As often tends to happen, the trend of posting late year-end wrap-ups continues…..and this year it is even more belated. In looking at my 2019 post of the best albums, published to the site on the flagrantly delinquent date of March 29th, there was a surety that would never happen again. Yet here we are, already a third of the way into 2021 and the window on 2020 reflections has clearly closed. Nevertheless, stubbornness will prevail in almost all instances. It must be documented for my own reference, and also perhaps for posterity’s sake, what happened musically in a year that hardly anyone would like to reflect on or even hear uttered within a sentence.
The past year really does deserve a feather in the cap, a journey-man’s salute, a gleeful kiss goodbye, because it was notable for strong music releases. There was an overwhelming abundance of great entries into the world of sound in 2020, and while I definitely hesitate to use the term “silver lining” in this instance (as it just feels wrong), I will say that the bright spot in what was an otherwise terrible year for the planet is the music.
Some artists were most likely working on these entries in 2019 for a release in 2020, and oh how that must have been a convenient way to go about things. It must have been nice to be in 2019, without a semblance of understanding or anticipation of what was right around the corner. I envy that sort of blissful obliviousness nowadays. Others found themselves in their cocoon lairs, holed-up with only the creative outlet they were familiar with – one that could help as a salve for a mentally and physically taxing time. While some probably responded to the life of quarantine with brilliant, nuanced, and emotional music (released when many needed the salvation of music the most), others most likely bent to the pressures of this new life, and made plaintive, intimate, and raw albums speaking directly to the pandemic. In at least a few albums on the “best of” list this year you will recognize a musical expression showing hurt and despondency, and this certainly had equal merit to those where music was a form of escapism.
MUSIC: A BRIGHT SPOT IN 2020
In the tiny hovel that became a new world onto me in 2020, the Spotify logo on the bottom of my computer home page never ceased to fire seratonin right into the pleasure centers. I was always eager to jump into those expertly curated playlists to discover new music: Lorem, Spilled Ink, Pollen, and artists’ tailored playlists (a.k.a. “radio stations”). These were excellent sources of new ear candy, a place where playlists felt like a palatial playground to roam around. Shuffle was by all accounts encouraged in the massive playlists like Pollen, where the depth and breadth of Soul and R&B was constantly being updated weekly, if not daily. Click on a particularly outstanding track on one of the playlists and be whisked to the artists’ home page. More often than not, the artist had released something in 2020. Obviously musicians weren’t touring for the better part of the year and resorted to either DIY bedroom style releases, or maybe a high end in-home studio recording, or some strange hybrid of in-person and remote songwriting sessions with their bandmates.
With the oodles of time on their hands to produce rather than showcase music, there really were some superb full-length LPs/albums created in the time of the pandemic. As already mentioned, some most likely created in 2019 and then polished-up, mixed, tied with a bow, and sent out into the ether of the 2020 online mediascape. It’s a futile effort to try and begin to establish which ones were made in 2019 and and which weren’t. In truth, I’d like to think most were given the fast-track treatment when there was so much time to focus on the craft of songwriting and producing music in quarantine. Notice I didn’t include the word “energy” alongside focus, as I think it’s also safe to say that burnout, hopelessness, helplessness, and other toxic moods may have impeded many artists. Musicians, as a general rule of thumb, are ultra-sensitive creatures, so it is unfair to assume all could just buckle-down and create in this new landscape. Navigating the mental terrain of this time may have been insurmountable for some, while others likely found a rhythm to the new normal and were able to find routine in the creative process. And others perhaps found new depths of inspiration from personal experience (and also strong material from the aforementioned dark and toxic moods that prevailed) of living in this time.
The pandemic collided with other powerful earth-shattering events in the world, such as protests against racial injustice and inequality, racial violence, and police brutality. The summer of 2020 was hot and emotions ran high for a multitude of reasons. A surge of anger and energy poured over the edge onto the grounds of public discourse everywhere. Needless to say, music was also pulled into the powerful current and became a great podium for many of the social and political statements of the year. Rap, Soul, and R&B were once again genres that continued to innovate and remain the predominant form of popular music, and in my personal opinion, the most interesting and progressive of musical genres (for yet another year).
For at least five years, if not more, Rap and Hip-Hop and especially the many facets of R&B have been the most alluring styles of music. Based on the year-end lists from the likes of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR, Spin, as well as the listeners’ polls, the general public and critics seem to agree. Last year there was even more reason for the music of these genres to become more relevant and necessary not only to popular culture, but also the state of our nation. The racial injustices of 2019 and 2020 fed the flames, and what was already a radiant form of musical expression was given further cause and purpose.
Other rallies against the injustices in the world came to the fore in 2020 as the gap between the rich and poor continued to lengthen and our country became more politically polarized. This in turn made the issues of the day all the more controversial and potent. Although the George Floyd murder and other recent tragedies tied to police behavior/biases felt the most achingly of the times, the pandemic and the attitude towards it socially and politically cast a light on our divisions as a nation in the most glaring of lumens.
It’s also important to note this was not exclusive to America. In fact, many other countries elected radical, bigoted, militaristic or police-force centric governments (thinking of Brazil and Australia in particular), which served to reinforce the posit that many countries are becoming staggeringly polarized as they reconcile a heritage of conservative nationalistic values with a world that is becoming more diverse, connected, and open to outside influence. This is especially true when globalization has completely engulfed societies through the primary form of communication, i.e. social media.
