, it grooves out in style, and sounds like a jam session without an end in sight. Just when silence falls and you think the party is over, it explodes back to life, with Crumb bringing even more energy than before.

24. Like I Say (I runaway) – Nilüfer Yanya

Nilüfer Yanya has shown herself to be one of the most reliable voices in rock over the last few years. You can count on her to show up with a solid hook, a jagged guitar riff, and a sweet, honest melody. On this track, it’s all coming through between Nilüfer’s confessions of doubt, unsure whether to follow her heart or mind. Does she stay (or runaway)?

23. Child of Mine – Laura Marling

It’s hard to think of a song as pure and heartwarming as this one. Laura Marling sings directly to her one-year-old daughter with endless demonstrations of love, promising to instill her with passion and lamenting that her protection cannot ward off bad dreams. Although her fears as a new mother are apparent, she’s determined to not let a single moment of parenthood pass her by.

22. I Don’t Know You – Mannequin Pussy

My favorite track from Mannequin Pussy’s great album I Got Heaven is perhaps its most restrained. It’s slow, it even starts off gently, with a twinkling synth and a whispering voice. When the roar of guitar distortion rolls over the track, it doesn’t sound menacing, it’s more like a wave that rumbles in the background. Sure, it’s a pretty loud rumble, but for these punk rockers it might as well be a lullaby.

21. 0∞ – Verraco

When aliens descend from the heavens, and you see the flashing lights from their UFOs, will you be afraid? Will you panic when you hear their laser beams and ray guns? What if it came with a side of booty-bouncing, bass-dropping, rave-ripping dance beats? This is the question posed by Colombian producer Verraco, and going off this track, I’d like to hear what the aliens have to say. I think they brought “cake”?

20. Sadness As a Gift – Adrianne Lenker

Although Bright Future didn’t make the cut for my favorite albums, the standouts from it are phenomenal. On “Sadness As a Gift”, it’s classic Adrianne, delivering creatively heartbroken lyrics and crafting a track that you’ll hum all day. Between rustic guitar chords and beautiful fiddle solos, Adrianne makes the most of her breakup, cherishing memories that live on fondly, choosing to see her sadness as evidence of a well-lived season of love.

19. World on a String – Jessica Pratt

Jessica Pratt’s voice is truly entrancing. Against the droning strums of guitar, she sings with the tenderness of a wood nymph, inviting and warm. Although her delivery is understated, you may still feel a bit starstruck from hearing her, like she’s sitting right in front of you. Jessica sings that she wants to be “the sunlight of the century”, but she’s already shining bright, flickering like a bonfire.

18. Red Flags – Brittany Howard

Few artists can make a statement like Brittany Howard on this track. Groovy, dynamic, and commanding, this track is a real tour de force. Front and center, Brittany’s absolute powerhouse of a voice steals the show. Singing about her chase for short lived ecstasy, she belts the chorus with bravado, begging herself to ignore obvious red flags in the pursuit of passion. Her performance is flawless though, not a red flag in sight.

17. I’m All Fucked Up – This Is Lorelei

It’s no surprise that Nate Amos of Water From Your Eyes is back with another one of the most off the wall and blissfully fun tracks of the year, this time under his solo project. It’s all killer, no filler, starting with a quick pace that never drops a beat, unleashing a cavalcade of fuzzy memories from drunken nights in the streets of Madrid: lunch lost to a stray dog, buzzing off a head of curls, encountering God in the middle of a nosebleed. Over and over, Nate tells himself “you’ve had your fun”, and listening to this track I’m having mine.

16. She’s Leaving You – MJ Lenderman

“You can put your clothes back on” says MJ Lenderman to the imminently divorced man, as though he’s catching his own character off guard, “she’s leaving you”. This dude gets hit by the divorce pretty hard, falling into a stereotypical midlife crisis: renting a Ferrari, going to Vegas to gamble at a cheap casino, convinced he’s not there for the money, just the lights. But between fantastic guitar solos from MJ, you can hear empathy in his voice: “It falls apart, we’ve all got work to do”. You can laugh at the Clapton-obsessed punchline of a man, but the truth is we all have ups and downs, and we could all use some self-improvement.

