Now that we’ve finished recapping our favorite albums of 2023, we’re moving on to the albums we can’t wait to hear in 2024. We’ve put together a list of 86, many of which we’re positive are coming out this year, and a few that we’re crossing our fingers for. The list ranges from big pop stars to small hardcore bands, from long-awaited comebacks to potential breakthroughs from rising artists, and so much in between. 86 may sound like a lot, but there are tons of other albums not listed here that we’re looking forward to and plenty more that we’re sure to love but just don’t know about yet. And to keep things from getting too redundant, we didn’t list the ones that have been up in the air for years, like My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Rihanna, Cardi B, Frank Ocean, Sky Ferreira, Michael Stipe, The Distillers, and King Diamond / Mercyful Fate, but fingers crossed that we get one or more of those this year too.
Read on for the list, in alphabetical order, and let us know which albums you’re looking forward to this year…
Adrianne Lenker
Between leading Big Thief as well as a solo career, Adrianne Lenker is extremely prolific and rarely if ever misses. Adrianne’s gorgeous new single “Ruined” is a great preview of what’s to come on this year’s as-yet-untitled album.
Balance and Composure
Balance and Composure made a surprise return last year with two new songs and some reunion shows, and so far it’s been a triumphant comeback. They’ve got more shows coming up this year, and hopefully more new music.
Barely Civil
Milwaukee emo band Barely Civil recently released the great new single “Coasting, Mostly,” and confirmed that a new Chris Teti-produced album is on the way.
Bartees Strange
It looks like the followup to 2022’s great Farm to Table is coming this year.
Benny the Butcher’s Def Jam debut is finally set to arrive on January 26, and both songs we’ve heard from it find Benny sounding gritty and gleaming all at once.
Release date: 1/26 via Def Jam
Better Lovers
Every Time I Die/Dillinger Escape Plan supergroup Better Lovers released a killer debut EP and standalone single in 2023, and word on the street is that we’re getting a full-length in 2024.
Billie Eilish
During an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Billie Eilish said, “We are almost done with this new album. So at some point, you will know more, but I’m not gonna say anything right now.” Hopefully we’ll learn more soon!
Boeckner
Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade, Operators, Divine Fits, and Handsome Furs will return with his first new music since Wolf Parade’s 2020 album Thin Mind this year. His solo debut as Boeckner is expected out on Sub Pop in 2024; we haven’t heard any music yet, but we’re looking forward to it.
Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura haven’t released an album in 10 years, but that seems likely to change soon. Having hinted at new material in 2019, before they made their live return at Belle & Sebastian’s Boaty Weekender cruise that year, they signed again to Merge (who released 2006’s Let’s Get Out of This Country) back in November, and announced shows in the UK and Mexico City this year. Hopefully new music will soon follow.
Car Colors
When The Wrens’ long-awaited followup to 2003’s The Meadowlands was abandoned, Kevin Whelan took songs he’d written for it to his new project Aeon Station, and now Charles Bissell is doing the same with Car Colors. He put out an excellent single in 2023 and his debut album is expected this year.
Carpool – My Life In Subtitles
Rochester emo band Carpool recently released the big, crunchy, power-pop punk anthem “Can We Just Get High?,” and it’s got our hopes high for their upcoming SideOneDummy debut.
Release date: 3/22 via SideOneDummy
Cheekface
Cheekface, makers of witty indie rock and “America’s Local Band,” haven’t released a new album in two years, but did drop a few singles in 2023. With a big tour of the UK, EU and North America coming up, news of the LA group’s fourth album seems imminent.
Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
Chelsea Wolfe has been a master of the hauntingly ethereal for over a decade, and judging by recent single “Whispers in the Echo Chamber,” she’s still pushing forward. Pick up our exclusive translucent berry vinyl variant of this album in the BV shop.
Release date: 2/9 via Loma Vista
The Chisel – What A Fucking Nightmare
UK band The Chisel have built up a reputation for being one of the most fun Oi!/street punk revivalists around, and there’s more to them than just idol worship–the new singles from What A Fucking Nightmare sound fresh and inspired, and they really rip. Pick up our exclusive splatter vinyl variant in the BV shop.
