Top 10 Albums of 2019
Another year has come and gone. Since 2015, I’ve put together the best albums (in my own personal opinion of course) that have come out over the last 365 days. In most years, you’ll find the usual suspects: Erra, Dance Gavin Dance (my Spotify artist of the decade), and perhaps Death Cab for Cutie. This year, however, is probably the most diverse list I’ve put together since I began doing this five years ago. From pop to rock to jazz, there’s bound to be something on this list for everyone.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 10 albums from 2019:
CARLY RAE JEPSEN - DEDICATED
Back in 2015, when I had first began to really think about some of the best albums I had listened to that year, I somehow completely overlooked Carly Rae Jepsen’s third studio album, E•MO•TION. Fast forward three years to 2018, and my love for Carly Rae Jepsen is in full swing, so much so that last summer, my girlfriend Iryna surprised me with a weekend away to Cleveland to see her live in concert (because this Canadian artist didn’t have any shows that were close to where we live in Toronto).
Dedicated, Carly’s fourth studio album, takes a far more relaxed approach to her already well establish loved for 80s pop. She even described this album as Chill Disco, or Music to Clean Your House To, and it honestly couldn’t be any more true. This entire album is just so fun to listen to from the catchy EDM inspired hooks of Now That I’ve Found You (which comes quite close to replicating the reckless joy of Cut To The Feeling) to the more subdued tones found throughout the album, so much so that I tend to play it on repeat while cleaning our condo.
A R I Z O N A - ASYLUM
Asylum is the second LP to come from the New Jersey band, A R I Z O N A. The three-piece trio has been making waves since 2016, and with Asylum, an album of straight electro-pop hits advocating for mental health, they show absolutely no sign of stopping. The album is described by lead singer, Zachary Charles, as “80s-inspired sound, terribly depressing, but still incredibly fun to dance to.” And I couldn’t agree more. On the surface, this album sounds like a fun, electro-pop synth filled album you can dance to, but on further reflection and delving into the lyrical content, it has far more substance to it than you’d expect.
Personally, my only gripe is that of the 30 or so songs that the band wrote in-between shows on the road, they pared it down to only 9 tracks. And while I appreciate the restraint, I find myself wanting more A R I Z O N A.
JIMMY EAT WORLD - SURVIVING
Call me old, but there was once a time when a new Jimmy Eat World album would have been met with much more fanfare than Surviving was met with. At just 10 tracks, Surviving falls shy of a normal J.E.W. album, yet remains just as succinct and sincere as any other album the band has released in their over two decade plus career. Tracks like All The Way (Stay) feel like they could come straight off their 1997 album Chase This Light (albeit with a more modern saxophone-infused take), while tracks like Surviving and Diamonds feel like they could have been taken straight from 2001’s seminal album Bleed American.
At their core, Jimmy Eat World is an emo band, and Surviving certainly feels like a contemporary emo album. It successfully brings the sound of the 90s into the 2010s, shedding nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake in favour of contemporary pop production. It’s almost fitting that the Arizona outfit would release their 10th studio album as emo nostalgia reaches its zenith.
LIZZO - CUZ I LOVE YOU
Cuz I Love You is Lizzo’s third studio album, and it shows in the best way possible. Throughout the course of the album’s 11 tracks, she flaunts that she can literally do it all, from rapping to soulful singing to busting out sweet flute solos. At around 30 minutes, this album is strong, nearly fool-proof effort of entertaining work that just oozes confidence. Much like the other albums on this list, my only gripe is that in an age where artists are packing their albums with as much content as they can (for those sweet sweet streaming royalties), I’m finding myself wanting more Lizzo.
And maybe that’s a good thing. Rather than over saturating us to the point where I’m sick of listening to her, she’s found the balance where I’m begging for more. This album stands as a breath of fresh air in an industry where music is starting to sound the same. It’s an album that’s meticulous, purposefully compact, genre-blending, and unifying in a way that I haven’t seen really any other pop album accomplish in a very long time.
THE JAPANESE HOUSE - GOOD AT FALLING
Back in 2015, Amber Bain a.k.a. The Japanese House, released a gorgeous debut indie-tronica EP, Pools to Bathe In. Since then, she put out three more EPs, each with her own brand of shimmering electro-pop getting stronger as she continued to find her artistic voice. Fast forward to 2019, and all of this has culminated in Good At Falling, a glimmering record absolutely stuffed with brutally honest songs.
Good At Falling follows the entirety of a relationship. Through its 13 tracks, Bain takes you from the first hellos to the staggering highs of loves, into the anxiety inducing pre-breakup we-need-to-talk stage, and finally into the crushing, deafening heartache of it all ending.
This album draws from Bain’s personal life in a way her previous EPs didn’t, which has ended with her producing her more personal and vulnerable album to date.
