Top 20 Albums of 2019

According to albumoftheyear.org catalogue, there were over 17.000 EPs and LPs released last year. Out of these, I’ve listened to a laughably small sample size of 300 records. And I’m pretty sure this is the highest number I’ll ever get to for any single year - it was way, way, way too many albums. I managed a good pace until around June, monitoring new releases and checking them out as they came, but then I kinda burned out and wanted to spend more of my listening time on favorites and exploring various artists and genres, and before I noticed it was December and I was binging entries from end-of-year lists to catch up on the last 6 months (as well as stuff that flew under my radar before). And for a long time it seemed like for every album I’d file away, I’d discover two new ones I was interested in.

I tried to be as inclusive as possible and check out anything and everything that seemed like it could be up my alley, regardless of how it was rated by critics or community at large. A cool album cover? A genre I’m into? A band I like cited as an influence? An interesting description that speaks to me? Add them all to the list! In the end I can’t really say I’ve discovered many gems thanks to this, but then I have no idea how many of the albums in my top 20 I would’ve missed out on if I was more selective. What I can say for sure is that binge-listening to that much music was pretty joyless. My 2020 list will probably be pretty barren, I will likely do very little seeking and mostly listen to whatever falls into my hands, but I don’t know what I want to do for future years yet. Maintain a monthly cap? Only listen to albums that hook me with a single? Find critics I’m most aligned with and stick with what they recommend?

But that’s a story for another time. Right now, I’ve got 20 albums to write about, so let’s get around to it. Since that’s more than my usual 10 I won’t stretch it even more with honorable mention writeups, but I guess I can at least list them:

30. The Comet Is Coming - The Afterlife
29. The Telescopes - Exploding Head Syndrome
28. Rhiannon Giddens - there is no Other
27. Kano - Hoodies All Summer
26. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
25. Kate Tempest - The Book Of Traps And Lessons
24. Henryk Górecki - Symphony No. 3 (Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Beth Gibbons)
23. Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel
22. Teeth of the sea - Wraith
21. EABS - Slavic Spirits

And finally, after way over 12 months of listening, let’s begin.

20. Kevin and the bikes - Dorkcore 101

This was my first 5* score of the year and for a few months I wondered if it could be my AOTY - turns out it ended up being the gatekeeper. "Kevin and the bikes" is a garage lo-fi rock band inspired by the show "Ed, Edd & Eddy" and Internet culture at large to create 101 tracks of experimentative meandering. They go through a variety of genres, some songs are complete shitposts while others actually try to sound good, and there are big stylistic shifts every dozen-or-so entries, separated by the “podcast” skits. It’s punk, it’s postmodern, it’s ironic detachment, it’s begging the question “what even is art”. It’s definitely not an album I would ever put on to simply enjoy, it’s one that I’ve only listened to twice and I’m not itching for more. But between its spirit and what it actually achieves sonically, I have no shame putting it in my top20.

19. White Lies - FIVE

Here’s something simpler - a british post-punk band release their conveniently named fifth album, recording a bunch of nice songs that sound very much like a modern version of what new wave bands were doing in the 80s. It kicks off beautifully with Time To Give, a track that lives by its hypnotic riff, great synth texture and fantastic key changes, and the band preserves an overall nice sound and energy throughout the album. But where FIVE feels lacking to me is the emotional intensity, some tracks that would get me hyped or moved or inspired or intrigued. As it stands, the opener is the only standout track, and even that one isn’t all that satisfying. Overall I do enjoy this entire record, but I wish I could love more parts than just that first song.

18. James Yorkston – The Route To The Harmonium

This album by the scottish folk singer-songwriter was unmistakenly recorded in a town by the sea - you can hear it in the textures and the overall shanty atmosphere. But it’s not about the life on waters, but rather an introspective look into mind of one person who just happened to grow up there. This is best exemplified in the oneiric My Mouth Ain’t No Bible where we listen in on an abstract conversation with a mesmerizing backing track, an experience unlike anything else I’ve encountered in 2019. It’s definitely a standout, but the rest of the tracks, while steeped in the same atmosphere, hardly affected me as much - it’s just a bunch of nice folk-y songs, with some gentle brass, chimes and whisper-singing. Nothing revolutionary, but still a great listen.

