Top 50 Albums | bestmusic2019

TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2019

As with any year that caps a decade, 2019 did its best to end things on a high note. Some artists became next level, while others returned to center. Fears were inoculated, meanings were left and rats' nests were infested. We had Ghost, we had Ghosteen, and we had "ghostin". We had welcome returns (Chromatics, Vampire Weekend), sad goodbyes (Ric Ocasek), and in some cases, both (David Berman). And somehow, I feel like I'm still waiting for Jesus Is King. In the end, these are the 50 albums from this year I couldn't get enough of.

50

Coldplay

Everyday Life

Let's start with a pleasant surprise, shall we? After years of giving in to modern trends, Coldplay's latest brings back their soul. Stylistically lush and influenced by world music, this is the freshest the band has sounded in over a decade. The main single-worthy songs are all well written and supremely catchy, and the willingness to experiment with song structure is much appreciated. "Arabesque" and "Champion Of The World" perfectly capture this new Coldplay, with the former experimenting in Arabic sound and the latter nailing pop rock perfection. Even if the lyricism is predictably shallow, Everyday Life is a major upgrade to the Imagine Dragons-lite Coldplay had become.

49

Holiday Sidewinder

Forever or Whatever

The Australian Madonna's full length plays into all of her strengths. Forever or Whatever collects Holiday's previous singles and adds a few new typically sexually-charged pop songs. The DIY sound of the project both harkens back to the obvious 80's pop influences while making these songs seem lovingly crafted in a smaller setting. Despite that homemade quality these songs are glitzy sound radio friendly... until you pay attention to the lyrics. Holiday's escapades with men, money, and of course, sex are borderline TMI, but with the fun she's having, you can't help but have some too.

48

Friendly Fires

Inflorescent

One of the smoothest listens of the year, Friendly Fires' brand of dance-infused pop music is infectious. Each song moves through groovy synthesizer beats, each creating their own mini-dance floor worth inhabiting. Be it the vocal bops on "Silhouettes", the deep house elements on "Can't Wait Forever", or tropical dance bliss on "Love Like Waves", Friendly Fires know how to keep the party moving. It all blossoms into a colorful time, much like the album title suggests.

47

Bruce Springsteen

Western Stars

For a guy from New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen sure knows how to paint a loving portrait of the American West. With lush, sweeping string instrumentation and a genuine interest in the themes of his subject matter, The Boss' attempt at Western fantasy flies high. If it does often get lost in Boomer nostalgia, it makes up with plenty of great tunes and a rejuvenated Springsteen on vocals. He hasn't sounded this great in years, and his legendary stature adds to the credence of the characters he creates. It all makes Western Stars a fine soundtrack a the dream of the American West.

46

Red Velvet

'The ReVe Festival' Day 1 & 2

A bit of a cheat, but each of the EPs in the 'ReVe Festival" trilogy wrap up together into a marvelous k-pop experience. From the bouncy "Sunny Side Up!" to the smooth R&B-inspired "Love Is The Way" to the bonkers "Zimzalabim" & "Umpah Umpah", Red Velvet ace each style they try. The girls' chemistry is stronger than ever, and the festival moniker is fitting. These EPs are a party throughout, where fun is standard and fireworks are plenty. Now where's Part 3???

45

Taylor Swift

Lover

Past her innate desire to stir up drama, Taylor Swift can still write a great pop song. On Lover, she's written a lot of them. Lover is a rare album where having so many good to great tracks outweighs the stinkers (and the stinkers are real bad). Jack Antonoff's production wizardry melds modern pop sounds with a slight country tinge, matching Taylor to a T on standouts like "Cruel Summer". I can't forget the positively sweet "Paper Rings" and "Lover", or the emotional "Soon You'll Get Better". Quality deep cuts like "Cornelia Street" and "It's Nice To Have A Friend" give the tracklist some depth rather than stretching it out, and in turn make Lover a great pop album. I never thought I'd be commending and defending Taylor Swift in 2019, and yet, here I am.

44

Swans

leaving meaning.

After years of explosive experimental rock, Michael Gira's reformed Swans slow down considerably on leaving meaning., their 15th(!) album. Pulling more from folk and gothic country, this is a slow, meditative experience, but still a compelling listen. Swans' penchant for slow growers lives on with the masterful "It's Coming It's Real", while the potent energy of To Be Kind still appears on "Sunfucker". Gira's vocals calmly guide you through this ethereal soundscapes, like Charon through the River Styx. It's a change of pace, yet the calm is almost as haunting as any of Swans' most brutal output.

