In no particular order, here is The Mic's comprehensive list of our favourites from this past year of music...
Mount Kimbie- The Sunset Violent
This fourth offering from Mount Kimbie summarises a masterful growth and maturation in sound. Winding down the electronic warp ever so slightly and instead turning up some gritty distortion on guitar, the soundscape forms a grainy yet sturdy backdrop for the storytelling of this LP. As drawling vocals surf atop murky instrumentals, tracks such as Dumb Guitar and Shipwreck become things full of sullen yet enticing charm. This album achieves a comfortable union of sound from all of their years past and present, this seamless expansion breaking pleasing new ground. Its effortless sweetness and gentle, dusty jangles left this collection of songs warming the spring months, and onwards into summer. It’s light, bright and simple in all the right places. With these blooming, optimistic melodies, it soon became my undisputed album of the summer.
Alice Beard
Mk.gee- Two Star & The Dream Police
Somewhere between solipsistic evergreens and the twilight of a deserted street, lies MK.gee's third LP Two Star & The Dream Police. The record has thrust 28 year old Artist/producer Michael Gordon into the limelight of alt-pop, ladening a saturated jersey-rock kitsch with a strong helping of Arthur Russell's celestial sentiment. The baritone Jaguar, paired with the dynamic swells of tracks like 'Are You Looking Up' have readjusted the perception of what one could consider 'guitar music'; its ingenious production being all the more spellbinding when recreated at MK.gee's live shows (good luck finding any tickets...). Other exemplar tracks like breakthespell bind the listener within lanterns of stained glass. His washy 12-bit vocals glow over the thwack of strings and fluttering artefacts. Its like a tape of Bruce Springsteen's Secret Garden after its been dragged across the benthos, pearlescent creatures still winding through the reels and plastic. Heres to 2025, and holding out for an extended version!
Ross Williams
Fontaines DC- Romance
What is there to say about Fontaines DC this year that hasn’t already been said? Romance dances with the top spots of almost every ‘album of the year’ list, from Rough Trade to BBC Radio 6 (topping the Rolling Stone and Time Out line-ups), and for good reason. Bombastic is the word. The Dublin quintet have had us dancing in the glimmering, gruesome riffs whilst delivering the two-faced themes of romance: the brutal and the beautiful. The album’s curtain-dropping title track crafts a stark, unliveable landscape for the rest of the album to inhabit, filled immediately by the histrionic Starburster. Distanced from their rowdy, thuggish debut record, Dogrel, Fontaines ask ‘why bother rebelling if you need permission?’.Â
Haunting tracks like Desire prove the bands evolution, while In the Modern World shows an awareness of the wider human condition previously alien to the band, perhaps a symptom of their first record deal. Bug and Favourite suitably appear to be two of the most revered from the record, earning the album its no.2 debut position in the charts, with poppy and enthusiastic production and hearty, honest composition, jangly danceable guitars and cathartic vocal pieces.Â
Impossible to overlook, Fontaines DC refused to go uncelebrated this year, bringing Irish post-punk to the table and playing an unbeatable hand.
Maxwell Durno
The Cure- Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure’s latest album (and first real new material since 2008) is a return to form for the legendary post-punk group, and can perhaps be considered their greatest output since the nineties. Despite the members being in their mid-sixties, there is no sign of decay anywhere in the songwriting or sound, with Robert Smith’s voice still impressively maintaining a youthful quality. For Smith, this entry may be among the most personal of the band’s discography, essentially serving as a means of overcoming the grief from his late brother’s passing: made explicit in the LP’s heart-breaking sixth track, I Can Never Say Goodbye.
However, the album is not restricted to only nihilism: in traditional Cure fashion, Smith manages to slip another deeply resonant love song through the cracks, this time in the form of A Fragile Thing. Other standouts from the album include Warsong, a frustrated elegy about the world’s pointless culture of war, and Endsong, its final and most memorable track. Endsong consists of over ten minutes of crescendoing dark, epic atmosphere, half of which is purely instrumental. The melodic distortion/wah-wah underscores a powerful ode to the bitterness of aging, inspired by Smith’s own reflection on his youth.
Sami De Jong
Mannequin Pussy- I Got Heaven
Both instrumentally unrelenting and lyrically vulnerable in its execution, Philadelphia quartet Mannequin Pussy’s latest full length excursion musters a hefty, guttural statement in the punk outfit’s discography. I Got Heaven delivers an unapologetic portrait of self confidence and agency straight out the gate, with lead vocalist Missy supplying a vicious bite to the record’s themes and tones; ‘I went and walked myself like a dog without a leash’. Its tracklist doesn’t falter either as the record dives deeper into its yearnful and lustful atmosphere, accompanied by dreamy, tactile production on cuts like I Don’t Know You and Softly that wouldn’t feel at all out of place on a Slowdive record. Somehow, the band perfectly balances the bliss of these poppier, more accessible tracks amidst the muddy waters of their established incendiary, hardcore noise rock capabilities on OK? OK! OK? OK! for instance, resulting in a deeply gratifying listen that makes full use of the band’s range and solidifies them as a force to be reckoned with.
