As 2024 comes to an end, let’s take a quick look at the top 10 albums of the year.
10. Games We Play- “Life’s Going Great”
“Life’s Going Great” sounds like the soundtrack to a 2000s slacker film directed by Judd Apatow. Signed to Fueled By Ramen, Games We Play is tailor-made for fans of Fall Out Boy, Weezer and Wheatus.
9.Childish Gambino- “Bando Stone and the New World”
Childish Gambino’s farewell album goes out in style with Donald Glover’s most diverse offering yet from straight hip-hop to indie and rock-tinged pop. The album will also serve as the soundtrack to Glover’s upcoming science fiction film of the same name.
8. Frank Turner- “Undefeated”
There’s uplifting lyrics, sing-along punk jams, and the alt-folk you’ve come to expect from Frank Turner on “Undefeated,” which feels like Turner has come to terms with all his influences and incarnations.
7. Taylor Swift- “The Tortured Poets Department”
Cons: The anthology version is bloated with way too many songs that sound too similar and unfinished or should have been left as a demo to later to reworked. The pros: Even at her worst, Taylor Swift continues to deliver songs that soar far beyond her cult-like following with tracks like “Fortnight,” “Down Bad,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” and “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” as prime examples.
6. Touche’ Amore- “Spiral In A Straight Line”
There’s still bite towards the brutality of life in songs like “Nobody’s,” and “Disasters,” but Touche Amore is more than just a hard core band. “Spiral In A Straight Line” finds the band rediscovering its successful formula.
5.The Dangerous Summer- “Gravity”
The Dangerous Summer continues to be one rock’s best acts that more people need to know about. “Gravity” comes down to Earth a few times, but the title track and songs like “Pacific Ocean” and “What’s An Hour Really Worth?” show them soaring with alt-rock and emo mastery.
4. Laura Jane Grace- “Hole In My Head”
Laura Jane Grace dropped another stellar solo album that dives into her psyche. Always smart and sardonic, Grace’s latest effort is a brisk trip through Grace’s personal life- a whirlwind that began in 2019 as Against Me! was working towards hiatus status.
3. Amy Shark- “Sunday Sadness”
“Sunday Sadness” has the sincerity and charm that makes Amy Shark one of the world’s best kept secrets. A huge star in her native Australia, Shark continues to add to her impressive early resume of albums under her guitar strap. Listen to “Two Friends” and “Can I Shower At Yours?” and try to explain how she hasn’t blown up in North America.
2. Bleachers-“Bleachers”
The genius of Jack Antonoff is on full display in an album that perfectly captures the sounds and soul of the tri-state area. He’s able to take elements of the late 1980s and 1990s, but add his own modern/ indie take in a unique way.
1.Alkaline Trio- “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs”
Alkaline Trio’s tenth album is full of pre-apocalyptic emo anthems, and some of the best guitar work in Matt Skiba’s entire career. “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs” in someways feels like a companion piece to the band’s acclaimed experimental album “Crimson.” The record does include some bittersweet goodbyes; one to drummer Derek Grant on “Shake With Me,” and the other to the innocence of modern youth on album closer “Teenage Heart.”
By MIKE DAMANTE
If you are a fan of punk, Mike Damante’s book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise” is out now, and features exclusive interviews with blink-182,Less Than Jake, Alkaline Trio, Descendents, and others.