There’s no doubt Australian music has its back against the ropes right now. Even with the ARIAs just gone celebrating the country’s music landscape at large, there are still mounting issues ranging from venue closures to waning support – which has almost made many artists want to get out of the industry entirely. Still there’s also no doubt that Australian music will continue to come back out swinging when it’s painted into a corner. There’s simply too much at stake.
- READ MORE: G Flip on their new album ‘Drummer’, their six ARIA nominations and becoming the queer non-binary rolemodel they always wanted
As 2023 draws to a close and we look ahead to the new year, here are 13 albums that are set to keep the first quarter of 2024 a busy period of concentrated Australian music listening (plus two that will no doubt take the country by storm whenever they show up).
What’s on offer here is an array of different genres, sounds, cultures, approaches and journeys. Some acts are just beginning, eager to make a name for themselves and rise through the ranks. Others are veterans, who have had their moment in the sun but are still working to build their already established legacy. Some take to loud guitars to express themselves, others to Ableton. Some sing in English, others in Indigenous language. Some albums want you to dance, others want you to think; some might even get away with doing both at the same time.
No matter their differences, however, every album is a reflection of the bigger picture of Australian music – testament to its diversity, ambition and overall quality. Whether you’re after the next big thing or are curious to see if those that have been round the block a few times have still got it, there’s plenty to dig into here. Let’s get stuck in.
David James Young
Shannen James
‘Patchwork’
Shannen James’ 2020 EP ‘Arrows’ was a classic stitch-up: warm pop-rock destined for summer days outdoors, released when no-one could leave their house. Nevertheless, James persisted. A string of increasingly-excellent singles followed in its wake, with several notching up over a million streams. It’s all leading to James’ all-important debut, and no expense has been spared. From Hatchie co-writes to Pip Norman production, this feels like James’ big pop moment.
Shannen James’ ‘Patchwork’ is out February 2 via Ivy League Records.
Jessica Mauboy
‘Yours Forever’
Beloved as a big-sister figure coaching on The Voice Australia since 2021, Jessica Mauboy’s TV commitments seemed to put her own music in the backseat. If last year’s gridlocked groover ‘Automatic’ was anything to go by, however, Mauboy has unfinished business on record. ‘Yours Forever’ will arrive almost five years after predecessor ‘Hilda’, but it’s testament to Mauboy’s staying power that the record plays out like she never truly left.
Jessica Mauboy’s ‘Yours Forever’ is out February 9 via Jamally/Warner.
Velvet Trip
‘Harmony Blooms’
The creative partnership of singer-songwriter Zeppelin Hamilton (real name, no gimmicks) and ex-Julia Jacklin drummer Clayton Allen, Velvet Trip are psych-rockers whose ambitions lie beyond merely mining the past: It’s a passion project full of bottomless jam sessions and blissful grooves. Now, five years into the band’s existence, they’re ready to share their debut album. Give Velvet Trip their flowers.
Velvet Trip’s ‘Harmony Blooms’ is out February 9 independently.
Royel Otis
‘Pratts & Pain’
Royel Otis are coming off their biggest year yet: a sold-out tour, an ARIA nomination and cracking the top 50 with their excellent ‘Sofa Kings’ EP.
- READ MORE: Royel Otis are bringing a radically positive vision to Australia’s guitar scene
The stage is now set for their debut album, which has been described as the proper culmination of the pair’s lifelong journey as best friends. In-demand indie producer Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C.) is behind the boards – expect his Midas touch to continue.
Royel Otis’ ‘Pratts & Pain’ is out February 16 via Ourness.
Middle Kids
‘Faith Crisis Pt 1’
With 2021’s ‘Today We’re The Greatest’, Sydney’s Middle Kids confidently overcame Second Album Syndrome by making a record leagues better than their first. Mission accomplished. So, what now?
- READ MORE: Middle Kids on their new album ‘Today We’re The Greatest’: “We know who we are, and this is it”
‘Faith Crisis’, apparently the first in a series of new releases, is already poised to expand on the trio’s heart-on-sleeve pop-rock: The slow, warm ‘Bootleg Firecracker’ and the urgent ‘Highlands’ are just a taste of what’s to come. Have faith in them.
Middle Kids’ ‘Faith Crisis Pt 1’ is out February 16 via EMI Music Australia.
Yirinda
‘Yirinda’
Previously best known for featuring on fellow Butchulla man Birdz‘s powerful single ‘Bagi-la-m Bargan’, 2023 has proven Fred Leone is no sidekick. Performing at the Sydney Opera House and the AFL Grand Final, the singer-songwriter and storyteller is carrying on the tradition and keeping alive the near-extinct language of his people in remarkable fashion. This eponymous debut pairs Leone with composer Sam Pankhurst, in turn blending Butchulla songlines with stirring orchestration. A wholly unique listening experience awaits.
Yirinda’s self-titled album is out February 16 via Chapter Music.
The Terrys
‘Skate Pop’
In the spirit of Acca Dacca or Barnesy, The Terrys have already earned themselves a nickname: The Tezzas. It speaks to their affable everyman nature, as well as the surfer-boy charm that’s landed them sold-out tours and Hottest 100 placements this early on.
