We live in increasingly distracted and fragmented times. Social media invariably burrows its claws deeper and deeper into our daily, or more accurately, hourly lives. Our mobile phones might as well be surgically attached to our fingers for FOMO purposes. Sadly, as a result, it’s proving harder for many of us to invest quality, focused time in anything these days.
Luckily, there’s reason to believe that all is not lost (yet) and we can still salvage at least some of our diminishing attention spans. When it comes to music consumption, albums thankfully still exist and represent a beacon of hope for distracted listeners, demanding that they commit to a listening experience that extends beyond three minutes. Or put more simply, as the late Prince Rogers Nelson once famously declared, albums matter.
So as we anxiously look forward to all of the promising new releases slated for 2019’s latter half, we’ve stolen a moment here to take stock of the 20 albums that have mattered most to us across the first six months of the year.
Check out (and listen to) our selections below—in alphabetical order, not ranked—and be sure to take a few long, deep breaths as you drop the needle or press play, allowing the music to transport you away from the diversions of the day. Also, at the end of the list below, enjoy our 40-track audio & video playlist comprised of standout tracks from the 20 albums featured here.
JAMES BLAKE | Assume Form
Polydor
“Assume Form forms a paean both to the specific object of Blake’s affections and the very notion of being in love. And while it feels slightly condensed compared to previous outings, Blake still manages to leave enough room for the beauty in his compositions to shine through like a beacon.” – Patrick Corcoran | Full Review
GARY CLARK JR. | This Land
Warner Bros.
“This Land has plenty of the blues rock guitar for which Clark is famous. What's special about the album is how he seamlessly folds in different musical influences, managing to keep his guitar up front in the songs, while not overshadowing the music, and without compromising his recognizable sound. Clark accomplishes a lot with This Land just by leaning on influences from the American side of the Atlantic.” – Steven Ovadia | Full Review
THE CRANBERRIES | In The End
BMG
“From the beginning, the central appeal of The Cranberries derived from their ability to balance contrasting lyrical and musical extremes to create a unique vibe all their own. That quality hasn’t dissipated on In The End, in fact it comes sharply into view on the LP to prove just what it was that made them so indispensable among their decorated peers of the period….In The End is a bittersweet coda for The Cranberries, an unexpected one that looks to what could have been and manages to turn heartbreak into a compelling and ultimately hopeful soundtrack.” – Quentin Harrison | Full Review
DAVE | Psychodrama
Neighbourhood Recordings
“As the album draws to a close with a bible text read by the artist’s incarcerated brother, the listener is reminded of the notion that the closest we ever feel to god, is when we are confronted with a great piece of art. This is a magnificent album that is sure to be studied, remembered and written about in years to come. It is great art.” – Patrick Corcoran | Full Review
DIDO | Still On My Mind
BMG
“While undoubtedly possessing a flair for consistency regarding her musical identity, each record she’s put forth has moved the dial forward in some fashion or another. Still On My Mind is no exception to this self-made standard….Twenty years on from her initial step into the public spotlight, Dido’s brand of sonic intimacy—drawn up to an ever-grand, yet approachable scale—is as enchanting as it was then and isn’t likely to diminish anytime soon.” – Quentin Harrison | Full Review
CARLY RAE JEPSEN | Dedicated
604/School Boy/Interscope
“Dedicated is another album triumph for Jepsen. From beginning to end, she drills down to the juicy nuggets of obsession and desperation that drive all of our emotional highs and lows—and then celebrates those feelings (good or bad as they can be) because they’re so universal. It’s an album of sensual, revelatory and exploratory pop music that realizes the pulse of the dance floor can take you higher when you’re feeling on top, and keep you afloat when you’re suddenly sinking. All you have to do is ‘Cut to the Feeling’ and start strutting. The beat will take care of the rest.” – Mark J. Marraccini | Full Review
CHAKA KHAN | Hello Happiness
Diary/Island
“As always, Khan thrives in the moment, except this time she is armed with a lifetime of her own visionary experience to draw upon. Hello Happiness puts that experience into practice and finds the legend ready to chart new heights once more. One just hopes that audiences won’t have to wait another twelve years for her next offering.” – Quentin Harrison | Full Review
LE BUTCHERETTES | bi/MENTAL
Rise Records
“Le Butcherettes have not only created an album of satisfying and addictive rock, but they’ve also managed to create something to touch the parts of the heart and mind that deal with unspoken, deep heartache. Even from a place of confused sadness, Teri Gender Bender writes songs with such a burst of realistic humanity that this is truly an album for a wide range of moods ranging from positive to negative. It is an exciting feeling to realize that you’ve just heard something from a favorite performer that can be considered their crowning achievement, and that is what I felt after listening to bi/MENTAL. Not just one of the best albums of the year thus far, bi/MENTAL is an instant classic.” – Chris Powers | Full Review
LÉON | LÉON
BMG/LÉON Recordings
“With so much of today’s chart-topping pop songs sounding like they’re written to be GIF-able and hashtag-able on social media, only to dissolve into the ether after a few months, it’s promising to hear a singular talent like LÉON offer songs to the world that bloom the more you listen to them. With her solidly self-assured debut, LÉON ignores the trends that other pop artists are chasing, resulting in a modern, grown, and soulful pop album that promises to age well.” – Mark J. Marraccini | Full Review
JENNY LEWIS | On The Line
Warner Bros.
