Here we go for year 7:
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Clams Casino — Moon Trip Radio
Two Cents: Clams returns with an album that recaptures his early 2010s sound — deep instrumentals with distorted vocals and swirling synths. It’s a nice nostalgia trip; Clams isn’t necessarily pushing anything forward, but the tracks are as beautiful as ever.
Genre: Instrumental Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: NSX, Cupidwing
For Fans of: A$AP Rocky, Apollo Brown, Vaping Indoors Next to the No-Smoking Sign
Earl Sweatshirt — Feet of Clay
Two Cents: Feet of Clay is almost like the Amnesiac to Some Rap Songs’ Kid A, except this one is an EP. Some of the beats aren’t quite up to the standard set by its predecessor, but the lyricism is Earl as compelling and interesting as he’s ever been.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: El Toro Combo Meal, 4N
For Fans of: Tyler, the Creator; Madlib; the Weird Parts of Ren and Stimpy
Death Cab for Cutie — The Blue EP
Two Cents: Pinch me; is it 2005? Death Cab put out an EP that actually returns to some of their former sonic glory, and is their best output in years.
Genre: Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: Kids in ’99, Blue Bloods
For Fans of: …I mean, it’s Death Cab. You know who they are already.
L’Orange + Jeremiah Jae — Complicate Your Life with Violence
Two Cents: L’Orange is one of the best at milk crate diving. The production on the duo’s second album is layered with samples galore, and Jeremiah Jae’s flow is lush with wordplay to complement.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Behavior Report, Clay Pigeons
For Fans of: DJ Shadow, Pete Rock, Saturday Morning Cartoons on UPN21
Wilco — Ode to Joy
Two Cents: Wilco has struggled to find the genius that characterized their earlier albums, and though Ode to Joy is a step up from some of the more recent albums, it’s still not quite there. Still, even mired in simplicity, Ode offers beauty in its songwriting and it is a genuine pleasure to listen to.
Genre: Alt-Country
Favorite Tracks: Bright Leaves, Love is Everywhere (Beware)
For Fans of: Old Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Doing Absolutely Nothing on Sunday Afternoon
THE LIST
50. YBN Cordae — The Lost Boy
Two Cents: The Lost Boy is everything that Chance the Rapper wants to be in 2019. He’s positive without being corny, and his style perfectly fits the soulful Chicago production.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Thanksgiving, Thousand Words, Way Back Home
For Fans of: Chance the Rapper, Kanye West, Filling Up Your Plate Too Much on Thanksgiving so it’s All Touching
49. Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
Two Cents: Beautiful, lush, sweeping, and orchestral are all words that apply to All Mirrors. Olsen gives a beautiful album that, despite not reaching the heights of her previous work, soars on the wings of tight and introspective songwriting.
Genre: Art Pop/Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: All Mirrors, Too Easy, Spring
For Fans of: Sharon van Etten, Fiona Apple, the Pastoral Symphony in Fantasia
48. Oso Oso — Basking in the Glow
Two Cents: Basking in the Glow takes 2000s emo, throws in some “classic” pop, and runs with it. It’s a perfect sing-along record that will be stuck in your head days after listening.
Genre: Emo-Pop/Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: Dig, One Sick Plan, Impossible Game
For Fans of: Modern Baseball, Turnover, Playing the High School Level in Tony Hawk Over and Over and Over Again
47. Jessica Pratt — Quiet Signs
Two Cents: Continuing her streak of near-flawless albums, Jessica Pratt brings back her dream-like voice in Quiet Signs. It’s much shorter than her other records, but the hauntingly beautiful song-writing and vocalizations are still present throughout.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: As the World Turns, Poly Blue
For Fans of: Carol King, Julie Byrne, Lava Lamps and Shag Carpet
46. Danny Brown — uknowhatimsayin¿
Two Cents: After Atrocity Exhibition, Danny comes with a happier and more casual album. He’s much more laid-back on this one, and though it lacks the cohesiveness of Atrocity, Danny sounds much more comfortable with who he is.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Savage Nomad, Combat
For Fans of: Vince Staples, Mac Miller, Juggalos Gone Cold Turkey
45. Ian Noe — Between the Country
Two Cents: Noe fills his sophomore album with somber yet beautiful storytelling. Between the Country is an intrinsically American album that hearkens back to the Outlaw Country of the 70s.
Genre: Country/Americana
Favorite Tracks: Letter to Madeleine, That Kind of Life, Dead on the River (Rolling Down)
For Fans of: Waylon, Willie, Lucinda, Rocking Chairs on the Porch with a Hound Dog
44. DIIV — Deceiver
Two Cents: Deceiver marks a step up in both maturity and skill for DIIV’s songwriting. This album would be a shoegaze classic if it came out in the mid-90s.
Genre: Shoegaze
Favorite Tracks: Like Before You Were Born, Between Tides
For Fans of: MBV, Slowdive, Checkered Vans Slip-Ons
43. William Doyle — Your Wilderness Revisited
Two Cents: William Doyle channels psychedelia, folk, and Eno ambient to create interesting soundscapes that conjure up memories of suburban childhood. It’s a striking album that debates the beauty of the middle class.
Genre: Art Pop
Favorite Tracks: Zionshill, Design Guide
For Fans of: Brian Eno, William Basinski, Mowing the Lawn and Jumping into the Pool Directly After
42. Clairo — Immunity
Two Cents: Immunity is Clairo’s introspective look at the reconciliation between adolescent past and present identity. She covers the topics with plain yet powerful lyricism that is both heartwrenching and somehow comfortable.
Genre: Pop/Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: Alewife, Bags, Feel Something
For Fans of: Hatchie, Lorde, Snuggies and Binging Your Faves on Netflix
41. Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron — Lost Wisdom pt. 2
Two Cents: It feels like everything after A Crow Looked at Me will inevitably be linked as a response or follow-up from that album’s purity in sadness. The “pt. 2,” for Lost Wisdom feels like less of a call-back to its name-sake, but rather to the aforementioned Crow, showing that he still believes in love despite tragedy.
Genre: Indie Folk
Favorite Tracks: Belief, Love Without Possession
For Fans of: Jason Molina, Sun Kil Moon, Jumping into a Pile of Autumn Leaves but Finding Out There Was a Stick in the Pile
40. Thom Yorke — Anima
Two Cents: Anima is my personal favorite of Thom’s solo work, and it’s also the most Radiohead of them all. Anima requires multiple listens, as there are so many sounds hidden, layered, and weaved through each other.
Genre: Electronic
Favorite Tracks: Dawn Chorus, Impossible Knots
For Fans of: Radiohead, James Blake, the Cowboy Bebop Intro
39. JPEGMAFIA — All My Heroes are Cornballs
Two Cents: JPEGMAFIA blends a ton of genres, styles, and ideas into an album that is sillier and more laid-back than his usual aggressiveness would allow. The approach is refreshing and offers a ton of variety, making each listen an act of discovery.
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Kenan vs. Kel, PRONE!
For Fans of: Danny Brown, Little Ugly Mane, Spending Hours Trying to Find the Perfect GIF
38. Plaid — Polymer
Two Cents: Meds Fade is one of Plaid’s best tracks ever, and the ending pushes you into the rest of the record. There’s a great mix between upbeat numbers and quiet introspection — this record is full of life.
Genre: IDM
Favorite Tracks: Meds Fade, The Pale Moth, Praze
For Fans of: Autechre, Clark, the Most Intense Parts of Mr. Robot
37. Richard Dawson — 2020
Two Cents: 2020 is Dawson’s discussion of modern life and all of its anxiety inducing interactions. Politics and class-ism bleed into everyday life, as Dawson acts as a storyteller of the bizarre, yet mundane.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: Civil Servant, Jogging
For Fans of: The Magnetic Fields, Sun Kil Moon, Pretty Much all of Black Mirror
36. Wand — Laughing Matter
Two Cents: Laughing Matter is the most Radiohead album not recorded by Radiohead. Despite this, Wand still sound fresh and interesting on their own, and have unique takes on the “formula.”
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Favorite Tracks: Evening Star, Airplane
For Fans of: Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Michel Gondry Films
35. slowthai — Nothing Great About Britain
Two Cents: It’s hip hop’s version of punk. Slowthai raps about lowerclass struggles, but also the state of the U.K. overall, in a way that is relatable and utterly personal
Genre: Hip Hop/Punk
Favorite Tracks: Nothing Great About Britain, Inglorious, Toaster
For Fans of: BROCKHAMPTON; billy woods; Leather Jackets, Wallet Chains, and Devilocks
34. Helado Negro — This is How You Smile
Two Cents: Please Won’t Please is an absolutely gorgeous introduction to This is How You Smile. The album is steeped in minimalism — a cohesive and heartfelt effort that you can’t help but love.
Genre: Art Pop
Favorite Tracks: Please Won’t Please, Seen My Aura
For Fans of: Sufjan Stevens, Julia Holter, Wading into the Ocean and Jumping into Waves like a Little Kid
33. billy woods — Terror Management
Two Cents: The second of Woods’ two LPs this year, Terror Management would be a triumph for most rappers on its own. Woods pulls you into his world with tales woven from metaphor and flow, always keeping you on your toes.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Western Education is Forbidden, Blood Thinner
For Fans of: Elucid, Wiki, Walking Around With Your Hood Up
32. Malibu Ken — S/T
Two Cents: Despite some truly horrific album art, Aesop Rock returns again with a stellar album. Tobacco’s beats are unique (and comfy) but fit Aesop perfectly, and the lyricism is incredible as always — what else would you expect from Aes?
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Dog Years, Suicide Big Gulp
For Fans of: Open Mike Eagle, El-P, Free Slurpee Day at 7–11 with a Jumbo Hot Dog (Mustard Only)
31. Lightning Bolt — Sonic Citadel
Two Cents: Noise, aggression, and sick riffs — it’s a Lightning Bolt record. Sonic Citadel truly takes a few listens to get into because it’s so noisy and busy, but it’s very rewarding once you are able to differentiate the tension from resolution.
Genre: Noise Rock
Favorite Tracks: Husker Don’t, Halloween 3
For Fans of: Thee Oh Sees, Daughters, Those Painting Things Where You Melt Crayons with a Hair Dryer and They Melt on the Canvas
30. Nérija — Blume
Two Cents: Awesome jazz album out of the London scene with traditional structure that’s not too stuffy to evolve into fusion at times. Blume pulls from influences of each band member, resulting in vibrant songwriting.
Genre: Jazz
Favorite Tracks: Riverfest, Blume, Unbound
For Fans of: Snarky Puppy, Thelonious Monk, Michael Scott’s Harlem Globetrotter Theme Dribbling
29. Swans — leaving meaning.
Two Cents: For the new incarnation of Swans, Gira has gone lighter on the sound. It’s not as epic as the trilogy of the Seer, To Be Kind, and the Glowing Man, but it does share some similarities in songwriting.