As was the case in 2018 and 2019, the pendulum swung even further towards inclusivity and diversity in music in 2020. Once again the biggest takeaway from the lists of “best albums” of 2020 was the vast and gradual replacement of bands of white dudes. This reality has been more thoroughly solidified as we enter another decade. The music of women, and especially women of color, was celebrated to a great degree in the last year, and the music of artists from other races continued to gain more recognition and to be celebrated as defining music of this time period. It felt so especially crucial with the backdrop of 2020, and so the voices of women and people of color carried an ever more dire weight in the year. This truth was reflected in most if not all of the “best albums” lists of the year including mine.
Hopefully the recap of the year was not too agonizingly long or drawn out. If anything it serves as a nice little memorandum for future reference. What was happening in 2020 was strange and complex. Maybe we can say that 2020 was a bright spot for music, but most everything else was clearly a blemish. My sincere feeling is one of hope that I’ll look back five years from now, and all of context of 2020 is in the rearview mirror. I hope I can at least think about the manifold aspects that explained why music was great in 2020. It was a concoction of many things, including the irreplaceable need for music to uplift, to make us think, to rally, to dream, and to acknowledge our worst traits as people and nation. There was joy, but also gloom and anger. There was music that served as a happy escape, while other musical artifacts that served as an all too critical statement of our society and politics in this complicated time.
So here it is, and I know it is in fact April already, but just one man’s opinion on……
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2020
25. TRACE MOUNTAINS – LOST IN THE COUNTRY (APRIL 2020)
In a year replete with amazing and diverse voices in other more popular genres of music, I wanted to make sure to acknowledge at least a few of the outstanding entries in the Country-Folk and Alt-Folk realms. The music of these genres can be called unique and understated, where there are still strong voices, but most aren’t making quite as strong a mark as they may once have. Over the years, artists such as Kevin Morby, Steve Gunn, and William Tyler have contributed a wealth of great work to Indie-Folk and all of the subgenres/offshoots. They soldier on to dwindling fanfare, not because the quality isn’t there but because the popular focus is elsewhere. For my 2020 highlight of the genre, it was between Blake Mills’ tranquil and softly-pursed gem Mutable Set (an apropos title) and this album. Trace Mountains, the solo project of upstate New Yorker Dave Benton, edges out Mutable Set, however both stand-out for personal and haunting lyrics. Trace Mountain’s Lost in the Country works on so many more levels and offers eclecticism. It may also elicit many more reactions and vastly ranging emotions. Although it is a lovely calm-inducing album, it still has an edge of wildness, and perhaps a bit more imagery. Its music made intentionally for journey’s into the wild, for outdoor excursions that need a vast canvass of sounds to capture all that can be felt. It’s exploratory within the language of Americana, supported by a form of Folk-Country that is as much brimming with lustful hope as it is soothing- a much needed pacifier of an album to ease the hurt of the past year.
24. FLEET FOXES – SHORE (SEPTEMBER 2020)
I have a complicated relationship with this album and much of Fleet Foxes later work. At the wrong time, this album felt like a parody of their earlier music – like a bad version of previous efforts spiraling closer towards Renaissance Fair fare. Then I listened to the album in its right context, and in its entirety (riding my bike or out on a walk in the woods – an outdoor context much like the first album on the list, Trace Mountains’ Lost in the Country). It was in this more appropriate pastoral context I realized the statement. This album can and should be embraced as a fully-realized opus highlighting the best parts of this now veteran band. It does cast an epic quality about itself, and much of that can be attributed to a near flawless production style. After their first two full length albums Fleet Foxes (2008) and Helplessness Blues (2011) catapulted them into an uncanny sphere of “Stadium Folk”, this one feels like a display of supreme confidence and maturity they have no doubt acquired. This is a revered band elevated by die-hard fans and this is also a band dead-set on crafting complete, cohesive, and gorgeously orchestrated albums. The imagery, aesthetics, and inspirations clearly so honed (as is elucidated in the music video above). They know the sound they want to compose, along with the thematic imagery that inevitably ensconces all of their songs. Coming in September of last year, this was an album that many were eagerly anticipating as a form of idealistic escapism. I think the album delivered even if it often teetered dangerously close to self-indulgence and parody of itself.
23. A WRITTEN TESTIMONY – JAY ELECTRONICA (MARCH 2020)
The long and enduring anticipation of this album borders on legendary. Jay Electronica is a mysterious and mercurial figure in Hip-Hop – all it takes is his birth name and changed name to give you a good indication of this legend. Born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford, and currently known off-stage as Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah, it’s hard to believe it took nearly a decade for the DJ and Producer’s alter ego, Jay Electronica, to produce a full-length debut album. And after all the anticipation, it certainly did not disappoint. Mixtapes, guest spots, and guest production duties consumed much of the 2010s for Jay Electronica, who was coveted by Jay-Z and his label Roc Nation since his earliest mixtapes in 2007. It would seem all of the years were well-spent working on his skill as a producer and burnishing his talents. The hard work culminated into LP efforts that were verifiably worth his station. A Written Testimony is the perfect length, the perfect pacing, and does well to mix new ideas with the tried and true penchants of Jay-Z’s machismo-laden East Coast Rap. The guest appearances are not lauded, and actually kept well under the radar, yet the decision to go with MCs like Freddie Gibbs, Travis Scott, and Jay-Z work really well with the music of Jay Electronica. Its gritty, bracing, and antagonistic just as much as its svelte, glamorous, and chic. The aesthetic of the album is well-balanced, almost too controlled and at the same time, clearly a trademark of this veteran producer. Although its odd to have a debut LP from a 40-something year old, the ends justify the means.
