2019 ERA Album of the Year Voting Thread [Ends Midnight 23rd of February PST]

[Sasliquid]

Why hello again,

It is listmas once again so here is your thread for voting on Albums of the year.

As with before please read the rules and follow the guidelines which I have updated from last year so hopefully it will be easier to analyse.

Here are the Rules:
- Make sure the spelling is all good.
- Please don't use abbreviations or nicknames etc
- If there is no clear ranking I will not count it
- Albums must be released in 2019 so no reissues or greatest hits compilation. However in terms of grey areas I will make concessions.
- EPs are allowed.
- You can edit your list up to the deadline.
- You can include 10 Ranked choices and 5 honorable mentions. Anything past this will not get counted. If you list more than 5 honorable mentions I will only take the first five.
- Feel free to include less than 10 choices but you must vote for a minimum of at least 3 albums.

The Deadline is Sunday 23rd February 2020 at 23:59:59 PST for submissions.

Please use this format:

1. Artist: Album: Comment
2. Artist: Album: Comment
3. Artist: Album: Comment

HM. Artist - Album: Comment

Please be consistent as the simpler everyone makes it the quicker I can get the results out. I will aim to have the results page up within a week of the deadline.

Comments are optional but encouraged, especially for your first place choices. Feel free to also use album art and other relevant images.

Point System is:

1st = 10 Points
2nd = 9 Points
3rd = 8 Points
4th = 7 Points
5th = 6 Points
6th = 5 Points
7th = 4 Points
8th = 3 Points
9th = 2 Points
10th = 1 Point
HM (Honorable Mention) = Half Point

If you would like to listen to more new music before the deadline I would recommend AlbumoftheYears aggregate list of critics results for 2019.

I look forward to seeing everyones ballots and absolutely no complaints about the results.

 

[H.Cornerstone]

1. Tool - Fear Inoculum
2. Allaegeon - Apoptosis
3. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
4. Amon Amarth - Berserker
5. Killswitch Engage - Atonement
6. Alter Bridge - Walk the Sky

 

[spx54]

1. Vampire Weekend- Father of the Bride
2. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Bandana
3. Danny Brown- uknowwhatimsayin?
4. James Blake- Assume Form
5. Toro y Moi- Outer Peace
6. Tyler, the Creator- IGOR
7. FKA Twigs- Magdalene

 

[Deleted member 10737]

like last year, i was not very adventurous and pretty much listened to 0 new artists. so not a very exciting year but these were the best of what i listened to:

top 10:
1. SebastiAn: Thirst: sebastian's 2011 album, total, is one of my all time favorites. the wait has been long but it was definitely worth it. the album is so wonderfully disjointed and lacks cohesion in the best way possible, which is kind of in contrast to his previous album which was going for a specific feel throughout all its songs. each new track here brings a surprise in mood and sound.
2. HTRK: Venus in Leo: HTRK is on of my favorite bands, and a perfect fit for my lonely gay moods. the wait for a new album was long, and i don't think this was able to surpass their previous works, but it's still an amazing album to listen to.
3. Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?: my favorite deerhunter era is the microcastle/weird era cont. era and imo this is the closest they've gotten to replicating that.
4. TR/ST: The Destroyer - 1: i'm a big fanboy of robert alfons (also have a crush on him), so a new album from him would always be in my list unless something catastrophic happens. this two part album is way more experimental than his previous works. in some ways it's better than joyland, his previous albums, and i contribute that to the return of his collaborator maya postepski returning as producer on a couple of the tracks, but in other ways it feels rushed and unfinished. part 2 specially barely feels like an album and has like 2.5 songs and the rest are just noise. still, i liked it but i don't think anyone new to him would really enjoy these.
5. TR/ST: The Destroyer - 2: see above.
6. Pharmakon: Devour: my introduction to pharmakon was with her previous album, contact. listening to that was just a breath taking experience. i'm not a HUGE harsh noise fan and i only listened to the big ones during my edgy /mu/ days but pharmakon is something else. it's just so mesmerizing, each album literally grabs you and doesn't let go until it's finished. this was no exception, loved it.
7. doon kanda: Labyrinth: jesse kanda, aka doon kanda, is the visual collaborator of arca who has also directed some music videos for bjork/fka twigs/etc. i've been a fan of his music since the first EP, and after two EPs this is his debut album. i really liked it. in some ways it feels like a continuation of arca's first album, xen. arca moved on to different sounds but i loved that first album so anything like that is good for me.
8. Black Cilice: Transfixion of Spirits: the token black metal spot in my list. loved their previous album, banished from time, and this was even better.
9. Chelsea Wolfe: Birth of Violence: i love chelsea wolfe, but the previous 3 albums were kinda testing my love for her. i liked the vibe of her earlier works but the later albums were doing weird things. this was a return to form imo, absolutely loved it. my favorite since apokalypsis.
10. Have a Nice Life: Sea of Worry: there was a point where have a nice life was my favorite band and deathconsciousness was my favorite album. i don't think anything they've released since then has come close to DC but i still enjoyed this. it feels shitty to say but i think i liked that first album because it came from people who were clearly very depressed, but i don't think that's the case anymore so it doesn't hit the same spot for me.

honorable mentions:
James Blake: Assume Form
Charli XCX: Charli
ionnalee: Remember the Future
Whirr: Feels Like You
Moon Diagrams: Trappy Bats

 

[Min]

I can't think of very many off the top of my head, but Immunity is a pretty good album this year.

Immunity -- Clairo

 

[Deleted member 5853]

Oh shit, I did not see this:
1. Jai Paul: Leaks 04-13 (Bait Ones)
2. 100 gecs: 1000 gecs
3. Vegyn: Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds
4. Vampire Weekend: The Father of the Bride
5. The Comet is Coming: Trust in the Lifeforce of Deep Mystery
6. Angel Olson: All Mirrors
7. Solange: When I Get Home
8. Sturgill Simpson: Sound and Fury
9. Octo Octa: Resonant Body
10. Kel Tenere: Black Assouf

 

[chrominance]

I was waiting for this thread to pop up and it turns out I missed it because I'm bad at searching and occasionally checking Etcetera doesn't work well because it moves too fast for this thread to ever spend any time on the front page.

