Top 50 Albums Of 2019 (25-1)

N.B. This is part 2 of the countdown. Be sure to check Part 1 first!









25. The Twilight Sad - IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME
The art rock aesthetic accompanies the themes of heartbreak amazingly on this album, plus there’s some fantastic sounding synths on this.

Fave Tracks: VTr, The Arbor, Videograms


24. The Specials - Encore
The OG Specials line-up is back! Their first new material with vocalist Terry Hall since the spine-chilling 1981 stand-alone single Ghost Town.
The album exhibits the importance of ska music, and how impactful the genre was in the late 70’s in a time where riots and racial tensions were at a high point in Britain.
The lyrical themes combine the issues that were present in the 1970’s, as well as those that we face today. These include the numerous incidents of gun violence (Blam Blam Fever), the idea of a trustworthy, reliable Prime Minister (Vote For Me), those who abuse the power of freedom to the point where the term is starting to lose its meaning (Embarrassed By You) and a message on how we shouldn’t force happiness on people who are struggling with depression (The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression)). The last of which has jazz keyboards in the instrumental beat that sound quite similar to the ones used in The Doors’ 1971 song Riders On The Storm, which might be one of my favourite album closers of all time. But the one that’s the most worth noting about is BLM, a song with guitarist Lynval Golding telling us about a time in which he and his father moved to England and the discrimination they had to deal with while moving places, as well as showing that we are important, no matter the colour of our skin.

Fave Tracks: The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression), Vote For Me, Embarrassed By You


23. Dave - Psychodrama
The Mercury winner of 2019. When I first got a glimpse of Dave back in 2018, I thought he was decent, but I soon started to see a lot of great potential in him after listening to Hangman, and going through this album made me truly appreciate him as an artist.
In this album, Dave discusses his emotions and the events surrounding him in a therapy session. According to an interview with The Observer, the idea occurring throughout Psychodrama was inspired by the therapy that his older brother Chris was going to in prison.
Psycho is an excellently written song dealing with bipolar disorder. Black comes as an amazing presentation in racial equality. Dave exposes the music industry for the images they fabricate in Environment. Drama talks about his reaction to the news about his brother receiving a jail sentence. The main highlight of this album is the 11 minute long heartbreaker Lesley, which gives out a message to abuse victims on how they should seek help instead of keeping their memories undisclosed.

Fave Tracks: Lesley, Drama, Black


22. Flying Lotus - Flamagra
FlyLo takes you on a phenomenal, psychedelic 67-minute long experience, filled with cups of hip hop fusion.
You also come across some guest features along the way. Anderson .Paak’s performance on More is smooth as always. Denzel Curry expands on his struggles that he talked about on TA13OO on the track Black Balloons Reprise. Thundercat, Solange and Little Dragon blend divinely into Flying Lotus’ jazzy style of production. David Lynch gives off a fantastic narration to blend with the terrifying instrumentation in Fire Is Coming, which becomes more tense as the song progresses. Lynch does so in a similar fashion to Tom Waits on What’s He Building from his 1999 album Mule Variations.

Fave Tracks: Takashi, Fire Is Coming, Land Of Honey


21. SEED Ensemble - Driftglass
A pleasing fusion of jazz, hip hop and traditional African music. The way it blends these genres together reminds me of when Sons Of Kemet did so on their Your Queen Is A Reptile album from last year. It’s not as good as that album, and it’s not my favourite jazz album of 2019 (we’ll get to that), but it’s still pretty damn great.

Fave Tracks: Afronaut, The Dream Keeper, Interplanetary Migration


20. Slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain
The title may state that there’s ‘nothing great about Britain’, but there sure are a lot of great things about this album. Slowthai brings a raw, energetic sense of rage in tracks like Doorman and Inglorious, while also covering the issues involving the current political and economical state of Britain.

Fave Tracks: Inglorious, Dead Leaves, Grow Up


19. The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears
A splendid blend of anger and depression. The way the latter subject is tackled on this LP reminds me of when Joy Division’s 1979 classic Unknown Pleasures did the same. There are a few points in which the lower range of James McGovern’s vocals sound slightly like Ian Curtis.
The first two tracks get you pumped up, before we see a dejected side of the album starting from Green & Blue. There’s two more energetic tracks that kick ass in the middle of the album (Feeling Fades, Don’t Cling To Life) to contrast with these feelings. How The Streets Adore Me carries this sombre, avant garde vibe to it with a continuous line of impressionist Debussy-esque piano chords which sound magnificent.

