Top 20 albums of 2019!

Well, it's just like the title says! I suppose April is a little bit late to be posting this, but it's certainly a lot more timely than my previous year's countdown (ahem), and indeed I seem to recall in some previous years I've posted the countdown a bit later than this. Also, I did in fact have the positions all locked and sorted on January 1st, and I began posting the reviews on a (mostly) daily basis to my Facebook page, so this is just a copy-and-paste from there! So the top twenty albums of 2019 were!:

20. These New South Whales - I Just Do What God Tells Me to Do
A few years ago (maybe 2016?) I first saw this band in the very sweaty upstairs bandroom at the Tote - and it was INTENSE. Their early live shows usually saw them perform shirtless (with strategically-placed gaffer tape) in front of a blinding wall of strobes and not much else in the lighting department! It made for an absolute sensory overload as they delivered their energetic post-punk numbers. Fast forward to 2019, they've now released this excellent second album and have toned down their live show a bit, but the tunes are no less awesome. They were actually the second-last band I saw in 2019, and it was definitely a good way to end the year!

19. Bad//Dreems - Doomsday Ballet
It's probably no coincidence that the first two entries on this list are the last two bands I saw live in 2019 - once said gig was announced, I revisited said bands' albums in the lead-up days, and realised just how bloody good they were. The Adelaide rockers affectionately known as the Baddies are now on to album #3, and have definitely refined their raucous, very Australian-sounding tunes even further on this album. And if there's a better lyric from 2019 than, "I had a bender for seven days. Richard Wilkins was there, and his face melted off", from standout track "Salad", then I don't wanna know about it.

18. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
There ain't many best of 2019 lists that haven't featured this one, and it's pretty easy to see why. Fuck, it's not exactly the sort of music I usually go for, but it's pretty easy to see why this has resonated with so many. Really, this album is a great two-person operation, with Billie's haunting and ethereal vocals perfectly complementing the dark atmosphere set by her brother Finneas's production. Genuinely original music is a bit of a rarity in this day and age, so that's why this album gets a huge tick from me. 

17. Alex Lahey - The Best of Luck Club
I think I kind of missed the boat when Alex's first album came out; I remember hearing her name being thrown around a lot but somehow she flew just under my radar. I made up for that in 2019! Something she does really well on this album is balance - there's a lot of damn catchy songs like this one, but she's also not afraid to address the tricky subjects as well, such as mental health struggles and loneliness. And there's definitely a few damn good love songs too! Also - SAX SOLO! Yeah, great album, I listen to it and I feel like there's absolutely nothing contrived, exaggerated or inauthentic about her. 

16. James Blake - Assume Form
It makes a whole lot of sense that the last year of the "2010s" decade saw a new album release from one of the artists who really defined the previous ten years. On his fourth album, the understated English musician seems to have found a new confidence and self-assurance; it's not at all weird to say this is probably the most upbeat album of his career. Sure, you're not going to throw this one on to kickstart a party or anything, but the overall mood is considerably lighter than some of his previous work. Mention must be made of the fantastic collaborations throughout - Travis Scott, Moses Sumney and Rosalia pop up on a few tracks, and let's not forget a brilliant appearance from the inimitable Andre 3000. 

15. Amyl and the Sniffers - Amyl and the Sniffers
Well, the secret's out. The explosive no-frills Melbourne rock foursome haven't really changed much in their short existence (at least not soundwise), since their first EP dropped in 2016, but there's certainly been a growing appreciation of working-class, pub-ready rock in the scene lately. Led by the absolute force to be reckoned with in Amy Taylor, Amyl and the Sniffers are tapping right into this sound and it's little wonder that they're now playing slightly classier venues, in more far-flung places, and oh yeah, winning a pointy statue or two while they're at it.

14. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest
Well, Melbourne's favourite prolific seven-headed rock beast certainly haven't restricted themselves to a certain genre on their previous, ahem, fourteen records, and they've certainly dabbled in the heavier side of things in the past. However, after releasing the laidback boogie-blues LP Fishing for Fishies in April, they shifted gears abruptly into all-out thrashing madness for August's Infest the Rats' Nest. Taking its cues from classic 80s bands such as Slayer, Metallica and Kreator, the Gizz still manage to put their own spin on a tried-and-true sound - much has been said about the fuzz-drenched production - mixed in with an all-too-real dystopian narrative about a dying planet. Goodness, where will they go next?

