Marina Allen tells us about her Top 10 Albums of 2024

For her third album, Eight Pointed Star, Marina Allen moved beyond the ’70s folk influences of her previous records to embrace angles and bright colors — and the occasional synthesizer and electric guitar — to her sun-dappled but earth-toned palette. It’s a terrific album and if you haven’t listened, give it a spin below.

Marina has slipped us her list of her favorite albums from 2024 which include Chris Cohen (who produced Eight Pointed Star), Jennifer Castle, Cindy Lee, Itasca, and more. Check out her list and commentary below.

MARINA ALLEN – TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2024

Jennifer Castle : Camelot
This album feels both ethereal and grounding- I love its quiet adventure and wisdom.

Earth Flower : Earth Flower
Earth Flower feels like a real jazz collaboration (because it is) and lives in between improvisations and compositions. It is beautifully constructed and I felt a sense of energy and connection between the musicians.

Chris Cohen : Paint a Room
Chris’s music always has the polyrhythmic syncopation down. He is such a master at talking about difficult things with lightness and hope.

Nala Sinephro : Endlessness
This wonderful album is so breathless and effervescent. I cooked a lot to it this year and loved its focus and warmth.

Cindy Lee : Diamond Jubilee
This album was such a joy and equally as joyful to see it ripple through the world. It is inspiring!

Iji : Automatically
Zach’s music is fun and tactile, like an engrossing puzzle. Every song is great, my fave is “Abandon Thing”!

Itasca : Imitation of War
Kayla’s music feels both very familiar and other-worldly. This album is trippy and imaginative- I think it’s best to hear it all in one sitting, like reading a really good book.

The Lentils : Where UFOs Fear to Tread
Luke is a very unique songwriter who manages to be hilarious and heart-felt. If you’ve never heard The Lentils I feel bad for you! Go listen up.

Chris Weisman : Masterpiece 5000
What can I say about Chris in a sentence or two? Freaking GOAT. A true punk, he’s in a league of his own. He makes about 10 albums a year and this one was playing in my house a lot this year.

Ben Varian: SNIP
SNIP has a lot going on. Different singers for different songs, it’s funny and wise. Ben experiments and takes risks for the hell of it. There’s a lot of joy in this album.

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See all of our best of 2024 lists here.