The calm before the storm….

2019 was a fairly unremarkable year for me. I was settling into grad school at this point and the world events were relatively, well uneventful (excluding whatever nonsense Trump was up to and some potentially concerning news coming out of Wuhan, China). I had also moved apartments within Albany after my old house mates had moved on. Honestly, I can’t say anything particularly interesting happened to me in 2019. Yet, the music was quite fantastic. It was somewhat opposite to the previous year, with not a huge quantity of albums that spoke to me, but the ones I found were absolutely top quality. This remains as one of my favorite lists I’ve made, with each album pick being quite sonically distinct from one another. It’s kind of nice to see that the world doesn’t have to be completely on fire in order for great music to still be made.

My Favorite Songs of 2019

2019

Hope - Alex G
Chance - Angel Olsen
Century - Big Thief
Don’t Miss It - James Blake
Morbid Stuff - PUP
Faith - Bon Iver
A Lot’s Gonna Change - Weyes Blood
An Empty Corner - Wilco
Replaced - Big Thief
Terlingua Girl - Lillie Mae

25. Julia Jacklin: Crushing

After a really solid debut album, I was pretty excited to see that Julia Jacklin was releasing a new record, and its a great follow up. I must say, it’s a pretty somber one. The opening track, “Body”, details a toxic relationship, ending with her ending it and worrying about the damage this person might do with a scandalous picture he has of her. There are brighter sounding tracks like “Pressure to Party” and “You Were Right” more reminiscent of her earlier work. “Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You” has this lead guitar part that matches Julia’s vocals that is just great. A super solid indie-folk and indie-rock album with some heavy lyrics.

Key Tracks: Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You, You Were Right

24. Billie Eilish: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

This was a pleasant surprise for me, as I wasn’t really into her debut EP, with the exception of “Ocean Eyes”. But on “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO”, Billie and her brother create this gloomy bedroom pop that didn’t really sound like anything else I was hearing in popular music at the time. It’s biggest strength is where other pop music tends to ignore; subtlety. She has bangers like “bad guy”, but without the need of big beats or crazy vocal runs. “bury a friend” is an especially cool song. I really enjoy the vocal harmonies that come in and out throughout the song. It makes the song so thrilling. The album closes with this neat idea with Billie bringing back parts of various songs to act as a summary for the whole record. Super promising debut, especially for someone so young.

Key Track: bury a friend, ilomilo

23. Barrie: Happy to Be Here:

Barrie creates a really cool indie-pop and dream-pop record littered with super smooth guitars and layered harmonies. The opening track “Darjeeling” is perfect opener, with the chorus almost reminding me of the classic “Turn the Beat Around” . “Dark Tropical” has the great chord progression that fits the song perfectly. So many of the tracks contain this just incredibly infectious groove that is guaranteed to put you into a mood. The album isn’t too sonically diverse but it just sounds so good front to back. A perfect album to vibe to on a long drive on a nice day.

Key Tracks: Darjeeling, Dark Tropical

22. Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs

Yet another really great full length debut, this time from the New Zealand native Stella Donnelly. She finds the great way to balance fun indie rock tracks with pretty dark concepts such as sexual harassment or assault. “Old Man” opens with probably the catchiest guitar hook I heard all year before it goes on to tell old married men they can’t harass young women anymore. “Tricks” is another really fun track that has such an infectious chorus and is full of cool little musical moments like on the lines “get laid”. It’d be wrong not to mention the dark “Boy Will Be Boys” confronting the bizarre permission structure that boys are allowed to have towards girls and women, including things has horrible as sexual abuse. Really interesting combination of bright music and dark underlying themes throughout the record that make for a great debut.

Key Tracks Old Man, Tricks

21. Urochromes: Trope House

What a crazy noise rock and punk album this is. With the album length coming in under 20 minutes and only one track lasting longer than 3 minutes, the album just churns ahead, whether you can keep up with or not. The use of a drum machine throughout the record also creates the sound that I can’t quite put my finger on. Highlights include “Milieux”, starting off somewhat hollow in sound before the guitars come in full force, or “Trapped on A Planet” that borders on screamo. This isn’t an album I listen to all that often, but if I want something crazy, this record always comes to mind.

