This year’s best albums come from a broad range of genres.
Stopping to reflect on the great music released in the first six months of a year has become an important tradition.
It forces us to actively consider the music we’ve enjoyed so far this year, and introduces us to the records that we missed, or that we had every intention of listening to but just never got to.
This year’s best sounds so far have been diverse; country, prog-rock, punk, modern soul, and good old fashioned indie rock are all represented here.
And while I’m not supposed to talk about albums that aren’t on the list – of which there are, of course, many – I’m making a special exception.
The debut album from LA pop star Billie Eilish got its claws into more than a few people around Double J. Listen to it with your kids. Or your friends. Or by yourself. It’s wonderfully dark, adventurous pop music.
Whether you’re a keenly engaged consumer of new music or a casual fan who needs steering towards the best new sounds, hopefully you’ll find something to love here.
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Amyl & the Sniffers – Amyl & the Sniffers
Melbourne’s sharpie subculture of the 60s and 70s lives on in Amyl & the Sniffers, a bunch of transplants to the city who kick out hard, fast and heavy pub-punk.
Led by firebrand vocalist Amy Taylor (someone offer her some voice work immediately), the Sniffers have bottled the rip-shit-or-bust rock’n’roll honed at their vicious live shows.
With 11 songs that fly by in a half-hour, Taylor barks out her thoughts on homelessness, dead-end jobs and love gone bad, driven by the Sniffers’ unbridled raw power.
These mullets can’t be muzzled. – Sam Wicks
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Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
Another delicate and devastating piece of music from the pen of Big Thief‘s Adrianne Lenker.
Her deeply affecting, evocative lyrics are potent as ever on the Brooklyn band’s third album, and the music has that same free and unencumbered spirit as their best work in the past.
Whether you’re losing your mind in the dizzying ‘From’, stomping your feet to the down-home Americana of ‘Cattails’, or bawling your eyes out to the title track – you’re not gonna get through this record without feeling some feelings.
Listen deeply and allow yourself to be taken by its subtle charms. – Dan Condon
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James Blake – Assume Form
After three James Blake albums and what feels like a million sad, electronic R&B copycats, I thought to myself, ‘Enough! I have had my fill of this sound. No more!’
But this is an album of uncommon depth, sophistication and emotional resonance.
Yes, there’s sadness – it’s a James Blake album – but, for the first time, you get a very real sense of hope creeping into the music. And it’s this new dimension that makes Assume Form such a compelling album.
There’s light and dark within all of us and music is never more powerful when it speaks to both. On Assume Form, James Blake pulled back the blinds and let the light in. – Stephen Goodhew
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The Cat Empire – Stolen Diamonds
Stolen Diamonds is chock full of trumpets, horns, and the danceability that The Cat Empire are known for.
Their eighth album was drip-fed to us over the course of six months, but that didn’t stop the full album making a big impact when it was released in February.
Bending and blending genres to their will, the band mould their signature sound into something that doesn’t get stale, fusing years of hard work as a touring band.
This album works equally well played live on a mammoth festival stage, or turned up to 11 on your stereo as you dance around the lounge room. – Sarah Howells
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The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
I was not prepared for just how much I would love the new The Chemical Brothers album.
A band who have been omnipresent in my musical life, when I first saw the album scheduled for release I thought, ‘Okay, here we go with another set of fairly bright, crowd-pleasing dance tracks’.
But that first listen hit me like a tonne of bricks. I hit repeat on it straight away.
Born out of the club rather than the studio, this is a collection of fast paced, propulsive, driving tracks – mirroring the discontent of the times we find ourselves in.
Stay angry, Chem Bros. – Gemma Pike
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Fontaines DC – Dogrel
Fontaines DC are a cracking new band from Ireland who’ve really excited me this year.
Their debut LP Dogrel is full of intense, dynamic, rocket fuelled post-punk.
It sounds inquisitive and passionate, like a band with a deep love of musicianship still exploring the edges of their sound.
Fontaines DC also love poetry and sing about James Joyce, which feels very romantic, especially since many of their songs are about life in Dublin.
It’s thrilling, gritty rock from a band with infinite possibilities ahead of them. – Karen Leng
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Aldous Harding – Designer
The third album from New Zealand’s Aldous Harding is not what I expected.