Genre: Post-Rock/Experimental
Favorite Tracks: Annaline, Sunfucker
For Fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slint, Painting Your Fingernails Black and Walking Around in the Middle of the Night with a Cigarette While it’s Freezing Cold Outside
28. A.A. Bondy — Enderness
Two Cents: Beautiful, haunting songwriting is the centerpiece on Enderness. Bondy has taken the minimalist folk of his past, added electronic pieces, and mastered his melancholic style.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: Killers 3, Images of Love
For Fans of: Damien Jurado, the Low Anthem, Obsessively Listening to Cold Case Serial Killer Podcasts Multiple Times So You Can Solve the Case
27. Freddie Gibbs + Madlib — Bandana
Two Cents: Piñata was an instant classic when it dropped — Madlib and Gibbs perfectly fit together in mafia harmony. Bandana is great too, but it’s a little more straightforward than its predecessor, focusing more on bangers and hits than an overall vibe.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Half Manne Half Cocaine, Massage Seats, Palmolive
For Fans of: Pusha T, Run the Jewels, Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs but With Lots of Drug Dealers and Mafioso Undertones
26. Wiki — Oofie
Two Cents: Wiki is one of the most talented yet underrated emcees in rap right now. Oofie builds on everything his debut album did, but with better production and polish.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Downfall, Grim, Back Then
For Fans of: Isaiah Rashad, Kendrick Lamar, Jansport Backpacks Pulled As Tight As They Go
25. Kris Davis — Diatom Ribbons
Two Cents: On Diatom Ribbons, Kris Davis takes Avant-Garde to the extreme, pushing and blurring the boundaries between jazz, noise, fusion, and maximalism. Each track lets a different guest shine, but Davis is the clear star and the glue holding everything together despite the insanity.
Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz
Favorite Tracks: Diatom Ribbons, Rhizomes
For Fans of: Vijay Iyer, Ornette Coleman, Fancy Restaurants that Serve Deconstructed Versions of Everything
24. Great Grandpa — Four of Arrows
Two Cents: If this record had come out in the late 90s/early 2000s, it would have several number 1 hits. Four of Arrows mixes alt-country with post-rock and 2000s pop in a way that feels familiar but progressive for the genres.
Genre: Alt-Country/Pop/Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: Dark Green Water, Digger, Bloom, Treat Jar
For Fans of: Hop Along, Indigo Girls, Every Freddy Prinze Jr. Movie Ever Made
23. Blood Incantation — Hidden History of the Human Race
Two Cents: Death Metal is supposed to be a genre that everyone makes fun of — overwrought and cliche riffs, cookie monster vocals, and snare drums so fast that you can’t hear anything else. Instead, what we get here is a sci-fi metal album that defies all of that, and instead simply kicks ass.
Genre: Death Metal
Favorite Tracks: Giza Power Plant, Awakening From the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)
For Fans of: Tomb Mold, Converge, the Scene from Scary Movie 3 Where We Find Out the Aliens Are Powerless Without Their Heads
22. Kim Gordon — No Home Record
Two Cents: Kim Gordon made a Sonic Youth record in 2019. It combines all of their older sound filtered through the sounds of the last 10 years (like trip-hop), and features some amazing vocal delivery.
Genre: Noise-Rock
Favorite Tracks: Sketch Artist, Paprika Pony, Murdered Out
For Fans of: Sonic Youth, Big Black, That Scene in Stranger Things S2 With Will in the Field
21. Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
Two Cents: Natalie Meling delivers a spectacular vocal performance on Titanic Rising. It would fit perfectly within the oeuvre of the 70s pop icons — comfy, dreamy, and ethereal.
Genre: Pop
Favorite Tracks: Andromeda, Titanic Rising
For Fans of: Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Vintage Wood-Paneling on Your Walls, Ceiling, Furniture, Car…
20. Floating Points — Crush
Two Cents: A fantastic album of technical IDM with live instrumentation sprinkled in, Crush was written over the course of just 5 weeks. Shepherd goes for almost a post-rock style of IDM that is compelling and vibe-centric.
Genre: IDM
Favorite Tracks: Falaise, Karakul, LesAlpx
For Fans of: Burial, Four Tet, Gabe’s Soundscapes in the Office
19. Have a Nice Life — Sea of Worry
Two Cents: Have a Nice Life stray from their shoegaze/ambient aesthetic to jump fully into the world of gothic rock. It’s always nice when acts know when to switch it up, and Sea of Worry is a successful change.
