BEST ALBUMS OF 2024

Enjoy music from 80+ countries selected by our experts from around the world.

We did it again – for the 11th time! Thousand thanks to our contributors – and to all those amazing musicians for their music. Enjoy & share!

► SPOTIFY PLAYLIST with singles from all albums + YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

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ARGENTINA:

Isla Mujeres – “Barato ideal”

In a country with very high rates of inflation, it is easy to lose your mind towards the frenetic increase of prices: notions of “cheap” or “expensive” are blurred in Argentina.

Isla Mujeres, a band from La Plata city, encapsulates that new paranoia in this great rock album as “Barato ideal” portrays the daily efforts of Argentinean people nowadays.

In their fourth studio album, Isla Mujeres sounds less electronic but more raw and intense. Just like living in Argentina. (Rodrigo Piedra)

♪♫ Listen: “Pagando de Más” + album stream

ARMENIA:

Tigran Hamasyan – “The Bird of a Thousand Voices”

Tigran Hamasyan, the Armenian jazz virtuoso, continues to blur musical boundaries with “The Bird of a Thousand Voices”.

This breathtaking piece showcases his signature fusion of traditional Armenian folk melodies with intricate jazz improvisations. The composition soars with emotive depth, weaving vocal textures into his piano mastery.

“The Bird of a Thousand Voices” is a journey through soundscapes both ancient and modern, filled with spiritual resonance. (Coutaud Théotime)

♪♫ Listen: “The Bird Of A Thousand Voices” + album stream

AUSTRALIA:

Good Morning – “Good Morning Seven”

Good Morning have a strong claim to be the most underrated Australian band of their generation.

The dreamy indie pop duo have been releasing excellent records since 2014, back when melancholic songs like “Warned You” and “Don’t Come Home Today” became sensations in indie circles.

Ten years later, Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair released “Good Morning Seven”, a double album that finally raised their profile in Australia and beyond.

For fans who’ve been listening since the beginning, “Good Morning Seven” is the album they always knew was coming. (Conor Lochrie)

♪♫ Listen: “The Worm Turns” + album stream

AUSTRIA:

Leyya – “Half Asleep”

The Austrian duo of singer Sophie Lindinger and producer Marco Kleebauer announced a pause from touring three years ago. Some thought they may lay their musical project to rest. But in September 2024 they released “Half Asleep”, a record that felt like a debut for the two musical friends.

Already in 2019, they started working on some material but they couldn’t get into a creative flow. Everything felt tiring. It was only last year that they used their announced pause to get together in Marcos studio to experiment with sounds and with a lot of analog material. The spark that was born in this free headspace lead to a record that is full of wonderful melodies, multilayered sounds, wild style mixes and touching lyrics.

“Half Asleep” sounds like this paradox feeling of not being awake but also not sleeping. The experimentation put them into that state of flow, when suddenly playing with a drum machine the outcome were wired synthesizer sounds. Between the pop-like mash up indie songs there are small sketches of old tape recordings modified and manipulated to undefined atmospheric soundscapes, representing this dreamlike state that runs through the record.

The title “Half Alseep” represents pretty much the state of a lot of people these days: shutting down due to the multiple crisis, trying not to feel too much. Escaping their everyday life or rushing just from one thing on their to-do-list to the other. Sophie Lindinger is expressing feelings like being observed at parties and feeling anxious of behaving not accurate, while on second thought realizing that everybody has their own movie in their head.

Leyya’s music reflects the deep longing of slowing down and letting go, of getting more centered and grounded to be present in every living moment. It can be listened to as a state of the art pop-philosophical journey through diverse soundscapes. It can also be listened to as a fabulous indie record that can make you dream yourself away and get lost in these lovely arranged multilayered songs.

Overall, it is definitely a record that we need in times that are accelerating the speed of human development – mostly not for good. Leyya remind us of all the fun, joy and feeling of love that arise when we are fully in the present moment with people we love and the things we love doing. You can hear this in every note and every sound of “Half Asleep”. (Andreas Gstettner-Brugger, Radio FM4)

♪♫ Listen: “Half Asleep” + album stream

BELARUS:

Molchat Doma – “Belaya Polosa”

The most popular band in Eastern Europe could have easily continued to bask in the success of their song “Sudno” and tailored their sound to audience expectations. However, Belarusian band Molchat Doma decided to step out of their comfort zone and draw inspiration from fundamentally different references for their music.

While their previous albums were dominated by unfocused lo-fi, unsettling coldwave, and punchy synthetic post-punk, their sound has now become cleaner, with arrangements that are more substantial and inventive. Their sources of inspiration have shifted toward Depeche Mode and Talk Talk. Notably, the album was produced by band member Roman Komogortsev, with sound engineering by Belarusian Andrei Bobrovko.

The result is a beautiful, multilayered album that competes in the charts with global leaders. And that’s fantastic! (Aliaksandr Charnukha)

♪♫ Listen: “Belaya Polosa” + album stream

BELGIUM:

BLUAI – “Save it for Later”

In May, we featured an article about this album, and although several enchanting records have been released by other Belgian artists since then, no one has managed to surpass BLUAI.

“Save it for Later” still stands firm six months later, and we have a strong feeling that this timeless blend of indie folk, Americana, and country is just the beginning of what these young ladies have to offer.

BLUAI are currently still touring intensively. While we await new material, we continue to play this album on repeat. (Brett Summers)

♪♫ Listen: “Not The One” + album stream

BOLIVIA:

Ira Sublime – “Amada”

Following in the footsteps of Canela Palacios, Potosinian singer-songwriter Ariana Tavera has one of the best Bolivian works of the recent years on her debut solo album.

With a sound that at times brings to mind other Latin musicians such as Juana Molina, Camila Moreno (circa “Mala Madre”), or even Julieta Venegas in her beginnings, the soloist based in La Paz embodies in “Ira Sublime” (sublime rage/wrath) her most personal project, after having been part of different ensembles and orchestras.

With eight songs in 40 minutes, produced by Vicente Contreras Soux, “Amada” (loved one) is an album brimming with life: intense, dark, fresh and original. It is the sincere delivery of a new Bolivian singer-songwriter, which – we hope – will bring us more songs in the near future, without being a one time thing. (Pato Peters)

♪♫ Listen: “Salir” + album stream

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA:

Helem Nejse – “Ozbiljna zaebancija”

Helem Nejse are well-known to audiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina through various multimedia incarnations (radio show, theatre play, TV show/podcast, animated series, and music). In the year they celebrate a decade of collaboration, they released their fourth studio album, “Ozbiljna zaebancija” (Serious banter).

What started on their first album as a project of the band’s current frontmen – MCs Čika Gagara and Stihomir Klepić, along with DJ/producer Toshi Domaćin – has evolved over the years into a full band with seven members on stage. This dynamic group continues to attract an ever-growing following across the Balkans with their powerful energy and wit.

The LP features 15 tracks, which can be seen as a distillation of what Helem Nejse has built and created over their decade-long existence. The album blends various stuff – from old-school hip-hop with representative rap sections, captivating storytelling set to ethno/Balkan musical grooves, to songs with colorful and modern band arrangements.

It also showcases cool collaborations with both seasoned veterans and young, rising talents. Their recent concert, accompanied by the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, further proves the band’s versatility and openness – an era during which we can expect anything and everything from them, much to the delight of their diverse fanbase across generations.

While some may not consider this album the brightest diamond in their crown, the fact that they their fourth LP has brought them back to the path interrupted by Covid pandemic – makes Ozbiljna zaebancija the most significant musical release from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024. (Samir Čulić)

♪♫ Listen: “Naštaćunaić” + album stream

BRAZIL:

Liniker – “CAJU”

Brazil is a continental country, brimming with vibrant, restless, and dynamic musical communities that continue to produce remarkable talents for the local music scene. Yet, they often fall short of creating works that “unite all tribes.”

Enter “CAJU”, the album released by singer Liniker in 2024. In this record, listeners are invited into a unique yet remarkably accessible and almost familiar universe, both in its lyrical content and sonic aesthetic.

The album reflects Liniker’s artistic maturity, delving deeply into personal themes with authenticity and depth. Spanning 14 tracks, “CAJU” smoothly navigates through R&B, MPB, and soul, showcasing Liniker’s versatility with a repertoire of lush orchestrations and high-quality compositions.

Among the standout tracks, “Veludo Marrom” shines with its captivating melody and sophisticated arrangements, while “Tudo” delivers a heartfelt, romantic lyric, perfect for singing out loud. The album also features notable collaborations, such as the duo ANAVITÓRIA and pianist Amaro Freitas on the track “Ao Teu Lado,” further enriching the album’s diverse soundscape.

“CAJU” is not only an album that resonates with anyone who listens to it but also a testament to Liniker’s artistic growth, cementing her position as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Brazilian music. (Peagá Pinheiro)

♪♫ Listen: “TUDO” + album stream

BULGARIA:

Woomb – “To Never Fear the Sun”

Woomb is a duo featuring young singer-songwriter/visual artist Hristo Yordanov and composer/producer Gueorgui Linev (aka Kan Wakan), which expands into an ambitious six-piece live. “To Never Fear the Sun” is their debut EP and it’s just a few minutes away from being a proper LP – that itself maybe shows the attention to detail and the chase for the right moment that lays at the core of the project.

Although easy to love once you get into them, it’s hard to place them genre-wise: they easily swing between dream pop landscapes, singer-songwriter minimalism and here and there, just the right dose of trip-hop nostalgia.

Woomb After well-received appearances at the SoAlive, Spike and MMB showcases, in 2025 the band will also take over ESNS, MENT, SXSW and is also nominated for the Music Moves Europe awards. (Svetoslav Todorov)

♪♫ Listen: “Post-War Love Making Machine” + album stream

CANADA:

Bon Enfant – “Demande spéciale”

This third album by Bon Enfant sounds like they have reached their full potential. Mind you, they’ve always been at the top of their game, but on “Demande spéciale” they are as timeless and groovy as ever, a perfect soundtrack for your Bat Mitzvah, shopping for sunglasses, a very hairy wedding or an acid trip at the skate rink.

Trippy but not directionless, it makes you wanna dance and raid the weed shop, it makes you wanna cruise into the sunset with a bunch of close friends, it makes you wanna keep on keepin’ on in this fucked up but beautiful world of ours. (Pierre-Alexandre Buisson)

♪♫ Listen: “Demande spéciale” + album stream

CHILE:

Gepe – “UNDESASTRE”

“UNDESASTRE” is Gepe’s tenth album, and is one of the most brilliant records in his discography. It sums up all the influences of his 20-year career.

