You didn’t think we forgot, did you? It’s that time of the year where everyone starts putting together their favorite albums of the year, and we couldn’t let that slip by without putting ours out there as well. Just like last year, we will have multiple lists from our writers to allow them to showcase their own unique, special tastes that make them a valuable member of our writing staff here.
These are always here for conversation — there is truly no list that is right or wrong. It’s one of the beautiful things about music that keeps us coming back to it time and time again. It can be fully subjective, and that’s absolutely okay. We hope that you may find something new to listen to along the way of checking some of our lists out, or maybe put together your own list and revisit some albums that came out earlier in the year and maybe got lost along the way. So with all of that being said, let’s get started.
Staff Writer Briana Denisulk’s Favorite Album: The Maine – You Are Ok
Having followed The Maine since the 2000s, I knew right away that their seventh full-length album would be a contender for my #1 album of 2019. But rest assured, You Are OK is wholly deserving of the title. In it, The Maine remains true to their alternative rock style while still bringing new elements to the table. The record effortlessly incorporates many of the themes fans have come to expect from The Maine’s albums, but presents them in a fresh and healing light. Mental health is one of these prevailing themes, made evident in tracks like “Slip the Noose” and “Broken Parts.” And it wouldn’t be an album by The Maine without recognizing the struggle that is coming to terms with growing up while still embracing your youth. “Flowers on the Grave” pulls at the heartstrings, encouraging us to bury the children we used to be. In contrast, “Heaven, We’re Already Here” reminds us that heaven is what we make it. By combining these with fun tracks that are impossible not to sing along to, like “My Best Habit,” The Maine have crafted a well-rounded experience. It perfectly showcases the band’s ability to make you feel complex emotions — and acknowledge that you’re not alone in dealing with them. With You Are OK, the 8123 family was gifted with another album that fosters a strong sense of community. In the end, the overarching message is (you guessed it): “You are okay.”