22. DOGLEG – MELEE (MARCH 2020)
No matter the year, no matter the overwhelming abundance of other fresh innovative music, I will always need some measure of hardcore Rock. Bring me back to good old clean-the-clock, melt-the-mind guitars and drums! Sometimes the unbridled energy of really loud and really fast Rock n Roll placates me in some strange paradoxical manner. Although the genre commonly termed “Post-Hardcore” has been quietly shuffled to the wings ever since its apex during the days of Korn and Rage Against the Machine (think late 90s), there are some groups still gaining popular traction these days. The bands that approach heavy music with a bit of nuanced grace, or with a subtle sense of melody, such as Yuck or Cloud Nothings, are those that seem to be embraced more often in a time when groove, rhythm, and inflection seem to rule the day. Dogleg comes out with their debut LP and a lot of promise. The frenetic pace of the songs within are countered by a disciplined pacing and cadence within the overall flow of the album. The end product for the Detroit-based group is a nuanced release that flirts just enough with soft-to-loud strategies and Noise Rock artifices to make something that ventures beyond Hardcore to what might be construed as precocious for a young band. Just listen to the final song “Ender” and its opening accompaniment of strings to get an idea of the places the band is willing to go.
21. SPILLAGE VILLAGE – SPILLIGION (SEPTEMBER 2020)
As a product of quarantine, Spillage Village’s major label debut is a rare and remarkable feat. What began as the nascent undertakings of rapper JID and his group to record a third album in Atlanta then became a monolithic release by a collective of some of the most talented and relevant R&B, Hip-Hop, and Soul musicians of this decade. The story goes that most of the group was in Atlanta to support JIDs album production, and when quarantine happened, the group hunkered down on the same property and produced this sprawling, ambitious album. My mouth begins to water reading the cast of characters in Spillage Village, starting with the core of EarthGang, JID, Hollywood JB, Jurdan Bryant, Mereba, 6lack, and Benji. Moving from the core to the special guests, the list becomes even more outrageous as Ari Lennox, Buddy, Chance the Rapper, Masego, and Lucky Daye all contributed in reserve roles. It’s an all-star squad of musicians and producers coming together to make an expansive and all-consuming record straddling the genres of Neo-Soul, Funk, R&B, Gospel, Folk, and Jazz. Much like the inclusion of Dreamville’s album Revenge of the Dreamers III in the “Best Albums” for 2019, Spilligion was included for its scale and scope more than anything. It is also an impressive collective of most of the major players in their respective forms of music. As an expertly produced historical document of the year that was 2020, Spilligion showcases many crucial, yet also underrated, artists contributing to the innovation of popular music.
20. CARIBOU – SUDDENLY (FEBRUARY 2020)
Dan Snaith shows no signs of slowing down or running out of good ideas. On this, his fifth studio album under the moniker of Caribou, the Canadian producer/musician/composer fashions what may be his most taut and well-composed to date. He really does deserve the title of “composer” with Suddenly, which takes his nimble fusion of Electronica, Dance, and R&B to a level nearing perfection. The base of this strong album is a balance of the albums parts as well as a certitude in his mixing and production techniques. When you combine this with his integration of new ideas reflecting the direction of popular music, then you’ve got the best he has to offer since the time of his watershed moment – 2007’s Andorra. Since that time Lo-Fi Indie and its Psychedelic Folk leanings have become less relevant, and so he’s moved away from earlier sounds. Take a listen to “Home” above, and you’ll see the growth of an artist who understands where music is headed (yet he always seems to be able to remain true to self). Nowadays, soulful grooves mean far more to both Electronica and Dance and for this reason Suddenly basks in it. Snaith clearly has picked-up on this smoldering sign in the sky and made something urgent, relevant, and disciplined. Now a venerated icon for many, Snaith and his vehicle Caribou are considered a veteran outfit, yet it’s probably safe to say this is one of those rare artists who manages to avoid staleness. Mr. Snaith seems to never lose the spark of creativity that often suffocates artists and bands as they become older and less vital.
