My Favorite Albums of 2024 So Far

*Not* a "best of" list!

Arooj Aftab on the cover of her new album, Night Reign

Please note that I don't call this a "best of" list, because to do so suggests an impossible objectivity. Aside from the fact that I've heard only a tiny percentage of the torrent of music released this year, I don't hold my own taste in such high regard.

Music criticism is a subjective dialogue, and to the extent that it is "useful," it may introduce listeners to music that they may not have heard otherwise, and it may provide some sort of context for their listening. Furthermore, some of you may be familiar with my taste, and so to the extent that it aligns with your own, it may be a useful predictor of how you may respond to the music that I enjoy—or it may not. The subjective, eccentric quality of the endeavor is what makes it fun (to me, anyway).

Caveats aside, these are the new records that I have had on repeat so far this year. While I use streaming services (specifically, Apple Music and Presto Music), I buy the music that I want in my permanent collection (except for the music by super-rich pop stars—I just keep streaming those records). These are recordings from this year that I have bought (mostly), that I want to spin over and over, and that I think deserve to be widely heard.

So here is an even dozen, in alphabetical order by performer/ensemble:

Arooj Aftab: Night Reign (Verve)

Probably my album of the year to this point. Aftab is a Pakistani American singer and composer, whose music defies easy categorization. She has collaborated with a number of jazz musicians, notably pianist Vijay Iyer, who makes a guest appearance here, and in addition to her original compositions, she sometimes puts her own spin on jazz standards. This is the case here with the dreamiest version of "Autumn Leaves" you will ever hear. Elsewhere she combines sonic landscapes of jazz and classical chamber music, along with traditional Pakistani sounds, to create an immersive wall of sound. A stunning, gorgeous album.

Albion Ensemble: Mozart: Gran Partita (Hyperion)

Perhaps the greatest piece ever composed for chamber wind ensemble—performed flawlessly here in impeccable sound.

Melissa Aldana: Echoes of the Inner Prophet (Blue Note)

Tenor saxophonist Aldana has been making waves in the jazz world for the past decade, channeling masters (especially Wayne Shorter, in terms both of compositional style and the tone of her horn) and developing her own signature sound. To my ears, this is her best record to date, both in terms of composition and improvisation.

Arcadia Quartet: Weinberg: String Quartets, Vol. 4 (Nos. 6, 13, and 15) (Chandos)

Mieczysław Weinberg was a Polish composer who escaped as a young man into the Soviet Union at the outbreak of World War II. He remained there for the rest of his life. Shostakovich became a mentor and friend, and we can hear the older composer's influence in Weinberg's music. He seems finally to be getting more attention, with a number of major-label recordings in the past few years. This project of recording his complete string quartets by the Arcadia Quartet has been impressive through its first four volumes, and this fourth volume is the best of all. This is introspective, brooding music that will reward multiple listens.

The Decemberists: As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again (YABB Records/Thirty Tigers)

If you know the Decemberists, then you know to expect some folk-tinged, highly literate rock earworms, and you either love or hate Colin Meloy's voice. I'm a sucker for all of it, though I wasn't much of a fan of their last album, I'll Be Your Girl. This double album, however, gives me everything I love about the band—the eclectic influences, the quirky lyrics, and tunes that tunnel their way into your brain. Furthermore, Hilary Mantel enthusiasts (and followers of

Simon Haisell

) will be excited by the inclusion of the tune "William Fitzwilliam." Yes, that William Fitzwilliam. Other highlights are the Latin-inflected "Oh No!," the dark ballad "Long White Veil” (“I married her, I carried her, on the very same day I buried her”), and the epic "Joan in the Garden."

Tianqi Du, Jonathan Bloxam, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields: Bach: Keyboard Concertos (Naïve)

Purists may object to Bach's keyboard music on a modern piano, but this record makes a strong case for it. From the harmonic intensity of the aufspinnen climax of the D-Minor Concerto's opening movement through the heart-meltingly beautiful slow movement of the F-Minor Concerto, Du plays with fire and finesse. The balances in the recording are tilted toward the keyboard and away from the orchestra, but I don't mind, as Jonathan Bloxam and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields play their supporting role with elegant sensitivity. This is some wonderful Bach.

