2024 NEW ALBUMS I ENJOYED A LOT
15 EXCELLENT NEW ALBUMS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OF EXCELLENCE
Leyla McCalla’s Sun Without The Heat album is a Yak favourite.
Yes, its that time of the year where all and sundry are publishing their Best Of lists when it comes to films, books and music. I’m terrible at lists and, when my Top 10 is requested by an editor, I tend to not contribute – I listen to music every day, often new releases (but these can involve reissues of music I’ve not previously heard), but I also buy lots of old records and, obviously, want to listen to these. Which means I struggle to work out what is the Best Thing I’ve Heard This Year –for example, I found Manufacturers Of Soul, an LP where Jackie Wilson is backed by Count Basie’s band, in Reckless Records earlier this year and its fabulous, stunningly good - Jackie & Basie’s version of Ode To Billy Joe has to be heard (so much so I’ll include it on a future Yak). But its from 1968 so won’t make my 2024 list.
Another reason I don’t contribute to Best Of album lists is due to my musical enthusiasms rarely matching those of my contemporaries – I’ve already glanced at some of the lists printed and, as usual, I can’t say I share their passion (I’d rather eat my own toe cheese than have to listen to a Nick Cave album). My favourite album of the year 2000 was Alabama 3’s La Peste, which the NME gave a 1/10 rating to and everyone else ignored.* Why bother compiling a list when my niche tastes will be crushed by more mainstream choices?
But… but a few people have asked me recently what albums I’ve most enjoyed this year. And, as the Yak exists for me to expound on my enthusiasms, I’ve forced myself to try and recall the new releases that most moved me this year (and, yes, I re-listened to each album to make sure I still find connection). Take a deep breath and dive into these remarkable albums!
Lizzie No – Halfsies
I’d never heard of Lizzie No when she stepped on stage at Maverick Festival in Suffolk this past July. Within a few minutes I was smitten, a fan boy dedicated to declaring how great she was. Lizzie achieved this with an acoustic guitar, a harp, her voice, exceptional songs and a droll delivery that wins her the award for Funniest Performer I Saw On Stage In 24! The young American singer songwriter draws comparison with Tracy Chapman for her direct, unflinching songs (Done is a direct breakup song - “I’m done/we’re through” - and moving in its examination of a relationship’s collapse). But where Chapman is extremely reserved and not given to telling jokes, No is cheekily confident and quite brazen. I don’t think I have been as enamoured by encountering a new artist in a long time. Obviously, once home from Maverick I checked out her music and Halfsies, her new album, is strong. As with Leyla McCalla, I prefer it when she’s acoustic – Lagunita is too rock for even an old punk rocker like me – but most of the album is stripped down folk/country stylings and just gorgeous. Come back soon, please Lizzie!
PS another exceptional young American artist I caught at Maverick (and had never heard of previously) was Todd Day Wait. Todd doesn’t even have an album out yet, just a number of singles, but what a talent – fine voice, good songs, classic downhome country music.
Stick In The Wheel – A Thousand Pokes
Nicola Kearey and Ian Carter are Stick In The Wheel, an East London-based duo who draw on traditional British folk songs to create challenging, sometimes dissonant, music mined with anger at the injustice and absurdity of our society. A Thousand Pokes is their most fully realised effort yet with multi-instrumentalist Carter creating dense, expressive soundscapes over which Kearey moans, rages and howls. That Kearey’s ever more confident as a vocalist and less reliant on ranting like that blowhard out of Sleaford Mods is a definite plus. Closing track Steals The Thief clocks in at almost 8 minutes but commands attention throughout, Carter’s psych guitar soundscape creating enchantingly disturbed mood music. Stick In The Wheel are reinventing British folk-rock in a manner akin to what Fairport Convention did at the end of the 1960s, creating a music that’s barbed, engaged and manages to surprise.