19. ORION SUN – HOLD SPACE FOR ME (MARCH 2020)
There was something very different about Orion Sun’s first album A Collection of Fleeting Moments and Daydreams (2017), often called a “mixtape”, which was re-released on a larger label in 2020. Hovering in the grey area between EP and LP, A Collection of Fleeting Moments and Daydreams was not your garden-variety DIY bedroom Soul project. Sure it was Lo-Fi and it was also raw as well as charming for the roughness around its edges. However, what drew me into the sound was the contradiction in a voice that wasn’t really powerful or standout in any notable way, yet had exceptional traits; the uniqueness was contained in the emotional honesty and vulnerability of her songs. Known by the stage name Orion Sun, Tiffany Majette is a Philly girl. Which is something remarkable when you consider she comes off as hushed and sweet, but with lyrics that are the complete opposite – often cutting and feisty. The mixtape is certainly what first caught many folks’ attention, and a slow rise in recognition helped displace the errant notions this was another British songstress blending Retro Soul with modern Lo-Fi Soul. Soon enough, people found the beauty of this woman’s diaphanous songs were born from the hard concrete of Philly, thus creating even more allure. In her first proper LP, Hold Space for Me, Majette more than delivers on the hype. And what’s more, produces honest songwriting. This is songwriting on another level, also elevated by more impressive studio production chops.
18. PHOEBE BRIDGERS – PUNISHER (JUNE 2020)
Often lauded as the future pre-eminent singer/songwriter of Folk music, Phoebe Bridgers had a lot of hype to live up to in the few years since her collaboration with Conor Oberst in Better Oblivion Community Center and then Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker in the “supergroup” boygenius. The prodigious musician was being touted for an uncanny ability to express a greater depth in the form of lyrics than almost any other. She was being called the next Joni Mitchell, and the top of her class in the vein of young Folk artist. Although it’s surprising to discover she originally hails from LA, the vanity capital of the world, her music couldn’t be farther removed from a vanity project. It’s one of the most vulnerable and acerbic artifacts of earnest songwriting you will ever come across. Sometimes the mood overtakes the song, and then the darkness absorbs. At that point there is less of a satisfaction and more of an unnerving quality to Punisher, but this is perhaps the point of Phoebe wearing the skeleton onesie in all of the visuals for the album. Maybe there’s a message to be had with the outfit. Maybe she’s saying that behind a sweet voice can be real torment, real “skeletons in the closet”. Such a capable lyricist can exercise the latent thoughts and feelings and speak them in such gripping ways and Punisher was recognized for this achievement and more. Punisher was nominated for four Grammy’s and has most likely placed Phoebe Bridgers on a world stage.
17. WESTSIDE GUNN – PRAY FOR PARIS (APRIL 2020)
https://youtu.be/GARZq0kTTPs
As Rap and Hip-Hop have become more pervasive and widely-accepted, the different lanes in which it can run have become well-defined. There are many lanes you can go these days, yet they can still be grouped fairly succinctly into the camps of 1) radio-friendly, accessible, and simplistic and 2) ambitious, stylistic, less-accessible and less straightforward. Basically, there was a certain level of consternation I had with the sheer number of music critics and publications elevating the monotonous lyrics and beats of artists like Lil Baby, DaBaby, and Lil Uzi Vert to the level of critical success. These artists represent the flavorless and uninspired form of popular Hip-Hop spewing out the speakers of every bass-shaking car in America. This is an awful concoction of Trap and Hip-Hop embraced by many, and I just can’t abide by it. In direct response to the prevailing forms of Hip-Hop is the nuanced and unique approach to an album like Pray for Paris by Westside Gunn. Once you hear the cohesive sound that pulls this album together, which is dirty, grimy, dark, and markedly Rust Belt in feeling, you find it quite believable to discover the origins of Westside. Alvin Worthy, the man behind Westside Gunn hails from up in Buffalo and not only that, he comes from a musical family. More specifically, he comes from a family of very talented rappers. His cousins Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine tend to the same dark-corner Jazz-inspired Rap that Westside Gunn does, and also employ the same stark skyscraper clad East Coast production that makes Pray for Paris a welcomed entry into a camp of Indie Rap. Entering Westside Gunn’s music is to be fully-immersed in a tone and style that permeates all the sounds of the record. The small soundbite interludes work really well on this album, and Worthy’s personality shines through in all the work, which is the opposite of flavorless.
16. NUBYA GARCIA – SOURCE (AUGUST 2020)
If the album artwork and imagery doesn’t take you in an instant, then the story of Nubya Garcia might. Born in London to a Guyanese mother and a British-Trinidadian father, Nubya was clearly a musical prodigy at an early age. She picked-up the viola and violin rather effortlessly and yet was ultimately drawn to the saxophone and to Jazz. After studying in many prestigious music schools throughout Camden in London, it became clear she was becoming a disciple of the Jazz language. However, at the same time it appeared she was developing her own unique voice through the tenor saxophone. What I immediately felt with her masterful album Source is distinctiveness of sound. As a tenor player, she breaths a different life into the instrument and into the genre of music. Her tenor sound has more personality than most – it can be clean and crisp, but is best when it trembles in a place of uncertain air. In some odd way, the album artwork really does reflect a certain ineffable feeling in her music – its organic, tranquil, yet of so many different colors and complexions. It feels both of earth and of outer space, never lingering in either space for too long. As a young and promising Jazz musician, Source is her big statement of arriving on the scene, and what it may mean for the future of Jazz. It’s an all too deserving genre of more popularity and recognition, and her work within this music form is absolutely auspicious.