“Overall, On The Line is a really good album. Jenny Lewis, a consummate star, delivers consistent pop tracks with soul-baring lyrics. It’s a unique pleasure for an artist who spoke to you deeply years ago to continue creating compelling material. And even more special is when they recapture some of the naked honesty that felt so relatable the first time around.” – Liz Itkowsky | Full Review
LITTLE SIMZ | GREY Area
Age 101
“Simz’ vocals flow effortlessly, cutting swathes through the luxurious production and fluctuating according to the subject matter of the rhyme. From prowling braggadocio to reflective vulnerability, she convinces with all facets of the lyrical journey within the 10 songs. This is the sound of an artist achieving her potential and finding a firm foothold in the excellence of her craft. Little Simz deserves every plaudit and prize coming her way, and if there’s any justice, they will arrive by the barrel load.” – Patrick Corcoran | Full Review
ROSIE LOWE | YU
Wolf Tone/Caroline International
“Comprised of ten proper songs and three accompanying interludes that enhance the album’s immersive ambience overall, YU unfolds as a filler-free, highlight-rich window into the current—and captivating—state of Lowe’s musical muse….At the beating heart of Lowe’s spellbinding second act are the various manifestations of love that compel her—love for herself, for her partner, and for making music. And with YU, a masterclass in modern soul, she has gifted her listeners with a truly inspired record that’s easy to love.” – Justin Chadwick | Full Review | Interview
ANDERSON .PAAK | Ventura
Aftermath/12 Tone
“At the risk of being overly hyperbolic, there is something of the great Muhammed Ali about Paak’s music here. He floats like a butterfly over the rolling grooves but stings like a bee when the opportunity presents itself….Joy and happiness permeate throughout the album, even when addressing things that are less than joyful and that is due to the fact that Paak is back on solid soul ground. His truth shines through the prism of his true musical self-expression, creating something that sounds more natural.” – Patrick Corcoran | Full Review
JESSICA PRATT | Quiet Signs
Mexican Summer/City Slang
“These days, with so much surrounding us that can rightfully be classified as the antithesis of beauty, it’s particularly reassuring to know that unequivocally beautiful albums like Quiet Signs exist. Listening to it on repeat, as I’ve done frequently over the past few weeks, I’m deluded into thinking that everything is right with the world once again, if only for a fleeting moment until the record’s final notes drift away, coaxing me to revisit these sublime songs again and again and again. A terse yet utterly transcendent triumph of a third album that illuminates Ms. Pratt’s evolving songcraft, Quiet Signs, for all of its undeniable brilliance, rather remarkably augurs that her best may still be to come. ” – Justin Chadwick | Full Review
JORDAN RAKEI | Origin
Ninja Tune
“Origin is an incredibly adept piece of work, given that it navigates some of the same waters as previous ventures, while also setting a course toward newer, bolder territories. Offering enough to soothe old fans, it also strides into jazzier realms with a confidence that should see future music take more of the same shapes. A willingness to break out of his mold pays dividends for Rakei and rewards the listener with a rich tapestry of sounds, textures and feelings. It should be said though that this is a record that deserves your time and space to flourish on the best sounding system and format you have. Headphones in place, children on silent and phone in bed, stop what you are doing and bathe in the details and flourishes that Rakei offers up for consumption. Layer after layer piles up to create a lush, expansive record that thrills in the subtlest of ways.” – PATRICK CORCORAN | Full Review
MAGGIE ROGERS | Heard It In A Past Life
Capitol
“In a two-year sprint to ride the tailwind of social media renown, Maggie Rogers created a competent pop album, with plenty of standout songs. While her debut isn’t a genre-redefining classic, Rogers’ promise and passion are manifest throughout. Heard It in a Past Life is an encouraging chapter in what will hopefully be a very long musical career.” – Liz Itkowsky | Full Review
LUCY ROSE | No Words Left
Communion/Arts & Crafts
“The eleven songs that comprise No Words Left are refreshingly devoid of pretense and calculation. Instead, they illuminate Rose’s troubled inner monologue and feelings of detachment, as she wrestles with her self-worth as an artist, a woman, and a lover….Contrary to the album’s title, and as if her growing legion of devotees ever doubted it for a second, it’s more evident than ever before that Ms. Rose has plenty of words left to share with the world and a whole lifetime of songs to sing ahead of her.” – Justin Chadwick | Full Review
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | Western Stars
Columbia
“If you only want the bombast of the E Street Band, or even the darkness of Nebraska (1982), it’s not quite here on this record. Western Stars is in its own league; not better or worse than the rest of the catalogue, simply a different approach to the same questions that Springsteen (and his fans) has been asking for almost fifty years: Who are we? What troubles us? Is that our fault? How do we get out? His maturity as an artist and newfound thematic setting gives us a more complicated answer than we’ve gotten before. In 2019, when alienation is the name of the game, this is what we need.” – Jeremy Levine | Full Review
SHARON VAN ETTEN | Remind Me Tomorrow
Jagjaguwar
“Sharon Van Etten is an unnaturally consistent songwriter. Each track is imbued with pathos, often just a breath in between the staggering joy and sorrow. The strong Springsteen influence and creative production are a delicious pairing. The album is rooted in folk music (in a Springsteen sense), still built on simple storytelling, guitars and pianos, but synthesized with a modern sheen. In the opening track, Van Etten claims, “I told you everything, about everything.” Even if the material and formula have been heard before, Remind Me Tomorrow feels brand new.” – Liz Itkowsky | Full Review
JAMILA WOODS | LEGACY! LEGACY!
Jagjaguwar
“Jamila Woods has given us an incredible LP in LEGACY! LEGACY!, with well-constructed, layered concepts, and successfully tackling the conditions in which oppressed people live in today’s society, and more specifically, in America. Her fearless and decisive conceptions of music and activism create a new path for future radical organizers in creative spaces. Woods, with her succinct yet vigorous voice, is firmly at top of her game and is definitely a force to be reckoned with for a lot of people. Don’t look now, but she’s destined to become a dominant presence in music for many years to come.” – Julio Santos | Full Review
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