The Top 50 Albums of 2020
Presenting Osmosis Tones Top 50 Albums of 2020, a list curated, ranked and written by Zach.
NOTE: Click on album titles for link to the artist's Bandcamp page
Chicago's Ratboys have channeled the Americana and alt-country influences of their previous work into a tightly performed, fluidly sequenced and tonally engaging record that serves as their finest statement to date. Julia Steiner’s songs, written around the themes of upheaval and change, have only grown in potency as they steep in your headspace hours after listening.
49. Fake It Flowers - beabadoobee
The way beabadoobee’s debut captures the sounds of grunge, shoegaze, and pop-punk resembles Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail, but Beatrice Laus’s songwriting pays homage to a more diverse range of deep cuts. This, coupled with production sheen that rivals the 1975, only makes Fake It Flowers one of the best records of its ilk.
Slow and sleepy, patient and temperate, gritty and cavernous, fuzzy and piercing. Pure X’s self-titled LP thrives in it’s meditative state of blissful distortion, basking in its simplicity down to its themes and lyrics. But even as this record glazes you over, you’ll be kept awake with its subconscious edge.
47. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - Gorillaz
Whereas they used to be the young guns bringing back the old school, Gorillaz now have taken the role of the old school mentoring the young. Collecting all the episodes of the Song Machine project thus far into an album, Albarn and co. create an assembly of spectacular sounds that serve as artistry expanders for the new school of British and American hip hop, ranging from slowthai and Skepta to Godlink and JPEGMAFIA. These songs are whimsical, intricate, and - simply put - a return to Plastic Beach form.
46. What’s Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware
A sultry neon melting pot of every disco sound and style meant for makin' love. The textures on this album are simply tasty, and Ware’s smoky vocals and longing melodies embody the passion she invested into this album tenfold.
45. Live Forever - Bartees Strange
Across Live Forever’s thirty-five minutes of runtime, Bartees Strange finds ways to fuse genres - rock, pop, hip hop, R&B and folk - that you would never expect. Not in the “edgy experimental” way, but in the “I feel stupid for not being as brilliant as you” kind of way. TV On The Radio could be an apt comparison, but Bartees has such a singular vision and story to who they are, you can’t mistake it. A fascinating listen from an artist with empowered musical freedom.
44. Set My Heart On Fire Immediately - Perfume Genius
The pop that Michael Hadreas produces on Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is pulsating with narrative heft and broadly stroked by bassy groove. It’s his most fun record, and one that carries a wider variety than anything he’s thus far released. Thematically it retreads similar grounds, but it’s nonetheless captivating to hear a song like “On the Floor” capture queer romance as eloquently, as beautifully, as essentially as it does.
One of the great thrills of Dogleg’s Melee is its simplicity. Sure, it doesn’t innovate post-hardcore, or deliver grand statements beyond the usual emo touchstones, but it’s not necessarily attempting to. Instead, Dogleg is delivering a throwback of these genre’s respective heydays by focusing on one particular element: rippin’ it LOUD and FAST. With its raucous performance, astute songwriting and one hell of a spirit, Melee can’t be denied.
42. Brave Faces Everyone - Spanish Love Songs
With a title that calls us to action, Spanish Love Songs' Dylan Slocum cries lyrics that wash over you, aging you with the passage of time and our lives’ collective descent into a horribly uncertain world. Luckily, the music offers you a pop punk safety blanket to help digest your grief, as you grow on your journey through this life. It’s an insanely empathetic record that thrives in the headspace of precariousness.
41. Country Westerns - Country Western
Sweaty, grimy, beer-guzzling Americana. Dog-day sunshine emanates from the guitar tones, while the grizzled souls of forgotten cowboys pour out through Joseph Plunket’s voice. Featuring members of Silver Jews and State Champion, Country Westerns look to be a new and noteworthy face in country-rock; so far, so good.
40. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
The modern pop star’s recipe for success seems to be simple: take the sounds of disco and dance-pop, give them modern flair, and voila. In that case, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia should be the damn blueprint - hell, the record’s title alone is a thesis statement. Dua’s songs fall halfway between Ariana and Carly Rae, but slap a little harder thanks to production that emphasizes the synths and percussion.
39. Flower of Devotion - Dehd
Flower of Devotion follows in the tradition of indie rock records haunted by ghostly reverb, like Beach Fossils’ self-titled, or Tough Knuckles’ VANNAWHITE. The sun-soaked leads on this record are gargantuan and anthemic, while Jason Balla and Emily Kempf’s songwriting makes emphasis of how your own worth is what you determine it to be. A DIY band free of genre-limitations and twinkle-head expectations, Dehd can still fit into traditional molds as need be. Case in point: the indie rock modern classic “Loner.”
