Sound Obsession

Based on the number of cowboy hats on display on these album covers, the running musical theme for me in 2019 is fairly obvious.  No surprise, despite being a relative neophyte, my top ten favorite albums list last year was dominated by independent country music too.  With a staggering pool of new talent to explore, I continued that deep dive again this year.  Though unexpected for me just a few years ago, I've fallen pretty hard for country music's history, its sounds, its evocative storytelling, and its sense of timelessness. The following ten albums are my favorites of 2019.  I've chosen not to rank them, so they're listed in alphabetical order by artist name.  Any of these could be my favorite depending on the day of the week, but if I had to grab one right now for the desert island, it'd be Charles Wesley Godwin's Seneca Creek (with Joshua Ray Walker's Wish You Were Here  a close second). Check out my 2019 runners up & honorable mention list

In alphabetical order by artist name.  Top Ten for 2019 coming soon! Anderson .Paak:  Ventura   (Aftermath - 4/12/19) Baroness:   Gold & Grey   (Abraxan Hymns - 6/14/19) Tyler Childers:  Country Squire   (Hickman Holler Records - 8/2/19) Com Truise:  Persuasion System   (Ghostly International - 5/17/19) Desert Sessions:  Vols. 11 & 12   (Matador - 10/25/19) Ben Jarrell:  Troubled Times   (Country Roots Records - 3/29/19) Little Simz:  GREY Area   (Age 101 - 3/1/19) Jon Pardi:  Heartache Medication   (Capitol Records Nashville - 9/27/19) The Steel Woods:   Old News   (Woods Music - 1/18/19) White Denim:  Side Effects   (City Slang - 3/29/19)

Brazilbilly, Robert's Western World, Nashville TN - 12/14/19 Anderson East, Marathon Music Works, Nashville TN - 12/14/19 Black Pumas, Marathon Music Works, Nashville TN - 12/14/19 Tyler Childers, The Anthem, Washington DC - 12/13/19 Marcus King Band, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 12/8/19 White Denim, U Street Music Hall, Washington DC - 11/19/19 Charles Wesley Godwin, Gypsy Sally's, Washington DC - 10/17/19 Black Keys, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/12/19 Black Keys, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/12/19 Black Keys, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/12/19 Sturgill Simpson, The Black Cat, Washington DC - 10/7/19 Ian Noe, Songbyrd Cafe, Washington DC - 10/5/19 Massive Attack, The Anthem, Washington DC - 9/24/19 Massive Attack, The Anthem, Washington DC - 9/24/19 Massive Attack, The Anthem, Washington DC - 9/24/19

Brent Cobb, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 9/18/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Chris Stapleton, Margo Price, Marcus King, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Chris Stapleton, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Chris Stapleton, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Ward Davis, Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington DC - 10/9/19 Charles Wesley Godwin, Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington DC - 10/9/19 Torche, The Black Cat, Washington DC - 7/31/19 Jim Kweskin, Colony, Woodstock NY - 7/5/19

These are my top-twenty favorite albums of 2019 so far (in alphabetical order by artist name).  With another six months to go, and many highly anticipated albums still on the horizon, who will make my 2019 top-ten favorite albums list in December?  Enjoy. . .  Taylor Alexander:   Good Old Fashioned Pain   (Hail Mary - 4/12/19) Baroness:   Gold & Grey   (Abraxan Hymns - 6/14/19) The Black Keys:   "Let's Rock"   (Nonesuch - 6/28/19) Black Pumas:   Black Pumas   (ATO - 6/21/19) Candlemass:   The Door to Doom   (Napalm - 2/22/19) Com Truise:   Persuasion System   (Ghostly International - 5/17/19) Drenge:   Strange Creatures   (Infectious - 2/22/19) Charles Wesley Godwin:   Seneca   (Self-Released - 2/15/19) Grey Code:   Reprieve   (Metalheadz - 1/11/19) Ben Jarrell:   Troubled Times   (Country Roots - 3/29/19) Gabe Lee:   farmland   (To