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Staff
Reviews 666
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Band Edits + Tags 357
Album Edits 2,312
Album Ratings 3317
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
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| | Sowing's 2024 | | 25 |  | The Doozers
Becoming An Entity
If the early 2010s indie-rock scene sounds at all appealingly nostalgic, then The Doozers have made an album for you. Becoming An Entity is mostly an exercise in guitar-driven melodies and earworm choruses, making it far from unique -- yet, it's a wholly worthy addition to anyone's 2024 catalog who enjoys those Shins-y, Strokes-y vibes. | | 24 |  | Cloud Cult
Alchemy Creek
As post-rock as it is pastoral, Alchemy Creek sees Cloud Cult flexing their imagination with this atmospheric, hurt little snow globe. Frontman Craig Minowa spends the majority of the album working through his divorce, eventually taking solace in the majesty of human emotion: "it's as beautiful as it hurts". Alchemy Creek at times wears its emotions on its sleeve too liberally, but for the most part, it's just captivatingly pretty. | | 23 |  | Kim Deal
Nobody Loves You More
Kim Deal's only solo album to date proves her songwriting chops outside of The Breeders and Pixies. Nobody Loves You More is a string-swept piece that lifts up its fluttering, delicately composed songs and makes them sound grand. Whether its the brass horns scoring the regal-sounding "Coast", the ethereal percussion of "Crystal Breath", or the massive sounding guitars on "Disobedience", Kim Deal continually proves that she's an individual force to be reckoned with. | | 22 |  | Sierra Ferrell
Trail of Flowers
Sierra Ferrell occupies something of a unique space. She's unapologetically country, bellowing out each note with the utmost twang while plucking away at her banjo and vigorously playing her viola. When descriptions like this surface, the mind typically wanders to words like "quaint" and "rustic", but Trail of Flowers still manages to sound very modern and ambitious as hell. Look no further than "Fox Hunt" to see her at her most aspiring, but the record is charming and infectious at every turn. | | 21 |  | Taylor Swift
The Tortured Poets Department (Anthology)
Swift fatigue hit an all-time high in 2024, from her world tour and highly public dating life to this massive double album. Still, she continues to dominate the most competitive genre. TTPD combines her typical relationship-journaling with the crushing weight of always living under a microscope, and the sound is both beautiful and depressing (honestly, her mental health appears to be at-risk based on some of these lyrics). TTPD is remarkably consistent, an improvement on Midnights, and another stalwart addition to her celebrated discography. | | 20 |  | Haley Heynderickx
Seed of a Seed
Six years removed from her debut I Need to Start a Garden, Seed of a Seed doesn't exactly pick up where Heynderickx left off in Spring of 2018. That album, for as unassuming as it was, felt lush and vibrant. Seed of a Seed is almost a prequel in that sense -- it's incredibly stripped down, driven by the melodies of its acoustic guitars more than Haley's actual voice. In a way, it's almost Nick Drake-ian in its makeup, and for what it lacks in benchmark "moments", it more than makes up for in a subtle richness that works its way to the surface through repeated listens. | | 19 |  | Wild Pink
Dulling the Horns
Wild Pink released what is undoubtedly their best work with 2022's ILYSM -- an album that chronicled John Ross' battle with cancer through the hushed lens of Peter Silberman's production. Dulling the Horns isn't quite so elegant, but it doesn't aim to be. The riffs here are beefy, the aura is hazy, and most importantly -- the songs rock out. It's the ultimate autumnal Tom Petty worship record, and as its placement on this list suggests, I'm very much here for it. | | 18 |  | Eliza and The Delusionals
Make It Feel Like The Garden
Much like its mystical artwork, Make It Feel Like The Garden sounds like accidentally stumbling into a breathtaking alternate realm. It takes some time to become fully immersed, but once you allow the gorgeous keys, saxophone solos, and hazed-out Silversun Pickups cameo to transport you, you'll find yourself in a state of eternal alt-rock bliss. Not to be overlooked is Eliza Klatt's voice -- at first it comes across as wispy and weightless, but over time you'll realize it shoulders the weight of the album. If indie-rock and dream pop tickle your fancy, then this is one garden you'll want to tend to immediately. | | 17 |  | Halsey
The Great Impersonator
