The time has finally arrived for everyone’s favorite holiday tradition: The Best of Caustic 2024! It has been a long journey with plenty of magical releases that made the soundtrack to this year a beautiful and diverse one. Of all the Caustics done this year, picking 15 of the best is no easy task, and it’s easy to feel behind after only missing one week. That’s why we are proud to present the 15 most memorable songs to be featured on Caustic as we wrap up 2024 with a retrospective on all the wonderful music we had the honor of including in our weekly round-up. As always, thank you for tuning in weekly and sharing these listening experiences with us.
Without further ado, Glide presents our 15 greatest Caustic moments of 2024.
IDLES – “Roy”
TANGK
Post-punk icon IDLES inject soulful melodies and moments of gratitude on their ambitious and stunning new album, TANGK. Released in February, IDLES’s latest album is filled with sonic risks that pay off tremendously as the band weaves new sonic territories into their already uniquely fierce sound. “Roy” is just a hint at the new IDLES, a murky ballad with crescendos that burst like fireworks, only for things to settle into chugging minimalism quickly.
Amyl and The Sniffers – “Doing In Me Head”
Cartoon Darkness
Australian-based band Amyl and The Sniffers prove to be far more than the average punk enthusiast on their sprawling 2024 album, Cartoon Darkness. The tracklist shifts from subtle psychedelia to thrashing punk in the blink of an eye, allowing the band to keep one foot in their roots and another in their lofty sonic visions. “Doing In Me Head” leans more to the heavy punk side as dense distortion welcomes you to an acrobatic vocal performance that refreshingly delivers angsty poetry.
Angelo Outlaw – “Speed of Light”
Axis of Time
Philadelphia’s latest jazz sensation has provided us with another whimsical arrangement from his 2024 LP. Axis of Time is a landmark jazz release this year, and “Speed of Light,” a lead single from the album, further proves this sentiment. Melodies crash around you like the chlorine water after a cannonball as Outlaw arranges a free-flowing jazz instrumental that harkens back to the genre’s past as much as it looks toward the future.
Brittany Howard – “I Don’t”
What Now
The highly anticipated follow-up to her 2019 debut, Brittany Howard, proves her creativity to be limitless. What Now is a psychedelic soul outing that relies on tropes from gospel as much as it does extermination. “I Don’t” is just one example of why you should sprint to this record. Howard’s falsettos glide over a funky yet subtle arrangement for a listening experience more akin to watching a lava lamp than anything else.
DJ Harrison – “Together”
Shades of Yesterday
Butcher Brown’s DJ Harrison yet again ventures out on his own for an LP of covers, all lined with his unique take on modern jazz and soul. Released in February on Stones Throw Records, Shades of Yesterday is a delightfully light-hearted outing with covers of The Ohio Players and Donald Fagen. “Together” is Harrison’s stunning take on the Ohio Players classic as his vocal range reaches new heights over gentle horns and jazzy drums.
Man Man – “Cryptoad”
Carrot On Strings
The eccentric and unpredictable Man Man, led by Ryan Kattner, returns with another ambitious album to add to their ever-growing collage of a discography. Carrot On Strings has Kattner unleashing a world of heavy emotions over more traditional styles than fans might be used to, but don’t let that distract you from the magic of this LP. Man Man pieced together a kaleidoscope of an album Kattner uses to address seemingly every thought that crossed their mind. “Cryptoad” features sliding guitars that accent songwriting of not fitting in and never wanting to in the first place. It is about finding solace in being anti-social and growing tired of pretending.
Pissed Jeans – “Everywhere Is Bad”
Half Divorced
Pissed Jeans has found a way to elevate their ferocious punk and cheeky songwriting on their brand new album Half Divorced. The 12-track LP has the band navigating their chaotic textures with nuanced grace and blunt yet honest lyrics. “Everywhere Is Bad” is precisely how it sounds: larger-than-life guitar melodies crash around chanting melodies for a freight train of a song.
