With Staff Picks, our writers and editors highlight some of our favorite new music this month. Check out the picks for the best albums of October 2024 below.
2024 is, shockingly, almost over. As we at Consequence compile our respective lists of the best music of the year like it’s rocket science, we also have a slate of new releases from October to treasure. This month featured major returns from Tyler, the Creator, The Smile, and our latest cover stars, Amyl and the Sniffers. Plus, great new albums from High Vis, Samara Joy, Confidence Man, and more.
Here are our staff picks for our favorite albums of October 2024, listed out in alphabetical order.
Amyl and the Sniffers — Cartoon Darkness
We’re big fans of Melbourne-bred punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, who were recently spotlighted on our October cover story. Cartoon Darkness, the band’s third album, expands their sound while continuing the fiery intensity that we grew to know and love. That guttural singing-slash-yelling from frontwoman Amy Taylor is as sharp as punk gets, as her vocals dance through humorous hooks and melodic rhythms, setting that internal fire ablaze with every listen. — Nicolle Periola
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Amythyst Kiah — Still + Bright
There are some (admittedly tight) circles in which Amythyst Kiah is viewed as the torch bearer of Odetta’s roots tradition. Her powerful vocals and authentic storytelling certainly align with that legacy, and her latests album, Still + Bright, continues to push forward into modern sounds. With hit-making producer Butch Walker at her side (and guesting on “Silk and Petals”), the record feels twice as large as predecessor Wary + Strange, thundering sonics matching the command of Kiah’s voice. Yet, the intimate emotions that made her such an appealing songwriter are not drowned out by all the grunge-tinged theatrics of the compositions, and is in fact made all the more resonant on standouts like “Dark Matter” and “I Will Not Go Down” featuring Billy Strings. — Ben Kaye
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
A Place to Bury Strangers — Synthesizer
Despite its synthetic name and darkwave soundscapes, something about A Place to Bury Strangers’ Synthesizer feels intensely human. Maybe it’s the beautiful messiness of the noisy production, maybe it’s the raw energy of the performances, or maybe it’s the fact that the veteran shoegaze act crafted a unique synthesizer specifically for the record. Whatever the reason, Synthesizer is blistering, relentless, eerie, ominous, and as compelling as any A Place to Bury Strangers effort has ever been. (Side note: If you’re the type of music fan that has spent 2024 obsessed with the Challengers score and anticipating The Cure’s new album Songs of a Lost World, Synthesizer isn’t one to skip.) — Jonah Krueger
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Blood Incantation — Absolute Elsewhere
The Denver-based four piece’s distinct cosmic death metal sound reaches new heights on Absolute Elsewhere. The expansive record is mainly comprised of two lengthy compositions that slowly build up to become more intense and confronting. The band create a dark ambient, progressive rock-influenced soundscape reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Both “The Stargate” and “The Message” alternate between vivid space imagery that often takes a gory turn and exploring life’s existential questions. Absolute Elsewhere is a strange trip into the unknown. — Sun Noor
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Buy: Vinyl
Bon Iver – SABLE, EP
Bon Iver took a pause on his electronic explorations to offer SABLE, a 12-minute auditory refuge that he paired with a trio of minimalist black-and-white visuals featuring a barefoot Justin Vernon, a chair, and a guitar. Vernon looks inward as he contemplates the strain fame has placed on his mental and physical well-being. “I needed these songs to find out how I felt, and to really, actually say how I’ve been feeling,” Vernon revealed to the New Yorker earlier this month. Although it may be brief, this short and sweet EP will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression beyond that initial listen. — Nicolle Periola
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Chat Pile — Cool World
Consequence’s October CoSign Chat Pile make disgusting, filthy, wonderful music. Falling somewhere between noise rock, sludge metal, and the more esoteric corners of hardcore, their excellent sophomore effort Cool World finds the band expanding their sound while simultaneously leaning into their strengths. Aiming for more immediacy in comparison to their acclaimed debut God’s Country, Cool World sneaks genuine hooks underneath the heavy mountains of sludge. All the while, frontman Raygun Busch frantically spews his well-read, politically-charged ramblings. The result is a heart-pounding listening experience that’s a little frightening and a whole lot of fun. — J. Krueger
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Confidence Man — 3AM (La La La)
Australian electro-pop quartet Confidence Man returned this month with the best album of their career. It’s brash, absurd, and insanely fun; if you’ve ever longed for dance music that pops off without taking itself too seriously, this is the album for you. Vocalist Janet Planet says they made most of the tracks from this album “when [they] were wrecked,” which absolutely tracks — some of the best choices on 3AM are impulsive, with lyrics lifted from the subconscious and a hedonistic ethos that’s as heavenly as MDMA. Come for the stratospheric opener “Who Knows What You’ll Find?,” stay for the wild, ’90s-esque rave that follows. — Paolo Ragusa
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Geordie Greep — The New Sound
Geordie Greep, black midi frontman, artistic polymath, belting weirdo. His solo album The New Sound is a whirlwind, and it finds the British singer and songwriter leaning into his most dramatic, grandiose impulses. The man does not have “too much” in his vocabulary, testing his audience with haywire musical phrases and jagged tales of debauchery and deep, unfathomable loneliness. Black midi, a great band, could often feel so abstract and overwhelming that their ‘reach out and touch’ moments of connections were fleeting. Greep, with his loaded word salads and prickly sneer, attempts to account for that lapse in his old band’s music — and in the process, arrives with a debut that could only come from Greep’s masterful mind. — P. Ragusa
