2019 Grammy Watch: Best Alternative Album
CMN’s team of music writers is previewing the 2019 Grammy Awards. The 61st annual ceremony will take place Sunday, February 10 in Los Angeles. You can see all of our Grammy coverage here.
Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino – This band’s newest album is different from anything they have done before. With inspiration from The Beach Boys and Serge Gainsborough, the album is unapologetically reminiscent of the 70s, definitely a new direction from their last album AM, proving their longevity and ability to evolve as a band.
Beck: Colors – From his first hit in 1994 “Loser,” Beck has been known to deliver the unexpected. His 13thalbum is his most overtly pop sounding yet.
Björk: Utopia – The avant-garde musician gets deeply personal with her 10thalbum. Telling tales of discovering love, rejecting violent men, and love song after love song, this album is highly intimate.
David Byrne: American Utopia – Known for his role in the Talking Heads, this is Byrne’s first solo album in 14 years. This album is optimistic, bright and honest as it pushes against current pessimistic politics.
St. Vincent: MassEducation – This acoustic album was recorded over two days at Manhattan’s Reservoir Studios. Compared to its’ neon, hypersexualized predecessor (MassEducation 2017), this album is stripped of that persona and reveals a true melodrama of romance.
Most Likely to Win:
Arctic Monkeys or St. Vincent. Both being fan favorites and immensely popular already, both albums are exploratory and not static.
Who Should Win:
St. Vincent. This version of the album offers a new perspective, focusing on the lyrics to the songs, and provides an alternative view into the her music.
