2019 was an oasis in the desert. Call it a renaissance. The charts had been mostly depressing for three years; 2019 came out swinging with a bright, optimistic mood that even the most cynical oldhead couldn't help but appreciate. The songs getting played on the radio were the best they had been in years, with new acts Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish topping the charts and influencing the charts to this day. "Old Town Road" and "Bad Guy" were a nice complement to the more dark tracks that had stuck around, and old acts had brightened up too. Typical sludge loser Post Malone decided to sound happy for the first time with "Sunflower" and "Circles," both massive hits. Panic! At The Disco likewise returned to the top 10 with "High Hopes" and "Hey Look Ma, I Made It." These songs may not be good, but they reflect a great optimism that seems strange and almost naive knowing what was to come the following year. None of these names will be appearing on this Top 10 list; I hate happiness. Even so, I think the overall sound of this year can be categorized in a distinct binary between happiness and despair. These two themes will be recurring in my retrospective of 2019.
Honorable Mentions
Taylor Swift - Lover
Is Lover a worthy contender for the top 10 albums of 2019? Not hardly. I might just be putting this album in the honorable mentions to prove to myself that I actually like Taylor. This album has a few major duds in its tracklist. "You Need To Calm Down" has the opposite of a groove to it, and no "Spelling is fun" retconning can make "Me!" catchy. Nonetheless, this album is otherwise consistently fun and fresh. It's so consistent, in fact, that I have its musicality down to a science. Even when Lover deviates from its usual wavy, far-off instrumentation, like on "Paper Rings," the structure of the songs still maintain their distinct Lover-ness. And usually, it works out. It's almost as if you can skip right over Reputation in Taylor's catalog, since Lover is a much more fitting (and good) follow-up to the powerhouse that is 1989. I've already talked about Lover before, and I don't have much new to say on it. It's worth checking out.
Liturgy - H.A.Q.Q.
Madlib, Freddie Gibbs - Bandana
Xiu Xiu - Girl With Basket of Fruit
Weezer - Weezer
Alright, now it's onto the list proper.
#10 Bon Iver - I, I
It's pretty well-known at this point that Justin Vernon and crew are unquestioned geniuses. When it was revealed that each Bon Iver album fits a different season, everything clicked. I, I is like the season it represents. It's not as hot as 22, A Million, but that is not the intention. I, I is more chill, calm, and mature. Summer is for kids, but real adults enjoy I, I for what it is. Sonically, I, I does not do anything drastically different from 22, A Million. In fact, it is probably the least groundbreaking of all Bon Iver projects. However, I think the mindset behind I, I is not so much laziness or lack of creativity as much as it is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I, I is weird, kind, and caring. It makes me want to call my ma. This album is not just a rehash. The piano on "U (Man Like)" is unlike anything Bon Iver has done before, and that's only the most obvious example. The bass on "We" powers through to make a banger, no wonder The Current loved this album back in 2019. And there's a reason "iMi" could somehow fit onto the radically different Whole Lotta Red just a year later. I actually think it's the last Bon Iver album that will be out. I mean, let's face the music here. All four seasons are covered. This record dropped almost half a decade ago. Justin is not one to stick to one thing for too long, and there is no Bon Iver without Justin Vernon. Despite my love for Bon Iver, I wouldn't be upset. I, I is a fitting conclusion to the project, almost in the same way Soundtracks For The Blind concluded Swans back in 1996 (although no album can top Soundtracks' scope and scale as a final album). If Bon Iver ever do put out another album, we can only hope it's as inviting and familial as I, I.
#9 Tyler, The Creator - Igor
#8 American Football - American Football
The emo boys finally learned how to make an album. I was never a fan of the first two American Football albums, American Football and American Football. I wasn't even big on their American Football EP. (I love the naming gimmick.) Anyway, this time around, American Football put out an album worth its salt. The soothing, soft sounds of a cool summer morning on the lake come rushing back to me as I listen to this beautiful record. Lead singer Mike Kinsella's soft, fatherly voice is almost a lullaby atop the fluffy musicianship that the band puts forth. Every sound calls back to the moment you first felt peace. It reminds you that God is loving and good, in a Romans 1 sort of way. With guest vocals from Hayley Williams, Elizabeth Powell, and Rachel Goswell, the album comes off as vast and open, while still feeling intimate. Very few albums feel so sweet and friendly in the way American Football does.
