12) Feeder - Tallulah
Kicking off with the anthemic Youth, Feeder's 10th studio album is a rousing return to form. Formed in 1994, the band's early alternative rock sound gave way to middle-of-the-road indie towards the end of the 2000s. But a band that had survived the suicide of their drummer, Jon Lee, in 2002 could never be beaten. Tallulah is Feeder's first album since their second greatest hits collection and they've really found their purpose again. Feeder were in danger of fading into mediocrity but now they've released an album that captures their youthful energy but with riffs and lyrics that are the product of experience. It feels like you're eavesdropping on a group of old friends reuniting for a road trip across America. Let's hope this trip continues.
11) Metronomy - Metronomy Forever
Revolving mainly around singer/songwriter/producer Joe Mount, Metronomy Forever is the band's sixth studio album and continues Metronomy's exploration of electronica, synth pop and funk. There are hugely fun moments like on the stand-out Salted Caramel Ice Cream, a wannabe teen anthem about trying to look cool in front of a girl, and introspective moments too such as The Light: "Cause I understand that I hold you back but I'm just a man, a bad one at that". All of this is interspersed with instrumental bleeps and beats which makes the whole album feel both well thought-out and experimental. It's delightfully weird, fun and heartfelt at the same time. That's not easy to achieve.
10) Coldplay - Everyday Life
It's incredibly easy to follow the herd and diss Coldplay. In fact, their name has become a synonym for bland pop-rock. But there's more to them than this image. I've come to the realisation that they've settled into a pattern of releasing one formulaic album, followed by something ambitious and innovative, even if most people only seem to take note of the former. The boring X & Y was followed by the concept album Viva La Vida. Then came the formulaic Mylo Xyloto, with the haunting Ghost Stories three years later. This time, the band's eighth studio album follows the crowd-pleasing A Head Full of Dreams. Opening with the orchestral Sunrise, Everyday Life features lyrics in Spanish and Persian, topics such as racial inequality and war, plus samples, poetry, gospel choirs and more. It's hugely ambitious and there's a lot going on here. Not all of it works as well as Chris Martin thinks it does but it's a double album so there's room to experiment. A couple of the tracks do fall into "typical Coldplay" territory (mainly Champion of the World) and some of it is undoubtedly pretentious, however, overall it's a huge success and as far from bland as they're likely to get.
9) Brittany Howard - Jaime
Taking a break from her band, Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has produced her first solo album, Jaime, dedicated to her sister who died of retinoblastoma when she was a teenager. As a band Alabama Shakes walk the line between bluesy soul and roots rock but Howard takes this further on her own. Successful artists are adept at taking influences, mixing them up and making them sound like their own. The influences apparent on Jaime span a huge range of eras and genres, encompassing Nina Simone, James Brown, Prince, Gil Scott-Heron and others, while the lyrics cover politics, racism and teenage love. She may have taken a short time out to record it, but it feels like Brittany Howard's entire existence has contributed to this album's production.
8) Rosie Lowe - YU
"It could all be so simple" states Lifeline, the first track on Rosie Lowe's second album YU. And indeed you could be forgiven for thinking that's how the album will be. It starts off minimal and laid-back but soon, the production becomes more sultry and seductive. The stand-out track is Birdsong, the funkiest song you'll hear all year: "it's the very thought of you that gets me through the night and the knowing that I'll get it once more". It's essentially a collection of love songs but the confidence of the pulsing beats and funky guitar riffs belie the fragility and doubt of the lyrics. It's slinky but never entirely at ease with its sensuality which I think is such a relatable quality.
7) Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
Weyes Blood is the stage name of Natalie Mering, an American singer-songwriter while Titanic Rising is her fourth album and surely her breakthrough. The music is pleasingly uncategorisable, being described by some reviewers as soft rock or chamber pop, but it has echoes of Karen Carpenter, Feist and Father John Misty. The lyrics are just as dreamy and ethereal. "Looking up to the sky for something I may never find" Mering croons on Andromeda, which helpfully sums up the album. If life is a journey, not a destination, so is Titanic Rising. Some tracks feel like they're about to launch into a big chorus along the lines of Nilsson's Without You but the moment never quite arrives. That's not to say the album doesn't have its own catchy moments, but the delight is in hearing how the songs unfold rather than celebrating when they reach the climax.
