10 albums from 2019 to listen to on your commute
Listening to albums in their entirety is a magical thing. In the era of CD players, cassettes, and record players, I'm sure we all used to enjoy albums in full way more than we do now. With services like Apple and Spotify, and even winamp and Windows media player, shuffling or skipping songs has become the norm.
But I've recently started to listen to full albums a few times in a row, to fully grasp the intention and meaning of the artist. And I've gathered the 10 best albums of 2019 suitable for a short commute. I'll assume that a short commute is shy of an hour. I live in London and my current commute is one hour, while my previous one took an hour and a half on a very good day.
1. Beth Hart - War In My Mind (52:01)
Beth Hart is one of my top artists, and the one who made me fall in love with blues rock."War in My Mind" was a highly-anticipated album, and it shattered all expectations. The whole album takes you on a journey of self-discovery, as well as a peek deep into Beth Hart's soul. Maybe save this album for the way home from work.
2. The Dip - The Dip Delivers (31:00)
A band with no Wikipedia presence whatsoever but this shouldn't deter you from checking this high energy album out. "The Dip Delivers" is about 31 minutes long, and will make you skip to work - or at least dance internally and arrive with a smile on your face, whatever the commute is like. The genre is vintage rhythm and blues,
3. Black Pumas - Black Pumas (39:00)
The psychedelic soul duo is new on the scene, having been nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist. Their single "Colors" from the album “Black Pumas” was featured in an episode of "Grace and Frankie", and that's how I found out about them. The album makes me wish I could drive - or even better, carpool - so that I could listen to this without any interruptions from public transport announcements.
4. Cory Wong - Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul (42:00)
"His mother named him after a Vulfpeck song" - Cory Wong is an American guitarist playing funk, probably most known from playing with Vulfpeck. With a background in jazz and a focus on funk, the "Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul" album is anything you could wish for to forget your problems.
5. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (42:48)
The five-time Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish requires no introduction, after her massive explosion on the scene in 2019. The dark pop album is perfect for your commute, especially if you can really focus on the album. I recommend high quality headphones and paying attention, as you'll discover new layers every time you listen to the album. Find the "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" album on Spotify.
6. Harry Styles - Fine Line (46:37)
The opening track "Golden" should've been a single - it's an amazing, upbeat song, and it completely changed my mind about Harry Styles. I only knew him as a member of One Direction, and they were never my cup of tea. The "Fine Line" album changed everything I've ever known - and it's definitely an album I'll revisit in the future.
7. Dream Theater - Distance over Time (56:57)
One of the leading promoters of the progressive metal genre, Dream Theater have been releasing top albums after top albums for decades. The "Distance over Time" album is their most successful to date, and thankfully, their shortest - just so this amazing work can be included in this list! Listen at least for Jordan Rudess' impeccable (as usual) keyboard playing. An amazing band formed of the best artists, this is definitely not an album to be missed.
8. Rival Sons - Feral Roots (46:57)
Rival Sons, a blues rock band, released their sixth studio album in 2019. Mixed by the legendary Andrew Scheps, "Feral Roots" is an album that takes blues rock to extremes - from punchy rhythms to slower tempos, this album has it all.
9. Brittany Howard - Jaime (25:26)
If you think you haven't heard of the name Brittany Howard, you've definitely heard her work - especially as the lead singer of Alabama Shakes. Her first solo album "Jamie" was released in 2019, and at only 35 minutes long, is the perfect soundtrack to accompany your commute. This soul-funk piece of art is stunning, so I urge you to check it out.
10. Sharon Van Etten - Remind me Tomorrow (41:12)
I've learned of Sharon Van Etten pretty recently - her song "Seventeen" was featured in season 2 of the TV show "Sex Education" , so I looked the song up and got hooked on her music. The mix of folk, indie, poetry, and even electronic elements make the "Remind me Tomorrow" album a melancholy piece that should appeal to fans of multiple genres.