Key Tracks Milieux, Trapped on a Planet

20. Nilüfer Yanya: Miss Universe

If could go back and change the original list I made in 2019, one of the first things I would change would probably be ranking “Miss Universe” much higher. Nilüfer Yanya managed to make a really cool alternative pop record filled with cool interludes, plucky guitars, and messy vocals that are just perfect for the sound of the entire. It’s a pretty long record at that, with 17 tracks and coming in at 53 minutes, but never overstaying its welcome. “In Your Head” is has the big sound with these great fuzzy guitars to it and a great vocal performance from Nilüfer. The guitar work on “Paralyzed” is fantastic alternating between the plucky melodic lead guitar and fuzzy rhythm guitar.”Safety Net” is another highlight, a more reserved pop track with a catchy chorus. A great alternative pop record that doesn’t quite like anything else released in 2019.

Key Tracks: In Your Head, Safety Net

19. Little Simz: GREY Area

My first exposure Little Simz is a great one. This album got a lot of positive attention from many music critics and rightly so. Its a weird thing to say, but I just like the way Little Simz says words, not just her flow, cadence, or accent, but just her speaking voice. The album has beats for days, like on the jazz rap “Offence” in which she goes off on any of her haters or doubters, or the crazy flow she finds on “Wounds” or “Venom”. “Pressure”, Little Simz goes after the privileged classes while also trying to reach those same heights. My favorite hip record of 2019.

Key Tracks: Offence, Pressure

18. Stef Chura: Midnight

A new discovery for me comes in the form of Stef Chura, with Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest producing (and appearing) on this record. Every year, there is a straight ahead indie rock album that I fall in love with, and this was the one for 2019. There are no special tricks here, just honest to god good indie-rock songwriting without needing to hide behind production. There are some many times that Stef starts the song off more reserved before opening into these garage rock anthems and I love it every time. “Method Man” just straight up kicks ass, opening confidently before descending into chaos with crazy drums and tons of feedback on her guitars. “Jumpin’ Jack” is a fun track that opens as almost a rockabilly kind of track before transitioning back to more garage rock. This album doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but man there is so much to love here.

Key Tracks: Method Man, Jumpin’ Jack

17. Andrew Bird: My Finest Work Yet

This a pretty confident album title from Andrew Bird, and I find myself agreeing with him. There is plenty of the violins and virtuosoic whistling that we’ve all come to love from him. But I’d argue his vocal performances are what makes this album shine, like on tracks like “Manifest”. “Sisyphus” is a fantastic opener to the record, with a patented whistling melody and a interestingly busy bass line that gives the song so much life. “Bloodless” has chilling refrains of “bloodless for now” and “history forgets the moderates”, implying the potential for violent conflict in the not distant future. This is a really fantastic album. The only question remaining; is this only is finest work yet, or is there more to come?

Key Tracks: Sisyphus, Manifest

16. Arthur Moon: Arthur Moon

Electronic music is a genre that I typically don’t spend enough time with, so this was an album that I was really happy to find. There is just this really fun interplay between the woozy vocal harmonies filled with autotuned lead vocal effects and the simplicity of an acoustic guitar and drumset. “Homonomo” is playful sonic adventure that has Lora-Faye Ashuvud explore settling down with a family outside the business of New York. “I Feel Better” has this great sing along quality to it that makes you want to yell it into the ether.”Infield” has these super cool vocal effects that pop in and out of the track that just love so much. This album is reminder to me that there is ton of great electronic music out there, I just need to look.

Key Tracks: Homonormo, I Feel Better

15. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets: And Now for the Whatchamacallit

Despite their incredibly silly name, Psychedlic Porn Crumpets kick freaking ass. “And Now for the Watchamacllit” is chock full of heavy guitar riffs that will get the blood pumping. “Hymm For A Droid” is one of the most hype songs that I’ve ever heard, with its fuzzy guitars and soaring vocals. “Bill’s Mandolin” is another heart racer that makes in on just about every running playlist that I’ve made since this album released, with the belting vocals towards the serving as perfect climax to the song. This album isn’t just loud either. There is tons of great musicality throughout the record, which prevents the album from dragging. If you’re looking for a loud guitar rock album, this is the one for you.

