Our 50 Favorite Albums of 2024

With a run time of just over 19 minutes, the sophomore album from Minneapolis pop-punk trio VIAL does not hang around but more than delivers with catchy hooks and big choruses.

Essential Tracks: just fine, ur dad, bottle blonde

FFO: Pinkshift, Sorry Mom, Dream Nails

On the self-titled follow-up to How We Function, the London-based trio build on their debut record which explores themes of doubt, resilience, and mental health struggles through a raw, energetic sound.

Essential Tracks: Jagged Routine, Narrow Tracks, Watching Wax

FFO: Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Nirvana

The duo of Piper Torrison (guitar, vocals) and Keely Martin (bass, vocals) explore how our anxieties can eat away at ourselves on their debut album

Essential Tracks: Litterbug!, Fun Time Fix (We Go Go), I Might Be Giant

FFO: Arctic Monkeys, Sunny Day Real Estate, Tegan and Sara

Mixing synth-pop and shoegaze, the new album from Secrecies is a captivating blend of ethereal guitars, synth chords and otherworldly vocals

Essential Tracks: Cathedrals, Game Show, Dance With Me

FFO: Slowdive, Sonic Youth, Nation of Language

The second album from self-proclaimed “past-it emo kids” does exactly what it says it will with a bigger sound than their 2017 debut.

Essential Tracks: I Carried You Home, Romantic Youth, So Delicate

FFO: Idlewild, Twin Atlantic, There Will Be Fireworks

On the band’s fourth album, songwriter Dana Margolin addresses burnout, the music industry, heartbreak and the brutal collapse of significant relationships on their most affecting record to date.

Essential Tracks: A Hole In The Ground, God of Everything Else, Sick Of The Blues

FFO: English Teacher, Goat Girl, Wild Pink

Ten albums in and Travis have made a wonderful, eclectic record with Fran Healy reflecting on his personal experiences living in Los Angeles.

Essential Tracks: Bus, Alive, The River

FFO: James, R.E.M., Elbow

With a mesmerizing blend of shoegaze, post-punk and dream-pop, the debut album from Brooklyn’s Silent Mass is a captivating listen.

Essential; Tracks: Black Wing, Land of Heart’s Desire, Rose + Crown

FFO: Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, The Cranberries

On her strongest album to date, Maggie Rogers explores themes of heartbreak, growing up, and getting older on her third full length release

Essential Tracks: Don’t Forget Me, The Kill, Never Going Home

FFO: Fleetwood Mac, Haim, Kacey Musgraves

 A record that is steeped in the sound of the 2000s, the debut album from Seattle quartet instant crush is full of catchy choruses, sparkly synths and high-energy guitar riffs

Essential Tracks: SAFETY NET, APOLOGY TOUR, STAB MY BACK

FFO: Paramore, Fall Out Boy, The Killers

For their first record on their own label, Sea Girls have come up with another collection of catchy indie-pop anthems.

Essential Tracks: Midnight Butterflies, Superman, Weekends and Workdays

FFO: U2, The Killers, The Sherlocks

The New Zealand singer’s debut album stands for “you’re on your own this time again” and sees her step into the driver’s seat creatively for the first time in her career to deliver a deeply personal record.

Essential Tracks: Accelerate, Get Back To You, Benchwarmer

FFO: Squirrel Flower, Lucy Dacus, Annie DiRusso

More than living up to the hype that followed a series of stellar singles, the debut LP from Brighton Lime Garden is filled with catchy, hooky tracks.

Essential Tracks: I Want To Be You, Love Song, Pop Star

FFO: Wet Leg, Dream Wife, English Teacher

The debut album from Glasgow’s Dead Pony is a response to the band’s experiences of being ignored by the music industry and showcases the band’s creativity across 16 tracks.

Essential Tracks: RAINBOWS, Bad Girlfriend, COBRA

FFO: Yonaka, The Breeders, VENUS GRRRLS

On their fifth album, London’s Desperate Journalist retain their post-punk sound but push it further into darker, more atmospheric territory tackling themes such as mortality, family and independence.

Essential Tracks: Afraid, 7, Comfort

FFO: The Cure, Dry Cleaning, The Twilight Sad

Now a rotating collective led by vocalist Haley Shea, the Norwegian pop-punks third album is a fun, cathartic record inspired by the cinematic world.

Essential Tracks: Afraid, I Used To be A Real Piece Of Shit, Ladies Of The Fight

FFO: Paramore, Dream Wife, Alex Lahey

On their second record, Eliza & The Delusionals have released a collection of songs that blend catchy hooks, driving rhythms, and introspective lyricism interspersed with beautiful interludes that create a full album experience.

