TOP TWENTY ALBUMS OF 2019

Wow, what a whirlwind year it’s been. Before we get started, I thank you for reading. Next year is going to be a little different. As some of you know, I’ve been writing more and more articles for other publications, and I’m currently in the process of planning a move West. All that means less time for this space. I appreciate everyone who has stuck around. Next year, my plan as of now is to dedicate more time to bigger articles. That means that while maybe 15 or so blogs will be posted, they will be scattered. But they will also be more in depth. I’m currently deciding what artists to showcase and deep dive, but they will start right after the turn of the decade. 
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Furthermore, this year’s albums list is as wide of a range of artists as I think I’ve ever had on one of these lists. The big story of the year, obviously, is the huge amount of amazing female acts we’ve seen have success. This list runs the gamut of rock, hip hop, metal, pop, and everything in between. I hope you enjoy!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
BIG THIEF, TWO HANDS
BON IVER, I,I  
FKA TWIGS, MAGDALENE
KAREN O & DANGER MOUSE, LUX PRIMA
KEVIN GATES, I’M HIM  

20 VAGABON: VAGABON
Opening our list of the top twenty is NYC based Vagabon, who this year presented us with a slow tempo sort of record, except accentuating the background with synth beats, quietly driving drums, and a voice that’s better than nearly anyone out there. It’s smooth and elegant in a way most “indie rock” typically isn’t. It’s a short and nice listen at 35 minutes, but it pulls you in for musical snuggles and embrace for the duration. 

19 KIM GORDON: NO HOME RECORD
I never really got into her former band, Sonic Youth, like many of my friends, but this record struck a very unique chord this year, which is why it’s in this list. The album itself is rough, like a long night and an early morning, but it’s also quite atmospheric. The synths, bouncing in your ears like strobe lights in your eyes, pulsate. Just listen to a track like “Don’t Play It,” and tell me this doesn’t fit in a dingy dark glow of a Paris underground club. It’s visceral, anxiety inducing, and amazing all at the same time.
 
18 MAXO KREAM: BRANDON BANKS
At first glance it appears to be yet another hip hop celebrating the excess and alpha masculinity that encompasses much of the genre, but “Brandon Banks” couldn’t be less like those albums if they tried. It’s very personal for much of its duration, and while you’re soaking it in it becomes apparent that we're witnessing a person still chugging through the emotional formative years in the hopes of finishing redemption. Maxo Kream accomplishes all of that and then some. It’s got great hooks, lyrical content that makes you think, and attitude for days, never letting go of the journey Kream is showcasing for all of us to hear. 

17 JAY SOM: ANAK KO
Written during a week of contemplation spent at Joshua Tree, Melina Mae Duterte crafted a midtempo but gorgeously layered pop record that has honestly and depth tucked away under the thin veneer of dream pop. It’s slightly shoe gazy at moments, but it resembles all the work Duterte has done as Jay Som up to this point. It’s a relatively short record that fits perfectly on a sunny day at the park, but the honesty and feelings bleeding through the record let you know it was crafted with flow, patience, and plenty of loyalty to the sound created under the Jay Som moniker. 

16 BAT FOR LASHES: LOST GIRLS
Natasha Khan as Bat for Lashes has made consistently euphoric and thinly veiled pop music for over a decade now, and she never fails to deliver. She’s nowhere near as known as she should be, but the output is so good who cares? “Lost Girls” has this forestry feel to it, with Khans voice simmering until the boil over happens. The rhythmic qualities remind you of a beach at late afternoon, dancing as the glorious day fades into an adventurous evening. She’s never ever middling, but this might end up being one of the better releases. 

15 SUNN O))): LIFE METAL
Recording on analog for the first time, O’Mailey and Anderson, with production by legend Steve Albini, the band embarked on two releases. “Life Metal” is more cathartic and layered than some of their previous releases, but with tracks like “Aurora” it takes a positivity with it that few drone acts can successfully accomplish. It’s a reminder of their almost mystic properties. The mystery and robes aren’t hindering the image of evil either. With this four song, sixty eight minute effort of scorching guitar, more guttural and emphatic than ever before. Long live the gods of drone metal. 