Key Tracks: Bill’s Mandolin, Hymn for a Droid

14. Anderson Paak: Ventura

The final record of trilogy of California named cities from Anderson Paak and its probably the most coherent. Anderson has the amazing ability to take big ideas and combine them into all kinds of classic songs. But sometimes this ambition gets in his way, with Oxnard, and to lesser extent, Malibu, having somewhat messing endings. On Ventura, he moves past that, with a collection of more funk and disco type tracks. The album starts off great with “Come Home”, that starts with this silky smooth drum beat and finishes of with an amazing Andre 3000 feature. Far and away the best track on record is “Winner Circle”, starting off as a jazz rap type track, before Anderson just drops the hammer on his flow on the back of the track (such a cool moment). This record is the most focused work in Anderson Paak’s career so far, and a great way to finish the trilogy.

Key Tracks: Winners Circle, Come Home

13. Lillie Mae: Other Girls

I was honestly surprised that I found my self putting a country album so highly ranked on my list, but this album is so deserving of it. Lillie Mae has collect a tremendous set of alternative country songs that equal parts beautiful and bold. The opening track “You’ve Got Other Girls For That” starts the album with a statement, showcasing a prominent drumset and guitar part not dissimilar to George Harrsion’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. But the album doesn’t stay that way, with Lillie creating just lovely traditional country and blue grass songs like on “Didn’t I” and “I Came for the Band (For Show)”, prominently displaying her great fiddle playing. The album emotional climax is the same as it started, with the show stopping “Terlingua Girl”, starting of as simple country before erupting into huge guitars and drums. This is definitely my favorite country album in recent memory, and any time I hear someone say all country sucks, I will immediately point them to Lillie Mae.

Key Tracks: Terlingua Girl, You’ve Got Other Girls for That, A Golden Year

12. Brittany Howard: Jaime

What more can be said about the generational talent that is Brittany Howard. Any release that she puts out is worth your time. It had been a long 5 years since the release of the truly amazing Sound and Color, containing a diverse collection of alternative rock tracks including classics like the “Gimme All Your Love” and the title track. Since then, she has found herself involved in side projects including the “Thunderbitch” and “Bermuda Triangle” before finally releasing her full length debut. Fans of Sound and Color will recognize many of the sounds album, find that great balance between experimentation and Southern Rock but also includes more soul and jazz influences “Stay High” is a sweet and breezy track showcasing Howard’s iconic falsetto and has such an infectious chorus that is guaranteed to be stuck in your head all day. “Goat Head” is dark, confronting disgusting acts of racism faced by Howard and her family, including slashing the tires of her dad’s vehicle and putting a goat head in the back seat. My personal favorite is “Baby”, a dreamy love ballad that has some of Howard’s best vocals on the record and some truly extraordinary piano playing on the back half of the track. At this point, anything that Brittany Howard puts out is essential listening, with this record being no exception.

Key Tracks: Baby, Stay High, Goat Head

11. James Blake: Assume Form

James Blake has been a frustrating artist for me in the past. His early work has indicated that he is an incredibly talented singer and songwriter, putting out amazing minimalist alternative electronic tracks such as Retrograde or I Need a Forest Fire. And yet, so many other tracks on these records feel meandering and over-complicated, as if he was getting in his own way. This has always made it challenging for me to enjoy his full projects. This changed with the excellent “Assume Form”, with Blake exhibiting some of most beautiful song writing in his career. He has managed to find a perfect balance between experimentation and approachable as his instantly recognizable voice soars on “Power On” or the title track. He recruits so heavy hitter collaborations for several songs including Travis Scott on “Mile High” or ROSALIA on “Barefoot in the Park”. The best feature is hands down the verse from André 3000 that is “little bit heady”; he just absolutely hits verse out of the park on an amazingly melancholy beat from Blake. However, despite some fantastic features on this record, the best track and one of my favorite songs of 2019 is the simple but stunning “Don’t Miss It”. This is Blake at his best, an incredibly simple drum beat bolstered by beautiful piano and haunting vocals, as he describes all the annoyances of life he could avoid if he secluded himself from life, and yet he’d still miss life. I’m just obsessed with the chord progressions in the second half of the song, as the piano swells to the emotional climax of the album. The track is truly a masterpiece and the best thing James Blake has produced so far. This album excited me so much as it is so satisfying watching a talented artist reach their potential and produce a great album. Another year, this album would have comfortably made the top 10, but alas 2019 was a stacked year.