This is provisional, but also I feel like I say that every year and then don't really adjust my list, so:

1. kiki vivi lily: vivid: A warm, cozy sonic blanket. The album that seemed to work no matter what mood I was in. Copenhagen
2. TSUBAME: THE PRESENT: Feels like it channels Nujabes in places, which is extremely high praise. Great set of nocturnal hip-hop beats. GOOD NIGHT
3. AAAMYYY: BODY: A mid-year contender for AOTY and still up there for me. I'm a big sucker for electropop and this delivers. 愛のため
4. Rozi Plain: What a Boost: Normally quiet folky albums bounce right off me. This one had the uncanny knack of finding a gentle but insistent groove and burying deep into my ears. Swing Shut
5. Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs: Sometimes cutting, sometimes hilarious, sometimes goofy, often all three at once. Not every song lands but the ones that do feel joyous even when the subject matter is weighty. Tricks
6. Answer to Remember: Answer to Remember: I'll never get tired of the sound of a good jazz band playing with a full head of steam. Still So What
7. Angel Olsen: All Mirrors: Easier for me to admire than embrace, but some of the songs are absolutely gorgeous. Chance
8. Sayonara Ponytail: What's Meant to Be: Are they an idol band? I don't even know anymore. They don't really sound like one, though; instead we get yet another collection of low-key pop songs, this one a little more off-kilter than usual. 空飛ぶ子熊、巡礼ス
9. Crumb: Jinx: Incredibly woozy, vaguely uneasy mood. Nina
10. Satoko Shibata: がんばれ！メロディー: Lively, upbeat Japanese folk-pop. 結婚しました

Honorable mentions:
HM. Anna Meredith: FIBS: Straddling the line between pop and classical composition, FIBS can be a bit of a hard album to get to know at first, but at least a few of the tracks here are buzzy and catchy in a way that most popular music isn't. Also one of the coolest music videos of the year: Paramour
HM. Passepied: More Humor: Their best album since MAKUNOUCHI-ISM, which was forever and an age ago. Graffiti

Reissue of the year: Pizzicato Five - The Band of 20th Century: Nippon Columbia Years 1991-2001. Pizzicato Five's discography has always been difficult to appreciate as a whole; alternate versions and mixes abound, and albums often don't have the definitive version of a song. It doesn't help that this is actually the SECOND release to be called "The Band of 20th Century" (the first one covered their pre-Maki Nomiya years). But this two-disc set is everything great about Pizzicato Five in a single, easy-to-digest package. If you've ever been curious about shibuya-kei or wanted an easy way to know what Pizzicato Five is all about, this is it.

 

[coma]

01. Tyler Childers: Country Squire: In the past few months, I've gone from not knowing who Tyler was (and barely listening to country music beyond the basics of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, etc.) to buying all of his records, going to see him live (one of the best shows I've ever been to), and having him easily become one of my favorite artists of all time. As I've become increasingly jaded as I've gotten older, it's been refreshing to get this excited about something new again.

02. Devourment: Obscene Majesty
03. Lurid Panacea: The Insidious Poisons
04. Sulfuric Cautery: Chainsaws Clogged With the Underdeveloped Brain Matter of Xenophobes
05. Danny Brown: uknowhatimsayin¿
06. Sturgill Simpson: Sound & Fury

+ a bunch of other random grindcore albums I'm too lazy to rank and stuff I'm forgetting came out in 2019.

 

[Deleted member 19767]

1. Tool - Fear Inoculum
2. Allaegeon - Apoptosis
3. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
4. Amon Amarth - Berserker
5. Killswitch Engage - Atonement
6. Alter Bridge - Walk the Sky

Click to shrink...

My dude, I think this one of the first times I've seen Alter Bridge mentioned on this forum.

 

[H.Cornerstone]

My dude, I think this one of the first times I've seen Alter Bridge mentioned on this forum.

Click to shrink...

Yeah Alter Bridge is just a really solid steady band.

 

[JigglesBunny]

1. Deidcated - Carly Rae Jensen
Pop music perfection. Nothing better than pure bubblegum, dance pop.

2. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish
A fantastic debut with everything from goth pop to mellow sad tracks, she doesn't really need my advocacy. Everyone already loves her.

3. Choke (EP) - Poppy
Poppy's rebirth and it's glorious. Voicemail might be one of the most sonically interesting pop songs of the year.

 

[Futureman]

Nice! Totally missed this thread....

1. Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains

2. Kevin Morby: OMG

3. Radiator Hospital: Sings "Music for Daydreaming"

4. Alex Cameron: Miami Memory

5. Frankie Cosmos: Close it Quietly

6. Mac Demarco: Here Comes the Cowboy

7. Faye Webster: Atlanta Millionaires Club

8. Cochemea: All My Relations

9. Laura Stevenson: The Big Freeze


Not going to bother ranking, but those are my favorite 9 releases. I also enjoyed albums from Vampire Weekend, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, Jay Som, Sofia Bolt, Malkmus, Stella Donnelly and Sharon Van Etten.

*I guess in the spirit of the thread I'll rank them. Post edited.

 

[Bubukill]

My top 5.



1. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

A kind of pop electro and acoustic album that makes one of the most beautifully arranged albums of 2019.

2. Lingua Ignota - Caligula

This is the most metal album or most savage album released this year, but that it is actually not a metal album at all. It's kind of tensing but beautiful at the same time.

Lingua Ignota vocals delivery has been most haunting I've heard the entire year and also one of the most mesmerizing vocals I've heard out of the past decade. Although, be aware that in certain moments, this shit may get too hardcore for the casual listeners; especially when she starts screaming and the instrumentals elevate into a chaotic journey full of abuse and rage.

Note: She looks a lot like Lady Gaga lmao.

3. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR

I'm not gonna say too much about this album. I'm just gonna say that the entire album slaps ans Tyler, The Creator is, currently, at his best momentum.

Shit gives me almost the same feeling as Blonde by Frank Ocean, but, at the same time, it's quite the bit opposite of it and I loved it.

4. Lana del Rey - Normanman Fucking Rockwell


Oh boy, I was kind of Lana del Rey hater before but this album has quite grown on me to the point where I'm ending up loving it. This album is really REALLY fucking good. I Love everything about it. Her lyrics, her voice performance, the aesthetics, the instrumentals. Everything oozes quality; and quite an step up from her previous works.

By far, her best album to date.

5. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Bandana

Nothing to say. We all know that this duo slaps when making an album. Finally, a sequel to that masterpiece called "Piñata" (which was my favorite album in that year).

"Bandana" may not be as good as Piñata, in my opinion" but that does not mean Bandana is not one of the finest rap albums released this year and a satisfying sequem to Piñata.

 

[janoGX]

like this year on music.

1. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR
It's Tyler's best album, I don't need to talk too much about it, since the album makes its point across since 'Igor's Theme' and then owns your heart in 'EARFQUAKE', easily beats to just stare at the sky at night, or perfect songs to get by in a heartbreak. The sound it's majestic, beats that are some of Tyler's best, I think the album even surpasses 'Flower Boy'.

2. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?
This is how you make a debut album. No extra producers, only the O'Finneas siblings, Billie went from sounding your typical "generic pop darling" from the EPs and now has a personality, a point to make across, a beat and sound that you can say "yeah, this is Billie", all starting with the Grammy Nominated Song of the Year 'Bad Guy' and combining her soft voice with a crazy beat that wants to make you pop out of your seat. Best pop of 2019, bravo Billie.

3. Otoboke Beaver - Itekoma Hits
This is a weird album to put in (thank you melon), but there's reasons, it's a "compilation album" in the sense that the band -composed of only girls from Kyoto, Japan- put many songs from their EPs and singles up to 5 years ago! And then added some more and you get the most bombastic release for rock music in 2019, and one of the better punk albums from the 10's. From 'Don't Light My Fire' to one of my favorites in 'S'il Vous Plait', this album and the band will get the pulse and don't stop in the best of ways.

4. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
I will say it, this is Slipknot's best work. I don't have to restrain, or care about what the Iowa/Selftitled fans have to say. This is a mature band, putting out mature content, and they've proven that they still have what it takes to reign on the metal scene for years to come, this album is why they're still top dogs on that genre, just listen to 'Soloway Firth', tell me that song isn't good, tell me it doesn't have energy. The best thing, it appeals every fan from every Slipknot era, it brings the Iowa, Vol 3 and .5 fans together. The only drawback, 'All Out Life' should have been part of the album, it's the "unofficial" song of the album and single.

5. Shinsei Kamattechan - Child's Medical Record
I don't know how they do it everytime... I just don't know how, but they pull me in back every time they put something out and that's almost yearly, this time, Noko decided to grab his vocals to new distorted levels and change his tone to that of a girl, with lyrics that blend the despair and hope of life, how the digitalization is changing us, incredible music, blends of pop, emo, hardcore and punk. This is one of those weird trips you take and end up loving it. Noted song: 'Ruru's Suicide Show on a Livestream', this song, it touches the case of roro-chan, a popular deceased 14-year old FC2 streamer who broadcasted her suicide live, she jumped the balcony of her apartment because she wanted to get famous. A song that takes the Paramore "After Laughter" motto of happy music with sad lyrics to the extreme, to the point of being disturbing, like "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People, it's a song that shows a problem in Japan and many countries, that mental health is important, give it a listen.

6. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)
This is how you fuse some genres and make some tunes on the pop spectrum, and it feels so refreshing, pop + jazz + RnB + soul, a winning combination and incredible display of Lizzo's voice on songs like 'Juice' or 'Truth Hurts' (that came out on 2017 making it a sleeper hit), it's a good listen from time to time when you want to just move your booty to the song... Not in a twerky way...

7. Bring Me The Horizon - amo
I'm a big BMTH fan, I love their roots, but I love more the break they made starting from Sempiternal. They just started to drift from the typical "metal/alt-rock" band and started to be themselves, this is their endgame, the culmination of everything they've done, with songs that blend electronica, metal, pop, rock, rap, and every genre they can put in a blend and make it work. My standout here it's 'Sugar, Honey, Ice & Tea', a song that keeps the heaviness of the band, but includes every single small beat they can to make it be a sum game. Also, shoutouts to my favorite song of 2019 'Ludens' that isn't on the album but it's pure Rock perfection and the full evolution of BMTH in one song.

8. Cö Shu Nie - Pure
Well, that was a debut album, they've bulit it off so well over the last 2 years, post-hardcore, pop, rock, all with Miki Nakamura's angelic voice giving character to the songs around them. They're on a pathway to become another big Japanese post-hardcore band that just proves that the country is a machine that keeps rock alive and well. Some examples of this are on their singles, 'asphyxia' or 'Zettai Zetsumei'.

9. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!!
This is easily my favorite Lana album, it keeps the vibes from the older records, but doesn't feel as mellow or moody as before, with songs like 'Fuck it I love you' or 'The Greatest' bringing more light and color into what it is Lana's career.

10. Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding
I find this album interesting, after having one of the biggest albums of the decade in sales with 'beerbongs & bentleys', Post inmediately worked on his next album and teased it for a time, some songs aren't the best that you will find this year like 'Circles' and 'Wow.', but then you find gems that are hard to ignore like 'Goodbyes' with Young Thug, or 'Take What You Want', the collab of Post, Travis Scott and the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osborne. This is not an album for everyone, some might hate Post, but I like him. And this deserves a spot on the Top 10.


HONORABLE MENTIONS (AKA. 11 AND BEYOND, NO NOTES)
11. Charli XCX - Charli
12. Thom Yorke - ANIMA
13. BROCKHAMPTON - Ginger
14. Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
15. FKA Twigs - Magdalene
16. Ariana Grande - thank u, next
17. Sum 41 - Order in Decline
18. QUEEN BEE - Ten
19. cinema staff - Cinema Staff
20. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
21. Aimer - Sun Dance

 

[Flex1212]

1. TOOL - Fear Inoculum
2. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Bandana

 

[Jarlaxle]

Just setting this list up temporarily right now and will most likely alter it before the deadline.

1. Maybird - Things I Remember From Earth
2. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rat's Nest
3. TOOL - Fear Inoculum
4. The Claypool Lennon Delerium - South of Reality
5. Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2
6. William Doyle - Your Wilderness Revisited
7. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
8. The Leisure Society - Arrivals & Departures
9. Electric Zoo - Childhood Memories
10. Drugdealer - Raw Honey

HM: Ezra Furman - Twelve Nudes
HM: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Fishing for Fishies
HM: Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1
HM: Matt Maltese - Krystal
HM: Mars Red Sky - The Task Eternal

 

[Infernostew]

1. Vivian Girls - Memory
2. PUP - Morbid Stuff
3. Tiger Army - Retrofuture

will add more when I have a chance to look through all the records I like released this year

 

[InaudibleWhisper]

1. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising: Timeless.
2. Richard Dawson: 2020: What if psych-folk fucked power pop and Ken Loach filmed it?
3. FKA Twigs: Magdalene: Concise, consistent, exquisite, heartbreaking.
4. black midi: Schlagenheim: Mad as a box of frogs covering Talking Heads with jackhammers
5. Tyler, The Creator: IGOR: Tyler at his best. Cinematic, varied production that gulfs often opposing vibes while feeling like his most complete album.
6. Big Thief: Two Hands: Two great albums within 6 months. I prefer the more intimate sound of Two Hands. It can get loud, but it always sounds personal. 'Not' is in consideration for song of the year.
7. Otoboke Beaver: ITEKOMA HITS: A relentless assault of noise and fun.
8. Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains: Some of Bermans best work, and all the more heartbreaking lyrically given the cicrumstances soon after release. Feels rewarding every time I go back to it.
9. Little Simz: GREY Area: Honest, energetic and varied
10. Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs: Sharp lyrics that are hilarious, gut-wrenching, and sometimes both, combined with some of the catchiest singer-songwriting hooks of the year.
HM. JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs: The way he plays with texture always leaves me guessing, but never disappointed.
HM. Lana Del Rey: Normal Fucking Rockwell: Finally an album that lives up to the promise of her persona and best songs. Audrey Horne slow dancing at a Nevada test site.
HM. Denzel Curry: Zuu: Banger after banger.
HM. Angel Olsen: All Mirrors: Some of her best production, and definitely her biggest sound, but the songs can sometimes feel a bit lost in the ambition.
HM. Charli XCX: Charli: Some of the biggest pop songs of the year. Some of her experimentation weaved throughout. The sound is inconsistent, but too many good moments to not mention.

 

[deli]

1 | Big Thief | U.F.O.F
2 | Slauson Malone | A Quiet Farewell, Twenty Sixteen to Twenty Eighteen
3 | Black Midi | Schlagenheim
4 | MIKE | Tears of Joy
5 | Weyes Blood | Titanic Rising

6 | Richard Dawson | 2020
7 | Battles | Juice B Crypts
8 | Freddie Gibbs & Madlib | Bandana
9 | Lambchop | (This Is What I Wanted To Tell You)
10 | Solange | When I Get Home

----------------------------------------------------------------

11 | Purple Mountains | Purple Mountains
12 | Lingua Ignota | CALIGULA
13 | Wilco | Ode to Joy
14 | Kim Gordon | No Home Record
15 | Aldous Harding | Designer

16 | Big Thief | Two Hands
17 | Nivhek | After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house
18 | Bill Callahan | Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
19 | Moor Mother | Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
20 | James Blake | Assume Form

21 | Klein | Lifetime
22 | Fennesz | Agora
23 | Angel Olsen | All Mirrors
24 | Teebs | Anicca
25 | Jay Som | Anak Ko

26 | Brittany Howard | Jaime
27 | Thom Yorke | ANIMA
28 | MAVI | Let the Sun Talk
29 | JPEGMAFIA | All My Heroes Are Cornballs
30 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Ghosteen

31 | Thee Oh Sees | Face Stabber
32 | Rozi Plain | Symmetrical
33 | Medhane | Own Pace
34 | Xiu Xiu | Girl with Basket of Fruit
35 | Tim Hecker | Anoyo

36 | FKA Twigs | Magdalene
37 | Karen O & Danger Mouse | Lux Prima
38 | Big Brave | A Gaze Among Them
39 | Pacific Yew | (((Maidenhair)))
40 | Injury Reserve | Injury Reserve

41 | Deerhunter | Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
42 | Maxo | LIL BIG MAN
43 | Jessica Pratt | Quiet Signs
44 | Quelle Chris | Guns
45 | Daniel Lopatin | Uncut Gems OST

46 | Michael Kiwanuka | KIWANUKA
47 | Sarah Davachi | Pale Bloom
48 | Nilufer Yanya | Miss Universe
49 | Danny Brown | uknowwhatimsayin?
50 | Taylor McFerrin | Love's Last Chance

 

[so1337]

1. Corey Kilgannon: As Above, So Below: Sexism, Racism, Trumpism. Corey Kilgannon holds up a mirror to modern-day America and the result would be depressing if it wasn't so beautifully poignant. Listening to "Ashamed," a miserable ode to the plight of women and survivors of rape, is an excercise in choking back the tears. The title track "As Above, So Below" is fueled by a palpable sense of frustration and anger, but not at the cost of lyrical wit:

"My black friend got shot for running a stop sign
When he reached for his insurance the cop killed him outright
This clown we elected couldn't call it a crime
Should make every decent man cry"

2. Robert Ellis: Texas Piano Man: After introducing some decidedly Rubber Soul-esque sounds with last years side project, Traveler, Texas-based singer/songwriter Robert Ellis decides to say "fuck it" and embraces his Billy Joel influences on his fourth studio album. While not a full blown rock opera, "Nobody Smokes Anymore" certainly has the kind of drive that makes the best tracks on Joel's "The Stranger" so memorable. The beginning of "Fucking Crazy," meanwhile, is almost hilariously reminiscent of "She's Got a Way" (albeit a tad more profanity-laden.) It's an absurdly fun record.
3. Brittany Howard: Jamie: Intimate and funky like nobody's business. The Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard seems to have found her groove again with smooth and sexy blues anthems that wear queerness on their sleeve. I already feel like listening to it again.
4. Maddison Cunningham: Who Are You Now
5. Jamestown Revival: San Isabel
6. Orville Peck: Pony
7. Tyler Childers: Country Squire
8. Squid: Town Centre - EP
9. Elbow: Giants of All Sizes
10. The Highwomen: The Highwomen

HM. Sheryl Crow: Threads
HM. Ezra Furman: Twelve Nudes
HM. Mavis Staples: We Get By
HM. Violent Femmes: Hotel Last Resort
HM. The Raconteurs: Help Us Stranger
HM. Jeff Lynne's ELO: Out Of Nowhere
HM. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors: Dragons

"I liked his early stuff more" award: Sturgil Simpson: Sound & Fury

 

[janoGX]

Finally updated my list.

Also, quick question, does ERA want a "Best Single of 2019" voting thread?

 

[coma]

"I liked his early stuff more" award: Sturgil Simpson: Sound & Fury

Click to shrink...

I only recently got into him (and Tyler) and agree his older stuff is much better, but I have to respect what he was going for with that record. When it works, I think it's killer. Just could skip some of the filler tracks.

 

[gforguava]

1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
Favorite Track: "Feels Right"

2. Kate Davis - Trophy
Favorite Track: "I Like Myself"

3. Little Scream - Speed Queen
Favorite Track: "Switchblade"

4. Virginia and The Flood - Aqua Duck Down
Favorite Track: "And Then The Rain Came"

5. Lillie Mae - Other Girls
Favorite Track: "Whole Blue Heart"

6. Orville Peck - Pony
Favorite Track: "Turn To Hate"

7. Hannah James and The JigDoll Ensemble - The Woman and Her Words
Favorite Track: "Shield's Time"

8. Black Belt Eagle Scout - At The Party With My Brown Friends
Favorite Track: "Half Colored Hair"

9. Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze
Favorite Track: "Rattle At Will"

10. Jackie Cohen - Zagg
Favorite Track: "FMK"

 

[so1337]

I only recently got into him (and Tyler) and agree his older stuff is much better, but I have to respect what he was going for with that record. When it works, I think it's killer. Just could skip some of the filler tracks.

