I know I claimed last week’s roundup would be the final one to cover 2018 music….

Well, I lied.

Albeit, unknowingly! How was I supposed to know that no significant releases would greet the first days of 2019?! On the plus side: this paucity afforded me even more time to continue catching up with my biggest misses from the year that was.

And they were:

---

American Utopia — David Byrne

Experimental pop by way of Leonard Cohen.

---

Caution — Mariah Carey

Pop Mariah > Ballad Mariah > R&B Mariah; unfortunately, rhythm-and-blues dominates the day here. Still, gotta respect the range!

---

7 — Beach House

[*in Beach House’s droning wail that’s more of a whine voice*]:

YAAAAWN

---

Origins — Imagine Dragons

Can Imagine Dragons do anything except Imagine Dragon? They’re like a generic, ultra-lite Coldplay, without any of the formal invention.