This was a strange year, in the sense that without even planning it I ended up listening to more new releases than any past year. I think it was a subconscious thing, being in the middle of a "oh yeah I'll just build my own house and it will go perfectly with no hiccups whatsoever" type of situation. I was looking for something new and perfect to replace the new home which has yet to arrive. Luckily all this listening paid off as there were some really excellent albums this year. It started off slowly, only for some of the best output to come out towards the end. Killer climax, man.
This year I have not put together a playlist, but instead included a song or video for each review as a taste for the rest. And even though these are numbered as you can see, they are not in any order whatsoever. Except for #1 - that one truly rises above all else this year.
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
2019
14
Triage
METHYL ETHEL
For the life of me I can not understand how this band has not taken off like fellow Australians Tame Impala have. Not that they sound alike - they don't - but there is a general-sounding universe they both inhabit - perhaps an "Australian sound"? And having one is more than enough to keep track of? I sure as shit don't know, I just know it's a travesty Methyl Ethel (hmmm, maybe it's their band name? Although, equally hard to grasp as Tame Impala) haven't received a fair shake. Check out the video here for Trip the Mains for example. My God that chorus, with those soaring, dramatic and empowering synths. You have goose bumps, right? Fine art rock, indeed.
Tracklist
Ruiner
Scream Whole
All The Elements
Trip The Mains
Post-Blue
Real Tight
Hip Horror
What About The 37ยบ?
No Fighting
Label
4AD Records
Released
15 February 2019
Running time
37:04