14 CLIPPING.: THERE EXISTED AN ADDICTION TO BLOOD 
Very rarely these days in music does an artist purposely go off the rails in such spectacular measure. Clipping., featuring Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson have taken risks most wouldn’t, and much like with this recent release, those choices have paid off. The album itself is abrasive and violent, with occasional dramatic moments such as early track “Club Down,” alongside the trademark free flow rapping the band is known for. It’s very polarizing, but I think that’s the point. It’s in your face and you don’t want to turn away from it. 

13 REFUSED: WAR MUSIC
Most of the time a reunited band comes back not quite what they were, which initially was true of Refused when they released their first new album in ten or more years. That was a few years back though. This time around vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge have managed to craft an angry, rebellion led attack on the fundamental evils of our world. It’s as potent as anything they did during their initial years as a band, and it shows real growth in their approach to music making. I didn’t really get into it during my first listens, but slowly it captured me and it all made sense. 

12 FOALS: EVERYTHING NOT SAVED WILL BE LOST PTS 1 & 2 Time for some real talk. Earlier in the year I found myself enthralled with the first part of what was meant to be the bands magnum opus. I was ecstatic. It was everything I ever hoped for from a Foals record. Alas, part two, while good, wasn’t nearly as insane for me as the former. I still love it as a package of music and at almost two hours long it is impressive, but there just needed to be more. Tracks like Pt. 1’s opener “Moonlight” are electric and powerful, while others like “In Degrees” pulse with the heavy synth pop Foals has mastered during their career, although this time around it’s more pronounced. 

11 BILLIE EILISH: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO
A little over a year ago, virtually no one knew who this young whipper snapper was, and now, well you already know where this ends. Alongside her brother/ collaborator an album was crafted that eschews much of the typical “pop” sounding songs climbing the charts, yet it sounds more in line with what normal people go through and how we relate to things. It’s bratty at times, snarky and sarcastic, but at the heart of what makes this record so special is how Billie can seem so matured and aware of her surroundings. By this point the album has plenty of sing alongs that we’ve come to obsess over during the last year. “bad guy” laughs in the face of intimidation, while “bury a friend” is the type of electronic song that sounds like it should get formulaic after a little time, even if it never does. It’s a great accomplishment what the Eillish’s have produced and created essentially on their own, and unless things drastically change, I’d say we can antitcipate  Billie getting even bigger in the years that will follow.

10 THOM YORKE: ANIMA
At first, only a few songs stuck out to me, but as I was listening, all the pieces fell into place. “Traffic” vibrates in bright flashing lights, almost like a car crash. Yorkes vocals interweave with the bears, dropping back, lifting up and playing with the melody. The best song of the record, the hauntingly devastating “Dawn Chorus” finds Thom, accompanied by Nigel Godrich, in their most viscerally  cold place. It’s slow but meaningful in its stride, and well, it’s just brilliant. The rest of the album fits right in the world created for “Anima,” but “Dawn” is the high point. I hope he continues on this path, it’s truly marvelous. 

9 LANA DEL REY: NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL
At this point everyone knows how they feel about Lana. Some, like my wife, find her insufferable. I enjoy her, and I think all of her albums have this gentle “old Hollywood” vibe to it, and her voice fits the music perfectly. She’s a little raunchy in lyrical content, but somehow it fits. Not even fits, it works well, song after sing delivers, though some more than others. It’s a little too long, but most of her albums feel like a story (without actually telling a full fleshed out story) just band on how grand the compositions are. She’s found her niche and she makes great albums. What more could you want? 

8 DENZEL CURRY: ZUU
When I initially saw Curry I wasn’t a fan. Over the last two years I’ve been proven wrong, and I couldn’t be happier that my initial impression was incorrect. “ZUU” is a modern rap record done efficiently and brilliantly. The record, clocking in at just under half an hour, is a quick heist of energy from the opening of the title track, to one of the best songs of the year “SHAKE 88,” not to mention the upbeat and raucous “RICKY.” He’s grown so fast as an artist it’s hard to remember that he’s only 24. It’ll be fascinating to see how he matures as his beats and flow get more pronounced. 

