2024 was a great year for Irish albums with new acts in particular coming to the fore with their debut efforts. This is reflected by the fact that half of our list is made up of debut albums. And while 2024 felt like a changing of the guard thanks to the international success of acts like Sprints, NewDad and Kneecap, established acts more than held their own with fine releases from Pillow Queens, Villagers and Fontaines DC, while Sack made the most unexpected and welcome return after more than two decades with Wake Up People! Here are our favourite Irish albums of 2024.

1 – Gurriers – Come And See

As far as debut albums go, ‘Come And See’ is about as urgent a statement of intent as you’re likely to hear. An album that neither pulls its punches nor spams its attacks. Blending disparate sonic elements, careful pacing and righteous political fury, it’s a vital album for these trying times. DK

2 Orla Gartland – Everybody Needs A Hero

‘Everybody Needs a Hero’ should help establish Orla Gartland as a blue-ribbon songwriter in the alt-pop universe. If major artists aren’t already lining up looking for Gartland to write them hits, they soon will be. Throw what ever superlatives you like around. This album should be life-changing moment for Orla Gartland. SB

3 Fontaines DC – Romance

‘Romance’ balances both energetic and slow-paced tracks, reflecting a more nuanced and experimental side of Fontaines D.C., without losing their distinct edge. Although some fans might miss the working class heroism of their earlier work, this album is likely to solidify their growing mainstream success. DK

4 Kneecap – Fine Art

Rarely has so much ‘mad for it’ braggadocio been detected outside the DNA helix of the Gallagher brothers, but Kneecap have backed it up for now with a captivating debut album that will antagonise as many people as it pleases. Hang it in the Louvre. SB

5 NewDad – Madra

With ‘Madra’, NewDad have left the lo-fi chrysalis of their Galway bedrooms behind in favour of an ambitious, widescreen rock’n’roll sound. Everything about ‘Madra’ is bigger and better.  Even the album’s quitter moments twinkle with greater clarity than ever before. SB

6 Ciaran Lavery – Light Entertainment

Brimming with clever observations and witty asides, Ciaran Lavery’s fifth studio album ‘Light Entertainment’ is the Northern Irish stalwart’s finest album to date with its mix of dystopian disco boogies and airy reflections on the pomposity of being an artiste in the age of misinformation. SB

7 Sprints – Letter To Self

Dublin quartet Sprints took the world by storm in 2024 with their politically charged debut album ‘Letter To Self’. Karla Chubb bares her soul across 11 diary entries exploring misogyny, depression, sexism, social injustice and the anxiety of living in neo-liberal Ireland where owning your own home has become more of a pipedream than winning the lottery. SB

8 Sack – Wake Up People!

The greatest Irish comeback album of all time, ‘Wake Up People!’ should put other veteran acts on notice: you’ll need to bring your A-game if you want to get back in the ring, or McCann’s croon will smother you. SB

9 Travy & Elzzz – Doghouse

Following their phenomenal debut collaborative effort ‘Full Circle’, expectations were high for the sequel and the drill-duo didn’t disappoint. ‘Doghouse’ upped the anti in terms of production and lyrical content and etched itself into Irish chart history by becoming the first rap album by an Irish act to top the official domestic charts. SB

10 Niamh Bury – Yellow Roses

A simple pureness in its exposition allows Bury’s talent and powerful songwriting and vocals to shine through. Produced by Brían Mac Gloinn of Ye Vagabonds and released through Claddagh Records, ‘Yellow Roses’ takes centre stage as a unique and joyous album. CB

11 Conchúr White – Swirling Violets

Do you have room in your life for another Irish singer/songwriter? If you’re inclined to say ‘no’, who could really blame you? It’s a saturated market in which artists come and go with the frequency and effectiveness of a one season cop show. However, every once in a while, somebody breaks through the herd with something of undeniable quality and Conchúr White’s ‘Swirling Violets’ is such a moment. The Armagh man’s debut album is a dazzling delight of power pop-infused Americana. SB

12 Villagers – That Golden Time

‘That Golden Time’ finds Conor O’Brien reconnecting with the simple sonic flourishes that drew the world to Villagers in the first place. Whether it be accidental nostalgia or tacit decision to take a beat and take stock of his life ‘That Golden Time’ finds O’Brien in a more sombre and reflective mood than on his recent output, returning in large to the classic singer songwriter styles of Dylan and Cohen that permeated his early works. SB

13 Pillow Queens – Name Your Sorrow

Following the release of debut EP ‘Calm Girls’ in 2016, Pillow Queens have made a habit of dropping a significant release every two years. With ‘Name Your Sorrow’, 2024 is no exception. What is exceptional, however, is the consistent quality amidst all the quantity. DK

14 Yenkee – Night Golf

Florence Pough co-signed boi, Yenkee creates a whimsical 18-hole world on his long-awaited debut album ‘Night Golf’. The UK-based Corkonian day-dreamer crafts funky, kitsch, sunkissed sad-bangers with a late 70s/early 80s sheen that never take themselves too seriously. SB

15 Curtisy – What Was The Question

Tallaght rapper Curtisy introduced himself in style with his vivid, cinematic, world-weary, yet cheeky debut album ‘What Was The Question’. Drug-fuelled hi-and-lowjinks unfurl as Curtisy ponders his feelings about his absentee father, depression, anxiety and his desire to make it it as a rapper, go on tour and see the world. As the man says himself “Tallaght has a lot of heart.” SB

16 Holly Macve – Wonderland

Galwegian born singer-songwriter Holly Macve has created a world doused in Lynchian glamour on her third album ‘Wonderland’. Brooding, cinematic tales of love doomed to failure, jilted women and emotionally stunted men are caressed by velvet string sections and haunting piano accompaniments.  Lana Del Rey makes a star turn on ‘Suburban House’ solidifying Macve’s chops as a serious voice in the new wave of Americana songwriters. SB

17 Lemoncello – Lemoncello

Totally unique in its offering, ‘Lemoncello’ poses a cathartic nine track amalgamation of the old and the new. The voices of Kinsella and Quirke intertwine, weaving melodically to create an air of mystic angelicism counteracted starkly with skilfully curated instrumental accompaniment. CB

18 Silverbacks – Easy Being A Winner

Silverbacks have always been a band that have been really hard not to like, and with their new opus their infectious brand of retro-indie pop rock is in full effect, and it is delightful from start to finish. JL

19 Virgins – Nothing Hurt And Everything Was Beautiful

‘Nothing Hurt And Everything Was Beautiful’ the debut album from Belfast shoegaze outfit Virgins is as blissful and ethereal as its title suggests. The phrase is drawn from the closing sentence of Kurt Vonnegut’s classic novel Slaughterhouse Five. And just like the novel’s protagonist Billy Pilgrim, Virgins find themselves unstuck in time with cascading guitars consistently creating a beautiful storm that leaves the listener untethered from terra firma. SB

20 Bricknasty – Xongz

Dublin-based collective Bricknasty’s mixtape Xongz delves into personal struggles across nine tracks, blending 2000s R&B, jazz-rap, and street poetry. The band showcases exceptional musical interplay alongside striking visual elements. ‘Boyfriend’ boasts staccato funk riffs, ‘Mouthy’ is reminiscent of late ’90s UK garage, while ‘Joyrider’ incorporates psychedelic soundscapes. Intimacy permeates the project, with frontman Fatboy expressing gratitude for support during challenging times. Despite underlying hardships, themes of defiance, determination, and gratitude emerge, culminate in a gem of a mixtape. DK