Best New Albums of 2019

The new James Blake - Assume Form - is such a soothing, translucent record.

Really impressed.

 

An album that stays true to the heart of nature and light. A post-metal ode to resolve for being when either within or without the belly of the beast.



The Woods, by A Swarm of the Sun

 

The Tallies record is great! Thank you so much again for the recommendation. Here are some brief reviews of the three winners for this weekend for my ears (I hope to try to do these round ups through the year):


Tallies: Tallies
Grade: 8/10
Standout Tracks: Trouble, Mother, Midnight, Rocks
Very indebted to the Sundays, but the songwriting is strong enough to make it far more than an exercise in repeating the past. The tone holds strong through the entire record--jangly guitars, sweet vocals, ethereal production--and it’s a very enjoyable and stirring mood. Melodically great.


Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow
Grade: 10/10
Standout Tracks: Seventeen, Jupiter 4, Malibu, You Shadow, Comeback Kid, No One's Easy to Love, Hands
Excellent production and use of synths to support rather than overwhelm the songwriting. Highly melodic, bracing and interesting lyrics and a cool, simmering sense of self. An absolutely brilliant, personal and emotional record.


Deerhunter: Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?
Grade: 7/10
Standout Tracks: Death in Midsummer, Element, What Happens to People, Futurism
Warm, delightful, lushly produced and a beautiful day to enter as you listen. I’m let down by the closing track (Nocturne) and Detournement is more an interesting experiment than an enjoyable track, but every other song is evocative, clean, pleasant and earthy.

I also sampled the new records by the Twilight Sad, James Blake, Juliana Hatfield, Alice Merton and Maggie Rogers but none of those clicked with me personally.

 

This new MONO song is majestic as can be. Also, the album art is stellar.

 

This bodes well for the new Son Volt album, Union, due in March. Grabbed this from the IMWAN site.

 

Joe Jackson's new album is really strong. This clip gives a substantial preview of every song on the album:

 

Buke and Gase are so fresh and so clean clean.

 

Stand out albums - the Sharon Van Etten record Remind me Tomorrow is fantastic... she really won me over by her performance on Twin Peaks and this record takes her songwriting and instrumentation to a peak (!). Standouts including "Malibu", "Seventeen" and "Memorial Day".

Juliana Hatfield's new record "Weird" continues her streak of great releases - this one seems a return to a more crunchy guitar centered sound. Really liked the theme about her solitude. Standouts include "Sugar", "Paid to Lie" and "Do it to Music", and "It's So Weird".

New Deerhunter is also really strong "Why hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?" great mix of guitars, some synth based stuff and more extended workouts not unlike other Deerhunter records IMO. But strong nonetheless... Agree with @Parachute Woman about the records faults.

Great start to the new year in music....

Really looking forward to getting this in the mail - The Purkinje Shift's new record "Threads". They are a longstanding instrumental band from Atlanta with some of the best two guitar attacks and the drumming is ridiculously brilliant as well. They are not very known outside of Atlanta but seriously worth checking out - especially fans of Don Cab, Tortoise, Fugazi... in that they know how to build up a song and deliver the crescendos and massive breakdowns. Highly Recommended: Threads, by The Purkinje Shift

 

Godspeed Ye Riteful Black Metal Lords of Latvia!



I: Es Uzcēlu Durvis Tīrumā, by Velnezers

 

Just finished listening to the new Deerhunter - and it didn't disappoint. That being said, I think it went downhill a little after those those first five songs, which, to me, were the best part of the album.

 

I haven't purchase anything by Joe Jackson in years but I'm enjoying this.


Joe Jackson ‎– Fool
Label: Ear Music ‎– 0213592EMU
Format: CD, Album
Country:US
Released: 18 Jan 2019
Genre: Rock, Pop

 

Mdou Moctar make beautiful fuzzy rock.

 

This a real good and honest Americana Lp. Nice sad stories.



The Imperial, by The Delines

 

New King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Claypool Lennon delirium, meat puppets, Murlocs...I have to believe the OCS will drop something as well. Lots to look forward to!

 

New Steve Mason album is such a beauty
I've been a huge Beta Band fan and I really enjoy his solo output - beatufilly crafted songs that grabs you more and more with every spin

 

The Delines are basically Richmond Fontaine with Amy Boone singing so this should be excellent.

 

Echoing the sentiments on Juliana Hatfield - Weird. First really great release of 2019 for me. Accessible and challenging at the same time like the best of her stuff and hasn't lost a step in being able to work in her classic style. Very exciting album.

 

So far the Sharon Van Etten and Deerhunter are standouts, both excellent albums with the Van Etten a real stunner. The Deerhunter takes a few plays to sink in, but once it does it really works as an album.
Looking forward to Swervedriver this Friday and Bob Mould next week.

 

I'll put in another nod to latest from Sharon Van Etten and Deerhunter. Loving them both but Sharon Van Etten sounding like best 2019 release for me so far. I also want to mention though latest Steve Gunn "The Unseen In Between" I'm currently loving a lot as well.

Soon upcoming releases I'm most looking forward to include new Astronoid, Cass McCombs, and American Football.

 

Limbo - Cloud Nine

quirky, minimalist (in the "sparse" sense) dance/EDM-pop with kind of a lo-fi or low budget diy aesthetic. A bit Barnes and Barnes-like at times.

 

I’m most excited for Jessica Pratt’s new album “quiet signs”

 

Folk wherever in the Amazon era



apocalypse when?, by Adam Whichever

 

New Maggie Rogers album Heard It In A Past Life

Here's a flashback to when Pharrell heard her stuff

 

Looking forward to this. Need some angry.



Also looking forward to albums from Esperanza Spalding and Tony Patterson

In terms of new prog releases have pre-ordered these ....

 

The new Sharon Van Etten is indeed a hypnotizing listen. Those synth-driven, droning rhythms add another layer of ambience and atmosphere to her music.