Favourite 50 EPs of 2024 (Part I)
50 to 41 - here we go!
Hi Pal,
If you're new, you picked a great time to join us. Everyone else, you already know what time it is.
I asked myself: How can I make my job of ranking music releases even harder than it was last year? The only answer I came up with was to ditch the genre-specific lists and give you a combined countdown of my favourites for 2024.
50. The Beginning Of Sorrows by The Forerunner
Hardcore
This may seem like a low spot on the list but I think 2024 was a weaker year for heavy music compared to 2023. There were a lot of releases but very few hit me as tip-top quality. This short EP was released around Easter and is lyrically centred around that theme. It was one of the better releases of the year.
49. School of Suffering by The Lockwoods
Singer-songwriter
I didn’t know anything about The Lockwoods until 2024, and what a release this was! It’s a visceral 4-track EP that focuses on someone going through a brutal season as they wrestle through their feelings with God. If you know me, I have a soft spot for projects like this and it’s not the last of its kind on the list.
48. MATIN: Turn by Jess Ray
Singer-Songwriter, Folk
Jess Ray released three EPs under the MATIN project and they’re all pretty solid — hence why they all have a place on this list. This was the last one to drop and it just happens to be my least favourite of the three. There’s nothing wrong with it, but where there are rankings, some things will be higher than others.
47. Old Hymns, Pt 1 by Jimmy Clifton
Folk
There was a period this year when I genuinely thought that Jimmy Clifton was dropping something every single week. He is so prolific and there are two albums from 2024 in addition to this EP. I’m a sucker for anything that has to do with reimagination of hymns or Psalms and this EP scratches that itch quite well.
46. Into The Good Light by From The Ground Up
Indie Worship
Very early in the year, I had the privilege of reviewing this short EP by these new voices on the scene. In the years that I’ve spent writing this newsletter, I have found more and more artists blending devotional worship with artistic indie sensibilities to great success and I’m glad to say they are on that list.
45. Matin: Love by Jess Ray
Singer-Songwriter, Folk
The MATIN project is recorded live and that is one of its strengths. It is quite atmospheric in approach and the three releases share similarities in their production and composition styles. My preferences come to light when song selection and lyrical themes become the major focus.
44. Storyteller by Faith Kayrooz
Indie Folk, Singer-Songwriter
One of the perks of writing this newsletter is finding interesting voices that I would have never known. Faith Kayrooz is an Australian singer-songwriter and she’s quite new to the scene. But I must admit that this EP completely floored me. It’s incredibly done and I’m convinced even further that there is something in the water in Australia.
43. Future Divine by Austin Lyons
Singer-songwriter, Alternative Folk
I have listened to this multiple times and am still amazed at how good this EP is. There is a tendency to miss some hidden gems released across a calendar year. The number of records that come out is incredible these days, and I nearly skipped this one. I’m so glad I didn’t.
42. And Spiritual Songs by Wind and Sail
Indie Folk
Wind and Sail had a pretty quiet year but dropped a short gem that stayed with me. The potential of this duo is vast and it’s a bit reductive to call them “indie folk”. Their two projects so far have shown me the versatility that shows glimpses of a more expansive body of work hopefully soon.
41. Eternity by CèJae
R&B
CèJae is my first R&B entry on the list, and it’s a solid EP. R&B was in a similar place as heavy/metal music this year and the releases were sparse at best. The major difference is that most of the projects that dropped in the genre were very high quality.
I’ll be back soon with the next 10 entries.
That’s it for today.
Catch you soon!
Feel free to leave a comment. Also, I am always open to hearing from you so feel free to send an email to me at stismavo@gmail.com
If it's not too much to ask, can we have all EPs in a Spotify playlist?