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SAULT: Acts of Faith
New album: Released as usual without fanfare, and on Christmas Day, the London collective of by producer and musician Inflo return with an 11th LP – silky smooth, classy soul, funk and gospel, fronted by the voice of Cleo Sol
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The second part of our favourite albums of 2024
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 2. Part 1 can be found here. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but please dig into this rich seam of originality and quality, and even suggest more of your own
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This year’s selections include some returning veterans at the top of their game as well as some fabulous newcomers
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 1. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but rich seams of originality and quality are certainly here to be enjoyed. Peruse away …
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Native Harrow: Divided Kind
Album review: Released in September, classy, meticulously crafted, intelligent, warm Americana mix of folk, rock, pop and country by the Philadelphia duo of vocalist Devin Tuel and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Harms in this sixth LP
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Poppy Ajudha: Poppy
New album: The south London singer-songwriter’s sophomore LP takes different direction to her 2022’s more social and political issue-based debut The Power In Us, with a more mainstream route of stylish, smart, soaring pop, soul and R&B centred on fraught, divided, candid emotions
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Michael Kiwanuka: Small Changes
New album: A fourth album by the Mercury prize-winner, another gorgeously crafted and performed set of songs drawing on 70s soul and slowly simmering psychedelic rock, and the third produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo
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Primal Scream: Come Ahead
New album: Looking cool in shades, a 1960 photograph the father of frontman Bobby Gillespie decorates the band’s 12th LP, and their first for 8 years, serving very much as a inspiration with a Glaswegian phrase, but musically filled with 70s Philly soul and funk, and with the input of Belfast producer David Holmes, it’s one of PS’s most stylish for years
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Tyler, the Creator: Chromakopia
New album: American rapper and producer Tyler Okonma’s eighth LP is an eclectic, electric, eccentric creation featuring his oddball masked persona, and addresses subjects such as fame, getting old, and with several songs featuring his mother Bonita Smith
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Leon Bridges' fourth LP: Leon
New album: Silky smooth soul-pop with a richly orchestral 70s style and country hues by the high-voiced Fort Worth Texan singer-songwriter in this summery, honey-flavoured, highly polished fourth LP
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Thandii: Dream With You
New album: Two albums and 20 songs released together in an outstanding combination of upbeat, clever, innovative, eclectic, refreshing electro-pop and dream-pop, funk, jazz and soul by the Margate duo of Graham Godfrey and Jessica Berry
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Rosie Lowe: Lover, Other
New album: A gorgeously original fourth LP by the English singer-songwriter whose voice has power, presence and intimacy and whose unique sound blends soul, pop, jazz, electronica, clever samples, and a dash of bossa nova
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Killer Mike: Michael & the Mighty Midnight Revival - Songs for Sinners and Saints
Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water - The Gospel of James Baldwin
New album: A remarkable, substantial, powerful and emotional release by the US singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist, channelling the words of the influential African-American writer, and tackling race and gender issues, with guests including Jamaica-born poet Staceyann Chin and soul singer Justin Hicks
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Cat Burns: Early Twenties
New album: A strong, sensitive, substantial 17-song debut LP by the 24-year-old south London singer-songwriter who combines a range of pop styles with gospel, R&B and indie with a very candid, personal lyrics
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Berwyn: Who Am I
New album: A candid, uncompromising, starkly personal and powerful rap-folk-R&B LP by the Trinidad-born 28-year-old east Londoner Berwyn Du Bois, who among other emotions, captures his experiences of Britain’s hostile environment immigration policy since arriving in the UK aged 9 in 2005
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Aaron Frazer: Into The Blue
New album: Timelessly smooth, top-quality soul by the Baltimore-born high-voiced singer and former co-lead and drummer for Indiana’s Durand Jones & the Indications, in this second solo LP.
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Lupe Fiasco: Samurai
New album: A fluid, nimble, articulate playfully smooth ninth short, snappy LP by the American rapper and record producer with a title inspired by the late Amy Winehouse comparing rap battles to Samurai word weapons in a meta release about the joy of his genre
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Loren Kramar: Glovemaker
New album: Released two months ago, but simply too good to overlook, a timelessly serene, soaring soulful debut release by the Los Angeles artist, one of love, lust, and loss, secrets, Hollywood dreams, Chateau Marmont Hotel-era tragedy, and a voice somewhere between Cat Stevens and Jeff Buckley
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Angélica Garcia: Gemelo
New album: A dynamic, colourful, passionate third LP by the Los Angeles pop artist of Mexican and Salvadoran descent here singing mainly in Spanish with operatic pop, cumbia, psychedelia, dance music, with titular translation and theme as ‘twin self’
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La Luz: News of the Universe
New album: A fourth studio LP of dreamy, exotic, alluring psychedelia and surf rock by the California quartet fronted by Shana Cleveland, simmering and potent, but made in the dark shadow of a breast cancer ordeal
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