I work hard every year to hear as much new music as possible. This year, I ended up listening to over 390 new albums, across all genres and styles. If you followed my top albums of the decade countdown, you’ll know how this is going to work. Each article counts down five albums I loved in 2019, from #25-#1. Here are the next five in my top albums of 2019 countdown: numbers 20 through 16!

20) Cigarettes After Sex – Cry

Cigarettes After Sex are a divisive band. Every song sounds a bit like an indie Savage Garden track. Whispered vocals, textured instrumentation, and slower than slow tempos make the band feel stuck in one sound. Luckily for us, they master the sound on Cry. The band is always going to be criticized for its lack of diversity, but this album is perfect for any melancholy mood. At various points this year, I loved it first thing in the morning, and other weeks I enjoyed it right before bed. The band’s diversity is its structure, not its range. Internet hate is wrong this time around.

19) Tiny Moving Parts – breathe 

Tiny Moving Parts peaked in the 2010s as a midwest emo revival group. With lyrics as youthful and at times overly emotional, as any great emo band, they’ve found their happy place on breathe. The band’s pop leanings this time around make their math-rock style seem melodically calculated. In all honesty, the more this band leans into pop stylings, the more I’m convinced of their superior musicianship. That’s not usually the pattern in pop music, but the band’s emo influences still ring strong. With topics like drug addiction and growing away from friends, the album is topical for the general human experience.

18) American Football – LP3

American Football’s 1999 LP solidified the band’s indie cult status. The band’s emotional style became a generation’s soundtrack to breakups and letdowns. With a return a few years ago, the band seemed poised to pick up on their themes from an adult perspective. Now, the band is set with LP3 as a constant force in indie music. From 7+ minute soundscapes to multiple guest vocalists, including Hailey Williams for Paramore, the band’s third record is its best. Although, purists will disagree, which is fine. I still love the original band’s sound, but they’ve evolved into something greater than anyone expected.

17) Angel Olsen – All Mirrors

Angel Olsen is an unmatched force in music. Her album follows the insanely popular MY WOMAN from 2016 and 2017’s Phases. With a sense for grandioso songs full of emotion and messages of strength and perseverance, she’s inspiring and awesome all at the same time. If there’s an artist I think time will look back fondly on, essentially boosting her already popular persona, it’ll be Olsen. The title track on All Mirrors is one of my favorite songs of the year. It’s not sustainable, but if we got an Angel Olsen album every year like we’ve had the last few, I’d be beyond grateful.

16) The Tallest Man on Earth – I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream

The amazing thing about Kristian Matsson’s project, The Tallest Man on Earth, is the evolution he’s gone through. Originally from Sweden, the influence of living in New York and touring the globe for the better part of a decade show on I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream. Matsson is a personal favorite of mine, likely ranking in my incredibly subjective top 15 artists of all time. On this year’s record, Matsson pushes further to the eclectic indie side and away from his strictly fingerpicked, acoustic roots. Luckily, his musicianship shines through, and he still exists as one of the best lyricists of his generation.

The record is full of emotions and space. The recordings sound like they’ve taken place in an empty room with hardwood floors and few windows. This provides a great sense of overwhelmingness when Matsson hits his high notes or flourishes a guitar riff like it’s nothing. He’s a master of his craft, and there are few artist like him…ever.

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