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Forget the memes, the belaboured discourse, the inevitable backlash. When the dust settles, what matters is that in the spring of 2024, Charli xcx released the most thrilling and unorthodox major pop release of the decade, an album that landed with such startling. immediate impact that it subverted the bland Swiftian hegemony of mainstream music, at least for a little while.

Not that 鈥淏rat鈥� came out of nowhere. Charli鈥檚 sixth studio album 鈥� a brash but irresistible fracas that jumps between forward-looking hyperpop and 2010s-era electro-pop 鈥� is the culmination of a sound that the 32-year-old English singer and her longtime producer A.G. Cook have been crafting for close to a decade. (That 鈥淏rat” was the album that launched Charli in the pop stratosphere, rather than 2022鈥檚 radio-baiting detour 鈥淐RASH,鈥� is both a relief and evidence of tectonic shift in what listeners are currently craving.)

Six months after its release, 鈥淏rat鈥� remains an chaotic, endlessly fun listen: the whiplash percussion on 鈥淪ympathy is a knife鈥� never gets old, nor do the hydraulic saw synths on 鈥淰on dutch鈥� or the squelching acid bass line in the back half of 鈥�365.鈥� But it鈥檚 Charli鈥檚 vocals, often modulated but never quite overprocessed, that provide 鈥淏rat鈥� with its emotional core, whether that involves grieving for a lost friend (鈥淪o I,鈥�) processing the anxiety of adult relationships (鈥淕irl, so confusing,鈥� 鈥淚 think about it all the time鈥�) or simply basking in the drug-fuelled nihilism of the dance floor (鈥�I don鈥檛 wanna feel feelings,鈥� she repeats over a throbbing bass line on the Gesaffelstein-produced 鈥淏2b鈥�). In other words, 鈥淏rat” is a perfect soundtrack for a generation desperately searching for joy amid what feels like a slow-motion societal collapse.聽鈥斅�Richie Assaly

Erika de Casier: Still

I was surprised to see Erika de Casier at the top of my Spotify Wrapped this year, but then again, the Danish artist’s distinct sense of stealth is part of what makes her so alluring. A quietly influential songwriter and producer who penned one of biggest K-pop hits of 2023, de Casier鈥檚 third solo album, 鈥淪till,鈥� sets a new standard for the growing list of Y2K-revivalists inspired by detached opulence of artists like Aaliyah, TLC and Sade. On 鈥淟ucky,鈥� the album鈥檚 propulsive lead single, de Casier captures the dizzying feeling of falling in love, her voice gliding weightlessly over an explosive breakbeat. 鈥淲hen your phone rings, do you wish it was me? 鈥� she teases on 鈥淓x-Girlfriend,鈥� a luxurious, menacingly seductive song featuring English rapper Shygirl. 鈥淵ou gotta be missing me.鈥�

It鈥檚 a slippery, but self-assured album, one that masterfully incorporates elements of IDM, hyperpop and UK garage without ever losing its pace or coherence. But it鈥� most stunning moments occur when de Casier lets her guard down, if only for a moment. 鈥淚 wanna have it all,鈥� she confesses on 鈥淭he Princess,鈥� a conspicuously drumless track on which her voice suddenly sounds all too human.聽鈥斅�Richie Assaly

Christopher Owens: I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair

I didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 ever hear new music from Christopher Owens. Prior to the release of his fourth studio album this fall, the singer-songwriter and former frontman of Girls 鈥� an indie rock duo I worshipped until they disbanded in 2012 鈥� hadn鈥檛 been heard from for nearly a decade. During that stretch, Owens endured terrible hardship: after suffering a motorbike accident and breaking up with his fianc茅e, he experienced a bout of homelessness. In 2020, after a failed attempt to reunite Girls, his former bandmate Chet 鈥淛R鈥� White died.

Remarkably, or perhaps miraculously, 鈥淚 Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair鈥� 鈥� an incredible title, it must be said 鈥� is Owens鈥� best work since ; a collection of dreamy, jangly rock songs that juxtapose themes of heartbreak and self-loathing with dazzling guitar work. (鈥�Look what you’ve done / I’m no good鈥� he sneers on the album鈥檚 opening track, before ripping a solo that鈥檚 as electric as anything from 鈥淢anning Fireworks.”)