17. La Dispute - Panorama

La Dispute is one of those bands that made a significant stylistic shift which angered their former diehard fans but earned a lot more widespread appeal. They went from the screamy-shouty posthardcore to its more quiet variant, which happens to be one I’m more into. Instead of releasing constant streams of energy, they build fantastic tension that just keeps getting more and more gripping until it bursts in one of the crescendos. This kind of music has a lot of room for great mixing, as loudness, echos, reverberation, textures and volumes are very important in that tension build-and-release cycle, and that’s all stellar here. It also allows the vocals a much wider range of emotions, while still sounding unmistakebly post-hardocre, unlike anything else. Add some trumpets to the mix and the result is a solid 17th place.

16. Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not.

Now here’s something different - an album full of nice songs full of joy and energy, essentially celebrating britpop. Until checking just know, I didn’t realize that Liam Gallagher used to be the frontman of Oasis, but that explains the kind of sound and emotion his latest solo album is evoking, as it bears uncanny resemblance. But as I came into the record with no preconceptions, all I found was a bunch of really, really pleasant tracks which I’ve almost universally enjoyed, with pretty melodies, elegant textures, good polish and just strong craftsmanship all around. It’s among the poppier ones on my list and so it has all those anthemic and radio-like qualities that I might be missing from some other records, which soundly earns it the spot.

15. Black Pumas - Black Pumas

A great debut by a Texas-based soul duet of a singer and a guitarist/producer. Black Pumas employ lots of great samples to make catchy and emotionally fulfilling music in a genre that I’ll never have enough of. Beautiful synths, strong guitars, and Eric Burton’s immaculate voice elevate this album to great heights, and occasional use of brass and strings are the perfect seasoning. Although I have to say that it’s one of those albums where various live performances constantly exceed what they were able to do in a studio - look no further than the "Official Live Session" from their YouTube channel, or, as usual, their KEXP show. I see a lot of potential in this sound and I’m very excited for the future of this band.

14. Leprous - Pitfalls

Yet another case of formerly-metal band dabbling more and more in synths to the point that someone like me discovering them only now couldn’t even tell what sort of genre they came from originally. It’s a very personal album, driven by singer Einar Solberg who wrote most of its music and lyrics, and the results are very captivating. It’s great at coming from ambient intros into emotional crescendos, and about using looping hooks to drive up the intensity. It’s very eclectic, evoking the sound of a bunch of different genres, such as funk, emo, electronic, and I feel like I’m just scratching the surface here. Check it out if “melancholic prog” sounds like something up your alley.

13. The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears

Following in Fontaines D.C. footsteps, a fellow Dublin post-punk band "The Murder Capital" released their debut LP last year. Unlike their colleagues’ effort, this one didn’t have the misfortune of being compared to fantastic live performances which set the bar for the studio recording so high that it was impossible to match. That said, I think TMC’s material is just better overall - there’s a great variety between hooking For Everything, emotional Slowdance, more traditionally-punk Feeling Fades and melancholic Don’t Cling To Life. And I really like how it’s produced, it's the same thing as with La Dispute, in these kinds of genres proper mixing can make or break a record, and this is definitely a case of the former. It makes it easy to get drawn in by the quiet sounds, which increases the impact of louder ones as they come in. An extremely well executed album, definitely worth a listen.

12. Andrew Bird - My Finest Work Yet

Andrew Bird is one of those indie folk artists whose work isn’t just light old-timey sound with organic instruments, but brings various inspirations to the field. Personally I hear a lot of old film and classic cartoon soundtracks of various genres in his music, something I often wish more artists did. From the intriguing atmosphere of Sisyphus, through warm and optimistic Olympians and Archipelago, all the way to nostalgic Bellevue Bridge Club, each track finds its own ways to be unique and interesting, relying on great instrumentation and singing throughout, which fill out the diverse song structures. While not as experimental as some other entries on my list, it’s among the most graceful ones, never stumbling in anything it attempts. A very laid-back album with a sense of playfulness. An exceptional record by an exceptional artist.

11. None - Damp Chill Of Life

Since 2017, "None" has released three winter-themed metal albums with a very particular, atmospheric brand of black metal, which personally makes me imagine being alone in the woods during a heavy snowstorm, with deafening wind, blinding blizzard and coldness infiltrating deeper and deeper as you start to lose strength and consciousness tries to escape somewhere that isn’t here. Damp Chill of Life is definitely my favorite of the three, with perfect juxtaposition of calm but threatening intros and overwhelming walls of sound and feral screaming, with perfect mixing enhancing everything I’ve described above. While there are almost no lyrics, I appreciate the album name and song titles that help establish the mood and tune the listener to the feelings that "None" are trying to convey in each track. It’s one-of-a-kind album that I can see myself returning to whenever I want to get transported to this unique mindspace.

10. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct

It’s very rare that a metal band clicks with me as quickly as Alcest. In this case, I owe it to how melodic and ear-wormy their songs are - they are extremely well structured, with equal room for visceral screaming, technical drumming and tremolo picking as well as atmospheric phrases, droning and singing harmonies, with layers of effects and great usage of dynamics. The results are, simply put, artistic and beautiful, awe-inspiring and easily appreciable. The eclectic mix of metal, post metal and shoegaze really feels almost ethereal, mesmerizingly otherworldly, grabbing my attention like few artists can.

9. Otoboke Beaver - ITEKOMA HITS

A lighting-fast, high-octane, adrenaline-fueled garage punk record with lots of shouting, chaotic guitars, irate drumming and really fun English song titles, as well as catchy hooks and energetic melodies. In spirit of the record I feel like I should avoid wasting reader’s time at all cost, so let me cut it here with a “just give it a listen”.

8. Ciśnienie - JazzArt Undeground

Now here’s an interesting band. Self described “cosmo-mystic experimental post-rock” and I couldn’t come up with a better byline if I tried. An extremely esoteric sound with bizarre effects and mixing, experimental song structures and melodies who’s emotional tone is actually really hard to describe. Is this anxious, uneasy, haunting, longing, spiritual, cleansing, self-discovery-y? Some of the sounds of guitars and bass almost make me want to say that this is more post-post-punk than it’s post-rock and yes I do think this sounds pretentious but it feels like the only correct way to talk about this record. It kinda reminds me of Swans a little? I just think it’s really bizarre and interesting, the kind of music that can occupy my whole attention because of how many things are going on and how novel and unfamiliar they all are.

7. Have A Nice Life - Sea of Worry

The hipster darling duet of Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga live up to their reputation with every release, creating intellectually provoking and emotionally gripping music that puts me in mindstates that are pretty much exclusive to when I’m listening to them. Usually in music I’m mostly concerned with just the sound alone and simply how pleasant I find it, but these two guys create complete packages of songs, lyrics, titles and album art that never fail to intrigue me. This time they went to almost cozy new-wave-ish sound, with warm dark hooks and comfortably familiar atmosphere, which takes the listener’s hand and helps guide them through some of the more experimental jazz-inspired sections until we’re back to the goth sound. The music is properly hypnotic with all the looping and droning, in a sense easing us into how uneasy it is. It all culminates in the 13-minute closer Destinos that takes the motifs from all across the album, nihilism, self-indulgence and Christianity, and combines them into one absolutely haunting track that left as big of an impact on me as I Don’t Love or No One Will Ever Want Me. "Have A Nice Life" continue to make me feel like true understanding between humans can be achieved, all you need is proper inspiration, enough time, and a sufficiently compatible person.

6. clipping - There Existed an Addiction to Blood

clipping triumphantly returns to form with this horror-inspired record. It’s not quite as harsh and abrasive as their debut and follow-up, but there’s still plenty of industrial sounds and noise, and now it’s mixed with a haunting atmosphere. Just listen to a track like Club Down and try not to drown in the screams in background, Daveed’s intense delivery, or sneakily increasing loudness of the backing track. Listen closely to the descriptions of disgusting dystopian entertainment for cold-blooded freaks in The Show and try to remain calm. It’s a really interesting experience, one that really reminds me of the awe I was left in when I listened to clppng for the first time. Except this time we get 18 minutes of Piano Burning, a recording that sounds like I would imagine a burning piano would, during which we get to reflect on the preceding experience. clipping hasn’t lost a beat and I really want to hear them explore more and more ideas.

5. Polkadot Stingray - 有頂天 (Uchōten)

I find myself continuously struggling to explain what is it that I like about Polkadot Stingray. It’s kinda the same as Cloud Nothings, they’re just, they’re just fun, I find inexplicable joy in listening to them. When the album starts with the vocalist counting down far away from the mic, and they jump into incredibly funky guitar riff to start the song, and then transition into a bridge with even funkier bass, and finally jump into a chorus that is just an explosion of funkiness all around, and then there’s still the outro which is somehow like 10 times funkier than the rest of song combined, but it’s actually not funk but rock. How could I not love that? The joy continues throughout the album, although it finds some time to dabble in bluesier tones for a track or two, and towards the end of the album it starts to get a little eclectic. It’s stand-out tracks may not be as earwormy as on 全知全能, but overall I think I like this album a little more. It’s just… enjoyable.