15. CUT WORMS – NOBODY LIVES HERE ANYMORE (OCTOBER 2020)
The first time I heard the track “Song of the Highest Tower”, off the underrated EP Alien Sunset (2017), it was a very jarring experience. That album, and that song in particular, established a new talent in Folk music may be entering the scene (but with a less than encouraging band name). The voice was this haunting blend of Americana Folk and British Invasion, and the singing itself has this hollow caterwauling echo made complicated by a rich and raspy edge. Max Clarke, the voice behind the project Cut Worms, is a desert troubadour. He plays music with a pastoral charm, with vocals that have a gripping immediacy. He may be a belated response to Britain’s George Harrison, yet it’s an all too welcomed voice in the Indie Rock and Indie Folk scenes where it would appear there is a dearth of new talent at times. Clocking in at a robust 1 hour and 17 minutes, Nobody Lives Here Anymore is one stunning track after another. Just when you think the album has nothing more to say another heady ballad follows another. By the time I reached the countrified “Castle in the Clouds”, I realized this was going to be an album for the books. What Cut Worms brings is a fresh Pop voice that could’ve stood out in the 60’s Psychedelic Folk wave but also firmly rooted in a canon of Country and Folk music so distinctly American. Because of this interesting dichotomy of Pop and Country and all things painted Indie in between, some have bantered around with the terms Cowboy Pop or Transcendental Folk to describe this Cut Worms album. Suffice to say, this is a vast and overarching album and one of the overlooked Folk gems of the last few years.
14. LIANNE LA HAVAS – LIANNE LA HAVAS (JULY 2020)
It’s simply mind-boggling Lianna La Havas hasn’t become a multi-platinum superstar. Most who become acquainted with her music see all of the characteristic signs of an icon, yet her under-the-radar career continues inexplicably. She has the look and the voice, and the songs too. Ever since her 2015 album Blood was released, you could see the British-born singer had something different, although also similar, to the stars of R&B at the time. Similar to an artist like Janelle Monáe, she could release radio-friendly staples like “Green and Gold”, but also release idiosyncratic and visionary tracks akin to nothing else being released. “Unstoppable” off of Blood comes to mind – a track full of transcendent concepts similar to the “cosmic opera” approach Monáe took with her Archandroid story arch. With her self-titled third album, Lianna La Havas releases a similar album to Blood. It has elements that are straightforward and brilliant within the vein of R&B and Pop, then adds dashes of much-welcomed surprise in the form of tracks like “Weird Fishes”, a stunning cover of the Radiohead track. The album is an adroitly composed work of art from beginning to end, showcasing a voice deserving stardom. Maybe the notoriety will be elusive to an artist that avoids giving herself completely over to trend, or maybe she deliberately avoids the limelight. Either way it’s kind of a blessed shame.
13. FONTAINES D.C. – A HERO’S DEATH (JULY 2020)
There was a buzz about this Irish Post-Punk band with their debut release, Dogrel, back in 2019. The five-piece seemed beckoned to the call to fill a gap in popular music many needed. They deliver an attitude-first form of music where brazen lyrics and posturing fills the hearts of young rampaging men with just the right amount of sonic encouragement. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve known a few women who were also desperate for a band like Fontaines D.C. to come along. After all, you can only listen to Oasis albums so many times before you want something new within a similar realm. Benefiting from a very stylish and intriguing band name, the group from Dublin brandishes their brogue and no-nonsense Rock n Roll with the same arrogant abandon as a band like The Strokes displayed twenty years ago. A Hero’s Death is the ideal sophomore album for a confident group learning their way around producing an album and fully-exploring the recording studio. Whereas Dogrel focused on executing the lean and fast three-minute Punk song, A Hero’s Death finds its best footing when the songs open up into four or five minute onslaughts of lyrical tirades and pulsating drums and guitar. It happens often throughout A Hero’s Death, which proves the confidence of this young band. With this album as momentum, hopefully they continue to break in their shoes and find a groove as the newest stadium rockers.
12. westerman – your hero is not dead (june 2020)
A common theme with many of the artists on the list this year is the slow emergence through singles and EPs, culminating in a late-to-the-game full length album. Perhaps it makes sense in a fully digital world that you release bits and pieces, or limited content, to drum up a frenzy of niche fans. At this point you can get a feel for the traction you may get (or not), all the while preparing a long fermenting full-length record that comes out when the artist is good and ready to present a fully-formed statement. Most got a taste of what Westerman was serving with 2018’s all too short EP Ark. A solid faction of Indie listeners have always been drawn to the nostalgia of 80’s Synth Pop and how it continues to translate well in today’s world of digitized Electronica and computer-based Dance. What makes Westerman’s music distinct is he seems to be a very specific student of the most sensitive, texturized 80’s balladry (such as John Martyn’s Solid Air or Echo and the Bunnymen’s esoteric Baroque Synth-Pop). The marrying of the Indie listeners’ sensibilities with Westerman’s sensibilities was a natural event. The gentle androgyny of his voice pairs well with the genteel approach to the backing music, often enveloping the song in something that feels like a calm Caribbean breeze. The music lands for its subdued treatment of the late 70’s, early 80’s Pop, which plays nicely in the middle distance of a room. The sounds are devoid of urgency or intensity, and it’s really only a mild suggestion to listen intently to Westerman. It’s okay to bask in nostalgia, absorb the warmth of the subtle and textural music, and possibly be hushed to sleep with the sun eeking through the blinds in the middle of a hot, sunny day.
