The Best Of 2019. Honorable Mention

As usual, the main list of the best albums is prefaced by the Honorable Mention list.

This time the list consists of 20 albums that are too good to be abandoned but there are some reasons why they are not included into the main list. I’m still feeling sad I can’t write something about every album mentioned below due to time restrictions (as I would like to think) or the horrible truth about deterioration of my English skills (something I’d prefer to avoid thinking of).

Anyway, there are two bands that have decided to call it a day this year. The first one is Tom Boyle. “Mar De Fondo” was intended to be the first in the series of EPs set to release in 2019 but the band abruptly split instead. The next one is Tourmalet. IMHO, “Fausto” is not their strongest effort – but the band was great and it’s sad they ceased to continue.

Clara Plath is back from the maternity leave with the album that set the new direction for the band. If you can imagine acoustic goth rock – that’s what it sounds like. The material of “Oscura” is 50% old/ 50% new and that’s why this album is not in the main list. 

Regarding Delafe’s “Hay Un Lugar”, melodically it’s a great album but it’s too subdued. You know, the music sounds like all the main parts were deleted from the mix during the mixing process, and now you can listen only to the echoes and secondary undertones of what was initially intended to be music. 

The Birkins’ “You Are Not Alone” is a true gem. When I first listened to this 2-disc tribute to Bowie’s immortal masterpiece “The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” my only emotion could be best expressed by that Futurama's Fry-starred “Shut up and take my money“ old meme. Look, they’ve got Jonathan Donahue in the mix!

And yes - Leon Benavente is in this section. 

En Septiembre «En La Constante Hay Un Bosque» (p)self-released BNDCMP

Grande Days «A Way To Collapse» (p)Elsa Records BNDCMP

Karabash «Societat Accidental» (p)Au! Records BNDCMP

Pauline En La Playa «El Salto» (p)self-released BNDCMP

The Night Animal «La Nocion del Impacto» (p)Orchard SPTF

Latigo Mantra «Diseccion» (p)Delia Records BNDCMP

Los Buges «Rendezvouz» (p)Discos Furia SPTF

Mad Robot «Punch Me, Kiss Me, Fuck You» (p)Endoftheworld/ Borx BNDCMP

Delafe «Hay Un Lugar» (p)self-released SPTF

Leon Benavente «Vamos A Volvernos Locos» (p)Warner SPTF

Blue Rodeo «Universo»/ «Vespertinos» (p)El Hombre Bala/ Los 80 Pasan Factura BND/CMP

Tom Boyle «Mar de Fondo» (p)self-released BNDCMP

Tourmalet «Fausto» (p)self-released BNDCMP

Power Burkas «Mai Nego L'Oci» (p)BCore Disc/ Famelic BNDCMP

Villanueva «Cuarto De Invitados» (p)Son Buenos SPTF

Clara Plath «Oscura» (p)Flor Y Nata BNDCMP

Birkins «You Are Not Alone» (p)El Genio Equivocado BNDCMP

Tucan «Maniacs, Fools & Jaguars» (p)MCR SPTF

Serpiente «Krizanteilu» (p)Humo BNDCMP

Tiger And Milk «Popular» (p)self-released BNDCMP

TOP10 EPs

The Best Of 2019. Top10 EPs and mini-albums

Starting this I don't feel good cos for the most part of the year I was pretty silent here. Was it the writer's block or any kind of fatigue (or I was just too lazy) - I didn't manage to maintain the frequency of the posting set by the previous years' experience. But it's the end of the year, and there's a tradition I can't avoid. So please find below 10 amazing albums too small to make it into the main list. I'm not pretty sure about the certain order so let's put it like this: these are the best short form releases of the year with neither particular order nor one and only number one. All of these are great.

AA Mama “Llama Cuando Llegues” 

(p)Son Buenos 

SPTF

Elodie ”Biologico” 

digital only release

YTB

I Am Dive “Kriegszeit” 

(p)WeAreWolves 

BNDCMP

Pararrayos “Rombos o Diamantes”

(p)Edita La Servidumbre 

BNDCMP

Dewinter “Cold Like The Winter“ 

(p)Musarañas 

BNDCMP

Les Atxes “Error Perfecte” 

(p)El Mamut Traçut/Hidden Track 

BNDCMP

Moito! “Ingenieria Inversa” 

self-released

BNDCMP

Noiseed “Dark Matter”

(p)El Hombre Bala

BNDCMP

Walking Lands “We Live And Breathe On The Same Planet” 

