Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2024. Our next list is from CHIRP DJ / Director of "The First Time" Bobby Evers.

Shamefully, I struggle having as voracious an appetite for new artists as I get older, so I find I am just picking artists who I have liked for years or even decades in some cases.

This list is also impacted by Chappell Roan "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" coming out in 2023 instead of 2024, as that was probably my #1 of the year, but doesn't count. I can brag that it was on my list last year, before it blew up or whatever.

My rubric for this list is just albums I listened to. So if you're like, how could you not have included Ben Folds "Sleigher" album?? I'm sorry, I'm sure it was his best in years, but I can't rank if it I didn't personally take the time to listen to it. That's on me! I will do better I promise!

#1 Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee (ANTI-)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Named for the syrup that goes onto snowcones in the South, Katie Crutchfield continues charting a new course in her more country sound era. This was a huge album for me, listening to a promotional copy, and then attending both the album release show at Empty Bottle and also her stop at Salt Shed on her tour, Tigers Blood ended up being my #1 album on Spotify Wrapped (but don't worry, I also bought the vinyl)

#2 Brat by Charli XCX (Atlantic)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

If you had told me this album was actually going to rank higher than Chappell Roan on my Spotify Wrapped I would have not believed you. But something about it just gets in your head from the opening notes. I was mad though because Atlantic took MONTHS to send me the vinyl. Should have just bought it at a store like a normal person.

#3 Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party (Island)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Has the distinction of being the band that comes on most frequently after Chappell Roan's album ends on Spotify. Also has some bangers that sound 80's, which is apparently all you need to do to make me be like "THIS FUCKIN SLAPS, MATE"

#4 Cowboy Carter by Beyonce (Parkwood)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Beyonce takes care of us. Beyonce is mother.

#5 As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again by The Decemberists (Yabb)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

I would like more information as to why The Decemberists left Capitol Records for Yabb, but maybe I am alone in that curiosity. Glad The Decemberists did a kind of return to form and got weird and English Majory again. Their last album was not really an album in the way that this is an album, and I am appreciative of that.

#6 All Born Screaming by St. Vincent (Total Pleasure)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Annie finds her inner Trent Reznor and I am here for it. Touring for this show was weird because she did that thing that a lot of artists are doing now where they don't announce a Chicago date and you do some forecasting and predict that she will probably play Riot Fest, but you have already decided you don't want to participate in the nonsense of Riot Fest this year and so you look elsewhere and plan a roadtrip to Minneapolis so you can see her on a Friday, and then she announces a Riot Fest "after show" at Metro for Thursday, so you get tickets to BOTH and you see her TWICE, and then you go visit your friend at Minnesota Public Radio just to say hi and get a tour of the station and then RUN INTO ANNIE CLARK AT THE STATION BECAUSE SHE IS GIVING A TALK AND YOU STUMBLE THROUGH SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION AND NOTHING COMES OUT BECAUSE YOU JUST SAW HER TWICE AND IN FACT SHE IS THE REASON YOU CAME TO THIS CITY BUT YOU JUST CRY AND SHE AGREES TO TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOU BECAUSE SHE IS NICE

#7 Songs of a Lost World by The Cure (Fiction)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Robert Smith is father. Robert Smith is all of our father.

#8 The Bed I Made by The Softies (Father/Daughter)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

In 2001 when I was at college a girl put a Softies song on a mix CD for me and I became obsessed with their voices, but they didn't put out more music because one of the Softies decided to lean into motherhood and then kind of forgot she was a musician and got a bad case of imposter syndrome, but then 20+ years later, overcame it and put out a dang good Softies record that sounds like it was perfectly preserved from before.

#9 Cartoon Darkness by Amyl and the Sniffers (Virgin)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

IDK man, this makes me feel like a high schooler again.

#10 Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves (Interscope)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

IDK, this just had really good marketing.

Honorable Mentions

The "Good Luck Babe" single which held up the entire music industry for the year 2024. This was Chappell's year and we almost ate her alive. I hope she continues to find success and peace in 2025.