2019 was great year for music. With highly anticipated reiun albums that have been years in the making. As well as new artist and bomb freshman albums 2019 had everything from alternative indie pop to RnB 2019 had a variety of albums. However there were five that stood out.
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend’s first album in six years makes up for lost time. Band members Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio formed vampire weekend in 2006. The album definitely reflects the bands 13 years of experience. The18 track, 57 minutes and 50 seconds long album serves as a serious inward look on the band’s journey over the past six years. Lead singer Koeing sings about love, anxiety, climate change among many other things. My favorite track of the album is definitely Harmony Hall in witch Koenig sings about his longing and desire for what. The songs start quest just koenig voice above soft guitar but quickly progress into unforgettable melody made up of piano and drums that makes wanna dance and sing along. I would recommend this album to those who are interested in more mellow indie music.
Ginger – Brockhampton
After Brockhamptoms six-month hiatus in 2018 “to both regroup and disperse” after past band member Ameer Vann left the group after sexual misconduct allegations. As it is the group’s fifth album, Ginger reflects the past year of chaos. The album’s essential theme is self-reflection and self-fulfilment. The album contains 12 tracks and is approximately 45 minutes long. The highlight of the album is definitely “No Halo” in which abstract and fellow band members rap and sing about depression, self-reflection, and maturity which are all themes that can bee seen throughout the album, especially in tracks such as sugar and dearly departed. Ginger is a great album; I would recommend this to someone looking for an album that breaks the rules of RnB and bridges the gaps between genres.
Any Human Friend – Marika Hackman
Any Human Friend By Marika Hackman is Alternative/Indie album that has a untime of 41:05 and is 11 tracks long. The album gives the listener a view inside Hackman’s head as she questions her sexualtity, love, commitment and mental health. Any Human Friend is Hackman’s forth album.s. “Come Undone” is my favorite track on the album because the melody and lyrics are catchy but also because the song is very emotional. Hackman questions her ability to truly love and commit to her partner. Any Human Friendd is a fierce feminist album thatt I highly recommend to anyone who feels uninspired; Hackman’s most recent album will not fail to empower the listener.
Fuzzy Brain – Dayglow
Fuzzy brain is 19-year-old college student and artist Dayglow’s first album. The album is indie pop and has 8 tracks. Dayglow wrote and recorded the album his senior year of high school. The album focuses on the emotions of saying goodbye to childhood and entering a new phase in life, as well as Dayglow’s own personal struggles with depression. Junior Varsity is my favorite because I love how it wraps up the album. I feel this album is perfect for people of high school age group as Dayglow sings about the raw emotions many feel at this time in life.
Arizonia Baby – Kevin Abstract
ARIZONA BABY is by far my favorite album of 2019, good enough to make your grandma turn up her hearing aid. The multiple-genre album contains elements of R&B, hip-hop, soft rock, and rap. Arizona Baby is Abstract’s third solo album. It was released on April of 2019. In 2016 he released his sophomore Album “American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story.” Abstract’s debut album “MTV1987” was released in 2014, the same year Abstract formed the rap group Brockhampton. Arizona Baby pulls you into Abstract’s present day reality as he raps and sings about relationships, the anxieties of fame and feeling like a disappointment to those close to him. The overall theme of Arizona Baby is the struggle of going through a relationship in the public eye as an openly gay rapper. My favorite track on the Album without a doubt is “Crumble.” In the track Abstract sings and raps over a soft guitar melody about the pressures of life: “I feel like crumbling, And I feel like crumbling, And I feel like crumbling outside of your window.” I love how raw and honest this track is. The word crumble itself evokes so much emotion. While listening to the song I could relate to the feeling of the pressure of the world pushing down upon you. I would recommend this album to anyone who even vaguely like RnB or Rap I think it is the best of the genre and worth a listen!
Although 2019 had a lot to offer, I believe that these five albums rose above and I believe are truly unique and will spend the test of time. I highly recommend listening to them as I believe that they bring qualities that everyone can enjoy. I hope that 2020 will bring more albums to remember.