Albums of the Year

Wow, so it’s been, like, two years and a bit since my last post. A combination of work and laziness is the culprit. The only real update I need to make since my last article is regarding AI since it wasn’t a going concern for me back in 2023. I cannot make my absolute disdain for AI clear enough, and you will never catch me using it — despite my liberal use of em dashes. My love affair with those bad boys started long before ChatGPT jumped on the bandwagon. Rest assured that my mediocre writing is mine and mine alone. Now to the article:

I haven’t been writing here at all, but the music this year has been so phenomenal I felt the need to spread the Good Word. So here are my albums of the year (so far) in no particular order.

This is my current front-runner, I think. I’ve been a fan of Samia’s indie-pop music for a while now. Her albums have never fully grabbed me, but singles like “Fit N Full” and “Big Wheel” have been on constant rotation since they came out in 2020. Bloodless is her third album and, in my opinion, her best by far. It’s full of quiet introspection and is vulnerable in a way that feels honest. The faster tracks work just as well as the slow ones (standouts for me being “Spine Oil” and “North Poles”). The guitar across the album sounds excellent and Samia is perhaps the only artist other than Lana Del Rey who can pull off a lyric like “You don’t know me, bitch” and make it feel genuinely emotional. Extra points for this absolute banger of an album cover.

This is apparently a controversial pick. A lot of reviews I’ve seen for this album were mixed and I cannot understand why. Cards on the table, I’m a big Haim fan and have been since their first album Days Are Gone. While album two didn’t work for me, their previous outing, Women in Music Part III, is one of my favourite albums of all time. So when they announced I Quit expectations were high, especially since it would see Rostam return as producer. While I Quit doesn’t quite reach the highs of WIMPIII, it’s still an incredibly strong album with a ton of standout tracks. I think “The Farm” is an underrated one, the emotional build up on “Down to be Wrong” hits every time, and I have a sneaking suspicion that “Spinning” was originally a Carly Rae Jepsen track (Rostam has also produced songs for her), but the Haim sisters pull this pop song off with their own spin.

Like a fool, I started writing this post before Lux was released. Luckily, I got sidetracked and didn’t get a chance to come back to it until after the album dropped because HOT DAMN. It would be wild to post an AOTY list that was missing this Rosalía project. I don’t think I can add much here that hasn’t already been said. The past couple of weeks have seen immense praise heaped on Lux (as well as the requisite “it’s overrated” comments that come along with any well-received work on the internet). But in this case I’d have to say the naysayers could not be more wrong. The Spanish singer flawlessly blends pop production and hooks with stunning orchestral arrangements and operatic vocals. It’s something that shouldn’t work, but absolutely does. What’s incredible is that this is the album jockeying with Bloodless for my top spot and that’s with me only understanding maybe 25% of the lyrics (if I’m being generous).

The fourth album from one of my longtime favourites, Lorde. She holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. We’re the same age and I’ve been following her music since the start — it’s incredible to feel like you’re growing along with an artist. Each time Lorde releases a new album, we’ve both reached completely different points in our lives and it’s cool to have this sort of touchstone. On top of that, I’ve seen her all four times she’s come to Toronto and her shows never disappoint. Guaranteed great time, every time. One of the most interesting aspects of Lorde’s output is that she never gives people what they’re demanding. After her first album, Pure Heroine, most expected another low-key, bedroom-pop follow-up. But we got Melodrama, a dark and broody synth-heavy pop home-run. Since then, fans have been demanding essentially a Melodrama sequel. Instead, we’ve gotten Solar Power, a chill, acoustic California rock album and now Virgin. Lorde manages to defy expectations with each release. The first can be considered the deep-cut, fan favourite, the second was the most well-received and beloved, the third her most out-of-left-field and (in my opinion) underrated album. And now her fourth album which I feel confident saying is her most thematically and musically cohesive. Virgin is an industrial-pop record exploring sexuality, gender, and relationships all in an impressively tight 34 minutes. All the albums on this list have a clear vision and direction, but Virgin feels the most focused and intentional.

That’s all I’ve got — or at least all I feel like writing about. There were many other killer albums this year, and I’m sure a few still to come. Additional recommendations:

• Returning to Myself by Brandi Carlile

• Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams

• After EP2 by After

• Addison by Addison Rae (it’s actually pretty good, I promise)

• DON’T TAP THE GLASS by Tyler, The Creator

• Getting Killed by Geese