My favorite mainsteam pop record of 2024 came from a source less likely than Taylor Swift, and far more tortured in reality. Halsey's The Great Impersonator arrives amid a series of life-threatening health complications, and serves as something of a lyrical autobiography despite sonically being a chameleon. The Great Impersonator is a concept album that shapeshifts to Halsey's key musical influences, from Marilyn Monroe to PJ Harvey. It's a record with winding acoustic narratives ("The Only Living Girl in LA"), grungey screams ("Lonely is the Muse"), and trip-hop beats ("Arsonist"). Still, the album is at its hardest-hitting when she drops all pretenses and bares her soul on "Life of the Spider", where she describes her illness and compares herself to a spider in the house of her significant other - someone who'd rather rid her of their presence because it isn't convenient. If you initially wrote this LP off, give it another fair shake in context -- it just might alter your view. | | 16 |  | Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties
In Lieu of Flowers
"No one told the birds the world was ending, so they keep singing like it's spring." As the third (and possibly final) installment of the Aaron West trilogy, In Lieu of Flowers carries an overarching sense of conclusiveness/resolution throughout. It ties together a number of loose ends, all from the persective of the beloved fictional alcoholic divorcé: he gets clean, reunites with the band, attempts to make amends with his nephew, and finally seems to get over his ex-wife, Diane. It's an emotional gut-check with a beautiful redemption arc, and it also feels like the most well-composed/sonically polished Aaron West record to-date. | | 15 |  | Ha Vay
Baby I'm The Wolf
One of the most stunning new voices of the year came from Chinese-American dream folk artist Ha Vay. She's a more angelic-sounding LDR with the atmospheric sense of Florence Welsh, and all that comes with a bit of a chip-on-the-shoulder for critics like me who'd dare underestimate her: "You think you’ve caught a lamb...But baby, I’m the wolf." Baby I'm The Wolf is a carefully curated set of ten gorgeous pop/folk tracks, with nary a weakness and many a highlight. It's a practically flawless debut that, thanks to its relative simplicity, leaves the door open for an even more impressive future. | | 14 |  | State Faults
Children of the Moon
No 2024 list would be complete without State Faults. Post-hardcore admittedly isn't my bag these days, but Children of the Moon was impossible not to adore. The way the music manages to be simultaneously angry, melodic, and complex takes me back to the genre's heyday, and Children of the Moon is notably ambitious in its pursuit of spiritual themes/imagery. There's also enough diversity in songwriting and technical makeup to avoid any stagnancy across a one hour runtime. This is State Faults' best record, and an absolute monument for modern emo/hardcore. | | 13 |  | Kendrick Lamar
GNX
Lamar's career since TPAB has been a mixed bag at best -- both DAMN and Mr. Morale had their moments, but neither lived up to his sterling reputation. At long last, the king has returned with GNX, a surprise album drop that is also surprisingly stripped-down (for him) and thrives because of it. GNX feels deeply personal, and Kendrick's iconic cadence carries the record appropriately. The occasional guest vocals lend a melodic element while subtle keybaord flourishes add background, but for the most part, this is just forty-five minutes of Kendrick proving why he's the best rapper in the game. | | 12 |  | Jessica Pratt
Here In the Pitch
"Timeless" is the word that always comes to mind when I listen to Here In The Pitch, a record that sounds like it was transported straight out of another era into the modern sounds and production of the 2020s. It's got a 50s-60s psych-pop glaze, and utterly minimal composition that allows Pratt's unique voice to shine brighter than ever. It's intimate and far away at the same time, a warm glow that somehow encompasses all things summer. There's no strings attached, no pomp and frills -- it's just the Jessica, her audience, and these soft, wispy melodies. There's something uniquely charming about it. | | 11 |  | Touche Amore
Spiral in a Straight Line
