Music of 2019

In 2019, I’m still looking for new music in the same way that I have done for decades - through music criticism, through NPR radio shows, through word of mouth, and through my brother and fellow music lover Steve. That may sound anachronistic, and it is, but I just can’t get exicited about streaming musical content. I still prefer to have control and ownership of my music and I still consume my music largely through whole albums as music statements. Long may people still release them; these were the ones that captivated me this year:

1. Jessica Pratt - “Quiet Signs:” LA based singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt made my favorite record this year, an album that I came back to again and again, as a soothing balm in a nerve-jangling year. The moment that the flute comes in on “Fare Thee Well” was my musical moment of the year.

2. Anderson .Paak - “Ventura:” I discovered Anderson, who I had slept on for several years, largely because I had dismissed him because of the silly punctuation in his name, in 2019. He’s making the music that Stevie Wonder would be if he could be bothered, a sunny, warm r 'n' b sound that pulls from disparate sources.

3. The Highwomen - “The Highwomen:” How can you go wrong with a country supergroup featuring the immense collective talents of Brandi Carlisle, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby? The title track, a rewrite of the Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson classic, was a call to action, but it was “If She Ever Leaves Me" that cut the deepest for me.

4. Tegan and Sara - “Hey, I’m Just Like You:” Canadian sisters Tegan and Sara reached back into their high school journals to churn out the best set of new wave tunes not made in 1985.

5. Vampire Weekend - “Father of the Bride:” Vampire Weekend are now basically Ezra Koenig and whoever he wants to work with (which probably means he’s, um, difficult to work with). No matter - Koenig is still making some of the smartest pop music around.

6. Lizzo - "Cuz I Love You:” Lizzo’s second album was a collection of singles stitched together rather than a true album statement; but, what bangers those were! “Juice” was the undeniable song of the summer 2019, a completely irresistible blast of feel-good pop.

7. Mercury Rev - “The Delta Sweete Revisited:” Jonathan Donahue, the leader of Buffalo’s own Mercury Rev, decided to return to a favorite album, 60s country maven Bobbie Gentry and cover it in full. The project is elevated by the presence of the some of the finest female vocal talent in the country, including Norah Jones, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucinda Williams.

8. Rickie Lee Jones - “Kicks:” Twenty years ago, Rickie recorded a collection of jazz standards called “Pop” that is still a favorite of mine. Her 2019 covers album “Kicks” has a more acoustic folk, Laurel Canyon feel to it, with songs such from the likes of Steve Miller, Bad Company and America, including the sublime version of “Lonely People.”

9. Post Malone - “Hollywood’s Bleeding:” The biggest surprise of 2019 for me. One night after class, I was complaining about the state of hip hop and a student recommended “Sunflower,” the summer hit off this LP. Almost immediately, that sing-songy hook had wormed its way into my brain. A hint for my peers: don’t ever look at a picture of Post Malone - just drop the needle on the record and let the music speak for itself. You might be surprised.

10. James Blake - “Assume Form:” Another lovely slab of bedroom memo dubstep from a master of the form and frequent collaborator (e.g., Beyonce, Bon Iver).

Notable Others:

* Flying Lotus - “Flamagra”

* Brittany Howard - “Jaime”

* Chrissie Hynde - “Bone Valve Woe”

* Jenny Lewis - “On the Line”

* The National - “I Am Easy to Find”

* Sharon van Etten - “Remind Me Tomorrow:”

Disappointment:

Norah Jones - “Begin Again:” Ever since winning an armful of Grammys for her debut “Come Away With Me,” Jones has struggled to find her way. She clearly doesn’t just want to repeat that successful blend of Texas swing-infected country and jazz but her forays into punk and indie rock have left her core audience, including me, cold. This EP-length record was neither here nor there.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been listening to this year.