EMAROSA - PEACH CLUB
As a band, Emarosa has had one helluva history. Starting out as a post-hardcore outfit, their debut album in 2008 changed the entire scene. Jonny Craig, their original frontman, was booted from the band (he has a long history of this), leaving Emarosa in a bit of a limbo. This is where current frontman, Bradley Walden joined, and they put out a subpar album in 2014’s Versus. At the time, they said that they were tired of trying to force the same style as earlier albums, which is why in 2016, they put out 131, a more alt-rock sound with early hints as to what their next album would be.
Fast-forward to 2019, and Emarosa have shown even more of an evolution than before, with Peach Club, as the band dives into a more radio-friendly pop style that has much more to show than was can initially be seen on the surface. Peach Club is not only Emarosa at their poppiest, but also at their most approachable level. As a long time fan, it was definitely a shock at first, but it’s how catchy the entirely album is that really saves them. It’s almost as if this album was made for Walden’s silky voice to absolutely soar.
Emarosa is a pop-band now, and maybe one of the best, most refreshing pop bands that I’ve heard in a long time.
HAERTS - NEW COMPASSION (DELUXE)
New Compassion is technically a 2018 album, but the Deluxe release came out in 2019, which is why this is on my list.
Haerts is the project of German-American duo Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert, who released their first album in 2014. Fabi’s soaring vocals earned comparisons to Stevie Nicks, while the band’s overall sound of blended traditional folk and indie rock (with just enough electronic flourish) lend way to subtle Dolly Parton and Abba nods. But unlike bands that rely on nostalgia to do the heavy lifting i.e. Greta Van Fleet basically being Led Zeppelin lite, Haerts has enough distinctiveness throughout their 2019 album that it never feels tired or forced.
With the rise of 80s-fueled nostalgia in modern pop culture, Haerts’ New Compassion is poised well to tickle that sonic itch people are yearning for. It’s an incredibly thoughtful album, one that sees the band honing their style and songwriting over the last five years since their debut.
BILMURI - WET MILK
Just over a decade ago, American metalcore band Attack Attack! were in their prime and ahead of the entire music scene, inspiring bands such as Asking Alexandria, who in turn, inspired more bands. This was the start of a wild career for guitarist/vocalist Johnny Franck, who has been producing music under the moniker Bilmuri (pronounced the same as the actor Bill Murray) since 2016. Amazingly enough, in that time, Franck has produced an absolute wealth of musical content - 8 LPs worth to be exact, and Wet Milk is the culmination of all that work.
It’s hard to really define or even describe this album to someone without making them listen to it. It’s part metalcore, part meme, and part psychedelic. I think the song lifeisgood is the most accurate representation of the wacky soundscape of Bilmuri, as it blends sax, synths, and pan flutes before completely switching to an explosion of electric guitars and screamed vocals by the time the second verse rolls around.
This album is stylistically completely off the wall, is Franck at his creative best.
JEFF GOLDBLUM & THE MILDRED SNITZER ORCHESTRA - I SHOULDN’T BE TELLING YOU THIS
In most cases, a celebrity album is a grandiose effort in self-indulgence for people with far too much money, far too much freedom, and far to few friends to tell them they shouldn’t be doing this. But much like 2018’s The Capitol Studio Sessions, Jeff Goldblum and his ever trusty Mildred Snitzer Orchestra put forth an immensely pleasurable album to listen to.
A less confident player might have used his star status to force his way to the front (I’m looking at you, Jeremy Renner), but Goldblum recognizes that jazz is not about the spotlight on one particular musician, but rather, it’s about how the band as a whole interacts and plays off each other to create something that is sonically beautiful.
There’s really not much more I need to say other than that you should listen to it. Even if jazz isn’t your thing, it will be once you hear Goldblum tickle those ivories.
RUEL - FREE TIME
At first glance, you wouldn’t believe that at such a young age, Ruel would be able to channel the R&B greats of past, but the 16-year old Australian sensation absolutely delivers on his groovy, romantic, and relatable EP, Free Time. While not being a proper LP, Free Time is Ruel’s longest album to date, clocking in at 7 songs. And track after track, this EP showcases Ruel’s ability to craft unbelievably relatable teenage ballads full of youthful optimism, heartbreak, and the occasional stroke of emotional maturity. And track after track, I find that even though I’m no longer a teenager myself (far from it to be quite honest), I’m still able to relate and feel the emotional impact that Ruel is aiming for, and personally I think that’s the sign of a truly successful album and musician.
And much like every other album on this list, this is just far too short for me, leaving me wanting more Ruel.
These are the EPs, LPs, and re-issues, that while all were fantastic in their own rights, didn’t make it into my top 10 list this year. And again, in no particular order:
