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The Best (and Worst) Albums of 2019: The Middle

This third tier introduces us to a solid crop of releases that are average or slightly above. These are mostly good records that just aren't necessarily standouts. Like a restaurant soft serve vanilla ice cream cone. I mean who doesn't love ice cream? It's just not really anybody's first choice...

#64. No Holiday by The Muffs

The Muffs have always held a special place in my heart. I don't know what it is about their simplistic formula that always puts a smile on my face but Kim Shattuck's charismatic vocals are probably 99% of it. She's one of my absolute favorite vocalists of all time and losing her this year really sucked. No Holiday doesn't really break any new ground for the group but more serves as an epilogue to her impressive career. A fun curtain call, even if it's a predictable one.

#63. Norman Fucking Rockwell by Lana Del Rey

The queen of sad girl summer, Lana Del Rey, definitely put out her best material since 2014's Ultraviolence with this latest release. But at 67 minutes, this record still runs way too long. Overall the record seems to have her more engaged and emotionally invested than Honeymoon or Lust for Life did, but it still carries this feeling of disenchantment with it that makes it a hard listen, especially on the longer opening tracks of the album. But if you can make it to her rendition of Sublime's "Doin' Time" you surely will enjoy the rest.

#62. Hard Pop by Telethon

This record was kind of a surprise for me. It's a power pop piano ballad with hints of the storytelling of Ben Folds and Elton John mashed up with the power pop punk songwriting of Jeff Rosenstock. The production leaves a lot to be desired but the band has such a unique blend of styles that I can't wait to see where there sound grows with their next release.

#61. Weather by Tycho

A minimal indietronica staple over the past few years, Tycho returns with a solid entry into the catalog with Weather. It's main shortcoming is that there's just not a lot to it. At 29 minutes, you can't help but want more. Which isn't necessarily always a bad thing but still. The vocal collaborations were also a welcomed addition, especially on the album's standout track - Skate.

#60. Sonic Citadel by Lightning Bolt

The spastic two piece return with another solid heavy metal experimentation in raw energy. The drawback being that it veers off into so many different directions that it's hard to get into a groove the way that Fantasy Empire was able to. Definitely some of the best song titles of the year though.

#59. Malibu Ken by Malibu Ken

Malibu Ken is a fun little collaboration project for Aesop Rock that sounds like something you'd discover watching Adult Swim at 2 am in between Robot Chicken reruns. And it's entertainment value pretty well matches that. A quirky, if forgettable way to kill half an hour. Musical junk food.

#58. i,i by Bon Iver

This record was kind of odd for me. I admire the new directions Bon Iver is willing to take his music but at the same time, it's not nearly as entertaining as his previous work. So while I applaud the ambition, I'd be lying if I thought the actual outcome is probably Justin Vernon's weakest record to date.

#57. Ginger by Brockhampton

After the Saturation trilogy, Brockhampton seems to have lost their edge a bit. Kevin Abstract can still compose one hell of a record but lyrically, this feels incredibly restrained. Nothing here that they haven't already done better previously.

#56. Admission by Torche

A bit of a rebound for Torche, Admission isn't quite as good as Harmonicraft or Meanderthal but nowhere near as bland as Restarter. The album starts off incredibly strong with From Here and Slide but levels off for the latter half. The synth introduction has some interesting potential but it doesn't seem fully realized yet.

#55. Let’s Rock by The Black Keys

After a five year break, the Black Keys return with an album that's certainly more fun and consistent than Turn Blue or El Camino but still lacks the personality that made their work in the 00's hit so much harder. It probably wouldn't feel like such a disappointment if there hadn't been such a long wait but nevertheless, it's a decent record.

#54. What’s Past is Prologue by Free Throw

Free Throw burst out of the gate incredibly strong with Those Days are Gone in 2014 but their third record continues a disappointing downward trend for the band. The lyrics seem to be getting more and more emotionally dense but rarely does the music pull you in enough to fully appreciate them. They seem to be stuck trying to recreate the same sparkle punk emo vibes of their debut instead of growing their sound outward in anyway. Which leaves us with lesser versions of the same material we've already heard.

#53. Railer by Lagwagon

You'd think Lagwagon's odd mixture of garage metal thrash, skate punk rhythms and emo power pop vocals should age better than this. But this is another mediocre follow up for a band that hasn't been able to find their identity since 2003's Blaze. Railer is a middle of the road release from a group that has the longevity of a genre veteran; there's just very little proof of that experience exhibited on this release.

#52. Widow’s Weeds by Silversun Pickups

I'm not sure why commercial success seems to have put this group under such a harsh light but they've been putting out consistent records for the better part of the decade and this album is no different. The closing track, We Are Chameleons, being one of the best songs they've ever produced.