13. Rammstein - Untitled
It's been a decent while between albums for everyone's favourite German pyromaniacs, but when the first song on the album bears the title "Deutschland", you somehow get the feeling that listening to this album is going to bring you a nice sense of familiarity. And you wouldn't be wrong! It's another dose of solid riffs, prominent catchy synth work and off-beat lyrical humour from Rammstein, who are now seven albums in but still as consistent and entertaining as they always have been! Now, when are they coming to set Australian stages on fire again...?

12. Methyl Ethel - Triage
On album number three for Perth musician Jake Webb and his crew, things take a bit of a turn from their previous work, but it's really for the better. The atmosphere on this album is a bit more moody and dark; with plenty of synth-based creepiness and Webb's unique, expressive vocals, there's a fair bit of sonic territory covered here!

11. Ceres - We Are a Team
I can imagine that coming up with the title of this album was a real lightbulb moment for whichever band member it was. After all, frontman Tom Lanyon has never been afraid to deal with some of his darker thoughts and emotions in Ceres' music over the years, but on their third record he's emerged from the darkness into the light. It's not a concept album per se, but you can clearly tell that a lot of the songs have been positively inspired by a recent relationship, and it's no wonder that this record seems to have really resonated with a much wider audience than Ceres' previous two (equally fantastic) records.

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10. Tool - Fear Inoculum
It's literally not possible to talk about Fear Inoculum without referring to the near-excruciating wait endured by fans, and the music community in general, for this album to materialise. Even though the band already had a reputation for not rushing their music, it's fair to say that the thirteen years since 10,000 Days did not pass quickly. But after musical side projects, ventures into wine-making and some pretty serious legal wrangling, A NEW TOOL ALBUM FINALLY ARRIVED. It seems a lot of initial reaction to this one was, "Eh, not worth the wait," and I must confess to being a little underwhelmed the first few times I listened to it. My reasons for this were that A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENS IN THIRTEEN YEARS - trends in music have changed, my tastes have expanded into some delightfully unexpected territory, and it just didn't seem like I needed a new Tool album, which sounded VERY like a Tool album, in my life. However, the more I listened, the more I came to realise, "Hang on, they've done something special here". It is of course a very dense record - initial talk from the band that they were thinking of making it a double album didn't come to fruition, but if you choose to indulge in the digital version of this album, you get a nearly 90 minute extravaganza. Like a lot of great albums, to really appreciate Fear Inoculum you need to suspend your need for immediate gratification, and if you're successful in doing that, you'll understand that Tool are still dong what Tool do best, even if large parts of the music-loving world have moved on.

9. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - And Now for the Whatchamacallit?
When you hear the words "Perth psychedelic rock band", chances are these lads are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, whilst that other band have dialled back the riffs quite a bit in their recent work, it seems that these other five blokes have picked up the slack! The wonderfully-named Psychedelic Porn Crumpets' third album is full of heavy fuzz-drenched rockers, although that's not to say they don't know how to cook up some trippy ambience on occasions too. Whatchamacallit? I call it a pretty solid, very catchy, rifftastic album!

8. The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
We last heard from The Raconteurs (or in this country, legally The Saboteurs) way back in 2008, with their second LP Consolers of the Lonely. However, it's fair to say the four band members like to spread their musical talents far and wide, and for whatever reason, over the next few years this particular project got put on the backburner. For a long time, it seemed we might not get another Raconteurs record at all - especially with arguably the group's most famous member, Mr Jack White, diving headfirst into a "solo" career which has thus far produced three excellent records. But eventually, White, Benson, Keeler and Lawrence managed to find their way back to each other, and eleven years on, the magic is still there! Help Us Stranger covers a pretty solid sonic spectrum in its twelve tracks - it's bluesy, it's cruisy, it's sometimes pretty hard-rocking, and there's even a Donovan cover. Welcome back, gentlemen.