It鈥檚 also a profound expression of resiliency, anchored by the power of music. 鈥�If you really wanna know, I’m barely making it through the days,鈥� Owens admits on the album鈥檚 final song, repeating the devastating lyric as a thick swell of distorted guitar slowly suffocates his vocals like a weighted duvet. But that sense of despair and loneliness begins to evaporate as the song builds towards its crescendo: a simple piano melody and stirring gospel vocal solo arriving in the song鈥檚 final minutes like a holy deliverance, an almost ecstatic reprieve from the pain.聽鈥斅�Richie Assaly

The Cure: Songs of a Lost World

Angst is so often associated with teenhood, as if it鈥檚 some emotional state we simply snap out of when the clock strikes “adult.” 鈥淪ongs of a Lost World鈥� is The Cure鈥檚 soaring, epic counter-argument to that theory. Robert Smith鈥檚 lamentations on life and mortality grant the listener permission to grab their existentialism by the reigns and lean all the way in, reciting lyrics like 鈥淚 could die tonight with a broken heart鈥� with the type of tear-streaked-eyeliner commitment they warrant.

One of the things I love most about 鈥淪ongs of a Lost World鈥� is that it evokes this sentimental urgency at a strikingly measured pace. Smith and co. are not in a rush. Thunderous, minutes-long instrumentals open the majority of the album鈥檚 tracks, allowing 鈥� or forcing 鈥� the listener to sit in these pockets of feeling until they can appreciate the beauty that lies therein. 鈥淪ongs of a Lost World鈥� is The Cure鈥檚 first studio release in 16 years. In a time of heightened conflict and social disconnect, it feels akin to a lifeline. 鈥斅�Emilie Hanskamp

Mustafa: Dunya

The term 鈥渨orld-builder鈥� is often reserved for pop megastars who plant conceptual Easter eggs on multimillion-dollar budgets. But on 鈥淒unya,鈥� Mustafa offers the year鈥檚 most captivating case for crafting emotional worlds. With each listen of the artist鈥檚 vividly narrated folk album, you鈥檙e not only immersed in the schoolyards and living rooms that have backdropped his life, you鈥檙e temporarily woven into the relational fabric of his community. His neighbourhood. His family. His faith.

There鈥檚 a distinct generosity to Mustafa鈥檚 sensitivity, the invisible thread that connects every lyric, melody and oud plucked across 鈥淒unya.鈥� The album offers an increasingly rare level of emotional clarity: the kind that echoes long after the final song鈥檚 chords ring out. 鈥斅�Emilie Hanskamp

Adrianne Lenker: Bright Future

Great music can be the ultimate source of escapism, temporarily unshackling a listener from their lived reality. But the most exceptional albums are often those that force us to reckon with those realities so intimately that we feel changed on the other side. Singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker鈥檚 stunning solo album 鈥淏right Future鈥� achieves exactly that. No experiential stone is left unturned 鈥� heartbreak, commitment, childhood and family dynamics are all masterfully mined. But what is so resonant about this album is the lack of hierarchy in Lenker鈥檚 emotional world view. Beginnings are no more precious than goodbyes. Love is not held above loss. Joy does not trump sadness. Instead, 鈥淏right Future鈥� invites listeners to find the beauty in life鈥檚 every ache and awe.聽鈥斅�Emilie Hanskamp

Kendrick Lamar: GNX

Objectively, the 2024 Rap Man of the Year award goes to Kendrick Lamar. Even if you can’t agree with that for geographical reasons, it’s hard (and probably not in your best interest) to beef against that verdict. This year, Lamar scored three number-one singles with 鈥淟ike That,鈥� 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥� and, most recently, 鈥淪quabble Up.鈥� He won the rap beef of the century. He was announced as the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time performer. And to top it off, he released his most braggadocious album to date. 鈥淕NX鈥� is the crowning achievement of Kendrick鈥檚 2024 MVP run, a聽40-minute lyrical exhibition and an extraordinary showcase of skill. But what solidifies 鈥淕NX鈥�‘s top spot is the substance beneath the swagger.

We hear Kendrick wrestling with his God complex throughout the record. He wants to build his community and be the tide to lift all rising ships, as he does on the album by filling the feature list with relatively smaller West Coast artists. But he also finds great joy in going to war and verbally destroying his peers. With that continued duality, even this far into his career, 鈥淕NX鈥� sets Kendrick up to continue being one of the most interesting artists to watch in 2025 as the world waits to see how he tackles his Super Bowl halftime performance and stadium tour. Both are sure to be massive cultural moments. 鈥�聽Vernon Ayiku

Leon Thomas: Mutt

Do people still listen to R&B? The lack of R&B albums on most of the 鈥淏est Albums of 2024鈥� lists so far is troubling, especially when the genre is filled with imaginative songmakers like Leon Thomas. A writer and producer for heavyweights like SZA, Drake and Ariana Grande, you probably already enjoy his work even if you’re not familiar with his name.

