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.
Digital Content Editor Logan White’s Favorite Album: The Band CAMINIO – tryhard
This was a tough list to put together, as two years ago when I did my list for Substream it came down to a tough call between The Maine and The Menzingers for 1 and 2. Both of them released a new album his year. Additionally, one of my favorite bands — Third Eye Blind — also released a new album this year. The only thing that could have made this harder would have been if The Hotelier dropped an album at some point in 2019. But, it all came down to The Band CAMINO with tryhard.
I’ve followed The Band CAMINO for a few years now, but 2019 saw the band take things up a notch. They spent the beginnings of their career being unfairly written off as a band trying to capture what The 1975 had, but there was always a sense that they would break free of that at some point. 2018 was the beginning of that, and everything culminated in 2019 with the release of tryhard.
I had the chance to chat with The Band CAMINO earlier this year, and it remains one of my favorite pieces from the year — they’re a band that is as genuine as they come, despite critics’ early misconceptions. Maybe tryhard shouldn’t qualify, as it’s potentially technically an EP — but at 8 songs, I’m classifying it as an album. Even if it was 5 songs, it’s too good to pass up.
The release is full of catchy hooks and choruses that it’s impossible to keep track of. “Daphne Blue” is a song that has blown up for the band, and seeing them perform it live was as electric as it was mesmerizing. “Haunted” also happens to be one of the best songs of 2019, and again, with a chorus that you won’t soon forget.
They just wrapped up their biggest headlining tour to date, routinely selling out 1,000+ cap venues on this run, and just got announced as support for Dan + Shay’s spring arena tour. The Band CAMINO is on the rise, ready to take over the world. We’ll eventually look back and say that tryhard is where it all really started, and you won’t want to miss this ride.