Release date: 2/9 via Pure Noise
Cloud Nothings
Cloud Nothing recently signed to Pure Noise, and lead single “Final Summer” finds them at their most anthemic. We can’t wait to hear more.
Deftones
Chino Moreno will be busy on tour with ††† (Crosses) this winter, and Deftones have new music on the way too. In a 2023 podcast interview, guitarist Stephen Carpenter said that the band were working again with Nick Raskulinecz, who produced 2010’s Diamond Eyes and 2012’s Koi No Yokan. “We hope to have it all done and out by next spring or summer,” he said. It’ll be their first album since 2010 without bassist Sergio Vega, who the band parted ways with in 2022.
DIIV
DIIV finally left their cave last fall, ending a four-year hibernation to tour with Depeche Mode, and while out released new song “Soul Net.” A nearly 10-minute hazy jam, the song is the first new music from the group since Deceiver and hopefully the first taste of their fourth album. Just three more songs at that length and they’ve got it.
Dua Lipa
Anticipation has been high for a follow-up to Dua Lipa’s fantastic 2020 album Future Nostalgia, and while we have no concrete details yet, she did share new single “Houdini” in November, which she wrote with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr., and Caroline Ailin.
Ducks LTD – Harm’s Way
Jangly Toronto duo Ducks Ltd wrote much of their second album while on tour with Nation of Language, Illuminati Hotties, and Archers of Loaf. “When we got signed, we had played maybe five or six shows ever. After last year, it’s in the hundreds. That experience can change your perception of your own music and songwriting,” says the band’s Dave McGreevy. “In the past when we got stuck on a song we had a tendency to look at our favorite records to see how they tackled it. But now, instead of asking ‘what would Orange Juice do?’, we’d ask, ‘what would we do?” Where their debut was made with a drum machine, Harm’s Way features more of a live band feel with contributions from Ratboys‘ Julia Steiner and Marcus Nuccio, Dehd‘s Jason Bala, and more.
Release date: 2/9 via Carpark
Eartheater – Aftermath
When she announced 2023’s Powders, experimental pop artist Eartheater revealed that its “sister album,” Aftermath, would follow this year. She worked on both at Hollywood’s Sunset Sound, but more details are still to come.
Eliza McLamb – Going Through It
Singer/songwriter and podcaster Eliza McLamb worked with illuminati hotties’ Sarah Tudzin for her debut album, which pairs her vulnerable lyrics with catchy indie folk and rock. The haunting “16,” her most recent single, is a real standout.
Release date: 1/19 via Royal Mountain Records
End It
Having built up a reputation as one of the best newer hardcore bands in Baltimore across multiple EPs and a killer live show, 2024 looks to be the year that we’re finally getting a full-length from End It.
Flo Milli – Fine Ho, Stay
Flo Milli is pretty much unstoppable, and she’s been keeping her momentum going with a string of great singles that will all presumably end up on Fine Ho, Stay.
Foreign Hands
We’ve been anticipating a new full-length from Delaware metalcore band Foreign Hands since they released the Bleed The Dream EP & Lucid Noise single in 2022, and a new single came out this past fall that has us thinking 2024 must be the year.
Friko – Where we’ve been, Where do we go from here
Friko emerged from the same fertile Chicago scene as Horsegirl and Lifeguard, and the tastes of compelling indie rock they’ve shared since then, from the sweeping “Crashing Through” to the string-laden “For Ella,” have our hopes high for their debut album.
Release date: 2/16 via ATO Records
glass beach – plastic death
In underground emo circles, glass beach’s first album in five years has been one of the most anticipated records for a while. It’s finally coming this year, and judging by the maximalist, indescribable singles they’ve released so far, this is too transcendent to remain in “underground emo circles” for long (and it’s not even really “emo”).
Release date: 1/19 via Run For Cover
Glitterer – Rationale
Title Fight have been dormant for six years, but Ned Russin continues to make great music with his band Glitterer and new album Rationale is shaping up to be another winner.
Release date: 2/23 via ANTI-
Gossip – Real Power
“When we began, so much about Gossip was about running away—that was always in the music,” says Gossip singer Beth Ditto of the band’s first album in 12 years. “We survived. We came from nothing, and we got the fuck out of there. And to be here 20 years later and still making music together is just incredible.” Like 2009’s Music for Men, Real Power was made with producer Rick Rubin at his studio in Kauai before and after covid lockdown.
Release date: 3/22 via Columbia
Grandaddy – Blu Wav
It was unclear whether Grandaddy would ever make another album after the death of bassist Kevin Garcia sidelined their 2017 comeback, but Jason Lytle and the rest of the group have gotten back at it. Blue Wav‘s title is a mashup of “bluegrass” and “new wave,” but first single “Watercooler” just sounds like prime Grandaddy. There is one noticeable new element: “There’s an inordinate amount of pedal steel,” Jason says. “It’s a first for Grandaddy, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about this fact.”
Release date: 2/16 via Dangerbird
Gruff Rhys – Sadness Sets Me Free
While Sadness Sets Me Free is Gruff Rhys’ eighth solo album, it’s his 25th album when you include his records with Super Furry Animals, Neon Neon, soundtracks and more. “I’ve reverted to a rich seam of inspiration relating to shedding some light on sadness and the general terror of cosmic loneliness,” Gruff says, adding, “At this point I quite like working with serendipity. Not in a cosmic way, [but] I try and leave things open to chance encounters and chance geography…I’m always looking for ways to make a different-sounding record.”
Release date: 1/24 via Rough Trade
Guided by Voices
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of indie stalwarts Guided by Voices and 2024 will feature an equally impressive milestone — their 40th album. While that works out to one a year, GBV have taken a few years off, and they’ve been very prolific in the last decade, often releasing three albums a year. (Frontman Robert Pollard, meanwhile, hit 100 albums back in 2017.) What can we expect? More of the same, probably, which given the current lineup’s recent batting average, is a good thing.
Halo Maud – Celebrate
French artist Halo Maud had an eventful 2023 that saw her collaborate with The Chemical Brothers on four amazing songs on their new album, and give birth to her first child. Personally, that will be hard to top for her but we are excited for her second album. “I called the album Celebrate because I danced a lot while creating it,” Maud says. “I now feel that I can release it into the air. I hope that it will alight in your hands and ears, keep you company and resonate within you through multiple waves.”
Release date: 3/22 via Heavenly
Heartworms
London post-punks Heartworms released their great debut EP in early 2023 and finished up the year with another banger, “May I Comply.” The latter, produced by Speedy Wunderground founder Dan Carey, is the first taste of what will be the band’s debut album. That hasn’t been officially announced yet but hopefully they’ll be playing songs from it while on tour in North America opening for The Kills.
Helado Negro – Phasor
Vintage synths figure prominently into Roberto Carlos Lange’s ninth album as Helado Negro (and his second for 4AD), in particular Salvatore Matirano’s SAL-MAR, which he got to experience first-hand at the University of Illinois. “I was enthralled by it,” Lange says. “It gave me special insight into what stimulates me.” The first single “LFO,” meanwhile, tips its hat to electronic music pioneer Pauline Oliveros. Hopefully this Phasor is set to stun.
Release date: 2/9 via 4AD
The High Llamas – Hey Panda
Early on The High Llamas were constantly tagged (not exactly unjustly) as Beach Boys devotees, but over the last 30 years, Sean O’Hagan has honed his own unique sound with equal parts Morricone and Krautrock amongst those surfy harmonies. For the first High Llamas album in eight years, O’Hagan has added some very 2024 sounds to the mix, citing Tierra Whack and Tyler The Creator as sonic touchstones.