43

Crumb

Jinx

Bedroom pop exploded in 2019, and Crumb was at the forefront. With crisp drumming as the backbone of these pleasant melodies, it's easy to find yourself lost in these songs. The influence of jazz is also apparent, and it mixes well with the hazy production. Lila Ramani's vocals are suitably chill, and her lyrics would be anxiety-inducing if the music itself wasn't so relaxing. It's the type of music you and your friends vibe out to in college. Or, when you're bored at work. Either works.

42

Foals

Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost

Foals had themselves a busy year, with two full length albums and 20 songs to take in. The first part of their duology stands out as the best, as it showcases the band at their most frenetic. The band's brand of arena-sized dance-punk opens wide up on the big "Exits". Jittery earworms like "In Degrees" and "On The Luna" bring the catchy heat, with the latter dabbling a bit into math rock. Harder moments like "White Onions" are equally as great. Even in a world with a revived LCD Soundsystem, Foals have carved an enjoyable niche in the genre.

41

LCD Soundsystem

electric lady sessions

Speaking of LCD, a big part of their music has been their live performances. The band is more raw, more kinetic when playing in front of a raucous audience, and electric lady sessions captures that energy well. Familiar hits like "Home" and "Get Innocuous" gain a new life while keeping the same potency that made them great to begin with. Cuts from American Dream get down to their new wave influences in a good way, like "tonite" and "oh baby". Throw in some conscious, relevant cover songs (with Nancy Whang vocals!) and this makes for a fine addition to LCD's live recordings.

40

Stella Donnelly

Beware Of The Dogs

In a year with so many great female singer/songwriter records, Stella Donnelly stood out with the most immediate personality. Beware Of The Dogs is full of wit and sarcasm, with many punchy tunes about the shitty men in and around her life. She's spunky but never obnoxious, and some lines are laugh out loud funny. When the time comes, she brings forth topics like abuse with a careful touch. It took a lot to stand out this year on the singer/songwriter front, but Stella did more than enough.

39

Pond

Tasmania

When Tame Impala was only teasing us with new material this year, Pond stepped in to deliver the good psychedelic Australian rock we so desperately craved. Though it's nothing mind-bending or terribly original, Pond's knack for colorful, melodic psychedelia keeps Tasmania intriguing throughout. Highlights like the shifty opener "Daisy", the synth-drenched "Hand Mouth Dancer" or the Odyssean "Burnt Out Star" move everything along at a brisk pace. Even without its biggest act, the Land Down Under still had the ammo to fire off good psych-rock.

38

King Gizzard and the

Lizard Wizard

Fishing For Fishies

Fishing For Fishies finds these Australian chameleons diving right into 70's boogie rock, and boogie is just what they do (there's three songs with boogie in the title after all). Down to the instruments used, how they're tuned and the melodies created, this album is a loving tribute to that style while focusing lyrically on modern issues like climate change and pollution. Not only does the band boogie, they space out by moving the album's end towards prog with songs like "Acarine" and "Cyboogie". The latter melds genres into a synth odyssey that's makes an excellent closer. Only music nerds like King Gizz could fuse such genres with this amount of technical precision.

37

BROCKHAMPTON

GINGER

The boys are sad, and understandably so. Given everything that's happened in their public and private lives in the past year and a half, it'd be understandable if BROCKHAMPTON wanted to take a break and recover. But they trucked on, and on GINGER, use their collective depression to deliver some of their best music yet. The production side of the band has really stepped up their game, mainly with the heavy use of moody guitars and synths. This pays off on emotionally charged favorites "NO HALO", "GINGER" and "DEARLY DEPARTED". The boys are rapping together in better ways than before, when it felt like BROCKHAMPTON songs were endless verses with no hook. Their lyricism has improved, and they can tackle topics like religion in smart ways like on "IF YOU PRAY RIGHT". But don't worry, they still retain their trademark humor through their sadness. Just listen to "BOY BYE" and you'll see just what the world's best boy band is capable of.

36

Hannah Diamond

Reflections

PC Music's game is finding human imperfection in artificial perfection. Their pop star is Hannah Diamond, whose vocals are like that of a flawless AI who is discovering feelings for the first time. Aesthetically and vocally, Reflections is razor sharp and futuristic, and PC Music's brand of hyper-realized pop music is still potent. Hannah sings with a childlike candor, her robot incantations struggling to deal with loneliness and heartbreak. But like a robot, she powers on, and her voice never wavers as the synths pulse behind her. Relationships are tough in this machine age we live in, but even someone as digital as Hannah can try, and she's made the music to help her and us along.