After the acclaimed, intense folk drama of 2017’s Party, Harding’s voice is softer and warmer on Designer, with songs that lure you in with sweetness and lull you in to a state of unsettled calm, reminiscent of a Sophia Coppola soundtrack.
Teaming up again with producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, Eels) Harding’s oblique lyrics, intense and at times fragile voice, proves she is one of the most unique, otherworldly artists right now.
Designer is that perfect Sunday morning record you’ve been looking for. – Meagan Loader
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Julia Jacklin – Crushing
On her masterful second album, Julia Jacklin explores the non-linear realities of heartbreak and loneliness in a way few artists can do.
The most brutal (and best) song is the opener, ‘Body’. The scary dickhead ex-boyfriend – proud of being kicked off a plane for smoking, now in possession of nude photos of her – is perfectly drawn and unfortunately recognisable.
‘I guess it’s just my life, and it’s just my body‘ she observes painfully.
These lyrics linger in your mind as Jacklin moves through emotionally potent singles ‘Pressure to Party’ and ‘Head Alone’, exploring cleverly the rocky path of self-realisation. ‘Hurts for a while, cured with time‘ she sings hopefully on gentle closer ‘Comfort’. Like the worst break-ups you might find yourself flicking back to track one to do it all over again. – Ryan Egan
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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies
You know when you go on a day trip and it begins with a delightful drive out of the city into the clear, crisp air of the country?
You stop in for a ploughman’s lunch and decide to pair it with a glass of Chardy. Before you know it, the arvo is taking on a different kind of shape and you’re having D&Ms with your mate.
You stumble into a bush doof then, what seems like five minutes later, the sun is coming up and you’re full circle at the start of a new day.
That’s what this album is. – Zan Rowe
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Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Lizzo caught our ears with ‘Boys’ in 2018. She then dropped her massive earworm ‘Juice’, the huge ballad ‘Cuz I Love You’ and then, out of nowhere, ‘Tempo’ ft. Missy Elliott, which absolutely blew us all away.
So, by the time her album dropped, expectations were pretty high. The record turned out to be a solid, unapologetically loud collection of retro-infused, glossy soul-pop party jams and self-love anthems layered with messages of female empowerment, survival and self-love.
An infectious, feelgood record for anyone feeling like they need to belt out some car karaoke, hit the dancefloor or turn their happiness dial up to 11. – Luanne Shneier
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The National – I Am Easy To Find
I’m always excited by new music from The National, but when I found out I Am Easy To Find was on the way, I was sceptical. For a band whose evolution has always been gentle, it was time for a more daring creative step.
Boy did they deliver. The Brooklyn sad dads have taken their biggest creative leap forward in 15 years. Adding more than 75 musicians and a guest roster of female vocalists on just about every track adds another intricate layer to the band’s familiar, distinct brand of smart, melancholic indie rock, without diluting their familiar sound.
If you’re a fan, you’ve probably already fallen in love with this truly beautiful record. If not, it might be the perfect record to dip your toes in and see what the fuss is about. – Luanne Shneier
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Jordan Rakei – Origin
London based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Rakei is in a league of his own.
Origin is a lush mix of modern soul, jazz and funky grooves that’s best enjoyed in multiple, fully immersive doses. Shifting rhythms and meticulous details seem to pour out with ease and, more importantly, feeling.
There’s brighter colours but the same classy tones as 2017’s Wallflower and his debut Cloak. It’s warm and tender without being cloying, cool and sophisticated but never aloof.
The ambition’s always been there so it’s wonderful to hear his confidence finally catching up. – Dorothy Markek
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Jess Ribeiro – LOVE HATE
Named after opposing ends of emotional states, Jess Ribeiro‘s third album is however dedicated to extrapolating the in-betweens and nuances on which relationships can be built.
There are haunting shades and enticing textures which throw light on the side glances, sweaty palms and nervy awkwardness we sometimes wrestle with when a deep connection strikes.
Guitars waver and warble before joyously lifting off in ‘Stranger’, there’s the pulsing pensiveness of ‘Chair Stare’ and the expectant beat and sinewy synths of ‘Young Love’ make for a heady hormonal haze. Ribeiro easily jumps from sounding forlorn to alluring, from devotion to dejection, but always able to spare us a sly wink of the eye.