Release date: due 3/29 via Drag City
Hot Hot Heat
Having broken up in 2016, Hot Hot Heat returned in December with new single “Shock Me,” and they’re not just reunited but also back with guitarist Dante DeCaro, who left in 2005 and joined Wolf Parade that year. No word yet on more new music, but let’s hope.
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive
Hurray for the Riff Raff’s next album was produced by Brad Cook, mixed by Mike Mogis, and features guest vocals from Anjimile, Conor Oberst, and S.G. Goodman, and the Americana-tinged lead single “Alibi” is a great first taste.
Release date: 2/23 via Nonesuch
IDLES – TANGK
IDLES made big strides with 2021’s CRAWLER that saw them flexing more moves than just (awesome) shouty punk. For its follow-up they’re looking to expand their reach even further, working again with Kenny Beats but adding Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich alongside the band’s Mark Bowan. They also got some assist from James Murphy and Nancy Whang of tourmates LCD Soundsystem on TANGK‘s first single, “Dancer.” Says frontman Joe Talbot, “This is our album of gratitude and power. All love songs. All is love.”
Release date: 2/16 via Partisan
Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
Infant Island’s heavy, metallic screamo sounds as great as ever on the singles from Obsidian Wreath, and this album’s cast of guest contributors has us very intrigued; it includes members of Greet Death, Undeath, .gif from god, King Yosef, For Your Health, and more.
Release date: 1/12 via Secret Voice
J Mascis – What Do We Do Now?
“When I’m writing for the band, I’m always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into,” J Mascis says of the difference between how he approaches Dinosaur Jr songs and solo material. “Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it’s just what happened.” Mascis’ fourth solo album does differentiate itself from Dinosaur Jr records with an emphasis on piano which, judging by what we’ve heard, is a natural fit for J’s style.
Release date: 2/2 via Sub Pop
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes
This year marks The Jesus & Mary Chain’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate they’re releasing their eighth album, which finds them adding more electronics to their signature sound, and even a little jazz. “Don’t expect ‘the Mary Chain goes jazz,’” says singer Jim Reid. “People should expect a Jesus and Mary Chain record…our creative approach is remarkably the same as it was in 1984, just hit the studio and see what happens. We went in with a bunch of songs and let it take its course. There are no rules, you just do whatever it takes. And there’s a telepathy there – we are those weird not-quite twins that finish each other’s sentences.”
Release date: 3/8 via Fuzz Club
Joanna Newsom
Still no word if Joanna Newsom is definitely releasing an album this year, but she debuted five new songs as the surprise opener for Fleet Foxes last year and revealed that she had 11 new ones written, and she’s already announced one proper festival set for 2024, so let’s hope.
Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer
Deathcore-turned-death metal vets Job For A Cowboy are about to return with their first new album in 10 years, and judging by the singles, they’re making some of their best music ever right now.
Release date: 2/23 via Metal Blade
JPEGMAFIA
Having released an excellent collaborative album with Danny Brown in 2023, JPEGMAFIA has confirmed his own new album for 2024.
Julia Holter
Julia Holter recently returned with her first proper solo single since 2018, “Sun Girl.” No official album announcement yet, but here’s hoping.
Katy Kirby – Blue Raspberry
Katy Kirby’s sophomore album will be her first for ANTI-, and the songs she’s shared from it have been some of her best yet, building on the momentum of 2021’s Cool Dry Place.
Release date: 1/26 via ANTI-
Kim Gordon
Nothing too concrete, but Kim Gordon told Wallpaper in August that she’s working on a new record!
King Hannah
London duo King Hannah mesmerized us with their 2022 debut album but sat out most of 2023, at least from public view. They checked in on Instagram back in November saying they were “this close” to finishing their second album, adding they “really like it.”
Kirin J Callinan – If I Could Sing
After making a covers album with gear purchased from — and returned to — Guitar Center in 2020, Aussie wildman Kirin J Callinan will soon finally be back with his first album of original material seven years. He may be nearing 40, but KJC doesn’t seem to have mellowed one iota if any of the album’s already released songs are any indication.