Key Tracks: Don’t Miss It, Where’s the Catch?, Assume Form

10. Michael Kiwanuka: KIWANUKA

Sneaking into top 10 is the terrific soul record by Michael Kiwanuka. This album was my introduction to Kiwanuka, where I my attention was immediately grabbed by the opening track “You Ain’t the Problem”, with its groovy vocals, fuzzy guitars, and urgent percussion, a combination of sounds that I hadn’t really heard all year. There are so many amazing vocal performances throughout the record, not just from Kiwanuka, but from gospel choirs like on “I’ve Been Dazed” or “Solid Ground”. The major highlight on the album is “Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)”, a song so good that it’s worthy of its own intro track. I just adore the opening piano melody , setting the tone for the rest of track before the string and drums join in on the second half. The song is topped off by the strongest vocal performance from Kiwanauka on the entire record (which is really saying something, as the album is full of fantastic performances). “Hero” is another classic (interestingly also containing an intro track). There some truly fantastic guitar on this song, whether its the ringing melody found throughout, or the fuzzy and distorted solo towards the end of the track. This all capped off by the brilliant echoing of the drum kit, bringing a fullness to the song as whole. The album closer is the beautiful “Light”, combining all of the elements that made this album successful into one track, serving as a perfect finale. This is the best soul album I have heard in quite some time and has made me more interested in deep-diving the genre to see what else is out there.

Key Tracks: Piano Joint, Hero, Solid Ground

9. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising

Weyes Blood had been on my radar for a little while at this point, as I was familiar with her 2016 project Front Row Seat to Earth, particularly the lovely song “Used to Be”, hinted at how she was going to evolve sonically. 2019, Natalie Merling’s project exploded on the scene, and deservedly so. “Titanic Rising” is a collection of dream and chamber pop tracks (I’ve also seen it called “Baroque Pop”, whatever that means) of pure beauty and wonder. Merling’s vocals are ethereal, as the transcend over ringing pianos, swelling strings, and bright guitars. The album opens with it’s stronger track, “A Lot’s Gonna Change”, a song I must admit I have scream-sung in my car many times. The song slowly builds before it reaches its emotional climax on the line “Cause you got what it takes” that gives me chills every time. The album then transitions wonderfully into the space themed “Andromeda”, filled some truly gorgeous slide guitar. The synth laddened “Movies” has garnered many comparisons to Enya (an artist I honestly know very little about), provides a bit of experimentation for the record, keeping the back half the record fresh. This is honestly a difficult album to write about not because it’s bad, but rather the complete opposite: the album is stunning front to back, with 10 wonderful chamber pop songs. All I can say is that you should give this album a chance, an opinion share by much of the online music world and beyond.

Key Tracks: A Lot’s Gonna Change, Andromeda, Wild Time

8. Tiny Ruins: Olympic Girls

Tiny Ruins, the indie folk project of Hollie Fullbrook, produces these amazingly delicate folk records that immediately put you at peace, particularly the lovely Brightly Painted One; an album full of hushed vocals, intricate finger picked acoustic guitars, and softly ringing electric guitars (an album that has only grown on me over time). More than anything, this bands music captures a sort of magic that few artists are capable of making. I was however first introduced to Tiny Ruins through the lead single of this record “How Much”, one of my favorite songs of 2018. This song serves a case study for the rest of the album; an ever so slightly larger sound compared to Fullbrook’s previous works, but managing not to lose the magic that made the previous works so special. There are a lot of amazing things going on in this song including the Fullbrook’s vocals or the baseline towards the end of the track, but the ringing slide guitar is the icing on the cake. The title track contains some truly fantastic acoustic finger picking before the song erupts into life. “Hologram” has this great woozy guitar on it, a percussion section I’m not used to hearing with this group, and the line “I saw the Grim Reaper, and I gave him the slip”, which is a line I find so delightfully silly. The album closes with the fantastic “Cold Enough to Climb”, serving as perfect bookend to the record. I love the use of space on the second verse where the other piano chords are left by themselves with the very simple drum beat; it really makes the song feel so much more intimate. “Olympic Girls” is a fantastic evolution for Tiny Ruin’s sound, without getting lost in too many ideas with the added instrumentation. Like basically everything else this band puts out, this is an essential rainy day soundtrack.

