My favorite albums of 2019 (in order):

i,i – Bon Iver Zeal – Kings Kaleidoscope Forever Turned Around – Whitney Surviving – Jimmy Eat World ley lines – flor Housefires V – Housefires

i,i – Bon Iver

This album is wonderfully complex and emotional. It’s tough to find music that has both instrumentation and lyrics that convey the artist’s conviction. It’s possibly my second favorite folktronica album, second only to Bon Iver’s own 2016 album, 22, A Million. Check out the track “Hey, Ma” first when sampling this album.

Zeal – Kings Kaleidoscope

Chad Garner, the singer and songwriter of the group, has a great ability to interweave his spiritual beliefs into music that motivates and comforts. Kings Kaleidoscope’s blend of math rock, beautiful vocals, and a tinge of hip hop helps this album never go stale. It is a hard-hitting album, with my favorite being “Naked Feet and Holy Fire”.

Forever Turned Around – Whitney

I didn’t think Whitney could outdo themselves from their first LP Light Upon the Lake, and I’m not saying they have, but this new album incorporates more brass, which I love. I never know how to quite classify them, but I will say this is a well-done “indie soul” album. The best song on the album is the opener, “Giving Up”.

Surviving – Jimmy Eat World

Surviving speaks to the toughness and endurance of human will. It reminds you that life is tough, but accomplishments are worth celebrating, as well as the failures. This band has been at it since before I was born, but they continue to put out quality punk/alternative rock albums. It has a great variety. Listen to “555” first :).

ley lines – flor

One of my favorite musical finds in college was this band. I guess we could call them synth-pop? With some strong lyrics and clear vocals, this band is an easy band to listen to always. I wouldn’t say their lyrics are overly deep, but I would always pick this for gym music. This album is well-done, so it’s hard to pick a song that stands out among the rest, but I’ll pick “little light one”.

Housefires V – Housefires

The best worship album, maybe ever. A lot of worship albums focus on telling God what they want him to do, but Housefires focuses on who God is and the incredible loves he shows people. It’s a humbling album. Everyone should listen to it all, as it’s a live album that is not segmented like a studio album. The song I listen to the most is “Coming Home”.