The year 2024 felt like a century, yet it seemingly vanished in a heartbeat. In its wake, an unrelenting surge of extraordinary records made retracing each month feel like unearthing hidden treasures. Rewind just a beat, and you might recall the hush before the downpour of anthems from icons, both old and new. Blink again, and the year has gone—leaving behind an embarrassment of riches that demands careful revaluation. And in so many ways, I truly believe right now is a golden age for the music we champion here.
Amidst all this, there was never any question about which release stood out as the best of the year: The Cure – Songs of a Lost World. As we get older, we only gain intimacy with grief, and Songs of a Lost World envelops that turmoil with an unparalleled honesty. Imagine Bloodflowers-era colliding with the ephemeral magic of the Lost Wishes cassette, culminating in the band’s best since the main album Wish (1992). In addition to more new albums, promised, that hopefully won’t take another 16 years to see the light of day, realistically, one can only hope for another epic round of touring—The Cure, after all, remain peerless on stage, outshining their contemporaries with one of the best live shows out of any band that has been as long as they have. Seriously, Robert Smith’s voice is better now than it was during the 80s.
High on that same electric pedestal, we saw Twin Tribes returning with Pendulum, their finest to date, while Molchat Doma took a determined leap from the snowy streets of Minsk to the sprawl of Los Angeles, expanding their palette with the inventive flair of Belaya Polosa. Anja Huwe resurrected her creative spark for the first time in 35 years, a glorious reemergence after Xmal Deutschland’s 1989 swansong, Devils. This year’s offering, Codes, precedes her first live performance since the band dissolved—an unmissable February date at Grauzone in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Xeno & Oaklander have done it again, leading the synth-infused post-punk revival they helped ignite two decades prior with Via Negativa (in the doorway light). Geneva Jacuzzi graced us with her most brilliant retro synth-pop incantations yet. Robert Alfons’s long-running project TR/ST brightened their already shimmering gloom with Performance, and Ultra Sunn finally landed stateside for a jubilant debut tour—underscoring why their album US kept so many dancefloors spellbound, proving they are a far more dynamic band than their previous hit “Keep Your Eyes Peeled.”
In the swirl of new releases, Normal Bias fused the avant-garde funk of Cabaret Voltaire with the melodic groove of Depeche Mode, forging one of the year’s catchiest synth records. Over in Berlin, Curses and Skelesys delivered a formidable double-punch of local post-punk brilliance, while Louse emerged seemingly from nowhere to conjure an old-school wonder.
Over in London, Night in Athens contributed one of the year’s finest darkwave gems, while Teardux, a standout newcomer from Atlanta, delivered one of the best dark synthpop debuts of the year with their Mend EP. In Wales, Plastic Estate‘s new LP, Code d’Amour, blew me away with its lush, haunting soundscapes, while Australia’s Sacred Hearts reminded us why old-school post-punk still has a timeless lure with their Siren Songs EP.
Before you head off after going through our best-of list, don’t forget to save our curated Spotify playlist featuring all these incredible albums and songs. It’s the perfect way to revisit—or discover—your favorite moments from this year’s eclectic landscape. Put on your headphones, pump up the volume, and let 2024’s defining tracks carry you into 2025.
Alex’s List
1. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
2. Molchat Doma – Belaya Polosa
3. Twin Tribes – Pendulum
4. Anja Huwe – Codes
5. Xeno and Oaklander – Via Negativa (in the doorway light)
VIA NEGATIVA (in the doorway light) by Xeno & Oaklander
6. Kontravoid – Detachment
7. Ultra Sunn – US
8. Normal Bias –Kingdom Come
9. Curses – Another Heaven
10. Plastic Estate – Code d’Amour
Code d’Amour by Plastic Estate
11. Skelesys – Fading Echoes
12. Night In Athens – Wasted Reflektions
Wasted Reflektions by Night in Athens
13. Silent Em – Real Life
14. TR/ST – Performance
15. Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More
Nobody Loves You More by Kim Deal
16. Geneva Jacuzzi – Triple Fire
17. Ride – Interplay
18. Modern English – 1, 2, 3, 4
19. Primal Scream – Come Ahead
20. Louse – Passions Like Tar
21. Siviyex – The Mirrax Sequence
The Mirrax Sequence by SIVIYEX
22. Gavin Friday – Ecce Homo
23. Ductape – Echo Drama
24. Poison Point – Wandering Echoes
Wandering Echoes by Poison Point
25. Male Tears – Paradísco
26. LEATHERS – Ultraviolet
27. New Wave Kill – Stitches for the Soul
28. Dancing Plague – Elogium
29. Profit Prison – Gilt
30. Occults – Rituals
EPs:
1. Teardux – Mend
Sacred Hearts – Siren Songs
Rue Oberkampf Essenz
The Chameleons – Where Are You?
The Harrow – Cinderglow
Singles
Harsh Symmetry – Fossil Brain
Fossil Brain by Harsh Symmetry
Ash Code – Nostalgia
Nostalgia (Maxi Single) by Ash Code
Pol – Masks
A Flock of Seagulls – Some Dreams
Pixel Grip – STAMINA
Madeline Goldstein – 1996 Expectations
1996 Expectations by Madeline Goldstein
Linea Aspera – Mycelium
Bootblacks – When You Want
Actors – Object of Desire
Object Of Desire – Extended MIXXX by ACTORS
Caskett Casette – Apology
Frank’s List
In a year filled with loss, it’s only fitting that my favorite album of the year was The Cure‘s Songs of a Lost World. After what felt like an eternity, the album we received is everything I needed from the band and more. Hearing the opening notes of “Alone” brought tears to my eyes, while songs such as “Warsong” and “Drone:NoDrone” feel as prescient as ever. However, the real meat of the album lies in tracks such as “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and closing track “Endsong,” both which stand as high benchmarks in the band’s catalogue – powerful, epic, and reflective in all the best ways.