Charles Goold: Triptych Lespri (La Reserve)

The New-York based drummer Charles Goold is incapable of making a bad record. The opening track, "Ti Roro's Yanvalou" sets impossibly high expectations, with its Caribbean polyrhythms and Judette Elliston's lovely vocal. It is, however, unlike anything else on the record, which resolves to more or less straight-ahead jazz, with some occasional forays into Haitian percussion. But that's not a bad thing. The album never stops swinging, with Juan Diego Villalobos on the vibes and Davis Whitfield on the piano breaking into fabulous extended solos. Here is his combo performing “Caravan” live:

Dawda Jobarteh and Stefan Pasborg: Live in Turku (April)

The kora is a West-African instrument that looks sort of like an inverted, gourd-bodied banjo that has been badly drawn by AI. When well played, however, the 21-stringed instrument is remarkably versatile and can achieve a marvelous range of effects. Gambian kora-player Dawda Jobarteh is a master, and here he teams up with Jazz drummer Stefan Pasborg for an invigorating live set. It sounds like nothing else you will hear this year, but you will want to spin it over and over.

Ron Miles: Old Main Chapel (Blue Note)

We lost this wonderful jazz cornettist far too early in 2022. Blue Note has provided a special live set from 2011 for us to appreciate him. Here he teams up with veteran collaborators Bill Frisell (guitar) and Brian Blade (drums). The recording is gorgeous and creates a holographic effect with good headphones or IEMs. The absence of the upright bass (whose range is mostly covered by Frisell in any case) creates a sweet sense of spaciousness and allows for apparently telepathic interaction between the players. A magical album.

Osmo Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra: Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (BIS)

Vanska's Mahler cycle in Minnesota for the BIS label has received some mixed reviews; however, he concludes it here with a magnificent No. 3, the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, usually clocking in at over a hundred minutes. It takes a special performance (like Bernstein's reference recording with the New York Phil, for example) to keep this piece from dragging in spots, and Vanska pulls it off, with great playing by the Minnesotans and glorious recorded sound, in concert in 2022.

Various Artists: The George Lloyd Signature Series (Lyrita)

OK, so this isn't exactly an album but, rather, a project to gather together in a series of releases the Lyrita recordings of the music of neglected English composer George Lloyd—including his symphonies (all twelve of them, conducted by the composer), concertos, brass band music, choral music, and solo piano music. If you are unfamiliar with Lloyd (and I suspect that you are; I was until fairly recently), you are in for a treat. A good place to start is the tuneful and lively Symphony No. 5. But don't stop there: keep listening, and you will wonder why this composer doesn't get more attention. Here is the incomparable Dave Hurwitz discussing Symphony No. 5:

Joanna Wang: Hotel la Rut

You are unlikely to hear a stranger album this year. Taiwanese-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer Joanna Wang hits us with a dizzying series of styles and influences on this noisy, catchy, hilarious, and often baffling record. It is something of a concept album that draws its inspiration from the Canadian comedy trope The Kids in the Hall's sketch of the same name about a flophouse filled with eccentric guests. I can give you a sense of the album's aesthetic with song titles like "You Lost Me at the Spanking Machine" and "Gasp! That Plastic Bag is Watching Me!" There is a song about a deranged, self-described "pacifist" who devises ways to kill the pigeons on his balcony. And it just gets stranger from there. If you don’t like one track, just wait, because the next is probably in a totally different style and will arrive in about a minute and a half. I keep going back to this record and enjoying it more with each listen. Your mileage may vary.

All of these albums should be easily available on your streaming service of choice, and for purchase in physical or digital copies.

Thanks for reading, from my fancy internet record player to yours.

Photo by Lee Campbell on Unsplash