Music of 2019

Here are my favourite albums and songs of 2019. Funnily enough, it's been much easier to find albums I love than songs. It shouldn't work that way round, but it does this year for me. Up to about 30 in the list, there are albums I've massively enjoyed and listened to over and over again. There have been so many very good albums this year.

There are albums which aren't on the list which are by artists I really love (eg Lambchop and Mountain Goats), but the albums didn't quite catch hold on the first couple of listens so I moved on to something else. Doesn't mean they weren't great.

As well as 50 individual albums, there are 2 compilations I've listened to a lot too.

The Top 2 are significantly above the others - they are both pretty perfect records, if you ask me.

50 Albums

1. Jenny Lewis - On the Line
2. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains. It's really Joint 1st. Both albums get better and better with every listen.
3. Dave - Psychodrama. Maybe a tiny bit long, the amazing things is you can see him getting better and better.
4. Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won't Hold. I was initially a little underwhelmed, but it's really grown on me as the year has gone on. I feel like every song has hooked itself on to me
5. Richard Dawson - 2020. Astonishing piece of work. Hilarious. Unlike anything else.
6. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
7. Little Simz - GREY Area
8. Wilco - Ode to Joy
9. Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy!. 
10. Faye Webster - Atlanta Millionaire's Club.
11. The Hold Steady - Thrashin' Through the Passion
12. fka twigs - Magdalene. This one is a a bit the opposite of the Sleater-Kinney. On first listen, I thought "album of the year" but on 3rd listen and subsequently, became a little unconvinced. 
13. Big Thief - UFOF
14. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride - while it's packed with great songs, just somehow I don't quite love it like some do
15. James Yorkston - Route to the Harmonium. The ever masterful Yorkston
16. Julia Jacklin - Crushing
17. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
18. Lana del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell. This is the consensus critical album of the year. I do understand why. There is real brilliance. But I've never not wished it was 15 minutes shorter. If an album's over 50 minutes, it really needs to justify it. I feel this one just doesn't offer up enough different moods. 
19. Nick Cave - Ghosteen - just didn't grab me like Skeleton Tree.
20. Fontaines DC - Dogrel
21. Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA
22. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
23. Kano - Hoodies All Summer. This is great. Growing on me all the time
24. Karen O and Dangermouse - Lux Prima. Highly underrated. Surprised, considering the acclaim these two used to be held in, it hasn't been more noticed. Very elegant record.
25. Ex Hex - It's Real
26. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising. I listened to this loads. In some ways I don't know why it's so low ... but I just think I like the records above better.
27. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow. Dwarfed, I think, by 'Seventeen', the song
28. Big Thief  - Two Hands
29. Pernice Brothers - Spread the Feeling
30. The National - I Am Easy to Find - I really like what they did here, did something which was really different from other National records ... 
31. Belle and Sebastian - Days of the Bagnold Summer
32. Sam Fender - Hypersonic Missiles
33. Bon Iver - i,i
34. Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
35. Taylor Swift - Lover - some great songs, quite a few which I still find pretty irritating
36. The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
37. Elbow - Giants of All Sizes
38. Solange Knowles - When I Get Home
39. New Pornographers - In the Morse Code of Brakelights
40. Tindersticks - No Treasure But Hope
41. Joan Shelley - Like the River Loves the Sea
42. Gruff Rhys - Pang
43. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
44. Stella Donnelly - Beware of the Dogs
45. Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury
46. Tegan and Sara - Hey I'm Just Like You
47. Leonard Cohen - Thanks for the Dance
48. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - well, it's not really for me, is it?
49. Aldous Harding - Designer
50. Mavis Staples - We Get By

Two compilations:

Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit's 'The Midnight Organ Fight'

Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits

20 Songs

In terms of songs, the Julien Baker cover of 'The Modern Leper' was a highlight, but i'm going with Dave's 'Black' as Number 1, which is just a stunning accomplishment, I think.

1. Black - Dave
2. The Modern Leper - Julien Baker
3. Taffy - Jenny Lewis
4. My Mouth Ain't No Bible - James Yorkston
5. Seventeen - Sharon Van Etten
6. Hold Me Anyway - Wilco
7. All My Happiness is Gone - Purple Mountains
8. Soon You'll be Better - Taylor Swift
9. Juice - Lizzo
10. There Goes My Miracle - Bruce Springsteen
11. Bad Dance - Sleater-Kinney
12. All Mirrors - Angel Olsen
13. Don't Know How to Keep Loving You - Julia Jacklin
14. Not - Big Thief
15. Venom - Little Simz
16. Ol'55 - Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer
17. Dylan Thomas - Better Oblivion Community Center
18. Will We Talk - Sam Fender
19. Roy - Fontaines DC
20. Cellophane - fka twigs