It is an album that takes a journey through pop, Andean sounds, psychedelia, cueca – which is Chile’s national dance – and some ballad elements. (Marcelo Millavil M.)

♪♫ Listen: “BOLERo LIBRA” + album stream

CHINA:

Run Run Run – “Five Thunder Heart Palm” (五雷轰心掌)

Beijing psychedelic rockers Run Run Run find credence in the humid retro sounds of southwest China on their third LP, “Five Thunder Heart Palm”, released with Spacefruity Records.

While not as full of the krautrock-laced twists and turns of their previous records – the band, which has gone through quite the shake-up – taps in something more elemental here, cooking up a zesty dish of electric guitar-drenched melodies, hazy grooves, soulful rhythms, and authentic vintage vibes that adheres closer to the psychedelic funk that’s finding a resurgence across Southeast Asia.

And while traces of their love for The Velvet Underground still worms their way to the surface from time to time, this Run Run Run is a very different beast. (Will Griffith)

♪♫ Listen: “玉林敬酒歌” + album stream

COLOMBIA:

Junior Zamora – “Joyas del Barrio”

This album is a love letter, written with both tenderness and toughness, from an afro-cyborg-glam-anarchist to his neighborhood. Born in Cali, Colombia, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and cultural leader Junior Zamora recounts the streets where he grew up. His music is a tribute to his neighborhood, El Vallado, and his friends, but it is also a testament to how the urban culture of the outskirts has evolved, creating a unique sound that connects an entire community.

While his first album, “EGO” (2022), showcased a warmer side of his music, leaning towards the R&B of Lucky Daye and gospel influences, “Joyas del Barrio” presents a new persona. Dressed in leather, dark glasses, and sparkling jewelry, he embodies a more edgy and versatile image. The jewelry not only symbolizes his versatility but also represents the album’s featured artists: Colombian rap legends like Tres Coronas and emerging talents like Lil Keren, Kei Linch, and Branbel.

The first part of the album, much like the rough streets of El Vallado, is gritty and experimental, as Zamora blends his melodic voice with rap. Towards the end, songs like “Bolero” and “Obvio Bien” showcase his softer, romantic side, reminiscent of his previous work.

Two phenomena are simultaneously occurring in Colombian music. The first is Cali’s afrofuturism, where Black artists, often from impoverished neighborhoods, create proud music that breaks away from tradition and pays meticulous attention to image. The second is a growing wave of virtuoso R&B artists with powerful voices and emotionally charged lyrics. Junior serves as a bridge between these two movements. (Fabián Páez López)

♪♫ Listen: “Salsa y Clase” + album stream

COSTA RICA:

Sofi Paez – “Silent Stories”

“Silent Stories” is a breath-taking journey through a land that feels equally familiar and alien.

It’s the debut album from Costarican pianist and composer Sofi Paez, and had its creation rooted in grieve. Her grandmother passed away and the space and inspiration to improvise and allow the piano to be the fertile soil from which she could grow nine soundscapes which create everything from shimmer to the feeling of time elongating.

Surrounding this piano-core are percussion effects and sometimes acoustic instruments that swarm and orbit each track to create rich ambient moods and Paez entrancing presence and mastery is used both conventionally and as another instrument. (Pablo Acuna)

♪♫ Listen: “Por qué” + album stream

CROATIA:

Nemeček – “Prokletije II”

This choice might surprise some people, but Nemeček totally earned the title of the best album of 2024 with “Prokletije II”. It came out in early February and while it flew under many people’s radar, the true music lovers definitely caught it. Nemeček also picked up the Milan Mladenović Award (for the best song from the ex-Yugoslavia region) with their track “Mirila,” and wrapped up the year with an awesome concert in Zagreb where they showed off the new album.

As you can probably guess from the title, this is part two of the “Prokletije” trilogy. Genre-wise, it’s all over the place in a good way – it’s built on this weird version of alternative folk and rock, but they’re not afraid to dive into noise, world music, ambient stuff, avant-garde, or even krautrock. This unique sound is something really special, so it’s no shock that our voters pretty much unanimously crowned Nemeček.

If you’re looking for something fresh and hot, Nemeček is your band any time of day, and “Prokletije II” proves it! (Siniša Miklaužić)

♪♫ Listen: “Mirila” + album stream

Selected by: Boris Abramović (music-box), Predrag Brlek (terapija.net), Dubravko Jagatić (Nacional/reality check), Ivan Laić (Ravno do dna), Gorav Pavlov (Ruralna gorila/Potlista), Marin Tomić (terapija.net), Siniša Miklaužić (muzika.hr/beehype)

CZECH REPUBLIC:

Irena & Vojtěch Havlovi – “Four Hands”

Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi were a musical duo that, for over forty years, combined folk music with influences from various cultures. Their work included original albums, film scores, and theatrical music.

They traveled the world, performing in Europe, Africa, Japan, the USA, and at prestigious experimental music festivals like Le Guess Who. Among their fans were well-known musicians such as Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner of The National, and others, who were deeply influenced by their unique sound.

Their music, which utilized a wide range of instruments such as cello, piano, Tibetan bowls, and bells, was always unconventional and original, blending elements of minimalism, meditative, and experimental music. Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi never wanted to be stuck in time.

The last project of Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi was the album “Four Hands”, released in the spring of 2024 by the Animal Music label. It features purely four-hand compositions for one or two keyboard instruments. The tracks are partly composed and partly improvised. This is what fascinated them most—the fact that each performance was different. In a way, every performance was a premiere.

The journey of four-hand piano playing transformed into four-hand organ play, and eventually, everything merged into compositions for both piano and organ duos. The paths came together.

Sadly, Vojtěch Havel passed away just before the planned autumn tour, marking the end of one of the most significant chapters in Czech experimental music. (Anna Mašátová, Czech Radio Vltava))

♪♫ Listen: “Four Hands Piano 11” + album stream

DENMARK:

Elias Rønnenfelt – “Heavy Glory”

I’ll be honest: When Elias Rønnenfelt – best known as the deeply intense, foaming-at-the-mouth frontman of Copenhagen punk outfit Iceage – announced his first solo effort back in August, I would have preferred a new album from what might very well be the most consistently rewarding band to ever come out of Denmark.

But Heavy Glory turned out to be something completely different from the underground punk scene that shaped him. His wailing, unmistakable vocals are still ever-present, but the ferocity and unruliness of Iceage’s early work as well as the arena-sized grandeur of 2021’s “Seek Shelter” are nowhere to be found.

Instead, Rønnenfelt scales back, often prioritizing acoustic guitars and sparse string arrangements more akin to country, using the stripped-back canvas to convey the almost unbearable heartache that drive most of the songs here and wearing his bleeding heart on his sleeve.

This is an album he could have only made as a solo artist. (Malthe Hjort, Soundvenue)

♪♫ Listen: “No One Else” + album stream

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Solo Fernández – “Las cosas que nunca me dije”

Solo Fernández has unveiled their second studio album, “Las cosas que nunca me dije”, a project that captures the experiences, strengths, and contradictions of their musical journey, showcasing the band’s artistic evolution. Departing from their earlier pop/rock sound and heavy synthesizers, the band embraces a more minimalist approach, marked by meticulous attention to detail and an impeccable use of space and silence.

The drum arrangements, while simple, dive deep into a rich groove, and the basslines are perfectly crafted to fulfill their role, allowing the guitars and vocals to take center stage. Solo Fernández ventures boldly into new sonic territory, experimenting with their sound and exploring fresh directions without losing their essence. The result is an album where every track possesses its own unique identity, all within a polished and cohesive sonic ecosystem.

Each song on “Las cosas que nunca me dije” presents a distinct “universe”, seamlessly blending influences from artists like Frank Ocean, The Police, and Phoenix without making these inspirations overly evident. The album features collaborations with talents such as Clubz, Alex Ferreira, and Noah Pino Palo. Its production shines with detailed minimalism and a remarkable ability to craft atmospheres that allow each track to stand out.

Tracks like “Brooklyn” and “El Carro” highlight the band’s mastery of sonic space, while collaborations like Clubz’s contribution to “Sin Mirar” bring a unique energy to the mix. The album takes listeners on a musical journey through themes of cycles, bad habits, and vulnerability. Despite its sparse lyrics, the writing enriches the overall experience.

“Las cosas que nunca me dije” is a mature and deeply introspective work that showcases the very best of Solo Fernández. (Max ‘Drlacxos’ Cueto)

♪♫ Listen: “Brooklyn” + album stream

ECUADOR:

San Pedro Bonfim – “Corazón de Guagua”

A “guagua” is an infant. The word “kchiwa” refers to children, especially to babies. It is with that same innocence that artist from Quito, Pedro Bonfim (San Pedro Bonfim), writes these songs, as he is always in a constant search for who-knows-what. It is not a lack of judgment, but rather an innate curiosity about sounds, words, and feelings. This is the essence of the album “Corazón de Guagua” by San Pedro Bonfim.

The album consists of ten tracks composed from various poems, very much in the artist’s style, who enjoys playing with words and creating something akin to riddles and tongue twisters to express what he feels. This includes subtle nods to the socio-political reality of Ecuador.

On his fourth album, there is a clear maturity in the handling of sound, which intentionally seeks simplicity but includes many references to Ecuadorian artists who have been lost to history. Pedro is a passionate researcher of Ecuador’s contemporary musical history. The standout tracks are “Corazón de Guagua” and “Vacío”. (Alejandro Puga Patiño)

♪♫ Listen: “Corazón de guagua” + album stream

EGYPT:

Molotof – “Native People” (السكان الأصليين)

Over the last few years, Cairo-based producer Molotof has clearly demonstrated his fascination with traditional music from across the Arab world. But this time, he explicitly dedicated his album to “Native People”: “This album is a journey between the past and the present,” he explains, “from an Egyptian perspective.”

