9
9
"All My Happiness Is Gone"
Purple Mountains
"All My Happiness Is Gone"
Purple Mountains
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HONORABLE MENTIONS: ALBUMS
2019 was such a great year for music, I couldn't leave some of the albums I listened to with no mention. While they didn't make my favorites list, here are 7 more albums I think you should also listen to.
Blarf
Cease & Desist
There's so much that could be said about Blarf, yet almost none of it would do it justice. Comedian-extraordinaire Eric André's musical project, Blarf is best summed as audio shitposting disguised as musical pastiche. Purely sample based, the sheer amount of content packed into these songs is impressive. It's definitely experimental, but a track like "Boom Ba" or "Banana" are conventional enough to retain catchiness. Also there's a song called "Badass Bullshit Benjamin Buttons Butthole Assassin", feel like that needs to be noted. Aside from the "fuck you I'm 12 minutes of white noise" song "I Worship Satan", André's musical farts are a worthy way of wasting your time.
Freddie Gibbs & MadLib
Bandana
There aren't many duos as totally in sync as Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are. Together on Bandana, they deliver fifteen killer tracks where the two match each other's talents tit for tat. Madlib can pick samples for beats like no one else, ranging from dreamy to in your face. Freddie's rapping is precision, pinpoint on the reasons these two are badass and why you aren't. There's an underlying sense of humor to the project as well, a necessary underside when you're going so hard on top. It all adds up to one of the better straight up rap albums of the year.
Jeff Goldblum &
The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
I Shouldn't Be Telling You This
Another year, another Jeff Goldblum jazz album that has no business being this good. You can just tell from the music that this isn't a phoned-in sort of deal. Jeff cares deeply about this style of music, and tracks like "The Cat'" and "The Kicker" are straight up stellar smooth jazz songs. The guest features throughout are all on point, from the big names like Fiona Apple to the lesser known singers like Gregory Porter. Jeff ends the album with his own vocals, and in his signature goofy voice, tops off a smooth listen. Jeff isn't here to distract you with his fame, he's just here to play the tunes.
Karen O &
Danger Mouse
Lux Prima
Another team up album consisting of a legendary indie singer and a legendary producer. The real star here is Danger Mouse, whose use of string arrangements brings the most out of Karen O's occasionally flat vocals. Her performances are enough to get the job done over lush instrumentals, but she does bring a fiery performance on "Woman". When the instrumentals are this cosmic and ethereal, I can forgive the vocal shortcomings.
Kim Petras
TURN OFF THE LIGHT
Can we get one of these every Halloween? Kim's dedication to Halloween party music is commendable. TURN OFF THE LIGHT mixes pop music and horror movie tropes to create perfect playlist for any Halloween party. The standard songs never skimp on the imagery, which see Kim killing it over sizzling electropop beats, singing about blood, getting chased by killers, massacres, nightmares and more. Each regular track is split up by an instrumental, which take inspiration from classic horror movie soundtracks to further the Halloween dedication. From the knife noises on "Knives" to the title drop of "Bloody Valentine" and the inclusion of camp horror legend Elvira, Kim spares no expense at this is a frighteningly good time.
Various Artists
The Lego Movie 2 Soundtrack
Unbelievable! Super cool! Outrageous! Amazing! Phenomenal! Fantastic! So incredible! More so than any other movie soundtrack this year, The Lego Movie 2 uses an impressive collection of musicians to create fun tune after fun tune that fit perfectly in the brick world the film creates. It helps to see the movie, of course, but "Super Cool" and "Hello Me & You" are great songs regardless of context. I can only hope there are more Lego Movies in the future, for the great films and great soundtrack alike.
WJSN
As You Wish
The art of the k-pop banger is one that the girls of WJSN have down pat. Outside of the flimsy ballad "LIGHTS UP", As You Wish mixes in electropop, R&B, and more into must hear music. If you aren't vibing along to "Luckitty-cat" or "WW", I don't know what to tell you.