To start off, an album that already came out this year because I was too slow to put this list together: Glass Beach’s second album plastic death released January 19th and in my humble opinion has lived up to any sort of hype or expectations that have been building since their debut back in 2019.

Confirmed Albums:

The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy

TLDP spent 2023 dropping singles that quickly garnered them attention and acclaim in the indie scene as one of the most exciting bands to come out of the U.K. in recent memory. Their debut is set to come out on Groundhog’s Day this year and based on the singles, it is likely to be a strong contender for album of the year.

Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine

Following the release of her 2024 track ‘Yes, And?’ Ariana has announced her 7th album will be released this year on March 8th. If the lead single is a tell of what’s to come, this project will be a slight deviation from her last couple of records. Likely leaning into the 90s dance-pop revival we’ve been seeing, especially with her interpolation of Madonna’s Vogue. While I don’t know if this will be as critically acclaimed as some of the other records on this list, I do think it will be a fun pop record with some danceable tracks.

Adrianne Lenker - bright future

Frontwoman of popular indie folk band, Big Thief, Adrianne has announced her latest solo album will be released March 22nd. I have not heard the two singles released and plan not to until the full album releases; however, the latest Big Thief record was one of my favorites in 2022 and the rest of her solo works feature great songs on all of them, and I see little to no reason to expect that to not continue. 

Sam Evian - Plunge

I was introduced to Sam Evian when I saw him open for Tennis in Asheville last year, and since that performance I have been hooked. His 2021 album Time to Melt featured some of the year’s funkiest and most infectious grooves. I would have been content with another album with the exact same sound. However, based on the lead single ‘Wild Days’ and also the list of collaborators on his Bandcamp page (including Adrianne Lenker), it seems like this record is going to take Sam’s grooves and add a folk, jam band sound to it. This is setting itself up to be one of the most interesting albums of the year, with only 9 tracks on the listing, I am excited to see where he takes us. With the release not scheduled until March 22nd, I’m going to need to find some patience soon.

Albums without an official announcement:

Pretty Bitter

DC-based dream pop band, Pretty Bitter, has been one of the best indie bands I have watched live since I got the pleasure to see them open for Hotel Mira back in 2021. In that year they dropped their sophomore album, Hinges, and since then I have listened to it roughly 300 times. The band has a single scheduled for release and has stated their intentions to both release an album and tour this year, and are publicly funding their efforts on GoFundMe. I hope they can reach their goal, as I need a new album to fixate on.

 

Melt

Melt is another indie dreamy band that I have been a fan of for several years now since they released their debut EP, West Side Highway in 2021. Since then, they have played a handful of shows and released some new music. Last year they dropped two singles, “Walk to Midnight” and “Harvest Moon” as well as announced some shows for this year. So, I think we will finally see their debut full-length album release, and I am excited for it.

Cigarettes After Sex

Cigarettes After Sex has been one of my absolute favorite bands for the last couple of years. (My top 5 songs on Spotify Wrapped in 2023 had 4 songs from their debut album) And 2023 was a very exciting year as a CAS fan. Following the release of the single ‘Pistol’ in late 2022, last summer came with two more new singles, ‘Bubblegum’ and ‘Stop Waiting’ and then another at the end of the year, a cover of the Radiohead song ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’. With the release of all of these singles as well as their increased activity on social media, I think it’s only fair to assume that their 3rd album will be coming this year, and I am very excited for it. 

Wish List:

Men I Trust 

If it hasn’t become painfully aware at this point, I am a huge dream pop fan, and like my fellow dream pop stans, we are all itching for another release from Men I Trust. Last year, they said that in 2024 they will be taking time at some point to write their next album. The likelihood that we end up seeing that before 2025 is slim, especially considering the impressive amount of attention poured over every release of theirs up until this point. However, they did release a single last year and a couple in 2022 as well, so there still is a chance and I will continue holding out hope. 

NIKI

NIKI, aka Nicole Zefanya, has been making some very fun and authentic pop music for the better part of a decade and has personally been on my radar since her sophomore album in 2020, Moonchild. Her latest record Nicole featured some of her most mature songwriting as well as plenty of fun moments. With her latest single dropping just last week and Nicole turning two this year, I think there’s a chance we see another album from her, and I am on the edge of my seat for it. 

FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs has been a mainstay in the avant-garde pop scene for several years now, with both her 2015 EP, M3LL155X, and her 2019 album, MAGDALENE, receiving heaping praise both critically and amongst fans. Followed up by her more straightforward and energetic mixtape, CAPRISONGS, in 2022 many, including myself, were eager to see what was next for the experimental pop sensation. However, following a very public and tumultuous break up as well as the leaking of more than 50 of her demos in 2023, she announced that any previously planned releases were being postponed indefinitely. At this point, with her privacy breached and many eyes on her for the wrong reasons as a court date approaches, her plans for the next release are hers alone, but I will still hope for a late 2024 date for whatever she is cooking up.

2024 is primed to be yet another killer year for music with plenty of old favorites returning and countless new obsessions to be found, get out there and listen to something new :D