#7 Ariana Grande - Thank You, Next
Ariana Grande is a bad person. Even before she ruined 2 marriages, she was not a bastion of morality for us to follow her lead. She is an overly selfish person that uses her pain as an excuse to hurt others. She plays herself to be the hero in a story where she clearly is no hero. So what happens when the world shows her its worst in ways that she didn't even cause? How do we cope in a world where no amount of virtue could have stopped the horrible things we've witnessed? Ariana Grande's answer is, we try. We try to cope. On Thank You, Next, Ariana shops for various philosophies to help make life worth living. She tries clinging to somebody, and she comes off as clingy and toxic. She tries distancing herself, and she comes off as heartless, self-centered, and cold. She tries seeking pleasure, and comes off as a hedonist. She tries consumerism, and comes off as ditzy and reckless. The solution is none of them. Thank You, Next a very Ecclesiastical album, dealing primarily with the problem of evil and how we can find meaning in the world. The best plan is to be thankful for the good and the bad. All experiences, painful or pleasant, make us who we are. The relationships that we are given in this world are important for character growth, teaching us resilience and showing us what will last. In Ecclesiastes, the teacher leads us to know that love and fear of God is the one thing that will give the joy that lasts a lifetime. But, just like a Greek tragedy, Ariana Grande does not learn that lesson. She ends the album just as selfish and lost as before, setting herself up to repeat the cycle of suffering over again. Thank You, Next is a very personal album for Ariana Grande. She learned many valuable lessons along the way, and gives us pause to productively reflect on her suffering. She came to many wrong conclusions so we can see her error. All this is done to some bangin' tunes. I don't want Ariana Grande in my bloodline, but I'm so grateful for her story. Thank you, Ariana Grande. Next!
#6 Lingua Ignota - Caligula
#5 Swans - Leaving Meaning.
This ranking may no doubt confuse many readers who do not love Swans to the extent that I do. Leaving Meaning. is far from the best project the band has put out. While I have a soft spot for it in my heart, I cannot deny that it has its dull moments. "The Hanging Man" plods along for most of its 9-minute runtime without much to say. The beginning of track 6 is so disjointed it hardly feels like a Swans track. "Some New Things" is cut from the vinyl release due to time constraints, and I can't imagine it would be missed. So why is it that I love Leaving Meaning.? This is the part where bias starts to creep in.
Bias is not often brought up in music critique. You can see it when ARTV positively reviews a dated, underwhelming Green Day record, but it might be less than obvious when Spectrum Pulse reviews the latest Kesha album. More often than not, though, most reviewers put on an image that stands behind "objectivity" and "fairness." Many people build up their opinion as "unbiased" and therefore more valid than anyone else's opinion. In truth, all people are biased. The things that influence your life form your opinion years later in ways that you will never know. Who knows where my opinion would stand on any of these albums if I hadn't watched Todd in the Shadows' Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012 video when I was a little kid? Would I love Leaving Meaning. if I hadn't been digging into The Needle Drop in late 2018? (As embarrassing as it is to admit!) I doubt it. I am biased to like just about everything Michael Gira and company put out, so long as it isn't Greed. Swans is my favorite band, and has been since before Leaving Meaning. came out. It's not a bad thing to admit that. It's healthy to know what baggage you bring to the table when discussing art.
With that out of the way, I think there is still a plethora for new listeners to enjoy in Leaving Meaning. The guest contributions called upon by Gira were a clever and wise way to build an album that sounds diverse and fresh. The biggest contribution has to be the title track by The Necks. The Necks went on to become one of my favorite instrumental bands the following year with their album Three, which, funnily enough, was my third favorite record of 2020. Three was a great record, but I still think their best work was on "Leaving Meaning." The buildup and atmosphere that The Necks bring to "Leaving Meaning" and "The Nub" is unmatched. There's a good reason that "The Beggar Lover (Three)" from 2023 ends with 10 minutes of "Leaving Meaning" again. Of course, other great contributions from artists giving their best form something that leaves listeners with a sense of adoration. Track 6 comes into its own without the audience even noticing it's happening. "It's Coming It's Real" provides a great sense of peace and acceptance over the future. "What Is This?" provides great closure to the beauty, while "My Phantom Limb" destroys it and leaves you begging for more. And when you restart the album at disk 1, the wonderment of "Hums" and "Annaline" back to back re-inspire the sense of exploration and amazement that pushed through it the first time. It's a cycle of life. It's wonderful.
#4 The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery
Do you like jazz? I am not fond of it myself. It's not that I dislike jazz; I simply don't know anything about it. So when this album drops in my lap and it's somewhat jazzy, I had a hard time understanding what it is that I'm looking at. To this day, I still don't understand Trust In The Lifeforce. I can't pull oddly profound meaning out of it like it's Thank You, Next. I can't trace my love of it back throughout the last ten years of my life like Leaving Meaning. It stands alone as the pillar of bright cloud in the purple desert, just as the cover portrays. I can tell you this, though; Lifeforce is an incredibly compelling album. After listening to it too many times to count, I still do not feel like I have a grasp on anything it presents. I want to know more. I want to dig through the sounds to find what is being conveyed emotionally and historically. I want to know how the drums and saxophone sound so atmospheric and sharp at the same time. How the band came up with perfect melodies and riffs and everything else. How the bass sounds so chunky and warm. What drives these songs. How it all comes together. Every time I come back to Lifeforce, something new stands out that makes the mystery even grander and more compelling. It's addictive like your most recent experience diving into an online rabbit hole for 5 hours. It makes me so happy. It sounds great. One day I hope The Comet Is Coming stops begging me to come back. I just need to trust.
