Top EPs of 2024

Before we dive into our top full-length albums of the year, let’s focus on some of the great short form works that came out in 2024. These collections made the most of their limited run time, packing under thirty minutes of musical goodness in. While there were many more great ones released this year, these are five favorites.

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1. Wax Owls – Cowboy Cologne

The L.A. band Wax Owls attained sweet, folk-rock perfection with these five songs. Tracks like “Ladybug Season” has gorgeous choral harmonies in the vein of Fleet Foxes and Darlingside, and the emotion in the songs washes over you with warmth. And the guitar harmonics on “Overpriced Buffet” sounds like The Edge going acoustic.

2. Reddy Hollow – Paper Days

It’s always refreshing to discover a new group as they are just getting started, but who you can tell are already headed for great things. That’s what I felt the moment I heard New York duo Reddy Hollow’s excellent title track from their debut EP. As mentioned in my review, the band mine classic R&B rhythms and Beach Boys harmonies, and inject them into a modern rock template. The results are a blast of feel-good rock n’ roll.

3. Holly Humberstone – Work in Progress

The much-hyped British songstress proved why she was selling out shows on both sides of the pond with this striking EP. Songs like “Easy Tiger” are quietly devastating, while “Dive” and “Down Swinging” reveals her savviness for adult pop songwriting. Believe the hype.

4. Bon Iver – Sable,

While only three songs (four if you count the twelve second intro track), Bon Iver‘s return to his original style of succinct, folk songwriting was a very welcome addition to the Fall. “Speyside” is a new classic for his repertoire, and “Things Behind Things Behind Things” has a perfect blend of warmth and haunting wistfulness.

5. Baby Rose x BadBadNotGood – Slow Burn

This collaboration EP from soul singer Baby Rose and jazz ensemble BadBadNotGood definitely took me by surprise. “Caroline” sounds like a lost 60’s pop gem that Burt Bacharach would have written, while “One Last Dance” is a gentle soul waltz that but the spotlight on Rose’s robust vocal talents.

Listen to all of these excellent EPs in our Top EPs of 2024 Playlist!