Hideous Magazine’s Album of the Year list is here, highlighting records that capture the full spectrum of human emotion and imagination. From Geordie Greep’s delightfully unhinged solo debut, The New Sound, to the intimate folk tales of Daisy Rickman’s Howl - the explosive punk anthems of Amyl and The Sniffers, the kaleidoscopic storytelling of Crack Cloud, or the boundary-pushing electronica of Nia Archives, each record represents a triumph of artistry. Individual cultural milestones that shaped how we listened, felt, and connected this year.
The team at HIDEOUS Magazine present the following titles as our Albums of The Year:
Geordie Greep - ‘The New Sound’
Chosen by Luke Rea
We hardly had time to process the news of Black Midi’s break up before we were thrust into the world of Geordie Greep’s first solo record. Exploring themes of desperation through its dysfunctional ensemble of characters, ‘The New Sound’ has much of the wry humour and discomfort of Black Midi’s Hellfire, but presented through Greep’s crooning that is equal parts bizarre and mesmerising. Despite its vintage and refined aesthetic, Geordie Greep’s latest effort is as expansive and chaotic as ever and one of the most immersive records of the year.
Tapir! - ‘The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain’
Chosen by Luke Rea
Divided into three acts, Tapir!’s debut is somehow both outlandish and familiar. Embracing simple melodic instrumentation, intimate vocals and tightly-wound drum machine patterns, ‘The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain’ achieves a serene sound that is entrancing and grounding. Weaving tales of the modern and the mythical, Tapir!’s debut is a warm, vivid, art-folk delight.
Amyl and The Sniffers - 'Cartoon Darkness'
Chosen by Angelika May
My top pick for 2024 has to be Amyl and the Sniffers’ new album, Cartoon Darkness which is an album perfect for a modern punk generation and feral women. Frontwoman Amy Taylor leads the charge with her unapologetic, cutthroat lyrics and raucous energy—opening with “you’re a dumb cunt” on Jerkin—a personal top track that fuels this wild energy, it’s rebellious and hilariously relatable. I bet it SUCKS to be the man who fucked over Amy Taylor. The album shifts effortlessly between raucous diss-tracks like You Should Not Be Doing That and playful, youthful anthems like Chewing Gum, celebrating the joy of being young, fun, and unapologetically messy. It’s BRAT for the punk girlies.
Tracks like Tiny Bikini and Big Dreams showcase the band’s versatility, veering from punchy holiday bops to spaghetti western-inspired serenades. Whether you’re smashing through life’s frustrations or basking in its absurdities, Cartoon Darkness is the perfect soundtrack for dressing however the fuck you want, pulling up your skirt, shifting your knickers to the side and taking a massive piss in someones driveway. I just wish I would have had Amyl and the Sniffers growing up.
Crack Cloud - 'Red Mile'
Chosen by Alice beard
With Red Mile, Canada’s Crack Cloud subverted themselves from previous in yer face offerings to something of a notably more meditative drawl. Leading the listener down a long and winding road, the release melds the agonising and the beautiful. Littered with deep gashes into the self, alongside introspections on the condition of ‘home’ in both the physical and metaphorical sense, this LP is fun for all the family. It is an album that jutters between lengthy instrumentals, punishing lyrical croons and sprawling spontaneous outbursts. The spectrum of emotions condensed into eight songs leaves a trace of something refreshingly off- kilter. For all of its crooked and unconventional moments, the balance provided by its softer sections tips the album into refinement. One thing to bear in mind as a listener is to expect the unexpected. Red Mile marks a rebirth for this band.
Fat White Family - 'Forgiveness Is Yours'
Chosen by Chiara Strazzulla
Trying to do as many things at once as this record, the band’s fourth studio offering, is doing would be a positively suicidal endeavour for pretty much anyone else, but if something has consistently remained the same throughout the Fat White Family’s career is their absolute refusal to play by any rules. The result of this obstinacy is an album that expands the band’s sound even more broadly, building on the more elaborate, electronica-influenced orchestrations of its predecessor and adding further digressions, from Leonard Cohen-esque balladeering to psychedelia by way of a spoken-word fever dream of a track about traumatic circumcision. Somehow all the pieces fall in together to make a cohesive whole, although this should very much not be the case. Intimate, sleazy, disruptive, even existential in places, this may very well be the quintessential Fat White Family record. To call it the most mature might be an insult to an album like this, but it is certainly the most experimental. Bullet of Dignity is the most musically outstanding track, but Today You Become Man is the one you won’t get out of your head ever again - anyone who’s heard it knows why.
