Another great year for all that jangles…many thanks to the following acts whose dedication to sound has given me more aural pleasure than most !

In all sorts of nerd-laden and very particuar orders…here are my favourite albums of the 2019.

 

1.  Lost Film  –  Zero Summer (Self released)

 

 

‘…Perhaps’ not oozing with the ebb of intra track originality and ‘perhaps’ not really needing too such is the general beauty, tracks such as Confess (see above), It’s Fine and Yellowish (see below) are the best of a superlative album that resounds crystalline jangled riffs and Hibou / Pale Spectres grandiosity…Janglepophub

 

2.  U.S. Highball  –  Great Record (Lame O Records)

 

 

 “Right out of the gate U.S. Highball join the renaissance of great Scottish jangle poprock with their debut, the aptly named Great Record. The 14 songs included here immediately draw comparisons with the best of Teenage Fanclub, Dropkick, and The Boys with the Perpetual Nervousness” … Pop Rock Record

 

3.  Carriers  – from from Now Is The Time For Loving Me, Yourself & Everyone Else  (Good Eye Records)

 

 

‘…Perhaps’ not oozing with the ebb of intra track originality and ‘perhaps’ not really needing too such is the general beauty, tracks such as Confess (see above), It’s Fine and Yellowish (see below) are the best of a superlative album that resounds crystalline jangled riffs and Hibou / Pale Spectres grandiosity…Janglepophub

 

4.  Beeef  –  Bull in the Shade (Self released)

 

 

“Bull in the Shade is the sophomore full length release from Allston (Boston) indie rock quartet Beeef, that increases the muscle in the tunesmith and lends an interesting perspective towards songwriting. Perry Eaton uses a slightly quirky vocal delivery that grabs attention immediately while the band establish jangling and mostly frantic instrumentation” …Post Trash

 

5.  The BV’s  –  Cartography (Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten)

 

 

“One of the blog writing activities we most enjoy is alerting our readers about music they might not otherwise hear.  We think Cartography by The BV’s may be a good example.  The band consists of Fred and Josh, and they list their locations as Falmouth and Ausburg, and according to our ears their musical creations span jangle pop, shoegaze and dream pop.  This is a very good set of songs, and we think it deserves your attention”...When You Motor Away

 

6.  Syrup, Go On  –  Last Light (Valley Heat Records)

 

 

“Their songs veer from a Mama and Papas sweetness with layered harmonies (‘Ego Sand’, ‘The Sun Ain’t Designed to Heat Up All Of Us and ‘Dismiss Everything’) to dense aural landscapes that evoke My Bloody Valentine at their most explosive (‘Reflection’ and opening self-titled instrumental ‘Syrup, Go On’), with even a touch of Fleetwood Mac in ‘Who Am I Foolin”…Backseat Mafia

 

7.  Poppel  –  Make Sense (Meritorio Records)

 

 

“Poppel know how to flirt with the edges of genre parameters better tham most modern acts. Their higher tempo tracks like the brilliant opening duo of Flower and Listen and stand out Make Sense (see below), slather diluted Launder / The BV’s  jangle-gaze over Olden Yolk style bubbling bass lines, whilst always retaining the sort of vocal clarity that Stephen’s Shore have perfected over the last few years.  It’s a perfectly erudite depiction of all that is good about modern jangle-pop”…Janglepophub

 

 

8.  Lachlan Denton and Studio Magic  –  A Brother (Bobo Integral, Spunk Records, Osborne Again)

 

 

“A Brother doesn’t exactly lay waste to the Dentons’ back catalogue, but it’s better – more powerful, fresher, rawer – than what’s come before. Musically, it rubs shoulders with Wilco’s best. On love and loss, it’s there with Blood On The Tracks and Tonight’s The Night”…Did Not Chart

 

9.  Sprinters  –  Struck Gold (Meritorio Records)

 

 

“As the daylight hours become shorter, the skies grayer, and the rain more frequent, one thing we have been able to count on is the feeling of hazy sunshine on our shoulders and a good dose of serotonin every time we listen to this album”…When You Motor Away

 

10.  Possible Humans  –  Everybody Split (Trouble in Mind Records)

 

 

“Another top-notch jangler out of Melbourne and the hotbed of Hobbies Galore. Possible Humans blend roiling twang with the crunch of fuzz and a quick-step beat pushing it headlong down the hill”…Raven Sings the Blues

 

11.  Blue Tomorrows  –  Without Color (Moon Glyph)

 

 

“Blue Tomorrows’ Without Color is a breezy, gentle sway of an album. Songwriter Sarah Nienaber writes songs that feel like running into an old friend after many years have passed. Familiarity and long lost memories abound come rushing back like opening some mental time capsule. Jangly guitar, care-free synths, simple drum rhythms come together to back Nienaber’s dreamy, ethereal voice”…Complex Distractions

 

 

12.  Rocketship  –  Thanks to You (Darla Records)

 

 

“Thanks to You also has a danceable side which is just as sweeping and ambitious as the rest of the album, with the gorgeous, string-laden “Outer Otherness,” and funky duet “I Don’t Know Why I’m Still in Love With You” that’s like a “Don’t You Want Me?” for 2019. Two weeks ago I didn’t realize this record existed but now I can’t imagine this year without it”…Brooklyn Vegan

 

13.  Dumb Things  –  Time Again (Coolin By Sound)

 

 

Brisbane’s Dumb Things have delivered Time Again, their sophomore album, and a fine addition to jangling slacker pop it is.  Breezy and carefree, it demands nothing of the listener but delivers great joy. We discovered it only recently, but it has become one of our favorite albums of the fall. Fans of Dick Diver, Twerps and other recent Australian bands should dive in without hesitation. But really, we recommend Time Again to any guitar pop fan...When You Motor Away

 

14.  Make Sure  –  Walk Home Instead (Self released)

 

 

The sentimental, lush, reverberant indie-pop that he offers in Walk Home Insteadis his current apex of his pretty-laser-focused goal of great moods: my wife asked me to turn the album back on because it made her feel “homey.” And if you had no more review than that, I hope you know that her recommendation is a very high bar indeed…Independent Clauses

 

15.  Swim Team  –  Home Time (Hysterical Records)

 

 

“…The full album, Home Time, arrives via Hysterical Records on July 12 and with it, promises another offering of the band’s lo-fi, but crisp and clean sound that over the years has morphed between different tones and flavours; moments more upbeat and blistering, contrasted against moments a bit more tender and emotive”…Pilerats