Our top albums of 2019

2019 saw the release of a lot of great music. From the surfacing of new bands we can't get out of our heads, to some of our long time favorites finally putting out the album we've been so eagerly waiting for. With the excitement of what the new year and new decade are about to bring to the music scene just days away, we decided to reflect on the past year and create a list of our top albums released in 2019.

amo - Bring Me The Horizon

amo, the newest album from Bring Me The Horizon is my favorite album for 2019. I could not stop listening to it on repeat once it came out. A lot of people were skeptical of this drop, and for all the right reasons. It’s a different sound for these guys, and most people were probably expecting another heavy record, because they dropped “MANTRA” and “wonderful life” in 2018 ahead of the album which dropped in January. Those two songs are pretty heavy, and they sound like songs most fans recognize. However, once the rest of the tracks came out, I was stoked. I love the mix with electronic sounds, I love the almost softer side that they show. They’ve done the heavy stuff before, and it was time for them to move on, and I think that this was a great move and a great album. This actually was the first Bring Me The Horizon album that I actually found myself coming back to and listening to it in its entirety, not just a few songs here and there. “medicine,” “in the dark,” and “mother tongue” are all relatively soft (for Bring Me The Horizon standards), and I think they are all really good, well written, catchy songs. They sound great. For the fans of heavy stuff they have “MANTRA,” “wonderful life,” “heavy metal,” and “sugar, honey, ice & tea.” I think this album is great from all angles, and I still continue to listen to it on repeat from time and time again. -Mackenzie

Honorable Mentions: Love is Dead and We Killed Her - Doll Skin, Gone In Your Wake - Thousand Below, Very Cool Music for Very Cool People - fredo disco

Nine - blink-182

Many albums have been released in 2019 that have been simply amazing! blink-182’s nine was one of them. Released on my birthday (how could this album not be my favorite?!?!), it was worth the well anticipated wait. Nine, is the first album that has truly spoke to my soul and spoke the words I couldn’t speak. I found that this album was on repeated for weeks, to the point my kids now know the lyrics to each of the songs. This album has fun catchy songs to dance around with to songs with deep meanings. For me songs such as Happy Days, I Really Wish I Hated You, Heaven, Darkside, and Hungover You, all have deep meanings for me. Each of these songs have gotten me through some of the darkest times and the best times this last year. This is one album that has easily made it to my all time favorite (prior was a tie between Enema of the State and Untitled). -Bree

Honorable Mentions: Lost in Make Believe - Academy Killer, How It Feels to Be Lost - Sleeping With Sirens

Nella Vita - Grayscale

We thought Grayscale did well with Adornment, but Nella Vita is truly magical. Lyrically, the album seems to take you on a journey through the lives of Grayscale. Musicality-wise, the album is so diverse. From dance tunes like “Baby Blue” to headbanging bops like “Twilight (My Heaven)” and the emotional “Tommy’s Song,” Grayscale showcases their talent and ability to float all around on the pop punk spectrum. Each song feels powerful enough to be a single, which says a lot about how much effort and thought went into this album. The album kickstarted their first headlining tour, which went to two dozen cities— many of which sold out. The band is even doing a Nella Vita pt. 2 tour since the first one was so successful! Nella Vita helped Grayscale break out this year and has made them even more competitive with top tier bands like Mayday Parade and State Champs. I’m so proud of my boys & so thankful for such an incredible and memorable album! -Julia

Honorable Mentions: Order In Decline - Sum 41

Fandom - Waterparks

Fandom broke the mold of our regular Waterparks record. The album embodies new transitions where the tracks fit together like a puzzle. Each song tells a different story, from being infatuated by someone you may have just met in a Target like in “Telephone,” or dealing with raw and honest struggles of the music scene in “Watch What Happens Next.” The band pulls at heartstrings in “High Definition,” highlighting a bit of our newly found cancel culture that’s been quite the topic this year. The album also gives moments of strength in the lyrics of “War Crimes,” with the line “I’m forgetting how to hate myself/I saved my own life.” While tracks of fury and passion lay within the tracks “Worst” and “Turbulent.” The album is diverse and keeps listeners on their toes. Making it an instant favorite of 2019. -Tabitha

Honorable Mentions: You Are OK - The Maine, Nella Vita - Grayscale

From the Screen to Your Stereo 3 - New Found Glory

New Found Glory’s From The Screen To Your Stereo 3 takes the place as album of the year in my opinion. The album has a sense of wholesome, carefree fun that we all could use more of. The album is the third installment in the band’s movie soundtrack cover series. Fans can tell how much NFG enjoy putting together the FYSTYS albums by the amount of effort and detail that went along with the record. Along with the seven song album, the group produced and starred in a music video for each song. The album also gave fans two tour legs with theatrical themes. We love the covers because New Found Glory loves the covers. From The Screen To Your Stereo gave fans a break from the everyday music, with a playful album with the New Found Glory sound we love. -Brett

Honorable Mentions: Steady Glow - In Her Own Words, Acceptance Speech 2.0 - Dance Gavin Dance

Beautiful Oblivion - Issues

My album of the year is Beautiful Oblivion by Issues. Something about this album really stuck with me. This album showed a softer side of their sound, and personally, I really liked that. My personal favorite song off the album is “Rain”. Something about the harmony in this song makes me want to listen to it over and over. I never found myself bored of listening to it, or skipping certain songs. Every song on this album was good, and even though this year is over I defiantly will not stop listening to Beautiful Oblivion. If you haven’t heard it, I 100% recommend you do. -Nicole

Honorable Mentions: The Nothing - Korn, Phantoms - Marianas Trench

Phantoms - Marianas Trench

Four years after the release of Astoria, Marianas Trench finally resurfaced with their latest album Phantoms. Flying under the radar and waiting four years to put out a new album set the bar extremely high for when that new album finally drops. I'm not going to lie when I say I had major expectations for what I was expecting from Phantoms. Their previous album was so big and orchestrated that it was going to be hard to follow; but I can easily say that I was blown away by this album. Everything I could have ever imagined and more as brought to the table. From dark haunting harmonies, to chillingly beautiful melodies, and unique instrument choices, this album everything you could possibly want from these guys. It was so well thought out and executed and definitely worth the wait. If you haven't checked out Phantoms yet, I strongly recommend doing so. -Natalie

Honorable Mentions: You Are OK - The Maine, Nella Vita - Grayscale, Midnight - Set It Off