Walt Disco - 'The Warping'
Chosen by Chiara Strazzulla
‘Less is more’ might be the tagline underpinning the sophomore album from the Glasgow art-rock outfit, showing a much greater comfort in an airier, broader sound and confirming Walt Disco as one of the most interesting bands in alternative music. Their live shows have increasingly dipped their toes into the world of performance art, and it is clear in more than one place that this album has been conceived as a singular art piece rather than simply a collection of songs. There is a narrative running through it that is starkly sincere and deeply relatable, exploding into the heartfelt vocals as much as the immersive instrumental. The structure of the tracks, too, shows a leap in confidence from the already impressive debut before it. To listen to The Warping is to access a tale of the finding of an identity, personal as well as musical; it is also to revel in lush harmonics full of New Wave suggestions, full-bodied ballads, and almost avant-garde touches. Jocelyn is a gem of a single and should be enjoyed together with the equally delicate video that is meant to be its companion piece; more than anything else the pair embodies the soul of the whole record.
Daisy Rickman - ‘Howl’
Chosen by Otis Hayes
Daisy Rickman creates freak-folk music that often feels strongly connected to the ancient Cornish lands where she is from. On her 2024 release ‘Howl’ (meaning sun in Cornish), she dives ever deeper sewing together a rich tapestry of guitars, banjos, sitars, cellos, fiddles, accordions and drums to name but a few. Even more impressive than the array of instruments across ‘Howl’ is the fact Rickman plays and records every one of them herself. This gives Rickman’s work a very personal feeling and shows how much care and intent goes into her art, masterfully infusing vibrant colours against contrasting somber hues. The second long player from Rickman has somewhat of a droning nature which creates a meditative listening state giving ‘Howl’ healing qualities throughout its entirety. Not just a musician but a painter as well, Rickman creates all of her own artwork, once again adding towards the personal side of her work as well as showcasing her multi-talents within every element of ‘Howl’. Deeply expressive and created with thoughtful vision the result is a sensational folk triumph.
Jessica Pratt - ‘Here In The Pitch’
Chosen by Otis Hayes
Tender and heartfelt, ‘Here In The Pitch’ has an alluring charm thanks to Jessica Pratt’s ability to translate her thoughts onto the page with such creative methods. Oftentimes when Pratt sings it is with some of the most interesting and unique vocal melodies over minimalistic finger-picked classical guitar in folk music today. Her voice also exhibits a very distinctive tonality which is truly individual and there is nobody else out there quite like it, feeling as if Pratt cloaks herself with a mysterious aura upon ‘Here In The Pitch’ the Los Angeles based singer songwriter is utterly captivating. Pratt’s fourth long player drifts and lingers as its 9 songs play through in just 27 minutes, yet by the end of those 27 minutes it feels as though they neither came nor went, like being caught in a dream state where every time you wake up you discover you have stepped into yet another dream. ‘Here In The Pitch’ is at times distant and cold, and at times caring and warm but always available to dive head first into and find yourself lost in Pratt’s peculiar yet enchanting world.
Charli xcx - 'brat'
Chosen by Charlie Brock
Very few records reach the critical and cultural apex that Charli xcx’s sixth studio album, brat. Aside from the top-draw musicality, brat became a cultural behemoth: Charli’s innate ability to blend traditional pop stylings with hyper-pop, electronic dance sleaze, industrial garage sounds and so much more fused with the brat phenomena.
The record took over the world: inspiring Tiktok trends, presidential candidates and a ‘Brat-Summer’ which spread neon green across the globe. The powerpop smash of ‘Von Dutch’ elevated brat to notoriety and the sensitive assessment of female relationships in ‘Girl’ is simply fantastic. Add into this fervent mix artists like Lorde, Billie Eilish, Julian Casablancas and more then you have something culturally seismic.
