Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of July 2024
The post Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of July 2024 appeared first on Consequence.
With Staff Picks, our writers and editors highlight some of our favorite new music this month. Check out the picks for the best albums of July 2024 below.
Though it might sound a little cliche, there really is something for everyone when it comes to new music releases this month. Fans of grounded country songwriting can dig into the rich, highly rewarding Johnny Blue Skies project from Sturgill Simpson or the latest from Zach Bryan. Denzel Curry turns up the heat on the second volume of King of the Mischievous South. Meanwhile, a couple of the rising pop girls on the scene keep us dancing.
Elsewhere, listeners craving something a little more intense should turn to SPEED, one of Australia’s most interesting emerging hardcore acts. There’s also new work from recent CoSign artist Lava La Rue and indie rockers Major Murphy that shouldn’t be overlooked.
From newcomers grabbing our attention to familiar favorites logging great new additions to established repertoires, here are our staff picks for favorite albums of July 2024, listed out in alphabetical order.
Denzel Curry — King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2
Denzel Curry’s King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 is a non-stop party done the southern way. A sequel to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South Vol. 1 Underground Tape 1996, Curry invites seemingly everyone he knows from the Southern hip-hop scene (or those influenced by it) for a collection of hard-hitting, braggadocious, function-ready bangers. The beats are sinister, the energy is high, and the bars are as sticky as they are compelling. At this point, here’s to hoping King of the Mischievous South becomes a trilogy. — Jonah Krueger
Griff — Vertigo
In a year of incredible music from the rising class of pop girlies, Griff added to the mix with her confident full-length debut, Vertigo. Packed with catchy melodies and a strong vocal performance throughout, the LP shows off just how much this rising artist learned from her time on the road with acts like Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift — namely, how to entertain a crowd. Griff has writing credits on every song on Vertigo, and co-producer credits on most; she’s starting strong right out the gate, leaving us all excited for where she’s destined to go next. — M. Siroky
Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson) — Passage Du Desir
Released under his alter ego Johnny Blue Skies, Passage Du Desir is an instant highlight in the Sturgil Simpson canon. Despite it signifying the start of a new creative era for the songwriter, Passage Du Desir more or less picks up where Simpson’s catalog left off — and that’s no critique, as the outlaw-meets-cosmic-country soundscape perfectly backs his contemplative musings on love, loss, and the great beyond. It’s dark and mournful, but as his moniker suggests, not without hope. For that, it’s easily one of the most wondrous country records of 2024 thus far. (Read our full review of Sturgill Simpson’s Passage Du Desir here.) — J. Krueger
Lava La Rue — STARFACE
Our July CoSign is the multi-hyphenate London artist Lava La Rue, who outlined a comprehensive sci-fi narrative for their stunning debut, STARFACE. The album is a whirlwind of psychedelia, sticky funk, post-post-Britpop, and dozens of other styles, all dressed in a peach-purple hue. They’re relentlessly creative, absurdly talented, and frankly, one of the most inspiring figures in music right now. — Paolo Ragusa
Major Murphy — Fallout
Indie rock trio Major Murphy wasted no time with the rollout of their new album, Fallout. The first single was the infectious “Time Out,” and two weeks later, they dropped the whole eight-song project. While “Time Out” signaled more sunny, riff-centric alt rock, the rest of the album features some of their most patient, majestic offerings yet. The stunning “The Water” is all orchestral swoons and palpable emotion; “Raincloud (Under My Skin)” is a slow-burning power ballad that falls into an unexpected puddle of crashing cymbals and wistful harmonies. The songwriting is sharp, but even sharper is the album’s production, which is as crisp as an apple. It’s one of the band’s strongest statements yet, laced with pure dopamine. — P. Ragusa
Remi Wolf — Big Ideas
After a string of stellar pre-release singles, Remi Wolf’s Big Ideas lived up to the hype when it arrived in full on July 12th. Quickly proving herself to be one of our most inventive and whimsical alt-pop creators, Wolf both expanded and solidified the sound she’d established in 2021’s Juno. From the pulsing “Soup” to the psychedelic “Cherries & Cream” and quirky “Pitiful,” Big Ideas is a thoroughly satisfying, genre-churning listen from top to bottom. — M. Siroky
SPEED — ONLY ONE MODE
SPEED have cemented their status as one of the most exciting newcomers from Australia’s buzzing hardcore scene, and ONLY ONE MODE lives up to the hype. The Sydney-based five-piece band’s full-length debut encapsulates the fierce and thrilling energy of their live performances. Their ferocious sound fuses a unique blend of punk and metalcore, alongside a few idiosyncrasies, including a crazy flute solo in “THE FIRST TEST” coupled with the most epic of breakdowns. With their forward-thinking ethos, SPEED has managed to break new ground and carve out a path for themselves that sets them apart from the crowd. — Sun Noor
Zach Bryan — The Great American Bar Scene
Like a homey local watering hole, Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene is filled with familiar sounds and the swapping of unguarded stories. Although the fast-rising country star doesn’t perfect or tweak or particularly challenge his well-proven songwriting craft, that isn’t a fault; his authentically worn crooning of concise Americana poetics is what’s made him a star, after all. Guest spots from Noeline Hofmann, John Moreland, and Bruce Springsteen (whose influence is all over the LP) keep things interesting when they run the risk of running long, and the standouts like “28” and the John Mayer-assisted “Better Days” are already welcome additions to Bryan’s lauded live set. — Ben Kaye
Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of July 2024
Consequence Staff
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