Luke Bower
Ezra Collective- Dance, No One's Watching
Britain’s much loved jazz quartet Ezra Collective celebrate their love of upbeat and soulful dance music in their 2024 album Dance, No One’s Watching. The album encompasses the spontaneity and communal joy of a night out, whilst expressing the group’s growth in learning to let loose, without a fear of judgement.Â
After becoming the first jazz act to win the Mercury in 2023, the stars hit up Abbey Road Studios to produce their latest album which expresses their virtuosity and excitable energy in their highly acclaimed live performances.Â
Their notable track God Gave Me Feet for Dancing, featuring the vocals of soulful singer Yazmin Lacey, has garnered media traction with the song featuring on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, recognised for its ability to get you moving on the dancefloor!Â
A personal favourite from the album remains The Herald, built on tight polyrhythms and bouncy, big band like brass sections that can’t help but make you want to break out into a spontaneous dance. Â
Looking forward to what 2025 has in store for the group, especially as they continue to explore different genre fusions with jazz such as Afrobeat and Hip-Hop.
Harriet Bodle
DEADLETTER- Hysterical Strength
The frenzied, burning energy at the core of North Yorkshire post-punk band Deadletter’s long-awaited debut album, Hysterical Strength, is perhaps its defining feature, along with the seamlessness with which it blends conventional rock songwriting with noise and texture borrowed from No Wave and jazz. Vocalist Zac Lawrence’s style complements this perfectly, with each surreal, grotesque lyric dripping with a caustic spite and confidence, a trait which sets him apart from many contemporary post-punk vocalists who opt for a restrained approach. Despite the record’s righteously angry tone and propensity for intermittent experimentation, it would be misrepresenting Hysterical Strength to not mention that it is music that you can dance to. The track More Heat! has an effortlessly catchy refrain which will remain in your head for days, and the rhythm section’s skill is most apparent on Deus ex Machina, one of the most structurally audacious songs on the album, which nonetheless erupts from a minimalistic, creeping melody into a beautifully primal chorus. Relieved utilises brass instrumentation to tremendous effect in one of the track’s more openly anthemic moments. I also cannot talk about Deadletter without saying that they are incredible live, if you get the chance you MUST see them.
Liz Clarke
Maruja- Connla's Well (EP)
Continuing on their journey, Manchester quartet Maruja bring forth yet another effortless display of raw talent with second EP Connla’s Well. Distilling their very essence into something distinct and concise, there is enough on offer here to get you hooked from the outset. Bookended by two hearty instrumental tracks, this EP glistens with dominance and intensity. With tracks like The Invisible Man and One Hand Behind the Devil there comes that palpable feeling of grief and fury which has become all too familiar within Maruja’s music. With this EP in particular taking a much deeper foray into the themes of mental health as well as repression and freedom, the depth of emotion on display is remarkable for only five tracks. Roaring bass hooks, thunder-clap drums, heart-on-sleeve scathing lyrics and dirty, writhing sax motifs form the basis of the band’s rapturous display. At this point their talent is laid out for all to see, all we must do now is wait and see what they offer up to us next.
Alice Beard
Ghetts- On Purpose, With Purpose
Setting the bar high again, Ghetts reiterates his position as a superior wordsmith and
multifaceted artist, who has exceeded the test of time. On Purpose, With Purpose serves as
a socially conscious remark on the issues that plague society, most notable in tracks Double
Standards and Mount Rushmore. Yet the album remains cohesive and focused as Ghetts
navigates themes of immigration, conflict, abortion and justice. Through his closeness to
God, Ghetts uses spirituality as a message of guidance. Not only does this provide seamless
transitions and unites the album, but it allows Ghetts to make powerful and uplifting
messages amongst the serious subject matters. From a variety of production choices, to
effortless features from his peers and younger rap sensations, Ghetts demonstrates his
versatility while being able to remain concentrated and prove that he is still able to reach the
pinnacle of his craft.
Jule Riemenscheider
Tapir!- The Pilgrim, Their God and The King of My Decrepit Mountain
This debut brings theatrics, melodrama, folk and a sprinkling of whimsy to this year’s musical landscape. The exploration and storytelling within this pilgrimage is immaculate. Each piece is carefully crafted with an equally delicate hand, fusing formidable musicianship alongside its rich and curious lyrical journey. Curated into three parts, the album is able to chronicle something which becomes more and more captivating and alluring with every listen. The dimensions to be explored feel boundless, each track bleeding colours so vibrant it is difficult to know what you will be confronted by next. With each carefully selected arrangement comes the entwining of a deep web between nature and music, channelling some much-needed authenticity onto the scene of today. This album seems as though it possesses a beating heart that will never stop. If you haven’t already, I implore you to give it a listen.
