2019: albums of the year

Various Artists – Sweet As Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa

Yes yes, another compilation of semi-obscure music from Africa, we get it – but just listen to the synths, the pre-reggae percussion, the vocals. Amazing.

FKA twigs – Magdalene

Did FKA twigs have a spectacular year? Yes. There are one or two iffy moments on this disc, but the highs are immense, passionate, and hunting for a sense of a new future.

Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedicated

I wasn’t going to put this on here until I saw that I had at least five potential tracks from it in my top tracks longlist, so here we are – the pride of Mission, BC, continuing to reel off pop leviathans. The best part of Dedicated? There’s probably another 30 tracks of cuts that will come out next year.

Holly Herndon – Proto

I hang out with AI people, and ignore all that, and just listen to the sounds and the Sacred Harp singing and the Herndon drums – and, like with twigs, the leaps into a new and unforeseen future.

Jake Kaufman – Ducktales Remastered OST

– boop beep boop beep boop bee boop-bee-boop-be-boop –

Honorable mentions to Ford – The Evening, Xylouris White – The Sisypheans, Oren Ambarch – Simian Angel, and Barker – Utility.