Ekko Astral‘s 2024 album Pink Balloons is one of our favorites of the year, and they’ve been busy playing shows in support of it. Now that 2024 is drawing to a close, we’ve been asking artists about their favorite music of the year, and Miri Tyler, Jael Holzman, and Liam Hughes each told us about some albums they loved. Read their list, and their commentary, below.
EKKO ASTRAL’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2024
Combat – Stay Golden
If I was writing and performing songs like this at their age, I’d have been insufferably arrogant about it. Combat earns their spot on this list by being anything but. This album is larger than life, and listening to it makes me wonder where these songs have been all my life. If you get the chance to see then perform any of it live, take it. — Miri
Bacchae – Next Time
RIP D.C. legends Bacchae, who broke up earlier this year after dropping in my opinion the best punk album of the year. It’s a shame because the tunes on this one soar, from the catchy “Just a Rat” and the funky “Dead Man” to the dramatic “Drop Dead Gorgeous.” They were the epitome of what makes our city’s music scene so great and will influence a generation of music to come. — Jael
IDLES – TANGK
When this album came out, Jael immediately recommended it to me calling it Liam catnip. And boy was she right. It resonates with me more than any previous IDLES album. I didn’t realize Talbot’s voice could sound so tender, and Godrich’s production makes TANGK a singular record among their catalog. — Liam
Angelica Garcia — Gemelo
Perfect pop album. Whenever I’m in the mood to tune out the rest of the world and be me on my lonesome, I have Gemelo. Whenever I want to strut down the street like I’m a badass, I have Gemelo. Whenever I want to [redacted references to sexual activity], I have Gemelo. – Jael
Dehd – Poetry
This album is a testament to the humble pop song, and proof that sometimes simplicity is best. There is no part of this album that feels cumbersome, it contains no more and no less than it needs to. — Miri
pet wife – Foam Set
Incredible Brooklyn electro-sulk mood music from some of the brightest creative minds I’ve ever known. It’s rare for a debut to drop from an artist with a sound this defined, but it happened here. If you like Grimes, if you like Purity Ring, if you like sitting in your bedroom alone, stoned high as a kite… this record is very much for you. — Jael
Brittany Howard – What Now
Brittany Howard could sneeze into a bucket for 40 minutes and I’d still enjoy the whole thing. But the wind chimes here throughout add a dreamlike film across the record that ties it all together. Groovy, lush, emotional — it’s Howard at her best since Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color. — Liam
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?
I’ve always had a hard time discerning one sub-genre from another, so I really appreciate an album that doesn’t seem to care how it gets categorized. It’s post-punk, I guess, but it’s also poppy and its maximalist and it makes me want to shake my ass. — Miri
Iglooghost – Tidal Memory Exo
My running album. Conceptually built around a fictional waterlogged island nation with a cool DJ radio station, this razzle-dazzle EDM record will split your mind in two every track and leave you breathless. The thing is still stuck in my head even though I haven’t listened since the summer (it’s a very summery album). — Jael
The Smile – Wall of Eyes
This is no surprise to anybody that knows me, of course. But I was hypnotized as soon as I heard the title track. With all love to Godrich, Sam Petts-Davies as producer adds a refreshing spin to the classic Thom Yorke-Jonny Greenwood pairing that pays off and makes this album feel less like Radiohead at home, and more like its own project. Can Greenwood and the London Contemporary Orchestra just get married already? — Liam
—
Ekko Astral have an NYC show coming up on January 25 at Union Pool, with Greg Freeman. That’s their only upcoming show at the moment.
See more 2024 year end lists here.