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Mike Bennett writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2024: Mike Bennett
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As is often the case, my number one album hit me pretty instantly. I listened to about a couple hundred more LPs this year, and still know I missed some things, but I only have so much time. Here are my ten faves. |
#1 Brat by Charli XCX (Atlantic)
That alone makes this a fantastic album, but what really elevates it are Charli’s lyrics. For music that, on the surface, screams “PARTY!!!”, there’s a lot of self-reflection, like when she visits a friend with a newborn and wonders whether she should have a baby. Everything But The Girl’s Tracey Thorn noted in a column for The New Statesman that this album encapsulates being a woman at age 32, between youth (and being nostalgic for it) and the rigors of middle age, and that beneath the confident exterior, there’s a lot of doubt here. So compelling. |
#2 Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (Acony)
Welch and Rawlings, whether singing together or alone, sound great, and the arrangements and playing on this material is perfect. The resilience it took to rebuild the studio is felt in these songs, which encompass a range of emotions on an album that is timeless. |
#3 Small Changes by Michael Kiwanuka (Polydor)
One artist who came to mind during my first few spins was Sade – like Sade, who Kiwanuka has called an inspiration, there’s a remarkable consistency and mood, yet there’s still enough variety in the approaches to keep it from being monochromatic. |
#4 Musow Danse by Les Amazones D'Afrique (Real World)
The women take on social issues from an Afro-feminist perspective, with the intent to inspire, so they motivate rather than harangue. The performances are joyful, as the singers are clearly reveling in their freedom of expression. |
#5 Ghosts by Steve Dawson (Pravda)
No envelopes are (arguably) pushed this time around, but this might be as effective a showcase for his singing and songwriting talents as any of his work, solo or fronting Dolly Varden. There are soul-inflected songs, melodic adult pop that would make a Crowded House fan’s ears perk up, gentle folk-rock, plenty of moments of beauty, and in a reminiscence of growing up in small-town (on “Leadville”) pure, cathartic vitriol. |
#6 Orquídeas by Kali Uchis (Geffen)
Uchis is an underrated singer, who doesn’t show off like so many of her contemporaries, but always serves her songs perfectly. |
#7 Wild Guess by Robber Robber (self-released)
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#8 Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé (Parkwood/Columbia)
Bey sounds as good as ever, and she goes to some places that she might not have without the concept. The album is a bit overstuffed, but that’s a quibble. |
#9 Silence Is Loud by Nia Archives (Island/Hijinxx)
With all of the razzle dazzle in the upbeat music, the songs have a strong emotional core, as Archives’ lyrics are more introspective than one would expect. |
#10 The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis by The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!)
This collaboration with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis is jazz fusion with a modern twist. The playing is terrific, but not so much focused on technical virtuosity. The balance of rock elements and jazz elements is pretty close to perfect, making for some really exciting music. |
Honorable MentionsWaxahatchee - Tigers Blood (Anti-) |
Throughout December, 
This is the album that Charli XCX has been building towards her entire career. Musically, it’s an affirmation of her mastery of contemporary pop. Club music, hyperpop, whatever you want to call it, the beats and hooks and melodies are there on track after track.
The first album featuring Welch originals in 13 years (and seven years for Rawlings) finds the couple in peak form, with this stellar set of songs. Named after their Tennessee studio which was significantly damaged by a tornado in 2020 (and obviously rebuilt), this is an inspired effort.
On his fourth album, for the third consecutive time, Kiwanuka teams up with Inflo and Danger Mouse for more of his patented brand of modern folk-soul. After the last two albums expanded the instrumental attack, this is a subtler effort, with often minimal backing that leans on Kiwanuka’s expressive vocals and simple and compelling tunes.
This is the third album from this formidable collective of African women. Working with Irish producer Jackknife Lee, who provides the electronic backing, these are sharp slices of Afropop that don’t lose their flavor due to the inorganic instrumentation.
Dawson can go toe-to-toe with any acclaimed singer-songwriter of the past few decades. He has shown he’s not afraid to go out of his comfort zone, and push how he presents his music.
The second Spanish-language album from the Colombian-American singer is another remarkable display of her facility with a wide variety of R & B and pop styles. There is also some Latin pop influence here, and this mix of mid-tempo charmers and slow burning tracks is superbly produced with just the right amount of features.
This Burlington, Vermont quartet is centered around singer-guitarist Nina Cates and drummer Zack James, and the music finds a mid-point between noisy ‘90s indie rock and post-punk. James is a ridiculously creative drummer, Cates (along with James and Will Krulak) get great sounds out of the guitars, and the songs consistently go in unpredictable, but always welcome, directions. One of the most original guitar rock albums that I’ve heard in years.
No, it’s not a country record. It’s more like BeyoncAmericana, as Ms. Knowles-Carter meets country and folk themes on her own terms. At times, the music is more of that bent, but in many cases, it’s more the lyrical themes that carry the day, as a fair amount the songs here are just really well done pop-R & B.
Archives calls her mix of jungle and ‘90s neo-soul “future classic.” Whatever one calls it, this is an exciting record, with propulsive, skittering beats, and Archives overlaying R & B and pop song structures, with plenty of hooks throughout.
I never expected that any former members of Fugazi would appear on a record released on the legendary Impulse! jazz label. But The Messthetics defy expectations with their arty rock approach that certainly is heavily steeped in jazz.Previous entry: The CHIRP Radio Interview: Girl K