Essential Tracks: Falling For You, Somebody, Lately

FFO: The 1975, The Japanese House, Middle Kids

On their second album, Iris James Garrison has written a collection of spacious, full-bodied indie-folk songs about friendship, love and self-discovery.

Essential Tracks: Dollar Slice, Virtual Hug, Bumper Sticker

FFO: Mazzy Star, Caroline Says, Babehoven

The UK band’s gorgeous sophomore album is about the band’s experience of the past few years, and how they used their pain and anger to move forward and face their emotions head on.

Essential Tracks: The Pain, Swirling Smoke, I Never Had Control

FFO: Everything, Everything, Wolf Alice, Friedberg

Singer Eva has described Forever as being about “falling back in love with being in a band” and it definitely sounds like they are enjoying themselves as the record is full of some of their biggest pop songs of their career.

Essential Tracks: Calling You Out, Waiting For You

FFO: illuminati hotties, The Beths, Pom Pom Squad

The third album from Billie Eilish is a deeply personal record that explores themes of love, forgiveness, betrayal, obsession, sexuality, and her relationship with her fans and social media.

Essential Tracks: LUNCH, WILDFLOWER, THE GREATEST

FFO: Björk, Lorde, Lana Del Rey

With arguably their best album to date, Ireland’s Pillow Queens explore themes of vulnerability, longing, queerness, and reconciliation.

Essential Tracks: Gone, Suffer, Like A Lesson

FFO: Sods Blonde, Francis of Delirium, SPRINTS

Madi Diaz’s says that her wonderful fifth album is about peeling back the layers of her feelings, and trying to understand why she feels the way she does.

Essential Tracks: Everything Almost, For Months Now, Same Risk

FFO: Waxahatchee, PJ Harvey, Kacey Musgraves

The Manchester band return with their fourth album which is full of big melodies and anthemic choruses

Essential Tracks: Dreams Aren’t Enough, I Can’t wait For You, Repercussions

FFO: Joy Division, Interpol, Editors

Produced by Rick Rubin, the third record from Beabadoobee showcases her growth and maturity as an artist.

Essential Tracks: Take A Bite, Beaches, Girl Song

FFO: Clairo, Faye Webster, Elliot Smith

The Liverpool band’s debut is a thrilling mix of post-punk energy, indie anthems, and a hint of hip-hop.

Essential Tracks: My Thoughts Go, Queen, Save Yourself

FFO: Pixies, Gang of Four, The Streets

The project of Leeds-based singer-songwriter Amber Strawbridge, the first LP from Bored At My Grandma’s House is a wonderful collection of shoegaze-infused indie pop.

Essential Tracks: Show & Tell, Moving Slow, Friendship Bracelets

FFO: Alvvays, Boygenius, Soccer Mommy

Los Angeles trio Cuffed Up’s debut is packed with huge anthemic tracks built around lyrical themes of standing firm, of resilience and defiance.

Essential Tracks: Finer Things, Mock Dance, Meet The End

FFO: The Pixies, Momma, The Joy Formidable

Another wonderful album from a band that can seemingly do no wrong. On Audio Vertigo, the Bury quartet explore a variety of musical influences, including African and South American rhythms, synths, and orchestrations

Essential Tracks: Good Blood Mexico City, Things I’ve Been Telling Myself For Years, Her To The Earth

FFO: Doves, Turin Brakes, Radiohead

On their full-length debut record, Liverpool’s Crawlers include the rock anthems that they’re known for but also some more introspective moments.

Essential Tracks: Kills Me To Be Kind, Would You Come To Me Funeral, Hit It Again

FFO: Wolf Alice, The Joy Formidable, The Mysterines

Head Void is the first new music from FIL in over 5 years and well worth the wait. On the record, Joey Vannuchi writes about love, sex, heartbreak, and religious disenchantment.

Essential Tracks: The Flow, Shrine, The Lines

FFO: Manchester Orchestra, Foxing, Slowdive

On their stunning debut album, the duo of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger merge elements of post-punk and chamber-pop and experimental rock.

Essential Tracks: Where We’ve Been, Crimson to Chrome, Get Numb To It!

FFO: Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire, villagerrr

The Dublin post-punk band’s debut record sees their sound maturing into energetic and abrasive garage-punk.

Essential Tracks: Adore Adore Adore, Shadow of a Doubt, Cathedral

FFO: Bikini Kill, Savages, Fontaines D.C.

The British band’s original and ambitious debut record explores themes like societal issues, mental health, and the cost of living and won the 2024 Mercury Music Prize.