15. Under the Shadow of Another Moon (Dark Night) – Cole Pulice & Hunter Schafer

Cole Pulice’s saxophone is a thing of pure beauty, simple as that. Their layered composition, the climactic trills embellishing the song’s peaks, the ebb and flow of notes like waves, it all comes together to create an evocative soundscape so colorful you can almost see it. Over this piece, Hunter Schafer recites a poem by Eileen Myles with a delivery that tugs at your heartstrings. Lost in the moment, she nearly chokes back tears as she whispers “I was broken” and “I was jammed up in nothing beautiful”. Made for the TRANSA compilation celebrating trans communities through music, this track is a gorgeous and affecting reminder of the pain many in those communities have lived.

14. I Spoke With A Fish – Mount Eerie

Winning an imaginary argument with a fish should be easy, right? They can’t even talk. Wrong on two accounts. After Phil Elverum accuses a fish of pretending the running water it lives in is a palace, it quickly replies “No, what you see as those mountains is flowing matter.” This philosophical exchange completely changes Phil’s outlook, taking a step back to realize that we exist in a mere sliver of time, that our world is just like the fish’s, ever shifting. His creative framing is supported by adventurous music production, using a drum machine, vocoder, and later switching to epic vocal swells. Among Phil’s reflections, he says “recorded music is a statue of a waterfall”. He proves yet again his skill as a sculptor.

13. Mahashmashana – Father John Misty

“Mahashmashana” is epic in every sense of the word. Clocking in over nine minutes, building energy throughout, and dealing in proclamations of universal proportions, this might be Father John Misty’s most ambitious track ever. Hidden behind layered metaphors, he paints a dark picture of humanity (big surprise), where the rich have co-opted religion and beauty to accrue wealth, meanwhile, the true Gods have abandoned this world for the next. He waits only for the Mahashmashana, or Great Cremation, to end humanity’s journey in hopes that the “next universal dawn” will be one built on truth and not lies. With a fiery saxophone and an enormous string section, this song is grand, stunning, and self-indulgent in a way only Father John Misty can make work.

12. Enfrente – Mabe Fratti

Of all the fantastic tracks from Sentir Que No Sabes, “Enfrente” might be the one that immediately hooks you in the most. For starters, Mabe’s singing is dynamic and sweet, with memorable melodies that get stuck in your head. What’s more, every new sound you hear is intriguing, from the opening metallic percussion, to plucked thick bass notes from her cello, to the sparkling lo-fi synths that sound like a pinch of fairy dust sprinkled in the air. Listening through can feel like walking in a candy shop, head turning to each little treat with wonder. Mabe appears to be chasing her love, with them always one step ahead of her. As a songwriter, I think Mabe is at least one step ahead from the rest of the pack.

11. Eusexua – FKA Twigs

The lead single to FKA Twigs’ upcoming album promises a new direction for the acclaimed pop icon. A new bold (kind of unhinged) look, imagery of raves and BDSM, and clubby beats, all signs point to a project with the same infectious dance energy as this track. Asked what the term “Eusexua” means, Twigs has said it’s a state of transcendent euphoria, forgetting everything but the moment you’re in. It can be easy to get lost in this track from the first moments when her gorgeous voice sings like an angel on the dancefloor. The long buildup is worth the wait to watch the track spring to life, spreading its techno wings for a short, but euphoric moment in time.