11. bartees strange – live forever (OCTOBER 2020)
Another easy theme for this year’s list is debut albums. Back to the point earlier, it’s difficult to ignore the energy and urgency many of the young artists’ are coming with in their first long-form material. By the time an LP is released, the studio creations of artists like Bartees Strange are these cultivated, well-resolved treatises on the identity, beliefs, and unique musical upbringing of the particular artist. Whether it is considered a detraction or a benefit, Bartees Leon Cox Jr. made a debut that seems a scattershot of his disparate influences and styles of composition. Containing elements of Punk, Jazz, Folk, Hip Hop, Rock and everything in between, Live Forever is difficult to pin down – an ever-shifting document of an artist so clearly influenced by any and all forms of music. It’s easy to see how Bartees became a shapeshifter in music, with his unique upbringing as a military brat traveling the globe with his family. Born in England, but spending his childhood in Oklahoma, eventually moving to Washington D.C., he has been exposed to a vast array of musical expressions and taken a bit from each and every one to make a beautiful collage of an album. The key to the album’s success is that all of the genre-melding tracks are produced with a unique level of confidence for a musician’s first LP.
10. WAXAHATCHEE – SAINT CLOUD (MARCH 2020)
Not as abrasive and cutting in sound as her previous gem of an album, 2017’s Out in the Storm, Katie Crutchfield’s fifth studio album leans less on the kinetic energy that stood out on Out in the Storm (especially powerful guitar tracks like “Brass Beam” and “Never Been Wrong”) and more on her voice and lyrics to drive the momentum of the album. The music is pleasant, nearly innocuous, to the point if you weren’t listening acutely to the lyrics, you might think this is a peaceful Folk companion to a twilight stroll along a grove of trees and a dirt lane. Yet the songs at their core are full of contrite feelings on vulnerability, substance abuse, codependency, and loss. Even though I prefer the sound of Out in the Storm for its swagger and bristling Rock n Roll sound, I recognize Saint Cloud as an artist going out on a limb to produce deeper songs replete with meaning and purposeful exposition. Her voice is this fickle instrument throughout, jutting out there on a limb and given many laurels by critics for being authentic, brave, and also wavering. The songwriting is simply astounding, and is sharp from beginning to end. What’s most impressive about Saint Cloud is the quality of each and every song – every single track contains the same spirit of intentional depth and soul-bearing charm, and for that it is a completely cohesive artifact.
09. TAME IMPALA – THE SLOW RUSH (FEBRUARY 2020)
Released before the pandemic truly gripped the world, I remember listening to this album consistently through the early months of the year and feeling a surge of momentum, or rather a real sense of vim and vigor at the prospects of the year. This sentiment was snuffed out pretty quickly, and yet this album remained a real rush of a memory. Building upon the sound of his previous album Currents (2015), Australian psychedelic chieftain Kevin Parker spent a good five years perfecting the cleanest and crispest sound he possibly could. Again, its remarkable the sound didn’t evolve over the course of the five year gap between Currents and The Slow Rush, and at the same time its also completely understandable – this is the best example of a production savant scrutinizing his trademark sound in the studio to make a blemish-free masterwork of 21st Century Psychedelic Rock. It took time, it took obsessive-compulsive disorder, and at the end of it, you come home with a breathtaking feat. Many demerits were likely issued for what may appear to be the lack of sonic evolution, but I don’t believe Parker should’ve been ready to go a different direction with his music. He has been building to this point, where his attention to detail and knack for studio production reached the zenith, and the spoils were shared. “Breathe Deeper”, “Borderline”, and “Is It True” are the finest examples of how he has taken Funk and the groove of the ever popular Electronic R&B of the day and married it with his cosmic Beatlemania sound to make something even more light years out from the previous three studio albums in his sterling catalogue.
08. SOCCER MOMMY – COLOR THEORY (FEBRUARY 2020)
Brimming with the nostalgic feel of 90’s female rocker prowess, Color Theory would’ve given Soccer Mommy headliner status at Lilith Fair. Shame on me for thinking Shame, Sophia Allison’s 2018 debut album, would be a flash-in-the-pan, one-hit wonder storyline. Color Theory scraps that misguided notion swiftly, and quickly establishes itself as a brilliant release after the one-two punch of the album’s opening tracks “bloodstream” and “circle the drain”. These are the sorts of headstrong, dreamy Rock classics that should make Sheryl Crow raise her fist in solidarity. The album artwork does well to capture a common sentiment pervading the album: melancholy and melodrama meet the sweet and sanguine. Sure at some points in the album, like with “yellow is the color of her eyes”, it appears the songwriting is straying dangerously close to cloying, but it never veers over the edge. There is a restraint that does well for each and every song that contains a level of moodiness, atmosphere, and ethereal floating. This may be the ultimate brilliance of the artist known as ‘Soccer Mommy’ – she’s gone past the nascent one-hit prospects of Shame, her straightforward showcase of a Nashville Rocker sensibility, and into the new uncharted territory of sonic exploration. At times she achieves the transcendent.