On his second studio album, 鈥淢utt,鈥� Leon tackles familiar themes like heartbreak and self-growth with vividly crafted and creative production. Combined with his hypnotic vocals and sharp songwriting, 鈥淢utt鈥� is both an emotionally heavy and whimsical album. Leon manages to sound familiar 鈥� with borrowed sounds from ‘90s R&B artists like Tevin Cambell and Jagged Edge 鈥� and ahead of the curve, as he adds bright spots to the atmospheric sounds of the popular dark R&B sub-genre. 鈥�聽Vernon Ayiku

Tyler, the Creator: Chromakopia

There is something special about growing up with one of your favourite artists. I still remember having to listen to Tyler, the Creator, in secret because my very religious mother caught a glimpse of the on YouTube and was absolutely disgusted by the imagery. Both Tyler and I have come a long way since then.聽 聽

While Tyler, the Creator, doesn’t push himself too far sonically on 鈥淐hromakopia,鈥� thematically, this is the deepest and most mature he has ever sounded. Incredibly polished as a producer and storyteller, Tyler strings together nuanced thoughts about growing up, loneliness and fear of fatherhood over bright production. Your favourite songs should serve as a snapshot of where you were each year. Looking ahead 10 years from now, I imagine 鈥淐hromakopia鈥� will remind me that this stage was challenging but oh-so-fun.聽鈥�聽Vernon Ayiku

Cindy Lee: Diamond Jubilee

My favourite album this year didn鈥檛 crack my 鈥� or anyone鈥檚 鈥� Spotify Wrapped because you can鈥檛 find it on Spotify. Back when it was released in the spring, I e-transferred the artist $30 for a ZIP folder containing 32 WAV files and album art. (You can also listen for free on YouTube.) Months after its release, I still haven鈥檛 figured out how to make my iPhone play this through Spotify. When I鈥檓 out of the house, I search for the folder of files and individually press play on each track.

It鈥檚 a hassle, but it鈥檚 worth it. For more than two hours, Cindy Lee, the drag queen alter-ego of Calgary native Patrick Flegel, longs for lovers over a hazy mix of rock 鈥檔 roll, each song steeped in hypnotizing swirls of guitar and Lee鈥檚 ghostly vocals. Girl groups, doo-wop, psychedelia, New Wave, 鈥�60s folk: at times, it feels like our protagonist is time travelling through different eras of FM radio. The result is a magnum opus that pays homage to a plethora of 20th-century greats while simultaneously sounding like no one but the mysterious Cindy Lee.

I鈥檓 not sure I鈥檒l ever get over 鈥淔lesh and Blood.鈥� It opens with a guitar plucking the same warped note over and over like a racing pulse. It brought me back to the first few seconds of Wreckless Eric’s 鈥淲hole Wide World,鈥� another song about yearning for someone you once knew and wish you still did. By the time it reaches a climax, layers of synth, guitar and percussion battling for attention, Lee belts out five words that sound like an oblique plea: 鈥淚鈥檓 only flesh and blood!鈥� She, like any of us, can only handle so much.聽鈥�聽Ben Mussett

Cassandra Jenkins: My Light, My Destroyer

Cassandra Jenkins sings in a coo that floats just above her band鈥檚 ambient pop. Her voice is so delicate that when I saw her perform in a noisy San Francisco venue this fall, it sometimes get lost in the mix before emerging once again, luring the crowd back in. The New York singer-songwriter broke out with her stunning 2021 album 鈥淎n Overview on Phenomenal Nature,鈥� released only months after Jenkins had sold much of her musical equipment, ready to scale back her ambitions.

This year鈥檚 release feels like a sequel to her last. It’s another gauzy exploration of love, loneliness and identity, tinged by a New Age-y fascination with the cosmos. (鈥淎urora, IL,鈥� my contender for song of the year, recounts William Shatner鈥檚 melancholic trip to space: 鈥�It’s a thin line / Over the planet / Just a thin line / Between us and nothingness.鈥�) Sure, it鈥檚 heavy, but it doesn鈥檛 sound like it. Lush and serene, her music feels made for those quiet moments of introspection that creep into our day before they flutter away.聽鈥�聽Ben Mussett

Wild Pink: Dulling the Horns

This record was made to be played loud. It鈥檚 full of big, soaring songs propelled by meaty guitar and little nuggets of frank wisdom, like how 鈥�Sometimes a dream ain鈥檛 meant to be lived in / It鈥檚 meant to be forgotten.鈥� This is what you throw on after hopping in the car, windows rolled down, and driving until you don鈥檛 recognize where you are anymore. It鈥檚 getaway music. And it鈥檚 an album that should, by now, sound worn out to me, but it doesn鈥檛.

