What a year. It feels like at least one Friday a month I was rambling around the site about another incredible release day we were being treated to. When I sat down to make this list, the number of albums I’d listened to this year that I enjoyed wound up at about 270. And sure, there are some obvious factors to this that I think a lot of us share — the way this decade has sculpted how we consume music, for one. The 2010’s made discovering new music one of the single easiest things a person can do, and one of the most entertaining activities with ten bucks in your pocket and an internet connection.
But I think the ease and passion for discovery are only the cause for a bigger reason why this was such a remarkable year in music. Because naturally with more music will come more open mindedness, more inspiration, and more tools for artists to create a unique price of art. With each year, that tool belt grows, and we see artists framing their vision of certain sounds differently than we could have ever imagined — blending influences from all directions and being encouraged to tell their stories. In the passing of time, it becomes more difficult to not fall in love with an astonishing amount of music.
Anyway, that’s my ramble. Can’t wait for 2020. Here are my 50 favorite records of 2019!
- The Japanese House – Good At Falling
- DIIV- Deceiver
- Clairo – Immunity
- Jay Som – Anak Ko
- Whitney – Forever Turned Around
- Issues – Beautiful Oblivion
- Julia Jacklin – Crushing
- Anderson Paak – Ventura
- Long Beard – Means To Me
- White Reaper – You Deserve Love
- Turnover – Altogether
- The Maine – You Are OK
- HOMESHAKE – Helium
- Origami Angel – Somewhere City
- Greet Death – New Hell
- Grayscale – nella vita
- Tiny Ruins – Olympic Girls
- Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life
- Boogie – Everything’s For Sale
- German Error Message – Mend
- Bon Iver – i,i
- SWMRS – Berkley’s On Fire
- Mannequin Pussy – Patience
- La Bouquet – Sad People Dancing
- Crumb – Jinx
- Lucky Daye – Painted
- Unwed Sailor – Heavy Age
- Charlie Collins – Snowpine
- Vacationer – Wavelengths
- LITE – Multiple
- Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. IZ HERE
- Khalid – Free Spirit
- Somos – Prison On A Hill
- The Early November – Lilac
- Hovvdy – Heavy Lifter
- OWEL – Paris
- Copeland – Blushin
- Lazerbeak – Luther
- Press Club – Wasted Energy
- Tank And The Bangas – Green Balloon
- Men I Trust – Oncle Jazz
- Loyal Carner – Not Waving, But Drowning
- Spotlights – Love & Decay
- American Football – American Football (LP3)
- Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
- Lakes – Constance
- Raveena – Lucid
- Dawn Richard – new breed
- Petrol Girls – Cut & Stitch
- Flying Lotus – Flamagra