Click to shrink...

I hear what you're saying. I don't even think it's bad, I just don't think any of it is particularly interesting. Wether it's the songwriting, the guitar work or the overall production. Aside from "Sing Along," none of it really stuck with me. And even then, I'd take just about any song from Sailor's Guide over it.

 

[teague]

1. Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA - just the album of the 2010s, no questions asked
2. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride - I didn't know I wanted more 70s in my Vampire Weekend but here we are
3. The Highwomen - The Highwomen - worth it for the title track alone
4. James Blake - Assume Form - unapologetic James Blake fanboy
5. Thom Yorke - ANIMA - saw the tour and Dawn Chorus made me cry

that's plenty from me I think

 

[Blue for Sale]

1. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising - The moment I finished listening to it, I knew it deserved the top spot.
2. JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes are Cornballs - What can I say? I enjoy a JPEGMAFIA type album, even if it is different from his previous release.
3. Little Simz - GREY Area - Little Simz is at the top of her game, everything in this album is on point.
4. Yazz Ahmed - Polyhymnia
5. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
5. Sault - 5
6. Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
7. 100gecs - 1000gecs
8. KOKOKO! - Fongola
9. glass beach - the first glass beach album
10.Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call

Honorable mentions:

11. FKA twigs: MAGDALENE
12. Injury Reserve: Injury Reserve
13. billy woods & Kenny Segal: Hiding Places
14. Kai Whiston: No World as Good as Mine
15. Nérija: Blume
16. MIKE: Tears of Joy
17. Jacques Greene: Dawn Chorus
18. Altın Gün: Gece
19. Stella Donelly: Beware the Dogs
20. Carly Rae Jepsen : Dedicated
21. Jai Paul: Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)
22. Damon Locks, Black Monument Ensemble: Where Future Unfold
23. Joe Armon-Jones: Turn to Clear View
24. Parsnip: When the Tree Bears Fruit
25. Marika Hackman: Any Human Friend

 

[wackotic]

120 albums listened and it was a tough one to narrow the top 10 down once I had chosen the top 25 or so. IMO this year there were not that many 10/10 albums but a lot of really solid nines. 2019 was also a year of new music seeing that 7/10 are bands I had not heard before.

1. Cult of luna: A Dawn to fear

2. Puppy: The Goat

3. Blood Incantation: Hidden history of the human race

4. Vltimas: Something wicked marches in

5. Vorna: Sateet palata saavat

6. Calva Louise: Rhinoceros

7. Leprous: Pitfalls

8. This gift is a curse: A Throne of ash

9. FM64: Savua

10. Brutus: Nest

 

[Frunkalicious]

1. Allegaeon - Apoptosis: Fifth album from one of my favourite current bands. I saw them live last year and man, these guys are amazing. Might even be their second best album yet. Five amazing albums in a row, I said damn!
2. Fractal Universe - Rhizomes of Insanity: Didn't know about this band before this album but this is amazing stuff from this french quartet.
3. Shadow of Intent - Melancholy: Their best album yet.
4. Periphery - Periphery IV: HAIL STAN: Periphery shows that they can blend alot of genres without compromise. What a ride this album is.
5. Fallujah - Undying Light: Acquired taste and all that but I can't get enough of Fallujahs unique sound.
6. Demon Hunter - War: Not really a fan of the band or this type of metal, but this album is just so well written from start to finish. Love it.
7. After the Burial - Evergreen: Great riffs all around
8. Vale of Pnath - Accursed: Way too short at 28 mins, could've been an EP. But what's there is so good. Hopefully the next album is right around the corner.
9. Merrow - Reading the bones: Seven years since the last album! Did not expect this one and it's dope af.
10. Misery Index - Rituals of Power: Proving they still got it.

Honorable mentions:
Lahmia - Resilience
VLTIMAS - Something wicked marches in
All Out War - Crawl Among the Filth
Chronoform - From the Void
Children of Bodom - Hexed
Deserted Fear - Drowned by Humanity
Hath - Of Rot and Ruin
Mgla - Age of Excuse
Entombed A.D - Bowels of Earth
Cult of Luna - A Dawn of Fear

Another great year in the new golden age of metal. Not quite as good as the legendary year of 2018 but I still got about 50 more albums to put in rotation.

 

[EYEL1NER]

What I've got so far. I might add some more later, and some comments for the ones on the list already.

1. Riot City: Burn the Night
2. Calabrese: Flee the Light
3. Tiger Army: Retrofuture
4. Borknagar: True North
5.Marina: Love + Fear
6. Eluveitie: Ategnatos
7. Lizzo: Cuz I Love You

 

[Raza]

1. Moron Police - A Boat on the Sea: Yo, has anyone listened to this? No? Why not? One of the best re-brands for a band in along time. Proggy, upbeat at times, and a good theme.

2. Opeth - In Cauda Venenum
3. ARCH / MATHEOS – Winter Etheral

 

[Natiko]

1. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
2. Blink-182 - Nine
3. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
4. Danny Brown – uknowwhatimsayin?
5. The Lonely Island - The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience

 

[Equippedwithtowel]

my top 25

1. billy woods + Kenny Segal - Hiding Places
2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
3. JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes are Cornballs
4. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
5. Big Thief - Two Hands
6. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
7. Caroline Polachek - Pang
8. Chromatics - Closer to Grey
9. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandanna
10. (Sandy)Alex G - House of Sugar
11. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
12. Jay Som - Anak Ko
13. Brittany Howard - Jaime
14. Kim Gordon - No Home Record
15. Solange - When I Get Home
16. Quelle Chris - Guns
17. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR
18. Danny Brown - uknowwhatimsayin?
19. Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
20. MAVI - Let the Sun Talk
21. Charli XCX - Charli
22. Lambchop - This (is what I wanted to tell you)
23. Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared
24. Spellling - Mazy Fly
25. Panda Bear - Buoys

 

[Grayson]

Excellent choices and some stuff I'll look into but didn't anyone bother to listen to Harry Styles - Fine Line?