Key Tracks: How Much, Cold Enough to Climb, Olympic Girls

7. Big Thief: Two Hands

There is only one band that could make my top 10 list twice in the same year, and that band is Big Thief. “Two Hands” is their second release 2019, serving as the more raw project of the two, with the band opting to largely record live with minimal production, which would prove to be a strength of the record. This decision allowed for the talent of the band to really shine through, particularly Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek. “Forgotten Eyes”, Lenker’s vocal performance (pretty difficult melody to stay in tune on, I must say) isn’t necessarily perfect, but the slight blemishes adds a realness to the song that just makes it so much more charming. Lenker’s guitar playing is allowed to take center stage, like on the track “Not”, a song harking back to their debut record, contains a 2+ minute, raw and emotional guitar solo. This is truly one of the coolest moments on the record and is something I think a lot Big Thief fans wouldn’t mind them revisiting. Lenker also shows her softer side, with some lovely acoustic playing on the track “Wolf”. But the stripped back production also allows for more Buck’s beautifully subtle guitar playing to shine, like his delicate soloing on the wonderful vibe that is “Replaced”. If this was the only record to be released from this amazing band, I would be truly ecstatic. And yet, being the amazing band they are, they manged to top themselves with an even better release earlier in the year.

Key Tracks: Replaced, The Toy, Not

6. Pup: Morbid Stuff

Pop punk lives! Something I noticed as the decade was coming to an end was that I had very few pop punk rock records that I could look back on. This really bummed me out as I was raised on Green Day, so this genre has always had a special place in my heart. Enter Pup. This was a band that I wasn’t really familiar but my friend Billie was absolutely obsessed with. After the first listen, I was blown away. This was the pop punk record I had spent years searching for. Top to bottom, this album is banger after banger of angsty, emo-ey, power chord loving pop punk. The album kicks off perfectly with the title track, a loud sing along with soaring vocals from the lead singer Stefan Babcock that serves as a perfect example of what is to come. “See You At Your Funeral” is another personal favorite of mine, led by such an infectious chorus. The pettiness behind the song with lines like “I hope somehow, I never see you again. And if I do it’s at your funeral, or better yet. I hope the world explodes, I hope we all die. We can watch the highlights in hell, I hope it’s televised” just make me laugh. Despite no large deviations from their overall sound, the band manages to keep the album feeling fresh. The one major change is on the glorious ” Full Blown Meltdown”, which is practically a speed metal track that just absolutely kicks ass. This record then seamlessly transitions to the fantastic “Bare Hands”, before ending on the quietier “City” to bring the album home. “Morbid Stuff” doesn’t try isn’t the most groundbreaking record; it’s just a collection of pop punk tracks. But those tracks are so good that it’s impossible to ignore this record. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best pop punk record of the 2010s.

Key Tracks: See You at Your Funeral, Morbid Stuff, Full Blown Meltdown

5. Wilco: Ode to Joy

It makes me so happy that Wilco is still capable of making music that amazes me. As I have to state with any Wilco album I talk about, my reviews are incredibly biased as they are my favorite band. Anything this band puts out I will probably like. Still, Ode to Joy may be the best effort Wilco has put out since the previous decade (which is likely not a popular opinion among fans). I personally have enjoyed this more somber tone that Wilco has taken on their past couple of records. “Bright Leaves” is a a great example, with the track starting of somewhat dissonant before correcting itself into a truly sweet song. I love the subtle production and noises that are added to this track (and many other tracks on the album) that hearkens back to Wilco’s best work (think Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born). “Quiet Amplifier” is a return to Wilco’s most experiemental work and has me immediately thinking of the amazing track Radio Cure. The album does pick up the pace a bit on “Everybody Hides”, a fun song from the Jeff’s side project with his son, Tweedy. The lead single “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” is Nels Cline, their virtuosoic lead guitarist, is at his very best with an incredibly catchy guitar riff, coupled with Tweedy’s hushed vocals giving the solemn warning of not to be placated by love surrounding you. But the best track on the whole record, and truly one of Tweedy’s best songs, is the closer “Empty Corner”. Is such a simple song, basic drums and acoustic guitar, with light pianos and production in the background. And yet, the song is perfect case study of what Wilco does best; crafting songs where the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Whether it’s the beautiful melody from Tweedy, the perfect use of space for all of the instrumentation, or the use noise in their production decisions to just add the perfect amount of atmosphere and melancholy characteristic of all of the best Wilco songs. The refrain of “You’ve got family out there” is oddly powerful for such a gentle track. I highly recommend listening to the album with headphones to capture all of the layers of the songs properly. What else is there to say other than this band is just so special.

