Waxahatchee

Tigers Blood

limited indies 'unsuspecting sky' lp- £25.99 lp + poster - £23.99 
cd - £11.99

I’ve always loved Americana, and ‘Tigers Blood’ is one of the best albums I’ve heard in years that fits into that loose genre. It’s also the first one in even longer that feels truly new and inventive.

Charli XCX
brat

cd - £12.99

For an album that’s full of over the top chest-out bragging and toughness, ‘brat’ cuts to the emotional core of what it’s like to be a pop star better than almost any of the more po-faced “serious” attempts by her contemporaries.

Bolis Pupul
Letter To Yu 

140g black lp - £24.99 

cd - £13.99

This is one of those records that sounds alright but nothing special if it’s on in the background but will absolutely blow you away with proper speakers or headphones. Rich production with heavy bass & a neatly threaded sound collage to explore a return to Hong Kong.

Still House Plants
If I don’t make it, I love u 

cd - £11.99

Weird stuttering rhythms with a real DIY approach that sounds like a mix of HTRK, This Heat and Mica Levi. First listen was jarring but couldn’t stop thinking about it until it became the only thing I wanted to hear for months. Expect this one to head up Serious Music Mags EOY lists.

Shellac
To All Trains 

Shellac’s first studio album in 10 years is heartbreakingly glorious. A combination of Albini’s signature guitar stylings, heavy bass tones and THAT drum sound all form together to create that in your face, razor sharp, no nonsense sound that Shellac are known for. Albini forever!

Thou
Umbilical

cd - £12.99

I won’t lie, this album scared the shit out of me. On ‘Umbilical’, Thou continue to stick out from the crowd once again and prove they’re more than your standard sludge metal band, incorporating more of an atmospheric, almost drone-like, sound at times but still managing to sound as face-meltingly heavy as ever.

Modern Technology
With A Hammer

very limited clear "utility yellow" lp + stickers + download - £19.99

Another sludgy pick. These guys completely came out of the blue for me and hit me with some of the loudest racket I’ve ever heard from a two piece. ‘Conditions Of Worth’ is a total punch-to-the-gut, wall of sound that definitely make them ones to keep an eye on.

Kim Gordon
The Collective

limited coke bottle green lp - £23.99 
lp - £22.99 
cd - £12.99

With ‘The Collective’, Kim Gordon has finally sealed her role as the baddest woman on the planet. Whipping up a melting pot of trap music, noise rock and glitch-laden industrial beats, making it the most excitingly overwhelming album of the year. She truly is the man.

Nadine Shah
Filthy Underneath 

limited retail exclusive red lp - £32.99 
black lp - £28.99 
cd - £13.99

A persistent musical disrupter. Always challenging. Never settling. Always reinventing. Never pedestrian. Always courageous. Never insouciant. Always slaying her own high standards. Never, never failing to endow the most sonically formidable and emotionally generous albums. A filthy rich offering

English Teacher
This Could Be Texas 

limited retail exclusive 140g green lp - £24.99
cd - £12.99

Coursing with post-punk vigour but tantalisingly capricious. It twists and turns and grooves... and Lily Fontaine’s vocal delivery is exceptional. Every bit of craftsmanship radiates throughout these punchy, sharp, intelligent tunes. And they are proper earwormy TUNES!

Tapir!
The Pilgrim, Their God And The King Of My Decrepit Mountain 

limited black lp - £23.99

When this was first submitted as a potential Dinked Edition, I wasn’t convinced. But something about the band and their aesthetic and their label’s enthusiasm made me really want to like it. So I kept trying. And now I return to it regularly, as it’s proven to be an effortless, enchanting, enduring treasure.

Lime Garden
One More Thing

limited "reign in blood" colour lp - £22.99 

limited blue lp - £22.99 
cd - £11.99

It would be easy to love this just because I’ve watched the band rise through the Brighton music scene, earning themselves more and more acclaim and attention. But I love this record coz it’s so damn catchy. And surprising. And dynamic. And well arranged. They just happen to be hometown heroes too

Yard Act
Where’s My Utopia? 

 limited indies orange lp w/sticker set - £28.99

limited retail exclusive maroon lp - £25.99
black lp - £25.99
cd - £14.99

Following up a highly anticipated and hugely popular debut is always a difficult task and yet Yard Act succeeded and then some! Taking what made their first record so popular among their fans and improving upon every aspect. My personal highlight is the eight minute monologue ‘Blackpool Illuminations’

Vampire Weekend
Only God Was Above Us 

limited retail exclusive 2lp w/ alt artwork - £32.99
2lp - £29.99

cd - £13.99

As a lifelong VW fan, I had tempered my expectations going into this fifth LP and boy was I wrong to do so! A tight run time and ten perfectly crafted tracks with some of the best songwriting to come from Ezra and Co. If you’re familiar with their sound this’ll sound like a welcome return to form.