So-called heartland rock 鈥� whose patron saints, I assume, are Springsteen and Petty 鈥� is a label frequently put on Wild Pink. (鈥淪printer Brain鈥� features a keyboard solo that wouldn鈥檛 sound out of place on 鈥淏orn to Run.鈥�) The War on Drugs, perhaps the kings of contemporary heartland rock, also comes to mind. These songs possess a similar rugged, blue collar quality. But it鈥檚 the heavy guitar lurking around every corner that distinguishes this record from its contemporaries. Even when frontman John Ross鈥檚 vocals are isolated, you know it鈥檚 only so long before a wave of intoxicating, fuzzy six strings washes over them. And when that鈥檚 paired with quippy existential despair 鈥� 鈥�How can there be / R械ally nothing in between / That big ass moon and me?鈥� 鈥� well, I can鈥檛 help but belt it out with him.鈥�聽Ben Mussett

Taylor 厂飞颈蹿迟:听The Tortured Poets Department

When Taylor Swift dropped a surprise second half to her hotly awaited 11th studio album, music critics around the world shook their fists in frustration. Suddenly, at 2 a.m., we had to contend with an album twice as long as the opus we鈥檇 been promised,

I couldn鈥檛 have guessed that 鈥淭he Tortured Poets Department鈥� would embed itself so firmly into my day-to-day life. In April, I recognized the craft behind the album, but assumed I鈥檇 soon fall back into Swift鈥檚 less wordy, more acoustic-sounding catalogue.聽

I鈥檓 still an 鈥渆vermore鈥� girl at heart, but Swift鈥檚 synth-pop romp through tangled situationships has vaulted to the top of my album rankings. I鈥檝e loved getting to grow alongside this album, and my new favourite tracks have surprised me 鈥� these days, I鈥檓 vibing with 鈥淭he Alchemy鈥� and 鈥淕uilty As Sin?,鈥� though the acoustic tracks 鈥淧eter鈥� and 鈥淭he Manuscript鈥� still tug at my heart whenever I hear them, too.聽鈥�聽Aisling Murphy

Carol Ades: Late Start

It鈥檚 a shame that Carol Ades had to cancel her show at the Drake Hotel in November, but she鈥檒l be in 海角社区官网to promote her album 鈥淟ate Start鈥� in January, and thanks heavens for that.

You might recognize Ades from her song 鈥�26,鈥� which went viral-ish on TikTok in 2022. That track has topped my Spotify Wrapped since then, and I鈥檝e loved getting to know Ades and her bluesy, highly emotional music. 鈥淟ate Start鈥� pairs Ades鈥� smoky voice with playful production choices, with tunes that run a range of feelings and styles. 鈥淚鈥檓 Having Fun鈥� begs to be screamed at a concert; 鈥淒reams鈥� sounds like end credit music for a coming-of-age film.

If 鈥�26鈥� was a requiem for a quarter-life crisis, 鈥淟ate Start鈥濃�檚 titular closing track is an anthem for better days ahead. 鈥�聽Aisling Murphy

The Secret of Us: Gracie Abrams

she was demure, humble, a little shy. She apologized a lot, and she had big dreams of becoming a rock star 鈥� dreams that, at the time, she hoped might be sped up by opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour.

It鈥檚 wild what two years of touring with Swift can do. Gone is the whisper-quiet bedroom pop princess of 鈥淕ood Riddance鈥� and in her place is a fully voiced, wickedly confident singer-songwriter who, at the 海角社区官网stops of the Eras Tour, worked a full stadium like she was born to do it.聽

The deluxe edition of 鈥淭he Secret of Us鈥� sees Abrams reach new lyrical and vocal highs: 鈥淚 Told You Things鈥� might not have the radio play of 鈥淭hat鈥檚 So True,鈥� but it鈥檚 an equally addictive song, a pulsing canticle for tempestuous love. 鈥淟et It Happen,鈥� too, is alive with big feelings and hopeful guitar strums.