Genre: Post-Punk
Favorite Tracks: Dracula Bells, Destinos
For Fans of: The Cure, Joy Division, Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town
18. Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
Two Cents: After one of the best albums of the decade, Vampire Weekend change up their sound. Father of the Bride is drenched in Americana, vocal harmonies, and infectious melodies.
Genre: Indie Pop/Americana
Favorite Tracks: Bambina, Unbearably White, Stranger
For Fans of: Neil Young, Phoenix, Summer Weddings and White Tuxedos
17. Faye Webster — Atlanta Millionaires’ Club
Two Cents: Faye Webster creates a unique combination of alt-country, R&B, and indie pop to give her songs shape. It’s a cozy album full of self-aware humor and catchy hooks.
Genre: Indie Pop/Alt-Country
Favorite Tracks: Hurts Me Too, Kingston
For Fans of: Phoebe Bridgers, Silver Jews, April and Andy’s Back and Forth on P&R
16. Bill Callahan — Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
Two Cents: A classic, pastoral album from one of the best songwriters this decade. Callahan knows when to use silence to suit his needs and then dives into weaving stories with wit and charm.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Favorite Tracks: The Ballad of the Hulk, Confederate Jasmine
For Fans of: Will Oldham, Andrew Bird, Exit: Pursued by Bear
15. FKA Twigs — Magdalene
Two Cents: Magdalene takes a few listens to get into, but the reward is a stunningly emotional vocal performance, and tracks that ooze with charisma. It’s tragic and vulnerable while at the same time futuristic.
Genre: Art Pop
Favorite Tracks: Holy Terrain, Mary Magdalene
For Fans of: Bjork, SZA, Staring at Marble Statues in Museums Wondering, “How the Hell Did They Do That?”
14. Jamila Woods — Legacy! Legacy!
Two Cents: Woods seems like the Zora Neal Hurston of neo-soul. She covers topics of gender, race, and sexuality with poetic lyricism and authenticity that seems timeless.
Genre: Neo-Soul
Favorite Tracks: Zora, Basquiat
For Fans of: Dawn Richard, Kelela, Colson Whitehead Novels
13. Little Simz — GREY Area
Two Cents: One of the most unique and refreshing rap albums in the last few years, GREY Area is exciting from front to back. Simz exudes confidence as she raps, and she has good reason to be — her bars are incredible.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Boss, Venom
For Fans of: Rapsody, Black Thought, The Kill Bill Movies
12. SEED Ensemble — Driftglass
Two Cents: Driftglass has some of the best talent in the London jazz scene which has set to work on reviving the genre in the last few years — Cassie Kinoshi, Theon Cross, etc. Kinoshi serves as the songwriter, and her arrangements are the highlight of the album.
Genre: Jazz
Favorite Tracks: Afronaut, WAKE
For Fans of: Binker + Moses, Ezra Collective, Reading Langston Hughes by the Fire
11. Big Thief — Two Hands
Two Cents: For their second 2019 LP, Big Thief go for a more folky, pared down sound. Adrienne Lenker’s voice is still the star of the show alongside some excellent guitar work — just listen to “Not,” and you’ll understand.
Genre: Folk Rock
Favorite Tracks: Forgotten Eyes, Not
For Fans of: Whitney, Conor Oberst, the Little Girl in True Grit Arguing With The Storekeeper Over Ponies
10. Purple Mountains — S/T
Two Cents: The most haunting record of the year — literally, as David Berman sadly took his own life months after its release. Purple Mountains contains some of his best songwriting since Silver Jews, but the whole thing lives in the shadow of what came after.
Genre: Alt-Country
Favorite Tracks: Snow is Falling in Manhattan, I Loved Being My Mother’s Son
For Fans of: Pavement, Will Oldham, One of the Titans of Indie Rock
9. Joel Ross — KingMaker
Two Cents: Vibraphones get a bad rap, but Joel Ross is here to change all of that. After touring with Makaya McCraven, the young New York phenom puts out a debut album that features beautiful arrangements, stellar solos, and some vibraphones just being beaten to hell.
