My Top 24 of 2024 (#24 - 22)

And so begins the contractually obliged countdown of my favourite albums of the year. The usual caveats apply: 

• the order is spurious, based on the capricious whims of the day I compiled this list, and subject to change just as easily as the wind. Only the Top 3 holds any kind of accuracy.
• records released earlier in the year, which I've had longer to live with and enjoy, will doubtlessly place higher than ones I'm still getting into. I keep telling the recording industry this - if they want to score a definite Top Ten placing in my year end countdown, don't wait till bloody November to put their records out. But do they listen to me?
• in the next few months, I am guaranteed to buy and/or discover a bunch of new records which would surely have deserved a place in this list... but it's hard to keep on top of it all. I still haven't heard the new Father John Misty record, for example, though I have added it to my Christmas list.

Anyway, here are some records which I enjoyed...

24. Eels - Eels Time

Mark Everett is pretty much assured a place in this countdown just by opening his front door and serenading an enormous pine cone (as seen above). It's a testament then to the strength of this year's runner and riders that he places right at the "bottom" of the list... Eels albums usually make the Top 15, at least. Eels Time!, the fifteenth Eels long player, probably isn't going to win him any new converts, but it's a warm, reassuring cuddle for those of us who've been with him from the start.

Time, there was nothing but time then
Click-clack, riding down the tracks
Never worried about coming back
Anyplace looked good to me
Why not stop and see
What's there?

Time, there isn't much time now
What's the fear? Well, I like it here
With the ones I love so near
Maybe there's just some way
Dear God
I can stay

23. Pixies - The Night The Zombies Came

What I said above for Mark could just as easily apply to Frank. 

There are some artists you grow tired of once you've heard everything they have to say... and there are others you're happy to keep listening to even though the song remains the same. Pixies most definitely fall into the latter category - more power to Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV and his pals.

Who's gonna live? Who's gonna die?
Is there any true love? Oh, I don't know why

22. Chuck Prophet - Wake The Dead

We close today with another Charles, one who's been through quite a bit over the past couple of years, following a diagnosis of stage four lymphoma. Thankfully a) he's in remission now; and b) it's not affected his work-rate one bit. While undergoing treatment, Chuck spent a lot of time listening to Cumbia music, which the google AI tells me is "a Latin American musical genre that originated in Colombia and is characterized by a blend of African, indigenous, and European influences". I'm sure Ernie can give a better description than that. Anyway, as a result of this new obsession, Chuck has teamed up with Cumbia band ¿Qiensave? for his latest record, though this doesn't mean it's a drastic departure from his regular output... perhaps just a bit more rhythmic. Still sounds good to me anyway.

We might have ourselves a picnic
We might end up on the moon
They might even name a planet after me
If they ask you any questions
go ahead and tell the truth
If we have to, we can plead insanity
If it’s good enough for you, it works for me