Firstly, albums are not a thing of the past! Lof of people have claimed that this format was not relevant anymore in the streaming era, but the artists below have proven the contrary this year. Albums remain the best way to fully express an artistic direction and a vision.

Then again, it’s never easy to definitively rank albums so we guess that this list is only a photography of our tastes at this very moment. In one year, it could be totally different…

Finally, if you like any of these releases, and we’re sure you will, don’t forget to support the artists. Streaming is a good start, but it’s unfortunately not enough.

On Friday, we will unveil our Best Tracks of 2019 and you can already check the 20 EPs and Mixtapes that made our year. But for now, here are our 50 favourite albums of the year (you can also browse the entire list with our Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page).

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50. Konradsen – “Saints and Sebastian Stories”

49. Sneaks – “Highway Hypnosis”

48. Tobi Duchampe – “The Saddest Game.”

47. Kelsey Lu – “Blood”

46. PAT – “Love Will Find A Way Home”

45. XUXA SANTAMARIA – “Chancletas D’Oro”

44. Toro y Moi – “Outer Space”

43. The Japanese House – “Good At Falling”

42. Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant”

41. Bodywash – “Comforter”

40. Holly Herndon – “PROTO”

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39. Stella Donelly – “Beware of the Dogs”

38. Black Belt Eagle Scout – “At The Party With My Brown Friends”

37. Carla dal Forno – “Look Up Sharp”

36. Octo Octa – “Resonant Body”

35. TR/ST – “The Destroyer – Part 1”

34. Sharon Van Etten – “Remind Me Tomorrow”

33. Thom Yorke – “Anima”

32. Common Holly – “When I say to you Black Lightning”

31. Jessica Pratt – “Quiet Signs”

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30. Boy Harsher – “Careful”

29. Two People – “First Body”

28. Charli XCX – “Charli”

27. Nilüfer Yanya – “Miss Universe”

26. Yeule – “Serotonin II”

25. Noah – “Thirty”

24. Crumb – “Jinx”

23. Morabeza Tobacco – “Morabeza Tobacco”

22. Tyler, the Creator – “IGOR”

21. Clairo – “Immunity”

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20. Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors”

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19. Aldous Harding – “Designer”

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18. 100 gecs – “1000 gecs”

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17. Danny Brown – “uknowhatimsayin¿”

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16. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Dedicated”

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15. JPEGMAFIA – “All My Friends Are Cornballs”

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14. Sir Babygirl – “Crush on Me”

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13. Chromatics – “Closer To Grey”

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12. Men I Trust – “Oncle Jazz”

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11. FKA twigs – “MAGDALENE”

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10. Lana Del Rey – “Normal Fucking Rockwell!!”

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9. Weyes Blood – “Titanic Rising”

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8. Jenny Hval – “The Practice of Love”

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7. Maria Somerville – “All My People”

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6. Requin Chagrin – “Sémaphore”

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5. Big Thief – “U.F.O.F.”

(It was really not easy to decide and it could have been “Two Hands” as well)

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4. Caroline Polachek – “Pang”

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3. Grace Ives – “2nd”

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2. BEA1991 – “Brand New Adult”

(and artwork of the year)

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1. Erika de Casier – “Essentials”

Black Belt Eagle Scout has released “Run It to Ya”, the third and final advance single taken from her sophomore album At the Party With My Brown Friends. In true Black Belt Eagle Scout fashion, “Run It to Ya” places focus on the narrative of two queer indigenous women falling in love and celebrating their truth in the most glorious way.

Centring the lives of indigenous people has always been an aim of Katherine Paul’s, as she herself professed: “Throughout my work, I intend to show the thriving lives of indigenous people, and how we are often excluded from mainstream rock music and the media… I am trying to show what my life is like so that other people can see how we have the right to thrive in this world and have the right to decolonize.”

As a track, “Run It To Ya” feels inclusive and universal in the overarching themes of self-respect and love. It celebrates everything that makes you, without fear of rejection. This attitude of being unashamedly yourself, of embracing your queerness, your roots and your community, as well as helping raise up those who have been – and still are being – oppressed, is deeply uplifting. “Run It to Ya” is a simmering dreamscape of love and authentic beauty, a genuine and heartfelt ode to queer love and indigenous women. Black Belt Eagle Scout’s pure mind leaves once again a lasting impression and a message to not only live in your own truth but also to celebrate it.

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Black Belt Eagle Scout is readying the release of her second LP with Saddle Creek, who keep on being one of the best current labels for all things rock music. After a successful 2018 that saw the re-release of her enthralling debut Mother of my Children, Katherine Paul has been putting the finishing touches on her new record, titled At The Party With My Brown Friends. The songs she has shared so far (“At The Party” and “Half Colored Hair“) are quite in line with the mid-tempo, singer-songwriter feel that marinated a good chunk of her debut. She is now releasing another one of them, a dream-pop influenced track aptly titled “My Heart Dreams”.

Very much a 90s-influenced alternative rock song, “My Heart Dreams” seems to be on the verge of toying with the Pixies-esque loud/quiet dynamics that defined the project’s breakthrough single “Soft Stud”. However, such a breakdown never happens and “My Heart Dreams” decides to follow a different path altogether. It becomes a dreamy jam instead, arguably even more immersive than the most subdued songs on Mother of My Children. It almost recalls Mazzy Star in its warm and lush instrumental delivery, though Katherine Paul’s vocals keep that trademark roughness around the edges. Black Belt Eagle Scout has also shared a video for the song with the aid of Portland Two Spirit Society, bringing women and LGBTQ Indigenous people to the fore. As usual with Katherine Paul’s work, it is powerful and moving stuff. Watch below.

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Never one to shy away from ruminating upon her experiences as an indigenous queer woman, Katherine Paul aka Black Belt Eagle Scout returns a year after her debut album Mother of My Children re-released last year. Whilst her debut honed in on issues of grief, loss and finding your place in the world, on the first single from her sophomore album, we hear a more quietly optimistic sound. On “At the Party”, there’s still that sense of acknowledgement of the struggles that come from navigating your own identity in the world, but it’s underpinned by a powerful air of sanguine.

The repeated “We will always sing” that the chorus consists of, coupled with the closing line “I’ll think of you from a nice place, nice place,” lends the track an atmosphere of stoic hopefulness, a message that no matter how many times life attempts to knock you back, the power of the human spirit will prevail. Compared to her oftentimes scuzzy sound, that permeated tracks such as “Soft Stud” on her debut album, “At the Party” is striking for its bare bones structure. Led by KP’s breathy vocals and leisurely guitar riffs, it possesses a softness akin to a gentle breeze, a sighing wind running through an open field.

“At the Party” is an understated yet set jaw kind of track, one that rings with determination and quiet joy.

Black Belt Eagle Scout – “At the Party With My Brown Friends”

1. At the Party

2. My Heart Dreams

3. Going to the Beach With Haley

4. Real Lovin

5. Run It to Ya

6. I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song

7. Scorpio Moon

8. Half Colored Hair

9. You’re Me and I’m You