At all points LOVE HATE feels like a collection of characters and their tales of romantic intrigue told with a cinematic eye. – Caz Tran
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Ry X – Unfurl
RY X has a truly stunning voice, and the judicious production on Unfurl means that every aspect – strings, percussion, organs, synths – is given space to breathe. Space to sound as beautiful as it should.
He’s not experimental, but you still feel the heart behind what he does.
Some songs, like the driving ‘Foreign Tides’ or the almost-dancefloor-ready ‘The Water’ threaten to become big, grandiose epics. But the restraint kicks back in eventually and, before you know it, everything has settled back down.
This is a hypnotic, meditative album that you should surrender yourself to. – Dan Condon
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Solange – When I Get Home
Solange has nothing to prove. When I Get Home is an experimental and assured album that shows someone working with complete self-assurance. A piece of work that is more about expression and exploration than trying to pander to what is happening in pop music today.
The many guest spots – from Sampha, Panda Bear, Tyler, the Creator and more – are very much in support of Solange’s performances rather than trying to take the spotlight. While tracks like ‘Jerrod’ prove that Solange requires no assistance.
When I Get Home is not for everyone. In fact, its appeal is probably fairly limited for an artist of Solange’s public stature. But, if you’re a fan of R&B that colours well outside of the lines, you’re going to fall deeply in love with this extraordinary piece of art. – Dan Condon
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Toro y Moi – Outer Peace
This album will forever take me back to the first few months of 2019. It was the soundtrack to my summer. All I listened to as I stalked the carpark at the beach, sweated on crowded buses, and hit the pavement in the hot sun with my headphones on.
Outer Peace is a total joy from start to finish. I get a spring in my step every time the beat kicks in on ‘Freelance’ and a smile on my face as I sing along to the chorus of ‘Who I Am’.
Forget the chillwave tag. In the past decade, Toro y Moi has proven he’s got so much more to give. If you’re craving a record that’ll make you happy from the moment you hit play this is for you. – Caitlin Nienaber
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Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
Vampire Weekend won me back with this album. Not that they ever really lost me, but their preppy 2008 debut grabbed me by the heart in a way that their successive records didn’t quite manage to.
Father of the Bride feels like Vampire Weekend has grown up emotionally, and their music is richer for it. It’s an ambitious double album, sweeping through the joy, the pain, the success and the failure of young adult life.
The catchy hooks and sing-a-long lyrics are still there in tracks like ‘Harmony Hall’, ‘Bambina’ and ‘This Life’, and there’s some impressive collabs with Danielle Haim, Mark Ronson, and The Internet’s Steve Lacy. – Gab Burke
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Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Remind Me Tomorrow sees Sharon Van Etten at her full wing span, delivering an album that is a fascinating combination of being both a strident, at times aggressive, musical barrage, but at the same time, also being completely fragile and emotionally prone.
Her tales of love lost and confession are surrounded by jaw dropping swathes of broken piano, infinitely echoing synth and irrepressible rhythm. It’s almost like staring at Sharon backlit on the horizon, in both triumph and pain, after Rome has burnt down.
A glorious, ambitious and fascinating album. – Henry Wagons
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Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
It’s a beautiful record, in all senses. Beautifully strong, vulnerable, open, reassuring, and to pun on her name, wise.
Weyes Blood – aka Natalie Mering – is now four albums into her career. This is an excellent starting point for the uninitiated. Echoes of George Harrison, Carpenters, Beach Boys, Todd Rundgren, Philip Glass, and even Enya (in the voice layering department, she admits) all come ringing out of various songs.
This album could have happily lived in any decade across the past 50 years, yet it still feels so connected to today. By processing her memories, ideals, and other layers of her subconscious, she lands on at outlook that only spells survival and strength to me. – Richard Kingsmill
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Yola – Walk Through Fire
From the first bars of the track ‘Faraway Look’, a glorious feeling of sublime calm takes over. Yola’s debut album Walk Through Fire takes you on a journey through classic 70s sounds with touches of soft country sensibilities.
It’s like a memory you can’t place. A reverie.
This British singer-songwriter will soothe you with her soulful lullabies as her voice melds around your ears and gently rocks you.
Listen to this album under the breeze of a shady tree on a sunny afternoon, on a tartan picnic blanket in the park. Perfect with soft cheese and full-bodied wine. – Wendy Saunders