7 CHARLY BLISS: YOUNG ENOUGH
Out of nowhere I fell in love with this band, right after seeing them to a cheerful reception earlier this year. A big part of this is due to overwhelming energy from frontwoman Eva Hendricks. She exudes the sort of energy of a confident person without fear, even as she spills her guts out proudly to the world. It’s that type of determination and self reflection that makes “Young Enough” so amazing. The moments of anger on songs like “Camera,” reflect real world problems, but there are moments of vulnerability too. “Under You” is an unsure anthem filled with optimism but also shocked that things are going well. It’s adorable, and it reminds me of myself. It’s this kind of lyrical content that really makes the songs pop, and for that, “Young Enough” gets the number seven spot. 

6 LIZZO: CUZ I LOVE YOU
Finally, there’s a life affirming positive normal looking person representing women and anyone else who needs support. It’s honest, blunt as fuck to be frank, and she proudly flaunts her image, as well as always showing love for yourself and making it a central point of every person. She’s also honest about the struggles of life, from dating to making it and trying and failing. But she continually picks herself back up and gets back to being the best she can. Songs like operatic gangster “Cuz I Love You,” and of course the mega hit “Juice” never fails to deliver. It’s just a great representation of how to feel about yourself. Even tracks like the lovelorn “Jerome” pull in you, like a classic love story gone wrong. Even the sexy album closer “Lingerie” shows a more classy side to an in-your-face talent. Big ladies are humans too, and showing the world that it’s ok to flaunt what you got in a positive way is vitally important to your core. And Lizzo has shown everyone how special we are. 

5 SHARON VAN ETTEN: REMIND ME TOMORROW
Maybe the most depressingly blunt album of the year finds its way all the way to the top five, courtesy of the fierce yet vulnerable Sharon Van Etten. From the opening track “I Told You Everything,” it’s clear this is a personal tragedy on display, but in its execution is where the mastery and brilliance of the album are released into the listener’s subconscious. Yes, the album is about heartbreak and pain, but it’s also about working through the dangers of our past, and how one moment can define a person, if they allow it too. “Comeback Kid” is a galloping triumph that ties into the concept of victory and overcoming hardships, but the real show stealer is my song of the year “Seventeen.” That one is easily the most honest song I’ve heard all year. In short, a great record that propels Van Etten to the next stage of her popularity, and hopefully leaves us dying for more. 

4 BLACK MIDI: SCHLAGENHEIM
Of all the records I was most excited for this year, some unknowns still managed to break through and create what might very well go down as one of the most groundbreaking debut records of the recent pass. From start to finish, Black Midi, hailing from London, devastate the terrain of modern music and humiliate everyone in their paths. It’s brimming with darkness and weird time signatures. But once it’s claws have you there’s no getting out. Led by both Geordie Greep & Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin on vocals and guitars, the band switches gears so often it takes you a few listens to understand what they’re going for, but it’s never a dull ride. With songs that venture from in your face indie rock to punk to ominous post-punk infused madness, the band truly make their mark. It also doesn’t help that the rest of the band Cameron Picton (vocals, bass, synths) and Morgan Simpson (drums) are just as integral to the band's sound as the other musicians. This album is shockingly good, and if you want a taste of what kind of madness this royal band of lunatics has given to the world, I highly suggest you give this record a chance. It’s certainly not for everyone, but for me it stands as one of the best debut albums I’ve listened to in a long long time. 