 

[Catvoca]

1. Jai Paul - Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)

Jai Paul's seminal debut album leaked way back in 2013 but just got officially released for the first time this year. Bait Ones is every bit as fresh, vibrant and brilliant now as it was then. The album stuns right from the opening track Str8 Outta Mumbai, which fuses traditional Indian music with British pop in a glorious, triumphant masterpiece, absolutely one of the best songs of the decade. The album delivers a slew of offbeat, infectious pop songs like Jasmine, Genevieve and of course his first single BTSU, with its haunting vocal harmonies and thunderous synths. These are songs that you're singing along to from the first time you hear them and on the hundredth or thousandth listen you're still hooked by. Jai Paul also released a couple of new singles this year, and while they are beautiful, full of lush, clean production and vocals, there's something about the shaggy, borderline low-fi beats that makes these leaked tracks all the more satisfying. The vocals and hooks often ooze out of quiet melodies, grabbing your attention and surprising you each time. I'm glad Jai Paul decided to release this album officially and to fully own these songs he's been hiding from for all these years.

2. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains

I had not listened to David Berman or his band The Silver Jews before this year, but his new, final project Purple Mountains captivated me from the first minute. The opening track states it bluntly; "The end of all wanting is all that I've been wanting". Berman's lyrics are some of the best I've ever heard, and his heartbreaking account of depression and loneliness is narrated with humour and pathos. Every song is filled with brilliant pieces of poetry. On All my Happiness is Gone he laments that "lately I tend to make strangers wherever I go / some of them were once, people I was happy to know". The final track has the darkly hilarious "if no ones fond of fucking me, I guess no ones fucking fond of me". He reflects on his grief after his mother death by stating that he "loved being his mother's son". He ponders his ex-wife's moving on from their relationship while he's still struggling by singing that "the light of my life is going out tonight. Never has an albums lyrics struck me so strongly across every song. It's an astonishing feat that in the mix of so much inner turmoil Berman managed to write so clearly and cleverly. Perhaps the album's darkest moments are in Nights That Won't Happen, on which Berman thinks about the world left behind by those that die:

When the dying's finally done and the suffering subsides,
All the suffering gets done by the ones we left behind. Nights that won't happen,
Time we won't spend,
With each other again

The world is a worse place without David Berman.


3. Katie Dey - Solipsisters

Australian Singer-Songwriter Katie Dey released her third project this year, another experimental pop album made in her bedroom, and I think it's her best yet. The album cover's swirling watercolours accurately portray the wharbled beauty of the music contained within. The album chiefly explores body image issues and dysphoria such as in it's main single, Stuck. This is an uplifting, immensely catchy song about trying to learn to live in a body that doesn't fit you. Songs bleed into one another like water running through wet paint, as the album transports you through a distant, colourful, landscape of inner struggle. The album's centrepiece, Dissolving is a delirious trip through deep feelings of ennui and depression, beginning with the witty "self loathing bouncing around like you're a pinball" and building until Katie is practically screeching "I don't wanna die it just feels like I'm drowning, dissolving to nothing". Her vocals and distorted melodies make Solipsisters an unforgettable listen.

4. MIKE - Tears of Joy

Tears of Joy is a rolling, stuttering exploration of entering adulthood as your mother passes away. MIKE weaves gorgeous two minute long melodies with brief, powerful verses of abstract poetry. This is one of those albums that you don't so much as actively listen to as you simply sink into. When you put it on you don't realise the time is passing as you float through the wave of depression and heartbreak. MIKE is one of the most promising artists coming out of New York as a part of the low-fi, lyrical rap scene that artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Standing on the Corner and Mavi represent. Between Tears of Joy and his previous album May God Bless Your Hustle, he's quickly become one of my absolute favourite rappers


5. Bon Iver - i,i

i,i feels like a culmination of everything Justin Vernon has been doing these past few years. It takes the vocal harmonies of For Emma, the beautiful soundscapes of self titled, and the electronic experimentation of 22, A Million and distills them into a collection of great songs. It's not his most experimental or strange album, and it had less of an immediate impact on me, but I also think it's his strongest collection of songs. It's continued to grow on me listen after listen until I finally fell in love with it. Each song is made of so many different sounds to create this gorgeous bed of music. Justin Vernon's voice holds the album together, switching effortlessly from his high pitched falsetto to his more natural, deeper singing voice. Songs like Hey Ma, U and iMi are song the best things Bon Iver have ever written.

6. Freddie Gibbs/Madlib - Bandana

Bandana is the sequel to the 2012 classic Pinata which combines both Gibbs razor sharp rhymes with Madlib's jazzy experimental beats to create something really special. Madlib has worked with many rappers but I think this partnership is his probably his best, even better than with DOOM. Gibbs is on fine form, showing off with a bunch of different flows and sounding great with each one. Madlib delivers with songs like Cataracts and Crime Pays, and the insane beat switching Fake Names. Then you have the features. Mos Def is rapping again! and sounds incredible! Black Thought delivers a great verse, and Pusha delivers maybe his best verse since Clipse. Gibbs and Madlib just compliment each other perfectly and this is a front to back great listen.

7. Billy Woods - Hiding Places

Billy Woods turns his unique brand of non-linear descriptive raps inward in his most personal, compelling album yet. Hiding Places delves into the things we keep hidden, the unspoken words that we don't even admit to ourselves. It's a black hole, moving from personal torments to generational trauma, all with clarity and wit. Kenny Segal handles the production and creates a bevy of different foreboding beats that help give the album the feeling that everything is falling apart. The cover is a dirty, decrepit house barely standing, the interior hidden in shadow. Hiding Places invites you inside.

8. Tyler the Creator - IGOR

I've never been a big Tyler fan but him moving almost completely away from rap to make this self produced R&B breakup album is an ambitious, risky move that's completely paid off. It's a great break-up album, as Tyler pretty bluntly takes you through his conflicting feelings after a relationship has ended. The production is smooth and silky, and Tyler's vocal performances, often heavily filtered, fit them perfectly. EARFQUAKE in particular is as good as pop music got this year.

9. Brockhampton - Ginger

Brockhampton's return to form after the disappointing Iridescence is an album of melodramatic moody pop rap songs. The album opens with three absolute bangers. No Halo has got an emo acoustic guitar led beat that lets the boys get depressed in style, Sugar is a fist pumping, shout-along-with-the-chorus pop song, and Boy Bye is a classic Brockhampton jam that lets the boys show-off with fun flows over a dope beat. The rest of the album is more inconsistent but it's still great to hear them sounding renewed and full of bright ideas.

Kevin Abstract also released his second solo album Arizona Baby which I will lump in with Ginger here. Kevin's lyrics are still a bit too sophomoric for my taste but this album is full of great teen pop songs of young love and heartbreak regardless.