Genre: Jazz
Favorite Tracks: The Grand Struggle Against Fear, KingMaker
For Fans of: Makaya McCraven, Cab Calloway, Elevator Music but Played by a Band of Viking Warlords
8. Bon Iver — i,i
Two Cents: i,i feels like the missing link between 2011’s Bon Iver and the following 22, a Million. It pulses between organic melodies and whirring synthesizers to showcase some of Justin Vernon’s best songwriting yet.
Genre: Art Pop
Favorite Tracks: iMi; Hey, Ma; U (Man Like)
For Fans of: Nick Drake, Arcade Fire, Speedboats and Drugs and Eulogies
7. Whirr — Feels Like You
Two Cents: Whirr’s, most likely, final album is everything good about modern shoegaze in one album. The melodies are enchanting, and the walls of sound wash over everything, making it all seem like a dream.
Genre: Shoegaze
Favorite Tracks: Mellow, Play the Slow Ones
For Fans of: MBV, Deafheaven, Waking Up Cold While Camping and Completely Submersing Yourself in Your Sleeping Bag
6. Nilüfer Yanya — Miss Universe
Two Cents: To me, Miss Universe represents a new change of pace for Indie Rock, a genre which has been criticized unendingly for becoming stale. Yanya attacks her songs with experimental passion, and In Your Head might be the song of the year.
Genre: Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: In Your Head, Baby Blu
For Fans of: The Shins, Vampire Weekend, That Aqua-Magenta Spray Design from the ‘90s
5. Tyler, the Creator — IGOR
Two Cents: Tyler has come a long way from his time in Odd Future as a shock emcee to becoming one of the best acts in hip hop. IGOR is one of the best hip hop albums without hardly any rapping — the whole thing is anchored solely by the lush and layered arrangements and textures.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Igor’s Theme; Gone, Gone/Thank You
For Fans of: Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Doing Blind Taste Tests Between Big Red and Big Blue
4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy — I Made a Place
Two Cents: It’s exciting to get new material from Will Oldham — the first time since 2013’s Self-Titled acoustic affair. The whole record has some of his best songwriting since The Letting Go, but the second half is quite frankly masterful.
Genre: Indie Folk
Favorite Tracks: Mama Mama, the Glow pt. 3, Thick Air, Building a Fire
For Fans of: Sun Kil Moon, Jason Molina, the Prognosticator Scene from A Ghost Story
3. Big Thief — U.F.O.F.
Two Cents: Lush, melancholic, and bewitching from the first moment, U.F.O.F. takes Big Thief to a new level. They’ve figured out how to use Adrienne Lenker’s unique voice to its fullest — it’s the absolute centerpiece of the album.
Genre: Indie Folk
Favorite Tracks: Contact, Cattails, Terminal Paradise
For Fans of: Julien Baker, Woods, All The Owls in Twin Peaks
2. billy woods + Kenny Segal — Hiding Places
Two Cents: Kenny Segal creates incredible soundscapes for Billy Woods’ expert lyricism. Hiding Places is Woods at his story-telling peak — each song is an adventure down a different path, and invites listen after listen.
Genre: Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: Steak Knives, Spider Hole, Houthi, Crawlspace
For Fans of: Earl Sweatshirt, Ka, Not Wanting to See Nas with an Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
- Duster — S/T
Two Cents: It’s been near twenty years since Duster released an album, and they haven’t lost a single step. Duster is a perfect progression of their sound from both Contemporary Movement and Stratosphere, melding their lo-fi, dusty, space-rock with synthesizers and blips of noise.
Genre: Slowcore
Favorite Tracks: Damaged, Hoya Paranoia, Ghoulish, The Thirteen
For Fans of: Galaxie 500, Low, the Docking Scene from Interstellar
