HCTF's best of 2019 (20-16)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

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HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. This blog covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 20 to 16.

Please shop at your local record store, buy directly from the artist, attend live shows. Don't block anyone's view with with your phone (better still, switch it off altogether). Shut the fuck up while the band is playing. Educate your friends. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

The Petals: Seven Stops

photos: Luke Shannon

Pittsburgh based indie-rock group The Petals go through various moods on their latest album Seven Stops, with power pop and post-rock as the main ports of call. They are a band that goes with the flow, changing the tempo whenever they see fit. The vocals are a bit rushed at times, especially during Pinhead, a song that could have been a long lost Jonathan Richman track.

Searching for hidden meanings, both real and imaginary, is what drives them. In Quiet Down an answer is almost tangible, only to slips away again, leaving them flustered. With their for amalgam of noise and gentle pop The Petals have created a string of closely linked songs about doubt and trying to let go. The plea in Nyugalom to "Disengage wherever your are" sums it all up.