Abrams has found her voice. And I, for one, can鈥檛 wait to hear it in all its power on whatever comes next. 鈥�聽Aisling Murphy

Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft

In an era of trickle-down single releases, bite-sized TikTok insta-stardom and overstuffed multi-track opuses designed to game whatever voodoo governs the streaming-fixated charts nowadays, Billie Eilish made a proper album-album in 2024. And won. “Hit Me Hard and Soft” is 44 minutes 鈥� two sides, if you will 鈥� of perfectly orchestrated and perfectly sequenced pop genius put forth at the perfect moment in the 22-year-old performer鈥檚 nascent career to certify her as a 鈥渞eal deal鈥� artist.

This record flows. “Hit Me Hard and Soft” 鈥� recorded, as always, with her equally talented brother Finneas O鈥機onnell at the production reins 鈥� plays out like a febrile, honestly messed-up real-time chronicle of a broken relationship, its mood abruptly diving from the Sappho-sexy elation of monster single 鈥淟unch鈥� to the resigned 4/4 house pulse of 鈥淐hihiro鈥� and the wrenching, all-in power-ballad angst of 鈥淲ildflower鈥� and 鈥淭he Greatest鈥� before bouncing back up again into a species of release with the outta-nowhere A-Ha outro to 鈥淟鈥橝mour de ma vie鈥� And then dissolving into cabaret- and Kraftwerk-shrouded prog weirdness on the back end before reaching a point of complete uncertainty with the devastating dissolve that is 鈥淏lue.鈥�

Pitchfork sardonically remarked in its , by times, 鈥淏illie and Finneas might as well have switched on a large neon sign that says 鈥榯his is a masterpiece.鈥欌�� But the pair really did go for it and 鈥� yeah 鈥� once you give “Hit Me Hard and Soft” enough spins to propel it from “this is not at all what I expected and I need to go back for deep study鈥� to 鈥淥K, this thing has really got its hooks in me,鈥� it鈥檚 a short trip to 鈥渕asterpiece.鈥� This is Eilish鈥檚 “OK Computer,” her “Nevermind,” her “To Bring You My Love” 鈥� an album that rewires the mainstream on her own terms, rather than by pandering to some calculated vision of what constitutes 鈥渕ainstream.鈥� There鈥檚 undoubtedly better yet to come, as Billie Eilish is still just 22 years old, but for the moment she鈥檚 set the bar dauntingly high for herself and her pop contemporaries.鈥�聽Ben Rayner

Sofi Tukker: BREAD

The title of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern鈥檚 third full-length release is actually an acronym for 鈥淏E REALLY ENERGETIC AND DANCE鈥� 鈥� which has, admittedly, always been the unapologetic ethos behind Sofi Tukker鈥檚 infectiously bangin鈥� post-rave dance-pop and joyous live performances, but has also perhaps overshadowed the increasingly layered and sculpted songcraft powering the whole enterprise from the beginning.

Less focused on the dance floor even than 2022鈥檚 unexpectedly diverse and endlessly tuneful “Wet Tennis,” BREAD stretches out in a variety of globally minded pure-pop directions whilst still making sure there鈥檚 a little slink and sexiness to throw one鈥檚 hips or, to borrow a title, 鈥溾�� into at all times. The album鈥檚 unforced sophistication (鈥淪ofi-stication?鈥�) 鈥� more a result of the Brazil-obsessed Sofi Tukker鈥檚 omnivorous musical appetites, from house and trance and jungle to Miami bass music, hip-hop and bossa nova, and Hawley-Weld鈥檚 own deft command of multiple languages than consciously applied ambition 鈥� makes it a little slower to take than its glowing predecessors, perhaps, yet that鈥檚 also the key to its longevity. Every repeat listen is a breath of fresh air because Sophie and Tucker simply aren鈥檛 interested in repeating themselves, arguably giving “BREAD” longer legs than such worthy dance-pop competitors for 2024 album of the year as Charli XCX鈥檚 “Brat” and Peggy Gou鈥檚 “I Hear You.” There鈥檚 too much going on for “BREAD” to wear itself out. Although, that said, a ribald once-in-a-lifetime banger like 鈥淲oof” is never gonna wear itself out, anyway. 鈥�聽Ben Rayner

Fcukers: Baggy$$

I know a New Favourite Thing when I hear one and pathologically force it on everyone in my orbit the moment it enters my life, so after witnessing Fcukers鈥� debut EP, “Baggy$$,” sweep through my inner circle like ebola in recent months, I feel confident in saying I鈥檓 right about this band.

