We’ve officially hit the halfway point of 2019, which can only mean two things: existential dread about the passage of time and Zach’s midyear roundup, baby. As with my 2017 and 2018 lists, the goal isn’t to debate which album holds the number one spot or to even conform to the definition of an album. Rather, the goal is to assemble a list of recommendations that I see aging well into the second half of the year and beyond.
Check the playlist at the bottom, hit me with your new finds or recommendations, or complain to your friends so I can get those sweet, sweet hate clicks. Let’s begin.
Deerhunter — Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?
Released January 18th
Whether holding a mirror to the present or exploring the long history of how we got here, the album’s bleak title asks a solid question. What’s even more impressive is it manages to explore the question without ever feeling like a cliché, “we live in a society” record. Musically, the Bradford Cox-led outfit has created the band’s most sprawling, beautiful melodies with an undercurrent of paranoia. It’s admiring the view from a burning house.
Selected cuts: “Death in Midsummer, “Element,” “Futurism”
James Blake — Assume Form
Released January 18th
After critiquing the toxic masculinity in Pitchfork’s “sad boy” descriptor of his music, James Blake turned around and dropped his happiest record to date. There are no upbeat pop numbers, but Blake’s electro-R&B trades in hopeless yearning for a newfound peacefulness discovered in love. He’s still checking boxes on late night spaciness and his voice is as evocative as ever, but you don’t have to worry about ugly-crying on this one.
Selected cuts: “Assume Form,” “Mile High (feat. Travis Scott),” “I’ll Come Too”
Sharon Van Etten — Remind Me Tomorrow
Released January 18th
I’ve never been much of a singer-songwriter type of guy, so the bulk of Sharon Van Etten’s work has flown under my radar. After a five year hiatus, she’s returned in unexpected fashion — dark, distorted synthesizers and booming drums. Although it’s a new venture into left field, Van Etten sounds enough at home that you’d never know it was a sharp pivot.
Selected cuts: “Memorial Day,” “You Shadow,” “Stay”
Toro y Moi — Outer Peace
Released January 18th
You genuinely never know which direction Chaz Bear will take his sound — every shift, even his psychedelic rock phase, somehow feels like a logical next step. Outer Peace both draws from the most successful elements of his previous albums while sounding like something new entirely. It merges Underneath the Pine’s danceable funk, the alt-R&B of Anything in Return or Boo Boo, and a fresh radio/club-ready sleekness. Bear has arguably never been this accessible.
Selected cuts: “Ordinary Pleasure,” “Freelance,” “Monte Carlo (feat. WET)”
Choker — Filling Space
Released January 25th – February 8th
Last year’s Honeybloom made it evident that Choker was on the cusp of a breakthrough and Filling Space confirmed it. Major Spotify placements seem to be the new indicator of who’s next, and with joints like “Lucky,” Choker is quickly becoming the poster boy for playlists like Pollen. This EP series (released in three installments: Mono No Moto, Dog Candy, and Forever & a Few) molds his experimental sound into pop oddities — catchy enough to reel in casual listeners and strange enough to keep you digging through their layers. Don’t be surprised if his next full-length release anoints him as the internet’s new alt-R&B star.
Selected cuts: “Petrol Bliss,” “Master P,” “Lucky”
Julia Jacklin — Crushing
Released February 22nd
Prior to Crushing, I had only known Jacklin as the vocal powerhouse behind last year’s fuzzed out Phantastic Ferniture album. Some of those upbeat, alt-rock elements remain on her latest solo offering, but the record’s most rewarding moments are often when the stripped down honesty of her emotive writing and unique voice are on full display. Guiding you through her regret, insecurity, and newfound independence, Jacklin has crafted something far more gripping than your average breakup album.
Selected cuts: “Body,” “Good Guy,” “You Were Right”
Westkust — Westkust
Released March 1st
Equal parts warm, distorted fuzz and ethereal haze, Westkust has struck a solid balance between two qualities I gravitate towards. The Swedish quartet essentially wrote a garage rock album and produced it like a dream-pop album. I’d be lying if I said I’ve worked my way through the fog and even begun to make out the lyrics, but damn, this one just feels right.
Selected cuts: “Swebeach,” “Rush,” “Adore”
Yves Jarvis — The Same but by Different Means
Released March 1st
How do I even go about describing this one? The Same but by Different Means follows zero rules or conventions. Lacking proper song structures and bouncing from folk to ambient to neo-soul within five minutes shouldn’t flow as smoothly as it does. Yet somehow, this stream of consciousness never feels directionless. It’s all about tapping into a feeling, and this album has it in spades.
Selected cuts: “Sugar Coated,” “Into the Forefront,” “That Don’t Make It So”
Anderson .Paak — Ventura
Released April 12th
Last year’s Oxnard was by no means a bad album, but it consistently had me in the mind frame of “well, it’s no Malibu.” While the album had quite a few weak points, constantly using previous work as a reference point for how you listen to something new can be a dangerous game. Recorded in tandem with the more rap-heavy Oxnard, Ventura was meant to explore his more soulful side. Andy would have benefitted from taking highlights from both for a single album, but I’ve accepted Ventura for what it is: a highly enjoyable, flawed project from one of today’s most promising stars.
