To greet the new year with lots of luck and great music, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite 19 albums released in 2019.
In the past year, the lines have blurred across genre and language. Bedroom musicians are producing tracks like stadium rock stars. Furthermore, artists are mixing languages, experimenting with dialects. And no matter how quirky or alternative, an audience can be found across the internets. We’re so excited for the tunes to come in 2020.
So, hear hear! Cheers to a happy and prosperous new year, rich with great music and lovely people. Here are Cat Brain Land’s fave 19 new albums of 2019:
19.
i’m difficult: Not Your Wet Dream
The past year has seen a really interesting revival of city pop. A bit kitsch and super cool, what’s compelling about i’m difficult’s take on this genre though is their experimentalism. “Groove” is a grungey highlight on the album with its pained vocals. On the other hand, “Power” is an unsettling instrumental track with zappy ’80s synths and Radiohead-like wails. A weird combo, and the band pull it off in spectacular form.
Listen to i’m difficult on: Bandcamp
18.
Married Man: Hard Bargain
Hard Bargain is a lo-fi album of stellar proportions. Written by singer Sarafina Pea, Married Man is the 3-piece band that brings her tracks to its gritty fullest. An incredible songwriter, Pea brings defiance, empathy and curiosity into her songs. The LP intimately collects two years of Pea’s travels, troubles, and just plain old life. The result is nine dynamic tracks that’ll hit you straight in the heart.
Listen to Married Man on: Bandcamp / Spotify
17.
Cút Lộn: Xào Ke
Four guys having all the fun playing crossover thrash punk, with music that sits somewhere between Metallica riffage and The Offspring weirdness. Their lyrics are insanely simple, as they describe it, like a 7-year-old wrote it. And the Pikachu costumes? Well, that speaks for itself doesn’t it? All of this makes for a hella good time on Xào Ke, and Cút Lộn one of the most exciting bands to watch right now.
Listen to Cút Lộn on: Bandcamp / Spotify
16.
Teen Angst: Not So Vitriolic
Fronted by Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan Michelle Yeong, Teen Angst brings the fun of ’90s pop culture to lo-fi indie music. The 4-piece nails the theme of everyday Australiana, with its mundanity and jangle. But what sets this album apart is its lack of cynicism. Instead, the band crafts metaphors for love with dental care, and watching late-night TV with the loneliness of long-distance relationships. It’s truly wonderful songwriting.
Listen to Teen Angst on: Bandcamp / Spotify
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15.
No Buses: Boys Loved Her
We can’t put our finger on exactly what makes this band so addictive. The jittery indie beats of “Sleepswimming”, the blatant nod to the Britrock likes of Blur on “In Stomach”, the angular strokes of 2000s indie rock on “Tic”. It’s all so familiar. Perhaps this album is just a nice reminder to not overthink things. Great music is sometimes, just great.
Listen to No Buses on: Spotify / Apple Music
14. District 105: 9th (mini album)
The band called this release a mini album, but it’s anything but small. These seven tracks follow from their debut release, a split EP with Shelldiver. The first record was a raw offering, drawing on scratchy elements of neu metal and crowd chants. But on 9th, the band settle into their sound. It’s epic, confident and leans right into their love of Pantera riffs and comic books, with each track dedicated to a DC character in the Dark Nights: Metal series. It’s perfect really.
Listen to District105 on: Bandcamp / Spotify
13.
Run Run Run: Hoon
The masters of repetition, this album is at times psychedelic, other times mod. It calls vaguely to the avant-garde lo-fi of The Velvet Underground, but twists and turns with vocal chants and percussive jams. The album feels like a great adventure across landscapes, a nod to band’s origins in Guiyang, the southwest mountain land of China. A spectacular album for those wanting to free themselves from predictable playlists.
Listen to Run Run Run on: Bandcamp / Spotify
12.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring: All In Good Time
It was the album that broke the Internet. Dropping out of the blue, one fine day in November. All in Good Time is the band’s first release in a decade since 2009’s Rush to Relax. All the hallmarks of this much-loved band is on the LP: Brendan Suppression’s inimitable vocals, the boogie rhythms, lo-fi recording, the minimal choruses that are so damn catchy to sing along to. Ten years on, we still can’t get enough of ECSR.
Listen to Eddy Current Suppression Ring on: Bandcamp / Spotify
11.
Rainbow Chan: Pillar
Holey moley. This is a thrilling release by the electronic artist. Her sophomore release pushes away from the smooth pop stylings of her first album Spacings. Instead, Pillar is full of sharp edges and volatile rave beats. “Lull” is an insane dance remix of a Weitou lullaby, “CSR” is a mutant house track, and “For a Long Time” sits on an uncomfortable jungle beat. Mixing language and genre, and stirred in with no fucks given to pop norms, Pillar is one of the most exciting albums to come out this year.