Thee Sinceers - Sinceerly Yours …
As Yak readers will be well aware, I love to go to gigs. And I certainly saw many superb concerts this year. Perhaps the biggest in concert surprise was experiencing the first European performance by Thee Sinceers, a 10-piece soul band from East LA. I was aware that amongst California’s Chicano community there’s a long-held passion for soul music – especially aching ballads – and across the decades bands like Thee Midniters and Sunny & the Sunliners have excelled at making such. Now, with San Diego’s Thee Sacred Souls (who also released a fine album in 24 with Got A Story To Tell), Thee Sinceers are leading a new wave of “lowrider soul” (called this as the guys who drive those crazy cars love to cruise listening to old soul songs). In concert Thee Sinceers were stunning, not just note perfect but such an exciting, engaging band. Vocalist and band leader Joey Quinones is a masterful singer and songwriter and Sinceerly Yours…, their debut album, is a pleasure to listen to. If you enjoy deep soul ballads performed analogue style, well, Sinceerly Yours… is an album you will treasure. Good singing, good playing and fine, lovelorn songs.
Leyla McCalla – Sun Without The Heat
New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla played one of my favourite concerts this year at The Moth Club. She was promoting this, her latest album, one I initially hadn’t been that enthused about – I think I found the rock guitars somewhat overbearing (I’m used to McCalla being more folk/roots), but the excellence of her performance (fronting her 3-piece band) made me listen again. McCalla is a fascinating artist, straddling as she does classical – US folk – indie rock – Haitian music, and while Sun Without The Heat’s overproduced at points (So I’ll Go’s stadium rock flourishes, I Want To Believe’s bathetic chords+cello) her strengths as a songwriter and eclectic nature make this an engaging album. McCalla possesses a melodic gift, is an interesting lyricist and considerable charm – I far prefer her music to that of her far more famous ex-bandmate Rhiannon Giddens.
Errol Linton - Break The Seal
Regular Yak readers will recall me detailing an evening at Brixton’s Effra Tavern earlier in the year where Errol holds a residency. He and his fine band played superbly and two young women danced (one being confined to a wheelchair – this didn’t stop her getting into the groove). I’m sure I mentioned that Errol had a new album out – Break The Seal – and its both his best effort yet and one of the year’s best albums (not just “best blues”, but of any genre). Errol’s songwriting is consistently strong – Country Girl is a gorgeous slice of funky, Caribbean-flavoured blues that should have been a summer hit – and his vocals are stronger, warmer here. Excellent ensemble playing throughout ensures Break The Seal stands as one of the finest British blues albums yet released.
Writing this I realise I’ve no US blues albums on my list. I guess it reflects both how little promotion of new American blues artists there is today - and my own long absence from the USA (so not experiencing rising talent in concert). I did check out Shemekia Copeland’s new album Blame It On Eve and its an impressive effort. Maybe it should be on this list? I’ll need to listen again.
Diz Watson – Diz-Connected
Diz Watson is the guv’nor when it comes to British boogie woogie piano - he’s spent more than half a century performing funky R&B, his left hand ensuring people dance. On Diz Connected - Watson’s first studio album in many years - he mixes original compositions with songs he loves by Ray Charles, Abdullah Ibrahim, Toots Hibbert, Tom Waits, Dr John (amongst others). All of which should – and does – suggest what a wide ranging and fascinating player Diz is. Here he’s backed by a superb Danish band, British horn players Nick Pentelow and Nick Payn, and his longtime percussionist, 95-year old Tony Uter – Tony’s Jamaican-Cuban rhythms link Watson to Errol Dixon, Professor Longhair, Rubén González and other legendary piano pioneers of the Caribbean world. Diz Connected is a celebration of music and life – enjoy!
Yak confession: both Diz and Errol are artists whom I consider friends. This noted, I’m not including their albums as a favour to them or cos they’ve paid me to (I wish!). No, both are talented artists who have released excellent new albums in 24. They deserve our support.
Linda Sikhakhane – Iladi
South Africa has a long tradition of producing superb jazz musicians – at one point in the 1950/60s many of the most gifted London jazz musicians were from South Africa – and, while I am no authority on SA jazz, I believe Linda Sikhakhane is the latest standard bearer in this noble tradition.