- READ MORE: The Terrys: “We play whatever we’re feeling, whatever that feeling is”
‘Skate Pop’ is their follow-up to their 2022 debut’ ‘True Colour’, and sees the Gerringong quintet double-down on their lackadaisical jangle and beer-raising choruses. You’ve gotta get around ’em.
The Terrys’ ‘Skate Pop’ is out February 23 independently.
Donny Benét
‘Infinite Desires’
Australian music’s longtime lothario Donny Benét has fine-tuned his pitch-perfect blend of cheese and sleaze into something truly irresistible. (Even megastars like The Weeknd shout him out.)
- READ MORE: Donny Benét: “I’m not interested in carbon-copy pastiches of ’80s music”
‘Infinite Desires’ will likely offer more of the same synth-wielding come-ons and neck-popping grooves as his previous albums. There’s a fun twist, too: ‘Desires’ will be released on Benét’s own independent label, Donnyland which should mean the purest, most unadulterated Don yet.
Donny Benét’s ‘Infinite Desires’ is out February 29 via Donnyland Records.
Obscura Hail
‘Playing Dead’
Obscura Hail have undergone myriad changes since their mid-2000s inception, from a solo bedroom project in small-town NSW to a full three-piece band in big-city Melbourne. ‘Playing Dead’, their debut full-band album, charts and celebrates this artistic evolution while never losing sight of their dark, freak-folk origins. Expect more idiosyncratic, harmonic and eccentric indie-rock, as displayed on the driving lead-single title track, plus plenty more surprises where that came from.
Obscura Hail’s ‘Playing Dead’ is out March 1 via Remote Control Records.
Mildlife
‘Chorus’
With a seemingly-endless groove in their system, Mildlife’s music is the perfect soundtrack to both roller-discos and acid trips. Album three, ‘Chorus’, sits comfortably in the Venn diagram between the two.
- READ MORE: Mildlife: Möbius strip funk conjurers dream in the face of tech dystopia
The seven-track LP was born out of the Melbourne quartet’s elongated jam sessions in their studio space, finding joy in spontaneity and taking their musical odyssey to a higher plane. Get ready to ascend with Mildlife.
Mildlife’s ‘Chorus’ is out March 1 via [PIAS] Australia.
Peter Garrett
‘The True North’
When Midnight Oil ended their final tour, their members insisted they weren’t done with music altogether. And true enough, frontman Peter Garrett has resumed his solo career, picking up more or less exactly where the Oils’ excellent ‘Resist’ left off. With political convictions laid bare and Garrett’s unmistakable voice front and centre, expect another state-of-the-union address from a performer that’s been giving them since before most of you were born.
Peter Garrett’s ‘The True North’ is out March 15 via Sony Music Australia.
Kita Alexander
‘Young In Love’
Since initially emerging in the mid-2010s, Kita Alexander has boasted grand pop ambition through lush, harmonic choruses and pristine production. Each EP to date has brimmed with potential – all of which seems to be fully realised on Alexander’s long-awaited debut album. True to its title, ‘Young In Love’ is a portrayal of the artist as a hopeless (yet hopeful) romantic, finding beauty in negative spaces. Relatable, delectable and borderline undeniable.
Kita Alexander’s ‘Young In Love’ is out March 22 via Warner Music Australia.
Logic1000
‘Mother’
Over lockdown, Samantha Poulter – the DJ/producer best known as Logic1000 – gave birth to her first child. On the surface, that’s what her debut album ‘Mother’ centres on. The reality is, however, it’s a personal bond that goes deeper.
- READ MORE: Life gave Logic1000 lemons – so she made bangers
There’s darkness through battles with schizophrenia, but also an innate sense of love for music and her family. ‘Mother’ is a euphoric, essential deep-house record buzzing with new life.
Logic1000’s ‘Mother’ is out March 22 via Therapy/Because Music.
The Veronicas
‘Gothic Summer’
Of all the Australian pop stars that ruled the mid-2000s, few could have predicted The Veronicas would still be standing nearly 20 years later. Through constant reinvention and refreshing self-awareness, Jess and Lisa Origliasso have remained within the cultural conversation. Hell, without so much a release date, they’ve gotten chins wagging: ‘Gothic Summer’ already offers a racy album cover, plus a return-to-form banger in lead single ‘Perfect’. Hook us up for more.
The Veronica’s ‘Gothic Summer’ is out in 2024 via Big Noise.
3%
TBA
Indigenous hip-hop supergroup 3% are here on promise alone. Firebrand MCs Nooky and Dallas Woods linked up with vocalist Angus Field, turning heads with their incendiary single (and Presets flip) ‘Our People’. Their first show took place at October’s SXSW Sydney, with Chance The Rapper looking on, and they’re already looking ahead to a tour – performing to incarcerated audiences in Victorian prisons – and a debut album in 2024. This music is for and by the people.
3%’s debut album is out in 2024 via 1788 Records.