(p)Beauty Fool 

BNDCMP

Los Marcianos “Contra El Mundo” 

(p)Clifford 

BNDCMP

Selvatica "Macumba"

Selvatica "Macumba" (p)2019 Discos De Kirlian

If the album only managed to sustain the qualities of the first three tracks this would be the album of the year. I almost started my review with: "And while the country is desperately waiting for the debut Carolina Durante slab, the Album of the Year is already here". These tracks - namely "Quien Es La Sombra", "Solo Llueve En Mi Casa" and especially "Reino De Papel" - are the fast, sonorous, effervescent, ultra-melodic songs. But as the album flows by further it deviates from its initial course set by these amazing pieces and intrudes the air space of Her Majesty the Diversity with inclusion of saxo and tropical rhythms. There's nothing wrong with it and I really like saxo within the indie rock song context. So, all the subsequent tracks are good in their own right but as a result of the stylistic digressions the overall impression gets somehow blurred.

BNDCMP

FCBK

Oso Leone "Gallery Love"

Oso Leone "Gallery Love" (p)2019 Apollo Records

It’s been awhile since the Oso Leone’s previous effort – the magnificent “Mokragora” - was brought to light so I have never expected the Mallorcan band picking up right where they left off almost 6 years ago. But taking in mind the “Mokragora” undeniable perfection it’s impossible not to compare the new album with the previous one, and it goes like that. Instead of resuming the unhurried walks through the dewy forest undergrowth you are about to enter the sanitized vapourized and kinda sterile environment of the airport hi-class lounge. Its air tastes rich, it sounds vulnerable and trembling all around, and apparently its space is full of beautiful and intellectually gifted creatures but it’s nothing about a couple of cold waterdrops accidentally dripping at your cheek from a lacy spider’s web you shake while moving forward through the trees – unless it’s a drop of champagne on your tuxedo. 

The music is inventively constructed and perfectly crafted to include a lot of tiny details and hardly audible undertones. Focusing on the main melodic progressions you may let all these sonic subtleties that set “Gallery Love” aside from your average Buddha Bar comps go out unnoticed. So you still need to listen carefully to fully enjoy the record. Anyway, despite its own advantages, I can’t avoid admitting “Gallery Love” apparently lacks the predecessor’s true original feel.

FCBK

BNDCMP

Elodie "Biologico"

Elodie "Biologico" (p)2019 label tbd

You can’t call this indie rock combo prolific but it’s well worth waiting for “Biologico” all these 5+ years that passed on since Elodie’s previous effort “Tu Reloj” was brought to light.

Such gap couldn’t go by without causing some changes. Above all it translated into the considerable stylistic shift from electro rock that incorporated some guitar-fueled concomitants to purely guitar-driven rock with the touches of synths. The next modification is structural. Formerly one man project by Argentina-born Tenerife-settled Marcos Estrella, during the recording sessions of “Bilologico” it was converted into the duo with involvement of Marcos’ recording/production assistant and longtime friend Gustavo Molina into the creative process. His impact - along with providing these songs with the live drumming - is the most evident in the tracks “Nacimiento” and “Muerte” where the synths operated by Gustavo are the anchors for the melody. The latter is the most danceable track of the album. I can imagine it sounding over the sweaty people rockin’ out at the alternative dance parties. The rest of tracks is led by Marcos' guitar (the introductive part of "Reincarnacion" is so fucking cool) and his brave singing.

Thematically, “Biologico” revisits the Vedic concept of Samsara cycle as all the songs are following its pattern: “Birth” – “Growth” – “Reproduction” – “Death” – “Reincarnation” – “Samsara”. As far as I could get through the lyrics, this idea is applied to human relationships but I’m not sure as my aural Spanish skills are still not that great.

For me as a 90’s indie rock junkie the album recalls some lower profile (in the best sense of the term) bands like Small 23 along with their more well-known contemporaries such as Velocity Girl. The traces of post-punk and power pop are easily recognisable as well. In addition, "Crecimiento" (my favourite track on the album) reminds me of Mi Pequena Radio's first longplay "Esquiando Hacia Arriba". Though its roots are obviously planted in at least decade-long distance the album sounds crispy fresh. All the songs are catchy but there’s something more important than catchiness. It's emotion it delivers. This album's gonna bring you a whole lot of positive emotions. All these 20 minutes I've spent with the happy smile on my face, and the first thing I wanted to do right after the running time drew to a close was jumping around while shouting out something inarticulate.

FCBK

BNDCMP