I don't know how it happened, but Spiral in a Straight Line ended up being my initial exposure to Touche Amore -- a band occupying a space that I've very much been into for decades. Regardless, and perhaps needless to say, the sheer emotional potency of this thing immediately leveled me. Every song is tightly executed, beautifully layered, and brimming with sadness. Jeremy Bolm's delivery makes every verse feel like a soul-crushing confession, which you'd think would eventually drag the album down under its own weight, but it just never happens. Spiral in a Straight Line keeps snowballing, gathering momentum across the back half with absolute rippers like "Altitude" and "The Glue" until the album simply ceases to be. I never knew how much I needed Touche Amore's cathartic rage, but now I can't imagine my musical library without it. | | 10 |  | Beth Gibbons
Lives Outgrown
Portishead star Beth Gibbons ventured into folk/chamber-pop for her first solo album, and the results are astonishing. Lives Outgrown is an absolutely haunting affair, staring down the latter half of her natural life and the slowly evaporating hopes of humanity-at-large through the same lens. Ghostly choirs, tribal drums, and cellos reign across the experience, painting a picture of the known crumbling into the unfamiliar. Ultimately, that's what Lives Outgrown boils down to: this sense of paralyzing anxiety over an imponderable future: "If I had known where I'd begun / Would I still fear where I might end?" This is an album that can sink your mind into some dark places, and still sound beautiful while doing it. | | 9 |  | Waxahatchee
Tigers Blood
It's time to eat my words here, because I massively undersold Tigers Blood when I reviewed the album back in March. I should have known better, because I didn't immediately get Saint Cloud either, but now it's one of my favorite Americana records of this halfway-done decade. Tigers Blood goes toe-to-toe with that landmark release, offering up Katie Crutchfield's raw-yet-sweet melodies with some of the most subtly addicting hooks of 2024. Tigers Blood is a lyrical goldmine as well, with daggers like “your principles ripen into a fragile tomb”, or forsaken imagery like "a rusted out sign / jesus loves you”. Sometimes, I think she's slowly evolving into the Dylan of our time. If that's an overstatement, then she has at the very least become one of those incredibly rare artists who can't miss. | | 8 |  | Current Joys
East My Love
One of the last things I would have expected from Current Joys on the heels of 2023's upbeat capital-p Pop record, Love + Pop (it's even in the title!), is a rustic, bare-bones indie-rock outing with a bunch of 5-8 minute songs. What initially hooked me was the spectacularly addicting lead riff that presides over "California Rain" -- a moment so gritty and beautiful that it immediately discarded any memories of Love + Pop and replaced them with a vision of something so much better. East My Love delivered on that promise and then some, with wholly cathartic and uplifting harmonies like the one from "Never Seen a Rose" perfectly juxtaposed alongside pristine-sounding acoustics and confessional lyrics, such as on "Slowly like the Wind". The penultimate/title-track lays it all out there together in what can only be considered one of the best songs of entire year. It's a complete evolution and level-up for Current Joys. "What's it like to disappear / From everything you once relied on?" | | 7 |  | Poppy
Negative Spaces
If I Disagree was Poppy dipping her toes into metal without abandoning her pop roots, then Negative Spaces is her jumping off the diving board. It sees her completely embracing metalcore, and as it turns out, the sound suits her better than any pop or pop/metal hybrid ever did. Poppy absolutely goes off here, screaming bloody murder on tracks like "the center's falling out", "they're all around us", and half a dozen other tracks all while retaining her penchant for earworm melodies. When she does slow things down, as she does on the absolutely breathtaking closer "halo", the album is somehow made even better. I'm as surprised as anyone to see Poppy this high on the list, but the reality is evident: Poppy is no longer here for memes and viral YouTube videos. She's still plenty of fun, sure -- but she's also super talented, highly focused, and very much for real. | | 6 |  | The Smile
Wall of Eyes
As a longtime Radiohead fan, I can't say I ever envisioned a time in which I'd actually be okay with one of their side projects supplanting the main act. That isn't to say that's what happened, of course -- but with A Moon Shaped Pool now eight years old and The Smile supplying us with an album that is nearly as good, I find myself in that exact once-unthinkable spot. Wall of Eyes is tremendous; it's got some of the pure aesthetic beauty of AMSP, and some of the unique effects/complex layering that Radiohead was well-known for from Kid A to In Rainbows. I can't say that this release ever puts it all together in a way that Radiohead's classics used to, but it is reminiscent of those releases and not all that far off. If you're sleeping on The Smile because you're holding out for more Radiohead (which might never arrive), then you're depriving yourself of one of the year's best records. | | 5 |  | Vampire Weekend
