As we get closer to the end of this year, it’s time for my annual list of my favorite albums of the year. As always, numbers 20-11 will just be title and a video. The top 10 will have some notes from me included. All titles are also links to the album on Apple Music. Let me know what you think in the comments, what albums I missed, etc.
19. Help Us Stranger – The Raconteurs
18. I Used to Know Her – H.E.R.
16. Imagination & the Misfit Kid – Labrinth
14. Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Presents…LSD – LSD
13. Closer Than Together – The Avett Brothers
11. Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
Ever since he’s embarked on a solo career, the music of Harry Styles has straddled the lines between modern pop and classic rock. A lot of the tracks on Fine Line and his debut album sound more similar to the soft rock and singer/songwriter tracks from the 70s, somewhere around Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones. On top of all this, his fashion embraces the flamboyant while his sexuality is as ambiguous as his musical styles. The sum of these parts makes for an incredibly enjoyable career to watch and listen to. Let’s check out “Lights Up”, the first single (and most modern-sounding track) off the album:
9. KIWANUKA – Michael Kiwanuka
More popular in his British homeland, Michael Kiwanuka is probably best known in America for the theme song of the HBO series, Big Little Lies. His husky, calm voice is arresting in its simplicity and reminiscent of Bill Withers. The chilled vibe of his tracks hides the complexity of the instrumentation on first listen. After repeat listens, each layer reveals itself to the delight of the listener. Here’s the video for “You Ain’t the Problem”:
8. Happiness Begins – Jonas Brothers
Six years after a rough split of the band, the Jonas Brothers returned with a fun, new album. Leaving the pop-punk styling of their earlier music behind, the brothers leaned into the pop of Nick’s solo career and funky pop-rock of Joe’s band, DNCE. The album documents their current emotions as they rekindle their brotherhood and friendships and look for new beginnings in love and their careers. The first single, “Sucker”, showcases their joy of finding happiness with each other and their respective wives:
So Jack Antonoff is reaching the “can do no wrong” status musically for me. Whether it’s with his band Bleachers, songwriting and producing for the likes of Lorde, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, or his new project Red Hearse, I love it all. This project is with the singer Sam Dew and producer Sounwave and consists of vintage keyboards mixed with modern hip-hop beats and incredible falsetto singing. Their stage performances are just the three guys sitting around a table with Antonoff at the keys, Sounwave at a laptop and Sam Dew just holding a mic. Really chilled vibe. This is their debut album and I’m not sure if there’s plans for more but I really hope so. The first music video they released is for “Half Love” and has a cameo from St. Vincent which was unexpected and amazing:
6. thank u, next – Ariana Grande
Last year, Ariana Grande’s album Sweetener appeared at number 5 on my favorite album list. Six months after that release, she was back with a brand new album. This quick turnaround is unheard of in the modern pop realm where it’s all about era’s with specific aesthetics, etc. Grande pulled it off spectacularly though and proved she can do whatever she wants. This album is more consistent than her last and has some incredible pop tunes to offer. Let’s watch the video for “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” and try to decide if she’s hooking up with the guy or girl:
5. Tales of America – J.S. Ondara
Earlier in the year, I wrote a post about this album so I won’t need to go into too much detail. Since then, he released a “Second Coming” version of the album with a few extra tracks and different versions of some of the original tracks. After months and months of repeat listens, Ondara’s songs have not grown tired but continue to offer more aspects of the music to pay attention to. Here’s a recently released video for “Days of Insanity” that wasn’t out when I wrote my original post. Check it out:
4. Dedicated – Carly Rae Jepsen
I’m not sure if an artist has perfected pop music as well as Carly Rae. Everything she releases is just pure pop, pure fun. It’s just the right balance of 80s influence and modern twists. All of this culminates in the lovely album Dedicated. Jepsen apparently wrote nearly 200 songs during the creation of this album, slowly whittling it down 15 or so tracks for the final product. Her appreciation in the mainstream hasn’t existed since the overplayed single “Call Me Maybe” but she keeps perfecting her sound and pumping out incredible albums. Here’s her playful, pre-date track “Want You in my Room”:
When I first heard of the Alabama Shakes hiatus and Brittany Howard’s plan for a solo record, I was a little worried because of how much I love the Shakes. I don’t know what the apprehension was for because she delivered a powerful, wonderful album that is so different from Alabama Shakes but so much a reflection of her as an artist and a person. The mix of genres and stories told makes for an album that demands repeated listens. No one track stands out more than the others and they all come from unexpected places. To give you a sense of the full album, here’s her Tiny Desk Concert at NPR:
2. Bank on the Funeral – Matt Maeson
This young dude created a really great rock album. Whether it’s his effortlessly impressive singing or his perfectly crafted songs, something makes me want to keep listening to this album over and over. There’s even one track, “Beggar’s Song“, that I always repeat at least one additional time while going through the album. It’s not even a complex song, somewhat repetitive, but it just sounds like one of those tracks that always should have been written but was waiting on the right person. If you listen to any alternative rock radio stations, you might recognize his single “Cringe“. Let’s start by listening to the opening track, “I Just Don’t Care That Much”:
I want to show you a live, acoustic recording of one of my favorite tracks. This video really showcases how easily he slips between his calm singing and when he’s practically screaming at you. It’s a lot of fun to watch:
Here it is, the album I cannot get out of my mind. According to Apple Music, I’ve spent over 24 hours listening to Lizzo this year. This is my most played album and she performs the top 3 listened to tracks of the year (and 11 of the top 20 tracks [Matt Maeson sits in the other nine]). Her personality and performances are just as infectious as her music. Upbeat, self-affirming, and positive, it’s what we all need in 2019. I guess we’ll begin with her first single off the album, “Juice”:
Next, to showcase some of her powerhouse vocals and how she blends it with hip-hop, we’ll check out the title track:
I earlier mentioned her performances so it’s only right we watch one. The two tracks in this performance are actually much older than this album but have recently been rocking the charts. The first song, “Truth Hurts”, appears on the extended version of this album but “Good as Hell” appears on her 2016 EP, Coconut Oil:
Alright, that about does it. Hope you have a great holiday season and here’s to amazing things happening in next year… #warren2020
I, Tyson 