It’s time for the grand finale of this year’s Listmas celebrations, and as ever we’ve saved the best for last. When we think back on 2024, it will be these records that will be forefront in our minds. These are the records that soundtracked all the ups and downs of the past twelve months. That provided companionship on quiet nights and offered a safe haven when the world got a bit too hectic. So let’s dive right in to the main event: Belwood’s best albums of 2024.
10. The Amazing – Piggies
The swirling dark soundscapes that this Swedish band conjure have never before sounded so bright and so warm. A dreamy expanse, full of vibrant pockets of melody, that I find myself returning to time and again. (Review)
9. Bent Knee – Twenty Pills Without Water
A gorgeous return to form that sees the eclectic art rock outfit at their most pensive, expressive and accessible. Every curious turn leading to memorable hooks and Courtney Swain’s incredible powerhouse vocals. (Review)
8. Jack White – No Name
After years of being too bogged down in his own eccentric persona, Jack White out of the blue offered this awesome reminder that he can still kick ass with the best of them. A relentless barrage of raucous blues rock brilliance. (Review)
7. The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy
Britain’s most buzzworthy band absolutely stick the landing with their debut album. Grand, charismatic, and assured, Prelude ticks away with well oiled precision beneath all of its decadence and theatricality. (Review)
6. Hannah Frances – Keeper of the Shepherd
Between the dense knots of intricate progressive folk, and the rawness of its sparse, jazz infused balladry, something about this record just lived rent free in my head and kept pulling me back to investigate further. (Review)
5. Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me
There’s an ease and comfort to Don’t Forget Me. A warm and breezy contentment to its sun-drenched Americana pop sound that Maggie wears just so effortlessly. A gold standard road trip record. (Review)
4. Sour Widows – Revival of a Friend
An enthralling and emotionally charged exploration of the many facets of grief. Brooding arrangements juxtaposed by bright harmonies. This alt rock outfit’s stunning debut is a truly evocative and cathartic experience. (Review)
3. Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us
The band’s most cohesive and ambitious body of work to date. Eclectic and inventive, with surprisingly mindful lyricism, and a high level of polish. It’s a record that will be looked back on as a classic in the years to come. (Review)
2. Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee
A wholly unique and intriguing project that really fuels your imagination. It feels like hearing warped and eerie echoes of a parallel world. The kind of music that drifts from a jukebox in the background of a dream. (Review)
1. The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
A dazzling return to form that nails every eclectic tangent to the point where it starts to feel like a greatest hits record. I was hooked from the very first listen and still feel the same buzz every time I return to it. (Review)
Belwood Music 