Splitknuckle
Breathing Through The Wound 

limited yellow lp - £24.99

Essex Kings Splitknuckle have finally released their long awaited debut LP and what an LP it is! Nuts riffs and mosh parts, an ode to what came before whilst still sounding completely original. I’ve long said Splitknuckle is the best band in the UK and this LP was true vindication.

Charli XCX
brat 

cd - £12.99

Charli has yet again crafted pop perfection. Classic club sounds mixed with her now iconic lyrical stylings make for one of the most fun listening experiences of the decade so far. Equal parts party music and heartfelt anthems. Long reign Charli XCX at the top of the pop mountain.

Lime Garden
One More Thing 

limited "reign in blood" colour lp - £22.99

limited blue lp - £22.99 
cd - £11.99

Instantly fell in love with this album on first listen. Witty (and at times heart-crushing) lyrics and clever songwriting combine for a near perfect indie pop record.

St. Vincent
All Born Screaming 

limited indies only red lp - £27.99
black lp - £25.99
cd - £13.99

She. Does. Not. Miss. There isn’t a St. Vincent album that isn’t top tier and this trend, as well as the trademark sonic evolution, has been continued on ‘All Born Screaming’

Gaffa Tape Sandy
Hold My Hand, God Damn It 

*signed* limited purple lp in gatefold sleeve - £23.99
cd - £12.99

Absolute pop-emo-rock excellency. Nearly every track on this thing is an earworm but I challenge you to listen to ‘Body In The Water’ and not be singing the chorus for a full week.

Pissed Jeans
Half Divorced 

limited "loser edition" coke bottle green lp - £23.99
cd - £12.99

This thing rips!! Relentless, cynical, thrashing punk rock from start to finish, full of social commentary and self deprecation.Their best album since ‘King of Jeans’.

Alkaline Trio
Blood, Hair and Eyeballs 

black lp - £22.99
cd - £12.99

Did not think I’d be buzzing about an Alkaline Trio album in 2024, but I am. This thing is awesome. Loaded with brilliantly written, super catchy punk rock songs. The hooks and riffs are relentless and combine perfectly with the dark, bittersweet lyrics. Has rarely been off the turntable since January.

Laura Jane Grace
Hole In My Head 

limited black lp - £21.99
cd - £11.99

This has been a real gem that I keep coming back to. As you would expect, Laura Jane Grace’s iconic vocals and honest lyrics are at the fore but the backing is much more relaxed. Not mellow, just more stripped back, almost like Grace has put together a skiffle/beat combo in her garage and just bashed these tunes out.

METZ
Up On Gravity Hill 

limited "loser edition" yellow lp in embossed sleeve - £22.99

METZ but now with choruses! Much anticipated for me after their blistering last album (‘Atlas Vending’), METZ have delivered. Probably their most accessible album to date, so a great jumping on point for anyone who has not heard them. But feels as good as anything they have done.

Ducks Ltd.
Harm’s Way 

dinked 274 - limited "stone & hedge" splatter lp + bonus 7" - £27.99
limited "garden fountain" pearly white lp - £24.99
cd - £12.99

This album should be part of the curriculum for jangly indie guitar bands. With 2 guitars and a drum machine Ducks Ltd. have once again shown what absolute masters they are at songwriting. Every song on this could be a single. File next to The Smiths, early R.E.M. & the Feelies.

Kacey Musgraves
Deeper Well 

limited retail exclusive 180g clear "spilled milk" splatter lp with scented sleeves - £32.99 

limited 180g clear cream lp with scented sleeves - £32.99

cd - £14.99

If ‘Star-Crossed’ was a step back from the pop perfection of ‘Golden Hour’, Kacey’s back to her best here. ‘Deeper Well’ sits between classic Laurel Canyon, ‘Occupanther’ Midlake and ‘Tango In The Night’ Fleetwood Mac. Perfect if you love the Country And Ocean of Miley Cyrus’ fantastic ‘Malibu’

Ducks Ltd.
Harm’s Way 

dinked 274 - limited "stone & hedge" splatter lp + bonus 7" - £27.99
limited "garden fountain" pearly white lp - £24.99
cd - £12.99

Nailed on album of the year from the first time I heard it. Even better than ‘Modern Fiction’, this is ideal for anyone who loves the melancholy but uplifting indie jangle of The Go-Betweens, The Loft, Rolling Blackouts or The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart.