35

Metronomy

Metronomy Forever

After years and years of making music on their own terms, you can tell Metronomy aren't concerned with proving anything. Supposedly recorded by bandleader Joe Mount just because he could, Metronomy Forever is perfectly fine being many things all at once. We get charmingly goofy Metronomy (Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Sex Emoji), classic Metronomy (The Light, Whitsand Bay), and melancholic Metronomy (Lately, Wedding Bells). There isn't an overarching theme or narrative to Metronomy Forever, but that was never the point. An easygoing nature makes this double album easy listening, especially when their brand of indie pop is this catchy.

34

Ariana Grande

thank u, next

Proving she's the three-dimensional pop star the world doesn't have enough of, thank u, next is Ariana's best album yet. She can write love songs both pretty (imagine) and feisty (make up). She doesn't conform to trends so much as turn them into her own thing (bloodline, break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored). And when the world brings her personal loss, she turns them into heartfelt pop ballads like no other (ghostin, thank u, next). The song titles may be understated, but the pop excellence here is anything but.

33

Anamanaguchi

[USA]

A long-awaited sequel that improves on its predecessor in every way, offering much more depth and replayability. The chiptune elements you came for are here, but by smartly mixing in EDM, glitch and noise pop, [USA] is more broadly appealing while still being incredibly fun. The production and overall melody making have vastly improved since Endless Fantasy's release. It's proof this microgenre can be something more than a cute sideshow, and a welcome evolution for the face of the movement.

32

Jenny Lewis

On The Line

Not many albums from this year can boast the lush production and riveting songwriting that Jenny Lewis provides on On The Line. From the classic piano solo on opener "Heads Gonna Roll", to the memories of her father on "Wasted Youth", to the failed loves on "Hollywood Lawn" and "On The Line", each song turns Jenny's life into something grand. The songs are full of golden hooks, and the production is suitably spacious and fantastic. Jenny's been around the block a few times, and her natural gift at penning her stories makes for excellent piano rock.

31

Danny Brown

uknowhatimsayin¿

Losing some of his manic nature without sacrificing his personality, uknowhatimsayin¿ is Danny's slickest listen yet. He raps with ease over Q-Tip produced sonic masterpieces. For what Danny lacks in chaotic energy he makes up for with finesse and his trademark humor, which lends itself well on "Dirty Laundry" or "3 Tearz". As a rap vet now, he's living his "Best Life", and his best life makes for great hip hop.

30

Two Door

Cinema Club

False Alarm

It's been years since the heyday of indie pop, but what's stopping artists from still delivering great sounds in the genre? Two Door Cinema Club might never have stood out from the glut of bands in the early 2010's, but years later they deliver their brightest and best written effort yet. Fleshing their sound out with more synths, they deliver great tune after great tune, like the jovial "Talk" or "Satellite". Deeper influences like the Strokes appear on the grimy "Dirty Air". If not unique, False Alarm is consistent, and that alone is commendable.

29

Caroline Polachek

Pang

Call her a pop auteur or a pop star, Caroline's always been lurking behind the shadows of some of the bigger synthpop stars. On her full length debut under her own name, she continues the sounds and themes of her Chairlift and Ramona Lisa records, but with a cleaner and shinier feel. Songs like "Hit Me Where It Hurts" and "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" are undeniably pop, but with a creative touch only Caroline can execute. She turns simple love songs into beautiful balladry on "Look At Me Now" or "Hey Big Eyes", with mesmerizing synth beats to match. "Caroline Shut Up" and "Pang" work as intricately produced art pop stingers. Caroline's singular, idiosyncratic brand of synthpop can be felt throughout many different artists from this decade, and of course, it's just as great when she's using it on her own music.

28

The Japanese House

Good At Falling

The end of a relationship can make you feel empty and cold, and that's the kind of feeling The Japanese House nails on Good At Falling. The mix of indie rock concepts and electronic landscapes is coldly beautiful and always catchy. "The sparse intros and outros, flickering with synth beeps and string twangs, help bridge the gap between songs and make the album flow forward. Amber Bain's vocals focus on contemplating her relationships and regrets, and by mixing in Autotune, further push feelings of disconnectedness. She melts into the soundscapes, as if the two couldn't function in the same ecosystem without one another. It's almost funny how passionate these songs can be through such a distant lens.

27

Lower Dens

The Competition

Always one of the more underrated bands from Baltimore’s dream pop scene, Lower Dens have been slowly moving their sound to more straightforward synthpop. It culminates on The Competition, where the group has beaten the competition into submission with some of their catchiest songs yet. It pulls hard from 80’s pop music, but never loses Lower Dens always meditative lyrics. Whether it’s about politics, relationships, or being alone, the lyrics are memorable and so are the beats. It’s a winning effort from a band that deserves more recognition.

