The year in (Wil’s favorite) music: 2024
For the 13th (!) consecutive year, I carved out a weekend with some good buds to geek out on the music we appreciated most from the past year. Soon, I’ll be announcing details about the release of my (10 years in the making) documentary and sharing some updates related to my day job.
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But for now — if you’re here (thanks for being here) — you have this.
The Mix
Listen to wk24: what i was thinking, a mixtape featuring songs I enjoyed from 2024. (Note: As of this writing, my top record is not on Spotify. You can get the missing track #4 from the mix here, or buy the full album here. As always, please listen responsibly — with crossfade set to 12 in your Spotify settings.)
The List
Of all my favorite releases from 2024, these ten (clickable) albums rose to the top:
10. MJ Lenderman—Manning Fireworks
True heads will recall that I included MJ’s live cover of “Long Black Veil” on last year’s mix. I had seen his band, Wednesday, at Pickathon and enjoyed it plenty, but I underestimated the hype around this record. Hype usually makes me skeptical, but I gravitated toward these sounds — for the Jason Molina and J Mascis vibes — and for what MJ brings to the table himself.
9. Alan Sparhawk — White Roses, My God
Alan’s Low collaborator, Mimi Parker — whose voice had been grabbing my heart and activating my tear ducts for years — passed away from ovarian cancer in late 2022. No one knew what would come next, but this autotune-laden adventure was not the ‘grief record’ I expected. I bought it at KEXP immediately, and it hasn’t stopped calling me to bask in life’s complexities.
8. This is Lorelei — Box for Buddy, Box for Star
The magic of Oregon’s Pickathon Music Festival lies in discovery, and within a few songs of Lorelei’s set, I was pulled in and googling lyrics. The record sounds pristine, and the shine of certain gems (e.g. the Elliott Smith sound-alike one) was immediately clear. Returning to the album later in the year confirmed its rightful place as a repeatable end-to-end journey.
7. Mount Eerie—Night Palace
I appreciate all the winding iterations of Phil Elverum’s work. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking Mount Eerie’s earnest, drenched-in-itself sound might become a relic of PNW nostalgia. But Night Palace feels like the most quintessentially Mount Eerie record yet — familiar yet expansive, with themes of gentrification and decolonization that ground it firmly in today.
6. Liam Bailey—Zero Grace
Props to my neighbor Dylan for simply saying he was into this. With such a trove of reggae and dub at our fingertips, it’s hard to let newcomers in — but once in a while, something contemporary breaks through. England’s Liam Bailey delivered my favorite non-instrumental record to listen to all summer long, and I’m eager to hear more of all this down the road!
5. Beth Gibbons — Lives Outgrown
Letterboxd reminded me that I started 2024 with a live 1998 Portishead concert film on January 1st. Between that and sharing an appreciation of frontwoman Beth Gibbons with Kendrick Lamar, I was primed for her solo record. Though not an easy listen, even compared to Portishead, it transported and transfixed me — especially in AirPods on airplanes.
4. Hermanos Gutiérrez — Sonido Cósmico
Sonido Cósmico was my most listened to record of the year — and it wasn’t close. Did you hang out in my backyard this year? Did we discuss the fate of society in a living room somewhere? Did we simply want to have some music to accompany a strange mix of looming dread and appreciation for what we have? Then we probably heard these cosmic sounds together.
3. Vince Staples — Dark Times
I love that you know it’s Vince Staples the moment one of his monotone, irreverent bars hits. This album isn’t his catchiest, but I kept coming back for its somber highlights. Even as an instrumental record, it’d be compelling — but Vince’s quips and, most of all, his delivery make it a standout, at least for this fan. I should probably watch his show.
2. Kim Deal —Nobody Loves You More
We stayed on the edge of the Pacific Palisades in December, alternating between this new album and mostly tolerable Christmas music. The horns threw me off at first, but I soon decided the Pixies and Breeders icon can do whatever she pleases. After news of the wildfires in LA, its blend of melancholy and joy stuck with me. Long live the coast. Long live Kim Deal.
1. Cindy Lee— Diamond Jubilee
I had never listened to Women (sidenote: listen to women), the Canadian band fronted by Patrick Flegel, aka Cindy Lee. One night, with the kitchen to myself, I hit play on YouTube and listened to the full 2+ hours. The stripped-down yet vibey girl group feel, the Velvet Underground guitarwork, the Lynchian beauty — I gifted the 3xLP to myself on Bandcamp Friday.