#51. In the Spirit World Now by Ceremony

After taking a surprising path into post-punk revival with The L-Shape Man in 2015, Ceremony is leaning even further into their 80's inspired roots by basically producing a new wave record this time around. And I actually like it. I know we all miss the hardcore Rohnert Park version of Ceremony but this is really well done and shows a surprising range of songwriting ability for the band to not only veer into such an unexpected direction but absolutely nail it.

#50. Igor by Tyler, the Creator

Igor never really brings that feeling of ingenuity that Tyler's previous work has until you're already 9 tracks deep. And while I'm relieved he's no longer relying on the shock value of needlessly threatening to murder Haley Williams or using homophobic slurs; his soft spoken, digitally distorted vocal stylings don't punctuate his music the way his raspy flow used to. Tyler needs to be Tyler, not try Frank Ocean impressions.

#49. Retrofuture by Tiger Army

Back in the goth punk heyday of the early 2000's, Tiger Army was an absolute powerhouse due to their innovative rockabilly infused, AFI inspired punk rock. But that era of music and Tiger Army themselves, haven't really aged all that well. So I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't hate their sixth record after suffering through their 4th and 5th releases. They seemed to be reverting to the higher energy of their earlier work and I'm here for it. Maybe one of the biggest surprises of the year for me.

#48. Dedicated by Carly Rae Jepsen

With all the makings of a one hit wonder, Carly Rae Jepsen continues to defy the critics with yet another solid pop record following up the cult success of EMOTION. The stretch of No Drug Like Me, Now That I Found You and Want You in My Room is absolutely spectacular but there are few pretty big misses here as well. Namely the painfully redundant Everything He Needs and the lackluster ending make this little more than a collection of solid singles saddled with way too many bold whiffs. This really could have benefited from trimming some of the lesser tracks.

#47. Wizard Rifle by Wizard Rifle

After their incredible debut in 2012, I was really hoping for Wizard Rifle to become one of the lone innovators keeping heavy music relevant in the 2010's. But their third LP is nowhere near as imaginative as their earlier work and feels confined to a formula they can't quite figure out how to expand upon. The softer sections break things up a bit but still don't quite fit with the overall picture.

#46. Be Good by Off With Their Heads

With Home, it seemed like Off With Their Heads delivered their magnum opus and I was incredibly curious to see where their next full length would go. Unfortunately, it lacks the emotion of In Desolation or Home and feels incredibly limited musically as well. It's a fairly middle of the road punk record with a few highlights, like the closing instrumental track Death, but overall it'd be fairly easy to skip this record and not miss anything.

#45. An Obelisk by Titus Andronicus

After the incredible start to their career, Titus Andronicus put out one of the absolute worst records of 2018 with A Productive Cough. So here they are a year later returning to a safer formula that's not nearly as taxing a listen, but definitely lacks the musical exploration of their earlier work. This record does a solid job of re-establishing that Titus Andronicus isn't done just yet but it also feels like an obligatory over-correction for a band too talented to play it this safe.

#44. Born Hot by Chris Farren

After delivering the best Antarctigo Vespucci record to date last fall, my expectations for Chris' next solo record were absolutely through the roof. Needless to say, Born Hot didn't quite meet those expectations. There's some solid tracks here and there but overall, the hooks feel inferior to even his last solo outing and with less guitar this go around, it also lacks the energy and impact as well. The slower new wave feel doesn't capture his charismatic energy the same way, even if the clever songwriting is as prominent as ever.

#43. uknowwhatimsayin? by Danny Brown

Produced by Q-Tip, Danny Brown's latest release has all the feeling of a laid back late 90s hip hop favorite but the production doesn't really seem to highlight Danny's strengths. The easy listening, free flowing beats are great but Danny's delivery just doesn't match the aesthetic. Without his signature bombastic and frantic delivery, this is a big step down from Atrocity Exhibition.

#42. Grey Area by Little Simz

Grey Area has a captivating blend of jazz and hip hop production but lacks the vocal presence to put it over the top from a good record to a great one. It's a promising effort with an inspired and original mix of styles, just lacks the charisma and confident delivery you'd like to see in an MC.

#41. Ascension by Paladin

One of the most fun debuts of the year, Paladin comes out swinging like a millennial Iron Maiden on steroids. The technical ability is staggering but the high pitched vocals are admittedly a little cheesy at times. But fans of Dio looking for a Power Metal throwback should find plenty to love here.

#40. Patience by Mannequin Pussy

This band really has a ton of potential but their third record feels conflicted between appeasing the power pop wave of punk that's so popular right now and exploring an undercurrent of hardcore dissonance that never feels fully embraced. The outcome is an interesting record stuck between styles, never really committing to either successfully.



View the Rest of the 2019 Tiers Here:



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