26

Bon Iver

i,i

While not the strongest record from Bon Iver, i,i is still a triumph. The production mixes elements of the previous two Bon Iver records and finds a happy balance for the most part. What really makes i,i so standout is Justin Vernon's vocals. He's never sounded so clear and commanding, free from the vocal manipulation of 22, A Million. Songs like "Naeem" and "Hey Ma" beam with a bright light, and are some of the best songs of Bon Iver's impressive library. Where the band goes next remains to be seen, but their tetralogy of seasonal albums finishes on a high note.

25

100 gecs

1000 gecs

Coming from what I would call post-internet, 100 gecs beg not to be loved. Their pop music is abrasive, in your face, and aggressively rude. But no matter how many insults they throw, or crunched synths they produce, the music is so intriguing I couldn’t get enough. From the glitched-up power trip of “money machine” to the glitch-ska masterpiece “stupid horse” or the euro dance inspired “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx”, these are bite-sized throttles of electronic shock. But it’s like getting high off that shock, and it’s an addiction I haven’t yet lost.

24

Sturgill Simpson

SOUND & FURY

Making his name on being a country outlaw, changes in style are nothing new to Sturgill Simpson. His latest is his furthest left-turn yet, and his most immediately entertaining. SOUND & FURY is the best blues rock album of the decade, a better Black Key album than the Black Keys have made in years. With rocking good times on "Sing Along" and "A Good Look", exploratory guitar solos on "Ronin", and the synth rock odyssey of "Make Art Not Friends", SOUND & FURY is a wild ride from start to finish. But Sturgill never loses his country touch, and through the high octane sound the album retains classic country vibes on "Mercury In Retrograde" and plenty of lyrics throughout. Channeling his inner ZZ Top turned into a really fun album, and I can't wait to see what left turns Sturgill goes on next.

23

WJSN

For The Summer EP

The dream of summer is sun-drenched fun. With that in mind, you can tell WJSN's For The Summer was made for blasting out your car speakers with the windows rolled down. FTS pulls no punches, dropping banger after banger in a tight 5 track EP. The beats and rhythms are all razor sharp, extremely fun and body moving, while the English hooks beg you to sing along. These songs were built for summer radio and are absolutely worthy of the poolside.

22

Hot Chip

A Bath Full Of Ecstasy

How many bands can boast the consistency of Hot Chip? Year in and year out, these lads produce must-hear dance music that's as easy to listen to as it is intricately made. A Bath Full of Ecstasy has some of their danciest songs yet, like the club banger "Hungry Child" or the magical "Spell". They're matched by the latter half's classic Hot Chip introspection over equally smooth beats. Grass is green, the sky is blue, and Hot Chip is still one of the best electronic acts working today.

21

Alex Cameron

Miami Memory

No matter the record, Alex Cameron is just brimming with hilarious personality. The character he played on Forced Witness and Jumping The Shark is gone, but that's replaced with a more wholesome version of Alex himself. The songs of Miami Memory come from his heart, be it loving anthems about gaslighting his girl or wanting to die in this hell of a world. From his heart of hearts also comes great quips about eating ass like an oyster and wanting to get divorced so he can meet Elon Musk. His talent of as a writer is again on full display, and the glorious soft rock aesthetic is still intact. Even in ditching his trademark loser persona, Alex will always elicit a laugh or twenty, and you can't help but think that it's positively shaped his life and career anyway.

20

Thom Yorke

ANIMA

We live in dystopia, and a boring one at that. Thom's music attempts to give it a soundtrack, but ANIMA is anything but boring. His electronic landscapes pulse with life even as the lyrics he murmurs are thematically desolate. Corporations run the world of ANIMA, not unlike the real world, and listening to the music gives you a sense you're being lorded over at all times. Nothing is safe, and you're constantly on the move to get away. Existential dread of the future is nothing new to Thom or the 21st century, but he's always evolving how he conveys it, and it makes for a compelling experience.

19

Kirin J Callinan

Return To Center

The art of the covers album is to respect the original while making songs fully your own. By that standard I arbitrarily set, Return To Center passes with flying colors. The carefully curated songs on RTC are all relatively obscure and unrelated in their own right, but when delivered by Kirin, they sound like they were conceived together. You've probably never heard of The Waterboys' "The Whole Of The Moon", but after hearing Kirin's rendition, you'll never forget it. RTC also sees Kirin commenting and coming to terms with his history of public incidents, but in a tasteful way that ties into the songs. Kirin remains Australia's most underrated star, an artist who can take other artists' songs and elevate them to magnificent levels.

