Am I Okay? - Megan Maroney
Megan Maroney continues to run circles around her pop country peers with her clever lyricism on Am I Okay?. The titular album-opening rocking pop country single finds space for both subtle music theory indications she's head-over-heels for a good new guy ("I've been playing less black keys lately") and some innuendo mirth by near rhyme omission. After breaking out with Lucky, Maroney isn't afraid to get both more comedic and way more bummed out on her sophomore album, as mirthful numbers ("Man on the Moon" and "Miss Universe") are counteracted by emotional gut punches ("No Caller ID" and "Hell of a Show"). The album delivers a non-vapid pop country gem that's lightyears beyond her genre contemporaries' typical tired cliches.
Brat - Charli xcx
"When I go to the club, I wanna hear those club classics," Charli xcx repeatedly proclaims within three minutes of the start of Brat. It's somewhat of a self-actualizing refrain, as her new album is loaded with bangers that will remain in the rotation at clubs for years to come. The English pop star finally broke through big with her sixth album, an aggressively propulsive and hooky collection of bass-heavy tunes for slightly messy hot girls who want the party to be popping 365 days a year. While there's plenty of pure sassy swagger dance tracks ("360," "Von Dutch," "365"), Charli also makes room to sort through insecurities ("Rewind") and pondering fulfillment beyond the club ("I Think About It All the Time"). The middle months of 2024 will forever be known as Brat summer for a reason.
Chaos Angel - Maya Hawke
If we can put our nepo baby pitchforks down for just a second, Maya Hawke's Chaos Angel is proof that she could do music full time if the Stranger Things standout ever decided to quit the acting. With production and co-writing help from frequent Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Christian Lee Hutson, Hawke's third LP is an indie pop treat — a collection of a romantic's dreamily melancholy and mildly weary soft-spoken attempts to find sunbeams to cut through the darkness. The folksy simplicity of the acoustic-guitar led arrangements with light percussion gives everything a breezy air as Hawke's pensive lyricism calls to mind singer-songwriters like Stella Donnelly and early Soccer Mommy. Whether it's the deceptively upbeat pep of the bummer self-reflections on "Missing Out" or the almost frantic tenderness found in the chorus of the stripped-back "Chaos Angel," Hawke's open-hearted worldview and sweet vocals make this album more angelic than chaotic.
Forever - Charly Bliss
On Forever, Charly Bliss makes a glimmering, joyful album about rediscovering one's passion for music and life in general after having it all ripped away during peak COVID times. The New York quartet were especially strained as singer/guitarist Eva Hendricks was stuck in Australia during lockdowns, so pent-up power pop energy on the latest LP is palpable. The band's bratty punk days remain in the past as it continues to lean into a more synth-pop trajectory while Hendricks wrestles with being a starry-eyed romantic in a less than kind world. She still holds onto the glittery sparkles of teenage hope ("Nineteen"), finds fitting bliss in making music with her friends again ("Waiting for You") and yearns for lasting love ("Last First Kiss"). Times haven't been easy, but Charly Bliss has survived and continues to thrive.
The Gloss - Cola
If you're a fan of bands that call to mind early UK post-punk with a disaffected, eye-rolling mushmouth flair, perhaps it's time you took a swig of Cola. The Canadian trio led by vocalist/guitarist Tim Darcy and his bone-dry, often tongue-in-cheek delivery hit all the right notes on The Gloss. Darcy just carries an air of the natural, hardly caring coolness that bands like The Strokes always wish they had and try so hard to fake. Almost like a gentler Protomartyr, the group's minimalist post-punk instrumentation manages to be discordant without losing its melodic underpinning.