38. Songs for Pierre Chuvin - The Mountain Goats
John Darnielle takes us back to his lo-fi roots, breaking out the boombox for an excellent collection of songs themed around Pierre Chuvin’s A Chronicle of the Last Pagans - a book detailing the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire from the perspective of its minorities and the defeated. The record examines the dynamics of power, community and the concepts of societal advancement as only Darnielle could, demonstrating how when stripped to the bare essentials, his music is at its best.
37. Basta de Musica - Martin Buscaglia
With the spunk of Beck’s Midnite Vultures, the freedom of They Might Be Giants, and the flavors of South America, Uruguay’s Martín Buscaglia delivers a satiating sopa of singer-songwriter music. With samba, bedroom pop electronics, acoustic rock and Latin jazz, this album plays out as an adventure down the road of romance, with twists and turns that keep it exciting up to the umpteenth listen. I fell in love with this record on first listen; fitting, considering that the first song I heard was “Me Enamore,” Spanish for “I fell in love.”
36. Limbo - Amine
Amine’s best album to date, Limbo solidifies the Portland rapper as perfect for a party, a dream from the D.A.I.S.Y. Age, and a virtuoso in modern verse. His flows are wide-ranging and fluidly entertaining, his beat selection and collaborators reflective of his gradual fusion of psych-pop and hip hop.
A collaboration between Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale and garage rocker Ty Segall should, simply put, be bananas. And that’s exactly what we got with Fungus II. I think it’s safe to say that this is Segall’s least accessible - and most gruesomely noisy - project since his Mikal Cronin collab Reverse Shark Attack. The distortion here is twisted, the jams are shrill but extensive, and the vocals are maniacally demonic. But it’s Chippendale’s rhythmic impulses that steal the show, especially on closer “Four Strangers Enter The Cemetery At Dusk,” a brittle, sludgy opus that would make Flipper blush.
Montreal’s TOPS have made the yacht rock album of the year, a soothing set of sunkissed indie pop that soars to the heavens. While this sound is trendy among most current dream pop artists, the sincerity TOPS display feels tangible, particularly when the record is at its most grandiose.
Superstar, the fourth record by Burlington, VT bred, New York based Caroline Rose, is as much a statement of self-worth as it is a proclamation of individuality. Rose, using flippant humor and reassuring confidence in her lyrics, crafts a singularly shining synth-pop album, one with the glitz and glamor of both 80s new wave icons and contemporary femme fatales. It's the type of album that pairs best with a screwdriver as you sunbathe, or dancing yourself clean in the mirror.
32. NO DREAM - Jeff Rosenstock
We are not OK. The world’s fucked, and Jeff Rosenstock knows this. But instead of distilling the worst possible takes into post-modern commandment like Twitter always does, Jeff finds the bullshit in it all with comical observation, societal snark and commitment to survival. A texturally thick record, this is the most a Rosenstock record has stuck with me since Worry.
31. Chromatica - Lady Gaga
GAGA’s BACK, BABY! Going back to her roots in NYC gay clubs and dance culture, Gaga has made what I consider to be her best record since The Fame Monster - a dance-pop odyssey filled to the brim with aesthetic and pulsating with pride. It’s hard to pick one specific element to love most, but if forced, the freestyle and hi-NRG flourishes give her songs the perfect character.
30. JAGUAR - Victoria Monet
After accruing experience through songwriting in the shadows, Victoria Monet delivers her solo debut for the world to see, and in a word: DECADENCE. JAGUAR is the most extravagantly lush pop album of the year, stuffed to the brim with instrumental slickness from a rich, prideful, #blackasfuck musical palette. It’s psychedelic, it’s technicolor, but above all, it’s a marvel to hear an industry secret weapon display what a force she is - and how pivotal she has been to some of the most acclaimed pop stars working today (you can tell who).
29. X: The Godless Void and Other Stories - ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
Trail of Dead’s latest record is one of their best pieces of work, period (on a good day, it can beat out Worlds Apart). Saying that in 2020 should be weird, but with the year we’ve had, it’s a gosh darn blessing. Blending a more streamlined, mature alt rock with the classic prog techniques and production displayed on Madonna, Jason Reece & Conrad Keely return to peak form with songs like “All Who Wander,” “Don’t Look Down” and “Who Haunts The Haunter.”
