Hard to believe this is the final Top Albums post of the decade! 2019 was interesting in that there were a lot of solid albums this year, but none was an “obvious” #1 (which was not the case the past few years). So without further ado, here are my top 10 albums of the year:
- My Top 10 Albums of 2019 Playlist on Spotify
- My Top 25 Songs of 2019 Playlist on Spotify
- Top Jams of 2019 (a longer playlist of songs I got stuck in my head throughout the year)
10. Wasteland, Baby! – Hozier (Spotify)
Hozier’s sophomore album shows why this Irish singer-songwriter is one of the most talented of our generation. This album doesn’t have any smash singles on par with his 2014 breakout debut, but as a whole I think it’s more cohesive. Hozier’s folk sound and unmistakable voice is infused with an inviting old-school vibe, lent a bit of extra gravitas by the presence of a few legendary guests (vocals by Mavis Staples on “Nina Cried Power”, organs/keys by Booker T. Jones). It’s not flawless — there are a few skippable tracks sprinkled throughout, and its back half is oddly much better than the front — but when it’s good, it’s some of the best I heard this year.
Standout tracks: “Nina Cried Power”, “To Noise Making (Sing)”, “Shrike”, “Talk”, “Dinner & Diatribes”
9. Grow Your Garden – ANIMA! (Spotify)
I stumbled across ANIMA! on Spotify a few years ago, and was immediately drawn in by their…well, weirdness. This experimental alt-electronic Californian-South African duo, anchored by Arielle Vakni’s enchanting vocals, blend retro (and sometimes downright bizarre, video-game-esque) synths and samples with acoustic mandolins, guitars, and pianos…and…somehow, it works. Lyrically, there’s plenty of substance there too — the songwriting on “Streaks,” for example, measures up against anything else on this year’s list. Definitely worth a listen, if only because it just won’t sound like anything else you’ve heard this year.
Standout tracks: “Aorta”, “Streaks”, “Overflow”, “One Hundred Pieces”, “Toughest Man”, “Africa”
8. Bank on the Funeral – Matt Maeson (Spotify)
Virginia Beach, VA native Matt Maeson is a singer-songwriter whose sound carries a gritty worldliness that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a 26-year-old. (“I’m a beat down, washed up son-of-a-bitch,” Maeson sings on “Beggar’s Song,” “But I’ll be damned if I let it keep me down.”) The son of parents who played in a Christian metal band touring prisons as missionaries (yes really), Maeson’s life story — including his own past struggles with drug addiction and time behind bars — infuses his lyrics with a level of authenticity that sets him apart from a lot of others in this genre. His debut full-length album is full of introspective explorations of the struggles he’s experienced, but his delivery is just so raw, genuine, and relatable that you’ll find you can’t tear yourself away. Highly recommended.
Standout tracks: “Cringe”, “Go Easy”, “Legacy”, “Hallucinogenics”, “The Mask”, “Beggar’s Song”
7. Happiness Begins – Jonas Brothers (Spotify)
Don’t judge — this was a super fun album. I wasn’t really a big fan of the Jonas Brothers back in their mid-2000s heyday, but found myself coming back to this one more than a lot of others this year. The singles are undeniably catchy, and it just sounds like they had an absolute blast making this record. True, there’s also plenty of filler, and at 14 tracks it’s definitely way too long, but this was probably one of the best pop releases of the year (sorry Taylor). Throw this one on, and you’ll be nodding your head along with the Jo Bros in no time.
Standout tracks: “Sucker”, “Cool”, “Used To Be”, “Don’t Throw It Away”, “Trust”
6. Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend (Spotify)
Vampire Weekend were once the poster boys for a certain type of indie rock — cool, aloof, cynical, somewhat brooding. Father of the Bride is a decidedly different direction. Not only is there a lot more unvarnished positivity (and major chords), but they seem almost…happy? content? Whatever it is, the result is arguably their best record to date. Incorporating a lot more folk influences (and some wonderful guest vocals from Danielle Haim throughout), this is the perfect album for playing in the car with the windows down on a sunny spring day. The track list probably could have used a bit of editing (…I think we can all agree that 18 tracks is far too many), but it’s still one of the most enjoyable listens of the year.
Standout tracks: “Harmony Hall”, “This Life”, “How Long?”, “Married In A Gold Rush”, “Sympathy”, “Stranger”
5. i’ll show you stronger – pronoun (Spotify)
One-woman phenomenon Alyse Vellturo makes her full-length debut–at age 30–with this shimmering indie bedroom-pop-rock gem under the moniker pronoun. “i’ll show you stronger” is outwardly upbeat, full of multi-layered vocal lines, glittering synths, and reverb-laden guitars. Just below the surface though, it’s an incredibly intimate, heartbreaking album about loss and disappointment. Vellturo herself plays a number of instruments on the album, but none are wielded as impressively as her voice, the undisputed centerpiece — at times half-whispered, breathy, then near-shouted, and frequently looped, distorted, and sampled into one of the most versatile sounds on the record (see “temporary tantrum” for the finest example of this). The result is some of the most entrancing, interesting music I’ve heard this year, and hopefully just the beginning of much more to come.