Release date: 2/2 via Worse Records
Knocked Loose
We’ve been waiting for Louisville metallic hardcore greats Knocked Loose to make a new full-length for what feels like forever, and–after a big 2023 that included tons of massive festival appearances–2024 is feeling like the year.
Laura Jane Grace – Hole In My Head
The Against Me! leader’s first new solo album since 2021’s At War with the Silverfish arrives in February, and she sounds fully energized on the shout-along punk songs she’s shared from it, particularly the title track.
Release date: 2/16 via Polyvinyl
Lee “Scratch” Perry – King Perry
Dub icon Lee “Scratch” Perry left Planet Earth in 2021 but had been working on music that is just now seeing the light of day. Whether King Perry will be the last record remains to be seen (probably not), but it is likely to be the most exciting of his posthumous releases, as it’s out via Tricky’s False Idols label and features contributions from Tricky (who co-produced a few songs), Happy Monday’s Shaun Ryder, Marta and more. “100lbs of Summer,” featuring Greentea Peng, bodes very well for the rest of the album.
Release date: 2/2 via False Idols
The Lemonheads
Evan Dando has kept The Lemonheads’ flame alive with covers albums and tours, but the ’90s alt-rock icons haven’t released an album of original material since 2006. Following reissues of the band’s classic records, interest is as high as it’s been in years and he spent much of 2023 working on a new record in his new homebase of Brazil. His label, Fire Records, says we’ll get that record this year and new single “Fear of Living” is a promising first taste.
Liam Gallagher x John Squire
Liam Gallagher is not waiting around for his brother, Noel, this year. He’ll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ debut album on tour, and has also made an album with another Manchester legend, The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire, which we’ll get to hear the first taste of very soon.
The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
Peter Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall, and Gary Powell are back with the first Libertines album in nearly a decade. Says Barât: “Our first record was born out of panic, and disbelief that we were actually allowed to be in a studio; the second was born of total strife and misery; the third was born of complexity; this one feels like we were all actually in the same place, at the same speed, and we really connected.” The singles so far back this up.
Release date: 3/8 via Casablanca/Republic
Madi Diaz – Weird Faith
Madi Diaz’s soaring voice and candid lyricism are in fine form for her follow-up to 2021’s excellent History of a Feeling, and as a bonus, Kacey Musgraves features on the second single.
Release date: 2/9 via ANTI-
Many Eyes
Former Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley now leads the band Many Eyes with Charlie and Nick Bellmore, and they put out two singles in 2023 and confirmed that a full-length album is on the way. Keith told us last year that the album takes inspiration from ’90s alternative rock and grunge, as well as the hardcore scene that ETID came up in.
Mary Timony – Untame the Tiger
Mary Timony (Helium, Ex Hex, Wild Flag) made her first solo album in 15 years while being the prime caregiver for her ailing parents. “Since I had to confront the reality of loss, I realized what was important to me about being alive, and I became less scared,” she says. “The record became my anchor in a time when I was losing so much around me. It felt like all I had—a guide that helped me through, and gave me hope.” Untame the Tiger features behind the boards help from Jawbox’s J Robbins, Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) and John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Kurt Vile).
Release date: 2/23 via Merge
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven
Mannequin Pussy’s sneering, boundary-pushing punk has rarely (if ever) sounded better than it does on “I Got Heaven,” the title track of their anticipated new LP, and the other singles have been great too. This album feels like it’s gonna be a special one.
Release date: 3/1 via Epitaph
Massa Nera / Quiet Fear – Quatro Vientos // Cinco Soles
NJ’s Massa Nera and LA’s Quiet Fear both put unique, powerful spins on screamo, so it’s very exciting that they’ve put their heads together for an LP-length split.
Release date: 1/12 via Persistent Vision
MGMT – Loss of Life
MGMT seem to have finally escaped the shadow of Oracular Spectacular, and their later material has been getting the recognition it deserves. New single “Mother Nature” is right up there with the band’s best, more recent work.