Even though the album lasts less than half an hour, we get a whole range of sounds and styles of the past impregnating Molotof’s electronic beats with life. And to a great degree that’s courtesy of his guests – Fayrouz Karawya, Reem Khairy and Jimi Elgohary. What a journey. (Lina Rim)

♪♫ Listen: “El Lela Gamela” + album stream

ESTONIA:

Ajukaja & Mart Avi – “Death of Music”

Ajukaja (aka Raul Saaremets) is the longest-serving slinger and shaker of the Estonian underground and the figurehead of the weird and wonderful Porridge Bullet label. Mart Avi is the swiftest-moving twilight samurai of outernational avant-pop. 13 years in the making, and loaded with 66 songs, their joint debut double LP “Death of Music” is a monolith that tempts you to live thousand lives hearing truths you didn’t know you needed to know.

In some songs, Ajukaja & Avi function like a two-headed saurus swinging its spiky tail to shady pop-house smackers. In others, Ajukaja’s serene organ licks descend into subterranean caverns, allowing Avi to float to the surface on their wavelengths and turn his voice into billions of extinct moths, enslaved by the moonlight’s pull.

The title track destroys all cellular tissue like a stylized seppuku while on the aquatic “Somewhere In Time” the melody makers have summoned serene sonic dolphins from Ubatuba, Brazil. There are tracks that feel like a mouse lost in a maze and those with absolute stonking beauty. There is melody as well as muscle, groove and grit tempered with grace, grandeur and fun.

A kykeon rap says, “If you die before you die, then when you die, you don’t die!”. Ajukaja & Mart Avi have embraced this notion to create music that allows them to thrive in the algorithmic wasteland—two against death, serving all the porridge. (Ingrid Kohtla, Tallinn Music Week)

♪♫ Listen: “Death of Music” + album stream

ETHIOPIA:

Atse Tewodros Project – “Maqeda”

Founded a dozen years ago by Italo-Ethiopian composer and singer Gabriella Ghermandi, Atse Tewodros Project had a mission to find and/or create links between her two traditions with jazz as the glue, and by this to create something fresh and to support artistic dialogue.

While the name of the project comes from Atse Tewodros, the first emperor of Ethiopia not of royal descent often called the father of modern Ethiopia, Ghermandi’s latest album’s title was borrowed from Maqeda, Ethiopian name for Queen of Sheba. And it’s all dedicated to “female figures of Ethiopian and African history and mythology and the rituals of ethnic groups that centre around women.”

Telling their stories, Ghermandi not only explores sounds of the past but also four different Ethiopian languages – Amharic, Kumana, Gamo and Gofa. “Maqeda” is a lesson, but it’s joy in the first place. (T. Mecha)

♪♫ Listen: “Kotilidda” + album stream

FAROE ISLANDS:

Lea Kampmann – “Seinferð”

Just four years into her official career, it feels like Lea Kampmann has always been with us to sooth our nerves and disperse all stress. And her she is again, with an album “that is a rebellion against the fast-paced world we are living in. An inner rebellion against thinking that one needs to run as fast as others, when it doesn’t feel right to you.”

The Faroese singer-songwriter sticks to her language and to her signature acoustic guitar, accompanied by oboe, clarinet, viola, strings (as well as a snoring dog and children playing outside), all making a charming, romantic mix – well, all songs on “Seinferð” are about love.

♪♫ Listen: “Pappírstunn” + album stream

Other recommended albums:
• Simona Paula – “Spegil”
• Teitur – “Kvæði”
• Eivør – “Enn”

FINLAND:

Oranssi Pazuzu – “Muuntautuja”

Finland has long been regarded as a breeding ground for heavy metal. While most of the hype has died out, a fascination with the dark persists. With their sixth album “Muuntautuja”, psychedelic death metal band Oranssi Pazuzu prove that there is also innovation still going on with heavy music.

After the masked hard rock group Lordi conquered the Eurovision song contest in 2006, even the Finnish prime minister was quick to flash the devil horns gesture. This is to describe how ubiquitous, and consequently tamed, metal had become when it peaked in Finland. Fast-forward to Oranssi Pazuzu, whose music is harsh, remorseless and, for the most part, downright terrifying.

Alternating between motorik rhythms and beats reminiscent of Portishead at their most claustrophobic, Oranssi Pazuzu lace their songs with layers and effects worth a horror film or two. Guitars and guttural vocals are augmented with churning, visceral bass frequencies, all balanced in a great feat of sound design.

Dense and relatively compact, the album is a rich and compelling listen, but not for the faint-hearted. (Erkko Lehtinen)

♪♫ Listen: “Muuntautuja” + album stream

FRANCE:

Flavien Berger – “contrebande 02. le disque de l’été”

This new album by Flavien Berger has the feel of a mixtape, a movie soundtrack, or at least an experimental jam session. Some might criticize it for being merely a series of sonic atmospheres filling the gaps between a few more immediate tracks – the superb “sapon,” “plongereuse,” or “hawaï”. Yet, as you listen more, you find yourself remembering every little sound effect, sonic nuance, or snippet of absurd commentary (“spa spritz skit,” “relax skit,” “b&s skit”…).

Whimsical humor sits alongside more elaborate, dreamy lyrics, all tied together by a shared affinity for surrealism, which ultimately gives the album its poetic coherence. Released in the chilly winter of February 2024, this comforting “summer album” is both ironic and sincere. Strangely enough, it manages to bring together these two seemingly distant worlds: somewhere between Christmas magic and a warm, enveloping heatwave, like snowfall on the French Riviera.

There’s no doubt that Flavien Berger’s latest album will be our companion in every season. (Gil Colinmaire)

♪♫ Listen: “sapon” + album stream

GEORGIA:

Tamada – “9 Deadly Sins For Tamada”

It’s been over a month already that Georgians go out onto the streets of their cities to fight for freedom and democracy, every single day. We can only hope it ends according to their dreams rather than someone else’s. And we assume our longtime Georgian expert Sandro Tskitishvili might be too busy right now for music as we lost touch with him. But we feel quite sure what his candidate for the album of the year might be because he first introduced its author to us.

Tamada is a solo project by Lasha Chapel, who combines traditional qalaquri music, the oldest popular style of Georgian music still played today, with electronic music and club beats. His second effort “9 Deadly Sins For Tamada” is a concept album with each track dedicated to one sin, and all of them “reflecting societal, personal, and cultural experiences.” As he treats each sin with a different music aproach, he demonstrates the full potential of this old-meets-new method.

♪♫ Listen: “Dao” + album stream

GERMANY:

Erik Leuthäuser – “Sucht”

Erik Leuthäuser, born in 1996, came to the metropolis of Berlin as a small-town boy from Saxony, schooled in jazz, and was overwhelmed by the city. He has sung backing vocals for jazz legends such as Quincy Jones, George Benson, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jacob Collier.

At the same time, he is a completely new type of jazz singer: as a self-confidently gay young man, he also sings openly about addiction to sex drugs on his new German-language album “Sucht” – but with such candour that even a grandmother who occasionally drinks a few too many red wines can probably relate to it.

The album oscillates between jazz and dreampop, albeit sometimes with nightmare lyrics. Grandiosely performed by Erik Leuthäuser and his uniquely mesmerising voice. Berlin already loves him, but this guy has what it takes to enchant the world. (Stefan Hochgesand)

♪♫ Listen: “Schiff ohne Kapitän” + album stream

GHANA:

Afla Sackey & Afrik Bawantu – “Destination”

On “Destination”, a dozen musicians led by composer, singer and djembe drumme Afla Sackey invite you to their Afrobeat celebration full of grooves and horns.

Sackey and his collective Afrik Bawantu spread affirmation of unity, ambition, hard work and patience, which should let us survive through difficult times and end up in a better place for our loved ones, our nations, our planet. They also encourage us simply to enjoy ourselves:

“Forget about your stress, your worries and have a great time. Feel free, engage with everyone and dance till you drop as life is too short. So have fun while you can.” This bright record surely helps do that. (T. Mecha)

♪♫ Listen: “Mind Your Business” + album stream

GREECE:

Alex K. + Κτίρια τη Νύχτα – “Alex K. + Κτίρια τη Νύχτα”

In 2024, while the underground — and now mainstream — music scene was dominated by hip-hop and trap, the long-standing debate over using English vs Greek lyrics in songs began to fade. Greek lyrics are increasingly taking center stage in indie, alternative, and electronic music.

This year, our Greek editorial team’s annual list revealed a thrilling discovery: two albums that stand out as among the most intriguing and enigmatic releases of the year. These albums reimagined traditional Greek music, including rebetiko and folk, in a wholly abstract and modern way. Aeson Zervas and Kolida Babo crafted works that seamlessly blend spiritual jazz, experimental sounds, and ethereal beats, all deeply rooted in Greece’s rich musical heritage.

The Greek phenomenon Λεξ, hailing from Thessaloniki, earns a well-deserved mention below. This underground hip-hop artist has skyrocketed to fame, now packing entire stadiums with legions of young fans. Meanwhile, coslee & papatanice’s “WISE BOY”, the only English-language release on our list, offers a sophisticated blend of hip-hop and nu-jazz that’s sure to captivate more demanding listeners. Fans of BADBADNOTGOOD, Tom Misch, Little Simz, or J Dilla will find much to love here. On the indie front, Echo Tides, now singing also in Greek, have become the youth’s new indie pop and synth-rock sweethearts, with their fourth album.

Our most featured album across correspondents’ lists this year comes from an unexpected yet captivating synergy. Two artists from different generations united their musical visions to create our number one album, marking their first-ever joint release.

Alex K — composer, singer-songwriter, translator, and a renowned figure from the ‘80s (frontman of the now-cult garage-rock band, The Last Drive) — teamed up with Κτίρια τη Νύχτα (Buildings at Night), an artist who has been writing and producing music since 2007. Their collaboration took shape between the fall of 2021 and spring of 2023, with the duo recording in their home studios.

The result is an album that bursts with free-spirited creativity, seamlessly weaving together a rich tapestry of sounds. Alternative rock, art pop, and jazz, meet subtle electronic arrangements, reflecting the unique backgrounds of both artists. The result is a harmonious and beautifully flowing record.

Notable contributions further enrich the listening experience, with Fotis Siotas on viola, Kostas Chrysogelos on drums, and Thaleia Ioannidou on trumpet. Two of the most striking tracks feature Kika’s lovely vocals.

The only downside of the release? The album’s relatively short, spanning just eight tracks and clocking in at under 30 minutes. (Ares Buras)

♪♫ Listen: “Aν Ποτέ” + album stream

Selected by: Antonis Xagas (mic.gr), Ares Buras (beehype), Eve Papagianni (Strummer Radio), Evi Choursanidi (avopolis.gr), Haris Symvoulidis (Athinorama), Marianna Vasileiou (mic.gr), Michalis E (Rodon Fm).