Blue Bendy - 'So Medieval'
Chosen by Alice Beard
Following on from their 2022 EP Motorbike, Blue Bendy took a real splash earlier this year with their debut. From the outset Arthur Nolan maps out So Medieval’s spellbinding tale,armed at all times with lethal deadpan vocal metre. With abundant scatterings of cynicism and playbook enthusiasm, the melodrama of the album is only heightened by the calibre of its instrumentation. The irresistible convergence of minimalist folk hooks with grandiose post-rock snap sections weaves a rich tapestry of sound to keep you guessing. Oftentimes gritty and knotty, there is so much more to prepare for than the bare bones of this album. It twists and writhes, impossible to hold down. As sprawls of tracks unwind into heaps of wry wit, the listener must do nothing more than sit back, indulge and relish in the band’s musical glory. Part of the charm of this LP lies within its absurdity. It might seem ludicrous at first, but it's well worth sticking around for.
Kim Deal - 'Nobody Loves You More'
Chosen by August Janklow
I wanna open by saying that I have listened to every track on this album. Having said that, this will be almost entirely about the first/title track Nobody Loves You More because of how much I adore it. On her first solo record, Kim Deal flies through the air on a cushiony string section and big band horn line all in the service of rock music. She reminds us why we’ll never be as cool as her:
#1: She got Jack Lawrence (bassist of The Raconteurs/only good part of The Dead Weather) to play for her.
#2: She got Britt Walford (you know.) to do the same, and he plays like Bruce Lee falling down the stairs. Drunken master.
This is a very sweet album, it’s smiley. It makes me happy. Keep your ears out for the string accents on track 1: the little violin tremolo thing that shows up a couple times, then total Scott Walker left to right swinging, it’s a waltz! How good is that?
Paul Mertens needs all the props in the world for those horn parts, living in a state equally Mexican and Bond (Man With The Golden Gun).
Albini helped her out recording.
Also important to remember she played bass for that band the pixels or something iunno, so if you ripped away all the beautiful space-work it would still assuredly be a notable collection of alternative rock and roll music recordings.
She’s just a motherfucker songwriter and always has been, simplicity soars.
A different breed.
Gets me amped.
That’s the deal.
Pixies.
MJ Lenderman - 'Manning Fireworks'
Chosen by Charlotte Hannam
This takes one of the top spots of 2024 for it’s unapologetic honesty and rawness. MJ Lenderman has continued to impress with his witty lyricism album-upon-album, and now on his 4th, this is no exception. He has a capability to create some crude, funny lyrics juxtaposed with some quite desperate cries for help, like on You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In. The strings and clarinet compliment his Buck-Meek-esque folky americana twang, and the more “indie rock” songs bring some 2000s familiarity of Sun Kil Moon, or Car Seat Headrest. Immerse yourself in the small-town-America, self-deprecating comedian that is MJ Lenderman and get lost in the beautifully comforting instrumentation on this lovely album!
Naima Bock - ‘Below A Massive Dark Land’
Chosen by Otis Hayes
Naima Bock released her second album entitled ‘Below A Massive Dark Land’ this year following on from 2022’s ‘Giant Palm’, filled to the brim with the warm-hearted and vulnerable songwriting she is so exceptional at executing. ‘Below A Massive Dark Land’ is a record which makes an instantly deep connection with the listener, the kind of record that can’t help but make you reflect about the good and bad decisions you’ve made during your own existence. The kind of record which makes for a perfect soundtrack to watch the passing life of city streets below from the top deck of a foggy bus window on an uneasy winter morning. Bock’s voice is exceptionally special, full of raw emotion it feels as though she is tenderly revealing truths to you about yourself but all the while consoling you through the hardships and thoughts that her music can bring to light in one's mind whilst listening. Simply put ‘Below A Massive Dark Land’ is not an album that plays in the background, it demands a deeper listening from its audience and challenges them to take it on in all of its glorious beauty, sadness and soft open vulnerability. The musicianship across ‘Below A Massive Dark Land’ is equally stunning, once paired together with the profound emotions expressed within you'll find yourself revisiting it often, possibly one day even recalling it as an album which hallmarked a certain period in your life and helped you through it.