Fave Tracks: Feeling Fades, Green & Blue, How The Streets Adore Me


18. Fontaines DC - Dogrel
Step into a small town located in Ireland where you get to see how live television twists reality (Television Screens) and how money can drive people to do things that are considered morally wrong (Too Real, Chequeless Reckless). We even get a handful of post-punk bangers like Sha Sha Sha, Hurricane Laughter and Boys In The Better Land. The album closes with a pleasant waltz-style tune that feels like the celtic punk material that The Pogues would do in the 1980’s.

Fave Tracks: Boys In The Better Land, Hurricane Laughter, The Lotts


17. Mark Ronson - Late Night Feelings
I’d like to call this album the night time equivalent to Calvin Harris’ Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1. I say this because both albums carry a 1980s throwback style in their sound. The night time feel really compliments the lyrical content dealing with heartbreak, like with Jungle’s album For Ever from the year prior. The synths sound like they came straight outta Drive and the vocal performances, from Miley Cyrus’ Americana vocal style on smash hit Nothing Breaks Like A Heart to relative newcomers King Princess and the YEBBA triple bill, are pretty great too.

Fave Tracks: True Blue, Truth, Late Night Feelings


16. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
One of the many highlights of metal is that spark of darkness that the electric guitars generate over the frantic rhythms of the drum kit, and this album shows just that. The instrumentation feels both energetic and melancholic at the same time, thus making a sublime sense of contrast.
Corey Taylor’s vocals are really good on this as he switches between downcast melodies in the chorus to yelling out his rage in the verses to convey the emotions he feels while dealing with depression, as well as venting his frustration at society for forcing happiness onto people, throughout the tracks.
It's a roaring, haunting masterpiece overall.

Fave Tracks: Nero Forte, Red Flag, Solway Firth


15. The Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe
The Cinematic Orchestra have returned to the concert hall for the first time in 12 years with approximately 54 minutes of a breath-taking ambience. The lyrics pack in an emotional depth that fit magnificently with the tones of the album.

Fave Tracks: A Promise, Lessons, Zero One/This Fantasy


14. Sleaford Mods - Eton Alive
A humorous, tongue-in-cheek day in the life of a cynical person, with some very pleasing basslines and lots of amusing one-liners ("Can I come back next time dressed in shite and take my place on the landscapes ice"). Unlike most of their previous material, which uses an actual drum kit, this album switches this instrument for patterns from a drum machine.

Fave Tracks: Discourse, Subtraction, Kebab Spider


13. Kate Tempest - The Book of Traps and Lessons
The follow-up to Let Them Eat Chaos expands on the dark, dystopian vibe of that album, as well as its political and philosophical themes. Tempest’s poetic performance is brilliant as always and the track transitions are really smooth.
It sounds more like an audiobook with added music than an album, as it is extremely reliant on the lyrics. Oh, and the 6th track doesn’t contain any instruments at all (except for the vocals). Still, the title states that this is a BOOK of traps and lessons, so this audiobook style enhances it.

Fave Tracks: Holy Elixir, People’s Faces, Keep Moving Don’t Move


12. James Blake - Assume Form
The first 2019 album I listened to. After giving this a listen, I knew that it would be a big contender for my Top 10, yet it is only at #13.
Anyway, James Blake’s tenor tessitura and the moody production of this album are a perfect fit. The instrumentation can back up Blake’s emotionally driven lyrics effectively.
His recent studio album deals with the many subjects of love (including the struggles of dissociation). Tell Them focuses on Blake being involved in a one-night stand with him feeling a sense of regret, with Moses Sumney’s soulful vocals playing the role of his conscience. In Where’s The Catch, he (along with Andre 3000, who was also on the Anderson .Paak album that came up earlier) expresses his paranoia from a calculated ‘perfect’ relationship. Don’t Miss It shows his fight against stigmatization, whilst also providing a cautionary tale on missed opportunities. The album closes with Lullaby For My Insomniac, which contains an eerie, cinematic-like feel to it in both the vocal harmonisation and the almost monophonic texture of the synths.

