Nov 23, 2025
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Nonlocal Forecast: Holographic Universe(s?)! (2020, Hausu Mountain) on translucent orange vinyl
My Top 10 Albums of 2019
Wordpress version
Pleased to say I had trouble fitting this into a top ten. While I hope for some changes to the trends with the new decade coming, this was a great year for overall quality music and I look forward to finding more. In the meantime, here’s what I liked best. I should note the final order is a bit rough.
I list some EPs and honorable mentions below my #1 as well. SO many albums sat in a ‘close but not quite’ spot for me this time, but the sheer amount is certainly something.
10. SODA Lite - Vale & Stone / Soda Lite continues to make the most cleansing ‘nu age’ around, complete with synth mallets that make it sound like a molten forest you can drink. Listen to this outside! Listen to “Vale & Stone”
9. Caroline Polachek - Pang: Not every day you hear vocal sky-dives like hers on the same album as A.G. Cook, a yacht rock update and a sweet ballad that sounds like new age Imogen Heap... Which is why this is good. Listen to “Go As a Dream”
8. Teebs - Anicca: I worry his palette is getting plainer (not enough synths and bells, too much guitar!) but we just don’t have anyone in e-music like Teebs. Listening to him feels like napping in a painter’s garden and you can’t tell the difference between his world and yours. Full review here. Listen to “Marcel”
7. Sudan Archives - Athena: Sudan fuses organic e-music and her own calming voice with truly epic violin riffs like a brew in her garden. Interesting to hear the influence of Sudanese fiddle in this context. Listen to “Confessions”
6. Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima: My favorite modern punk singer teams with a Gorillaz producer and 70′s soundtrack fan. Somehow their pairing sounds too plain here and there, but they’re never low on ideas and sometimes fascinating. Listen to “Nox Lumina”
5. Nonlocal Forecast (Angel Marcloid) - Bubble Universe!: Colorful new agey jazz fusion enamored with the digital 90′s. Somehow equal parts giddy and serene, a real mood-booster if you find digital synths and/or MIDI game soundtracks fun at all. Listen to “The Evolutionary Game”
4. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors: String section takes an expressive voice beyond with a knack for powerful slow-burns. Don’t miss this if you like baroque/chamber pop (or the idea of it, even!). Listen to “Summer”
2/3. Ioanna Gika - Thalassa: Layer upon layer of swooning vocals fit for This Mortal Coil and complete with strings, synths and urgent rhythms; a must-hear for anyone wanting a more flexible take on the 80s goth trademarks. Listen to “Swan”
2/3. La Feline - Vie Future: Imagine if a dreamy French siren like Mylene Farmer or Camille worked with Broadcast or Ghost Box producers. Or maybe a floating forest in an old sci-fi movie. That’s this album. Listen to “Visions de dieu”
1. Kelsey Lu - Blood: Beyond promising and multi-talented new artist you may know from collabs with Blood Orange and Solange; great cello as expected with sublime vocals, ghostly folk ballads, eclectic pop songs, an electronic 10cc cover and more surprises. Listen to “Rebel”
EPs:
Brothertiger - A Chain of Islands / Chillwave, synth-pop. Listen to “Prideland”
Flying Lotus - INFINITY Infinitum / Nu jazz, spiritual jazz, neo soul. Listen to “MmmHmm”
Natasha Kmeto - Verse/Versus / Alt R&B, neo soul, synth-pop. Listen to “Count To 5″
Hinako Omori - Voyage / Progressive electronic, ambient. Listen to "Teleport"
Sulli - Goblin / K-pop, synth-pop. Listen to “Dorothy”
Suiyoubi no Campanella & Oorutaichi - Yakushima Treasure / J-folk, avant folk.
Honorable mentions: