September 2024 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month

Featuring LL Cool J, Blu & Exile, and Nala Sinephro, here are the best albums that came out in September of 2024.

Keeping up with the nonstop stream of new music, especially with the rise of surprise drops, can be quite overwhelming. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of the ten albums from September 2024 that truly captured our attention. Admittedly, some fantastic releases slipped through the cracks or weren’t given enough time to shine on this list. We’d love to hear your top picks from last month—share them in the comments below. Please continue reading for our thoughtfully selected list, presented without any particular ranking.

LL Cool J: The FORCE

The eagerly anticipated return of LL Cool J arrives with his latest album, The FORCE. Produced by the venerable Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest fame, this offering represents a fresh chapter in LL’s multifaceted 40-year career. Throughout the album, LL’s lyricism hasn’t lost a step. “Passion” impresses with cultural references, braggadocio, and street wisdom layered over a Herbie Hancock sample deftly reworked by Q-Tip. “Murdergram Deux” pits LL against Eminem in a display of wordplay and competitive spirit that highlights their unique strengths. Other standouts include the storytelling of “30 Decembers,” the celebration of African American culture in “Black Code Suite,” and the spiritual themes merged with social commentary on “Praise Him,” featuring a show-stealing verse from Nas. Q-Tip’s diverse production, spanning boom bap, uptempo beats, and hard-hitting tracks, provides a cohesive and refreshed sound. The album’s concise yet impactful nature leaves us hoping for further collaborations between these two influential figures in hip-hop history.

Blu & Exile: Love (the) Ominous World

Blu and Exile reaffirm their status as a powerful force in underground hip-hop with their latest album, Love (the) Ominous World. Exile’s production, featuring impressive disc scratching and dynamic drum arrangements, shines throughout. Blu’s confidence permeates every song, especially noticeable on “Gold,” “Chucks,” and “Undisputed,” one of the album’s strongest tracks. With notable features and both artists at their best, this release represents a triumphant return for the duo. Fans of their earlier work will find this album refreshing and satisfying. For those who appreciate high-caliber underground hip-hop, this is essential listening.

Nala Sinephro: Endlessness

With Endlessness, Nala Sinephro continues her unique fusion of spiritual jazz and ambient music. She presents a cycle in which each piece bears a consecutively numbered title: “Continuum.” The album’s opening track introduces Sinephro’s modular synthesizers with a gentle radiance. Despite the serpentine drums, the composition maintains a tranquil pace, complemented by gradually expanding strings and saxophone. “Continuum 3” marries elegant harp notes with dazzling synthesizer solos, while two brief, hazy interludes set the stage for “Continuum 6.” This latter piece exhilarates with its rapid arpeggios and optimistic energy. Sinephro’s ensemble for Endlessness includes familiar collaborators such as keyboardist Lyle Barton and saxophonist Nubya Garcia. New additions enhance the mix: Morgan Simpson of Black Midi on drums, Sheila Maurice-Grey (of Kokoroko and Nérija fame) on trumpet, and the string collective Orchestrate. It solidifies her position as an artist capable of creating expansively transcendent soundscapes.

Nubya Garcia: Odyssey

After contributing to various recordings since her acclaimed 2020 debut Source, Nubya Garcia returns with her second album, Odyssey. Known for her significant role in London’s dynamic jazz scene, she continues to honor jazz traditions while evolving the genre. She collaborates again with her core band members: Joe Armon-Jones on keys, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums. Together, they create spiritual jazz pieces that echo the classics of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Guest vocalists such as esperanza spalding, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Richie join her to explore neo-soul and R&B influences. The track “Triumphance” ventures into dub and reggae, while “Water’s Path” incorporates elements of modern classical music. She reimagines these genres through a jazz perspective by integrating hip-hop and electronic music into live-band arrangements. In a year filled with outstanding crossover albums from artists like Kamasi Washington, Shabaka, and the recently released Nala Sinephro project featuring Nubya herself, this album reasserts her prominence as a rising crossover star.

Bilal: Adjust Brightness

The continuous evolution of Bilal’s musical oeuvre is particularly manifest in his recent album, Adjust Brightness, which exemplifies his sustained commitment to innovation within contemporary music. This album synthesizes elements of soul and funk with electronic soundscapes, resulting in a unique and avant-garde soundscape. Bilal adeptly juxtaposes experimental techniques with his foundational soulful aesthetic, a synthesis prominently displayed in tracks such as “Lay You Around” and “Conditional.” This signifies a nuanced refinement of Bilal’s musical identity, offering a renewed articulation of his artistry that reflects his historical roots and progressive vision. By integrating diverse musical genres and thematic concerns, Bilal expands the boundaries of his work, although some may argue that the experimental elements may not resonate with all audiences.

Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching

Ezra Collective’s third album, Dance, No One’s Watching, constitutes an important addition to contemporary jazz, illustrating the ensemble’s adeptness at integrating many musical influences. Methodically partitioned into four distinct sections, each characterized by unique atmospheres and rhythmic patterns. Opening with energetic compositions that invite movement through upbeat tempos and lively melodies, the album transitions into more subdued, lounge-inspired tracks as it progresses. This deliberate structuring highlights the group’s versatility and creates a cohesive narrative arc throughout the 19 tracks. Interludes strategically placed between sections unify the album’s diverse components, maintaining continuity while allowing for reflection. Adding live performance sound bites and addresses to audiences imbues the record with organic authenticity, belaboring the ensemble’s roots in live improvisation.

Okay Kaya: Oh My God - That’s So Me

Okay Kaya’s skillful songwriting, enveloping melodies, and ability to conjure moods are evident in Oh My God. Throughout the album, Kaya’s vulnerability is underscored by a sense of impending destruction lurking at the margins. This is particularly evident in “My Berenice,” a deceptively pure and loving tale of obsession and heartbreak that escalates into hysteria by its end. Her rendition of Shirley Collins’ 1960 song “Space Girl” (subtitled “(Shirley’s)”) is a timely caution against the seductive allure of space technology. Meanwhile, “And I Have a Blessed Life” is a persistent chant of gratitude amid evocations of dread and powerful bass. The album culminates in an ecstatic finale with the line “Life is Nietzsche on the beach/And then you die,” capturing the tender, humorous, and peculiar nature of Kaya’s songs on Oh My God. Though presented in a softer light compared to her previous works, the tracks remain unsettling and thought-provoking.

Nilüfer Yanya: My Method Actor

My Method Actor presents a deeply personal examination of discomfort, showcasing restrained yet impactful musical arrangements and candid, sometimes unsettling lyrics by Nilüfer Yanya. The album delves into themes of unease, particularly in tracks like “Like I Say (I Runaway)” and “Made Out of Memory.” “Binding,” another notable track, simplifies the instrumentation to its core elements, aligning with Yanya’s gentle yet powerful vocal delivery. The sparse arrangement—including a simple drum line, pedal steel, and acoustic guitar—complements her introspective lyrics that could reference a car accident, substance use, or the end of a relationship. Yanya admitted in an interview that she is unsure about the song’s exact meaning but highlighted themes of escapism and dissociation. This ambiguity mirrors the album’s broader motifs of searching for peace amid turmoil. My Method Actor confronts discomfort with empathy rather than spite.

Gallant: Zinc.

The title Zinc—referring to an antioxidant known for its wound-healing properties—symbolizes not the album’s curative effect on the audience but rather Gallant’s quest for personal remedy. This theme is poignantly articulated in tracks such as “Siberia,” where he offers “cold comfort” with imagery of “seizures and chills, like a poisonous pill,” revealing an exploration of self-pity that is rendered with striking gracefulness, amplified by his emotive falsetto. Central to the album’s depth is Gallant’s collaboration with Ariza, an incendiary piece that, while fraught with regret and lacking resolution, showcases their collective artistic abilities. Gallant remains an open book, utilizing his remarkably elegant voice to explore these themes, and in doing so, he crafts an album that is as introspective as it is musically engaging.

Leon Thomas: Mutt

Leon Thomas examines his personal experiences with imperfection in life and relationships on his second studio album, Mutt. Throughout the album, Thomas scrutinizes the aftermath of the past year’s challenges in love and existence, analyzing the residual effects on his personal growth. In Mutt, he revisits moments from a former relationship, reflecting on the flawed behaviors exhibited by himself and his ex-partner. Through emotionally resonant ballads such as “I Do” and “Yes It Is,” Thomas explores the asymmetries in love, attributing causality to his own actions and those of his partner. Collaborations with artists such as Masego on “Lucid Dreams” and Wale on “Feelings On Silent” further examine the challenges of disentangling oneself from past turmoil and the effort to progress beyond lingering discord.