Only God Was Above Us
Vampire Weekend used to always be an act "on the precipice" of great things -- but never quite achieving them. Enter 2024, and Only God Was Above Us has given us the band's long-awaited masterpiece. Classical influences course through OGWAU's veins, along with galloping drums, searing guitar riffs, furious piano stabs, and dancing strings. Political statements aren't announced, but are definitely there if you're willing to find them. It's a very modern, very urban indie-rock album comprised of ten straight hits. Detractors may or may not be won over, but for fans of Vampire Weekend and mainstream indie at-large, this is the holy grail. | | 4 |  | A Place For Owls
how we dig in the earth
There's always that one album each year that catches you entirely offguard. For me in 2024, that record was A Place For Owls' how we dig in the earth. At its rawest, the album possesses hints of Virgin-era Manchester Orchestra. At it's most polished and beautiful, it's akin to There Will Be Fireworks. Emotion is the main course either way, and that shines through in spades from the moment the band sings, in unison, "you're not okay at all" on the opening track. Brass horns, elegant pianos, and pastoral acoustics make how we dig in the earth far more lush and atmospheric than your standard emo, consistently blurring genre lines with indie-rock and especially folk. It's the sort of album you can put on during a peacful Autumn stroll, or while watching a snowstorm the warmth of your house, and immediately feel at peace inside. Precious few albums have this calming of an effect on me anymore. | | 3 |  | Cindy Lee
Diamond Jubilee
From Pat Flegel (formerly of the band Women), we get this two hour long, triple album spanning release. Diamond Jubilee is one of those records that completely shook me when I first heard it. There I was, up at 2AM with the kids ready to wake in about four hours, still absolutely mesmerized by this monolith. I was simply unable to walk away from the jaw-dropping arrangements and lo-fi production, and every few minutes, it would introduce a new wrinkle that completely blew my mind. There's a whole plethora of genres on display that I'm not well-equipped to summarize, but I will say this: Diamond Jubilee is a potential decade-definer, and an instant classic. This album makes me feel like I'm time travelling. It sounds like nothing I've ever heard, and everything I've ever loved. | | 2 |  | The Cure
Songs of a Lost World
The last time an artist put out such an obviously essential album so late into their career was when David Bowie dropped Blackstar just prior to his death. As high of praise as that seems, I think The Cure's Songs of a Lost might be even better. It's a coda for life; the final chapter before the curtains draw to a close. From the expansive instrumental opening of "Alone" to the dark, sweeping "Endsong", The Cure have crafted what honestly might go down as one of their best three albums in a highly praised discography that's spanned nearly 50 years. Yet, Songs of a Lost World sounds -- and feels -- entirely ageless. If it isn't planned to be The Cure's final record, then it almost should be; nothing could be more of a definitive statement -- oozing with triumphant finality, reflecting upon and embodying everything that's made The Cure one of the greatest bands of all time. | | 1 |  | Foxing
Foxing
If 2024 was anything -- for me, personally -- it was full of uncertainty, anger, and disappointment. No album harnessed that energy better than Foxing's harrowing, abrasive magnum opus. From the explosive "Secret History" and absolute barnburner "Hell 99" to more somber admissions of defeat like "Hall of Frozen Heads", Foxing paints a picture of perpetually diminishing returns on life itself in a way that is absolutely soul-crushing. Every time I hear Murphy sing "What if it doesn't matter anymore?", I feel a pit in my stomach and my heart drops. Throughout the visceral, cathartic screams and fire-baptized guitars that drive so much of the album, I can relate to the existential panic and uncontrollable fury behind each note. Foxing's self-titled record is a wildly experimental and totally unhinged symphony of chaos. It's their crowning achievement, and it's also my 2024 AOTY. | |
Sowing
12.01.24 | That's a wrap. Thanks for reading. | SlothcoreSam
12.01.24 | Poor Yoyo | zakalwe
12.01.24 | Nice one Sow.