Fcukers, a tr猫s Lower East Side trio composed of deader-than-deadpan vocalist Shanny Wise, bassist/keyboardist/producer Jackson Walker Lewis and drummer Ben Scharf, are sufficiently in thrall to several varieties of turn-of-the-millennium electronic music that they would have already qualified as s at the peak of post-rave electro-sleaze鈥檚 trendiness 25 years ago had they not all probably been in diapers at the time. They鈥檙e certainly ahead of the 鈥渙n trend鈥� curve and punching above their weight at the moment in bringing that sound back, mingling four-to-the-floor house, U.K. garage, lo-fi breaks, smoked-out trip-hop and LCD Soundsystem with a preternatural command of utterly perfect basslines on Baggy$$ to a ridiculously addictive degree. Even Fcukers never come up with anything as potently cocky and saucy as 鈥淏on Bon鈥� or 鈥� or as menacingly magnificent as the 808-powered bass-bin rocker 鈥溾�� again, they鈥檝e already done God鈥檚 work out there. Baggy$$ is DJ fuel forever, but you鈥檒l also never get a note of it out of your head once you dive in. It鈥檚 like crack. Sexy kids on drugs rule. 鈥�聽Ben Rayner

Lori Yates: Matador

The finest album of veteran 海角社区官网singer and songwriter Lori Yates’ vocation, ”Matador” is borne of grief.

There’s the loss of family, friends, and a late-night fixture of the 海角社区官网music scene that reminds us all that not only does time wait for no one, but that nostalgia is often a dish that’s unfortunately served cold even when blanketed by warm memories.

“Sometimes down the road to good intentions/there are too many heartaches to mention,” Yates warbles in her authentic yesteryear country phrasing, one developed over years of three-chords-and-the-truth rumination and one that bleeds melancholy over some of the cruel cards she’s been dealt over the years.

But Yates is a survivor, and the duality of the optimism that exists in such songs as “Alive” and “I Loved Ya” is a large reason why this album is so compelling. Expertly co-produced by the artist and Rheostatic Tim Vesely, other lightning-in-a-bottle moments include the feisty “Rage Within Me,” the haunting ‘50-ish feel of “What A Life” and the brilliant title track of that paints such an accurate sonic and visual portrayal of the Matador as ageless as Dorian Gray. 鈥�聽Nick Krewen

David Gilmour: Luck and Strange

If you’re a Pink Floyd aficionado, you may not agree with David Gilmour that he considers this album his best work since the band’s 1973 opus “Dark Side of the Moon.” Still, it certainly offers another blues-inspired dimension to his talents.

Very much a family affair聽鈥� wife Polly Samson provides lyrics centred around aging, mortality and enduring romance, while daughter Romany takes a lead on the album’s sole cover “Between Two Points” and son Gabriel contributes harmony聽鈥� this fresh approach offers plenty of familiar indulgences. There’s the somewhat relaxed pace of the music; the fact that 10 of the album’s 11 songs ended with extended codas of Gilmour’s wailing, expressive guitar solos and the prominent presence of fellow Floydian Richard Wright 鈥� who died in 2008 of lung cancer聽鈥� on electric piano, suggesting just how long this album has been gestating.

Samson, a novelist, comes up with some profound observations on the title track and “Dark and Velvet Nights” that suggests just how in lockstep she and Gilmour are as a couple, revealing perhaps the most public glimpses of their private life up to this point聽鈥� and it’s a refreshing take from under the umbrella of a man who has largely been shrouded in enigma throughout his career. 鈥�聽Nick Krewen

Sheryl Crow: Evolution

Sometimes the best gifts fall into your lap when you’re least expecting them.

Exhibit A: Sheryl Crow’s “Evolution.聽Crow wasn’t expecting to ever make another album after releasing 2019’s “Threads” 鈥� thereby removing all commercial pressures to create and sell 鈥� and then songs started showing up out of the blue.

That’s the secret appeal of “Evolution”: this natural fermentation and spontaneity has given Crow her liveliest sound in years, and, more importantly, some food for thought. The contemplative title track dives into the AI crisis that is looming for artists everywhere, and “Broken Record” is a bouncy pushback about aggression amplified by social media. Producer Mike Elizondo’s greatest gift to Crow is to let her run stylistically free, so there’s a greater variety of beats, tempos, risks and approaches on this album than the multiple Grammy-winning rocker has taken on any other album.

The more adventurous, the better 鈥� and it suits Sheryl Crow to a tee. 鈥�聽Nick Krewen