The Great American Bar Scene - Zach Bryan
How does country/American star Zach Bryan begin following up his chart-topping self-titled 2023 album? By reading a poem of course. "Make me gentle to the ways of the world," Bryan recites with the confidence of a veteran who doesn't need to pander to any kind of misguided, fake, tough guy country masculinity. The Great American Bar Scene is a carefully crafted collection of lived-in tunes with a heavy Springsteenian influence (and that's before getting to "Sandpaper," a track actually featuring Bruce himself). Listening to the album is like saddling up to the world-weary like the guy at the end of the bar who's probably seen a bit too much and is trying to remember the good times and drown out the hard-luck rough patches by sipping on a bottle. Who knows how many he's gone through, but the man is a gifted storyteller so you stay rapt to his words while buying him another round.
Hit Me Hard and Soft - Billie Eilish
If this pop summer was defined by Chappell Roan's wild nights at the Pink Pony Club and Charli XCX clubbing till the sun comes up, Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft is the equivalent staying in, chilling out, and wrapping yourself in your fuzziest blanket fresh out of the dryer. In part, that's because Hit Me Hard and Soft doesn't find Eilish trying to reinvent herself to carve out a new era, but rather showcases her discovering herself on a deeper level — specifically her queerness — in an open and vulnerable manner. There's still room for a bit of bouncy shoulder-shaking pop sway on "Lunch," but the LP mostly features comparatively minimalist pop production imbues this warmhearted collection with an aura of sincerity. It's the softest pop superstar album in recent memory, but tracks like the tender "Birds of a Feather" prove that soft Billie can still hit.
Radical Optimism - Dua Lipa
It may sound like a backhanded compliment, but the best part about Dua Lipa's glossy disco and R&B-infused pop is that it elicits no overthinking. She just consistently delivers song after song of danceable hits with sultry summer vibes that hit the broad strokes of falling in and out of love (or at least lust). She's fully cognizant of her own turnstile dating patterns — all the ignored red flags and inflated pedestaling ("Illusion") — but she's just gonna shimmy her way through it with saucy flair. In a world where stans and critics alike tend to overanalyze pop (guilty!), an album like Radical Optimism and its singles like "Houdini" and "Training Season" seem 100% content simply being sexy and fun.
Stampede - Orville Peck
On his third album, masked gay alt-country crooner Orville Peck committed to not being a lone ranger. For Stampede, Peck lassoed a corral-full of famed and talented collaborators for a variety-pack duets album. Things kick off with the subtlety-free and self-explanatory country track "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" featuring Willie Nelson, which sets a tone for the fun bronco ride to follow. There's a cover of "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" featuring Elton John himself. Beck joins the fray for the Elvis-in-Vegas rock feel of "Death Valley High." There's Spanish flavor with Bu Cuaron ("Miénteme"), traditional quieter loving duets with the likes of Debbii Dawson ("Back at Your Door") and even a dance track with Kylie Minogue and Diplo ("Midnight Ride"). The most impressive aspect of Stampede? Throughout all of that, Peck always remains the star of the show thanks to his undeniably alluring baritone.
Want - MAITA
There's a difference between wants and needs. On Want, Portland indie rock singer-songwriter MAITA (aka Maria Maita-Keppeler) is laying her wants bare to see which she needs to find slivers of happiness. Sonically backed by her interweaving guitar lines and her band's never-overwrought instrumentation, she wants: her partner to look at her with the fresh allure of a stranger ("Girl in the Bar"); overnight stays to blossom into something more ("At a Bad Time"); those who have drifted away to be happy even if it's not with her ("Hotel"); to not fret about who she once was ("I Used to Feel Different"). MAITA's delicate lyrical hand makes each exploration of desire feel like a cherished snapshot shared only by a close friend. Perhaps all she wants is to share these intrusive thoughts and to feel seen. Then again, maybe the reality in the end is closer to "Break Up Song x3," which fades out as MAITA repeats, "I don't know what I want..." ♦
ALSO DON'T MISS...
All Born Screaming - St. VincentAs It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again - The Decemberists
As It Was, As We Were - Hayes Noble
Dark Times - Vince Staples
Goon Shii Vol. 1 - Jang the Goon
I'm Doing It Again Baby! - Girl in Red
News of the Universe - La Luz
Power - Illuminati Hotties
Santa Cruz - Pedro the Lion
Vows - Hot Water Music