6) Bon Iver - i,i
Most bands are content with one concept album in their career but this year, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon declared that all four of their albums to date were part of one large concept with each representing one of the four seasons. To be honest, the metaphor does hold water. The debut For Emma, Forever Ago was recorded in a remote cabin and represents the bleakness of winter. The follow-up, Bon Iver, features the hope of spring whereas 22, A Million was frantic, hot and sticky like summer, bringing us full circle with the bizarrely named i,i. It begins where 22, A Million left off. The first four tracks are relatively short with angular motifs continuing the busy feeling of the summer. But by the time we reach the lead single, Hey, Ma, the dust clouds have cleared, the pace begins to slow and Autumn sets in. The album as a whole is less experimental than 22, A Million yet there are still awkward rhythms and discordant bleeps for atmosphere. Neither is it as simple and haunting as their first two albums. The lyrics have always been obtuse and mysterious, and that's not changed here. It's not a new musical direction but it does feel like the end of a movement.
5) The Tallest Man on Earth - I Love You, It's A Fever Dream
Measuring 1.7m, Sweden's Kristian Matsson is not what his stage name suggests, however, it's his music that stands tall. I Love You, It's A Fever Dream is his fifth studio album and the second since his divorce. His style of folk music has always been dark with strange lyrics but his previous album, Dark Bird Is Home was more personal than anything that came before, a product of the divorce which didn't work quite as well as intended. His latest effort continues the personal nature but strips it back further, creating a more cohesive collection of songs. The opener, Hotel Bar, is as lonely a song as you're likely to hear: "all I can do is say things will be fine". But this album doesn't wallow; rather it acknowledges what has gone before and hopes for something better. By track three, There's a Girl, Matsson is thinking about moving on: "there's a girl that tells me I'm alright, I hope she means it". What I've Been Kicking Around is the highlight and surely one for the long-term fans with its trademark guitar picking and metaphorical lyrics. It's an album that solidifies his reputation and has the potential to win new fans too.
4) Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka's last album, Love & Hate, was so confident that it began with a brooding 10-minute piece of art. How could he possibly follow that? The answer on this, his third album, is to do something entirely different. While his first two albums were hugely accomplished, they were recognisably classic soul records. Meanwhile, his third, KIWANUKA (I believe the capitals are important) sounds something like Marvin Gaye discovering prog rock. There are soulful strings, Hendrix-like riffs and political lyrics. The opener You Ain't The Problem hints at issues with immigration, while Hero seems to juxtapose fame with gun crime. Similar to Marvin Gaye's classic What's Going On album, the tracks on KIWANUKA segue into each other and there are also instrumental sections, spoken samples and interludes. It's very much designed to be listened to in one sitting which helps to make it feel like a very important project indeed.
3) James Blake - Assume Form
Widely anticipated, James Blake's fourth studio album doesn't disappoint. Known for delicate piano melodies, ethereal production and offbeat rhythms, Blake takes all of these and expands the sound even more. There are elements of R&B, hip hop and even Latin music here too. It feels slightly more upbeat than anything that he's done before but he's still a musician who sounds ill at ease in his being. "I will assume form, I'll leave the ether" he sings on the opening title track, apparently announcing what's to come. The next two tracks branch out with guest vocalists and rappers while Into The Red is a more familiar James Blake track with its overlaid vocals and distorted instruments. My highlight is I'll Come Too, a gentle yet tentative love song. Somewhere among the layered production, there's a newfound confidence that reflects an artist growing into their niche. Maybe a contributor to this settled status can be found in the credits? Blake's girlfriend, the actress Jameela Jamil is credited as a producer. Whatever the cause, long may it continue.
2) Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Parts 1 & 2)
While other artists were spending 2019 recording double albums, Foals were persuaded to produce Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost as two separate releases. I'm grouping them together here as it's difficult to separate them despite the fact that there are stylistic differences. Part one is slightly more upbeat and fun. The lead single, Exits, feels like a pop-rock classic designed for sticky indie dancefloors. In Degrees and Cafe d'Athens continue the party with pulsing beats and ethereal hooks, before part one's final track, the haunting I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me) brings the tempo down and hints at something foreboding to come. Part 2 is undoubtedly darker and heavier but picks up the energy again. The Runner is another dancefloor smash but is bluesier with scuzzy guitars and ominous lyrics: "when I fall down, I know to keep on running". The album rattles on through political and personal crises, via Into The Surf where the lyrics request burial at sea, finishing with the 10-minute long rock opera Neptune. It's ambitious but by this point you're ready for it and it feels like an utter triumph.
1) Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Befitting the trend of 2019, there was only one album that could beat Foals' two-in-one and that's a double album about political uncertainty. Vampire Weekend's fourth studio album and the first since the departure of founding member Rostam Batmanglij, Father of the Bride is quite simply one of the most important albums of the decade. Lyrically, it focuses on racism, religion and the rise of the far right. Musically however it's much lighter, juxtaposing its serious themes with a glossy exterior: a metaphor for pop culture maybe? Encompassing a huge range of styles including rock, pop, country, flamenco, folk and soul, it's much more ambitious than their previous efforts. With the loss of a founding member, the band could have lost its direction but instead they've simply found another one (although Batmanglij does still lend a hand in production, despite forging a solo career). The stand-out track is undoubtedly This Life, on the surface, a happy-go-lucky indie-pop romp but with lyrics such as "baby, I know hate is always waiting at the gate, I just thought we locked the gate when we left in the morning". It's a perfect summary and damning indictment of where it feels the world is heading in 2019. The fact it can be done while making tunes this catchy is something very special indeed.
Honourable mention must also go to albums which nearly made my list:
Hot Chip - A Bath Full of Ecstasy; Jack Penate - After You; Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning; Idlewild - Interview Music; The National - I Am Easy to Find; !!! - Wallop; Cassius - Dreems; Johnathan Rice - The Long Game
If you don't have time to listen to all of these albums, I made a playlist of the best tracks from 2019 on Spotify. You can have a listen here. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Here's to 2020.
Kicking off with the anthemic Youth, Feeder's 10th studio album is a rousing return to form. Formed in 1994, the band's early alternative rock sound gave way to middle-of-the-road indie towards the end of the 2000s. But a band that had survived the suicide of their drummer, Jon Lee, in 2002 could never be beaten. Tallulah is Feeder's first album since their second greatest hits collection and they've really found their purpose again. Feeder were in danger of fading into mediocrity but now they've released an album that captures their youthful energy but with riffs and lyrics that are the product of experience. It feels like you're eavesdropping on a group of old friends reuniting for a road trip across America. Let's hope this trip continues.
11) Metronomy - Metronomy Forever
Revolving mainly around singer/songwriter/producer Joe Mount, Metronomy Forever is the band's sixth studio album and continues Metronomy's exploration of electronica, synth pop and funk. There are hugely fun moments like on the stand-out Salted Caramel Ice Cream, a wannabe teen anthem about trying to look cool in front of a girl, and introspective moments too such as The Light: "Cause I understand that I hold you back but I'm just a man, a bad one at that". All of this is interspersed with instrumental bleeps and beats which makes the whole album feel both well thought-out and experimental. It's delightfully weird, fun and heartfelt at the same time. That's not easy to achieve.
10) Coldplay - Everyday Life
It's incredibly easy to follow the herd and diss Coldplay. In fact, their name has become a synonym for bland pop-rock. But there's more to them than this image. I've come to the realisation that they've settled into a pattern of releasing one formulaic album, followed by something ambitious and innovative, even if most people only seem to take note of the former. The boring X & Y was followed by the concept album Viva La Vida. Then came the formulaic Mylo Xyloto, with the haunting Ghost Stories three years later. This time, the band's eighth studio album follows the crowd-pleasing A Head Full of Dreams. Opening with the orchestral Sunrise, Everyday Life features lyrics in Spanish and Persian, topics such as racial inequality and war, plus samples, poetry, gospel choirs and more. It's hugely ambitious and there's a lot going on here. Not all of it works as well as Chris Martin thinks it does but it's a double album so there's room to experiment. A couple of the tracks do fall into "typical Coldplay" territory (mainly Champion of the World) and some of it is undoubtedly pretentious, however, overall it's a huge success and as far from bland as they're likely to get.