18

Nick Cave & The

Bad Seeds

Ghosteen

It's likely Nick Cave will never fully recover from the loss of his son, and he shouldn't have to. Such an event is something no one should ever go through, but the way Cave has turned to music to deal with his grief has been a joy to see. Ghosteen completes a trilogy of sorts, continuing themes from 2016's Skeleton Tree. But unlike that stripped back record, the sound of Ghosteen is lush, as verdant as the cover art might suggest. Cave's weary voice still brings forth strong imagery, where of fairytales, personal anecdotes, or thoughts on life and death itself. It's standard fare for Cave, but if he continues to express his emotions through his music like this, I bet he'll never make a bad album for the rest of his life.

17

Sharon Van Etten

Remind Me Tomorrow

With age comes wisdom, and what you do with that wisdom is up to you. Sharon Van Etten, now a veteran in the industry, takes her wisdom and turns it into riveting indie rock about her life experiences. She sings about love, growing older and more across ten tracks that make excellent use of a smashing drum machine. Songs like "Comeback Kid" and "Seventeen" have a more pop sheen to them than anything she's done before. Her big voice matches this change in production style well, and she can still carry a slow mover like "Jupiter 4". "Hands" might be the most beautiful song Sharon's written. Remind Me Tomorrow comes together really well, setting Sharon's bar for her future music even higher than it was before.

16

Lizzo

Cuz I Love You

Few acts before her have exuded the amount of charisma and gusto that Lizzo does. Her breakout album Cuz I Love You is brimming with spirit and attitude, all thanks to her incredible vocal range. She nails the doo-wop ballad "Jerome" a breath before spitting sexual hip hop fire with Missy Elliott on "Tempo". Pop rap bangers "Like A Girl" and "Juice" have such brash positivity it's impossible not to feel empowered. Maybe the best thing is Lizzo feels so genuine in giving us these messages, unlike so many over-produced and processed pop stars of this past decade. She's well meaning and well spoken, and an all around joy. She's the twerking flutist superstar the world didn't know it needed but now wonders how it ever lived without.

15

Rina Mushonga

In A Galaxy

No one else this year found such beauty in everyday life like Rina did on In A Galaxy. In her world, simple scribbles on bathroom walls became beautiful statements on love (i miss u so much). Her personal desires to get away (Good Vacation) or bridge gaps between people (4qrtrs) are brought vividly to life through Rina's lyrics and performance. Her struggles with relationships become broadly appealing synthpop (Atalanta, NarciscO). Taking inspiration from 80's pop music from the likes of Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel, the world around her is vibrant with life, even when the topics she sings about can be small. In A Galaxy is in a galaxy of its own, a captivating world where the most beautiful things are the smallest.

14

King Gizzard and the

Lizard Wizard

Infest The Rats' Nest

As I previously wrote, King Gizz' commitment to a style is always commendable. That commitment pays off on Infest The Rats' Nest, where Gizz makes quite possibly the best metal record ever made by a non-metal band. The first thing you hear on opener "Planet B" is breakneck drumming, which don't ever let up. The guitar work would shred you to pieces if it was physical, and the guttural vocals sound natural even with this being Gizz' first foray into metal. Through all this loudness remains Gizz' knack for catchy melodies, turning "Mars for the Rich" and "Perihelion" into thrash metal ragers with instantly repeatable hooks. These hooks tell a wild story of a dying earth and astronauts on fire, a story that's par for the course on a Gizz album. It's probably not for everyone, but no other album went as hard as Infest The Rats' Nest did in 2019.

13

Julia Jacklin

Crushing

Heartbreak is a well-worn topic within music, but the way Julia Jacklin approaches it on Crushing makes it seem freshly saddening. After the end of a long relationship, Julia takes you through 10 songs detailing the pain of dealing with the end and struggling to find a way forward. Her rock sound takes influences from indie, country and folk, and whether it's upbeat or more acoustic, the stories and emotions Julia conveys always come across. The realization you can't love someone anymore (Don't Know How To Keep Loving You), the inability to let go yourself (Turn Me Down), or the horror of invasion of privacy (Body) are just a few of the harrowing topics Julia weaves into these songs. All of this pain is very real, but Julia's voice never falters. The music is her catharsis, spilling her guts in such a beautiful way that you can't look away.

12

FKA twigs

MAGDALENE

At the end of the decade, the music world's weirdest flower has fully blossomed. Twigs' music is so hard to describe with text, listening to it is a must. The enthralling art pop instrumentals range from serene to mechanical, often within the same song. Songs like the gorgeous "cellophane" or the mechanical fury of "fallen alien" could come from no other artist. Twigs' voice is like that of a fairy, sprinting through a magical forest, almost ready to break but you can feel the power she exudes. It all renders MAGDALENE an incredible experience that must be heard to be believed.

