Favorite Songs of 2019 So Far
I was putting together this list for myself to keep track of what I liked and thought I’d share it.
In rough but not exact order, here are my top songs of the year so far!
The songs and albums I’ve reviewed will be hyperlinked. I also have a regular 2019 portfolio, if you want to check that out.
Follow along on Spotify:
Cellophane — FKA Twigs
I’ve seen a healthy amount of discourse — I mean that sincerely — about formerly quirky artists pivoting to Authentic, Serious Music to garner praise from rockists, often via sparse piano ballads (see: The Singles Jukebox on “Praying” by Kesha). FKA Twigs does that so well it’s like she doesn’t do it at all, and the video is certainly more than weird enough to compensate. I’m going to link the live performance in the interest of keeping this thing SFW.
Harmony Hall — Vampire Weekend
If the rest of Father of the Bride was on the level of “Harmony Hall,” it would be their best album.
June — Charlotte Cornfield
I wrote that the record benefits from not trying to be a masterpiece, but a handful of the songs basically are — this one, “Silver Civic,” and “Up The Hill” are my favorites. “June” is my personal favorite opener of the year, if nothing else.
Jenni — Big Thief
“Jenni” sounds like Laura Marling making a shoegaze record with Steve Albini; it’s simultaneously dry and expansive, raw and refined. I like UFOF so much because it’s otherwordly/ethereal/etc, but the lyrics about exploring identity and sexuality keep “Jenni” and the rest of UFOF from losing itself in mystique.
Deep Love — Lady Lamb
Lady Lamb at her widest-eyed and melodically strongest. It’s hard to listen to this and not smile at one point or another. The abrupt key change is wonderful.
Quiet Light — The National
On record, it doesn’t quite match the grooviness of its early live incarnation (nor the opus once teased on Bryce Dessner’s Instagram) but “Quiet Light” has Matt Berninger’s most focused lyrics in years and one of their best bridges. An extended version with those elements put back in would probably be my favorite National song, period, but I made an unofficial one in the meantime.
Seventeen — Sharon Van Etten
When Sharon Van Etten was seventeen, she was in SoHo and saw two people fighting over a fedora — that’s why the chorus starts with “downtown hat spat.” Jokes aside, while I found the album as a whole less consistent than Are We There, songs like this justified the unexpected collaboration with John Congleton. To no one’s surprise, the Song Exploder episode is great.
Bury a Friend — Billie Eilish
I have written about Eilish for The Singles Jukebox and Billboard —her music is genuinely different (as is “Bad Guy,” which ended up becoming an even bigger hit.) and if it sometimes veers closer to “Heathens”-era Twenty One Pilots than Lorde, Eilish’s sneaky sense of humor, Finneas’ innovative production, and Rob Kinelski’s mix all elevate the music.
Heir Apparent — American Football
Mike Kinsella’s most mature lyrics to date, to the point where even a groaner like “I’m unapologetically sorry for everything” feels more like a dad joke meant to diffuse tension than something intended to be unironically clever. The choir in the outro is beautiful on its own merit, creating a song to be nostalgic for after so much of LP2 felt like living someone else’s nostalgia. (I was 2 in 1999, so it was.)
Temporary Tantrum — Pronoun
I’ve been a fan since her first song three years ago. This might be her masterpiece thus far — the last minute consists of four equally catchy hooks playing simultaneously, bringing to mind the titular tantrum without actually boiling over.
Pyres — Matthew And The Atlas
Unexpectedly great song from a band formerly signed to Communion, a record label started by Mumford & Sons member Ben Lovett as an incubator for more of Mumford’s sons. Produced with Ali Chant, more known for work with Perfume Genius and Portishead than with Mumford-type beats, this insistent, horn-driven single is a step up for the group.
Let/s Get Lost — Twilight Sad
This album has grown on me since I reviewed it, even as I still have some qualms about the way it was mixed and sequenced. Regardless, this works because it feels like two songs at once, an unstoppable rocker meeting an immovable ballad. The result is gorgeous, an over-caffeinated version of the best songs off their previous record.
Capacity — Charly Bliss
Simultaneously unlistenable and compulsively listenable.
Unspoken History — Alex Lahey
This album is a lot like Booksmart, from the sharp writing to the fresh perspective on queer relationships, and this song is as heartbreaking as the underwater scene. Booksmart has earned its share of criticism like any hyped-up movie, but it’s hard to find fault in Lahey’s music. Her craftsmanship can’t be denied.
In Your Head — Nilüfer Yanya
One of my favorite melodies of the year, and the actual writing is stellar too.
Sometimes A Woman Is An Island — Caroline Spence
Gary Pacsoza has long been a favorite mixer of mine — I found this by checking his latest credits — but Spence‘s songwriting is just as warm.
Poetry By Dead Men — Sara Bareilles
This record was underwhelming, with ‘raw’ production that inexplicably obscured her piano playing, but this song is one of her best.
Flowers (Feat. Father) — Faye Webster
Indie pop production paired with underground rap — a bit ‘chiller’ and weedier than I would normally recommend, or enjoy, but it works.
One Less Day (Dying Young) — Rob Thomas
A surprisingly morbid adult contemporary hit, fascinating for its weirdly brutal lyrics about facing mortality. (I’ve always admired Rob Thomas’s strange intensity on everything from underrated 2009 single “Her Diamonds” to “Smooth,” and it pays off perfectly here.)
I’m Clean — Priests
Breathtakingly satirical and deadpan, like a more ironic version of Camp Cope’s How To Socialize and Make Friends from last year. Definitely NSFW lyrically.
I’ll Be Your Girl — Carly Rae Jepsen
Obviously EMOTION has higher peaks, but as an album, Dedicated might be superior. I almost gave this to “Everything He Needs,” purely for its sample, but this song‘s riveting take on ska suggests that Carly needs a more versatile record to show this side off.
Nightmare — Halsey
Avril Lavigne’s “Losing Grip” + t.A.T.u’s “All The Things She Said” + timely political rage = the song Halsey was born to make.
You Don’t Have To Call Me Back Home — Amason
I loved their song “Algen” (it’s 80s Fleetwood Mac meets Stephen Morris-type drumming), and this song goes in a different but still intriguing direction. An eccentric take on so-called Spotifycore.
Never Really Over — Katy Perry
An unexpected triumph from Katy Perry, with a great rapid-fire post-chorus that I wish arrived sooner in the song (but still works!)
Devil Is A Lie — Adia Victoria
Aaron Dessner producing a blues-rock album is also generated to appeal to me.
Offence — Little Simz
I haven’t heard a lot of compelling rap music this year (feel free to recommend me some!) but “Jay-Z on my bad days, Shakespeare on my worst days” made me gasp out loud.
