The Top 50 Albums of 2024: Part Five (#20 to #11)

It’s Top 20 time!

Welcome to Part Five of The Perfect Prescription’s Top 50 Albums of 2024 series. It’s Top 20 time, which means I’ve already written about 50 different records over the last few weeks — check those out in the links below. And I’ve still got ten to go! You can expect the final piece of the puzzle on Thursday or Friday.

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Explore The Top 50 Albums of 2024 Series

[Honourable Mentions] [#50 to #41] [#40 to #31] [#30 to #21] [#20 to #11] [#10 to #1]

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20. Charli XCX
“Brat”
(Atlantic)

It is exceedingly rare for a commercially successful, zeitgeist-defining pop record to push artistic and creative boundaries in the way Brat does. Charli XCX should be applauded for her clarity of vision and flawless execution. I’m not Brat’s target audience — I was far too busy enjoying my (Jessica) Pratt summer to become truly obsessed with this — but I found plenty of time for “360” and its grittier companion piece “365”, which are both up there as songs of the year for me.

19. julie
“my anti-aircraft friend”
(Atlantic)

This Californian band fuses shoegaze with grungy indie-rock on one of September’s stronger debuts. There’s a lot of activity in this genre right now (see also: Dummy’s Free Energy), but My Anti-Aircraft Friend captures an evolving act with the potential to truly break out of the pack next time around. For now, “clairbourne practice” is a particularly satisfying slab of noise.

18. The Last Dinner Party
“Prelude to Ecstasy”
(Island)

Stylish, ambitious, and impeccably performed, Prelude to Ecstasy made an absolute fool out of anyone who accused The Last Dinner Party of being industry plants. The secret behind their meteoric rise? Genuine talent — as songwriters and performers. This is one of the finest debut albums of the decade, and I suspect they’re only getting started.

17. Hannah Frances
“Keeper of the Shepherd”
(Ruination)

This seems a strange observation to make about a recipient of Pitchfork’s coveted Best New Music accolade, but Keeper of the Shepherd seems to have been cruelly overlooked this year. It has only appeared on one End-of-Year list (Paste’s, at #45) and barely received any press on release beyond the Pitchfork review. It’s a real head-scratcher because Keeper of the Shepherd is a truly stunning reflection on grief, its darker tones offset by green shoots of hope. Indeed, it’s arguably the standout folk record of the year. Please give this one a chance if you haven’t already.

16. REVIVAL SEASON
“Golden Age of Self Snitching”
(Heavenly)

There’s a lot going on here and all of it is riotously fun. A genre-defying mashup of ideas, Golden Age of Self Snitching is a hip hop record at its core, but one that wears its love for rock, funk and electronic music on its sleeve. I’ve recommended a lot of hip hop to friends this year and “Pump” has by far the highest conversion rate.

15. Friko
“Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here”
(ATO)

The most compared-to-Arcade-Fire album of the year. Chicago duo Friko smashed it out of the park with their debut, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here, an album that is literally overflowing with festival-ready indie rock anthems.

14. The Smile
“Wall of Eyes”
(XL)

The Smile gave us two albums this year, but Wall of Eyes was the best. Hot take incoming — I think “Bending Hectic” is the best thing Thom and Jonny have created since In Rainbows.

13. E L U C I D
“The World Is Dog”
(Fat Possum)

You may know ELUCID as one half of acclaimed hip hop duo Armand Hammer, who released one of last year’s best hip hop records, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. Or two of the best, if you include Maps, billy woods’ collaboration with Kenny Segal. ELUCID’s masterful Revelator extends the duo’s winning streak. A dense, uncompromising work, it doesn’t exactly serve up instantly gratifying playlist fodder, but it will reward your attention and persistence.

12. Ducks Ltd.
“Harm’s Way”
(Carpark)

I adore Ducks Ltd. and the brilliant Harm’s Way did not disappoint at all. The band’s sound is pretty clearly established at this point — frenetic programmed beats, jangly guitars, and sharp songwriting that doesn’t scrimp on the hooks. Sure, it’s predictable, but who is going to complain when the songs are this good? “Train Full of Gasoline” could easily describe Ducks Ltd. — a relentless jangle pop juggernaut showing no signs of slowing down.

11. Adrianne Lenker
“Bright Future”
(4AD)

Not everything works but there’s a playfulness and spirit of adventure that I missed in the last Big Thief record, sprawling and good as it was. Adrianne Lenker could sing the phone book and make it sound compelling. At its best, Bright Future is absolutely majestic.

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All of the selections so far have been added to my Top 50 Albums Spotify playlist. Go ahead and save this one as I’ll be adding to it as this series progresses.

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