07. GRIMES – MISS ANTHROPOCENE (FEBRUARY 2020)
Ever since the near-perfect album Visions (2012) was released, it would appear Canada’s Claire Boucher has been trying to break free from any sort of categorization her breakthrough release may have given. Visions was remarkable for this single, unified vision basking in a specific aesthetic. Her follow-up to that album, Art Angels (2015) was a sporadic and evasive departure that often felt disjointed, but certainly worthwhile for proving Grimes’ ability to produce edgy Pop music you could hear on the radio. She would often follow a bona fide “hit” with a song so completely devoid of popular appeal and firmly entrenched in the esoteric, that you would understand this is an artist at the core looking to push the envelope and avoid predictability. Where Art Angels failed, Miss Anthropocene succeeds in celebrating the many dimensions of Boucher’s artistry. Miss Anthropocene is expansive in ideas, sprawling in runtime, and never dull. Moving between Electronica, Folk, Pop, and Industrial elements, the best way to listen to this long-running album is to listen to it all in one brave, planet-jumping foray. It’s an awe-inspiring experience going through in a single listen, yet for the dabblers, listen to “Delete Forever”, “We Appreciate Power”, and “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around” as a triptych, just to get an idea of the all-encompassing vision of her epic fifth studio album. The connector between all of the disparate sounding songs is her robotic and futuristic sensibilities, which seem buoyed by her famous husband’s (Elon Musk) visionary crafting of the future.
06. DEHD – FLOWER OF DEVOTION (JULY 2020)
I count my lucky stars bands like Dehd still exist. The scene feels bereft of hardened Rockers with Punk attitude and the rebel badge displayed proudly on their jean jackets. Fewer and fewer seem to successfully leave the garage with a sound that translates to greater success. The three-piece from Chicago continues in the tradition of gritty, attitude-driven Lo-Fi Indie Rock bands from the Windy City, such as Ne-Hi and Twin Peaks. Birthed in the same Indie cauldron as the Smith Westerns and the aforementioned Ne-Hi, Dehd takes the glam aspects of the Smith Westerns, and the rusty belt and suspenders guitar sound of Ne-Hi, and add more than a few new aspects. The unique identity of Dehd is manifold, but it begins and ends with lead singer Emily Kempf’s attitude and deep caterwauling vocal style. She can become a mesmerizing singer on any and all tracks, but especially “Loner” and “Flying”, when she feels close to becoming unhinged. Kempf is a unique talent we should all welcome to a space that feels sadly vacant. Garage Rock nowadays isn’t crowded enough with new talent and what’s really exciting about Dehd is its a diverse, tight-knit band willing and able to celebrate both the nuances of gender identity as well as gender fluidity, which surrounds much of their music and presentation. Even though it was released with their 2019 album Water, I had to include their infectious track “Lucky” (video above) for capturing the magic of this band.
05. YVES TUMOR – HEAVEN TO A TORTURED MIND (APRIL 2020)
There is this special kind of genius about Yves Tumor that is intoxicating yet difficult to grasp. I may sound like a broken record, having mentioned this several times, but there is an absorbing contradiction between the Yves Tumor visuals and the sound. Both are sublime, both groundbreaking, and still there is a slight misalignment that in not bad at all, just unexpected. Much like his equally lauded 2018 LP Safe in the Hands of Love, the fourth studio album appears on paper as a goth spiral of debauched Death Metal with interludes of dark occult chanting and satanic orgies. The reality of the music is its so much more dynamic and nuanced than the first impression of Sean Bowie as a visual artist and entertainer. To put it plainly, the music is softer and more sophisticated than any first impression lets on. What I realized as I moved along the cosmic cloud that is the third track “Identity Trade” to the fourth “Kerosene!” to fifth “Hasdallen Lights” is Yves Tumor is its own unique beast, but there are so many great elements taken from the heritage of music to make their albums. Prince and his highly orchestrated Funk is prominent in “Kerosene!” and Sean Bowie is obviously a faithful disciple of David Bowie and his dexterous form of Glam Rock and Experimental Rock. Heaven to a Tortured Mind builds on the stylish textural brilliance of Safe in the Hands of Love and dares to be even more experimental, even more comfortable making melody of noise and playing with a formula of contradictions. This album is truly a mesmerizing wonder, expertly formed from beginning to end.
04. SAULT – UNTITLED (BLACK IS) (JUNE 2020)
The enigmatic group Sault made a big leap in 2020 and re-defined the voice of their music. In a year full of racial strife, systemic racism, demands for reparations, and a much-deserved re-focus on the mistreatment of African-Americans by the police in the U.S., a voice without ego or pretense was dearly needed. Ironically, one of the strongest rally calls came from the British music collective known for shunning the media and public recognition. Emerging in 2019 without a face or public presence, Sault released two albums that stunned the music community for its supreme quality paired with anonymity regarding the source of the music. For the longest time people had no idea if the music was from a rogue producer or a larger collective, or if the music was made in LA, or NYC, or some other place stateside. It was slowly revealed the origin was producer Inflo (it’s still unclear if this is the work of one person or a cadre of producers), a British-based musician or musicians behind the brilliant 2019 album Grey Area by Little Simz and some of Michael Kiwanuka’s latest work. Much like the work of Sault in 2019 (5 and 7), Sault released two brilliant albums in 2020 – Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise) – both are concerted efforts to make strong political and social statements and both are wonderfully composed pastiches of soundbytes, interludes, voice-overs, and terrific long-playing songs. Albums like these were so fundamentally required with the events of the year, and so many popular figures and grassroots activists listened to these albums, fed off the message, and were inspired to act because of its empowering sound. Of the two, Untitled (Black Is) was the first released and is the more forceful and fully-formed statement, yet both are fantastic and critical musical statements proving the vitality of their voice in popular culture, even if it comes from the most underground of entities.