Shabaka – “End of Innocence”
Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace
Jazz will always be in good hands as long as the fearlessly creative and ever-mind-expanding music of Shabaka is released. The artist has been involved in some of this generation’s most groundbreaking jazz music, and it is time for him to step into the spotlight on his new solo album. “End of Innocence” is one of the lead singles from Shabaka’s Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, and is lined with gentle syncopation driven by Shabaka’s mesmerizing flute melodies.
Squid – “Crispy Skin”
Cowards
Post-punk provocateurs Squid return triumphantly with the announcement of their third studio album and a spellbinding lead single. Cowards is set to be released on February 7, and the six-minute sonic odyssey, “Crispy Skin,” is our first preview of the anticipated release. The lead single is an ever-evolving organism that keeps one foot in Squid’s past and another in the threshold of a more expansive sound. What starts as an ode to their previous releases slowly transitions into a looser and more melodic approach, allowing the band to begin preparing fans for the unexpected on Cowards.
Waxahatchee – “Lone Star Lake”
Tigers Blood
The new, highly anticipated Waxahatchee album was released in 2024 with a world-stopping and genre-shifting presence, and saying it didn’t disappoint would be an understatement. The artist’s unique take on modern country results in twangy guitar balladry and songwriting that reveals moving poetry. “Lone Star Lake” showcases the artist’s ability to craft and deliver a narrative via soul-baring melodies.
Melvins – “Allergic to Food”
Tarantula Heart
Melvins released a terrific LP deep into their career in 2024, and one of the lead singles continues to impress with every listen. “Allergic to Food” slams on the gas and doesn’t let go. Harmonious chaos explodes from the vocals with screeching guitar tones and neck-breaking drum patterns, all acting as a canvas for some poetically blunt songwriting.
Blvck Hippie – “Freeform Locs”
Basketball Camp
The highly anticipated sophomore effort from the Memphis alt-rock band Blvck Hippie made a splash in 2024, and it should be an album you quickly add to your “must listen” list before the year ends. Basketball Camp is an 11-song exploration into accepting the past and loving your present self. The band employs a wide range of rock stylings to deliver their uplifting message, and “Freeform Locs” leans to the side of a soft-rock ballad. A moving vocal performance that switches from a soothing serenade to a throat-scratching performance as masterful guitar work accents the warping vocals.
NxWorries – “KeepHer” (Feat. Thundercat)
Why Lawd?
After eight long years, the duo of Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge released one of the year’s most anticipated albums in the form of soulful, hip-hop-tinged balladry. Why Lawd wastes no time grabbing your attention. The 19-track LP showcases the maturity of both artists as Knxwledge’s sleek approach to production collides with .Paak’s poetic approach to braggadocious rhymes and love songs. “KeepHer” is a subtly groovy breakup tune with bassist Thundercat adding his prowess of the instrumental to juxtapose .Paak’s rugged delivery and heartbreaking lyrics.
Erick the Architect – “CA$HMERE TEAR$”
I’ve Never Been Here Before: The Director’s Cut
Earlier this year, Flatbush Zombies member Erick the Architect released his proper debut album to wide critical acclaim, and now we’re getting an expanded edition. I’ve Never Been Here Before: The Director’s Cut added more depth to an already sonic complex outing from a modern renaissance man, and “CA$HMERE TEAR$” is a stand-out single from the deluxe. The single has the artist delivering head-spinning rhyme schemes over a horn-driven instrumental for a song that could make waves in the 90s the same way it is destined to create a modern buzz for Erick the Architect.
Your Old Droog & Madlib – “DBZ” (Feat. Method Man & Denzel Curry)
Single
Initially, we speculated that this single would be a cut from the much talked-out Your Old Droog and Madlib collab album the two have been teasing for years. While the collaboration project didn’t come to fruition in 2024, Droog teamed up with Madlib for this particularly mesmerizing hip-hop performance. “DBZ” as Droog trading verses with two legends, Method Man and Denzel Curry, as the trio stunningly showcases their singularity.