A Certain Ratio
It All Comes Down To This 

limited neon pink bio-vinyl lp with alternative artwork - £23.99
bio-vinyl lp - £22.99
cd with 12pp booklet - £12.99

A reminder that ACR have always been as much punk as funk, this is the most urgent, direct album they’ve ever made. Very much its own record but also full of nods to early classics like ‘The Graveyard And The Ballroom’ and ‘To Each’.

J Mascis
What Do We Do Now 

black lp + 12x12 print - £22.99
cd - £12.99
Cassette - £9.99

The best and most pop Mascis record since Dinosaur Jr’s 90s commercial peak.This could easily be the missing link between ‘Where You Been’ and ‘Hand It Over’. If you’re still trying to decide if you need more Mascis in your life, you definitely do.

Beak>
>>>> 

cd - £11.99

As soon as I heard the first track off the album (‘Strawberry Line’), I knew it was going to be one of my albums of the year! Absolute banger.

The Smile
Wall of Eyes 

black lp in gatefold sleeve - £26.99
cd - £12.99

Absolutely love the second offering from Thom & co. Check out ‘Bending Hectic’ for something epic!

Beth Gibbons
Lives Outgrown 

140g black lp + 4pp booklet + download - £22.99
cd - £12.99

The long awaited return of Beth Gibbons, and definitely worth the wait. Beth’s voice remains incredible and whatever she sang, I’d probably love it.

Shabaka
Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace 

limited indies clear red lp - £27.99
lp - £27.99

cd - £14.99

Everyone knows I love a flute, and Shabaka plays it beautifully. An amazing album.

Peggy Gou
I Hear You 

limited blue lp + print - £22.99
lp + print - £21.99
cd - £11.99

It feels like we’ve been waiting an eternity for this album, with the first single ‘I Go’ being my track of the year in 2021! But, like a fine wine, it’s worth the wait. Wall to wall summer heaters all from one of the coolest DJs on the scene.

Nia Archives
Silence Is Loud 

black lp in gatefold sleeve - £25.99
cd - £12.99

Her last EP made it into my picks last year in the mid-year booklet. She has built upon that and absolutely smashed it out of the park with her debut. It’s filled to the brim with jungle bangers that also tell an emotional story. These tunes will be stuck in my head for years to come.

Elkka
Prism of Pleasure 

limited 140g dusty pink marbled lp in gatefold sleeve - £23.99
cd - £11.99

This album came out of nowhere and sneaked into my top 4 right in the last week. The track ‘I Just Want To Love You’ has been on constant repeat on my walk to work. Euphoric house that hits you right in the feels and you can’t help having a boogie to

Mount Kimbie
The Sunset Violent 

black lp - £24.99

Mount Kimbie have consistently been one of my favourite bands and they are back on fine form with this album. Steering away from their electronic roots but still creating something that is quintessentially them is no mean feat. It somehow feels fresh but comforting at the same time.

Molly Lewis
On The Lips 

lp - £26.99
cd - £11.99

This album is a Blue Velvet-esque nightclub, filled with cigarette smoke and a lounge band playing exotica, backing an ethereal whistle delivered by the star of the show, Molly Lewis. Truly the most unique LP you’ll hear all year, reminiscent of Martin Denny, Yma Sumac and Ennio Morricone.

Kneecap
Fine Art 

limited green, white & orange lp + download - £22.99
cd - £11.99

After seeing Kneecap at the Electric Ballroom last year, this was my most anticipated album of 2024 and the Irish trio didn’t disappoint. Bringing pounding beats, Irish-language rap and unapologetic republicanism, this debut is a molotov cocktail exploding in your ears.

The Decemberists
As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again 

limited indies "fruit no punch" 2lp - £28.99
black 2lp - £28.99

My only wish would be that every Decemberists song was nearly 20 minutes long like ‘Joan in the Garden’, so I could live in them that bit longer.

Alison Cotton
Engelchen 

super limited clear lp - £21.99

A genuinely moving piece from Alison Cotton, inspired by Ida & Louise Cook, sisters who put their lives in danger to help refugees escape Nazi Germany. Every note carries a weight of remarkable emotional reverence.