10. Danny Brown - uknowwhatimsayin¿

After Danny's madcap drug fuelled classics XXX and Atrocity Exhibition, he's earned a reprieve. On unknowwhatimsayin¿ Danny looks back on life from a better place, telling stories from the perspective of someone who's been through the ringer but is finally able to breath. The upbeat soulful production, some of which is done by the legend Q-Tip, suits this more laid back contemplative Danny. It's honestly heartwarming to hear that Danny is living his best life.

Honorable Mentions

HM. Rico Nasty - Anger Management
HM. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
HM. Mavi - Let the Sun Talk
HM. Slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain
HM. JPEGMafia - All My Heroes Are Cornballs
HM. Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
HM. Little Simz - Grey Area
HM. Lucki - Days B4 III
HM. Blood Cultures - Oh Uncertainty! A Universe Despairs
HM. Stormzy - Heavy is the Head

 

[deafmedal]

Gonna start my list now in case I forget (like I did for last year's GotY heh), I'll try to update...

1. TOOL: Fear Inoculum:

​

13 years for 7 songs (interLOLudes), was the wait worth it? Seems decisive, I absolutely adore the sumbitch. FI is the first album since the CD age that I have played front to back many, many times. The drum and bass work is phenomenal, the guitar is guitar-y and although sparse-ish the vocals are appropriate. Culling Voices may be some of the most beautiful vocal work MJK has done. Descending may be my favorite TOOL song period, but the first 5 tracks are all up there amongst the band's best. IMO the weakest track is 7empest- I get why people like it, technically it is quite impressive but as a song I find it to be toward the bottom of their catalog. The supporting tour was an audio/visual treat (as is their wont) and hearing FI, Pneuma and Invincible live has been fucking fantastic. Hopefully I'll get to see Descending at one of the two shows I'm catching in a couple weeks.​

​

I listened to less new music this year than previous years and this album along with the rest of the band's catalog being released digitally is the main reason why.​

2. HEALTH: VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR:

Noisy art rock, I started listening to this stuff based on recs from here. Glad I did. Interesting (and loud) live show.​

​

3. Denzel Curry: ZUU:

Another year, another Curry record on my list. I really dig this shit.​

​

4. BENNY THE BUTCHER: The Plugs I Met:

Sometimes you just need some good ole coke rap.​

​

5. Telefon Tel Aviv: Dreams Are Not Enough:

Big Josh Eustis fan, glad he returned to TTA. Experimental and a bit strange this album follows TTA's thing for each album being a bit different than the others.​

​

6. Various Artists: The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack):

Does anything really need to be said here? Unshaken alone makes this album list worthy, the rest is just bonus flavor. Tasty delicious bonus flavor.​

​

7. Motionless In White: Disguise:

MIW is a band I've enjoyed for a few years and this album continues their evolution. One criticism though, they need to let the dynamics breathe, slamming the limiter to the extreme is detrimental to the songs. Fun live show, very energetic.​

​

8. Yelawolf: Ghetto Cowboy:

Yeah, ERA hates Yela. I don't, whatever. GC was way better than the other album he released this year. Yela plays with a full band live, one of the few rap acts I've seen that puts on a decent live show.​

​

9. Slipknot: We Are Not Your Kind:

First Slipknot album I've liked since the first. Really enjoyed this one.​

​

10. 2 Chainz: Rap or Go to the League:

Didn't think I would like this as much as I did, I love the way he enunciates and places emphasis on ending consonants.​

*I wish that I would have known about Zeal & Ardor last year, either release would have made number 2 had they been released this year. Need to catch a live show, I REALLY dig this shit!

 

[saltine161]

1. Hikaru Utada : Face My Fears: very blissful ep loved all the songs in English and Japanese

2. Ludwig Göransson : The Mandalorian Chapter 8: such a great cumulation of all the other episode soundtracks

3. Alex Summers : Honey Boy Soundtrack: amazing melancholy album

4. Ludwig Göransson : The Mandalorian Chapter 1: amazing themes that work great for the rest of the series

5. Marina: Love + Fear (Acoustic) : beautiful vocals with really chill fun songs

6. Sunday Service Choir: Jesus is Born: great gospel songs with beautiful production

7. City Morgue: City Morgue Vol. 2: As Good As Dead: hard dark songs

8. Jai Paul: Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones): loved it when it first came out and now it's official release

9. Joesph : Good Luck, Kid: really chill album

10. Hildur Guònadóttir : Chernobyl: really haunting soundtrack

 

[Superpupperbabysassy]

Since I only predominantly listened to hip hop this year. I will only post the best projects I've heard in this genre.

1. Griselda-WWCD
2. Bandana-Freddie Gibbs/Madlib
3. Benny the Butchet-The Plugs I Met
4. Alchemist- Yacht Rock 2
5. Nas-The Lost Tapes 2
6. Little Brother-May the Lord Watch
7. Rapsody-Eve
8. Conway the Machine-Look at what I became
9. Smoke Dza/Benny the Butcher-Statute of Limitations
10. Jenny Lewis-On the Line
Griselda ran hip hop for me this year. Benny is the breakout star.
Edit: I just listened to Jenny Lewis's On the Line. Amazing album.

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

It's IGOR baby

 

[Sabot]

1. Richard Dawson : 2020 : All encompasing, brilliant.
2. Tropical Fuck Storm : Braindrops : 2 years in a row, TFS is killing it with every release.
3. (Sandy) Alex G : House of Sugar : Catchy, not the most challenging album in the world.
4. These New Puritans : Inside the Rose : High melancholy, high drama. I live for this shit.
5. Liturgy : H.A.Q.Q. : Transcendental. Makes me want to join a cult.
6. Cherry Glazer : Stuffed & Ready : Dark as shit, but I enjoy how catchy the actual music is.
7. Drahla : Useless Coordinates : Post punk is my favorite genre, this is a good one of those.
8. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds : Ghosteen : Just endlessly sad, I can't put it on much. Most of my music listening happens while working, and I can't be catching those feels while on the clock.
9. Control Top : Covert Contracts : Post punk is my favorite genre, this is a good one of those, but with more punk than Drahla.
10. Kirin J Callinan - Return to Center : Mostly on the strength of Whole of the Moon which is probably top spot for my favorite song of the year.

