First listen thoughts (likely to change)

“Who Am I?” feels like an album that demonstrates a writer coming into their own. Heather Baron Gracie has pushed her songwriting into new places and the ideas grappled with on this album are light years beyond their debut. From politics to the complexities of love, Baron Gracie manages to give a unique and curious perspective where she does not claim to know all the answers but it’s the afraid to ask questions either. This growth in ... read more

This album is a euphoric but tender ode to music and love in all its forms. From the very first synth sound and vocoder heavy line to the last I was hooked on this thing. It felt so fresh and new and it was my introduction to this band as I’d never heard more than a couple songs before putting this on the day of its release.

Let’s talk about production and instrumentation first. Seeing as this is a very synthetic and processed (both compliments) project, I’m gonna talk about ... read more

This album has been an unexpected favourite for me this year. I first heard about the band from the Mirrors festival lineup last year, where I unfortunately did not get to check out their set. So when I heard they released an album this year on one of my favourite labels Secretly Canadian, I thought I'd check it out to see what I missed out on and I was blown away. This record is in your face in the best way. It is a raw and bold expression of every chaotic emotion that are often hard to put ... read more

This is hard one for me to talk about. While I adore every Camp Cope project and everything I've heard from Georgia Maq's solo work so far, I feel like this album falls a little bellow the usual standard for her. It isn't the songwriting I take any issue with, in fact I love a lot of these songs and I think Maq's writing lends itself really nicely to pop music. My main issues with this record lie in production and mixing. Bear in mind this is my personal opinion however I feel like there are a ... read more

This is a near perfect release from an amazing up and coming artist. Janzen often gets compared to some of my favourite artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker and, while I can see the validity in these comparisons, I think that Janzen brings something different to the table. There is a refreshing folk and country root to the instrumentals and vocal delivery, something continued on from Janzen's debut EP "Stations", which helps give her a unique and distinct style. The ... read more

This is simply put a really fun project. I checked this out having caught a short live set from Hibberd last year and it did not disappoint. Sitting at 4 songs and 13 minuets this is a short EP and I find that to be one of its only flaws. Due to the short run time, I don't feel like there are many common themes or concepts established between the songs and I hope this is something that will feature when we get a full length record. However, that is really where most of my criticism ends. The ... read more

This is a really special album from a really special band. Although not my favourite project from their discography, it certainly has some of their best tracks to date such as 'The Opener' and 'The Face of God' to name a couple. The tight
instrumentals really tie this whole record together and add a feeling of emotional depth that is so essential in making the lyricism even more effective. Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich puts some of the best bass lines I've heard in a long time onto these tracks and the ... read more

Following the fantastic mix of beautiful vocals and stunning instrumentals on the original, Annie Clark really shows how multi-talented of an artist she is on this record. The pianos are breathtaking and often are given time to shine, however what really stands out in this re-imagination of the amazing "MASSEDUCTION" is Annie's vocals. Her delivery is so different than in the original versions and really shines light on Annie's talent as a lyricist and a song writer.

This EP is a perfect look into one of the masterminds behind modern pop music. Although Charli has contributed greatly to other people's music, she shines best on her own projects. This EP perfectly combines catchy pop melodies with techno instrumentals and production. The production especially is a standout and I think SOPHIE has done a great job at matching Charli's lyrics and personality with fun energetic production. It is aggressive without feeling grating which is a hard balance to strike ... read more

Another great record to come from Secretly Canadian in 2019 (along with Stella Donnelly's "Beware of the Dogs" and Shura's "forevher"). A perfect blend of many genres such as country and R&B influence this record is one of the easiest listens of this year and something I have consistently come back to. As Webster has said in interviews, this is her most honest record lyrically and I think that honesty has really connected with listeners like myself. A stand out track for ... read more

This album is a modern masterpiece. A lot of people write off pop as lacking texture and substance but both of these qualities and many more are present on "Melodrama". Starting with even just the title you can tell Lorde's self aware tone of writing about being a teen/young adult in the 2010's. She writes about everyday relationships and feelings with such nuance and intelligence so it hits you in a way that is relatable yet refreshing.

You can tell the bond that Lorde and Jack ... read more

This is a fantastic record. Unlike a lot of gay media, it doesn't feel heavy with lots of difficult emotions surrounding growing up gay or the likes, it just gives the listener a normal honest love story that happens to be between two women. The funk and soul influences mixed with the indie pop sound give this record life and keeps it an interesting listen. Lyrically, this album is beautiful and you feel like completely immersed in the relationship being written about. With a combination of ... read more

This is by far one of the best pop records of this decade. It is all pop should be, relatable, danceable, accessible and fun. There are a few different versions of this record so for clarity's sake, I will be discussing the 15 track 54 minute long deluxe version. From start to finish this album delvers. From summer pop bangers like first two tracks "Run Away With Me" and "Emotion" to songs like the more emotional "Favourite Colour". Although this is fun pop record ... read more

Following 2015's "E•MO•TION" was always going to be near impossible but Jepsen has definitely stepped up to the challenge. Although not quite as stunning as her last record, "Dedicated" is still one of the best pop records of 2019. Jepsen takes influence once again from decades past, namely the 80's and 90's in terms of style and production. The instrumentation on this album is solid and provides a perfect background for Carly's fun personality to shine through on ... read more

A strong contender for album of the year 2019 this record is smart, fun and such an easy listen. Donnelly does an amazing job at talking about the struggles of being a woman in a relatable way. Sometimes this is in an upbeat and confident manor like in the opener "Old Man" and sometimes this is more raw and vulnerable like in stand out "Boys Will Be Boys". This record perfectly shows how it is to be a young woman in 2019. These lyrical themes are matched perfectly by tight ... read more

This album is one of the most amazing pieces of art I've heard in a long time. Annie Clark is a true artist and this record is so distinctly her. From the amazing use of synths and guitars to the solid production. There are songs that are upbeat bangers like the title track and opener "Pills" and then there are songs like "New York" and "Happy Birthday, Johnny" that hit like a punch to the gut. My favourite track has to be the closer "Smoking Section". ... read more

There was no way when three of the best songwriters in indie and alternative music right now got together, they wouldn't create a masterpiece and this EP is just that. Every song is amazing in its own right and there are no weak tracks. They all blend elements of their solo works together so well and to think this was recorded in such a short amount of time amazes me. Lots of different instrumentation is used on this EP but it nothing ever gets lost in the mix. The lyrics reflect the honesty ... read more