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Eric Wiersema writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2024: Eric Wiersema
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking about the year-end list season where we list our favorite albums of the year in an attempt to gain external validation for our superior music tastes despite rapidly approaching midlife where we should probably have more important things to worry about. Man, I really told on myself with that last sentence, didn’t I? In all seriousness, I love year-end lists because I love seeing what my fellow CHIRPers and other musically-inclined friends have been listening to throughout the year. I am always looking for new music to check out and sharing music with others is one of my biggest love languages. I have always been in awe of music’s power to bring people together and a sense of community is especially needed today as technology continues to isolate us. I’ve listened to roughly 100 new albums in full this year and have heard bits and pieces of way more from my DJing and AMD duties. Here’s a list of the albums that were a cut above the rest. |
#1 Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party (Island)
Prelude to Ecstasy is a highly theatrical baroque pop album that draws from goth, post-punk, glam rock, and cabaret! Think Kate Bush meets The Dresden Dolls meets Florence + The Machine. TLDP is easily one of the most hyped British bands since Wet Leg and they deserve every bit of the attention they are getting. I can’t wait to hear how they evolve their sound on the next album after starting off so strong! |
#2 Devourer by Cursive (Run For Cover)
Their magnum opus, The Ugly Organ, was released back in 2003, so it’s fair to say they’ve earned every right to rest on their laurels and milk anniversary tours for nostalgic elder emos like myself for that album and 2000’s Domestica until the wheels fall off. Fortunately, Tim Kasher and co had other plans and they have returned after a five-year hiatus re-invigorated and angry as ever about the current state of the world. It blows my mind that this is the band’s tenth album and it is still this good! |
#3 The Collective by Kim Gordon (Matador)
At the risk of getting some serious backlash, I enjoyed this album more than anything I’ve heard from Sonic Youth. I saw her perform this album at the Bohemian National Cemetery this summer and it was hands down the best show I attended this year! |
#4 WeirdOs by O. (Speedy Wunderground/PIAS)
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#5 Romance by Fontaines D.C. (XL)
If we want rock music to still have relevance beyond this decade, we need accessible albums like Romance to usher in the next generation. |
#6 Fate & Alcohol by Japandroids (Anti-)
There is great Springsteen-esque storytelling on here and I couldn’t ask for a better swan song. I only selfishly wish that they could have stayed together long enough to do a final tour! |
#7 The Future Is Our Way Out by Brigitte Calls Me Baby (ATO)
The band’s secret weapon is frontman Wes Leavins, whose distinct, powerful voice is highly reminiscent of Roy Orbison. A unique and fresh approach to sounds from the past. |
#8 Tiger's Blood by Waxahatchee (Anti-)
She continues to perfect this sound on Tiger’s Blood and ended up delivering one of my favorite non-punk and non-metal performances at Riot Fest this year. This album also served as the soundtrack to many summer night walks and get-togethers this year. |
#9 All Born Screaming by St. Vincent (Total Pleasure/Virgin)
A great blend of art pop, industrial, and trip hop that reminds me of ‘90s greats like Garbage, Nine Inch Nails, and Tori Amos. Also, “Violent Times” needs to be the theme song of the next James Bond movie! |
#10 You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To by Knocked Loose (Pure Noise)
Knocked Loose also gets extra points for performing on Jimmy Kimmel and shocking his viewers who just weren’t ready for something that heavy on national TV. Making metal, metal again! |
Honorable Mentions(in no particular order): |
Throughout December, 
The Last Dinner Party’s debut album easily secured my coveted AOTY slot since I’ve been spinning the hell out of this thing since its release during the first week of February!
If we’ve ever had a somewhat in-depth conversation about music, you’d know that these Omaha emo/post-hardcore legends have been one of my favorite bands for close to 20 years!
Speaking of great late-career albums, Kim Gordon’s second solo album is definitely a must-listen! The Collective has an eerie industrial vibe where Gordon incorporates spoken word vocals and even some borderline rapping over noisy trap beats.
My favorite experimental album of 2024 comes from this London saxophone and drum duo. A really cool fusion of jazz, metal, and noise! I’m completely blown away how just two people can create such a huge, chaotic sound!
The fourth album from the Irish post-punk revivalists finds them leaning into a more accessible alt-rock sound. While some critics may say that this album is blander than the usual Fontaines fare, I’d argue it’s given the band an outlet to showcase their ability to write catchy pop songs with the potential to fill arenas. This is not selling out, this is simply trying something new and succeeding.
This is the Vancouver dynamic duo’s fourth and final album. Fate & Alcohol is straight-up, fist-pumping anthemic rock! While seven years have passed since the release of Celebration Rock, the boys pick up right where they left off taking me back to a simpler time of booze-fueled late nights and bad decisions.
My next favorite album is the debut from our hometown heroes, Brigitte Calls Me Baby. The Future Is Our Way Out is a unique blend of ‘50s rockabilly, ‘80s new wave, and ‘00s indie pop and post-punk revival.
For the past five years or so, Americana/alt-country has gradually become a bigger part of my musical diet due to my love of artists like Big Thief, MJ Lenderman, and, of course, Waxahatchee. While I enjoyed Katie Crutchfield’s earlier grunge-based work, she really came into her own as a singer-songwriter when she began to pivot toward a twangier sound on 2020’s Saint Cloud.
Over the course of her career, I’ve generally just been a casual fan of St. Vincent. However, Anne Clark really caught my ear on her seventh album.
This is my favorite heavy album of the year and one of the most brutal metalcore releases in a long time! The band’s crushing guitars, pummeling drums, and screamed vocals with occasional death growls give off an unsettling sense of impending doom.Previous entry: CHIRP Radio’s Best of 2024: Matt Garman