7. American Football - American Football (LP3)
In 1999, an unassuming trio from Urbana, Illinois released their self-titled debut album, which quickly became a classic in the emo/math-rock crossover genre. A year later however, the band had decided to call it quits, which only added to their legacy and reputation. There followed a pretty sizeable list of bands whom you could listen to and quickly say, "Yep, they've been influenced by American Football". 2014 saw the band regroup for a series of live dates, and as often happens, that led to the creation of a long-awaited second album, again self-titled and released in 2016. The hype was understandably intense, and perhaps also understandably, it failed to live up to a lot of people's expectations. Fast-forward to 2019 though, and with their third album (have a guess what it's called?), American Football seemed to have genuinely evolved for the better. While their debut is praised for its simplicity and stripped-back aesthetic, on LP3 things the band explore a slightly fuller sound, to great effect. This was definitely one of the most surprising releases of 2019 in my opinion!

6. Press Club - Wasted Energy
Well, there's a lyric in one of the songs that lends the album its title, but really, it doesn't seem that appropriate to call the album that because one certainly can't accuse Melbourne's Press Club of wasting energy. The band had already been impressing crowds at small-mid-sized venues for a good year or two, often in the support slot, but the release of a band's debut album always seems to make a wider audience open their ears, and 2018's fantastic Late Teens did just that. Evidently the band were still in a productive mindset, and just a year after Late Teens, they're treating us to another very strong full-length. There's really no dip in creativity here at all - if you loved the first one (and who didn't?), there's more of the same here. Another great set of punchy and exuberant tunes, and let's face it, Natalie Foster has to be one of the best frontwomen going around at the moment. If you've ever seen Press Club live before, you'll know what I'm talking about.

5. Tiny Moving Parts - breathe
Well, when I posted this originally on Facebook, I didn't bother to write a proper review, because "I don't think words can properly convey my love for this band", but I'll try to write something a bit more meaningful here now! They really struck a chord IMMEDIATELY with me when I first investigated them in the lead-up to them making the trip to Australia for the first time in 2018, when they were due to support local favourites Luca Brasi on their Stay album tour. Their noodly math-rock/emo numbers are delivered with such purpose and energy that it's hard not to fall in love. That year they had an outstanding release in Swell, but it's only taken them a year to follow it up with 2019's breathe! It didn't take them long to make their way back Down Under either; in February this year, another tour of our shores concluded with a sweaty, high-octane Sunday night at the Evelyn Hotel, and the band still threw everything into that set! Yes, I love this band A LOT.

4. The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
If you're about my age, it's now really difficult to imagine a time where Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons haven't been making music together. With a career now well into its third decade, The Chemical Brothers are now officially considered (if they weren't already years ago) veterans under the wider umbrella of electronic/dance music, with particular contributions to the "big beat" subgenre. The three LPs they released in the 90s are still rightly revered as classics today - what dancefloor wouldn't react to the sounds of "Leave Home", "Block Rockin' Beats" or "Hey Boy Hey Girl", even in the present? Not a dancefloor I want to be on! Records since then have flirted with a variety of sounds to varying fan responses, but even Chems diehards would probably grudgingly admit that their best days are behind them. And that is why No Geography, the duo's ninth record, caught so many by surprise! Rightly hailed as a stunning return to form, all the trademark Chemical elements are here - acid house throwbacks? Check. Collaboration with a very relevant, modern alternative music figure? Check, see the tunes featuring quirky Norwegian talent Aurora. Floor-fillers and midtempo psychedelic trip-fests? Check. Of course, some of the tunes were accompanied by a series of pretty out-there video clips, and yes, they also embarked on another mind-melting live tour. The verdict is in - the Brothers are still working it out, perhaps as good as they ever have done.

#3: Bugs - Self Help
My god, where has this band been all my life? Well, actually they haven't really existed for that long - as far as I can tell, their first EP and album were released in 2016, and Self Help is their second full-length effort. As has been a bit of a theme with some other artists in this countdown, it seems like it's taken a few releases for this Brisvegas trio to really find their audience, but how can they bloody not when the tunes are this good?! Keywords like "infectious" and "catchy" may seem overdone as descriptors, but what else can you say for this album?! For just about every song on this album, it won't take many listens at all before you're singing along to every word - and yes, you'll even attempt to match Connor Brooker's ridiculous falsetto. Whilst this album does sometimes address the harder times that we all go through, the overall tone is one of overwhelming joy, positivity and love, and why the fuck can't we enjoy that every once in a while?

