The Freshman 15: 2019's Best Debut Albums
Later this month, we'll release our final list of 2019's overall best albums. But our best of 2019 coverage continues right now with a look at the year's top newcomers in music.
Above is our list of the 15 best-reviewed debut albums of 2019, ranked by Metascore. Note that albums must have at least 7 reviews—and be a full LP, rather than an EP—to be eligible for inclusion. Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding (based on scores as of December 7, 2019).
(#4) While two of the three titles ahead of Dogrel are new projects from already known artists, this album represents 2019's top rock album from a brand–new band. The Dublin, Ireland post-punk outfit Fontaines D.C. didn't release anything longer than a single prior to the arrival of Dogrel in April, and the album made a big impression on both sides of the Atlantic, where it has been racking up votes on year-end top 10 lists. Fontaines D.C. have already completed recording their second album, which reportedly draws on the Beach Boys for a major influence and should be out in 2020.
“This is the kind of songwriting quality that bands can take years to reach, or never reach at all: brilliant, top to bottom.” —The Guardian
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