 

[Trey]

1. "Shea Butter Baby," Ari Lennox
2. "Grey Area," Little Simz
3. "This Is How You Smile," Helado Negro
4. "Self Portrait," Sasha Sloan
5. "WWCD," Griselda
6. "The Lost Boy," YBN Cordae
7. "Songs For You," Tinashe
8. "case study 01," Daniel Caesar
9. "Beautiful Vinyl Hunter," Ashley Henry
10. "Neon Genesis Evangelion OST," Various

 

[Deleted member 19767]

1. Alter Bridge: Walk the Sky
2. Tool: Fear Inoculum
3. The Raven Age: Conspiracy

 

[Deleted member 42055]

So many mentions of Weyes Blood on here makes me happy. I continue to have absolutely no idea about modern metal music, seeing maaaany bands I've never heard of it's, the one genre I am completely out on.

 

[iiicon]

1. Quelle Chris : Guns
2. Charli XCX : Charli
3. Jamila Woods : LEGACY! LEGACY!
4. Weyes Blood : Titanic Rising
5. FKA twigs : MAGDALENE
6. Lana Del Rey : Norman Fucking Rockwell!
7. Purple Mountains : Purple Mountains
8. Carly Rae Jepsen : Dedicated
9. Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron : Lost Wisdom, Pt. 2
10. The National : I Am Easy To Find

Honourable mentions:
HM. Octo Octa : Resonant Body
HM. Hand Habits : placeholder
HM. Holly Herndon : Proto
HM. Kim Gordon : No Home Record
HM. Moor Mother : Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes

 

[Sasliquid]

Updated the OP to reflect the 19th Feb is actually a Wednesday

Originally I meant to write 19th Jan but somehow put Feb in both the title and text so we are just going to roll with it

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

1. Avantasia: Moonglow
2. Devin Townsend: Empath
3. Swallow the Sun: When a Shadow is Forced into the Light
4. Disentomb: The Decaying Light
5. Taylor Swift: Lover
6. Beast in Black: From Hell with Love
7. Eluveitie: Ategnatos
8. Shadow of Intent: Melancholy
9. The Dark Element: Songs the Night Sings
10. Avril Lavigne: Head Above Water

 

[Chainsawkitten]

1. Lingua Ignota: Caligula
2. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising
3. Alcest: Spiritual Instinct
4. clipping.: There Existed an Addiction to Blood
5. Cult of Luna: A Dawn to Fear
6. Carla dal Forno: Look Up Sharp
7. Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis
8. Uboa: The Origin of My Depression
9. Radio Supernova: Tähtiin
10. Otoboke Beaver: Itekoma Hits
    

 

[dancingphlower]

1. Dayseeker: Sleeptalk: Hands down my favorite album of the year. Short but sweet, all killer no filler. Shout outs to Crooked Soul as my favorite song of the year; that song slaps, as the kids like to say.
2. Bring Me The Horizon: amo: An eclectic blend of electronica, pop, rock, but it ain't heavy metal, as they would say. This album really demonstrated their growth as artists.
3. While She Sleeps: SO WHAT?: Not as heavy as their previous effort but still full of catchy riffs and hooks. That closing song, whew.
4. The Agonist: Orphans: A marked improvement of their previous album. Vocals in particular are fantastic.
5. coldrain: SIDE EFFECTS: They've been consistently delivering fun melodies and catchy riffs.
6. Fit For An Autopsy: The Sea of Tragic Beasts: I like the inclusion of some more clean vocals, as they add some more character to the songs but don't detract from the heaviness for me.
7. Thy Art Is Murder: Human Target: Probably the heaviest album on my list, just full of pure, unfiltered metal riffs.
8. Knocked Loose: A Different Shade of Blue: Like being in a mosh pit.
9. After The Burial: Evergreen: Heavy and fast.
10. New Years Day: Unbreakable: A little cheesy but I couldn't stop listening.

 

[boybrushdRED]

1. Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next: released in early 2019 but I still managed to get a lot of play time from me over the year
2. Taylor Swift: Lover: I couldn't help but stan
3. Hawthorne Heights: Lost Frequencies: I used to be a fan back in the day during my emo phase with their first 2 albums but then I stopped following them. I randomly searched them on Spotify and found out this album and it reminded me why I became a fan back then.
4. Carly Rae Jepsen: Dedicated: The singles were good so I was looking forward to this. Nice pop album during the middle of the year.
5. Breathe Carolina: DEADTHEALBUM: Love me some good EDM with vocals
6. Gryffin: Gravity
7. Sigrid: Sucker Punch
8. Audien: Escapism
9: Lizzo: Cuz I Love You
10. Tinashe: Songs for You

Honorable Mention
Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell

 

[Porco Rosso]

1. Strung Out: Songs of Armor and Devotion: A band 30 years into their career shouldn't be putting out their best album - it doesn't make any sense! Somehow, Strung Out pulled it off. The perfect mix of metal and punk - an album full of insane instrumentation and beautiful melodies. Needs to be heard.

Check Out: Ulysses

2. The Menzingers: Hello Exile: I've been a Menzingers fan as long as I can remember, and it seems they finally perfected the sound they were going for - expertly blending rock, pop, punk and lots of heart. A warm, sad nostalgia fills this album and the production gives it an almost haunting vibe. A great soundtrack for getting a little older and a little sadder.

Check Out: High School Friend

3. Off With Their Heads: Be Good: A beautiful and powerful album from start to finish. I'm not sure I've ever heard a more honest album, but it also rocks fucking hard and makes you want to scream until your lungs give out. Helped me through some tough times this year.

Check Out: Trash It

4. Lagwagon - Railer

Check Out: The Suffering

5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated

Check Out: The Sound

6. Good Riddance - Thoughts and Prayers

Check Out: Precariat

7. Bad Religion - Age of Unreason

Check Out: The Approach

8. Joey Cape - Let Me Know When You Give Up

Check Out: Possession

9. Tyler the Creator - IGOR

Check Out: A BOY IS A GUN

10. Chris Farren - Born Hot

Check Out: Domain Lapse

Honourable Mentions:

• PUP - Morbid Stuff
• Tommy and June - S/T
• Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding
• Much the Same - Everything is Fine
• Dave Hause - Kick

 

[lamaroo]

1. Tropical Fuck Storm - Braindrops
2. SAULT - 5
3. Hobo Johnson - The Fall Of Hobo Johnson
4. Guerilla Toss - What Would The Odd Do?
5. Oliver Tree - Do You Feel Me?
6. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
7. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
8. Sunflower Bean - King Of The Dudes
9. The Racontuers - Help Us Stranger
10. Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?

HM. slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain
HM. Danny Brown - uknowwhatimsaying?
HM. BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER
HM. Horizon - Trash Kit
HM. Fat White Family - Serf's Up!