Favorite Albums of 2019

As I write this, I’m listening to Brittany Howard's stellar solo debut, Jaimie. Like it’s creator, it is singular and captivating. A true one-of-a-kind document. It stands on stage and commands your attention. It’s righteous, it parties, it chills, it rages, and it absolutely breaks your heart. All of the formidable talent that Howard showcased with Alabama Shakes is unleashed in full, and it is formidable. Jaime is genre-less and adheres to no I don’t envy her for having to follow-up such an incredible album. Taken as a whole, it’s my favorite of the year.

After that, it gets really tough to distinguish any sort of order.

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow is simultaneously epic and intimate, which has always kind of been her specialty. Her turn toward a more synth-heavy sound that sounds like second nature on first blush. If Seventeen isn’t my song of the year, then I don’t have one. I’ve heard it dozens of times now and the hairs on the back of my neck still stand on end when she unleashes the “afraid that you’ll be just like me” crescendo. Although, when I caught her live at the Crystal earlier this year and she opened the show with a jaw dropping take on Jupiter 4 that was absolutely incredible. It’s so good to have Sharon back making music.

Actually, both of these albums highlight one of my favorite themes of my year in music - being pleasantly surprised by albums. So many of the artists that I was looking forward to hearing from this past year surprised in one way or another. Whether they expanded their sound, exceeded expectations, or showed a new side of themselves - there were a lot of new paths being taken and it was a pleasure to listen to.

That said, why not just get right to the most off-the-wall release of the year, Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury. It’s gritty, grimy, surprisingly danceable, and catchy AF. It’s the musical equivalent of giving a honky tonk band ecstasy and acid and letting them loose in the studio filled with black coffee, whiskey and effects pedals, with the best imaginable results. The anime short that it was released with is a thing in and of itself, despite being the last thing I’d expect from an ostensible country music artist. But when you look at the persona that Sturgill Simpson has cultivated over the years, it fits like a glove. In the the same way, the record itself is a sonic 180 from his last release, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, which itself was a detour from Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. Sturgill is so steeped in country that he obviously feels comfortable expanding its definition to meet whatever he has in mind. So far, it’s working like gangbusters.

Robert Ellis is a singer-songwriter that I've been tracking for a few years now. He’s one of those “in a parallel universe, this person is insanely famous and successful” artists, and Texas Piano Man is another prime example of that. His smart, clever lyrics and finely-crafted songs are criminally under appreciated. While not groundbreaking in style or substance, it is nonetheless a front-to-back excellent album. He veers from wry humor (Fucking Crazy, Nobody Smokes Anymore, Passive Aggressive, Toro Chico) to beautiful examinations of the human experience (Aren’t We Supposed to Be in Love, Let Me In, Father) without batting an eye. It’s an impressive trick to make them all work together on the same album, but Ellis pulls it off in his blazing white suit with tails.

I honestly can’t remember when or where I first heard of Madlib, but I know that at the time he wasn’t even close to on my radar. He hasn't strayed far from it since. I’ve had his masterful reworking of old Blue Note jazz recordings, Shades of Blue, in rotation for years. With Freddie Gibbs I’m the opposite. I’m sure I’ve seen his name over the years, but I can’t recall where. Regardless, if it’s a Madlib album, I’m always going to at least give it a spin, and in the case of Bandana, it hits just right. Gibbs’ lyricism is often brutal, both in context and structure. The juxtaposing it with Madlib’s incredibly smooth beats is delicious, like pairing salty and sweet. If you don’t believe me, check out the best Tiny Desk Concert of 2019 (which is really saying something, given the year they’ve had!) -

There is forever a spot in my heart for ratty jacket and worn jeans rock records that are filled with good hooks, and this year Stef Chura - Midnight slotted into that spot perfectly. This album could’ve come out in 1993 and ruled MTV’s Buzz Bin and 120 Minutes. (If you’re old enough to know that that meant something) Despite a very strong opening, with the jaunty All I Do Is Lie, it manages to get better as it goes on. The building tension of Sincerely Yours and 3D Girl cathartically release in the shambolic Sweet Sweet Midnight is a prime example. Midnight is filled with songs that play off of each other and build on each other’s energy in that way that some albums inexplicably do. It just works.

Sometimes, you just want to sit back and vibe out to some bouncy bass lines, buoyant strings, soulful horns, and a smooth, crooning voice. Iceland native Junius Meyvant has you covered, serving up a heaping helping of blue-eyed soul on Across the Borders, his most complete album yet. Excellently produced and incredibly tight throughout, it floats above the cares of the world instead of addressing them head-on. When the world is on fire and all you want to do is get away from it, you can count on the native of an island that’s about as disconnected from the rest of the world as you can get to deliver.

Speaking of getting away from it all, let's head up to the Northwest Territories of Canada, north of Yellowknife, atop Great Slave Lake. Just to find someplace quiet and peaceful and sit. That’s exactly what I want to do when I listen to Yellowstone, the achingly honest album by Digawolf. Lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Diga, is a member of the Tlicho nation in Canada’s Northwest Territories. After starting things off with a stomping rocker By the Water, the album quickly mellows. Songs like Northern Love Affair and the title track, Yellowstone, are soaked through with the harsh beauty and icy mystery of the far north. “Touch my soul and I’m forever yours / I will dream a thousand years just to walk with you” is a line that speaks to anyone who has a homeplace that holds their heart, regardless of how far away or long ago.

Chaz Bear (ne’ Budnick), the mastermind behind Toro y Moi, has always been blessed with the ability to conjure a killer bassline or catchy back beat. Despite that, most of his releases since 2010’s Causers of This and its follow up, Underneath the Pine, have been uneven. Outer Peace is one of his best outings in years. The songwriting is crisp and clever, the production is on-point from start to finish.

Timothy Showalter’s career as Strand of Oaks has been one wild ride. From self-releasing contemplative, quiet folk records to releasing two of the better rock albums of the past decade in 2014’s HEAL and last year’s stellar comeback, Eraserland, he has remade himself and rebooted his career more than a few times over the years. Eraserland sees him staring down 40, surrounded by friends like Jason Isbell and most of My Morning Jacket, making some of the most accessible rock and roll since Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were in their prime.

So that’s the top ten. But there were so many albums and artists this year that put out some really good music. Narrowing them down is such a tough thing to do. If I had put this list together a month ago, or if I was in a slightly different mood, it could’ve been vastly different. That’s true every year, but it feels especially so in 2019. These albums were also very good and well worth your time.

Sudan Archives - Athena

Spielbergs - This is Not the End

Control Top - Covert Contracts

Anna Tivel - The Question

Apex Manor - Asked and Answered

Saul Williams - Encrypted and Vulnerable

Lizzo - Cuz I Love You

Jenny Lewis - On the Line