#2: Clowns - Nature / Nurture
It is now pretty bloody difficult to remember the time in my life when I wasn't a fan of Clowns. In 2013, I paid exactly $0 to see them and a shitload of other bands (some sort of mini-festival) at the infamous, now sadly non-existent Brunswick Hotel, better known as the Brunny, and since then, my goodness. I've bought all the albums, a few 7"s (the ones you can/could still get anyway), a decent amount of shirts, but most importantly had some of the best nights of my life at the MANY gigs I've attended of theirs. But most people already know how much of a fanboy I am, so let's get to this album! It's their fourth album overall, and I think it really shows that this album is their second since they underwent a pretty big lineup change toward the end of 2016, becoming a five-piece with the addition of Will on guitar and Hanny J on bass and vocals. On this album they seem to have really figured each other out, and built on the sound they created on their preceding LP Lucid Again. There's plenty of trademark Clowns thrashing madness, but they're now very capable of slowing things down a bit, incorporating a healthy dose of melody, and getting downright trippy in some parts. This is an incredibly strong release from a band that aren't slowing down or getting stale at all, and I am filled with hope that their next LP will be fucking fantastic too!

#1: Dear Seattle - Don't Let Go
In some ways, my introduction to this band was pretty similar to my #3 entrants, Bugs. I was sitting by the radio one day when the sounds of "Daytime TV" began blaring, and immediately, I was hooked. Sometimes, you just hear an artist, and you need to hear more. I wound up buying this album as soon as I could, and it spent quite a bit of time in my stereo over the next few months. The Sydney rockers formed in 2013, and prior to this LP, along the way they've had a few little independent single/demo releases, an EP, and a bit of a shift in sound since they moved from a five-piece lineup to the current four musicians making up Dear Seattle today. Now, you can look at the name of the band, and the fact that they're signed to Domestic La La (the record label set up by James Tidswell of Violent Soho), and you might make assumptions about them having a grunge-influenced sound. You wouldn't be wrong! However, Dear Seattle also stir in quite a lot of ingredients from the more emotional - oh, let's not deny it, emo - side of music as well; there's a whole lot of heart-on-sleeve moments in the lyrics, and certainly delivery, from frontman Brae Fisher. Anyone who's been through any kind of hard time can probably relate to this album in some way, and I won't mind admitting that's what drew me to it, especially with the lyrics on tracks like "Bigger Than My Brain". It's just a fantastic debut, really. I mentioned during the FB posts, throughout most of the year I was pretty sure I was going to call Clowns as AOTY, and that made sense, given my ongoing love and connection to that band, but I had to admit that, even though I only heard OF Dear Seattle last year, let alone listened to them, the impact they made was immediate. Off the top of my head, I don't think I've placed too many debut albums at number one before.

So there you go! The full list was:
#1: Dear Seattle - Don't Let Go (AUS)
#2: Clowns - Nature/Nurture (AUS)
#3: Bugs - Self Help (AUS)
#4: The Chemical Brothers - No Geography (UK)
#5: Tiny Moving Parts - breathe (USA)
#6: Press Club - Wasted Energy (AUS)
#7: American Football - American Football (LP3) (USA)
#8: The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger (USA)
#9: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - And Now for the Whatchamacallit? (AUS)
#10: Tool - Fear Inoculum (USA)
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#11: Ceres - We Are a Team (AUS)
#12: Methyl Ethel - Triage (AUS)
#13: Rammstein - Untitled (GER)
#14: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest (AUS)
#15: Amyl and the Sniffers - Amyl and the Sniffers (AUS)
#16: James Blake - Assume Form (UK)
#17: Alex Lahey - The Best of Luck Club (AUS)
#18: Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (USA)
#19: Bad//Dreems - Doomsday Ballet (AUS)
#20: These New South Whales - I Just Do What God Tells Me to Do (AUS)


I don't think I really need to post honourable mentions at this late stage. And I also didn't listen to that many EPs to make up a meaningful top 5, but I will say without question that the best of the small field was Sweater Curse - See You. Now then, given that I have quite a bit of free time on my hands due to current world events, I'm hoping that this blog will see a bit more love in the next month or so!