GUATEMALA:

Mabe Fratti – “Sentir Que No Sabes”

For her previous 2023 recording “Vidrio” Mabe Fratti collaborated with Mexican multi-instrumentalist and her partner Héctor Tosta under the name Titanic, now he’s the producer of Fratti’s fourth solo album.

On “Sentir Que No Sabes”, this exceptional cellist and singer once again takes what she needs from jazz, classical, pop and rock to weave her rich and incredibly melodic songs. It’s not an album to miss! (Ana Carlos)

♪♫ Listen: “Enfrente” + album stream

HUNGARY:

cserihanna – “Hirtelen mélyül”

Cserihanna is a maker of music but also a maker of puppet theatre. Her melodies incorporate her theatrical background on many levels. Her instruments are often grandiose and dramatic, just like in the title song “Hirtelen mélyül” (“Suddenly deepen”). The lyrics often tell a story, just like in a musical, they narrate events instead of speaking in metaphors.

Cserihanna talked longer about the album in an interview before its release. According to her, “Neked megfelelni” is the song that best represents the album as a whole. It has all the insecurities and complex self-image questions that are present throughout the album. Even the title, in English “Complying to You”, shows the general atmosphere of her songs.

Besides her unique approach to both lyrics and composition, the songs show a lot of pop elements that make them easy to consume, even when the song is about self-image issues.

The album is eclectic, creative, artsy and yet easy to listen to. Lyrics are and will always be the core of Hungarian pop music, but when someone has a unique sound and can creatively play with their tunes, they stand out easily. And that is what “Hirtelen mélyül” did this year. (Márton Biró)

♪♫ Listen: “Hirtelen mélyül” + album stream

ICELAND:

Supersport! – “Allt sem hefur gerst”

Supersport!’s endearing take on indie rock mixes elements of pop, noise, and Icelandic folk, resulting in an eclectic collection of heart-on-your-sleeve pop psalms, psychoanalytic nostalgia and stark guitar riffs.

“Allt sem hefur gerst” (“Everything that has happened”) solidifies what the band has always aimed for — vulnerable confidence through excellent songwriting and compelling arrangements. (Jóhannes Bjarki Bjarkason, The Reykjavík Grapevine)

♪♫ Listen: “gráta smá” + album stream

INDIA:

Peter Cat Recording Co. – “BETA”

Peter Cat Recording Co. keep raising the bar, defying genres and seem comfortable in what one can confidently call the ‘PCRC’ sound. “BETA” cements the band’s position as one the region’s premiere independent voices, with more than a decade’s groundwork to back it.

Outside of the doubling down on the horn section, Indian sonic sampling, tightness of a live act, guitarist Kartik Pillai and bassist Dhruv Bhola take centerstage on vocals with “Foolmuse” and “I Deny Me”; arguably amongst the album highlights. “BETA” sounds like the culmination of years of PCRCisms packaged so effectively that the world took notice.

Coming off the back of a 77-show run across North America, UK, Europe and India, Peter Cat Recording Co make a strong case for guitar music that will rank up there with the classics. (Naman Saraiya)

♪♫ Listen: “I Deny Me” + album stream

INDONESIA:

LAIR – “Ngélar”

West Java’s psychedelic folk rockers LAIR dedicated their second album to “Ngélar”, which is a local tradition of “going around in celebration of something,” as they explain.

The festival begins in the very first seconds of the album and you won’t be allowed to stop dancing until the very last ones, as even the mellower tracks – for example focusing on rapid industrialisation that hurts their homeland – keep the groove and bounce.

The sextet from the clay mining town of Jatiwangi – and some of their instruments have clay elements like terracotta – is joined here by singer Monica Hapsari adding female vocals. Together their create a thick, multilayered sound that reminds you of different layers of culture that make each of us but feel like one. (Sylviana Dewi)

♪♫ Listen: “Tatalu” + album stream

IRAN

Alireza Ghahremani – “Zaranjee”

While musicians and bands are increasingly focused on releasing singles and, at most, EPs, great albums have become rare gems to discover. Alireza Ghahremani’s “Zaranjee” is among them; a jazz album that preserves its Iranian identity while embracing global trends in contemporary jazz.

On this project published by Vaak Records, Alireza Ghahremani, young Iranian guitar player, composer and producer, teamed up with promising musicians to make a fresh album, among them emerging talented piano player Amir Darabi (mentioned on Best of 2016) on piano, Iranian-Canadian musician and producer Arif Mirbaghi (mentioned on Best of 2023) on bass, Delaram Kafashzadeh on vocals, Mahan Mohammadi on trumpet, Mostafa Saraei on flute, Canadian Patrick Simard on drums and Japanese Kan Yanabe on percussions.

“Zaranjee”, inspired by Alireza Ghahremani’s travels and the people he encountered along the way, delves into themes of love, nature, resilience, pain and passion. Classically trained as a child and later in Iranian traditional music, he seeks to explore Iranian folk culture, poetry, and stories through jazz music.

This album is an organic and seamless fusion of Iranian motifs, Latin rhythms and jazz, avoiding the clichés and superficiality often associated with generic “World Music” blends, resulting in a uniquely independent and outstanding character.

The title track, “Zaranjee”, captures the grief of a young woman mourning a lost loved one, drawing inspiration from the “Gerayeli Maqam” tradition of North Khorasan. Its name, a blend of two evocative words —”Zar” (wailing) and “Ranj” (suffering) — beautifully encapsulates the sorrow expressed through anguished cries and whispered laments. (Ali Eshqi)

♪♫ Listen: “Zaranjee” + album stream

ITALY:

Any Other – “stillness, stop: you have a right to remember”

After her fantastic second album released in 2017, Adele Altro has been active almost only in other projects: as a producer or musician in the studio or on stage, and fans had no idea if a new collection of songs by Any Other would be released.

Finally, this third album has arrived in February 2024, and it was worth the wait, because the level has been raised further and now Any Other rhymes with excellence. I realize that this word is often used inappropriately, but this album is definitely a perfect work from every point of view.

The songwriting boasts a perfect balance between elegance and feeling, and puts together tastefully and effectively arrangements with an almost classicist attention to details and a way of singing that recalls the typical impetuosity of the 90s alternative rock. Moreover, the wide variety of ideas allows the basic concepts mentioned above to be expressed in lots of different ways.

Lyrics are very personal and intimate: Adele openly sings about her fragilities, but, at the same time, she proudly shows the goals she’s reached as an artist and as a person, in a world where, unfortunately, being a woman makes everything harder than being a man, in everyday life and in artistry.

In the end, everyone should just hail Any Other’s comeback, as her art was sorely missed and is necessary more than ever. (Stefano Bartolotta & Indie Roccia)

♪♫ Listen: “Awful Thread” + album stream

JAPAN:

GOFISH – “GOFISH”

This year, notable bands such as OPPAICATS and んoon (Foon) were touring abroad and creating exciting music. On the other hand, veteran musicians such as ZAZEN BOYS, Yuta Orisaka, Shugo Tokumaru and Takuro Okada also shared excellent results. Takuro Okada produced the albums of Yuga and Satoko Shibata.

After passing through various musical styles, Shota Terai, aka GOFISH, went back to his roots to play folk rock with a strong physicality.

His band sounds like a mellow, deep ensemble. It has the fragrance of life, thoughts for Terai’s precious children and cats, and, above all, that initial impulse that continues even in his fifties.

On his way to “GOFISH”, he has passed through hardcore, post-punk, and post-rock. It is quiet, yet magnificent folk rock that makes us think about the importance of each of our lives, once again. (Toyokazu Mori)

♪♫ Listen: “Magao” + album stream

JORDAN:

Tayar – “Kol Shi Sar”

In just four years Ahmad Farah (احمد فرح) and Bader Helalat (بدر هلالات) managed to establish themselves as one of the most interesting and inventive music projects in the Arab world. From their very first singles, the Amman duo managed to merge soft arrangements, electronic beats and catchy lines with inherent tension that makes you keep waiting for the next bar and then the next.

“Kol Shi Sar” is Tayar’s long-awaited debut full-length album. While it remains as pleasing as their earlier recordings, lyrically it’s a dramatic address about conflicts in the region, and their impact both on individuals, communities and whole nations. (Lina Rim)

♪♫ Listen: “Sarab” + album stream

LATVIA:

Alejas – “Ardievu, Ledus laikmet!”

Latvian band Alejas released their third album at the end of 2024 and it is a perfect candidate for the best Latvian record of the year.

That’s just because the album has aesthetic and emotional vibe that has prevailed in a year 2024 – confusion, ignorance, but also the desire to live, to be free and…. to dance. Even if the title “Ardievu, Ledus laikmet!”, meaning “Farewell, Ice Age!”, sounds obstinate, it mostly has a contemplative and sentimental feeling; its story and sound makes this album a finished work of art.

Alejas cannot be placed within the framework of a specific genre, because the band freely uses the language of electronic music, hip-hop, pop and contemporary music, thus creating a unique sound that has a sense of alienation on the one hand, and is captivating on the other.

This record is a perfect soundtrack for a contemplative and reflective disco. As the band puts it: “The album is useful for dancing alone, in pairs and in groups in the twilight (…) in joyful farewells to something that is leaving us and in anxious excitement about what is yet to come.”

This is a modern disco music, that is quite pleasant, but does not give you a sense of bright future. (Raivis Spalvēns)

♪♫ Listen: “KTIPM?” + album stream

LEBANON:

3li3bboud – “Things You Don’t See in The South”

Hailing from Adloun in southern Lebanon, 3li is the epitome of the self-taught bedroom music producer. Despite his young age, his debut album is a culmination of his readings and research, capturing the reality of living in the crevice where two worlds clash: growing up in a southern village VS the cultural shock of his early 20s in the city. The album features his mentor, renowned HipHop artist El Rass, and his friend, rising rapper Ali Salloum.

“Things You Don’t See in The South” unfolds like a story, with tracks using the theatrics of micro-chopping as a satirical tool to blend Western influences with traditional religious samples from his childhood —sourced from an archive he discovered by chance. The vocals of El Rass and Salloum animate the album with witty verses, heavy in wordplay and irony.