28. Somewhere Nowhere - Hundredth
By now, it’s a common trope for bands with metalcore roots to disingenuously become poppier, synthier and softer ghosts of themselves. And yet former post-hardcore band Hundredth have gradually - and intelligently - evolved their sound into what is now endlessly colorful, wonderfully tasteful, and bizarrely excellent new wave revival. Somewhere Nowhere is a jump akin to Paramore’s After Laughter, influenced by the likes of Turnover and Two Door Cinema Club, but with a welcomed hardcore edge that makes this record a full throttle forward.
27. Broken Window of Opportunity - Sir Michael Rocks
Broken Window of Opportunity offers to the listener an elder statesmen’s career advice, except Sir Michael Rocks does this in a way that only an Internet-age rapper can. Over lean, syrupy and aquatically textured beats, Rocks brings his signature personality and melodic, quippy bars (including "I cut them hoes off/cause they all speedy" and "I sold a feather to a pelican wing"). But now, he's introspective and experienced in what it feels like to have never quite lived up to the hype music blogs and Internet fans created. Not to say that this album is bitter or jaded - it's a celebratory, wisdom-bearing, smooth and blunt-friendly record that's fun as hell. It just so happens to combine these two moods to the perfect effect.
26. Heavy Light - U.S. Girls
Meg Remy’s apocalyptic funk-pop could soundtrack our demise or salvation with equal effect. On her most accomplished work yet, she channels gospel with tales of strength and survival, all the while making sure that we dance away the pain to slithering grooves. “4 American Dollars” is one of the best album openers of the year, a career-defining song that serves as a microcosm of Remy’s style: irresistibly groovy, sinister and satirical, and full of hope.
25. Ultimate Success Today - Protomartyr
Detroit’s Protomartyr do it again with an intriguing modal balancing act on Ultimate Success Today. The satire here is a bit more overwrought and hilarious, as on “Processed by the Boys,” but the atmosphere has grown more threatening and nocturnal, as on “June 21.” Joe Casey’s lyrics are filled with horror, adding snark and spite when appropriate, and when collaborators are brought in, they supplement the band in creating tones rife with despair. Another excellent addition to the best catalogue in modern post-punk.
24. Sister - Ultraísta
Nigel Godrich is renowned as a world class producer, particularly for being behind the boards of Radiohead’s greatest statements. His own band, Ultraísta, dropped their second LP Sister in March, and it’s one of the most serenely produced, intricately textured, and enticingly rhythmic electronic albums I’ve heard from the genre sine the early days of the xx. The colorful synths and Afro-Caribbean percussion are awfully compelling, but Laura Bettinson’s diaphanous vocals steal the show with how they shine in the mix and flutter with calming melody.
On “I’ll Be Your Host,” Jeremy Bolm invites the listener to allow his music to help them grieve, but with caution: you cannot allow your own projections to retain you from your own growth. Lament keeps its distance as Bolm copes with his situational reality, but musically, it takes a step up into universal, anthemic and empowering hardcore. It’s humbling to hear the band deliver this statement at this point in my life with them - and a reminder why I’ve been lucky to have grown so much with them.
22. Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple
The same way I proclaim Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly to be the 21st century’s What’s Going On, I will proclaim Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters to be the 21st century’s Rain Dogs - Tom Waits’ magnum opus. Its percussive power heightens Fiona’s lyrics of recovery, survival, and coming into one’s own. She stretches her vocals to places never reached before, and empowers the listener by telling them to be certain of themselves, then to act.
20. Bellavista - Viva Belgrado
Spain has one of the best underground rock scenes that no one is talking about. Viva Belgrado, a post-hardcore/emo band, take influence from the American school of these genres, but offer something wholly fresh from dead tropes with their guitar playing, musical influences, storytelling and spirit. “Ikebukuro Sunshine,” what I consider to be the hardcore track from the year, highlights everything great about this record: eloquently sung lyrics with a haunting emotional cadence, rambunctious rhythms and atmospheric guitar leads. Bellavista is exceptional, and proof to me that our scenes stateside need to step out of the bubble and embrace more than that same ol’ Telecaster twinkle and insincerity.
Hit to Hit, the latest album from Philadelphia power pop sensation 2nd Grade, commits fully to sincerity and innocence in a way that reminds us to be gentle with ourselves and our outlook on life - but kinda sorta also Joe Pera. Peter Gill’s knack for childlike, playful hooks is enviable, as he can literally make an “ABC and 123” lyrical scheme non-trite. The licks and riffs on this record harken back to the best of 70s hard rock, 80s alt rock and 90s lo-fi, yet have a twee spirit that makes me feel like they’d tour great with Tullycraft. But the record also can be somber, capturing the bygone senses of nostalgia when life was easier, simpler. Ultimately, it’s a fantastic outing, and the perfect reassurance that this genre’s not dead.
18. Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise) - SAULT
The enigmatic collective SAULT dropped two albums this year of masterful neo-soul and rhythm and blues, owing all in the name of black empowerment, unity, excellence and perseverance. Both albums work as a unified piece, Black Is leaning towards protest and Rise leaning towards gospel. In a year where we've come to cultural reckoning, where we've pushed towards actively remove the chains of racism in this country, SAULT's albums are essential listening. But it’s not listening to educate one’s self; it’s listening to understand ourselves, to know how to be better, to be excellent.
Silk Road, the sophomore record from Oakland’s TONER, sprints through with its runtime, cramming every sweaty burst of feedback with a fusion of slacker rock, bedroom pop and DIY-core. While the meta-stoner lyrics over ripping riffs is a killer combo, as on “Smoov” and “Dark Ecstasy,” it's the distinctive California punk haze that coats this record that reminds me of what defined Wavves in the early years. The gothic overtones are what compel me most, however, and place this group in the echelon of greatest current West Coast garage acts.
16. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
Considering my review of this album was up on the home page for nearly six months (shoutout hiatuses, baby!), I don’t have much more to say other than this: Punisher strikes you at your core through the simplest of language and instrumentation. Phoebe’s rise to stardom is fully warranted, and though hype can be a worthy foe, if you don’t feel moved by this record, I’d like to have a word with you…
15. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
Lianne La Havas is the perfect self-titled record: the quintessential reflection of who she is, how she feels, and where her spirit lies. Her first release since 2015’s magisterial Blood, Lianne’s latest work is her magnum opus, a display of rebirth and re-establishment of self after a breakup through an ingeniously assembled song cycle. Leading a newly assembled backing band with confidence and a refined character, Lianne places herself at the album’s core while thriving in its collaboration, interplay, and the authority she possesses - in music and her life.
She steals “Weird Fishes” from Radiohead and creates the only version that matters, she graces us with the career-defining love song “Can’t Fight,” and masters vocal jazz in the tradition of the greats - but with a contemporary, sleek and seductive twist. To witness her flourish into the auteur she is now has been a wonderful journey, and one that will only continue to travel farther.
13. Curse Rotted Record - The Goin’ Nowheres
Mathew Lee Cothran returned to making music this year after he took time to recover. First, he released depressedelica under the elvis depressedly moniker. While a very good album, that records somber meditations felt like a conscious deconstruction of the band he had created. It felt like tearing down and starting new.
If that’s the case, then Curse Rotted Record - the latest from side project the Goin’ Nowheres - is a return to the lo-fi pop form of Cothran’s early days, but with the most mature, evocative, and fully realized lyrics of his career. It’s reflective on what it takes to want to change who you are, rife with pensive meditations and gorgeous melodies. “Everything’s Wonderful” is one of the best Cothran songs period, but “Legacy” is the most important song on the album, contextualizing the philosophical anguish of the modern artist. A must listen for any Cothran completist, or anyone who believes their bedroom pop should contain the ruminations of nightmares.
You’d Prefer An Astronaut is one of my favorite records of all time. It's the ultimate example of how the fusion of sub-genres (shoegaze, alt-metal, emo) can lead to an original style (in Hum's case, the "space rock" tag) that influences generations to come - see sludgy DIY acts Cloakroom and Greet Death to understand. I could go on and on about how perfect that record and Hum’s discography is at large, but I never thought a new record would ever be added to that catalogue...and be this fantastic.
Inlet presents a sludiger take on Hum’s slice of alt-metal, but that doesn’t mean the shoegaze and emo influences have evaporated. Matt Talbot’s vocals still remain geekily deadpan in tone, backed by the band’s mighty riffs and galactic atmosphere. “Step Into You” could rival a single like “The Pod,” but drone-fests “Desert Rambler,” “Folding” and “Shapeshifter” are the peaks of the record. One of the best comeback records of the century.
11. Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ - Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis’ latest record is sexy as all fuck. It’s bilingual presentation and fluid nature creates a love potion of mythic proportions, advancing the glory of Isolation to more accessible, genre-driven, and impassioned ends. Kali’s knack for songwriting and vibe curation only continues to grow with each new release, but Sin Miedo solidifies her place in the upper-echelon of modern pop and R&B auteurs.