Fave Tracks: Assume Form, Tell Them, Where's The Catch?


11. Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning
Loyle Carner is one of the most down-to-earth rappers out there. His personality meshes superbly with the chilled beats and it shines through the music during this album. He talks about his admiration for chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and the late Antonio Carluccio, questions trust in a relationship on You Don’t Know and is thankful for the support he has received from close friends on Loose Ends. Ice Water has some elegant sounding strings that wouldn’t sound out of place on a track by The Avalanches. We are also treated to a heartfelt feature from Sampha on Desoleil (Brilliant Corners), the pedal driven piano on this song serves as a great fit for him.
The most deeply felt point on the album comes on both the album opener and closer with the respective titles Dear Jean and Dear Ben, where Carner is writing a letter to his mother about his current life, which is then followed by a reply letter from her on how he has grown and progressed over the course of the years.

Fave Tracks: Loose Ends, Angel, Desoleil (Brilliant Corners)




Time to see what made it to the Top 10

10. Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls
Bat For Lashes tries out a dark 1980s gothic style for her new album, and the result that comes out sounds like a fantastic film soundtrack from that decade. The synths do a swell job at driving the atmosphere of the album, which fits the vocal style of Natasha Khan really well. She isn’t new to the synthesizer as she previously used this instrument on her 2009 album Two Suns.

Fave Tracks: Jasmine, The Hunger, Kids In The Dark

9. Little Simz - GREY Area

My favourite UK Rap Album of the year. Little Simz proves to be an excellent rapper in the game right now with this record.

She goes hard and assertive on Boss, Offence and Venom, and when she goes personal on tracks like Selfish and Sherbet Sunrise, it hits deep into your feelings. Wounds touches on the link between gun control and the culture of youth and Flowers serves as a tribute to the 27 Club. Both come with touching choruses from respective artists Chronixx and Michael Kiwanuka.

Fave Tracks: Wounds, Flowers, Sherbet Sunrise

8. black midi - schlagenheim

Ladies and gentlemen! The most out-of-this-world rock music of this year!

The debut album from the newcoming London band brings in a discordant, ferocious sound to represent a crumbling society. This uniquely loud style and the peculiar accent of Geordie Greep come together to form an amazing album.

There are also times in which it can feel cinematic, like on the track Western, which uses different stages of the song to represent scenes of conflict and climax in a classic Western movie.

Fave Tracks: Ducter, Of Schlagenheim, Western

7. Hot Chip - A Bath Full of Ecstasy

A Bath Full Of Ecstasy comes in a bath of melancholy sounding synthpop. It shows a vulnerable side of Hot Chip’s work with lyrics touching upon love, desire and the search for positivity. These themes are conveyed by the vocal timbres of Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor. The album also comes with a vibrant atmosphere that elevates its quality even further.

One of the producers of this record was Philippe Zdar (one half of the French house duo Cassius who also produced for Phoenix and Two Door Cinema Club). It was the last album he worked on before his untimely death (two days before its release), and the album sounds like a great note to end his production discography on.

Fave Tracks: No God, Hungry Child, Echo

6. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR

A 40-minute long trip packed with a 1980’s mixing bowl of vaporwave and R&B with a fantastic look into heartbreak from Tyler. He points out his feelings and emotions in the middle of a relationship in I THINK and paints a psychotic picture of a heartbroken character in NEW MAGIC WAND. The latter track carries a dark blend of a distorted 1960s psychedelic rock guitar and Moog keyboard sounds. A BOY IS A GUN makes use of an uplifting sample from The Ponderosa Twins Plus One’s 1971 track Bound, with Tyler flipping the sample just as fantastically as Kanye did on Bound 2 six years ago.

The featured artists are also a treat to listen to. Lil Uzi Vert tries out a different vocal style from his usual melodic autotune vocal on album opener IGOR’S THEME, which sets the scene brilliantly with its night time drive feel. Playboi Carti managed to bring in some mindless fun like he does most of the time on EARFQUAKE, although his verse felt out of place. Charlie Wilson, Solange and Santigold bring in some splendid backing vocal contributions to add more soul to the album. Slowthai's parts on WHAT’S GOOD was a nice surprise. Cee Lo Green delivers a heartfelt chorus on GONE GONE / THANK YOU.