9) Brittany Howard - Jaime
Taking a break from her band, Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has produced her first solo album, Jaime, dedicated to her sister who died of retinoblastoma when she was a teenager. As a band Alabama Shakes walk the line between bluesy soul and roots rock but Howard takes this further on her own. Successful artists are adept at taking influences, mixing them up and making them sound like their own. The influences apparent on Jaime span a huge range of eras and genres, encompassing Nina Simone, James Brown, Prince, Gil Scott-Heron and others, while the lyrics cover politics, racism and teenage love. She may have taken a short time out to record it, but it feels like Brittany Howard's entire existence has contributed to this album's production.
8) Rosie Lowe - YU
"It could all be so simple" states Lifeline, the first track on Rosie Lowe's second album YU. And indeed you could be forgiven for thinking that's how the album will be. It starts off minimal and laid-back but soon, the production becomes more sultry and seductive. The stand-out track is Birdsong, the funkiest song you'll hear all year: "it's the very thought of you that gets me through the night and the knowing that I'll get it once more". It's essentially a collection of love songs but the confidence of the pulsing beats and funky guitar riffs belie the fragility and doubt of the lyrics. It's slinky but never entirely at ease with its sensuality which I think is such a relatable quality.
7) Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
Weyes Blood is the stage name of Natalie Mering, an American singer-songwriter while Titanic Rising is her fourth album and surely her breakthrough. The music is pleasingly uncategorisable, being described by some reviewers as soft rock or chamber pop, but it has echoes of Karen Carpenter, Feist and Father John Misty. The lyrics are just as dreamy and ethereal. "Looking up to the sky for something I may never find" Mering croons on Andromeda, which helpfully sums up the album. If life is a journey, not a destination, so is Titanic Rising. Some tracks feel like they're about to launch into a big chorus along the lines of Nilsson's Without You but the moment never quite arrives. That's not to say the album doesn't have its own catchy moments, but the delight is in hearing how the songs unfold rather than celebrating when they reach the climax.
6) Bon Iver - i,i
Most bands are content with one concept album in their career but this year, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon declared that all four of their albums to date were part of one large concept with each representing one of the four seasons. To be honest, the metaphor does hold water. The debut For Emma, Forever Ago was recorded in a remote cabin and represents the bleakness of winter. The follow-up, Bon Iver, features the hope of spring whereas 22, A Million was frantic, hot and sticky like summer, bringing us full circle with the bizarrely named i,i. It begins where 22, A Million left off. The first four tracks are relatively short with angular motifs continuing the busy feeling of the summer. But by the time we reach the lead single, Hey, Ma, the dust clouds have cleared, the pace begins to slow and Autumn sets in. The album as a whole is less experimental than 22, A Million yet there are still awkward rhythms and discordant bleeps for atmosphere. Neither is it as simple and haunting as their first two albums. The lyrics have always been obtuse and mysterious, and that's not changed here. It's not a new musical direction but it does feel like the end of a movement.
5) The Tallest Man on Earth - I Love You, It's A Fever Dream
Measuring 1.7m, Sweden's Kristian Matsson is not what his stage name suggests, however, it's his music that stands tall. I Love You, It's A Fever Dream is his fifth studio album and the second since his divorce. His style of folk music has always been dark with strange lyrics but his previous album, Dark Bird Is Home was more personal than anything that came before, a product of the divorce which didn't work quite as well as intended. His latest effort continues the personal nature but strips it back further, creating a more cohesive collection of songs. The opener, Hotel Bar, is as lonely a song as you're likely to hear: "all I can do is say things will be fine". But this album doesn't wallow; rather it acknowledges what has gone before and hopes for something better. By track three, There's a Girl, Matsson is thinking about moving on: "there's a girl that tells me I'm alright, I hope she means it". What I've Been Kicking Around is the highlight and surely one for the long-term fans with its trademark guitar picking and metaphorical lyrics. It's an album that solidifies his reputation and has the potential to win new fans too.
4) Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka's last album, Love & Hate, was so confident that it began with a brooding 10-minute piece of art. How could he possibly follow that? The answer on this, his third album, is to do something entirely different. While his first two albums were hugely accomplished, they were recognisably classic soul records. Meanwhile, his third, KIWANUKA (I believe the capitals are important) sounds something like Marvin Gaye discovering prog rock. There are soulful strings, Hendrix-like riffs and political lyrics. The opener You Ain't The Problem hints at issues with immigration, while Hero seems to juxtapose fame with gun crime. Similar to Marvin Gaye's classic What's Going On album, the tracks on KIWANUKA segue into each other and there are also instrumental sections, spoken samples and interludes. It's very much designed to be listened to in one sitting which helps to make it feel like a very important project indeed.
3) James Blake - Assume Form
Widely anticipated, James Blake's fourth studio album doesn't disappoint. Known for delicate piano melodies, ethereal production and offbeat rhythms, Blake takes all of these and expands the sound even more. There are elements of R&B, hip hop and even Latin music here too. It feels slightly more upbeat than anything that he's done before but he's still a musician who sounds ill at ease in his being. "I will assume form, I'll leave the ether" he sings on the opening title track, apparently announcing what's to come. The next two tracks branch out with guest vocalists and rappers while Into The Red is a more familiar James Blake track with its overlaid vocals and distorted instruments. My highlight is I'll Come Too, a gentle yet tentative love song. Somewhere among the layered production, there's a newfound confidence that reflects an artist growing into their niche. Maybe a contributor to this settled status can be found in the credits? Blake's girlfriend, the actress Jameela Jamil is credited as a producer. Whatever the cause, long may it continue.
2) Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Parts 1 & 2)
While other artists were spending 2019 recording double albums, Foals were persuaded to produce Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost as two separate releases. I'm grouping them together here as it's difficult to separate them despite the fact that there are stylistic differences. Part one is slightly more upbeat and fun. The lead single, Exits, feels like a pop-rock classic designed for sticky indie dancefloors. In Degrees and Cafe d'Athens continue the party with pulsing beats and ethereal hooks, before part one's final track, the haunting I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me) brings the tempo down and hints at something foreboding to come. Part 2 is undoubtedly darker and heavier but picks up the energy again. The Runner is another dancefloor smash but is bluesier with scuzzy guitars and ominous lyrics: "when I fall down, I know to keep on running". The album rattles on through political and personal crises, via Into The Surf where the lyrics request burial at sea, finishing with the 10-minute long rock opera Neptune. It's ambitious but by this point you're ready for it and it feels like an utter triumph.
1) Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Befitting the trend of 2019, there was only one album that could beat Foals' two-in-one and that's a double album about political uncertainty. Vampire Weekend's fourth studio album and the first since the departure of founding member Rostam Batmanglij, Father of the Bride is quite simply one of the most important albums of the decade. Lyrically, it focuses on racism, religion and the rise of the far right. Musically however it's much lighter, juxtaposing its serious themes with a glossy exterior: a metaphor for pop culture maybe? Encompassing a huge range of styles including rock, pop, country, flamenco, folk and soul, it's much more ambitious than their previous efforts. With the loss of a founding member, the band could have lost its direction but instead they've simply found another one (although Batmanglij does still lend a hand in production, despite forging a solo career). The stand-out track is undoubtedly This Life, on the surface, a happy-go-lucky indie-pop romp but with lyrics such as "baby, I know hate is always waiting at the gate, I just thought we locked the gate when we left in the morning". It's a perfect summary and damning indictment of where it feels the world is heading in 2019. The fact it can be done while making tunes this catchy is something very special indeed.
Honourable mention must also go to albums which nearly made my list:
Hot Chip - A Bath Full of Ecstasy; Jack Penate - After You; Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning; Idlewild - Interview Music; The National - I Am Easy to Find; !!! - Wallop; Cassius - Dreems; Johnathan Rice - The Long Game
If you don't have time to listen to all of these albums, I made a playlist of the best tracks from 2019 on Spotify. You can have a listen here. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Here's to 2020.
No comments:
Post a Comment