Number 30: Poppy – Negative Spaces

Poppy has bounced around genres, initially an out and out pop entity, drifting into heavier rock and full on metal. This album continues her fearlessness to switch from gentler moments to tracks going full on screamcore. Jordan Fish, until recently of Bring Me the Horizon, announces himself as a producer who is going to be significantly in demand. This feels more cohesive than previous offerings with arena ready metal anthems to propel her into a whole new level of fanbase. Don’t miss her at Download if you are going.

Number 29: Laura Marling – Patterns in Repeat

The highest compliment I can pay this album is that I am certain peak Joni Mitchell would have loved to put out a collection of songs this stunning and call them her own. There is a huge influence on it from the birth of her daughter last year, though never does the sentimentality become cloying or the lullaby element seem too intrusive. The overall flavour is very folk and there is a simplicity around the dominance of vocal and guitar that allows the lyrics to shine. ‘Patterns’ is just a thing of beauty and one of the best singles released this year.

Number 28: Small Changes – Michael Kiwanuku

I suspect Michael Kiwanuku was raised in an alternate universe where the 1970s never ended and then somehow found a portal that bought him into our world. Regardless, this is another intensely soulful album, though a bit more low-key and laid back than previous efforts. ‘Floating Parade’ and the ‘Rest of Me’ are exquisite tracks of timeless beauty.

Number 27: Arooj Aftab – Night Reign

Grammy winning Pakistani-American Arooj Aftab has been gradually building a following but is bound to catch a lot more attention thanks to her incredible 2024 album Night Reign. These are less songs than moodpiece soundscapes that pull you in and wrap you up in their shimmering , drifting instrumentation. It is that gorgeous voice that is the winning element, it matters not a jot if you do not speak a word of Urdu – her voice conveys all the emotional understanding you need to engage.

Number 26: Kingfishr – Live From Dublin

The gradual diminishing of the importance of the album is increasingly seen in a range of artists selling out moderate sized venues and making a living through streaming, gigging and social media without even having released one.  Kingfishr are one of the more old-fashioned acts riding this wave, having already sold out the Dublin Olympia and the Shepherds Bush Empire.  They have enough material for one released in dribs and drabs, but without an official album release yet I will offer up this live performance from Dublin to reflect the amount of time I have spent listening to them this year. 

If the thought of banjo solos, harmonicas and Mumford and Sons leave you in a cold sweat then this band is not for you.  If you enjoy folk tinged guitar music full of honesty and harmonies then these guys are brilliant.  I made a conscious effort to be front and centre for their Reading Festival performance and they did not disappoint.  Another middle-aged guy on the rail asked me if I had seen them before, which I hadn’t, this was already his eighth time!  Having met at university (no, not a music, but an engineering degree) they all terrified their parents by quitting lovely engineering jobs to give music a proper go.  The song ‘Shot in the Dark’ sums it up beautifully, ‘And if it all falls apart At least we enjoyed it, God knows I loved it. And if it all falls apart, At least it destroyed us.’ They have an endearing honesty and an instinctive ear for a big chorus that will carry them far.

My Albums of the Year 2024: Numbers 35 to 31