Listen to Rainbow Chan on: Bandcamp / Spotify
10.
Acne: Crossways
A death metal band from Guangzhou who replaced their drum kit with Peking Opera percussion. There’s certainly a novelty to the concept, but on repeat listens it’s a joy to hear the inventiveness of it. The drums don’t simply feel replaced. Instead, the songs are crafted around the specific timbres and twangs of the traditional percussion instruments. “Nightmare” is a great example of this, with its ghostly industrial sound. Start to finish, this album is a brilliant listen.
Listen to Acne on: Bandcamp
9.
Fools and Foes: self titled
The perfect soundtrack for the voyeurs out there. This album is a spectacular debut long-player, perfectly capturing the band’s atmospheric sound. Their math-driven rhythms are softened brilliantly by singer and bassist Isabelle Romualdez’s soaring vocals. The result is dreamy and immersive, and the album’s vibe is optimistic and uplifting. This sense of freedom is highlighted on “Rift”; a free-time jam that is in no hurry at all.
Listen to Fools and Foes on: Bandcamp / Spotify
8.
Yeo: Recovery Channel
Last time we spoke with musician Yeo, he said he was going to lean into his teenage love of slow jam rn’b. Well, he’s done it. And it’s paying off big time. Smooth as hell exterior, rough and dirty bass lines, with a lyrical undertone that’s at times scathing, sometimes heartbroken. Yeo is a songwriter and producer at the top of his game on Recovery Channel.
Listen to Yeo on: Bandcamp / Spotify
7. Urgent Matter: self titled
Perfect for any time poor punks out there. Urgent Matter’s debut release is a rapid-fire 8-minutes long. In that tiny amount of time, they manage to pump out 8 killer tracks that nods to the garage-rock aggression of Jay Reatard. There’s no wasted second with this electric band from Singapore.
Listen to Urgent Matter on: Bandcamp
6.
Sui Zhen: Losing, Linda
What is life and death in our digital era? Sui Zhen a.k.a Becky Freeman has spent the past couple of years responding to these questions with her music. Deeply personal, Losing, Linda takes a breathtaking look at the human experience. Juxtaposed with the motif of artificial intelligence, the album hits on the uncertainty, disdain, joy and curiosity we have with technology.
Listen to Sui Zhen on: Bandcamp / Spotify
5.
Ourselves the Elves: Self is Universe
Their debut long-player, this brilliant album reflects the band’s evolution throughout the years. Playing together since 2011, Ourselves the Elves bring a dynamic spectrum of folk-driven indie songs. Singer Aly Cabral’s vocals gently sway throughout, but don’t get comfortable. Her songwriting confronts themes like submission, sobriety, empowerment, and depression.
Listen to Ourselves the Elves on: Bandcamp / Spotify
4.
Peter Cat Recording Co.: Bismillah
A collection of songs eight years in the making, Bismillah is shaped around Suryakant Sawhney’s deep vocal croons. The songs take a step back to a golden era of music. Where trumpets blare, songs swing with jazz beats, strings bop with disco fever. Through wonderful arrangements, PCRC’s music feels light and effortless. A sense that life should be lived and loved, right in this very moment.
Listen to Peter Cat Recording Co. on: Bandcamp / Spotify
3.
Soot: Pockmarked With... Soot! CS
Punk is about rebellion, and Soot rebels with cathartic and childlike fervor. Opting for trumpet, spoken word, and free-form songs, the 3-piece band plays a naive brand of punk music that will explode symmetrical or rule-driven minds. With tracks like “Supermarket Checkout Blues”, Soot’s topsy turvy playfulness brings volatile energy that is so fun to listen to.
Listen to Soot on: Bandcamp
2.
AA Matheson: Trying (EP)
What an experience it is to listen to AA Matheson. The songwriting deals with heavy topics but leaves beautiful space to reflect, sway, mull, question or simply listen. There’s no word in the English language that aptly describes the ‘air’ in a room, but Matheson captures it perfectly with every track on Trying.
Listen to AA Matheson on: Bandcamp / Spotify
1.
CHAI: PUNK
They reclaimed cute and kawaii in 2017 with their album Pink. Their sophomore album PUNK travels a similar pathway of empowerment, but with less post-punk chaos and more dance-bangers. But above all, PUNK is a joyful declaration to love oneself. Especially when you’re a fan of shameless, sugary pop music (like us).
Listen to CHAI on: Spotify / Apple Music