3 ANGEL OLSEN:  ALL MIRRORS
What a joy it’s been to watch this rise. On her fourth proper album, Olsen regales the dimly lit theaters with her haunting, atmospheric instrumental sections. Balance that with a voice that can go from a quiver to soaring in a few seconds, and you have the makings of an incredible release. “All Mirrors” dazzles with the kind of bitterness one only gets with losing a companion. Through all of the hurt she bounces back from the brink. On opener “Lark” she delves into a mystical playground of danger, fully loaded with cellos and violins. “New Love Cassette” emotes the energy of a hungry prowler late at night, restless but competent, Filled with patience. The album stands as Olsens ultimate achievement up to this point, and it shows just how great she’s always been. She’s just been waiting to properly blow us away.  

2 TOOL: FEAR INOCULUM
​ Wow, so many things happen in thirteen years. So imagine how much a band’s sound can alter itself in that time. It’s a significant album not just because of its brilliance, but also because of just how worth the wait it seemed to be. Personally I love it, and I think it’s masterful. Keenan’s lyrics, especially in more somber themed tracks like “Invincible,” are poignant and well phrased. There’s regret in the record, feeling like you’re now in a business model you can’t keep up with, the industry has changed. They’re older now too, with other responsibilities. But the record itself is a perfect symbol of where they’ve been and whatever they’ve become. A track like “7empest” shouldn’t work, there’s no screaming, but then again there’s not a single scream in the entire record. It’s an incredible song, ending one of the most powerfully heavy records in a long time, and should be revered as such. Much of the album you’ll be focused on Keenan’s trademark cryptic lyrics, but on “Fear Inoculum” you find that record pushes the work of Adam Jones and Danny Carey to the forefront. The drums and guitars are devastating, heavy, perfectly synced up and working of the strengths of the other members. This is the record that belongs not to the vocals, but the wonder and thickness elevating the lyrical content. Tool is a household name in the world of rock music, and at long last they’ve delivered a record worth the wait. 

1 PUP: MORBID STUFF
​One of the best things about art in general is finding things you loved that you didn’t expect to love. That was me in May. I had heard the name PUP for a few years now, but honestly I’m not a big punk rock fan so I never got around to it. That being said, they were coming through New Orleans and some of my favorite people had tickets, so I tagged along. The show was incredible, and immediately after that I dove into the bands previous records. Both early albums are quite good, but “Morbid Stuff” makes the leap from garage punk to the type of punk that can eventually fill giant theaters and headline festivals. The title track, which opens the record is full tilt darkness from the moment you hear Stefan Babcock wax poetic about fist fights, wanting things you gave away, and the reluctance of thinking macabre thoughts. The whole album has what I call “The Shins quality,” which simply boils down to upbeat instrumentation matched with downtrodden, sometimes depressing imagery through the lyrics. “Kids” is a great example. It speaks to love so deep you could burn the world down, but the music is classic pop punk. Everything from the drum beat and the cheerful guitar chorus works opposite the intensity and openness of the record. Music can be somewhat biographic in the way we receive it. Every listener of every song ever has a different idea, and pulls from different things when listening, so it’s natural that I’d be drawn to this. It captures the teenager in me in a way a record hasn’t in a long time. There are moments of perilous agony, increased anxiety during segments like the opening of “Free At Last,” which turns up its nose at all the people who think “just ‘cause you’re sad again” that everything has to revolve around themselves, which isn’t how the world works. This has gone way too long, but hopefully you’re enjoying it and will continue on this with me. 

When I listen to “Morbid Stuff” I’m 23 again, trying to figure out what to say, how to say it, and how I want to be viewed in the world. It has real pain and grit to it, and you can feel the resentment this person feels about anything he’s struggling with. A song like “See You At Your Funeral” is an anthem through and through, and it should be remembered forever but other tracks like “Bloody Mary, Kate & Ashley” are sinister yet jolly with the nonsensical imagery being portrayed. There are moments to be serious, and there are moments to be a little salty and tongue-in-cheek, and PUP understands that. These guys have changed my life, and have given me an outlet for tons of self reflection this year. I’ve been in many of these situations and had these feelings before, though I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one. As PUP, Stefan, Dan, Nestor and Steve have made a pop punk record that every other band to ever be in that genre should be intimidated by and learn from. A masterpiece. The Best album of 2019, “Morbid Stuff,” from the one and only PUP. 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!