Selected cuts: “Come Home (feat. André 3000),” “Winners Circle,” “King James”
Pivot Gang — You Can’t Sit With Us
Released April 19th
If hip-hop needs more of anything, it’s posse cuts. After Saba’s breakout moment with last year’s Care for Me, he’s fully putting on for westside Chicago by bringing Pivot Gang along for the ride. I admittedly listened purely for Saba, but Joseph Chilliams gives him a run for his money as far as memorable verses go. Whether it’s the lighthearted romanticism of “Colbert” or flat-out bangers like “Edward Scissorhands” or “Bad Boys,” Pivot Gang stakes a claim for having one of the most fun records of 2019.
Selected cuts: “Colbert,” “Mortal Kombat (feat. Kari Faux),” “Edward Scissorhands (feat. Jean Deaux)”
Kevin Morby — Oh My God
Released April 26th
Kevin Morby has never shied away from his Bob Dylan influence and it appears he’s now going through a gospel phase of his own. Allusions to Christianity are inescapable on Oh My God, yet it straddles a strange line between spirituality and secularity without pandering to both, afraid to pick a lane. It comes across as a proper balance of faith and uncertainty, resulting in a record more innately human than godly.
Selected cuts: “No Halo,” “Piss River,” “O Behold”
Local Natives — Violet Street
Released April 26th
After the intimate, heart-wrenching Hummingbird, Local Natives attempted to tap back into the upbeat indie pop of their debut with an added layer of synthesizers on 2016’s Sunlit Youth. Outside of a few highlights, portions of the record felt like overproduced festival rock or just plain uninspired. While that still exists on Violet Street (looking at you, “Gulf Shores”), the softer moments feel more genuine and the upbeat joints have true, tangible energy.
Selected cuts: “When Am I Gonna Lose You, “Megaton Mile,” “Tap Dancer”
Big Thief — U.F.O.F.
Released May 3rd
“Making friends with the unknown… All my songs are about this,” says frontwoman Adrianne Lenker. That’s exactly how her folk band’s third album plays. U.F.O.F. is as warmly welcoming as it is hauntingly unsettling in both sound and theme, viewing life through a microscope to make the mundane feel life-altering. “Bugs died on your windshield on the freeway / Wonder if you’ll be the same,” she whispers on “Century” with enough calm conviction that you can’t help but feel the weight.
Selected cuts: “U.F.O.F.,” “Orange,” “Century”
Still Woozy — Lately EP
Released May 3rd
Honestly, I’m torn on whether to call this an overnight success or not. Still Woozy made the jump to selling out shows relatively quickly, but he did so single by single, carving out a lane of jangly acoustics with funky synths. While I believe a solid album is still the measuring stick for what artists will stand the test of time, tracks like 2017’s “Cooks” prove a solid single placement is all it takes to breakthrough. Still Woozy is consistent enough across his singles and these five tracks to prove there might be enough of a solid foundation to explore in the years to come.
Selected cuts: “Lava,” “Ipanema (feat. Omar Apollo & Elujay),” “Maybe She”
Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
Released May 3rd
For six years — SIX YEARS — I repeatedly tweeted “need new vampy weeks this summer,” and hooboy, we’ve arrived. The departure of producer and presumed main creative force, Rostam Batmanglij, left questions surrounding the band’s future creative success. Father of the Bride ultimately feels like frontman Ezra Koenig’s coming out party as a creative force in his own right. From the album’s more daring moments (“My Mistake”) to some of the most infectious songs of their career (“Harmony Hall”), it’s a celebratory welcome back as well as a sigh of relief. Sure, it could stand to lose a handful of songs, but it’s hard to complain too much about the final result.
Selected cuts: “Harmony Hall,” “Sunflower,” “2021”
Ari Lennox — Shea Butter Baby
Released May 7th
Melding modern hip-hop influences with neo-soul, Ari Lennox’s Shea Butter Baby injects a bit of warmth into mainstream R&B. It’s not really treading new waters, but its comfortable, inviting sound feels authentic to Lennox and provides the perfect backdrop to flex her vocal muscles. Whether you’re trying to set the mood or you’re cleaning the house solo, Lennox has the vibe.
Selected cuts: “Chicago Boy,” “I Been” “Whipped Cream”
Slow Pulp — Big Day EP
Released May 15th
Shedding the gritty, garage rock influence of their debut project, EP2, Big Day taps more into a softer introspective honesty rather than having you moshing at a live show. With that said, you will absolutely lose your mind once “High” comes in full swing. This pair of EPs is night and day, leaving us to wonder what’s in store for a full-length debut. Whether they’re shredding or tugging at your sentimentality, expect something big from the Chicago-based band.
Selected cuts: “New Media,” “High,” “Young World”
Tyler, the Creator — IGOR
Released May 17th
From his shock factor, Eminem-inspired raps on Bastard to the jazzy, soulful Flower Boy, Tyler’s evolution has been fascinating to watch unfold. His story has grown more interesting at the same rate as his musical prowess. IGOR takes the more experimental elements that have always existed on the periphery of his music and amplifies them; he’s never rapped less, but he’s arguably never been more compelling.