4. Jambinai - Onda

Looks like I’ve been sleeping on the hottest act in post-rock of this decade. Jambinai mixes this fairly modern genre with an inclusion of various traditional Korean instruments and sensibilities, not only enriching the sound but also producing just really fascinating and emotionally gripping tracks. Buildups, crescendos, walls of sound, all that good stuff is here. And I don’t want to oversell how much the different instrumentation adds, but I don’t want to dismiss it as a gimmick either - those additions play their role well. But I think the band's DNA is definitely the same as GY!BE, Sigur Rós, Caspian or Zhaoze. And it’s within this framework that they made some of the most interesting music I’ve heard in the last decade, translating exotic tastes and emotions into soundwaves. I think my favorite track is Small Consolation, I feel like it best summarizes all those spices and ideas I’ve been trying to grasp in text and it serves as a great preparation for the fantastic prelude and titular closing track. An astounding achievement worth everyone’s attention.

3. Zutomayo - 潜潜話 (Hisohiso Banashi)

A collection of songs from a mysterious rock/jpop band that keeps their identities a secret. I think this record really exemplifies that spirit of bittersweetness that to me is what makes Japanese popular and rock music stand out, the combination of cheerful rhythms with melancholic melodies. It makes ハゼ馳せる果てるまで sound like a beautiful hymn of finding conviction, Dear Mr「F」like working through difficult emotions, and boy oh boy does 正義 make me feel things. It’s that lonely recorder at the start, it’s the “oriental” sound of guitars and strings, it’s the characteristic way of adjusting vocals to the rhythm in the chorus that just gets me pumped and makes me want to go out there and… I dunno, save the world or something. It even ends on a great finale that sounds like a song from a party thrown to celebrate everything we went through. For me it’s just one of the most quintessential records in this genre, the instrumentation, catchy melodies, I just can’t have enough man!

2. Richard Dawson - 2020

Over time I’ve started to like Peasant more and more, and it just might be my favorite 2017 record at this point. The inventive ways of using the instruments and intriguing song structures never lost their allure, nor did Richards’ immaculate high-pitched singing. I didn’t really get into Hen Ogledd that much, so I was stuck awaiting his next solo record and boy did the patience pay off. On appropriately titled 2020, Dawson takes a look at the present and near future - common lives of common people as we enter the third decade of the third millennium. A very literal “slice-of-life” work of art, it puts us in the middle of events big and small, mundane and seemingly life-changing. For example, the opener Civil Servant talks about just that, a public office worker who’s getting increasingly tired of his job, having to deal with asshole coworkers and the burden of being the deliverer of bad news to people depending on welfare. The way the song builds and develops until it turns the decision to take a day off into some grandstand of defiance and rebellion is among my favorite musical moments from 2019. One fun thing about the record is that a lot of choice in the sound of synths and how they’re used kinda reminds of music made by people who recently got into DAWs. It’s not bad, it’s just that there’s a certain amateurish, naturalistic quality to it which I find charming in a way. In any case, whether Dawson chooses to be optimistic, employ black humour, throw light on uncomfortable truths or ramble about pointless nonsense, this man can do just no wrong.

1. Modern Nature - How To Live

This is the last record I listened to out of this entire list, almost on the tail-end of my 300. At first I thought it was just pleasant, but with every consecutive listen my feelings about it grew stronger, until I realized “wait, I think I love this”. An esoteric, almost spiritual exploration of moods and sounds, it starts out with this serene intro of synths and strings that seamlessly transitions into an almost perky track Footsteps, with groovy bass and jazzy brass, it's actually quite nuanced tonally, like a beginning of a match or first step of a journey, or some sort of test or task? After that, the calming Turbulence that still possesses a tinge of uneasiness, which finally gets released in melancholic Criminals... One of the best qualities of this album is just how well interwoven it is, with each track feeling absolutely necessary and irreplaceable. I really can’t imagine listening them out-of-order or individually. The closest one to a single would be Peradam, which has that kinda-jpop quality to it, feeling simultaneously optimistic and melancholic, like the artist was working through something, but it’s gonna be alright. Overall the album is such an interesting but calming journey, with an intriguing start, satisfying middle and relaxing finish. With all the soft vocals and carefully selected instrumentation, it both has a great vision and is extremely well crafted. It’s low-key and unassuming and it’s snuck its way into my heart.