10. Bending Hectic – The Smile

Speaking of long buildups, there may be no better payoff than on “Bending Hectic”, and you may consider listening to The Smile’s latest album just to experience its epic final peak on this track. Much like the road Thom Yorke drives on through the Italian mountainside, the song feels like contemplative wandering, gliding through the scenery. He approaches the bend, the sheer cliff exposing a breathtaking view, a beautiful call of the void, and he considers letting go of the wheel, relinquishing himself. Eerie strings crescendo, anticipating the horror of hitting the rocky ground. Finally, Thom comes to his senses, steering away from the edge, and bringing the track to a cathartic explosion of distorted guitars and epic drum fills, the adrenaline-inducing will to live.

9. Omakase – Cassandra Jenkins

Beauty and vulnerability are the two pillars that support “Omakase”, my favorite track from My Light, My Destroyer, and Cassandra Jenkins is an expert in embodying both in her music. Every note on this track is serene; shimmering guitar arpeggios, long breaths of trumpet and saxophone, the soft hum of synthesizers, it all fits together perfectly to create a sublime ambiance in which Cassandra’s voice, beautiful in its own right, can soar. She bares her emotions with elegance, submitting herself to an all-consuming love, one that could pull her apart, put her back together, inspire her, or destroy her. Her love flies across the sky like a meteorite, twinkling and glowing, captivating so long as it avoids impact.

8. Von Dutch – Charli XCX

Nothing embodies the essence of BRAT quite like “Von Dutch”, the bad-bitch anthem that hits like a truck no matter how many times you listen to it. Charli is all attitude here, coming out of the gate swinging and taking no prisoners. She launches the missile “It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me”, before the beat even has time to come to life, a preemptive strike on the haters and wannabes. A barrage ensues as she flexes every muscle in her body: her money, her diehard fanbase, even rightly claiming that this very song will become inescapable. All the while she asserts “I’m your number one”, the phrase echoing throughout seemingly the entire song. She is genuinely vicious on this track, matching the bite of the massive production that will make you want to crank up the volume and bow down to the queen, lest she come for your head next.

7. Real House – Adrianne Lenker

Taking a full 180-degree turn from the previous track, “Real House” will more likely make you want to curl up into a ball and cry. Featuring just piano and Adrianne’s soft, fragile voice, this song is raw with emotion as she reflects on childhood memories, moving into a “real house”, and the significance of family bonds. She focuses especially on her mother, who offered her love and comfort when she needed it most, be it sharing moments of joy while braiding branch crowns, or making her laugh when she ended up in the hospital, afraid and abandoned by her friends. Years later, in the struggles of adulthood, she longs for her mother’s love and recalls with bittersweet fondness how her fractured family briefly reunited when they had to put the family dog down. Recorded in a single take, you can hear Adrianne’s breath and the creak of the piano bench, an intimate vignette as vivid as her memories.

6. Treat Each Other Right – Jamie XX

When Jamie XX announced the end of his album drought, I was ecstatic. When his second lead single “Treat Each Other Right” dropped, I could not stop listening. Expertly crafted, the song is one of Jamie’s catchiest to date. Keeping in line with traditional house music decorum, Jamie relies primarily on a single soul sample, “Oh My Love” by Almeta Lattimore, splicing and repurposing it with ease. The sample gives the track a natural groove, augmented by Jamie’s heavy synth layers and effects that make the sound his own. At various points in the track, a mostly untouched clip of the sample plays, creating some space to breathe, but also showcasing Jamie’s abilities, as though he is saying to us “watch what I can make out of this”, a magician revealing his tricks. Almost like a plot twist, the leading notes of the track are even shown to originate from the sample. I’ve come to expect nothing less from Jamie, a master of his craft.

5. Problems – Being Dead

The biggest standout from Being Dead’s phenomenal album EELS is everything that makes them such a joy to listen to. Fun, dynamic, silly, and incredibly creative, “Problems” is a multi-phase adventure that entertains from beginning to end. Rich with satisfying harmonies and fully embracing their 60’s-inspired sound, the track brings “California Dreamin” to mind, all the way down to its cadence and eerie guitar chords. It’s fitting, as the band tries to run from their problems by having “a perfect hang”. They set up their party (“so fun to do!”) and manage to escape their woes for a time, but it all comes crashing down when everyone leaves, and they’re forced to ask “how can I fix the problem when it is with myself?” It sounds like a downer, but it’s far from it, with the band jamming out to the end, sounding almost delighted to avoid their problems for another day.