11

Chromatics

Closer To Grey

After a seven year wait, Chromatics remain as aesthetically and sonically perfect as they've ever been. The songs of Closer To Grey could've been recorded 7 years ago during the sessions of their last album, but when it's this gorgeous is that even a problem? From the scintillating synthwave joy of "Twist The Knife", the slow burning thrill of "Whispers In The Hall" to the exploratory synth rock of "On The Wall", Closer To Grey has everything you could want from a Chromatics return. It's just as, if not more, cinematic than any other Chromatics release, with obvious references to Blade Runner and instrumental tracks to help fit the mood. The cover of "The Sound Of Silence" is so fitting, it makes you wonder why they haven't covered it sooner. But if this is how long we had to wait for more synthwave perfection, I'd probably gladly wait another seven years for more. (Though if Dear Tommy can come sooner...)

10

Billie Eilish

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP,

WHERE DO WE GO?

Billie's whispers linger like a grenade blast. Her debut left a massive effect on modern pop music, and rightfully so. It's an incredibly fresh take on modern pop music, and Billie and her brother Finneas had a total grip on their unique style. Conventional Top 40 beats on "bad guy" are stripped down to the bare essentials, and to match Billie's whispy voice. She doesn't let the bigger beats overwhelm her either, like "wish you were gay" or "you should see me in a crown". Even the ballads stick thanks to fantastic beats on the likes of "when the party's over". Lyrically, she comments on hot Gen Z topics like xanax or loneliness with a poise beyond her years. "bury a friend" is a brand new type of pop song, full-on sinister and sonically intoxicating. I call it terror pop, and though you can hear the influence of artists like Lorde, everything here is uniquely Billie. Whatever she decides to do in the future, her debut is a great place to grow from.

9

CHAI

PUNK

For me, one of the best forms of music is the kind you can enjoy without understanding a lick of it. The best foreign music reaches into your soul with the melodies and rhythms themselves, and in 2019, no foreign album left my soul rattling like CHAI's PUNK. These four neo-kawaii Japanese girls are redefining what cute can be, as PUNK is adorably loud and brash. Taking sonic inspiration from the likes of The Pillows and The Strokes, PUNK's sound is fuzzed out but exceptionally rhythmic. Songs like "I'm Me" and "Fashionista" can work in any language, and their themes are experienced through the bits of English in the lyrics. When the quartet is completely in sync, they make bonkers noise rock wholly unique to them (Great Job, This Is Chai). The concept of the album is simple, but the music is all there to back it up.

8

Carly Rae Jepsen

Dedicated

Completing her slow rise from one hit wonder to underground pop auteur, Carly ends the decade with a record that plays to all of her strengths. Dedicated might not have a smash hit like "Call Me Maybe" or "Run Away With Me", but that's perfectly ok when the quantity is all quality. There's not a poorly constructed cut on this record, and everything from the glitzy 80's synthpop beats to Carly's performance and lyricism are on point. She's a master of the mid tempo jam (Too Much, Automatically In Love), the upbeat bop (Now That I Found You, Feels Right) or anything in between (Julien, Party For One). Each song can work in a playlist at a bumping party or a party for one in your room. In a world where the Top 40 has become stale, same-y beats, Carly continues to exist in a world of her own, pulling from the past and make the present exciting.

7

Vampire Weekend

Father Of The Bride

Vampire Weekend experienced what they dreaded on their past albums: they grew up. Over the six years since the immaculate Modern Vampires of the City, Ezra became a father, Rostam left the band, and the world around them shifted radically. Even with such societal and personal changes, the band stayed true to themselves, and it paid off on the wonderful Father Of The Bride. If they've lost the layered production of MVOTC, the music here is impeccably sunny. The guitars, drums, and other bells and whistles are positively sun-kissed, remarkably happy sounding when put against the lyrics. Ezra's writing has only gotten sharper as he's gotten older, and his reflections on marriage, parenthood and more weave puns and deep thoughts into wonderful songs. These songs have an overarching sound, but try different styles within it, like the fiery flamenco inspired "Sympathy", the jam-band number "Sunflower", or the synth-heavy "Married In A Gold Rush". It adds variety to an already varied experience, keeping it under the same umbrella as more expected VW cuts like "Harmony Hall" and "This Life". Those Harvard boys have grown up, but they've shown us on FOTB that it's ok to grow up too.

