The best albums of 2024 – chosen by ROLLING STONE

In the 1960s it briefly looked as if Tucker Zimmerman would make a career as a New York folkie, but nothing came of it. Six decades later, Big Thief turns the spotlight on the now 83-year-old – and with him makes one of the most touching albums of the year. There’s a tremendous heat in this country folk. Far from the public eye, Zimmerman has developed an impressive songwriting aura. – JS

On the surface, Katie Crutchfield continues to merge with mainstream Americana. But behind the clear, unpretentious sound there is still a songwriter who throws out enough barbs in “The Wolves” or “Crimes Of The Heart” for closer inspection. This is also available from her assistant MJ Lenderman, who harmonizes excellently and is allowed to go further up the ramp in the duet “Right Back To It”. – JF

The first of the three The Smile albums, which doesn’t sound as if Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood were just content with covering scurry (Kraut) rock sketches with airy guitar garlands. “Instant Psalm” gives them biblical gravity, “Eyes & Mouth” is reminiscent of the Radiohead of the “In Rainbows” era. And the better The Smile albums like this get, the longer the wait for Radiohead… SN

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are grooving relaxed into the autumn of their careers. They remain lifestyle and thoughtful, like in “The Secret Of Happiness.” They confess to “A New Bohemia” in voluptuous tones, then dance exuberantly in the adult disco. They have retained their excellent taste in mid-tempo beats. And their humor too (“The Schlager Hit Parade”). – RN

Enter at your own risk! All pieces on “House” are assigned to a room, the first is called “Beluga (Condominium)”. Anyone looking around there or even moving in has to have strong nerves. Katharina Kollmann aka Nichtseattle plays the guitar great and has a good band with her, but it’s no coincidence that she’s sitting alone on the cover in the urban middle of nowhere and looking us critically in the face.

A lot of what’s crazy about Berlin and probably all big cities appears right in the opening minutes – yoga guys eating organic beluga lentils, for example:

“And he reads books by women so proudly / And will only build new fairy tales / About health, beauty and singing / He looks as if singing was all I can do here.”

Of course that’s not true!

Already on “Kommunistenlibido” (2022) you could hear how well Kollmann can capture our time, with its own complaints that have nothing to do with misery. Since then she has developed even more self-confidence, especially musically, and Olaf Opal’s production is also powerful. But it’s her not-so-determined lyrics that make the difference on “Haus” – and this voice that isn’t ashamed of its insecurities and sometimes sounds so wonderfully annoyed.

She is all the more touching when she suddenly sounds very tender in “Krümel noch da (Tagescafé)”:

“Cake crumbs in your face/I wish the limits didn’t exist/The limits of a life in stone/The limits of not being naive.”

You can also find it depressing when she sings in “Being a Woman (Workshop)” about not wanting any of that:

“Go and have a child/Give your life meaning/And hold your chin up!”

Or brutally honest, as in “Hardworking (Schloss)”, her rejection of capitalism.

“Haus” is not a simple album, it is a real one. And what would be more important in 2024? – Birgit Fuss

Tierra Whack has said goodbye to the novelty concept of her debut mixtape “Whack World” (2018). But she hasn’t lost the fun in silliness, nursery rhymes and quotable lines, in sound gimmicks and jumping wildly between rap, funk, R&B and pop. And in the darker moments on “World Wide Whack,” which establish her as a worthy Missy Elliott heir, the humor never leaves her. – MB

The five women of this brilliant band have draped themselves in Renaissance ruffled dresses in a picture above the fireplace. The Last Dinner Party’s debut album delivers on all its promises: some say goth-pop, some say Queen, I say pulp. The compelling impetus and the theatrical gesture are reminiscent of the songs from “Different Class”. And The Last Dinner Party also write such good songs. – AW

The music of singer Arooj Aftab is about dying and living, about things and people that have disappeared and about the reincarnation of what has disappeared in memory. Born in Lahore and now living in New York, she combines tradition and modernity as well as the Global East with the Global West in a very special, charismatic way. You can hear Hindustani and Western classical music with her; She places the art of Sufi singing over jazz-like instrumentation and the electronic experiments of the present. For the song “Mohabbat” from her album “Vulture Prince” (2022), Arooj Aftab became the first artist of Pakistani origin to be awarded a Grammy. She received another nomination for “Love In Exile” (2023), which she recorded with bassist Shahzad Ismaily and pianist Vijay Iyer. The latter can also be heard again on this year’s album “Night Reign”.

It is even more jazz-oriented than their previous works, including a gripping version of the old standard “Autumn Leaves”, made famous by Roger Williams, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. With Arooj Aftab, however, all melting has given way to melancholic minimalism. When she sings, she is only accompanied by metal percussion and a cracking bass; At the end, a Fender Rhodes piano plays itself as if by itself, taking over the melody. Arooj Aftab sings her songs in English and Urdu. Accompanying instruments on this album include vibraphone, harp, guitar and a Wurlitzer organ operated by Elvis Costello. The music on “Night Reign” is so rich and at the same time so unopulent, darkly colorful, nocturnal – and Arooj Aftab holds it all together so securely with her voice: full of sadness and preserving memory, but also full of possibilities and hope. – Jens Balzer

From his gently illuminated folk shell, Conor O’Brien cleverly and empathetically analyzed the individual’s stumbles and failures. The Irishman remains a likeable guy with great songs; Hope and confidence unwavering in the heart – despite everything. His self-produced sixth album, recorded at home, beautifully combines acoustic guitar, piano, pedal steel, bouzouki and strings. – ISM

Inspired by the birth of her daughter and the great circles of life, the sound artist creates an oceanic ambient pop symphony that reconciles the avant-gardist of “Aviary” (2018) with the songwriter of “Have You In My Wilderness” (2015). It sounds paradoxical, but Holter seems both grounded and completely removed on this record. An alien who has finally arrived home. – MG