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Godspeed You! Black Emperor — NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD
Despite its sobering title — a reference to the death toll in Gaza as reported in February, a toll that has only increased in the months since — Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s latest offering is built upon a resilient, radical sense of hope. The six post-rock compositions, which characteristically arrive without any vocals, balance its emotionally-heavy moments and 1000-yard-stare-esque soundscapes with rising melodies and remarkably resonant resolutions. It’s a poignant statement, one that doesn’t downplay or look away from the horrors of the ongoing conflict and fights off the cynical desensitization that is often all too easy to succumb to. — J. Krueger
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
High Vis — Guided Tour
Call it punk, call it post-punk, call it Britpunk, call it whatever — High Vis’ new album Guided Tour is a terrific blend of their various influences and proves to be a winning crossover moment for the UK band. The band travelled far and wide to support their last album, 2022’s Blending, and that enriching experience certainly made its way into Guided Tour‘s sharpest and warmest tunes. It’s such a satisfying step up from a band whose music is brimming with life. To quote the album’s beaming title track, “It’s what you wanted and more.” — P. Ragusa
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Joy Oladokun — OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM
Joy Oladokun is not one to hide — not on social media, not in her music. Where other songwriters might cloak their introspection in poetic metaphor, Oladokun prefers a fully unvarnished self-portrait. On her fifth full-length, OBSERVATIONS FROM A CROWDED ROOM, she displays pride, doubt, resentment, and hope as she wrestles with the very idea of being a musician — pointedly so, on the trio of therapeutic spoken-word “OBSERVATION” tracks. As often as the album is a demonstration of immense songwriting gifts, it’s an equally unflinching exposé on the mental toll striving to turn that talent into a career has wrought. Still, true to Oladokun’s craft, it’s all uniquely beautiful, a fond blend of psychedelia, pop, and folk. The saddest thing would be if this truly were the last we heard from Oladokun, although, fittingly, you’d have to respect such a choice based on the truths laid bare on this record. — B. Kaye
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Kelsea Ballerini — Patterns
With her new album, Kelsea Ballerini continues the story she began on her genre-transcending 2023 EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat. A lot has changed for Ballerini since then, both personally and professionally, but her ability to match heartfelt and vulnerable lyrics with earworm melodies has only continued to crystalize further. Kicking off with the insightful title track, Patterns boasts more than a few standouts, including the playful “Baggage” and warmly self-deprecating “We Broke Up.” Patterns is currently sitting at No. 1 on the country albums chart as Ballerini gears up for a 2025 tour. — Mary Siroky
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Samara Joy — Portrait
There’s no one quite like Samara Joy, whose new autumnal album is the latest showcase for her timeless voice. Joy’s vocals and insightful arrangements make her seem artistically wise beyond her 24 years; her understanding of jazz feels intrinsic to her being. It’s one of the things that makes this album special — Portrait is the product of months of hard work, but the warm sonic world strikes the listener as effortless. Revisit her edition of Crate Digging for more personal insights into the project and her musical inspirations. — M. Siroky
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
The Smile – Cutouts
Thom Yorke doesn’t “really give a flying f*ck” if people are craving a Radiohead reunion, but honestly, we should just be grateful that The Smile – which includes Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood – has put out two good records in such fast succession. The three-piece band has been in a consistent creative flow state as of late, perhaps because they are not burdened by the expectations that come with the Radiohead name. Their eagerness to embrace the experimental and explore uncharted sonic territories is refreshing in a soundscape over-saturated with uninspired monotony. — N. Periola
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Tyler, the Creator – CHROMAKOPIA
Now that he’s released seven albums, it’s a trip to think about Tyler, the Creator’s Odd Future origins. Once a vigorous troll and skater kid icon, he’s transformed into an auteur, a collaborative genius, and a noted recruiter of lesser-known artists poised for a breakthrough. Each Tyler album has been a leap forward — especially since 2017’s Flower Boy, an artistic breakthrough that few anticipated from someone who used to go for shock value — and CHROMOKOPIA is no different. It’s his best rapping and his best productions yet. He’s accomplished yet another fully-composed vision, keeping seriousness without losing a sense of fun and joy, and showing more of what goes on behind the mask. We’re so lucky to have him. — P. Ragusa
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl
Wild Pink — Dulling the Horns
Wild Pink are on a remarkable run. Each new release from the band has a legitimate claim to be their best yet, and Dulling the Horns is no different. Loud, emotionally performed, and rockin’ as hell, the record once again finds the indie act offering up a collection of expertly written, incredibly potent tracks. This time, they’re exercising their feelings by kicking on their distortion pedals and cranking their amps to 11. Through crunchy chords and anthemic song structures, frontman John Ross and company have proven that their output has grown to be anything but dull. (Read more insights on Wild Pink’s Dulling the Horns in their Track by Track breakdown of the record.) — J. Krueger
Stream: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Buy: Vinyl