6

Purple Mountains

David Berman was never one to hide the fact that he was upset. His depression was something he struggled with his entire life, but rather than let it completely consume him, he channeled it into his music. His final gift to the world, the self title Purple Mountains, is a stroke of folk rock genius. Top to bottom, the lyrical wizardry is perfect, as is the sound of the crisp folk-y production. There's such a fantastic dichotomy between the upbeat instrumentals and the searing lyrics, especially on tracks like "That's Just The Way I Feel" or “All My Happiness Is Gone”. Those first two songs set the bar for the album high, and everything else matches them perfectly. Berman’s penchant for humor through depressions delivers some laugh-out-loud moments on “Maybe I’m The Only One For Me”. He spoils us with fantastic choruses on the folk rock perfection of “Darkness and Cold” and “She’s Turning Friend, I’m Turning Stranger”. The daggers-in-your-heart “I Loved Being My Mother’s Son” and “Nights That Won’t Happen” are tough listens, but the beauty of the songs is undeniable. The song titles are long, but it’s fitting when Berman is telling such detailed, intricate anecdotes. If the world remembers David Berman for one album among his many great ones, Purple Mountains would be a fine choice. Rest In Peace, David.

5

Charli XCX

Charli

No artist pushes the boundaries of modern pop music like one Charlotte Atchison. Charli is a marvel of a studio album, one that should be constrained by the limitations of higher-ups yet is as free to explore sounds and styles as any album this year. She's still got that knack for a Top 40 hit on the indelible "1999" or "Blame It On Your Love", but it's the weirder and more personal moments that make Charli a standout. She can be as transparent and open on synth ballad "White Mercedes" as she can be killer and braggadocios on "Click". A.G. Cook's production is truly next level, and few pop albums can boast songs as wildly fun as "2099", "Next Level Charli" or the trash-terpiece of "Shake It". The latter's bevy of guests also showcases Charli's talent for putting the right people on each song, with the numerous features here all fitting in like magic. "Gone", with Christine and the Queens, is a mixture of banger electropop beats with emotionally vulnerable lyrics that might be the culmination of Choli's endeavors to this point. Her love of the past, present and future all coalesce into a near masterpiece, a vision of where pop music should go and deserves to go.

4

Angel Olsen

All Mirrors

All Mirrors is like gathering your deepest feelings and shouting them all off the top of a mountain. Angel’s voice has always been big, but by using a 12-piece string orchestra, she sounds gargantuan. The emotions she sings about are standard, about love, human connections, second chances, but when portrayed like this they’re larger than life. “Lark” and “Impasse” turn poor communication into searing indictments on the accused, the former being one of the most jaw dropping moments of any album opener I’ve ever heard. Even the small moments seem big, like the dream pop-inspired “Too Easy”, or the tear jerking closer “Chance”. That track could’ve come straight out of the 60’s, and Angel’s performance will shake you to your core. She’s never sounded bigger or better, vulnerable but prepared to fight what the world gives her. Angel’s contemplations are a gift, turning human feelings into grandiose passages like only she could.

3

Lana Del Rey

Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Late on Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Lana muses about trying to write the next best American record. Whether conscious of what she delivered or not, it’s funny, because her latest album easily slots into the canon of greatest American records. The sound of Norman Fucking Rockwell! is nostalgia, for soft rock of the 60’s and 70’s but also of a simpler time. Lana’s image has always been throwback, but now by ruminating on what nostalgia means in 2019 and to her, her throwback has more meaning than sounding nice.

Jack Antonoff’s stunning production elevates Lana to almost mythical levels, stringing together rich soundscapes full of heavenly strings and pianos. Her songwriting skills are on par with the wandering poets from the 50's she's very indebted to. What other album could start with the words “God-damned man child/You fucked me so good I almost said I love you” and it work? The Lana-isms don’t stop there; “The culture is lit, and if this is it, I’ve had a ball” (The greatest) and “Fresh out of fucks forever” (Venice Bitch) stand out as poetry on an album full of poetry.

When she’s not musing on the sad state of 2019, she’s crafting vibrant portraits of love fantasies on “Bartender” and “Fuck it I love you”. I can’t forget the magical cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time”, a perfect mix of Lana’s dreamy throwback and pop melodies. By the end of Norman Fucking Rockwell! (an album title so great I must type it out each time), she’s found hope. She’s walked through the hell of Planet Earth and emerged as one of the most visionary writers of our time.

2

Weyes Blood

Titanic Rising

Much like her compatriot Lana, Natalie Mering is rooted in throwback. Titanic Rising takes a lot of inspiration from the rock music of the 60’s and 70’s, especially on “Everyday” and “Wild Time”. While Lana is firmly rooted in America, Weyes Blood takes off for the stars. These songs are truly cosmic in nature, vast and open like the title galaxy on “Andromeda”. It’s music built for listening to while rolling through the stars on your 1974 Ford Mustang (with the top down of course).

