Our favourite 14 albums of 2024

2024 was a great year for music in general – and the album in particular. It was a year of sensational debuts from acts as diverse as Barry Can’t Swim and English Teacher, global superstars such as Charli XCX released some of their finest work, and there were some real returns to form from the likes of Beth Gibbons. There was sensational pop, insightful indie, rap, jazz and even some experimental modern-classical to keep you guessing.

At Bowers & Wilkins, we love the album as an art form. It’s why we partner with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and support initiatives such as Record Store Day and why we are a sponsor of the Mercury Music Prize. So, we had a lot of fun when we put our heads together and came up with our 14 albums of 2024.

There are so many fabulous albums to choose from that there’s hopefully something for everyone in our selection, with some potential modern classics that may have passed by even the most avid listener of new music. We’ve collected our thoughts on our favourites and even compiled a playlist of a track from each record for you to stream.

Qobuz

Tidal

Deezer

Spotify

We hope you enjoy them!

Barry Can't Swim-When Will We Land?

When Will We Land? is the debut album from the Scottish music producer Barry Can’t Swim. Released via Ninja Tune in October of last year, the new record sees the multifaceted artist span and merge the worlds of deep house, jazz, ambient and afrobeat. “You only get to make your debut album once,” he explains about this project. “So I want to showcase all the elements of the things I enjoy and love in music up to this point.” Packed with feel-good anthems – and a stellar selection of guest vocalists – When Will We Land? brings club energy to beautifully textured, organic soundscapes, providing the perfect soundtrack to those fleeting summer days.

BERWYN-WHO AM I

BERWYN’s excellent Mercury Prize-nominated album, WHO AM I, shares his unfiltered experiences living as an immigrant in the UK. After moving to the UK when he was just nine years old, the Trinidad-born artist has faced struggles with identity and uncertainty – and WHO AM I addresses these in style, effortlessly fusing UK Rap, R&B, Soul, spoken word and more. The predominantly self-produced 13-track record follows a stream of singles from the London-based artist, as well as two mixtapes, Tape 2/Fomalhaut and Demotape/Vega.

Beth Gibbons-Lives Outgrown

Motherhood, anxiety, menopause and mortality are all topics Beth Gibbons explores in her reflective debut album, Lives Outgrown, which was written over the course of a decade. Arriving some 30 years after Portishead won the Mercury Prize Award for Dummy, the new record was inspired by the deaths of friends and family over the last several years – and is her most personal and intimate offering yet. “When you’re young, you never know the endings, you don’t know how it’s going to pan out,” she explains. “You think: we’re going to get beyond this. It’s going to get better. Some endings are hard to digest.” Lives Outgrown features 10 tracks, co-produced by James Ford and Lee Harris, and was released via Domino Records.

Cat Burns- Early Twenties

After going viral in 2022 with her song “Go”, which subsequently led the South London singer to gain three BRIT Award nominations, Cat Burns has shared her debut album. Early Twenties delivers an anthemic blend of Gospel, Indie and Pop across 17 introspective tracks, giving us a peek into the 24-year-old’s experiences with growing older. Themes of vulnerability and anxiety are prominent throughout the record, but the bright and upbeat delivery gives us hope – as well as a selection of feel-good jams. From her stellar vocals to honest songwriting, with Early Twenties, Cat Burns shows us exactly what she’s about.

Charli XCX - Brat

If you’ve inevitably been anywhere near social media over the last few months, it’s likely you’ll have seen Charli XCX’s latest influence: an avalanche of green squares featuring black, lo-fi text. It’s inspired by the artwork of Brat – the sixth studio album from the Pop sensation. Channelling the illegal rave scene in London, where she cut her teeth performing as a teenager, the 18-track record spans Electro, Hyperpop and more, featuring a range of experimental, club-ready beats – and, of course, Charli’s infectious signature vocals. With the majority of the album’s productions coming from long-standing collaborators A.G. COOK and Easyfun, Brat feels like home for fans of Charli’s Pop 2 mixtape while keeping things fresh as ever. Brat is contemporary Pop music at its finest.

CMAT - Crazymad, for Me

Crazymad, for Me is the second album by the Irish artist CMAT and sees an alternate version of the singer travelling back in time to prevent herself from getting into a bad relationship. Speaking about the 12-track concept album, she explains that it’s “an abstract break-up album - about what happens when you are still angry about something that happened 10 years ago”. Drenched in Country charm and CMAT’s absurd authenticity, Crazymad, for Me is a mature and refined follow-up to her debut album, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead. The record was released via CMATBaby and AWAL and features a guest appearance from John Grant on the earworm “Where Are Your Kids Tonight?”.

Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows

Inspired by Theaster Gates’ exhibition on Black history at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, Corinne Bailey Rae’s Black Rainbows centres around themes of Black femininity, spirituality, ancestors, Inner Space/Outer Space and more. The new album, which initially started as a side project, is truly a transformative body of work – considering she released the hit track “Put Your Records On” 17 years ago. Black Rainbows defies genre, seeing the English singer-songwriter seamlessly journey through Electronica to Garage Rock, R&B, Jazz and Hardcore across the 10 tracks, offering up her most experimental – and best – work yet.

Corto.alto - Bad With Names

Corto.alto is the alias of Liam Shortall – an award-winning multi-instrumentalist producer and composer from Glasgow, Scotland. After lending his production skills to the likes of Joesef, PYJAEN, The Sound of AJA, Raelle, Cara Rose, Jack Richardson, Fat-Suit and others, he has now released his debut album, Bad With Names. The new record, which was released on the London-based imprint New Soil, features some of the best in Scottish and UK Jazz, such as Fergus McCreadie, Graham Costello and Johnny Woodham, to name a few and blurs the lines between Hip-Hop, Electronica and Dub – all infused with his deft sense of improvisation and Jazz.

English Teacher -This Could Be Texas

Following the release of their debut EP, Polyawkward, in 2022, English Teacher have returned with their debut album, This Could Be Texas. The British band’s outstanding new record keeps you on your toes throughout as it twists and turns through melodic elements and time signatures. From Lily Fontaine’s lyrics – and their delivery – to Nicholas Eden’s chugging basslines, each member of the band is on top form here. Addressing topics of mental health and the cost-of-living crisis, every track has something poignant to say. This Could Be Texas takes all the things we loved about Polyawkward and expands them, resulting in an epic debut album that marks the subsequent trajectory in the band’s infectious sound.

Ghetts -On Purpose, with Purpose

On Purpose, with Purpose is the fourth studio album from UK Grime hero Ghetts – and it’s everything we could have hoped for and more. In this new Mercury-Prize-nominated record, the British emcee teams up with some of the UK’s finest, including Kano, Wretch 32, Sampha, Unknown T, Lancey Foux, Moonchild Sanelly, Jay Angelo and others – who all guest feature on the album. There’s no shortage of variety here as Ghetts effortlessly darts between soul, R&B, Afrobeat, Amapiano and Gospel, truly broadening his sonic palette. On Purpose, with Purpose follows the rapper’s major label debut, Conflict of Interest, which was released in 2021 and charted at number two. As Ghetts turns 40 this year, his latest record is proof that he’s an artist constantly evolving and refining his craft.

Nia Archives - Silence is Loud

Next-gen junglist Nia Archives is a singer, songwriter and producer who’s been making waves in the electronic music scene with her club-infused tracks. After self-releasing a stint of EPs, including Headz Gone West and Forbidden Feelingz, she’s now delivered an entire album: Silence is Loud. The 13-track record is packed with her signature blend of self-produced Jungle, Breakbeat and Drum n Bass, accompanied by her silky R&B-style vocals. Silence is Loud floats between melancholy and euphoria and offers up one of the most ravey debut albums on this list.

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Wild God

Nick Cave’s 18th album is a testament to his continued creativity. Never one to rest on his laurels, he has swapped sidemen (Blixa, Mick, now Warren) throughout his career, while always retaining the essence that makes his music so special. Wild God is packed full of the themes that have run throughout his career – hell-fire religion, romanticism – and the death and despair of his more recent releases, but musically it’s a far more joyful listen than we’ve heard in a while and is easily one of our favourite albums of 2024.

Nubya Garcia - Odyssey

The UK Jazz wave continues to roll over us with a series of glorious albums this year. Saxophonist Nubya Garcia’s second full album just blew us away. It builds on the creative vision of 2020’s Source, but is so confident, so bold in its creativity that it had to appear in our list of favourite records. Whether it’s full-on, in-your-face Jazz vibes or soulful balladeering, Odyssey is a cornucopia of riches.  

The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy

Released via Island Records, Prelude to Ecstasy is the debut album from the British Rock outfit The Last Dinner Party. Among the 12 tracks is the band’s debut single, “Nothing Matters”, which reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in February, as well as "Sinner", "My Lady of Mercy", "On Your Side" and others. Opening with an epic orchestral intro, Prelude to Ecstasy is layered with beautiful detail, allowing every instrument, from pianos to guitars and vocals, to tell a story of its own. The production of the record complements the band's theatrical style, creating a listening experience that feels almost cinematic.