Some decent stuff.
2024 was the absolute bollocks. | DoofDoof
12.01.24 | A few of these I really need to return to before the year's end, especially: 1,3,8,9,11,14 (maybe the Poppy too)
Good sowingcore list | Wildcardbitchesss
12.01.24 | Figured Foxing would get your top spot, nice list sowing, I’ll have to check some of these out.
That Cure record might honestly be my number 2 as well. I really think I like it more than Disintegration… | Lasssie
12.01.24 | 14 not being at least top 5 upsets me a little bit, but many nice albums here ;) | Hawks
12.01.24 | Awesome list and write ups Sowing bro. | ashcrash9
12.01.24 | an extremely sowing list indeed. I still gotta check 3 before year's end, the length has kept me procrastinating on it | Hawks
12.01.24 | Same here Ash. | efp123
12.01.24 | very good read. I just can't get into later foxing, but I have tried. glad it did a lot for you. was also surprised you hadn't tried touche amore since they've been around for quite awhile now. I have not listened to that release by them yet | LucretiaMyReflection
12.01.24 | The Cure record is easily a top 5 for me this year | Emim
12.01.24 | Sierra Ferrell is so good. Her cover of Years has been on repeat all year | Veldin
12.01.24 | Nice! I’ll read in full later after finishing lesson plans for this week. I’ve got about 6 of these on my year end list | mkmusic1995
12.01.24 | #3 is an underrated gem. Great stuff as usual, Sowing! | Sowing
12.01.24 | Thanks all. 2024 was the best year for music in a while. | Veldin
12.01.24 | Agreed! Excellent year of music | FowlKrietzsche
12.01.24 | Excellent list FoxingFeason! | YoYoMancuso
12.01.24 | big respect for that state faults placement! I also loved 4 | Sowing
12.01.24 | DT gets an honorable mention for sure! | Wildcardbitchesss
12.01.24 | Sowing, I just don’t see it with Taylor Swift man. I swear to god I gave that record a shot but it came across as so soulless.
Still, you’re one of my favorite writers on this site, hope you decide to start up again because I genuinely think you have some very insightful takes. That Foxing review was excellent, and I swear it has nothing to do with me agreeing with every part of it 😉 | Sowing
12.01.24 | Thanks :-) I think I'm done, but I've thought it before so we will see. If not, Foxing was one hell of a way to go out. | Wildcardbitchesss
12.02.24 | Sowing, please tell me you’ve checked out the rest of Touché Amore’s discog! I’m loving the new record but it’s not even their third best lol
I’m not trying to get too deep or sentimental but Stage Four is the most relatable album I’ve ever heard. We’ve all experienced loss. That album is so cathartic and hurts so much that i can’t even describe it. It’s ugly and beautiful at the same time.
I watched my grandmother die that way… and I’m pretty sure I’m going to see the same with my mother. there’s literally nothing else like it. | pizzamachine
12.02.24 | Needs moar Opeth | ArsMoriendi
12.02.24 | sowing check fantasy of a broken heart
It's indie and 2024 | someguest
12.02.24 | Sierra Ferrell's a gem | Gnocchi
12.02.24 | What a pleasure. | Gyromania
12.02.24 | Only God is by far the worst Vampire Weekend otherwise cool list! I rly didn’t like that new Smile album but I should revisit it | Odal
12.02.24 | Great stuff as always, Sow. No surprise at the number one pick lol | Clefairy
12.02.24 | 1 is 1 | Sowing
12.02.24 | I still have to check the rest of Touche Amore's discography including Stage Four.
Will check Fantasy and see if it seems like my thing for sure.
The new Foxing is probably on the same level as how I felt about TDAG when that album first came out. That's how strongly I feel about it. It excites and devastates me every time. | Feather
12.02.24 | Ayyyyyy great list Sowing! Comments based on what I have checked:
21 I am done listening to T Swift albums and based on the assessments I have seen, I think I have made the right choice avoiding her this year. Speak Now through 1989 was her peak and have not cared much since.
