You can't always know that it's a great year for new music while it's happening, but there was a sense from the very start of 2024 that we were in for a ride.

Get ready for albums by Iron & Wine, Kamasi Washington, Tyla, Vampire Weekend and many, many more.

Alynda Segarra examines our frailty and resilience with an unsparing, yet tender cadence. This week on 8 Tracks, NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich looks at lyrics that stand on their own as poetry.