After 11 iterations and paired with an artwork inspired by an original DC comic that depicts a whitewashed portrayal of the region, 3li’s album reclaims the narrative. It offers a sonic exploration of things you do not see in the South. (Yara Mrad, Beirut & Beyond)

♪♫ Listen: “kanye west mesh 72i2e” + album stream

LIBYA:

Amaka Jaji – “TIDET”

Steming from the south of Libya, Amaka Jaji started his music career singing spititual Sufi chants, but when he left his homeland for Tunisia he picked guitar and started his experiments with Sufi tradition and Tuareg roots, trying to make them sound like they’re not museum exhibits.

Together with producer Tika (also from Libya), they’ve added pop, hip-hop, trap and electronica to the mix, geting what sounds both traditional and modern, and the first listen of Jaji’s debut album brings many surprises.

The word “tidet” means “truth” in the Tamahaq language. He picked it as the title because the record is his story about contemporary Tuareg life as it really is – with phones, cars and people permanently connected to the globalized world. And with electronic beats and catchy synths. (Lina Rim)

♪♫ Listen: “OUDAD” + album stream

LITHUANIA:

Free Finga – “Plastika”

Free Finga, also known as Tomas Narkevičius, has become one of the most prominent and listened-to artists in Lithuania in recent years. His unique ability to blend R&B, electronic, pop, and rock elements breaks genre boundaries, creating a modern sound.

Free Finga’s extensive vocabulary, his integration of resonant Lithuanian words and poetry into his music, resonates deeply with the Lithuanian ear – his talent and music have become a benchmark for modern Lithuanian modern scene.

His 2024 album “Plastika” has it all: dancefloor hits, impressive guitar riffs, heartfelt ballads, and, in my opinion, the best song of the year, “Beržas,” a collaboration with another scene diva, Monika Liu. It’s a stylish album that captivates from start to finish, effortlessly flowing through your headphones no matter what you’re doing.

Free Finga’s concerts are a form of art on their own, a must-see for every music lover. Interestingly, the British music magazine “i-D” included the album’s track “Grubiai” among this year’s best songs. Give “Plastika” a chance and you will be mesmerized by it. (Rūta Giniūnaitė)

♪♫ Listen: “Vienas” + album stream

MALAYSIA:

Viona – “Himpunan Lagu Rakyat”

Takahara Suiko says that her job is “to condense general misery into somewhat cohesive songs”, and the secret behind her youthfull look is depression. Yet somehow her music has always been bright-spirited and often making you smile with all those little quirks and swings.

Her latest album under Viona moniker brings her trademark weirdness to a new level, though there are also some more predictable songs, which is a kind suprise too.

Suiko’s music is in-your-face, quirky and blood-and-guts honest. But the most important thing is that she would have no qualms with making you feel uncomfortable if it means being herself. An absolute refreshing change from the largely-overpolite and safe local music scene. (A. Y.)

♪♫ Listen: “Mulutnya SATU Lidah Bertopang” + album stream

Other recommended albums:
• LUST – “TUGU”
• Mafidz – “Teleportasi”
• Awang Samrow – “Pok Snahu”
• FUGŌ – “99”
• No Good – “ceKELAT”

MALI:

Les Amazones d’Afrique – “Musow Danse”

Les Amazones d’Afrique is a gang of talented female artists from West Africa formed ten years ago in Bamako. An idea of Mamani Keïta, Oumou Sangaré and Mariam Doumbia, over decade it also featured Angélique Kidjo, Nneka, Kandia Kouyaté, Mariam Doumbia (of Amadou & Mariam) and many more.

What connects all of them beside love for music was being sick of seeing women suffering because of violence – whether in war zones or in their own families. So their music is a messenger of their hopes and expectations. “African women, rise up!” they sing in the opening track of their third album.

Musically, “Musow Danse” bring electronics to the front of their mix of African pop, funk, rock and blues, and we also get lots of hip-hop vibes. However, it’s obviously their united voices that demand your full attention – and they get it. (Oumar Dembele)

♪♫ Listen: “Flaws” + album stream

MEXICO:

Luisa Almaguer – “Weyes”

Healing in a country like Mexico and in our complex world is essential to overcome the darkness that often surrounds us. In this context, music becomes a vital refuge, and Luisa Almaguer’s album “Weyes” is an exemplary proof of this truth. With a background in broadcasting and video art, Luisa presented her most authentic and profound work yet.

The album explores the male figures that have left a mark on Luisa’s life, ranging from love to absence, fear, and distance. The desire in her music goes beyond sexual attraction; it is about the search for acceptance and a place in the world.

In a society like Mexico’s, which still suffers from the effects of transphobia, Luisa’s music stands as a loving embrace in the form of melodies. One of the standout songs is “Tío Hugo,” dedicated as follows: “From a queer girl, to her favorite uncle.” This portrayal of a man whom Luisa appreciates, and regrets not being her father, is presented as a delicious, loving, and painful poem of platonic love.

Classifying Luisa’s sound? That is precisely her richness: it is unclassifiable. Doing so would limit her creativity and freedom. In the stories of the men in Luisa’s life (loving, affectionate, and cruel), we hear alternative rock, electronic, noise, and cumbia, among others.

Choosing “Weyes” as the most outstanding album in the Mexican music scene highlights an artist who pours her heart into each song, offering an authentic and, for some, uncomfortable perspective. (Enrique Figueroa Anaya)

♪♫ Listen: “Nube” + album stream

MOROCCO:

Bab L’ Bluz – “Swaken”

Second album from the Moroccan-French revelation Bab L’ Bluz takes their (electric and analogue) guembri energy and imagination beyond what you could expect.

Recorded at the famous Real World Studios, “Swaken” is a flickering amalgamate of Arabic and African peculiarities with psychedelic blues grooves and rock bursts, and the singer Yousra Mansour leads the collective across trances and dances, but also some mellower pieces.

As Mansour explained, this new energy comes from the experience of extensive touring: “We adapted our sound for festival crowds, made it heavier, rockier. We added more instruments. More courage. More fire.” It’s their secret how they managed to convey all of this onto the master tape. (Lina Rim)

♪♫ Listen: “Imazighen” + album stream

NETHERLANDS:

Eefje de Visser – “Heimwee”

The highly anticipated new album Heimwee” is truly a slow burner. After the immense succes of her previous record “Bitterzoet”, Eefje De Visser decided to go back to basics for this new album, which means we get to hear more analog instrumentation and the catchy choruses are swapped for meandering melodies.

It also means it may take a some time for “Heimwee’s” beauty to fully reveal itself, but when it does we hear Eefje at her best: introspective, gripping and intimate. (Jort Mokum)

♪♫ Listen: “Vlammen” + album stream

NEW ZEALAND / AOTEAROA :

Christoph El Truento – “Dubs From The Neighbourhood”

Building on the playfulness, naivety, and innocence of New Zealand DJ, beatmaker, and producer Christoph El Truento’s 2019 dub album, “Dubs From The Neighbourhood” is the work of a studiously well-listened and practiced artist.

He has managed not just to recapture the wide-eyed optimism of hearing dub for the first time as an eight-year-old but successfully balance those feelings with the weight of adult life. Simply put, it’s a masterpiece that deserves to be heard by young and old, far and wide.

Truento says: “I’m always trying to approach music from that childlike place. I was making it during a time of grief after one of my brothers passed away. Dub and reggae can take sadness and give it a happy undertone. When you mix the two, it can get quite psychedelic.”

Key tracks: “Performer Dub”, “Pep The Conqueror”, “Another Scorcher (Disco Mix)” (Martyn Pepperell)

♪♫ Listen: “Performer Dub” + album stream

NIGER:

Mdou Moctar – “Funeral for Justice”

Always an impressive technical guitar player and a spirit full of raw emotions, Saharan blues master Mdou Moctar goes beyond anything we’ve heard from him yet on his spectacular new effort “Funeral for Justice”.

There’s not much left from his desert ballads he’s become known early in his career and his introversive stance. Now he’s direct, charged, even angry when he goes political – and he does that often.

Recorded about a year ago in New York over short time, “Funeral for Justice” somehow manages to sound truer to the Tuareg tradition than many albums whose studio was actually the Sahara.

Maybe the real desert is inside you, and Mdou Moctar’s heart clearly never leaves it. (T. Mecha)

♪♫ Listen: “Funeral for Justice” + album stream

NIGERIA:

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – “Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)”

It’s been six long years since the last album of Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, once a band of his father Fela Kuti, a record that made headlines. For “Heavier Yet…” he employed Lenny Kravitz as the executive producer, but he is as close to the afrobeat tradition as ever.

Among other famous guests there’s Zambian-born rapper Sampa The Great and Damian Marley. And while this 6-track album is as enjoyable as you’d expect from this genre and the Kuti family, at some points it takes on serious topics such as freedom and the situation of his home country Nigeria and how civil engagement can improve it. (T. Mecha)

♪♫ Listen: “Stand Well Well” + album stream

NORTH MACEDONIA:

Lufthansa – “Daleku od vistinskoto neshto”

The opposition between nature and the complex cogs of industry bring a young person to a state of mania. Lufthansa transform – as all lovers of creation before them – their mania into organized chaos.

They fill it with their reflections, resulting in a collective light that warms and burns more than the sum of it’s flames. They build their tower on the strength of their faith.

Everyone is welcome to come inside and listen, if their ears are peeled. Far from the real thing, or exactly where it should be? (N. A.)

♪♫ Listen: “Кула” + album stream

NORWAY:

Sanyu – “Now You Hear It”

For better or for worse, there has never been a time when more music is being released than right now. Yet, much of it feels like mere noise—superficial, manipulated content crafted to capture the attention of algorithms. I often find myself questioning what truly feels authentic, and how to recognize it. It’s an impossible question, and I can’t claim to have an answer. But when something genuine emerges, I can feel it cut through the noise.

Sanyu’s debut EP “Now You Hear It” is a testament to true artistry and dedication to the craft. For an indie debut, the production quality is nothing short of impressive. It’s clear that a great deal of thought, heart, and countless hours have gone into this project.

This release deserves to be our Norwegian pick, not only for the quality of each individual track but, above all, for its cohesive artistic vision. The EP functions as a world unto itself, commanding attention with its fusion of soulful organic sounds and otherworldly electronic elements.

