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 July 2024 below.
Though it might sound a little cliche, there really is something for everyone when it comes to new music releases this month. Fans of grounded country songwriting can dig into the rich, highly rewarding Johnny Blue Skies project from Sturgill Simpson or the latest from Zach Bryan. Denzel Curry turns up the heat on the second volume of King of the Mischievous South. Meanwhile, a couple of the rising pop girls on the scene keep us dancing.
Elsewhere, listeners craving something a little more intense should turn to SPEED, one of Australia’s most interesting emerging hardcore acts. There’s also new work from recent CoSign artist Lava La Rue and indie rockers Major Murphy that shouldn’t be overlooked.
From newcomers grabbing our attention to familiar favorites logging great new additions to established repertoires, here are our staff picks for favorite albums of July 2024, listed out in alphabetical order.
Denzel Curry — King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2
Denzel Curry’s King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 is a non-stop party done the southern way. A sequel to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South Vol. 1 Underground Tape 1996, Curry invites seemingly everyone he knows from the Southern hip-hop scene (or those influenced by it) for a collection of hard-hitting, braggadocious, function-ready bangers. The beats are sinister, the energy is high, and the bars are as sticky as they are compelling. At this point, here’s to hoping King of the Mischievous South becomes a trilogy. — Jonah Krueger