Essential Tracks: R&B, Albatross, The World’s Biggest Paving Slab

FFO: Black Country, New Road, Yard Act, Honeyglaze

On her fourth LP as Soccer Mommy, Sophie Allison takes us on a deeply emotional journey through the natural process of grief. Evergreen is about the loss of a loved one and the challenges of moving forward in a changed world

Essential Tracks: M, Driver, Abigail

FFO: Snail Mail, Japanese Breakfast, Adult Mom

The Mersyside indie band’s excellent debut album has been a long time in the making but they have filled it with the kind of stadium-ready anthems that should see them continue their rise.

Essential Tracks: No Place Like Home, Black and Blue, Heart on My Sleeve

FFO: The Sherlocks, The Rosadocs, The Lathums

The highly-anticipated debut from the Galway quartet does not disappoint with their blend of shoegaze and rock tackling topics including shame, bullying, mental health, and self-harm

Essential Tracks: In My Head, Nightmares, Let Go

FFO: Momma, Softcult, Slowdive

If being one of the most in-demand producers wasn’t enough, Sarah Tudzin also releases fantastic music as Illuminati hotties. The new album is full of memorable melodies and deal with real-life struggles, including the death of her mother.

Essential Tracks: The L, Throw (Life Raft), Didn’t

FFO: Speedy Ortiz, Pom Pom Squad, The Beths

On their third album, the Scottish folk/indie rock band are an incredible live act and have given us their most complete record to date.

Essential Tracks: Amber, White Noise, Nowhere Forever

FFO: Idlewild, Frightened Rabbit, There Will Be Fireworks

The duo of Alex Moore (vocals/guitar) and Spencer Livingston (guitar/vocals) have crafted a wonderful album combining the indie-pop rock of their first two albums with their stripped down Covid release Look.

Essential tracks: Places, Don’t Go Anywhere, Part Of The Talk

FFO: Beach House, Modest Mouse, Fleet Foxes

talker is the alias of indie rocker Celeste Tauchar and on her stunning full-length debut, she left no topic unexplored on her most honest collection of songs to date.

Essential Tracks: Easygoing, Return To Sender, Old Enough

FFO: Sheryl Crow, Japanese Breakfast, Tancred

More than 16 years have passed since the release of their last album 4:13 Dream, The Cure finally return with an incredible record that explores themes of loss, aging, and the passage of time

Essential Tracks: A Fragile Thing, Alone, And Nothing Is Forever

FFO: Echo & The Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Smiths

On the their third album, the Austin quartet have pulled together a riveting collection of shoegaze/rock tracks.

Essential Tracks: Tamagotchi, Silver Teeth, Seafoam

FFO: Lush, Ride, Slowdive

Katie Crutchfield’s gorgeous new record is full of more wonderful alt-country songs that made 2020’s Saint Cloud so successful.

Essential Tracks: Right Back At It, Bored, Crimes of the Heart

FFO: Laura Marling, Lucinda Williams, Big Thief

The D’addario brothers return with their strongest collection to dates while maintaining the nostalgic, classic sound heavily inspired by late 1960s pop and rock that they have become known for.

Essential Tracks: My Golden Years, How Can I Love Her More?, A Dream Is All I Know

FFO: Harry Nilsson, Wings, Todd Rundgren

Philadelphia’s Queen of Jeans return with their first full length record in 5 years with a wonderful album about the passage of time and the complexities of relationships.

Essential Tracks: Horny Hangover, All My Friends, Go Down Easy

FFO: Oceanator, Rilo Kiley, Jay Som

Alabama’s Carver Commodore should be your next favorite band with their blend of garage, indie, and pop influences. Carver is another set of fabulous anthemic rock songs from one of our favorite artists.

Essential Tracks: IN YOUR HEAD, TOO LOUD, WAVE

FFO: COIN, Arctic Monkeys, Secondhand Sound

Funded by fans through Kickstarter, A Long Year is an incredible album from LA-based singer-songwriter Temme Scott. The album covers the feelings of absolute hopelessness towards mental health and how to get back on your feet and help yourself heal.

Essential Tracks: Contract Killer, Healing, Evidence

FFO: Madi Diaz, Jade Bird, Medium Build

More than justifying the hype that surrounded them, Prelude to Ecstasy is an invigorating mix of genres, including indie rock, orchestral rock, baroque pop, and 1970s glam rock.

Essential Tracks: Nothing Matters, Caesar On a TV Screen, The Feminine Urge

FFO: Florence + The Machine, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush

The brilliant fourth album from Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. is the band’s most approachable to date with some arena-ready tracks while still maintaining their post-punk roots.

Essential Tracks: Favourite, Here’s The Thing, Starburster

FFO: Just Mustard, The Murder Capital, Whipping Boy