If 2023 was anything to go by, then 2024 promises to be a landmark year in music, with a lineup of its most anticipated albums that spans genres and styles. Firstly, make sure you check out our extensive roundup of the best records that graced our airwaves and speakers last year:
whynow’s 50 Best Albums of 2023
But for the next 12 months, from the gritty punk of Idles’ Tangk to the introspective musings of Yard Act’s Where’s My Utopia?, the year’s releases promise to pull us in every direction. With MGMT’s Loss of Life adding a touch of psychedelic flair, this year’s musical tapestry is as rich and varied as the artists themselves.
Each album is a window into the creative minds shaping today’s musical landscape, offering both groundbreaking sounds and profound storytelling. From the confirmed releases to the TBAs, everything in this list offers enormous potential.
IDLES – Tangk
In the wake of their 2021 Grammy-nominated triumph, Crawler, Bristolian punk rock band Idles embark on their next audacious musical adventure with Tangk. This latest oeuvre sees them collaborating with an eclectic mix of industry titans, notably Nigel Godrich, the maestro behind Radiohead’s sonic landscape, and Kenny Beats, whose hip-hop credentials include crafting beats for the likes of Vince Staples and Denzel Curry.
Adding a dash of New York’s electro-punk flavour, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Nancy Whang lend their vocal prowess to the album’s lead single, ‘Dancer’.
In a departure from their usual politically charged anthems, frontman Joe Talbot declares Tangk a collection of “all love songs.” A tantalising prospect indeed – we await with bated breath to hear how Idles, those bastions of punk fervour, interpret the tender complexities of love in their signature style.
Out 16th February
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes
Approaching their 40th year since debuting, The Jesus and Mary Chain are on the brink of releasing their eighth studio album, Glasgow Eyes. The brotherly duo, Jim and William Reid, maintain a creative process unaltered since 1984.
“Our creative approach is remarkably the same as it was in 1984, just hit the studio and see what happens,” they assert. With a bond akin to telepathy, they add, “There’s a telepathy there — we are those weird not-quite twins that finish each other’s sentences.” Let’s hope the result’s as profound as that telepathy!
Out 8th March
READ MORE: From Shoegaze to Zoomer Gaze: the evolution of a Gen Z musical phenomenon
The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
Despite it being an astonishingly fleeting heyday, The Libertines’ impact on British rock music was profound. The zenith had nearly dissipated by their self-titled second album in 2004, and yet their legacy endured. The songwriting duo of Pete Doherty and Carl Barât influenced a new wave of London bands, combining punk with US indie–rock.
After their 2015 comeback with Anthems for Doomed Youth, they’re now heralding All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade. The lead single, ‘Run, Run, Run’, as Barât explains, reflects on avoiding the trap “to get stuck in a ‘Run-run-run’ rut, constantly trying to relive our past.”
Out 8th March
READ MORE: ★★★★☆ The Libertines at Margate Lido | New songs and sweaty seaside singalongs
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?
Yard Act’s debut album The Overload was a hugely confident start by the lads from Leeds. With its wry witticisms, jangly sounds and occasional aphorisms – like a mate consoling you over a pint or three with some genuinely profound advice – it seemed to strike a chord, peaking at second in the album charts and being nominated for a Mercury Prize.
What’s more, its poetic observations of post-Brexit Britain made it a record for the times. And now that the lads have had two years to ponder more about all the shenanigans in this country, we anticipate another insightful undertaking.
Out 1st March
READ MORE: ★★★★☆ Yard Act at Troxy review | The Leeds lads give a glimpse of what’s to come after The Overload
The Smile – Wall Of Eyes
Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner of The Smile have initiated their ensemble’s second act with ‘Bending Hectic’, a track that crescendoes from a haunting ballad into a seismic anthem. This synergy of Greenwood’s orchestral grace and untamed exuberance, infused with raw production, marks a return to the unpredictable creativity reminiscent of Radiohead’s formative days.
Though acoustically a bit subdued, the following eponymous track reveals Greenwood’s increasingly dominant role in their arrangements, an intriguing development for admirers of the esteemed composer and guitarist.
23rd January
Green Day – Saviors
Green Day recently unveiled ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’, the inaugural single from their latest album, Saviors. Accompanying the release, a music video featured Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt in a zombified guise.
This new collection, recorded in both London and Los Angeles, saw the band reunite with Rob Cavallo, the producer behind some of their most iconic albums, including Dookie. Saviors marks Green Day’s first album since the 2020 release, Father of All….
19th January
Future Islands – People Who Aren’t There Anymore
Over the course of a year, Future Islands artfully unveiled several tracks, culminating in their latest album, People Who Aren’t There Anymore. This gradual revelation began with singles like ‘Deep in the Night’, ‘King of Sweden’, and ‘Peach’, leading to the album’s announcement alongside a fresh track, ‘Tower’.