03. 070 SHAKE – MODUS VIVENDI (JANUARY 2020)
Listened to more than any other album in 2020, and not just because it was released at the very beginning of the year, 070 Shake’s debut Modus Vivendi became a fixation of mine for a very long time. I was completely taken with the aesthetic of the cover art and how it worked so perfectly with Shake’s intoxicating fusion of R&B and Electronica. Not only was the genre-mashing so appropriate in the presentation of this emerging artist, but the futuristic themes and heavy-processing of the vocals nested within the strange and exotic composition of the songs did well to reinforce the aesthetic in all the visuals for the album. It also felt so appropriately like a winter album, and it was a mood that was just so fitting for its release during the dark wintry days of January. 070 Shake is the brainchild of Danielle Balbuena, a New Jersey native who linked up with Kanye West and Pusha T for their brilliant work in 2018 (Ye and Daytona respectively). Since the release of Modus Vivendi, Balbuena has continued as a collaborator on several other standout singles circulating the music streaming services. She seems determined to prove this was not a flash-in-the-pan release. Other artists are taking notice and are eager to integrate what 070 Shake is doing to transform R&B, or rather, doing to show another path it can take into the dark and computer-driven future where androgyny is encouraged and our world soldiers on into a dispassionately shiny and metallic synergy. The fact my last concert before the world shut down was the 070 Shake concert adds just a bit more symbolism and import.
02. THUNDERCAT – IT IS WHAT IT IS (APRIL 2020)
A much-deserved Grammy capped Thundercat’s decade as a recording artist. As a session musician and successful collaborator on other seminal works from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus, Thundercat gained personal recognition by the sheer force of his talent and personality. His first big splash came with 2013’s Apocalypse, a straightforward and laser-focused Soul and Electronic R&B album showcasing his impeccable musicianship and prodigious ability on the bass guitar. What followed was a mix of strange conceptual work, cheeky personal indulgence, and idiosyncratic Jazz and R&B-centric music, best evidenced in 2017’s Drunk. His work was unique and well-respected within the community, but he may have been venturing too deep into his own niche obsessions. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to be markedly himself – a man of esoteric passions and a love for the alternative spheres, but many wondered “what if” after the crossover smash Apocalypse wetted many appetites for his echoey falsetto and fast-paced bass-heavy sound to fit into a different lane of music that had commercial appeal. If desired, there was greater notoriety to be had for Thundercat, for he is a true gift of modern music. It Is What It Is is a joyous occasion because it doesn’t compromise any of his personality while also offering seriously endearing R&B. The album proved his ability to crossover and strike the common music-goer and be something decidedly alternative at the same time. I didn’t hear a more beautiful and well-composed song than “Fair Chance” all year, and Thundercat was able to balance his penchant for zaniness with his Funk and Soul bona fides on tracks like “Black Qualls” and “Dragonball Durag”. Bringing musicians like Ty Dolla $ign, Miguel, and Steve Lacy into the mix helped propel his message, and became simply magical synergies between the penchant Thundercat sound and the broader sound of popular music.
01. HAIM – WOMEN IN MUSIC PT. III (JUNE 2020)
There is an undeniable potency to the sisters’ third album. Maybe the better way of describing Haim’s great success is to be edgy and scathing and also completely brave in spreading poignancy and vulnerability. It’s as if they want everyone to know their is power in owning the convoluted and gripping uncertainty of life, especially for a woman in the modern world, and that there’s strength in owning our flaws (something they write about in this album with striking clarity). On the songwriting level, this album feels like a nonstop tour-de-force from the beginning to end. It’s one of the most overwhelming albums I’ve ever listened to, but in the best way possible. The music itself is catchy, triumphant, and blissfully upbeat, and that is certainly a strong part of the album. Yet, the overwhelming aspect comes from the flawless songwriting, which I may suggest is really incomparable. Heck, it even got Taylor Swift’s attention for its universal appeal. Following tight on the heels of 070 Shake’s 2020 album, Women in Music Part III was the next album I listened to the most in 2020 – a clear signal that you don’t have to be a young wide-eyed woman to enjoy the mastery of Haim’s music and lyrics. Yes much of the lyrical content in the album feels like exclusive messaging to a certain kind of confused and seeking single woman living in a big city and trying to find love, but there are also some universal aspects to almost all of the songs that are just too urgent, raw, and endearing to be ignored. The layman (and laywoman), music critic, and music artist alike all gasped when listening through this work, and understood it to be a band hitting another stride. They had already been celebrated with their first two albums, but this one really does prove they have even greater levels to reach as musicians. Somehow they are gaining even more confidence and understanding for the crafting of the honest and resonant song. Together as an album, there is never a hiccup, just one driving force pushing the album with perfect resolve. From the early firing shot of “Los Angeles”, to the emblematic “Gasoline”, to the anthemic “I’ve Been Down”, to the parting shot of “FUBT”, this is quite simply a perfect album through and through.
