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


1
Oncle Jazz
MEN I TRUST
I happened across this Montreal band towards the end of last year, and I wish I could remember how, because as I get to know their story and how they have built their success without any help from the music industry whatsoever, it makes me all the more curious. This album is an absolute thing of beauty, so much so that I knew if the entire LP was even close to being as stellar as the lead-up singles, it was going to be my tops of the year. And here we are, every song fantastic, beautiful, mysterious, elegant and as pop as they come. But seriously, look it up - this band quietly sells out tours wherever they go across the globe, and yet you'd be pressed to find much written about them from the mainstream music media. Sure there are reviews and write-ups out there, but for an album this fit to be adored by the Pitchfork crowd for example, according to their site they've only written about them once. Go to AnyDecentMusic or Metacritic which gives the average of music reviews from various media sites, and you'll find nothing - shunned by the music industry as they were shunned themselves. Well it may not be about the music with those sites, but it sure is here, and this is a damn fine and PERFECT album. Sort of a mix of soft rock, chillwave, Euro-pop, with dashes of shoegaze, R&B, dream pop and some sort of soft Canadian sensibility that I can't quite pinpoint. This record is a gorgeous, luxurious late night ride through an empty urban pop heaven, light as air, and one you will find yourself so addicted to it you'll need a good friend to peel you away from it. Prepare to be addicted. Fantastic.
Tracklist
Oncle Jazz
Norton Commander
Days Go By
Tailwhip
Found Me
Numb
Say Can You Hear
All Night
I Hope To Be Around
Dorian
Pines
Slap Pie
Fiero GT
Seven
Show Me How
Alright
You Deserve This
Pierre
Air
Porcelain
Poodle Of Mud
Something In Water
Tailwhip Revisited
Label
Self-released
Released
13 September
Running time
72:00