“Now You Hear It” marks a stunning debut, weaving together ethereal alt-pop, sultry R&B, and atmospheric electronics into a sonic landscape that is both immersive and emotionally resonant. (Edvard Granum Dillner)

♪♫ Listen: “Oslo Theme” + album stream

PAKISTAN:

Arooj Aftab – “Night Reign”

Arooj Aftab’s fourth album “Night Reign” flips between Urdu and English lyrics, some of them based on poems by 18th century female poet Mah Laqa Bai, while musically it spans between traditional Pakistani folk and latest jazz, delivered by an incredibly talented collective of more than 20 musicians total.

Aftab’s previous record “Vulture Prince” became an instant classic and even brought her a Grammy – the first one to be given to a Pakistani artist. But she didn’t let the pressure strangle her and “Night Reign” is another remarkable record in her catalogue.

♪♫ Listen: “Raat Ki Rani” + album stream

PANAMA:

Sofía Valdés – “Sofía Valdés”

Coming from a family of musicians, Sofía Valdés already as a teenager moved from Panama to Michigan to study music and later continued in London. She came back to Panama during the pandemic – as a sophisticated 20-year-old singer-songwriter signed to Warner – and now Los Angeles is her home. With such background, it feels natural for her to sing both in Spanish and English, and she’s clearly as inspired by Natalia Lafourcade as by Joni Mitchell, as well as Cuban music.

On her self-titled album, she sings about her life between countries and continents, about family, it’s also her praise to women. But in fact every single song – in her songwriting, guitar playing and singing – is her declaration of love to music. (Ana Carlos)

♪♫ Listen: “Silvia” + album stream

PERU:

Skillbea – “Ángel Joven”

Skillbea’s “Ángel Joven” is one of the most interesting Peruvian pop works of the year. It’s a bold effort that balances synth-pop shimmer with the rhythmic swagger of reggaeton and urban beats, walking a tightrope between trend and individuality.

The young artist from San Juan de Lurigancho has carved a path that feels distinctly his own. On his sophomore release, he takes another ambitious step, exploring both the exuberance and complexities of a generation striving for identity in an era oversaturated with influences.

The album showcases bold creativity across 14 tracks, blending indie-pop freshness in songs such as “A/B”, “La Pituka” or “La Cábala”. “Ángel Joven” brings ambition and the willingness to take risks. The album closes with a modern energy that resonates both at home and on the dance floor.

Skillbea solidifies himself as one of Peru’s most promising young talents. He’s not in his peak yet, but with a vision this sharp and a connection to his audience this strong, it’s clear he’s on his way. (José Luis Mercado)

♪♫ Listen: “La Cábala” + album stream

PHILIPPINES:

Cream Flower – “To Remember is To Live”

Just a year apart from their impressive debut album “City Flowers”, the noisepop duo took no time in polishing a dreamy narrative that sounds so far ahead from their previous work.

Cream Flower’s 2nd album, “To Remember is To Live”, plays like a roadmap for getting lost in a foreign city. Even the title works as a mantra of acceptance of those long-gone days. Noise fillers like “Jouer”, “Oto”, and “Mis-en-scene” become road signs before you get a hefty dose of sweet melodies soaked in Broadcast and MBV concoction — it is that intoxicating.

More than a guitar guy, Jam Lasin displays a quiet proficiency in balancing grit and depth with every soundscape he conjures, specially prominent in “St. Vincent”, “If I Ever”, and “It Comes and Goes”. Celina Sarah then rewards each piece with a diaristic drawl that works like a warm embrace to the lovesick and stoned.

One can only be thankful that this couple allows us into their introspective world; we become willing witnesses to their hummable crimes. (Ahmad Sohiel Tanji, Shoplifters United/We Are Imaginary)

♪♫ Listen: “If I Ever” + album stream

POLAND:

Coals – “Sanatorium”

Javva, color blue, Coals – all three bands deserve the top spot here in our opinion. Javva’s mix of rock/punk/avant for the energy, imagination and humour. color blue for a quiet yet impressive debut album making bedroom pop sound cool again. But after four years – they were our first choice for the Best of 2020 – Coals have it again as their latest album sounds closest to what we might call a classic in another few years.

Their third album, “Sanatorium” sees them further developing their eclectic and slightly nostalgic take on electro-pop, while also switching completely to Polish. This is a welcome change, imbuing their music with a more unique, “glocalized” feel.

There is a lot of going on here. The album features fourteen songs and clocks in 35 minutes, offering a kaleidoscopic mix of catchy melodies, weird sound effects, pristine beats, acoustic passages, processed vocals, and oneiric atmospheres. This is a perfect example of contemporary pop that can appropriate almost everything. Yet the frenetic barrage of stimuli on “Sanatorium” never overwhelms, instead turning into a coherent, well-rounded album.

In a manner typical of Coals, the music is both dreamy and spooky. You can dance, chill out, or sing to it. Or you can just take pleasure in listening to a band that is assured in their music-making and consistently delivers memorable, high-quality output. (Artur Szarecki & Mariusz Herma)

♪♫ Listen: “nowy świat” + album stream

PORTUGAL:

Bia Maria – “Qualquer um pode Cantar”

Bia Maria was, is, and will always be (as long as she wants to be) a storyteller. In “Qualquer um Pode Cantar”, there is a new movement, a reinvention of someone who abandoned the realism of telling, through concrete and real elements, what they feel and what they see and started to paint the impressionism of words – and, in fact, it impressed. The clear scenarios were replaced by abstract and intangible places, but no less clear.

We could always feel that José was not a flower that smelled and yet we smelled him. I still haven’t forgiven him or Roberto, the two characters in “Mal me queres, Bem te quero” (the artist’s first EP) responsible for her romantic suffering. We learned what it tasted like to eat broccoli with cheese and the comfort of your blanket.

Today, we not only know all this, but we feel it. From the anger and desolation of “if no one wants to see us, it’s no longer worth being a woman and giving birth to everyone”, from the single “Marcha da Paridade”, to the sad and melancholic emptiness of having only a tissue to wipe away the sorrows when someone great gone, as James Murphy says. (Altamont.pt)

♪♫ Listen: “Marcha da Paridade” + album stream

PUERTO RICO:

Neysa Blay – “Nada Es Suficiente”

Cards on the table. From 2009 to sometime during the pandemic – do people even remember things clearly anymore? – I was responsible for a blog dedicated to the Puerto Rican independent music scene. It was titled, simply, PuertoRicoIndie.com, and it’s the main reason I write for beehype to this day. As the world got increasingly exhausting, the responsibility of maintaining that project began to weigh heavily on me, so after an overextended sunsetting period, I decided to finally pull the plug. But I wasn’t ready to leave my scene behind, so I began collaborating closely with a handful of musicians in their projects, mostly as a designer.

Enter Neysa Blay, a singer-songwriter from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. After growing up performing Shakira and Alanis Morissette covers in local bars around town, Neysa moved to the state of Florida where she began to finally pursue her rock star dreams. In 2019 she self-released an EP titled “Destrúyeme”, and one of its singles, “Ojos de diamante” spoke to me like few songs had through my decade long stint as an independent music journalist. You know how someone can give you Covid by sneezing at you? That’s how infectious “Ojos de diamante” was to my ears. I am not kidding around – this song can still and will make me cry. So I ended up writing some nice things about it, and fast forward a few years, we’d become fast friends. We are both Tauruses, you see.

When Neysa began writing songs during the pandemic, the intention behind them was not necessarily to make a record. Maybe another EP? Or a few songs to carry her fans over until her life – hell, the world – stabilized a bit. But having been privy to early demos and private Zoom performances, the melodies were good from the get-go, and soon pop-rock producer Felipe “Pipe” Ceballos (Zoé, AJ Dávila) was calling for Neysa to fly over to Mexico City and start recording. “Nada Es Suficiente” was completed after two sessions in Pipe’s Indiana Audio Studios, with musicians from other established bands like Rey Pilá, Centavrvs and Los De Adentro joining in.

“Nada Es Suficiente” is a nostalgic pop rock record – all killer, no filler – that successfully mines the sounds of ’90s Alt-Rock and Rock En Español radio hits and marries them to Neysa’s Ednita Nazario-indebted, pitch perfect pipes. It’s also, importantly, an openly queer, loud and proud lesbian epic about love and loss and finding oneself through the mess of a fiery relationship. It sounds like nothing else on the current latin pop landscape, which is why I ended up joining the project as creative director, designing single and album covers, CD packaging, show flyers, merch, and even a lyric video, among other things. Like I said at the beginning, cards on the table. Royal flush.

Contributing to “Nada Es Suficiente” with my artwork and skillset is the highest recommendation I can give to it – more so than any write-up I would have otherwise typed up from a distance. It is the record I’ve enjoyed listening to the most this year and one of the projects I’m most proud of having been involved in. So I really do hope you like it too. (Alfredo Richner)

♪♫ Listen: “Laberinto Azúl” + album stream

ROMANIA:

Cristina Lupu – “Sweet Amnesia”

What a sweet mess can a woman and her guitar do, when she is bluntly nostalgic and hurtfully sincere. Acoustic yet complex, slow as it flows yet loud inside the ones who resonate with Cristina Lupu’s stories.

Is “Sweet Amnesia” an album? No. But a collection of moods that blend themselves into a status of “Sweet Amnesia”. (CriticEyez)

♪♫ Listen: “The Elephant” + album stream

SAUDI ARABIA:

Seera – “Al Mojallad Al Awal”

Seera (سيرة) is an all-female quartet from Riyadh – comprising of singer and keyboardist Nora, drummer Thing, bass player Meeshz and guitarist Haya – who represent Arabic rendition of psychedelic/indie rock that you can dance to.

Their debut album, “Al Mojallad Al Awal” was preceded by extensive touring, and it was influenced by classic rock for sure, but also contemporary bands like Altin Gün who combine global influences with Middle Eastern flavor. Their name means Journey and without doubt it’s justified. (Alia Shaarawy)

♪♫ Listen: “Nafas” + album stream

SENEGAL:

Tidiane Thiam – “Africa Yontii”

Tidiane Thiam is an artist who’ll play a simple guitar motif again and again for five minutes, and you’ll never think about skipping the track – you’ll be too charmed for that. Respecting the legacy of the regional legends like Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté, the son of northern Senegal nurtures his own wonderfully melodic and mesmerizing interpretation of acoustic Saharan folk, making it light and bright.

