2019 List Week: The Top 10 EP's Of 2019
10. Kero Kero Bonito - Civilization 1
KKB are no strangers to this list and have nearly topped it before, while Civilization 1 isn't the bands most shining moment it does show off a ton of creativity as they continue to push their sound and increasingly interpolate socially conscious lyrics and more features of contemporary indie music, where so little of the J-Pop the group originally blew up on remains. The short EP is highlighted by its amazing middle track When The Fires Come that will be talked about on some future lists for sure, a fantastic pan flute interpolating, politically charged and most importantly impossibly catchy tune. If this is the future of Kero Kero Bonito, myself and many other fans are excited.
9. Remo Drive - Natural, Everyday Extended Play
Remo Drive released a disappointing sophomore record earlier this year, despite having one of the best songs of the year on it, but that's for another list. On the records companion EP the band begins to step back towards what made them so explosive and creative on their debut record, and the EP that made this list last year. The EP is a short collection of two new songs and a great re-imagining of one of the better cuts from the bands 2nd record. The beefed up instrumental on the re-recorded Separate Beds is exactly what the song needed and paired with a great dramatic and lyrically sharp tune like Romeo this EP did just enough to keep me excited for what the band has coming, and keep them in my mind for the second half of this year.
8. Interpol - A Fine Mess
On A Fine Mess Interpol begin the process of fixing some of the mistakes they made on last years disappointing Marauder. With a much harder hitting set of tracks headlined by the EP's self-titled banger of a lead single they start to recoup some of what made them such a fantastic and breakout Post-Punk act back in the 2000's. The set of tracks goes above and beyond simply a leftovers EP and makes for a set of potential deep cuts far better than what their studio record last year got, a step in the right direction for a band many feel have lost their way.
7. Kilo Kish - REDUX
Coming out of nowhere right at the end of the year frequent Vince Staples collaborator Kilo Kish dropped REDUX, her best release yet and a shift in tone and style. Instead of the cloud rap pieces we are used to from Kilo, or her surprisingly experimental EP last year, she is going full on electro pop here and it pays off big. Despite the fact that I wish she brought a bigger vocal presence to these tracks the songs themselves are excellent, and the instrumentals are some of the hardest and most creative you'll hear in pop music this year. Her slick, sensual heavily R&B inspired sound is executed very well here making any song potentially a sexy slow burner or a wall to wall banger that begs to be danced too, if this is the kind of music Kilo Kish makes going forward we should all be keeping a look out.
6. Broken Social Scene - Let's Try The After Vol. 1
Broken Social Scene released two EP's this year, one that was one of the most boring and inconsequential listens I had to sit through all year, and the other is a pretty solid collection of indie rock tunes that follows in the footsteps of their pretty good 2017 comeback album. Vol. 1 features the better of the two instrumentals, the groups best single of the year in All I Want and some very solid supporting tracks that fit nicely into the bands long running catalog of indie music. The EP may not blow anybodies minds but it is a nice treat for indie fans and one of the better EPs I heard this year.
5. Daphni - Sizzling
If you're looking for catchy, shimmering, upbeat dance music in 2019 look no further than Daphni's Sizzling. Dan Snaith who also is behind Caribou has used the Daphni moniker to make dance music for a long time but it has been a while since the project has sounded so fresh. These four tracks absolutely pop and hit with grooves so tight they are absolutely irresistible in that way only true dance music can be. They are stylish, fun and a collection of must-listen tunes for fans of any kind of dance or electronic music this year.
4. Toro Y Moi - Smartbeats
One of the most unlikely pieces on this list comes from Toro Y Moi who put out a record very early on in the year and a mixtape just a few months ago. In between he released a feature filled EP in collaboration with Smart Water of all things, that I probably would have skipped if not for the recommendation of a trusted friend and Toro Y Moi fan. As it turns out Smartbeats is one of the most experimental and interesting Toro Y Moi projects in recent memory, featuring voices like Empress Of and Washed Out the songs here are mainly vocalized through chopped and screwed sections of performances and very rarely mirror the artists conventional songs. Instead it has a much more ambient feeling pulling from natural sounds and spreading out long and patient compositions, the projects 4 songs adds up to a total of well over 20 minutes. The authentic almost field recording level natural landscapes are fascinating and the compositions stay interesting through their moderate runtime by ambient music standards, and one of the most unique sonic experiences of 2019 came from a place just about nobody expected.
3. Gesaffelstein - Novo Sonic System
Earlier this year Gesaffelstein dropped his collaboration filled second record and despite some big names popping up here and there the true classic house tunes like Reset and Vortex became fan and critic favorites and it's clear Ges realized this. On the Novo Sonic System EP he drops a series of six dark, hypnotic and driving house songs with hard-hitting arrangements and grimey club ready beats. The songs beg to be performed live and deliver on all the energy that house and club music consistently promises and makes for one of the hardest electronica experiences this year. The only hope we can have going forward is for a full record of tracks this solid.
2. Earl Sweatshirt - Feet Of Clay
Last year Earl Sweatshirt dropped my album of the year and one of my favorite albums of this entire decade with Some Rap Songs and while Feet Of Clay does fail to be as consistent as that record it brings the same groundbreaking creativity and passion for innovation in rap music. On the EP we get a collection of odds and ends that seem to come from the same headspace, and maybe even the same recording sessions, as last years Some Rap Songs. Tracks like 74 and MTOMB evoke the same emotional potency and unabashed openness through their lyrical themes as SRS but Earl even pushes this sound further. Take Tisk Tisk / Cookies as an example of a song with a surprisingly catchy hook and some more conventionally sharp bars to prove Earl hasn't lost a step when it comes to his conventional rap talent either. The truly jaw dropping moment of the EP comes on the song East a dizzying rap tune that hits with a stunning and brutal circus beat as the harsh and confrontational background to some of the best lyrics Earl has ever pinned. "I wait to be the light shimmering from a star, cognitive dissonance shattered and the necessary venom restored, as if it matters if you think it matters anymore". Pairing a solid set of tracks with one of experimental hip hops standout moments this year makes Feet Of Clay one of the best short form listens of 2019.
1. Poppy - Choke
This year isn't even close. The only EP I heard in 2019 that I loved as much as the holy trinity of Jenny Hval, Open Mike Eagle, Aphex Twin last year was Poppy's Choke. Her artistic evolution continues on Choke as not only is she continuing to interpolate hard rock genres into her original synth pop sound but now even some other styles of music are collating into a uniquely haunting sound that I adore. Take the opening song and title track Choke for example with its dark rattling percussive hits that mirrors the sleek underground electronica of the 80's and 90's more than the synth pop we had become accustomed to from Poppy. FEVER 333 join the fray on the track Scary Mask for a two faced combination of fluttery synth pop and post hardcore that crash into each other with explosive results. Jason Butler's brutal vocals give way to Poppy's sugary shouting in a way that is so consistently satisfying from a computational perspective. So much credit should be given to Titanic Sinclair for the consistently effective genre melding, he also provides the harsh whispered spoken word vocals on the Slint channeling track Meat, one of the best songs of Poppy's career so far. Despite a massive transition in her sound Poppy hasn't missed a beat and has continued to blend together genres with a creativity rarely seen anywhere in music and the consistent critical acclaim she receives is a sign of how many people are hearing her music and falling immediately in love with it. If you obly have time to listen to 1 EP this year, make it Poppy's Choke.
Thanks for reading!
That's the last of the short lists and the next three days are the big ones, check out the guest features of the year list here and stay tuned for the Singles, Songs and Albums of the year lists.