Mering goes through the world of love and what it means to be human with a breezy attitude. She’s nonchalant in many ways, although still concerned with her existence in the world today. It’s a theme across many of my favorite records of the year, but the way Weyes Blood drifts through these beautiful arrangements is both soothing and entrancing. From the immaculate dreams of “Movies”, the pensive daydreams of “Something To Believe”, or the melancholic nature of “Picture Me Better”, these songs are galactic in scale while still being intimate. Titanic Rising makes me pine for a time that I’ve never experienced, taking me to a world beyond my wildest sonic dreams upon each listen.

1

Tyler, the Creator

IGOR

IGOR starts with a warning. Over the grimy synthesizers and crisp drums of "IGOR'S THEME", Tyler warns us "He's coming". And boy was he right. On the following eleven tracks, Tyler takes us through the immaculate breakup album, a portrait of the entire event through the eyes of a hurt man. Sonically, IGOR is a mix of jazz, funk, soul and hip hop with a heavy dosage of grimy synths, gorgeous piano melodies and more. It’s a brand new sound for Tyler, but he makes it sound like he’s been doing it his whole life, and it’s one of the most immaculately produced albums I’ve ever heard. From top to bottom, the sound wraps together magically, and the flow of the entire album is perfect. No matter if a song is more melodic (I THINK) or more angry (WHAT’S GOOD), these songs were meant to be heard together, in order. AND IT SOUNDs SO GOOD. The guitars and pianos on “A BOY IS A GUN*”, the arpeggiating synths on “GONE, GONE/THANK YOU” and “RUNNING OUT OF TIME”, the synth leads and pianos on “EARFQUAKE”, and plenty more that I could easily gush about, Tyler’s ear as a producer has never been better.

Tyler spares you no detail, and IGOR covers the entire spectrum of a breakup. He’s hurt and begging (EARFQUAKE), he’s angry and spiteful (NEW MAGIC WAND, I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE), he’s torn over it (PUPPET), and he wrestles with the end (GONE, GONE/THANK YOU, ARE WE STILL FRIENDS). These songs, of course, have some of Tyler’s best bars to date. The entirety of “I THINK” is pure genius, from the flow to the beat to everything about it. IGOR is mostly a jazzy soul album, but Tyler still raps on “NEW MAGIC WAND” and “WHAT’S GOOD”. He saves his uglier style of rapping for the uglier thoughts of the album, again matching the narrative thematically. “GONE, GONE/THANK YOU” is the moment the breakup happens, and it’s the most beautiful three part suite of funk and soul you will ever hear. It’s a brilliant climax, with “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” wrapping everything up with a big bow on top.

There’s a bevy of collaborators that helped IGOR come to life, and shoutout to Jerrod Carmichael’s genius interludes. But this album is all Tyler's vision, and it’s the truest showcase of how far he’s come from his volatile early days. I could go on and on about how each different second is so good, but I’ll quit while I’m ahead. Tyler showed his true emotions and dropped a classic. It’s my favorite album of 2019, hands down. Now go listen to it.

The Full List

1. Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

3. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!

4. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

5. Charli XCX - Charli

6. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains

7. Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride

8. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated

9. CHAI - PUNK

10. Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

11. Chromatics - Closer To Grey

12. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE

13. Julia Jacklin - Crushing

14. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest The Rats' Nest

15. Rina Mushonga - In A Galaxy

16. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You

17. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

18. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

19. Kirin J Callinan - Return To Center

20. Thom Yorke - ANIMA

21. Alex Cameron - Miami Memory

22. Hot Chip - A Bathfull of Ecstasy

23. WJSN - For The Summer EP

24. Sturgill Simpson - SOUND & FURY

25. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs

26. Bon Iver - i,i

27. Lower Dens - The Competition

28. The Japanese House - Good At Falling

29. Caroline Polachek - Pang

30. Two Door Cinema Club - False Alarm

31. Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿

32. Jenny Lewis - On The Line

33. Anamanaguchi - [USA]

34. Ariana Grande - thank u, next

35. Metronomy - Metronomy Forever

36. Hannah Diamond - Reflections

37. BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER

38. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies

39. Pond - Tasmania

40. Stella Donnelly - Beware Of The Dogs

41. LCD Soundsystem - electric lady sessions

42. Foals - Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost

43. Crumb - Jinx

44. Swans - leaving meaning.

45. Taylor Swift - Lover

46. Red Velvet - 'The ReVe Festival' Day 1/Day 2

47. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars

48. Friendly Fires - Inflorescent

49. Holiday Sidewinder - Forever or Whatever

50. Coldplay - Everyday Life