17 Only listened through this a couple times and need to return because I really enjoyed it and loved the amount of variety it had. Much better imo than Halsey’s last album.
16 While the first Aaron West album will always be my favorite, this release was great putting a bow on the trilogy
12 I can’t believe this is your first Touche. While I enjoyed it, this is certainly not their strongest release. Mezzanine was my favorite track off it. CHECK STAGE FOUR already!
9 Listened once through and didn’t get much out of it. Will have to try again.
7 Gets better and better on repeated listens. So happy to see Poppy having so much success this year.
6 This was good in lieu of radiohead. I enjoyed cutouts quite a bit as well.
5 Vampire weekend was a little vanilla, but still pleasant. Not going to be returning though.
2 The Cure came out of absolutely nowhere and I love what they created here.
1 I wish I loved this album as much as you did. I have a massive love hate relationship here where I can make a perfect ep out of my favorite tracks and have no will to listen to everything else off of this.
| Sunnyvale
12.02.24 | Nice list Sowing - lots of overlap as usual. I'm still working on my list but (spoiler alert) we do have three top ten albums in common. | MetalMarcJK
12.03.24 | Sowing, you and I don’t have a lot of musical common ground, but I will always read anything you write because you have The Gift. Great list, man. | AnimalForce1
12.03.24 | Still need to check out new Cure before the year's up. I'm about to go on a new album spree honestly | Sowing
12.04.24 | Thanks all of you! Feather, I'm glad you like the new Halsey because while opinions on it have been super divided, I think it's easily her best (musically and lyrically). I'm somewhat surprised that Foxing didn't obliterate your expectations, because in terms of alt rock I think we usually overlap pretty strongly. It's quite possibly my favorite emo/rock release since TDAG. Who knows, I might like it more.
Sunny I'm 90% sure I know which three overlap, but I won't guess because if I'm right then I'd be giving away spoilers!
That's amazingly nice of you to say Marc, appreciate you.
Animal, definitely check the new Cure. Also, check Cindy Lee if you haven't -- everyone should listen to that. It's one of those rare releases that, if you can spare the time to hear the whole thing, will rock your decade. It also just topped Pitchfork's 2024 list. | Feather
12.04.24 | @Sowing I really wanted Foxing to obliterate my ratings. It is definitely in the emo/rock vein of Brand New, Republic of Wolves, Seahaven, etc. that typically you and I are extremely aligned on. | YoYoMancuso
12.04.24 | "I wish I loved this album as much as you did. I have a massive love hate relationship here where I can make a perfect ep out of my favorite tracks and have no will to listen to everything else off of this."
ding ding ding
An EP of Secret History, Hell 99, Looks Like Nothing, Gratitude, and Hall of Frozen Heads would honestly be flirting with a 5 lol | Feather
12.04.24 | @YOYO YOOOOOOOO that is almost spot on for me. I would probably flip hall with greyhound or just add greyhound and gladly slap a 5 on it. The rest is just skippable for me | Sowing
12.04.24 | I don't think either of you are wrong in your selections regarding the strongest tracks, but my perception of an album comes from how it makes me feel as a whole. It doesn't have to be 13/13 straight aces. Spit is a great complimentary track that fits in perfectly where it was placed between the barnburner Hell 99 and the more winding Greyhound. Cleaning is one of the saddest Foxing songs ever so I don't mind that it's stripped down. Dead Internet is pure riffage that adds fire to what otherwise might've been too soft a back half. If every song plays its role well, then every song doesn't need to be a 5/5 for the album to be perfect. The album conveys an unbridled anger and philosophical darkness that just works. | YoYoMancuso
12.04.24 | Spit, Greyhound, and Dead Internet are all good but I can't be bothered with the rest | Sowing
12.04.24 | Seems like we mostly agree on which tracks are the best but I just like the album more.
Have you checked Cindy Lee? Not sure it's your thing, there's zero emo in it either, but that was my other main "holy shit" moment of 2024. | YoYoMancuso
12.04.24 | hadn't even heard of it before your list, but I love Women (you can quote me on that). I'll have to check it out | Sowing
12.04.24 | Haha
Well, this requires 2 hours of your focus, so I hope you can last that long. |
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