I t may be coincidence, or just a reflection of my own state of mind, that this dreadful year’s list of favorite jazz albums leans toward the meditative, the balladic, the Roman

Beth Gibbons, the perpetually forlorn voice of Portishead, returned with a gorgeously melancholy album reflecting on time, mortality, loss, climate change and the inevitable fragility of human connections. The tracks set folky guitars against somber orchestral arrangements that often hint at Bollywood as well as Britain, invoking a world of woe.

Of all the genres we cover at Pitchfork, rock might be the most elusive. What qualifies it, exactly? If it rips and shreds, surely it must rock. But what if it has trap beats and AutoTune, or if it ripples with wordless,

Discover Rolling Stone’s top 100 albums of 2024, featuring Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and more. Explore highlights and community reflections.