Hey, everybody! Reader here.
I hope you all had a great Christmas. I definitely did, though I still have some more celebrating to do tomoroow, when my whole family gets together at my brother Ward’s in Saskatoon.
On Christmas Day, there was just five of us at the farm, and it was quiet, but nice. But tomorrow, we’ll all be together, as two of my brothers and their families spent the 25th with the other side of the family. So I’ll get to hang out with all of my brothers, their lovely wives, our parents, and all my nieces and nephews. I can’t wait!
Of course, this means more driving, as I’m heading to Saskatoon this afternoon, which means I’ll be blasting music all the way to the Bridge City!
Chances are, I’ll be listening to some of these albums along the way. There were a ton of great albums that came out over the course of 2024, and I thought I’d share some tracks from a few of them. They’re not ranked in any particular order, but they’re albums that I’ve had on repeat throughout the year.
Let’s start with Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats’ fourth album, “South of Here.”
These guys just get better and better with every album. I got to see them in concert a couple of summers ago in Regina, and all I can say, is that if you have the chance to catch them live, you will NOT be disappointed! They put on one hell of a show! Here’s the title track:
Next up, is one from Leon Bridges’ fourth album, simply titled “Leon.”
Leon continues to evolve his sound with every album. His debut had a very throwback soul/R&B sound, and with each successive album, he adds more modern elements, including his new album, which incorporates some of the country sounds of his native Texas. Here’s one of my favourite tracks off the album…
So smooth!
Another artist I’m a huge fan of, is Australia’s Missy Higgins. She’s several albums into her career now, and the newest, entitled “The Second Act,” may be her most personal to date. And for Missy, that’s saying something. The album chronicles the breakdown of her marriage, adjusting to life as a single mom, and learning to move on.
She has a beautiful voice, and her lyrics have a way of working their way in deep, to make you think about them, even after you’re done listening. Here’s the title song off the new album…
Tom Walker is another fave of mine, and he released “I Am” in September. Much like Missy, he takes on some deep subjects on this album, including mental health, and providing support for people going through difficult times.
The video for “The Best is Yet to Come” illustrates that perfectly.
And, to add a little more rock to the mix, who better than Lenny Kravitz?
There’s not much more to say about Lenny. The guy is awesome, and his latest collection of tunes, “Blue Electric Light,” is no exception. “TK 421” was the lead single, and it’s just a fun, kick-ass tune!
Those are just some of the albums I really dug this year.
A few others you may want to check out include:
“Liam Gallagher John Squire” by, well, Liam Gallagher and John Squire! (Oasis meets the Stone Roses!)
Khruangbin – “A La Sala”
Brittany Howard (the voice of Alabama Shakes) – “What Now”
Hermanos Gutierrez – “Sonido Cosmico”
The Black Crowes – “Happiness Bastards” (Another great album by another set of feuding brothers who reunited this year!)
I’m looking forward to seeing what great music we’ll get to hear in the upcoming year, but in the meantime, these are some cool albums to check out in the meantime. Enjoy!