Standout tracks: “run”, “you didn’t even make the bed”, “stay”, “temporary tantrum”, “wrong”
4. Mother Nature – The Dangerous Summer (Spotify)
Easily the biggest surprise of the year, Ellicot City, Maryland-based pop-punk veterans The Dangerous Summer signaled their sudden resurrection from oblivion with Mother Nature, their fifth LP. While this isn’t technically their “comeback” album — that was last year’s self-titled, and pretty unremarkable, effort — the band has emerged from seven years of turmoil (numerous lineup changes, their frontman quit the band in 2014 only to re-found it in 2017, a founding member went to prison, etc.) with one of their strongest and most consistent records ever. The album has a clarity, sharpness, and vitality that harkens back to their 2011 standout War Paint. From a band that seemed to have long ago lost their way (and their voice), Mother Nature suddenly feels like they’ve got something to say again.
Standout tracks: “Bring Me Back to Life”, “Way Down”, “Virginia,” “Violent Red”, “Consequence of Living”
3. I Am Easy To Find – The National (Spotify)
Probably one of the most consistently great bands of the past decade, The National delivered again with their eighth full-length I Am Easy To Find. Matt Berninger’s continues to be one of my favorite vocalists of all time — I could listen to that man sing just about anything — butthe choice to supplement his vocal talents this time around with a bevy of guest female artists (who often take the lead for entire tracks) does introduce some refreshing variety. Musically, it doesn’t take too many risks — though there are a few exceptions, like the eerie choral interludes “Her Father In the Pool” and “Dust Swirls in Strange Light” — but frankly, when you’ve honed your craft to the point that The National have, you don’t need to.
Standout tracks: “You Had Your Soul With You”, “Quiet Light”, “Oblivions”, “I Am Easy to Find”, “Where Is Her Head”, “Light Years”
2. Without Fear – Dermot Kennedy (Spotify)
Dublin’s Dermot Kennedy delivers one of the best albums of the year with his major-label debut Without Fear. The second Irish singer-songwriter on this list, Kennedy infuses his soulful folk sound with strong hip-hop influences and production. An incredibly talented songwriter, Kennedy makes you believe every single word he’s singing, on every track, whether stripped down or at full volume. The product is a masterpiece — sincere, genuine, heartfelt, brimming with confidence and promise. This is an album I’ve come back to over and over, and imagine I’ll continue to for years to come.
Standout tracks: “An Evening I Will Not Forget”, “All My Friends”, “Power Over Me”, “Moments Passed”, “Lost”, “Outnumbered”
1. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish (Spotify)
It’s kind of surprising to me that this ended up being my #1 album — unlike years past, I only decided on it while compiling this list — but, if I’m being honest, it was the most refreshing, unique, and intriguing albums of the year. In a world where most pop music sounds like it was fed through the same over-produced machinery, 18-year-old Eilish takes a torch and burns that factory to the ground. Her music just doesn’t sound like anyone, or anything else out there. When the opening track (“!!!!!!!!”) is an audio clip of Eilish and her brother/co-producer laughing about her taking out her Invisalign, it gives you a sense of the irreverent, cheeky approach she’s going to bring to this. Eilish probably has some idea of how incredibly talented she is, even as an 18-year-old, but fortunately never seems to take herself too seriously. Who knows if her sudden global stardom will change that, but for now, let’s just enjoy the ride.
Standout tracks: “you should see me in a crown”, “bury a friend”, “all the good girls go to hell”, “my strange addiction”, “i love you”
Honorable Mention:
Gallipoli – Beirut (Spotify) – Another solid effort from Zach Condon & co.
“Let’s Rock” – The Black Keys (Spotify) – It’s very safe/in their wheelhouse, but these guys have still got it.
This Land – Gary Clark Jr. (Spotify) – Gary Clark Jr. pushes the boundaries of modern blues and incorporates a heavier dose of hip-hop influences with his third LP.
Champion – Bishop Briggs (Spotify) – Her sophomore album is a bit more mainstream pop than her earlier stuff, but succeeds on the strength of her impressive vocals.
Surviving – Jimmy Eat World (Spotify) – Their 10th studio album is a nice return to form for these rock veterans, who had largely faded into obscurity over the past decade.
Top 25 Songs of the Year: (Spotify)
1. “Bury A Friend” – Billie Eilish
2. “Harmony Hall” – Vampire Weekend
3. “Burnin’ Up” – DRMCTHR
4. “Where Is Her Head” – The National
5. “Sucker” – Jonas Brothers
6. “Outnumbered” – Dermot Kennedy
7. “The Mask” – Matt Maeson
8. “Streaks” – ANIMA!
9. “temporary tantrum” – pronoun
10. “Way Down” – The Dangerous Summer
11. “Mister Impossible” – Phantogram
12. “Landslide” – Beirut
13. “Light Years” – The National
14. “Timebomb” – Walk The Moon
15. “Two Keys and a Good Book” – The Cold Stares
16. “Kick In The Teeth” – The Luka State
17. “Lazy Boy” – L.I.F.T.
18. “Without Me” – Halsey
19. “What About Us” – Gary Clark Jr.
20. “Lo/Hi” – The Black Keys
21. “Alligator” – Of Monsters and Men
22. “To The Ground” – Death Cab for Cutie
23. “Love Never” – Jimmy Eat World
24. “CHAMPION” – Bishop Briggs
25. “whywhywhy” – MisterWives
Alex's Top Albums 