The song’s music video, directed by Jonathan van Tulleken, who previously collaborated with Samuel T. Herring on Apple TV+’s The Changeling, marks the Baltimore-based band’s first full-length venture since their 2020 album, As Long as You Are.
Out 26th January
READ MORE: Future Islands share emotive new track ‘Say Goodbye’
Real Estate – Daniel
Indie rock connoisseurs Real Estate are poised to grace the airwaves with Daniel, their sixth studio foray. Following their 2020 full-length release, The Main Thing, and the 2021 EP Half a Human, the band ventured into Nashville’s iconic RCA Studio A. There, over a brisk nine days, they collaborated with producer Daniel Tashian, crafting what promises to be another nuanced addition to their distinguished discography.
23rd February
READ MORE: Martin Courtney interview: Real Estate frontman gives the lowdown on new solo project
A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb
Since the release of Testing in 2018, A$AP Rocky’s personal odyssey has been eventful: fathering two children with Rihanna and facing a trial for the alleged shooting of former confidant Terell “A$AP Relli” Ephron in 2021. Rocky’s forthcoming album, intriguingly titled Don’t Be Dumb – once mooted as All Smiles with a potential Morrissey collaboration – emerges amidst these life-altering tides. In 2023, he introduced a taste of this new era with singles ‘Same Problems?’ and ‘Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)’.
Release date TBA
MGMT – Loss of Life
MGMT are poised for a comeback with their first album since 2018’s bewitching Little Dark Age. Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have tantalised fans with a glimpse into Loss of Life through singles ‘Mother Nature’ and ‘Bubblegum Dog’. The latter is accompanied by a music video, a homage to ’90s alternative rock, replete with a nod to the iconic MTV Unplugged set.
Out 23rd February
Lynks – Abomination
Someone who will certainly be making a statement in 2024 is Lynks, whose debut album Abomination arrives 12 April. Signed to the ever-respected Heavenly Recordings, Lynks is proving something of a cult phenomenon, and whilst hidden behind a masked persona is as straight-talking (not ‘Str8 Acting’) in their lyrics as anyone on this list is likely to be – especially when it comes to referencing the DLR.
Out 12th April
READ MORE: An interview with Lynks, a glimpse beneath the mask
The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy
If 2023 belonged to any act, it was The Last Dinner Party. Over the course of nine months – following the release of their debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ in April – they supported Florence + the Machine, won both the BRIT Rising Star and BBC Sound Of 2024 awards, and announced their debut album.
Tedious ‘industry plant’ talk at the start of their rise was merely a failed attempt to make sense of just how much they’re making waves; the fact is, they’ve done so by being totally, utterly themselves, with their uncompromising art-baroque sound and aesthetic. They make an almighty start to 2024 too with a huge night at Roundhouse on 1st February, on the eve of the release of their Prelude To Ecstasy LP.
Out 2nd February
READ MORE: ★★★★★ The Last Dinner Party at Manchester Academy 2 review | A riotous musical feast
Ty Segall – Three Bells
Ty Segall, indefatigable maestro of indie, returns with Three Bells. This latest endeavour, hinted at through singles like ‘My Room’, ‘Void’, and ‘Eggman’, veers towards the psychedelic and progressive. Collaborating with Cooper Crain of Bitchin Bajas, the album boasts contributions from Segall’s Freedom Band and his wife, Denée Segall. For those who endured the bizarre album announcement video featuring Segall’s egg-centric antics and diminutive cowboy hat, Three Bells needs little introduction. Let’s hope it hits home better than his last effort, Hi, Hello.
Out 26th January
READ MORE: ★★★☆☆ Hi, Hello review | Ty Segall subdues his sound
Billie Eilish – TBA
In the wake of a year that saw Billie Eilish captivate with the Barbie number ‘What Was I Made For?’ and scoop Grammy nominations, the zeitgeist’s darling hints at her next act. Following 2021’s Happier Than Ever, Eilish teases that her latest album is tantalizingly close, declaring it “almost finished” and expected “soon-ish.” With her brother Finneas affirming it’s “85 percent done,” the anticipation for Eilish’s next musical chapter is palpable.
Release date TBA
Vampire Weekend – TBA
Vampire Weekend’s fans endured a six-year hiatus between their third and fourth albums, and now, a similar span separates Father of the Bride from its successor. Bassist Chris Baio confirms the completion of their fifth album, while drummer Chris Tomson reveals frontman Ezra Koenig’s interlude pursuits, notably “a raga singing lesson with Terry Riley in rural Japan.” Details remain elusive, but their slated performance at Primavera Sound Barcelona in May fuels speculation of a 2024 release.
Release date TBA
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – TBA
Nick Cave, the prolific bard, has tantalisingly revealed the impending arrival of a new Bad Seeds album. Post his introspective solo tour; Cave divulged that the successor to 2019’s ethereal Ghosteen is currently in the mixing phase. Despite gracing audiences with some unreleased tracks on his recent tour, Cave has intriguingly clarified that the forthcoming album will comprise solely of entirely new material.
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