Selected cuts: “EARFQUAKE,” “RUNNING OUT OF TIME,” “A BOY IS A GUN”
Cate Le Bon — Reward
Released May 24th
I had never heard a Cate Le Bon record until Reward, but I can confidently say this was a great starting point. If its off-kilter poppiness sounds familiar, it’s for good reason: Le Bon served as executive producer for Deerhunter’s latest offering found at the top of this list. For every verse that resonates, she’s ready to jar you with its refrain. Some of the greatest records border the line between being vaguely familiar and entirely foreign, and Reward is a habitual line-stepper.
Selected cuts: “Miami,” “Home to You,” “Here It Comes Again”
Faye Webster — Atlanta Millionaires Club
Released May 24th
She merges elements of country-folk and soul. She jumps from steel guitar on one track to a feature from Atlanta rapper Father on the next. With all of this said, everything on Atlanta Millionaires Club flows seamlessly without ever really feeling like it’s challenging genre norms. Webster touches upon loneliness and introversion on the lyrical front, offering quirky, profound observations like “my dog is my best friend and he doesn’t even know what my name is.” Whichever way you dissect it, musicality or lyrically, Faye Webster has a voice all her own.
Selected cuts: “Room Temperature,” “Jonny,” “Come to Atlanta”
Flying Lotus — Flamagra
Released May 24th
Listen: Flying Lotus is never going to release an easily digestible record, but as far as FlyLo records go, this is the most accessible I can recall. The all-star cast of features speaks for itself: Anderson .Paak, Toro y Moi, Tierra Whack, Thundercat, Little Dragon, the most delightfully weird human being walking this Earth, David Lynch, and the list goes on. He retains his bizarre brand of psychedelic, jazz-influenced production, but what might have taken multiple listens to stick in the past, resonates much quicker on Flamagra.
Selected cuts: “Post Requisite,” “More (feat. Anderson .Paak)”, “9 Carrots (feat. Toro y Moi)”
Jai Paul — Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)
Released June 1st
As strangely nostalgic and old as I feel talking about downloading music, there’s a chance this one’s occupied your laptop’s local files for a few years now, but to hell with it, I’m counting this. A batch of unfinished demos intended for Jai Paul’s debut album leaked in April 2013, followed by Paul immediately retreating from the spotlight. The fallout remains evident in both electronic music and hip-hop to this day, whether it’s his collaborations with Big Boi and Little Dragon, being sampled by Drake and Beyoncé, or his fingerprints all over both genres. The reclusive producer/singer returning for the project’s official release this year is a huge moment. The fact this will make two year-end lists six years apart speaks for itself.
Selected cuts: “Str8 Outta Mumbai,” “All Night,” “BTSTU”
GoldLink — Diaspora
Released June 12th
I’m usually prepared to cosign a GoldLink drop right from the jump, but this one’s taken some growing. As the title suggests, Link draws most of his influence from African music, but at times it’s hard to gauge what’s a genuine influence and what’s chasing a follow-up radio hit to 2017’s “Crew.” Regardless, the DMV emcee has enough catchiness and charisma to sell you on his most commercial album to date.
Selected cuts: “Days Like This (feat. Khalid),” “U Say (feat. Tyler, the Creator & Jay Prince),” “Spanish Song (feat. WaveIQ)”
Crumb — Jinx
Released June 14th
Occasionally an exclusion comes back to haunt me, and leaving Crumb’s Locket EP off my 2017 list is one of them. Crumb further explores their signature mellowed psychedelia on their debut album. Despite most songs clocking in under three minutes, they manage to balance earworm hooks and melodies with a jazzy meandering. These ten tracks clock in under 30 minutes, so while I’d love to hear what the Boston-bred, Brooklyn-based outfit could do in a longer format, their ability to maximize such a small amount of time is remarkable.
Selected cuts: “Nina,” “Part III,” “Jinx”
Daniel Caesar — CASE STUDY 01
Released June 28th
Daniel Caesar’s Freudian had fingerprints of his religious upbringing all over it. You still feel like you’re hearing the gospel in his delivery, but in the two years of success removed from his debut, CASE STUDY 01 explores an entirely different Caesar. He’s the same confused 20-something exploring the highs and lows of love, but in both content and production, he comes across as more confident and jaded to the new world in which he finds himself.
Selected cuts: “ENTROPY,” “CYANIDE,” “TOO DEEP TO TURN BACK”
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib — Bandana
Released June 28th
In the five years between collaborations, three years of promising a follow-up, a false accusation resulting in Gibbs’ lockup overseas, and a handful of solo and side projects, Bandana has been a long time coming. If you’re familiar with either artist, you already knew exactly what this project would be: Madlib bringing dark, grimy soul beats and Gangsta Gibbs bringing — well, the gangsta raps. While Piñata felt like a community effort amongst artists they respect, Bandana feels like two dudes locking in and making the most of chemistry that’s hard to come by.
Selected cuts: “Crime Pays,” “Palmolive (feat. Pusha-T & Killer Mike),” “Giannis (feat. Anderson .Paak)”