Key Tracks: An Empty Corner, Love Is Everywhere (Beware), Everyone Hides

4. Bon Iver: i,i

If you needed any more confirmation that Bon Iver has fully committed to the more electric, almost glitch pop sound, this album is it. Coming off the truly spectacular 22, A Million, Bon Iver takes a slight step back from the experimental sounds to allow for sound containing more joy and optimism. The opening track “iMi” is perfect example, jumping in and out of big sounds and the stripped back vocals of Justin Vernon, before regal horns blast in the second half of the song, a strong start. (Sidenote, these song titles are soooo much easier to type out compared to 22, A Million, something I’m quite thankful for). The record still contains plenty of vocal and digital experimentalism, like on Holyfields and Jelmore, as Vernon oscillates in and out of autotune. The singles from this record are some of its finest work. “Hey Ma” is this super sweet, soaring track whose lyrics still remain a bit unclear to me (though it’s never a bad sentiment to call your Ma every once in a while). “Faith” serves as an emotional peak for the album, where all of the instruments explode on the second verse. The way the instruments and vocal harmonies swell on the track are enough to give anyone chills and is Justin Vernon at his absolute best. My only complaint is I wish the song was a just a little bit longer so we can sit in the beauty just a bit more. “Sh’Diah” is just breathtaking, with Vernon’s vocals at the top of his falsetto as trumpets and saxophones accompany him. This is less of a song and more of an atmosphere and I just think it works so well on this record. “RABi” is a great way to bring the record home, a more straighforward song just a touch of electric guitar and a more streamlined song structure to ease you out of the album. Much like the Wilco record, I highly recommend listening to this record with headphones to capture all of the complex layers of each track. I think this probably Bon Iver’s weakest record, but man if this is as bad as it’s going to get, Justin Vernon is a generational songwriter (which is probably the case anyway).

Key Tracks: Hey, Ma, Faith, Sh’Diah

3. Big Thief: U.F.O.F.

The first release of 2019 from this truly wonderful band. This record serves as more of the “celestial” sister to it’s more raw sister album “Two Hands”, containing more focus on production throughout the album. Things start off incredibly strong with the first three tracks. “Contact” perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album, with Adrianne Lenker’s classic brand of raw and emotional guitar, including a great solo and a truly terrify, visceral scream before the guitar solo starts; a powerful moment. We then wonderfully transition into to fantastic title track, containing a hushed vocal melody coupled with lovely finger picked guitars. The percussion in this track has this interesting little groove to that brings the whole song together. “Cattails” is this incredibly fun folksy bluegrass track that honestly makes me want to stomp my feet. The dual acoustic guitars grow as the song goes on, before you realize how loud and full they sound, making wonder how you got here. Such a strong start to the record. The album is just full of these gentle tracks with delicate acoustic guitar and subtle band arrangements. “Orange” is such a simple song in comparison to the rest, just Lenker singing and a straightforward strumming pattern on her guitar. Yet the track is so powerful and is exactly what the record is calling for in that moment. It then leads into one of the very best Big Thief songs ever made; “Century”. The strummed acoustic guitar sits in the background as the bass, drums, and vocals are brought to the front of the song. The melody grabs you immediately and never let goes. But the real standout in the song is Buck Meek’s guitar playing on the back of the track, a stunning solo that is as beautiful as it is simple. Perfect example of why Meek is one of my favorite guitarists playing today. The reworking of “Terminal Paradise” from Lenker’s solo career is another great moment on the record, with the fast strumming guitar on the chorus, coupled with just stunning harmonies. While not the official last track of the album, “Jenni” serves a perfect song to close out the album (final track is just 1 minutes song with some production). Jenni is like this mellowed out version of grunge or even a bit of sludge metal, with fuzzy guitars that almost drag. Such a cool way to bring things to a close. As I said on the Two Hands review, we were truly blessed to recieve not one, but two truly amazing records from Big Thief. This is one of many reasons I think they are one of the best acts in music right now.

