Cathal Ryan’s favourite tracks of 2024
Cathal Ryan is a Limerick-based journalist interviewing bands for the paper and reporting the news. He writes about the Limerick music scene for Nialler9 and has played for a few bands around the place.
You can read his favourite tracks for 2023 here.
Stupid Son – Light Leak
DIY art-punk outfit Stupid Son released their debut EP, Comedy, earlier this year. Preceded by a series of singles in late 2023, Comedy is a seven-track concept work detailing one sleepless night.
‘Light Leak’ was a stand-out from the record, sporting tinges of Unwound, Television, and Omni, Stupid Son’s guitar-heavy take on light slipping in through a rag on a window was a hard hitter.
EFÉ – Truth Truth
Dublin-based Anita Ikharo, who performs under EFÉ, started off her releases of the year with the guitar-driven ‘Truth Truth’, a shift away from previous alt-bedroom pop style. With a grungey fuzzed chorus that conjures up Hole and vocals like a daydream, EFÉ’s ‘Truth Truth’ has been on repeat this year.
William Orbit – Royal Flush
Maybe a lesser-known name as a solo artist, William Orbit has had a hand in creating much of the sound of popular music over the last four decades of his career, producing Blur’s 13 and Madonna’s Ray of Light to name a few.
The producer released an album on Bandcamp in November with relatively little promotion. WFO minces genres, mixing dance floor bangers with dreamy instrumental tracks. ‘Royal Flush’, a colourful banger that feels like Stereolab mixed with Air, is worth a listen.
Negro Impacto – 1800
Dundalk duo Negro Impacto, half vocalist-songwriter Chi-chi and half producer/multi-instrumentalist Laurence, dropped two irresistible tunes in 2024, ‘Fangirl’ and ‘1800’.
With an infectious chorus asking: “Do you want to skate around the city until the summer’s over?”, ‘1800’ was a fun, chilled-out, surf rock-style track, an absolute summer anthem.
The The – Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot
Eighties mainstays The The put out their first studio album of new songs in a quarter of a century this year, Ensoulment – a 12-track exploration of what it means to be human in the 21st century.
‘Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot’ was a standout track on the album. Laden with horns and strings, the track was written from vocalist Matt Johnson’s hospital bed during a near-fatal stay due to a throat infection. What a comeback after 25 years.
Sprints – Cathedral
Sprints’ debut album, Letter To Self, was lauded by critics in 2024, with tracks landing a spot on most top album lists.
An absolute belter, Cathedral delivers three minutes of high-octane garage rock frenzy, driven by Karla Chubb’s poignant lyrics about growing up queer in catholic Ireland. Their performance on KEXP stands out.
Squid – Fugue (Bin Song)
Brighton post-punks put out ‘Fugue (Bin Song)’ near the start of 2024, taken from the chopping room floor for their acclaimed sophomore album O Monolith, finally releasing a recording of a long-loved live favourite.
The outfit, who stepped out of the Windmill scene, channel hypnotic, Radiohead-esque guitar weaved with Ollie Judge’s frantic vocals in the single. Their 2025 album Cowards should be wild.
Geordie Greep – The New Sound
Inspired heavily by the sounds of Brazil, Geordie Greep’s first solo album, The New Sound, couldn’t be further from any Black Midi releases, even with Morgan Simpson on a few tracks.
The whole album has a real jazz-rock vibe, but the titular track, which blends elements of Santana-style Latin rock, jazz, and prog, is one of my favourites.
Yard Act – We Make Hits
The Leeds outfit released their sophomore record this year, Where’s My Utopia, pushing away from the post-punk sound they had become synonymous with to release an 80s, disco-pop-inspired dance record.
‘We Make Hits’, a catchy, funky, and upbeat tune, sees frontman James Smith professing: “Now we make hits (but not hits like Nile Rodgers)” in the chorus with his trademark Yorkshire twang. The live version on Jools Holland has to be my preferred one.
Skinner – Calling in Sick
Skinner has been teasing his debut album, New Wave Vaudeville, with a series of singles of the year, closing off 2024 with ‘Calling In Sick’, a thumping, bass-driven, Gilla Band-inspired tune “about calling in sick to the world”.
Once again, the DIY slouch rocker manages to capture the ever-increasing trudge of modern existence, “Calling in sick. Life is a bitch”. Damn right, Skinner.
