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
4
Creation
THE DAYSLEEPERS
I was never quite fond, at all really, of their first album, despite all the praise within the "shoegaze circle," so I checked this out rather reluctantly. Perhaps low expectations helped this one rise higher than I could have foreseen, but this is an excellent album, full of strong tunes and a sound that - though not the same - fills in that space and time between Slowdive albums. The Daysleepers make their own mark no question with 'Creation,' but for those into that Slowdive style of shoegaze, you'll be very happy with repeat listens. Stellar.
Tracklist
This Dark Universe
Creation
Arclights
Foreverpeople
The Memorymaker
Sundiver
Tropics
Flood In Heaven
The Monolith
Label
My Daydream Records
Released
07 September 2018
Running time
41:00