Kendrick Lamar - 'GNX'
Chosen by Charlie Brock
Fresh from his war of words with Drake, the close of a standout year saw Kendrick surprise dropped GNX. After “Not Like Us” landed a knockout blow in the beef, GNX followed as Kendrick’s victory lap: the record has the braggadocio of a boxer parading his title belt above a prone opponent, and that energy powers GNX.
Far from the complex self-doubt and riddled anxieties of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, K Dot’s latest studio record is a soaring mix of west-coast hip-hop, Tupac homages and Lamar doing exactly what he does best: huge bars and Mustard beats giving him the space to soar. “Reincarnated” sees Lamar battle his inner voice and ‘TV Off’ is Kendrick at his snarling best. This record is a victory lap after a year of nothing but wins for the Compton artist.
Nia Archives - 'Silence is Loud'
Chosen by Charlie Brock
Self-described as an “emotional junglist,” Nia Archives’ first studio record arrived in 2024 as a boundary-pushing jungle record, fusing jungle with pop hooks and emotion-heavy ballads. Nia has a deft touch with her writing, simultaneously weaving filthy junglist breakdowns with wrought poetry and soaring pop hooks—the whole thing is an exceptional showcase of Nia Archives’ talent.
She speaks with a poetic, feminist voice, detailing messy situationships and the emotions of neglect and love lost over the most infectious jungle pop music around right now.Silence is Loud feels like an artist pushing boundaries to create her own space in the scene, and Nia Archives is just getting started.
Lynks - 'Abomination'
Chosen by Chiarra Strazzulla
Anyone looking for respite from depressing cookie-cutter pop will find reason to rejoice in this outstanding debut from an artist whose signature style - both in music and aesthetics - can already be described as iconic. Full of sharp edges, veined through with dark humour, and replete with danceable bops, this record has the same chaotic energy of an all-night bender: exciting, vaguely dangerous, and a little bit hyper. While Abomination is a lot of fun - it is a record with literally no low point - there is a rather political undertone lurking right under the surface throughout, a defiant reaction to the sanitised, declawed portrayal of queerness often embraced in mainstream media. Virtually every song in this record could count as a stand-out, but New Boyfriend and CPR are especially notable for their catchiness, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and potential for exciting live renditions.
The Last Dinner Party - 'Prelude to Ecstasy'
Chosen by Scott Custis
'Professional' and 'considered' and 'thoughtful' are all words that have recently been used to negatively describe the towering inferno that is this band's debut. However, I put it to you that these are all words that are usually used to praise all of your favourite bands, and unsurprisingly they aren't usually used for a band fully composed of women. Prelude to Ecstasy is exactly the kind of thing that the British music scene has been waiting for, and didn't even know that it wanted it. From the moment the orchestral prelude to the album begins, you confidently know that this is an album that you weren't aware that you wanted. Tracks like 'Nothing Matter' and 'Sinner' obviously standout, but there isn't a moment wasted here. When you've got the whole industry behind you and a top tier producer like James Ford there too, how could it be bad? Many people have said that this is an industry plant but with talent this undeniable that phrase quickly falls by the way side. I mean, how often is it that a band that started two years ago is also known by your mum? Asking for a friend.
Fontaines DC - 'Romance'
Chosen by Scott Custis
Whatever you might think about there change of direction, and the outfits that came along with it, Fontaines are still one of the bravest bands out there when it comes to taking risks. Yes, it's not the most outward stretch for a band but for one of their caliber, it was and is a huge swing that genuinely hit. Moving away from the 'live sound' and their stoically Irish theme, the band have created something that looks towards the future, while retaining the wit of frontman Grian Chatten and the musicality that was always key to their success. Another feature from producer James Ford this year, the band is being pushed through to mega stardom, especially when you consider the album was only kept off the top spot by Sabrina Carpenter. Louder, roomier and more brash than previous albums by the group, it challenges you but in the best possible way. Who cares if you don't really know what the chorus to Starburster means when it sounds this good.
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