Contrasting with that is the message behind “Africa Yontii”, which means “Africa, It’s Time”: “It’s time that Africa changes. It’s time our leaders change. We have everything: water, earth, sun, fields of oil, gas. We have all this in Africa, but Africa is still poor. It’s time we change our way of thinking. It’s time for Africans to take their destiny into their own hands. If not, others will take it.” (Oumar Dembele)

♪♫ Listen: “Neene Africa” + album stream

SERBIA:

Short Reports – “Vožnja”

The debut album from Novi Sad native band simply doesn’t have any weak moments. Everything boils with garage-rock fire, seductive melodies and relentless rhythm.

With minimalistic instrumentation, the duo managed to create a set of impressive, high-octane songs that grab you from the first moment and don’t let go until the very end.

“Vožnja” is truly a ride you never want to end! (Nemanja Nešković)

♪♫ Listen: “Navika” + album stream

SINGAPORE:

Amberhill – “Motion & Bloom”

All around Southeast Asia you’ll come across a very unique amalgam of indie, math-rock and pop, with glittering guitars, complicated rhytms and catchy choruses.

On their full-lenth debut album “Motion & Bloom”, Singaporean quintet Amberhill present their own take on this regional genre. It’s both a pleasure and a welcome challenge, full of hooks and breaks, calming slowdowns and rock explosions – never letting the other side enjoy itself for too long – with the vivid vocals of Natalie Karl keeping it together. (N. N.)

♪♫ Listen: “Indecision” + album stream

SLOVAKIA:

Erika Rein – “Kamibe”

A debut album of a former (mostly) R&B singer brings a differenet twist. It is due to a collaboration with a producer Isama Zing and as they are both from two different music spheres, it turned out as something we probably would never predict.

Erika contributed with her warm, touching yet shifting R&B way of singing, while Isama brought his electronic signature. The important thing is that the album comes from love as the title says – “Kamibe” means “Love” in Romani language. There are two more languages on the album – lyrics are also English and Slovak.

And if you wonder whether its more of a listening release you can daydream to or more of a club piece to dance to – it is both! (Viera Ráczová)

♪♫ Listen: “Toxic” + album stream

SLOVENIA:

Kavasutra – “Ta veseli dan”

Kavasutra is a relatively fresh quartet from a small, but musically rich peripheral town in Slovenia. Their local scene is based on alternative and independent formations of jazz jams, improvisation and genre bending formations. The band members Ajka Vremc and Anton Lorenzuttti on guitars, Robi Erzetič on drums and Timi Vremc on bass are a prime example of this genre fusion and hybridization of alt rock, funk, jazz and prog rock.

The whole album “Ta veseli dan” sounds like a jamming party of friends you want to join. They swear on long, simmering song progressions, jazz melodies and funky rhythms, playful and silly vocals, and then transforming the structure into harsher chaotic structures full of ever changing textures.

This jazz methodology of improvisation, technical virtue and playful spirit allows them to combine political themes with references and jokes about current times and local context such as samples of Slavoj Žižek, echoing the current cultural atmosphere. It results in a complex sonic architecture with a lightweight approach with a rejection of a solid definition, full of vitality and unexpectedness. (Ula Kranjc Kušlan, selection by team of Radio Študent).

♪♫ Listen: “Forza Milan” + album stream

SOUTH AFRICA:

Kususa – “A Life Worth Living”

A perfect soundtrack for a car drive along the coast or the last record to play at a dance party, Kususa’s first studio album “A Life Worth Living” is worth listening to in many situation. It flows and flows with its soft grooves and mesmerizing chants by a number of guests – Aymos, Maline Aura, Anatii MaWhoo among others.

The duo from Durban has already collected a number of awards and played at events like Cape Town Electronic Music Festival and Ultra South Africa. But this album blending Afro-house with pop and roots music was the last piece that was missing in their career. And in our cars and dance parties. (Junior Naidoo)

♪♫ Listen: “Umculo” + album stream

SOUTH KOREA:

Soumbalgwang (소음발광) – “Fire & Light” (불과 빛)

Do you believe in fury?

Soumbalgwang, a post-hardcore four-piece based in Busan, is throwing this question in their third studio album “Fire & Light”. With the mixture of sonic palettes composed of hardcore punk, grunge, noise rock, screamo, and more, the record is fierce and immediate. From slow-burners like “Midday” (한낮) and “Black” (검은물) to explosive tracks such as “Hammer” (쇠망치) and “Pupil” (눈동자), Soumbalgwang embodies the concept of fury within their music.

The name of the band, Soumbalgwang, carries double meaning – noise / insanity, or noise / radiate. Both meanings go well with the band’s music, but that wasn’t the case at the beginning. Formed in 2016 as a happy-go-lucky pop punk outfit, the band’s trajectory has become increasingly jagged and frantic. On “Fire & Light”, it seems like they reached the point of the deepest pit of fury – where the emotion is intensely intertwined with other extreme affections. Fear, gloom, melancholy, and… lament.

As a Korean, I almost always associate fury with lament. Part of this habit is related to some kind of historical trauma the Koreans have experienced collectively – Korea under Japanese rule, the Korean War, military dictatorship, IMF financial crisis in 1997, and more. What’s more distressing is that these are not phenomena that were bygone long ago, but are continuous and contemporary troubles in Korean society. The Sinking of MV Sewol, the 2022 Halloween crowd crush, countless deaths and agony caused by hypercapitalism combined with anti-communism are present progressive. We feel angry. We feel mad. And at the same time, we feel sorrow.

However, what’s surprising is that this association is far from despair. Even though the fury drives me crazy, and the lament squeezes tears out of me, they don’t make me want to give up and divert my eyes from tragedies. If anything, these convoluted emotions are closer to what we call hope, although covered in bleeding wounds. So is the “Fire & Light”. Despite the overflowing fury and lament, the record determinedly keeps despair and frustration out of its way.

That is why I think this album represents the year 2024 in South Korea, especially the vicious and cruel December. Fury is boiling across the country, and death and lament are still present. Will I have a better future? Maybe, or not. Hope is sometimes a devastatingly cruel thing to have. But still, I pray and sprint, like Soumbalgwang screams in the album’s closer, “Dawn” (새벽).

오늘을 위한 기도와
내일로 향하는 질주
A prayer for today
And a sprint to tomorrow

(Jeong Guwon)

♪♫ Listen: “Hammer (쇠망치)” + album stream

SPAIN:

Daga Voladora – “Los Manantiales”

We’ve been shown so many times the dystopian future dominated by megacorporations that, by the time we’ve lived in it, we’ve had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it might not be the right way.

In music, the disintegration of almost everything small, of niches, has been caused by The Data: how many millions of listeners do you have? How many new followers have you gained? How many thousands of people have you played in front of? Everything that has happened in the last 15 years has been aimed at destroying or making any alternative invisible. What was built between the 80s and 90s was ridiculed, stifled and isolated, sometimes even by people who thought they were doing the right thing. However, we need the small.

There are a number of communicating vessels in the history of pop music that insist on that need. Artists, groups, composers who, without being stylistically related, do share similar ideas, an attitude that values the small. And in those stills is usually distilled a look at reality that knows how to see that, under all the layers of cynicism and everyday horrors, there are people and places that are worth living.

“Los Manantiales”, with its beautiful matte cover, iconic back cover and classic interior, is the way in which Daga Voladora (a.k.a. Cristina Plaza) adds again to that ideas.

What ideas? The ones that imagine a Victoria Legrand stripped of the wall of sound, playing up on the wall of Ana D’s house (“Ceniza Plateada”). The ones that pick up Espanto playing Dan Treacy (“Diamante”, one of the best songs of 2024; one of the best songs of my life). Those who adore everything Broadcast did and what Cristina Lliso sang – and how she sang it (“Quise ser”).

Those who are in love with the most sentimental lyrics of flamenco (and the sounds of Cate Lebon). Those of those who have read a lot, listened to a lot more, and instead of bragging about it, come out of the woodwork and invent a dub starring Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, you and me.

We had Trish, and now we have Cris. (P. Roberto Jiménez, Hipersónica)

♪♫ Listen: “Quise Ser” + album stream

SWEDEN:

Kite – “VII”

2024 was the year Kite released their first album but it would be wrong to call it a debut album. Since the first EP in 2008, the duo has been a significant part, for me personally and, above all the Swedish indie scene.

The first EP is incredible but it’s also clear that Kite has improved significantly since then. The album “VII” doesn’t really contain any new songs. It’s a summary of the band’s past seven years. Pretty much all of the songs have already been released and some claim that the album format is not for Kite at all.

All that doesn’t really matter though because this is a well-rounded album with 14 great tracks. “Hand out the drugs” and “Teenage Bliss” are true darkwave-anthems with power and intensity. In “Losing” they team up with Swedish supreme goths Anna von Hausswolff and Henric de la Cour creating a cinematic stroll through darkness.

The basis is synth-pop, as the electronic keys are the foundation. The sound image is huge, and together with the voice of Nicklas Stenemo, and the keys from Christian Berg, a wholeness is created that’s larger than life. It is atmospheric, and sometimes bright, and sometimes more evocative. Sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract. Sometimes you just want to lie down and close your eyes and sometimes you never want to stop dancing. Often everything in the same song.

Kite is one of Sweden’s best and biggest alternative bands. It’s impossible to say that anyone else released a better album 2024. Give the album your time and then wander back through their catalog. (Fabian Forslund)

♪♫ Listen: “Hand Out the Drugs” + album stream

SWITZERLAND:

Soft Loft – “The Party And The Mess”

Soft Loft is a brilliant young band from the Baden region. Their first album contains songs ranging from the fragile “Summer Sadness” to the melancholic, upbeat “Rose Coloured” as an invitation to intrinsic engagement. Led by Jorina Stamm, the twelve songs are a mental inventory.

With indie pop, Soft Loft ensure understanding and closeness, the album allows for all feelings and helps to take the necessary step forwards – as with “Open House” or “Safe Space”.

With clean guitars, warm synthesizers and folk elements, the music on “The Party And The Mess” is analogue, handmade and honest. It’s touching, captivating and beautifully recorded. (Michael Bohli, Phosphor Kultur)

♪♫ Listen: “Is It Me” + album stream

SYRIA:

Hello Psychaleppo – “Cipher”

What a year for Syria. As for music, several acclaimed musicians, solo or in collaboration, offered us some of their best efforts yet, and we also got a promising EP from a Syrian-Canadian newcomer nicknamed Bitter Mouthfeel.

