"Thinking Eternally, Acting Locally." - Neal August
10. Beauty and the Beat, by The Go-Go’s (1981)
I
knew a few of their songs, but I’d never listened to the entire album. Very
good new wave sound. Choice tracks: “Our Lips are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat”.
9. Leaders of the Free World, by Elbow (2005)
A
very good album by a British pop rock group. The sound is a mix of Coldplay,
Seal, Zero 7. Choice tracks: "Station Approach", “Forget Myself”, “The
Stops,” “Leaders Of The Free World,”
8. Merrie Land, by The Good the Bad and the Queen (2018)
Damon
Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz) is one of the best pop songwriters of his generation.
His side project of The Good the Bad and the Queen has been quite good. I enjoyed
their 2007 eponymous album and was glad they finally released this sophomore effort.
It’s actually superior in many ways to that previous album. Choice tracks: “Merrie
Land”, “Gun to the Head,” and "The Imperial".
7. Monolith of Phobos, by The Claypool Lennon Delirium (2017)
Les
Claypool has always been a brilliant and inventive songwriter and musician. He’s
also always been a heavy metal prog rocker with psychedelic influences. Who
would have thought that teaming up with multi-instrumentalist Sean Lennon could
produce such great music? But their collaboration works! Monolith of Phobos is
a great album of prog-rock psychedelic songs which pulls the strengths of both
Claypool and Lennon while minimizing their weaknesses. Choice tracks: "The
Monolith of Phobos" and “Ohmerica” The latter is one of the best songs I
listened to this year.
6. South of Reality, by The Claypool-Lennon Delirium (2019)
Another
album by this great collaboration, even better than the first. Choice tracks: “Little
Fishes”, “"Blood and Rockets”, and "Amethyst Realm".
5. George Harrison, by George Harrison (1979)
I
just listened to this eponymous gem for the first time a few weeks ago on vinyl.
Really good. Probably in his top four albums after All Things Must Pass, Brainwashed,
and Cloud 9. Choice tracks: “Not
Guilty,” “Blow Away,” and “Faster”.
4. Dog Man Star – Suede (1994)
My
favorite album last year was Suede’s Coming
Up (1996) which quickly entered my top 50 favs. This year I began listening
to some of their albums. Dog Man Star
is a wonderful album. Great Britpop injected with David Bowie glamrock and 80s
new wave. Choice tracks: “Introducing the Band", “We Are the Pigs”, and “The
Power”.
3. Fear Inoculum – Tool (2019)
Tool
albums are always a special event. Given that it’s been 13 years since their
last album, this one was extra special. Even more so, this is probably one of
their best and definitely my favorite. It’s a good 79 minutes of heavy metal
prog rock. More subdued than their previous albums but better for it. Choice
tracks: “Pneuma”, “Invincible”, and “7empest”.
2. Head Music – Suede (1999)
Another
Suede album found its ways in my top albums this year. This is just a great group,
seemingly overlooked in the United States, but wildly inventive, with catchy
songs and glamour rock swagger. Choice tracks: “Electricity”, “Savoire Faire”, “Down,”
“Asbestos”, “Head Music”, “Indian Strings”, and “Crack in the Union Jack”.
1.
Hyperspace, by Beck (2019)
Definitely
my favorite album of the year. I’m a huge Beck and the fact that he has never disappointed
me with an album in a quarter century is a big factor. Hyperspace is no different.
This is an amazing album, is fifth best. It’s a thematic album about a figure dealing
with an end of a relationship by seeking to escape the exterior of the world
into “outer space” so he can find inner peace in the moment of by reaching “interior
space”. The album is subdued, minimalist, low-key funk, but with bright
synthesizer tones and an abundant use of high keys and falsettos to reach
heavenward. It has an 80s pop vibe and influence with Beck channeling Prince,
Brian Wilson, later Clash, Phil Collins, and Paul McCartney. Truly a masterful
work. Choice tracks: “Uneventful Days”, “Stratosphere,” and “Everlasting
Nothing”.
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