Key Tracks: Century, U.FO.F, Contact, Cattails

2. Alex G: House of Sugar

It’s been so much fun watching someone who started by putting demos onto Bandcamp mature so much as a songwriter. Alex G showed some really cool potential with his last project Rocket, combining indie folk, traditional folk, and indie rock with electronic experimentalism. While not everything worked on that project, it had some pretty great moments. On “House of Sugar”, the potential on Rocket is fulfilled. The album opens with the incredible “Walk Away”, that serves a preview of whats to come, exhibiting most if not all of the sounds you can expect from the album, the combinations of folk and electronic experimentation. We then transition into my song of 2019, “Hope”. The song starts almost brightly, with fast strumming on a acoustic guitar before jumping into the soul crushing lines “he was a good friend of mine, he died, why write about it now? Gotta honor him somehow”, talking about what appears to be another friend dying from fentanyl. It’s track that is as beautiful as it is devastating. We then transition into “Southern Sky”, an indie Americana style track (is that even a thing?) with an almost sing-along melody, before the piano and fiddle play a duet to close out the track. “Gretel”, another highlight almost serves as a microcosm of every sound Alex G has used in his career (with pan flute to boot!), whether it’s the grundgey indie rock of his bandcamp days, or the experimental folk found on Rocket. I love how the violin fades in and out as the acoustic guitar strums in the background. These 4 tracks are just such a strong way to start an album. The back half of the record showcases some of the classic experimental sounds that Alex G has used throughout his career, like “Taking”, a track that would have found a good home on an album like Beach Music, with the 90s-esque acoustic guitar combined with the unique production choices. Or on the truly insane “Near” that honestly should be a really annoying song and yet just works for this album. The best track on the back half of the record is “In Your Arms”. It’s hard to explain, but there is a looseness to the track that adds a layer of sincerity that makes this track really special. This album is the culmination of an indie artist really coming into his own sound. There are other years this record likely would have been my album of the year, but 2019 was just such a good year for music, that there is one better.

Key Tracks: Hope, Gretel, Southern Sky, In My Arms

1. Angel Olsen: All Mirrors

There is just something amazing about when an artist takes a huge swing at something creatively and just absolutely hits it out of the park. Angel Olsen has done exactly that with “All Mirrors”. Most artists would struggle to top an album that is as quality as MY WOMAN and yet here we are. This project is contains a more orchestral sound, allowing for Olsen’s iconic voice to shine. They could have just settled for this sound and probably made a solid but more boring album. However, this album contains songs that are far more varied and dynamic, giving it so much more depth. “Lark” is the truly extraordinary opener, a slow burn track that slowly builds before unleashing a belting Angel Olsen and a flurry of strings and big drum kit. Such a perfect way to open the album. The title track and lead single wonderfully alternates between synth heavy aesthetics and lush strings. “New Love Cassette” showcases the more subtle side of the record, with incredibly hushed vocals from Olsen and a pulsing synth line. I love the tension added to the song from the staccato strings play halfway through the track; a perfect example of how this album expands on the chamber pop sound. I love the wobbliness on “Spring”; it makes for such neat little stylistic change from the previous tracks. The album contains regal and cinematic moments like on “Impasse” with dramatic strings and Olsen leaving it all on the field with the vocal performance. But this album contains contrasts, with Impasse immediately being followed by “Tonight”. This track is a polar opposite, with a soothing and meloncholy orchestral arrangement coupled with such delicate vocals that Olsen might as well be whispering. Despite these soft vocals, this song is just as impactful as its juxtaposed (pretentious alert) with the louder tracks. “Summer” is this western track, with a galloping snare that you could envision pioneers riding their horses to. “Impasse” is the aptly named penultimate song on the record, serving almost like a jazz standard, with such an incredibly catchy melody. This whole record leads up to the show stopper track and probably Angel Olsen’s best song, “Chance”. It’s hard to put into words how stunning this track is. Olsen had resisted the urge of her belting over a symphony for the entire record and this was finally her moment. The wait makes this song so much more memorable. Her vocal delivery on the second verse is just jaw dropping as she climbs higher and higher up her register. The songs closes with this incredibly present “Its hard to say forever, love. Forever is just so far away. Why don’t you say you’re with me know, with all of your heart.” It is no coincidence that I haven’t written something on just about every track on the album. There isn’t a dud in the bunch and they all contain truly amazing songwriter, instrumentation, and production. The album is truly a triumph and certainly one of the very best of the 2010s.

Key Tracks: Chance, Lark, New Love Cassette, Tonight