With 2020 on the horizon, it's time to reflect on the best albums of 2019, of which there were quite a few. I thought I'd change things up a bit and list my personal top 5 albums of the year.
5. Jack Larsen - Mildew
Illinois-based musician Jack Larsen is a relative newcomer to the industry, and, in my opinion, an up-an-coming star. He reminds me of a more alternative-based Troye Sivan, and nowhere is this clearer than Larsen’s latest release Mildew. Chock-full of pulsating synths and infectious pitch-shifted vocals, this set of songs sees Larsen at his most mature and most contemplative.
RECOMMENDED SONGS: Spirit, I Became My Brother, Patterns, Bubba
RECOMMENDED SONGS: Spirit, I Became My Brother, Patterns, Bubba
4. Toro y Moi - Outer Peace
Toro y Moi’s ever-changing sound may be a switch-off for some fans. Personally, I’ve never been too struck by Toro’s (real name Chaz Bundick) music. It’s nothing bad but no tune jumped out to me as much as I would’ve liked. That was until his latest release Outer Peace, which takes things in a more synth pop-oriented direction. Warm and bubbly in its sounds and catchy as all hell, Bundick excels with this release.
RECOMMENDED SONGS: Fading, Baby Drive It Down, Who I Am, 50-50
RECOMMENDED SONGS: Fading, Baby Drive It Down, Who I Am, 50-50
3. Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding
Another album, another switch-up in sound. This time, it’s American rapper Post Malone’s latest album Hollywood’s Bleeding. Malone proves himself to be a very versatile musician and singer, as this album goes from rap to pop to rock and more, sometime all within the same song. Yet it never comes off as a messy effort, and the result is a fantastic album that will please a lot of listeners, no matter what genre you’re into.
RECOMMENDED SONGS ; A Thousand Bad Times, Circles, Take What You Want, Staring at the Sun, Sunflower
RECOMMENDED SONGS ; A Thousand Bad Times, Circles, Take What You Want, Staring at the Sun, Sunflower
2. Valley - Maybe
If sun-rays, sugary sweet smells, and summer breezes could be packaged and condensed into an audio format, I’m almost certain the result would be Canadian band Valley’s Maybe. Featuring countless nostalgic ballads and surprisingly poignant at times, Maybe is a rich and vivid listening experience from start to finish. Containing many lyrical reprises and leitmotifs present from song to song, the album is almost cinematic in its soundscape, but manages to keep itself grounded thanks to its endearing presentation.
RECOMMENDED SONGS: There’s Still a Light in the House, Closer to the Picture, A Phone Call in Amsterdam, Park Bench
RECOMMENDED SONGS: There’s Still a Light in the House, Closer to the Picture, A Phone Call in Amsterdam, Park Bench
1. Trevor Something - Bots Don't Cry
Even though I’m a big fan of the mysterious Miami-based synthwave musician, I feel Trevor Something had kinda lost his way prior to Bots Don’t Cry. His 2017 release Die With You was, quite frankly, an unpleasant listening experience that was grinding to the ears. His 2018 release Ultraparanoia was an improvement, but still had its jarring moments and contained way too much filler. Then, from out of nowhere in early 2019, he dropped what I feel to be his magnum opus in Bots Don’t Cry. From the first track onwards, listeners are thrown into a vast array of luscious synths and a truly mesmerising and ethereal vocal performance. The album starts off in a bright place, featuring sentimental themes of love and infatuation. However, as the album progresses, it subtly moves to a darker, more brooding place, which all manifests in the fantastic closing track Please Don’t Leave. Bots Don’t Cry truly feels like it has a narrative of love turning to loss interwoven in its tracks. Combined with solid production and an aforementioned fantastic vocal performance, Bots Don’t Cry was always going to be my top album of 2019.
RECOMMENDED SONGS: I Want Your Love, Confessions of an Addict, Baby Boo, 80HDBB, Please Don’t Leave
RECOMMENDED SONGS: I Want Your Love, Confessions of an Addict, Baby Boo, 80HDBB, Please Don’t Leave