Release date: 2/23 via Mom + Pop
MJ Lenderman
Wednesday member and solo artist MJ Lenderman signed to ANTI- last year and put out the new single “Rudolph,” followed by a beloved live album, and The Guardian reports that his next studio album is expected this year. They also say he has “a high-profile (but still TBA) collaborative role on one of the year’s most anticipated indie rock records.” Who could it be?
Nails
It’s been over seven years since Nails released an album, and three years since sole remaining member Todd Jones confirmed a new album was in the works, and now Todd says the album is officially coming in summer of 2024 via Nuclear Blast. It was engineered by Kurt Ballou, and Todd broke the news by posting a photo of him and Kurt together in the studio.
Perfume Genius
Perfume Genius’ last new release was 2022’s Ugly Season, featuring songs he wrote for Kate Wallich’s dance piece The Sun Still Burns Here; it premiered in 2019, so the material actually predates 2020’s excellent Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. We can expect something new from him this year, too, as he wrote on Twitter in November, sharing his Spotify Top Songs of 2023, “I’ll have new music next year to hopefully show up in your own.”
Fun! I’m a sucker for these. I’ll have new music next year to hopefully show up in your own
Alt-country band Sarah Shook & the Disarmers’ upcoming album was self-produced by bandleader River Shook, who says, “There was something about Revelations that felt more personal to me. I unlocked this level of honesty with myself and an ability to be more objective about the things I struggle with daily.”
Release date: due 3/29 via Abeyance Records/Thirty Tigers
Real Estate – Daniel
New Jersey jangle-rock practitioners Real Estate made their sixth album in Nashville with producer Daniel Tashian, who has worked with everyone from Kacey Musgraves to Burt Bacharach. The band cite R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People and ’90s soft rock as sonic touchstones for this one, but catchy first single “Water Underground” is pure Real Estate..
Shoegaze greats Ride will soon be on tour in North America with The Charlatans, playing their classic debut album Nowhere in full, but it’s been nearly five years since This is Not a Safe Place, and they’ve been playing a few new songs live on UK tours. No official word yet, but they’re due.
SeeYouSpaceCowboy
Post-hardcore band SeeYouSpaceCowboy have dropped two great new singles lately that lean into their brighter, more melodic side without toning down their usual madness. It seems like an album is on the horizon, so stay tuned.
serpentwithfeet – GRIP
serpentwithfeet’s next album arrives in February, and his experimental R&B is in great form on lead single “Damn Gloves.”
Release date: 2/16 via Secretly Canadian
Sleater-Kinney – Little Rope
The loss of Carrie Brownstein’s mother and stepfather in a car accident looms over Sleater-Kinney’s eleventh studio album, and they sound vital and immediate on new singles “Hell” and “Say it Like You Mean It,” which have us eager to hear more.
Release date: 1/19 via Loma Vista
Spaced
Buffalo hardcore band Spaced released the great Far Out Hardcore two-song single last year, and then they signed to Revelation and confirmed a new album. They’ve gotten better with each new EP/single/demo so far, so we’re very excited for the full-length.
Spectral Voice – Sparagmos
It’s been over four years since Blood Incantation released a proper album, but 3/4 of the band also play in Spectral Voice, and their first album in seven years will arrive this February. The epic, 13-minute lead single is a remarkable first taste.
Release date: due 2/9 via Dark Descent / Napalm
Speed
Australian hardcore band Speed did their first US tour last year, and the momentum behind them is extremely palpable. It’s easy to see why–they’re the real deal, and we’re excited to see what they bring to a full-length.
The Smile – Wall of Eyes
With Radiohead still on pause, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and former Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner remain busy with their band The Smile, whose second album arrives in January. As heard on recent singles like “Bending Hectic,” the chemistry between Thom and Jonny remains untouchable.
Release date: 1/26 via XL
Standing On The Corner – Sucker Chump
Jazzy, genre-defying collective Standing on the Corner appear to have signed to XL for a new album called Sucker Chump, due this year. We haven’t heard any of it yet, but consider us very intrigued.
