Albums of 2019
There is fun in these albums, there's happiness, love, hope, braveness, stepping out and forward, sincerity, wisdom... All we are saying is - give these songs a chance!
1.Black Midi: 'Schlagenheim'
They're new, they don't care about what was before them, or what comes next, they just play how they feel. The most earnest album of the year
2. Jambinai: 'ONDA'
Jambinai brought energy and freshness to genre that has gotten exhausted and worn-out. 'ONDA' makes it feel like it's day 1 in post-metal.
3. Slowthai: 'Nothing Great About Britain'
A on-spot social commentary from a boy straight from a low-league football stadium. Exactly!
4. Blut Aus Nord: 'Hallucinogen'
French black-metalers made an album that feels like standing in the middle of their stage, being the one who they play to.
5. Purple Mountains: 'Purple Mountains'
It's a happy epitaph to a sad ending, like a mountaineer reaching his favourite summit, and staying forever there.
6. Shortparis: 'Так закалялась сталь' ('Thus The Steel Was Tempered'
They're cold and erotic, masculine and gentle, grandiose and simple; melodic, militant, self-aware, theatric, reaching through decades.
7. Sarathy Korwar: 'More Arriving'
There is so much here, yet it is so simple, it's music to sing and dance to - the very essence of music. Witty and funny dealing with anti-immigrant paranoia.
8. Alcest: 'Spiritual Instinct'
They made up genre, so why not - moving away from it. Black-gaze days are over, welcome - atmo-metal.
9. The Comet Is Coming: 'Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery'
The nu-jazzers are into the slow-groove in this edition od space-travel. Engage!
10. Tool: 'Fear Inoculum'
The most "academic" album by the prog greats, just some great songs one after the other.
11. Lankum: 'The Livelong Day'
Traditional Irish songs given progressive and ambient touch, with a river of melodies...
12. Ishmael Ensemble: 'A State of Flow'
It's atmospheric, melodic, groovy, hypnotic, warm, melancholic, hopefull. Jazzy electro, although not jazz or electro. A contradictory pleasure
13. Cult of Luna: 'A Dawn to Fear'
Be it pop music, or post/sludge-metal, the Swedes are out there to bring melodies. 'A Dawn to Fear' is when a band gives all they've got.
14. Philip B. Price: 'Bone Almanac'
Like the best natural medicine, 'Bone Almanac' brings calm, happiness, and peacefulness, all with the powerful tools of voice and a gentle guitar. Less is - plenty.
15. Hashshashin: 'Badakhshan'
Middle-East met metal in Australia, in-between making an ocean of mesmerizing haze. So obvious and so different.
16. Big Thief: 'U.F.O.F.'
It was Brooklyn's quartet big year, showing how being open and vulnerable can feel strong.
17. Chelsea Wolfe: 'Birth of Violence'
The songstress of gloom and doom takes us on a waltz, in her goth dress, dancing to songs of beauty and drama. She is the light in darkness.
18. Bibio: 'Ribbons'
'Ribbons' is delicate, gentle, slightly louder than a whisper, rich in pastoral melodies, crossing decades to meet the flower power.
19. Innercity Ensemble: 'IV'
Polish super-group made an album of ambiental fun, adding vocals to their already rich free-form sound.
20. Clipping.: 'There Existed an Addiction to Blood'
The third album by the Chicago hip-hop collective is just slightly left from the hip-hop center, dealing with horror and violence, in industrial hip-hop sonics. There's much more to hip-hop than fake-glamour.
21. Jessica Pratt: 'Quiet Signs'
It's a voice to melt the polar ice, girl-like and modest, yet powerful. She tries so little but achieves so much.
22. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: 'Ghosteen'
Cave does it simple here, almost completely devoid of bass and drum, only his voice and organ filling the world with peace, quiet, dignity, imagination...
23. Numenorean: 'Adore'
The album builds up slowly to it's post-black-metal height, going for an adventure to find - a home. Easy to listen to, giving a lot...
24. Mdou Moctar: 'Ilana'
Nigeria's guitarist blues is actually really happy and fast, rich in details, sunny and uplifting. Great summer holiday music; or reminder to it.
25. Sequoyah Murray: 'Before You Begin'
Great name, great voice, great pop music. Potential singles just flow on Atlanta singer's debut, pretty songs easy to listen to, and sing to.
26. Dawn Ray'D: 'Behold Sedition Plainsong'
Liverpool trio expanded black-metal with anarchist politics and a violin, giving plenty to listen to and think about. Or just suck in the raw energy.
27. Tyler, the Creator: 'IGOR'
TtC discovered singing and joy, seems happier with himself, his blend of soul and hip-hop (with a blonde wig) can take him places.
28. Brutus: 'Nest'
Prog metal + female vocals = Belgium chocolate; actually, a box full of it.
29. Wilderun: 'Veil of Imagination'
This is metal in it's full ambitious and proud grandeur, without any hesitation or holding back. Just - everything to the fullest.
30. Mariee Sioux: 'Grief in Exile'
Transcendental folk music of great beauty with tender guitar, and a touch of piano. It draws strength from the Earth, growing very naturally grows to the end...
31. Moor Mother: 'Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes'
Intense, powerful, dark, meditative, industrial, ambitious, activist; a demanding and rewarding listen.
32. Wrvth: 'No Rising Son'
Last album by the tech-metal band shows all they've got, intensity and richness in sound, a sense for detail, balance of heavy and beautiful. The swan has sung.
33. Dave: 'Psychodrama'
The debut by the London rapper will go down in history as a once-in-a-generation album, boldly dealing with a sensitive issue of mental health, being easy to listen to at the same time.
34. Kaleikr: 'Heart of Lead'
Iceland black-metal duo go in death- and post- directions, adding viola for a melancholic touch...
35. Kaytranada: 'Bubba'
Just some great dance music with awesome vocals. Even that way-to-overly-used autotune doesn't stand in the way of pure pop pleasure.
36. Bedouine: 'Bird Songs of a Killjoy'
A road-trip album, immediate, slightly psychedelic with one long happy ending...
37. Hælos: 'Any Random Kindness'
At night we dance, during the day we're worried about the planet, and that duality of mind and body is that first step.
38. Angel Olsen: 'All Mirrors'
Rich in strings and keyboards, 'All Mirrors' is big and ambitious, a new beginning for the (former) singer-songwriter.
39. Danny Brown: ‘uknowhatimsayin¿’
There is somebody who still remembers laughter in hip-hop. Music is fun, first and foremost.
40. Obsequiae: 'The Palms of Sorrowed Kings'
Metal bands write the best ballads; Obsequiae show how good at melodies are they, without the balladeering.