Aside from The Cure, this year was chock full of eclectic, joyous, and beautiful releases, all of which captured my attention in full. The Wolfgang Press, one of 4AD’s most singular acts, also returned out of the blue, as did former label mates Modern English and Anja Huwe, and all three sound as vital as ever. Similarly, New Model Army and Ride‘s latest offerings, for my money, are as good as anything they’ve ever released, proving that the old guard still has lots to offer. Of course, a newer crop of musicians also brought the heat this year, from good pals and master musicians to new favorite treasures. In truth, there was so much great new music this year that I ran out of room on my main list, which doesn’t happen terribly often…
It’s also an honor to have released something new this year as well, even though it was the worst possible week for us to do so. For those who might have missed it, please check out The Harrow’s new EP, Cinderglow, which we hope to follow up next year.
All this said and done, my favorite moment of 2024 came just this past November, where we flew to southern France to catch the tail end of And Also the Trees‘ European tour, hot off the release of their breathtaking Mother-of-pearl Moon LP. It was a true bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experience for me to see this forever favorite perform tracks both new and old and to bask in their energy for a few short hours.
Hope everyone enjoys the upcoming holiday season and finds solace in family, friends, and of course, music. See y’all in 2025!
1. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
2. Xeno and Oaklander – Via Negativa (in the doorway light)
VIA NEGATIVA (in the doorway light) by Xeno & Oaklander
3. And Also the Trees – Mother-of-pearl Moon
Mother-of-pearl moon by And Also The Trees
4. Silent Em – Real Life
5. Coatie Pop – Unknown God
Unknown God by Coatie Pop
6. Siviyex – The Mirrax Sequence
The Mirrax Sequence by SIVIYEX
7. Modern English – 1, 2, 3, 4
8. Mueran Humanos – Reemplazante
Reemplazante by Mueran Humanos
9. Anilore – Lia Fall
10. Mo Dotti – Opaque
11. Rosegarden Funeral Party – From the Ashes
From the Ashes by Rosegarden Funeral Party
12. Nina Belief – Theta
13. Houses of Heaven – Within / Without
Within/Without by Houses of Heaven
14. Orannssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja
15. Anja Huwe – Codes
16. Belong – Realistic IX
17. New Model Army – Unbroken
18. Ride – Interplay
19. Ghost Cop – Trouble
20. The Wolfgang Press – A 2nd Shape
A 2nd Shape by The Wolfgang Press ( TWP )
21. The Prids – I Only Care About You and Me
I Only Care About You and Me by The Prids
22. Kontravoid – Detachment
25. Normal Bias – Kingdom Come
24. Blushing – Sugarcoat
25. Healees – Coin de l’œil
EPs/12”s/7”s/Mini LPs/etc.
1. Sacred Hearts – Siren Songs
2. FertilizeHer – Bless This Womb
Bless This Womb by FertilizeHer
3. Ortrotasce – Recall (Crashed Tracks)
Recall (Crashed Tracks) by Ortrotasce
4. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Driving Black
Driving Black by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
5. The Chameleons – Where Are You?
Singles
1. Blacklist – “The Witching Hour”
The Witching Hour by Blacklist
2. Bootblacks – “When You Want”
3. Ozean – “Streets of Chrome”
Full track here.
4. Desperate Journalist – “Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2”
No Hero by Desperate Journalist
5. Kælan Mikla – “Stjörnuljós”
6. Mannhunter – “Alle Psallite Cum Luya”
Alle Psallite Cum Luya by Mannhunter
7. Alison’s Halo – “Happy”
8. Geneva Jacuzzi – “Laps of Luxury”
9. Mahogany – “A Scaffold”
“A Scaffold” single by Mahogany
10. The Jesus & Mary Chain – “Pop Seeds”
Pop Seeds by The Jesus And Mary Chain
Andi’s List
Amidst the tumult of 2024, music was the ultimate cauterizer. Melancholic pop and romantic dance music stole my heart this year: it was dark, but never too. There was hope tucked in with the shadows. While some fell into the category of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”—Twin Tribes, Ultra Sunn, and She Past Away’s new single—these artists have perfected their sound, becoming unequivocal masters of their genres without feeling overdone.
The top three of my sweet and simple list belongs to artists who weren’t afraid to push the boundaries of the previous work. Normal Bias’ Kingdom Come LP was haunting pop perfection, a mature step up from their self-titled EP that felt much more EBM at its core. Heart-wrenching and beautiful, Normal Bias inherently understands the delicate balance of the kind of music that makes you feel: to dance, to writhe in emotion, to come out on the other side with a revived optimism. Silent EM’s Real Life was close behind. While not entirely pop, the LP is a departure from his previous work, adding a new layer of sophistication to his already perfectly-produced catalog. Newcomer LLORA won over my affections with their self-titled LP that embraced the craft of songwriting. Sad, sometimes quirky, but oh-so-beautiful, LLORA’s debut album was almost too easy to love.
In keeping with this year’s theme, I’m looking forward to the evolution of some of my favorite artists and bands next year—let’s see what the future holds.
1. Normal Bias – Kingdom Come
2. Silent EM – Real Life
3. LLORA – LLORA
4. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
5. Ultra Sunn – US
6. Kontravoid – Detachment
7. Ortrotasce – Dispatches from Solitude
Dispatches From Solitude by Ortrotasce
8. Dame Area – Toda la Verdad Sobre
MNQ 166 Dame Area – Toda La Verdad Sobre Dame Area LP by Dame Area
9. Twin Tribes – Monolith
10. Teardux – Mend
MEND EP by Teardux
Listen to our Best-of 2024 Playlist below:
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