#3 Jade Bird - Jade Bird
Who is Jade Bird? The British singer who makes folksy Americana was only 21 years old when she released her self-titled debut album. The perspective of a 21-year-old Briton might not seem interesting to most Americans, but Jade Bird's writing is understood to be universal. Her way of telling stories is exciting. The story of "Lottery" of discussing past loves with someone you trust is nostalgic. Learning to get over the hump of shyness and open up to someone who loves you is an experience that many can understand. Even if we watch from the sidelines, we are rooting for Jade Bird as spectators. When she closes up on "My Motto," it's bitter. When she says she's a lady on fire crying on "Does Anybody Know," we as the audience want to comfort her. Even when the story doesn't make sense (like the twist in "Uh Huh" that raises more questions than it answers), it still hits the right notes to make the story feel real and fleshed out. Jade Bird doesn't just know how to write an appealing story that hooks you in; she makes the songs something to come back to over and over again. These melodies are incredibly catchy; all these songs have been stuck in my head multiple times. Jade Bird's singing is top notch. She can sing softly and calmly in a beautiful way, and then two minutes later she's belting with every molecule of air in her lungs. Her range is wholly awesome and impressive. She has the talent to cover all these different moods by herself, and it sounds fantastic every time. Listen to "Love Has All Been Done Before" and tell me she isn't killing the transitions between calm and powerful moments in the verses. To end it off, I would recommend the song "17." It's one of the best songs called "17" ever. It's hard to knock Avril Lavigne's track out of the #1 slot, but I think Jade Bird might have done it. What a debut album. Wow. ו
#2 Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
I didn't like this one at first. Dedicated by Carly Rae Jepsen seemed like such a step down from her prior works in the E-MO-TION series that I didn't know what to make of it. It's just so... different. 2015 Carly Rae wouldn't dare to put a song like "Party For One" on her album, but here it is as Dedicated's lead single. It doesn't sound as cohesive in its concept as the many different retro influences on E-MO-TION, nor their sharp forward-thinking reimaginings on E-MO-TION Side B. Dedicated is not in love with pop music's past, nor is it looking forward to its future. Yet I believe that Dedicated is unique in how it carves its own lane for itself. The catchy melodies are still here. The great songwriting is as present as ever. The layered instrumentation that builds up in a satisfying manner never left. On the surface, this album sounds like a step down. But when you really dig into it, all of Carly Rae Jepsen's biggest strengths are still present in full form. The vocal mixes sound stellar, as do all the little synths and harmonies. Some of these vocals are somewhat risky, like the obvious strain on "Feels Right" that somehow sounds fantastic, or the chorus to "Want You In My Room." Bass goes hard, and I'm dancing in the car to half these songs. Carly Rae Jepsen still writes every song about romance in some way or another, but songs like "Too Much," "Happy Not Knowing," and the aforementioned "Party For One" switch up the topics to give us a more rounded perspective on her character. Carly Rae Jepsen feels more human here than ever before. Dedicated shows so many signs of growth and maturity in songwriting that I didn't even know what to make of it. Once I learned to stop yearning for what once was, I learned why I really loved this woman so much in the first place.
#1 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Infest The Rat's Nest
I don't think it's unfair to put an album at #1 simply because it is awesome. Infest The Rat's Nest is undoubtedly, unequivocally, unmistakably awesome. I wouldn't profess myself to be a thrash metal fan, nor a King Gizzard fan, and this album definitely blows me away by how cool it sounds. The instruments sound fuzzy and on point, the melodies hook me, the progression builds in a satisfying way, and Stu's vocals sound great, especially considering how out of their element the band is here. It was clear from my first listen that this would be my favorite album of the year. Then the themes and narratives of this album start to work their way towards the forefront on second listen. Concepts are executed sharply and clearly explained through distinct visuals that show rather than tell. Spoiler alert! Stu could have explained wealth inequality philosophically, or conceptually, with an appeal to humanism or whatever. However, "Mars For The Rich" instead paints a picture of a young boy working hard on a farm, even getting blistered hands in the field, who goes home to see rich people moving to Mars on TV. It doesn't tell you what the problem is; it expects you to figure it out for yourself through the story they tell. The moving of the album's setting from earth to Venus, as humanity tries to escape the desolate earth and settle on Venus in "Venusian 1" through "Venusian 2," teaches listeners the value of stewarding the planet we have without ever saying it. The despair feels real without listeners noticing what's happening. When the Venusians are sent to infest Mars at the end, it's just repayment to the rich for what they have done to neglect the rest of humanity. Selfishness and greed will not get you very far in the end, but King Gizzard tricks you into thinking that you came to that conclusion yourself. The storytelling is clever and efficient. The more you listen, the deeper it goes. This album is sick. I love Infest The Rat's Nest.
Buy these albums
Lover
H.A.Q.Q.
Bandana
Girl With Basket of Fruit
Weezer
I, I
Igor
American Football
Thank You, Next
Caligula
Leaving Meaning
Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery
Jade Bird
Dedicated
Infest The Rat's Nest
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