Fave Tracks: GONE, GONE / THANK YOU, ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?, WHAT’S GOOD

5. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE

While LP1 was filled with electronic beats, the long-awaited followup MAGDALENE shifts to a more traditional style. The instrumentation focuses more on pianos and haunting choirs, and we also get to hear FKA experiment with different vocal accents.

This album ends up being just as gripping as its predecessor was, as we get a deeper, expanded look into the heartbreak that was already explored on LP1. There’s a diverse cast of producers that were involved in the process of the album, such as Nicolas Jaar, Benny Blanco and Jack Antanoff (Wow! He really has been busy this year!)

Fave Tracks: fallen alien, mary magdalene, sad day

4. Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Parts 1 and 2)

I’m sort of cheating with this pick (I state this due to the presence of my one-album-per-artist rule for this countdown). The main reason why I’m putting this as a two-way tie is because both parts came out on the same year and I find both of them to be equally awesome.

Part 1 focuses on a crumbling city in a dystopian future. The album throws in some energetic indie rock riffs on Exits and White Onions to contrast with the image presented, as well as mellow, dreamy cuts like Sunday and I’m Done With The World. Cafe D’Athens blends the sounds of the xylophone, the metallophone and the drums together to create a tasteful tropical vibe, which I came to appreciate more while giving this album a re-listen in my Summer holiday.

Part 2 expands on this picture, but also has the main character gradually become more optimistic. He overcomes the many obstacles in his life on blood pumping anthem The Runner and strays away from the many traps of social media on Wash Off. There’s even some cathartic aggressiveness shown on Black Bull and Like Lightning.

There’s still some of the sorrowfulness that occurred throughout the first part. Into The Surf shows him grieving a close friend who recently died and 10,000 Feet makes use of Icarus metaphors to present the slowly declining state of the ecological side of Earth.

If I had to choose from either of the two, I’d say that I prefer Part 1 due to its highlights being higher than those of the part that follows it.

Fave Tracks from Part 1: Sunday, Syrups, In Degrees

Fave Tracks from Part 2: Neptune, Wash Off, The Runner

3. The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery

My favourite jazz album of the year. The Comet Is Coming have shown what amazing stuff they can offer on Channel The Spirits, but this follow-up is even better.

The album takes the jazz genre and makes it more psychedelic and progressive. This ends up creating a spectacular auditory experience. It also comes packed with the most supersonic saxophone solos of this year.

The band released The Afterlife not too long after this, and while it isn’t as brilliant, it still succeeds in generating that atmospheric power that made this album outstanding.

Fave Tracks: Blood Of The Past, Super Zodiac, Summon The Fire

2. Thom Yorke - ANIMA

Last year, Yorke composed the soundtrack to the Luca Guadagnino remake of the 1977 Dario Argento horror film Suspiria. The spine-chilling sound of his score succeeded in giving the listener goosebumps. The following year, he put out a studio album called ANIMA, which also managed to pack in some of those goosebump-inducing feelings that the Suspiria soundtrack had.

It also carries this dramatic, cinematic vibe throughout thanks to its gloomy synths, industrial drum patterns and elegant string arrangements. Yorke sings with a layer of vulnerability of his voice, which is backed up by his vocals that range from baritone to tenor. He also talks about his emotional (as well as mental) struggles, which the instrumentals back up really effectively.

Fave Tracks: Twist, Dawn Chorus, Last I Heard (...He Was Circling The Drain)

And the number one album of 2019 is...

1. KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD - INFEST THE RATS' NEST

Fishing For Fishies was a solid contender for my Top 10, but King Gizzard’s other album of 2019 easily blows it out of the water

When people think about music bringing political topics to the conversation, the first things that come to their minds are the government and climate change. The latter is discussed in this album, but there’s another theme that isn’t expected to come from an album of this kind. Colonisation, Colonisation, Colonisation!

The dystopian presentation of this topic is absolutely marvellous, and the thrash metal instrumentation gives off a fiery, ferocious feel to accompany that, from the rage-fuelled guitar solos to Stu Mackenzie’s vocal yells. This might probably be one of my favourites from this band, along with Polygondwanaland and Murder Of The Universe.

Fave Tracks: Self-Immolate, Superbug, Organ Farmer