4. Girl, So Confusing – Charli XCX

“How do you feel being a girl?” Charli repeatedly asks the question, at least in part, to herself. The answer seems conflicted to say the least, as she proceeds to reflect on her relationships with other girls, highlighting uncertainty and contention hidden in every interaction they share. Do you hate me? Do I hate you? Are we jealous, or just insecure? Charli paints a world of doubt, one where women are conditioned to be pitted against each other, only feeling on the same page when they mutually wish to see each other “falling over and failing”. Although the track was all but confirmed to be inspired by her relationship with Lorde, and elevated via their fantastic reconciliatory remix, I prefer the original version, addressed to the nondescript “girl”. It feels fitting that the track discussing a shared experience of uncertainty would maintain its anonymity, raising more questions than answers. After all, “it’s so confusing being a girl.”

3. Capricorn – Vampire Weekend

When I first heard “Capricorn”, I knew that Vampire Weekend were back. Not just that they had returned with new music, but that their spark had been reignited, their energy renewed. Well, maybe I should specify seeing that spark exactly 1 minute and 50 seconds after hitting play. See, “Capricorn” is a bit of a bait and switch, starting off fairly tame with acoustic guitar, piano, and Ezra Koenig’s charming vocals. Playfully, it builds toward the second chorus with violins skipping along, but what follows may feel like a prank on your ears as distortion erupts into complete mayhem. Screeching synths engulf the song, nearly tearing it apart, and from that moment on it takes on new life with more odd and abrasive sounds. The song doesn’t lose itself though, you are simply forced to view it from a new, much brighter light. It’s loud, it’s noisy, and it immediately drew me in. What can I say? It just works.

2. Right Back To It (feat. MJ Lenderman)

“Right Back to It” was the very first single I listened to in January of 2024, and even then, I knew that it was bound to be one of the best tracks of the year. There’s something so irresistibly infectious about it, something that pulls you back time and again. There’s nothing to dislike about this incredibly sweet duet, sung with the rising indie star, MJ Lenderman. Their harmonies are rich but ever so gentle, MJ supporting Katie Crutchfield’s country vocals gracefully, without ever disappearing into the background. It’s a vocal pairing that elevates both singers, completely fitting for a ballad of grounding love. Katie sees her faults and shortcomings as a partner, at times “losing a bit of [her]self” when sensing she’s being difficult. But when expecting her partner to give up on her, they instead offer support, extending “love written on a blank check”. Her description of them as a comforting force, “like a song with no end”, is heartwarming and pure, a feeling you can fall right back into over and over.

1. Intento Fallido – Mabe Fratti

Mabe Fratti is at the height of her songwriting powers on “Intento Fallido”. If you need a song to drive home what makes Sentir Que No Sabes so good, it’s this one right here. It plays out like an epic, evolving through phases that build drama, raising the ante each time. With bridges, instrumental breaks, and key changes, Mabe doesn’t rest on something comfortable for long, instead, she wraps you up in a whirlwind of ideas that manages to never feel disorienting. Rather, it plays out like an adventure of twists and turns, promising an epic conclusion that delivers. Maybe most impressive is that with all its complexities, the track does not even hit the 3-minute mark, highlighting just how efficient Mabe can be with her writing, offering a hero’s journey in the length of a brisk walk. And a journey it is, brimming with emotion as Mabe wrestles with the idea of leaving a loved one behind, unable to match their bravery. Over and over, she says all she can do is fall apart, desperate to find a way out of her perceived failures. Rich with horn arrangements, chimes, and her signature cello, “Intento Fallido” has depth like no other track I heard in 2024. It’s the crowning jewel of Mabe’s remarkable year, a high watermark to surpass in her flourishing career.