Syrian producer Ahmed Diaa worked with Jordianian singer-songwriter Idreesi on his heartbreak story put into synth-based soundtrack. Legendary Omar Souleyman paid a visit to the Iraqi city of Erbil, reminding us about its stormy history.

And then we have Hello Psychaleppo with maybe his most emotionally and politically charged release yet, as “Cipher” revolts against oppression. What a timing, one would say, especially that Aleppo is where this new chapter for Syria has started.

♪♫ Listen: “Elhelwa di” + album stream

TAIWAN:

Sherry Cheng (鄭雙雙) – “Time”

Sherry Cheng’s been in the music industry for more than 10 years, but “Time” is her debut album. It was composed and produced entirely by herself.

From the very beginning, it showcases her singing and songwriting abilities at their peak, leaving listeners in awe. Each song is a carefully refined gem, akin to savoring the finest Americano, leaving a classic and rich aftertaste.

Whether it’s the rhythm and blues or the soul-funk flavored arrangements, combined with Sherry’s magnetic and soulful voice, the well-crafted arrangements and her unique vocal interpretation result in a perfect album! (Cheng-Chung Tsai)

♪♫ Listen: “Gross” + album stream

THAILAND:

_less – “_RUKRUKLERKLERK”

_less is the future of Thailand’s music scene, delivering captivating bops throughout their album “_RUKRUKLERKLERK”. With exceptional soundscapes, intricate arrangements, and mesmerizing melodies layered with diversity, their music seamlessly intertwines stories of youthful energy, blending culture in a way that resonates deeply with the new generation. It’s music that’s instantly relatable yet refreshingly innovative.

Their songs delve into themes of vulnerability, love, sarcasm, work, and life’s many complexities, packaged into an album that’s not just enjoyable but downright addictive. Every track offers something new, inviting listeners to dance, reflect, and lose themselves in a whirlwind of creativity and emotion. _less has a knack for delivering a fresh experience every time you hit play.

This is a band that goes beyond just being a rising star. _less deserves to be seen, heard, and given the opportunities they are destined for. They aren’t just a band to watch — they’re a band to believe in, a sound of the future breaking through the shadows. (Donratcharat Phromsoonthornsakul)

♪♫ Listen: “don’t u even cry?” + album stream

Donratcharat Phromsoonthornsakul also makes music as neptember, in 2024 she released an album called “That’s Love After All, Isn’t It?”

TUNISIA:

Emel – “MRA”

Ever since she started her career back in 2012, Tunisian singer-songwriter and music pioneer Emel Mathlouthi never stopped amazing us. On each and every record, she’s approached Arabic music in some new ways and her fourth studio album “MRA” is no different – we’ve got songs that draw from electronic music, rap/trap, reggaeton and synthpop, and we hear songs in five languages.

Emel herself calls this album “a beautiful 100% feminine/female odyssey, an ode to women, sisterhood and humanity” because she collaborated with 24 women: “producers, musicians, technicians, artists, rappers, composers”. “MRA” is an album unlike any other, just like Emel Mathlouthi is one of her kind. (Lina Rim)

♪♫ Listen: “Nar” + album stream

Other recommended albums:
• Marwan Allam – “”باب بحر
• Hamdi Ryder – “Offbeat Dreams”

TÜRKIYE:

Nilipek. – “Uydurduğumuz Oyunlarla”

Here is an album that feels like both a masterwork and a debut at the same time. It’s a masterpiece because Nilipek. has reached her peak as a singer-songwriter, delivering top-notch arrangements and musical quality. Yet, “Uydurduğumuz Oyunlarla” carries the essence of a debut, as each song, while harmoniously contributing to the overall story, stands out with its own unique and authentic narrative.

Through her music, Nilipek. captures and expresses the shifts in her life, crafting it all in a more thoughtful and unhurried way, steering clear of the single-focused standards of today’s music industry. Take 45 minutes of your time, dive in, and give your full attention to this inspiring musical journey. (Emir Aksoy)

♪♫ Listen: “Sırf Kırabilmek İçin” + album stream

UKRAINE:

Various Artists – “Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996”

“Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996” (“Аж гай гуде”) is a groundbreaking collaboration between Seattle’s Light in the Attic Records and Kyiv-based Shukai Records. This anthology spans 25 years of Ukrainian music, showcasing dissident folk, jazz, experimental electronics, and Kyiv’s 1990s underground scene. Featuring 18 tracks, it has earned critical acclaim, including an 8.3 score from Pitchfork.

The album preserves Ukrainian music created under Soviet repression, where artists thrived in the underground scenes despite censorship. Curators describe the release as bridging “the officially sanctioned and the underground,” revealing Ukraine’s rich experimental spirit. From Er. Jazz’s hypnotic rhythms to Tetyana Kocherhina’s evocative folk, it captures the country’s ongoing fight for cultural autonomy.

This release celebrates Ukrainian talent through vibrant vinyl editions and a 20-page booklet that features bilingual liner notes and the iconic artwork of Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko. Amidst 2024 was rich in great music, this album stands out as timeless, honoring past pioneers who paved the way for new generations to thrive. (Dartsya Tarkovska)

♪♫ Listen: “Bunny” + album stream

URUGUAY:

Eté & Los Problems – “Plata”

In its inmensity, the sea is impossible to grasp. It’s deep, endless, full of mysteries. It can’t be told in full. Like life itself. At the same time, the sea is a place of adventure, of discovery, a place where you can find yourself and who you intimately are. And even though in the journey you’ll likely be afraid more than once, you have to hold on. Have hope. Like in life. And that is what this album tells.

After releasing their two first records, Eté & Los Problems soared in popularity with their heartbreak-told-through-basketball song “Jordan” and their third album, “El éxodo”, released in 2014. Followed by the well received “Hambre” in 2018, the band changed almost its entire line-up since that release.

“Plata” is their first LP with the members that joined the band in 2020. Their sound expanded and got richer, and if you add musical ambition and expansiveness that “Plata” brought, it feels like a jump forward for Los Problems. It’s also a new chapter in the unofficial saga that the band’s albums tell: after the journey told in “El Éxodo” and the new settlement of “Hambre”, its inhabitants turn to the sea in search of answers that they may never find.

“Plata” is an intense album, like the four that came before. It’s the house special for the band that singer, guitarist and songwriter Ernesto Tabárez (no relation) spearheads. It’s grandiose, epic, heart-wrenching and emotional. It’s a transformative voyage, melancholic and adventurous, like a selection of eleven sea shanties that evolved into rock songs.

Inspired by Moby Dick and other seafaring stories, “Plata” is also an album that has the city of Montevideo ingrained, and especially the sounds, feel and tone of the area that surrounds the Port. Not only because of the theme of the record, but also with the milonga airs, the candombe drums that appear in “Ismael” (a song that’s partially inspired by the crime of a homeless man who lived there), and the boat horns that sound at midnight on New Year’s Day that sparked the idea for “Arariyo”, a beautiful and tear inducing love song told through the perspective of a Korean sailor.

Those tracks, in addition to “Nubes” and “¡Ay, amor!”, are some of the highlights in an album that, in a way, is entirely composed of love songs: love of lifelong friendships, sons, couples, and life itself, even though sometimes it hurts and we can’t understand it. Like the sea. (Nicolás Tabárez)

♪♫ Listen: “Arariyo” + album stream

VENEZUELA:

Çantamarta – “PASARELA”

On their debut album, “PASARELA”, Çantamarta are armed with authenticity and an irrepressible heartbeat. LuisLo, a Colombian-Venezuelan storyteller, serendipitously crossed paths with Benito and Omar on the streets of Granada, Spain. What followed is an alchemy that defies genre boundaries, seamlessly fusing Hip Hop, R&B, and the rich musical legacies of southern Spain and, specially, the Latin American Caribbean. They don’t just carry these traditions, they weave this flag with pride and responsibility.

In just 10 tracks, Çantamarta delivers a vivid mosaic of life on the streets, their stories and their characters. The highest point of the album is undoubtedly “MICHALÓ,” a song so raw and devastatingly, where LuisLo bares his soul, recounting his mother’s odyssey after leaving her country with an unflinching vulnerability that feels both intimate and relatable.

Çantamarta’s storytelling doesn’t stop there. With sharp-eyed detail, they pay tribute to the characters and codes of the streets, like the subtle status symbol of owning a pair of Jordans in Venezuela’s barrios. They convey a story that puts Maicao, Colombia (where many fake Jordans were made and imported to Venezuela) and the streets of Caracas and the places where you could get a pair of these relevant pairs of feet garment.

The wait for “PASARELA” has been almost agonizingly-long 5 years since their debut single “Fermina” and 3 years since their EP “Amapolas” teased their potential — but the payoff is immense. The Madrid-based trio live up to the hype while creating their own language and offer a storytelling masterclass that is equal parts raw and poetic. It takes you on a tour of the Caribbean and blends its musicalities to create a unique identity that encapsulates many universal stories with the inexplicable magic of their streets.

Yet, there’s a bittersweet undercurrent that runs through the album’s veins. “PASARELA” is as much a celebration as it is a lament, because it is a product of the migratory crises that reshaped Colombia in the nineties and is devastating Venezuela while you’re reading these lines. However, without sermonizing, Çantamarta paint a backdrop of displacement and resilience, with a timid love story that’s told in some of the tracks of the album, which also tries, urgently, to remind you of the importance of memory and not forgetting where you’re from and those who love you and you love back.

Çantamarta have crafted something rare in “PASARELA”, because it transcends borders, defies genres, and insists on being felt and danced to, with tears in your eyes and the feeling that you’re always going to miss where you came from. (Alejandro Fernandes Riera)

♪♫ Listen: “MICHALÓ” + album stream

VIETNAM:

Raven x Rabbit – “Another Universe”

Although they have only officially formed and released their first music products this year, the duo Raven x Rabbit has brought Vietnamese music new and wonderful sounds.

The two built the album “Another Universe” in a large sound space, new and inviting, yet warm and intimate. There, Raven x Rabbit tell listeners stories that are both happy and sad, but all have a beautiful ending and soothe the pain.

Healing is a familiar topic, but only with Raven x Rabbit healing music has truly had weight in the Vietnamese scene. (Nam Tran)

♪♫ Listen: “The Moon” + album stream

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