Alice Beard
Los Campesinos!- All Hell
Los Campensinos!’s latest release – the seventh in their discography and coming almost twenty years after their explosive debut – paints a sombre and disenfranchised picture of British politics and personal battles, composed of a delicately produced arrangement of shrapnel-laden drum parts to a swelling string section and a twinkle of synthesiser exclamations. ‘Capital don’t care we’re eating at the trough’ sings Gareth Paisey on Long Throes, one of many pointed lines from the stand-out track; All Hell’s strengths are not unfamiliar to any Los Campensinos! fan.
The seven-piece indie-emo band fly the flags of disillusionment with gusto through the first half of the album, and one would have to hold back from belting along with A Psychic Wound. This being said, momentum is lost towards the latter end of the project, turning more pensive and abstract. Though To Hell in a Handjob still pulls the album’s second leg forward, some tracks feel like they are over before given the chance to fill their boots.Â
From the top down, All Hell stands of the emboldened foundation of the albums preceding it, narrating ideas of political hopelessness and reckless abandonment rather than crying them from the rafters as Los Campensinos! once did. As someone who has grown up alongside the band, I’m certain that songs like The Coin Op Guillotine resonate with the solace of a more mature audience, where Clown Blood might call to the punk roots of the band – and this dichotomy births an alluring but subtle landscape of frustration and yearning proclamations.Â
Maxwell Durno
Sultan + Shepard- Endless, Dawn
The third album from the powerhouse duo Sultan + Shepard cements their status as masters of progressive and melodic house. Featuring industry icons like Panama, Juliah Church, and Elderbrook, it delivers a collection of tracks that feel both deeply personal and universally uplifting. Standout moments include the soaring Under the Surface, featuring Nathan Nicholson, a piece that perfectly encapsulates the album's emotional depth. Â
Each vocal feature is carefully crafted, weaving stories of growth and self-discovery into a lush tapestry of sound. The mood-lifting melodies and rousing lyrics strike a delicate balance between introspection and euphoria, offering something for both melodic house enthusiasts and mainstream listeners alike. This is a well-thought-out and beautifully produced record, that resonated far and wide throughout 2024.
Tristan Phipps
Finn Carter- Hymn for my Dad
This all-too-underground album was served to me with a sharp martini at Nottingham jazz bar Peggy’s Skylight, and since hearing Finn Carter on the piano heading up the quartet of disgustingly talented musicians, I have been enthralled. The opening track, Paean for YD, tells a vigorous narrative of intermingling solos and melodic characters in a discourse of praise and of awe: a flattering ode to whomever YD may be. The themes here certainly run deeper, with occasional jabs that push under the skin, and a somber opening, but face-on, the opening track strives as an emotional home for the album’s listeners.Â
Nepotism, the following track, clambers around in a syncopated 7/4, and throws insulting brass licks to and fro before culminating in an avalanching of a drum solo, while Swimming Pool Jones basks listeners in the melancholic last lights of summer, as the raw double bass guides one through a collected and wistful landscape.Â
It isn’t difficult to acknowledge the chemistry the quartet must share, particularly through tracks like Drink Water, where the piano dances with the delicate, fast-paced saxophone melody. Carter conducts an emotional lullaby on the title-track, comparable to the solemn whispers of Coltrane’s Naima, and as the record concludes with Like Crawler (feeling like a graceful obituary of the album so far), I am left ravenously curious to find out what Finn Carter will put his name to next.
Maxwell Durno
King Krule- SHHHHHHH! (EP)
One year on from the release of his unmissable fourth studio album Space Heavy, Archy Marshall decided to finally round up some tracks from his 2023 SHHHH tour (previously only available on flexidiscs sold at shows) and put them out into the ether for all to hear. Teetering away from the softer edge of his LP, this four track collection leans into some heaviness and natural grit and groove. Taking Time For Slurp, for example, we are handed a roaring track that swoops down and throws you into something both so chaotic and sweet, it feels like a welcome home from the artist. Ever demonstrating the need to expect the unexpected from Marshall, Whaleshark switches the tone in ample time with its tender and subtle inflections. Even the final track It’s All Soup Now manages to allow you to slink into a state of sopor before dragging you to the volatile surface once again. Within a meagre eleven minutes we are served up all of the Krule trademarks on a beautiful platter. SHHHHHHH! is a treat for all ears. It’s neat, it's simple, it’s concise. I like.
Alice Beard
Edited by Alice Beard
All official release cover images courtesy of featured artists
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