Stay Inside – Ferried Away
Brooklyn emo band Stay Inside have a new album coming, and the singles they’ve released so far have been some of their most soaring, ambitious, instantly-likable songs to date.
Release date: 2/28 via self-release
Sweet Pill – Starchild EP
Philly emo band Sweet Pill released their debut album Where The Heart Is in 2022 (on Topshelf), but 2023 was really their big breakout year. They did their biggest tours yet, signed to Hopeless, and put out two of the four songs from their upcoming Starchild EP. The new material is some of their best stuff yet.
Release date: 3/15 via Hopeless
SZA – Lana
SZA’s fantastic 2022 album SOS has been dominating 2023 year-end lists, and she’ll keep the hype going when she (hopefully) releases its deluxe edition this year. Speaking to the crowd at a show in September, she said, “the deluxe is like a whole ‘nother album, and it’s called Lana. It’s seven to 10 songs, and it’ll be out this fall.” We’re officially past “this fall,” but here’s hoping for 2024.
Thurston Moore Group – Flow Critical Lucidity
In a recent New York Times interview, Thurston Moore confirmed he has a new album, Flow Critical Lucidity, due this spring, with lyrics written by his wife Eva. It’s his first Group album in a few years.
Tierra Whack
Most details are TBA, but the impossible-to-pigeonhole rapper/singer Tierra Whack confirmed a new album alongside the release of her great new single “Chanel Pit.”
Torres – What an enormous room
Torres is back, and lead singles “Collect” and “I got the fear” have us very excited. But don’t take our word for it; take Julien Baker’s, who wrote the bio for the album and said “What I can say about TORRES is I think the music comes from a convicted place…And I think itʼs just incredibly good music to listen to.”
Release date: 1/26 via Merge
Ty Segall – Three Bells
These days, Ty Segall rarely does the same thing twice. (Twice in a row, at least.) 2019’s First Taste featured zero guitars, 2021’s Harmonizer was heavy on vintage synths, and 2022’s Hello, Hi went acoustic. For Three Bells he worked with Bitchin Bajas’ Cooper Crain and half of the album was co-written with his wife, Denee. We’ve heard three songs from it so far, which, while still bearing Ty’s melodic stamp, are unlike anything he’s done before.
Release date: 1/26 via Merge
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend have confirmed that their fifth album–and first since 2019’s Father of the Bride–is done. In a newsletter, drummer Chris Tomson wrote, “Ezra [Koenig] took a raga singing lesson with Terry Riley in rural Japan and wrote what he considers to be 7 of his all-time top 10 best songs.”
Vijay Iyer Trio – Compassion
Vijay Iyer is riding high off the strength of 2023’s Love In Exile with Arooj Aftab and Shahzad Ismaily, and now the modern jazz great has announced the first album in three years by his trio with bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. The music he’s released from it thus far is gorgeous.
Release date: 2/2 via ECM
Waxahatchee
We’ve been looking forward to the follow-up to Waxahatchee’s career-best 2020 album Saint Cloud (she also released a great collaborative album with Jess Williamson as Plains in 2022); hopefully 2024 is the year.
Wet Leg
Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg burst onto the scene in 2021 with the inescapable “Chaise Longue” and spent all of 2022 on the road in support of their Grammy-winning debut album. Reports that their second album was already in the can turned out to be misunderstood jokes, which is good; their batteries surely needed recharging, and Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers had a relatively light 2023, sticking mainly to the European summer festival circuit. Eyes will be on them this year, though, for new music. Can they beat the Sophomore Slump?
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?
Yard Act made waves in 2022 with their excellent debut album that nodded to Pulp and lots of mid-’00s post-punk revival bands, but don’t expect more of the same, exactly, for its follow-up. “The main reason that ‘post-punk’ was the vehicle for Album One was because it was really affordable to do and affordable to tour on a minimal set up, even down to me not playing guitar to save space in the car, which is when the words really came to the fore,” says frontman James Smith. “But we always liked so much other music. I think The Overload hints at that, but this time we’ve had the confidence to embrace it.”
