I posted my favorite albums or 2024 back in December (with a bonus playlist of albums I mostly liked), but as usual, I also want to share some favorite new songs that weren’t on those albums. Hopefully not everyone has moved on to the new year, new administration, new social media platform, new music, etc. I don’t really have a theme for this playlist, but I hope you find something you like, anyway.
- Katie Gavin: “The Baton” from What a Relief – This rootsy song, from a solo record by one of the members of MUNA, imagines generations of women as a relay race of healing.
- Girl Ultra: “blu” from blush – This short piece from this Spanish artist wishes great things for a growing woman. (There might be some willful ignorance in interpretation here).
- The Deku Trio: “Song of Storms” from Zelda and Jazz – The Deku Trio came out with not one, but two albums of jazz covers from the Legend of Zelda game series. This track from Ocarina of Time is my favorite—the melody swings surprisingly well.
- Childish Gambino: “Steps Beach” from Bando Stone and the New World – I’m still not sure what this album from Donald Glover is about, but this track doesn’t sound much like the rest of the album; it’s a meditation/celebration of a not-perfect but loving homelife, with some winking.
- Half Waif: “Ephemeral Being” from See You at the Maypole – This album was produced in the wake of a miscarriage (among other life events) and describes processing grief; this track is electro pep talk.
- Clairo: “Sexy to Someone” from Charm – While this song has some satisfying 1960s production throwbacks, the low synth flute interjections and staccato piano chords are what really makes this song great.
- Angélica Garcia: “Color De Dolor” from Gemelo – An electronic rumination on pain and loss.
- Charly Bliss: “Tragic” from Forever – This well-crafted pop song goes right up to limit of being too repetitive, without quite getting there; the elision of verse and 2nd chorus and the sudden silence of accompaniment in the 3th chorus are great antidotes.
- Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento: “Wings for the Thought Bird” from Milton + Esperanza – Spalding teams up with one of Brazil’s musical legends, though this song with its wandering melodies and harmonies is pretty much all Spalding. It manages to capture the idea of birdsong while still being musical. Gotta love the flute. And the tempo changes.
- Remi Wolf: “Cinderella” from Big Ideas – As usual with Wolf, I’m not totally sure what this song is about—but its feel-good catchiness plus horn section makes it hard not to move those hips from left to right.
- Raveena: “Pluto” from Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain – The space princess is enjoying some Earth nature from a speeding sports car while remembering a loved one that passed too early.
- Madi Diaz: “God Person” from Weird Faith – A beautiful jealous rumination on the faith of others. Good use of drones (the musical ones).
- Aoife O’Donovan: “The Right Time” from All My Friends – This album is inspired by the suffragist movement during the early 1900s, particular Carrie Chapman Catt—I think “The Right Time” is about how naysayers who keeping saying it is not the right time for something, when really for them, the right time is never.
- American Patchwork Quartet: “The Devil’s Nine” from American Patchwork Quartet – This is what happens when you record American roots music with an Indian classical singer; I’m hoping next time, they do Indian roots music (or Japanese—the bass player is a Japanese immigrant) in an American style.
- Faye Webster: “But Not Kiss” from Underdressed at the Symphony – Great title for an album (and as an Atlanta artist, I know she is referring to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), this song is a sketch in contrasts from the point of view of someone who wants intimacy, but perhaps has some baggage or misgivings she needs to work through. Some great use of slide guitar and de-tuned piano.
- Twice: “Ocean Deep” from Dive – I usually don’t include songs on these playlists that are also by artists on my “best album” list, but I made this exception because this song is from a different album and in a difference language—from this year’s Japanese album (still mostly in English). As with other Twice songs, don’t think too hard about this one; just dance.
