Listed below are the best albums of 2024 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 2 hours ago).
"Dark Matter sees Pearl Jam rekindle energy that most fans were starting to doubt they could offer. The band hasn’t sounded this focused since the turn of the century and is their best effort since the greatly under-appreciated Binaural. Dark Matter sounds like what you would expect from a Pearl J...""Dark Matter sees Pearl Jam rekindle energy that most fans were starting to doubt they could offer. The band hasn’t sounded this focused since the turn of the century and is their best effort since the greatly under-appreciated Binaural. Dark Matter sounds like what you would expect from a Pearl Jam album, but also surprises just enough to keep you intrigued. In ways it is a summary of the many sounds the band has perfected over the years but still has more to give. The only criticism is the production, particularly of the drum sounds which are overly compressed and ‘boomy’ at times. Ed also has a tendency to add too many lyrics particularly on songs like React, Respond. Nonetheless, the agency that made Pearl Jam a stand out of the 90s is present and sounding as good as any 60 year olds could. "[+]Reply
"Night Palace has been celebrated online as the Mount Eerie album that sounds the most like Phil Elverum's work in the Microphones. It's interesting that this would happen when the solo project has covered so much ground that builds on different aspects of the Microphones sound, whether that's the...""Night Palace has been celebrated online as the Mount Eerie album that sounds the most like Phil Elverum's work in the Microphones. It's interesting that this would happen when the solo project has covered so much ground that builds on different aspects of the Microphones sound, whether that's the quiet and intimate songwriting (Dawn, No Flashlight), the fuzzy loudness (Wind's Poem, Ocean Roar) and intensely personal lyrics (A Crow Looked At Me, Lost Wisdom), so why does Night Palace evoke these elements more? I think the key property of the record is its willingness to mix loud and quiet and to build on particular ideas. The first point in particular helps create that epic scope associated with Phil's 2000s era work, a completely loud album doesn't necessarily have this effect because there isn't a point of reference, whereas songs that include both create small and massive objects, with the former often swallowing up the latter. Think of the transition from the closing chords of I Felt Your Shape into the opening of Samurai Sword, that track would always sound noisy but after something so gentle it's like the loudest sound you've ever heard. The album Mount Eerie pushed this further, with fragile sounding vocals and acoustic guitars crashing up against thunderous drums, piercing electric guitars and walls of noise. It happens again here, the slow opening of Breaths is expanded by distorted drums and guitars, this is then ripped apart by Swallowed Alive (I'm still not 100% sure what we're even hearing on this track). I Need New Eyes is built around Phil's ever gentle vocals, but even the backing vocals are bolstered by an electric fuzz, making it all feel enclosed in something massive.
Night Palace isn't just great because it recalls some great records from 20-25 years ago though. Many tracks have a cleaner sound and more straightforward progression, both of which work brilliantly as they never totally dominate the tracklist. The guitar work in Huge Fire is stunning, there's a beauty in the soft smoothness of I Walk and the quiet interplay between the piano and backing vocals at the start of I Heard Whales provides a strong counterpoint to the build up of noise. Like a number of Phil's recent records this one looks to and draws from the past without just emulating it, instead these ideas are reapplied to the less harsh and experimental music that he makes now.
Maybe the biggest departure from previous work is the introduction of a political viewpoint regarding the land and nature that's always played a huge role in Phil's music. The land of the Pacific North West has often had this almost scared feel in the past, an unchanging landscape that creates a humility in how small it makes one feel. Night Palace deals with much tougher questions of how this land came to be what it is, observations like "only ten thousand years ago there were meadows here" and talk of mountains running like a stream that we are too short lived to see flow view this are as changing like everything else. It makes it as susceptible as anywhere or anyone else to the forces of greed (November Rain, Co Owner of Trees) and imperialism (Non Metaphorical Decolonisation and the mention of fighter jets on Demolition). Its a radical step into new territory for a project that's focused on the self and on the universe, without considering much of what's in between."[+]Reply
"Production is reminiscent of Daniel Lanois classics without the excesses (check out the guitar tones on "Alibi"). Great Americana soundscape with vulnerable, emotive lyrics, good story telling, and one of my favorite voices in music. There are some tragic themes here, but there is redemption. Hur...""Production is reminiscent of Daniel Lanois classics without the excesses (check out the guitar tones on "Alibi"). Great Americana soundscape with vulnerable, emotive lyrics, good story telling, and one of my favorite voices in music. There are some tragic themes here, but there is redemption. Hurray has gotten better with every album and this is their best and most consistent one yet. "[+]Reply
"Really liking this , I had to laugh listening to it and thinking the production on this thing is great who's done it? taking a look at the cd cover and it's nigel godrich Kenny beats and Mark bowen. I'll be playing this most of the week no doubt . First album I've heard from idles since joy"Reply
"It feels like a long, warm embrace. Love the guitar playing and strings arrangements, and Ms Marling is as strong as ever lyrically. Moving stuff, really, perfect for the fall season"Reply