Take for example “Aquí Yo Mando” with Rico Nasty, where her sensuality intimidates the listener into making the first move. This vibe is flipped completely on “Quiero Sentirme Bien,” as Kali beckons to the listener before warning them “I won't ever go back where I used to be” - a woman who knows her worth and what she wants.
I was first exposed to Melbourne’s RICEWINE through receiving his debut album, Today, from Spirit Goth’s Cassette Club. I was intrigued by it’s fusion of lo-fi hip hop and dream pop, yet felt it needed more development to leave a lasting impression. On Lovesick, that development has manifested in satiating ways, creating an album with an old-school jazz-rap flair and universal accessibility.
Talae Rodden crafts a sound that’s smooth, slick and irresistibly groovy, the perfect atmosphere for warm-weather blunt rotations. It’s as equally influenced by “lo-fi beats to study to” and Nujabes as it is R&B and electronic subgenres, synthesizing a sound that reflects a wonderfully universal view of hip hop. But Lovesick isn’t just a great soundtrack to the summer months, it’s a time capsule that brings the listener back to their flourishing youth, to a time when their adulthood still meant parties with friends and a sense of optimism. While all that’s changed, it's reassuring to know that RICEWINE has captured this nostalgia through a perfect mixtape of mellow moods.
9. New Me, Same Us - Little Dragon
Six albums in, Little Dragon have given us their magnum opus, the ultimate consummation of alternative R&B, downtempo and trip hop they can create. The atmosphere of New Me, Same Us is nocturnal and sensual, a drive down a palm-tree laden road illuminated only by the alien neon of the stars above. But Little Dragon are more than just vibe conjurers at this point, and they should be recognized for more: especially considering frontwoman Yukimi Nagano has one of modern music’s best voices.
The songwriting the group displays is in peak form, craftily accenting their grooves with bells, chimes, bass licks, and whatever else is appropriate for makin’ star children. Covering themes of depression, love and companionship, Nagano carries the songs to the heavens with her lush delivery, from “Hold On” to “New Fiction” to “Are You Feeling Sad?” and “Where You Belong.” Most impressively of all, as the band continues to try new synthetic textures that reflect the evolving landscape of European dance, they find ways to fit them into a soundtrack of lovemaking that’s damn near angelic. There’s new wisdom and experience behind the band, but they’re still the group we’ve grown to love - the best accomplishment a band can give you.
From the opening drums of “Promises,” Beach Bunny kick into their sensational debut Honeymoon with earnest reflection and emotional turbulence. Lilli Trifillo sings of how she hasn’t fully recovered from a relationship, of how the impact the person left makes it impossible to determine what she truly wants. It’s a heavy way to start a record lyrically, but as a musical unit, Beach Bunny sounds like the sun-kissed emo-pop machine of my dreams.
With a fusion of power pop, indie rock and pop punk from the Paramore School of #Feels, the band has conjured the most aesthetically pleasing punk sound I’ve heard this year, one that embodies the pastel shades of the album cover with spirit and grace. Lilli’s contemplations are universal enough to be pop, personal enough to be kept safe, and hooky enough to stick in your brain for an entire year. Above all, the group has proven how to balance the stigmatized role of “TikTok band” with “ being our own damn selves” - live your life with an outlook so wholly universal, that the messages to yourself of your growth will impact those around you.
7. American Head - The Flaming Lips
Anytime the word “transcendent” is used to describe a band whose sound is psychedelic, eyes will inevitably roll to the back of one’s head and stay there until the bad typing goes away. But American Head truly is transcendent in the Flaming Lips discography, and quite frankly, their careers. It’s the closest they’ve ever come to capturing the essence of death - of one’s mushy self, of one’s metaphysical soul, of one’s sense of hope - but done through the sounds that have defined this group’s highest glories.
This is all too apparent on opener “Will You Leave / When You Come Home,” where the beauty and childlike innocence of the music are counteracted with the sobering, eerie realism of Wayne Coyne’s lyrics. It’s a mood that lingers for a moment, then cements itself in your stomach through your listen. This dichotomy - living in a state of euphoria while accepting your demise is nigh - has been executed to the same degree as Yoshimi, or The Soft Bulletin, even Embryonic and Clouds Taste Metallic. It leads me to believe that American Head - a somber and stark yet nostalgic and highly personal LP - is the best work the Lips have offered this century.
6. Face Down In Meta - Pet Shimmers
Face Down In Meta, the debut of Bristol-based seven-piece Pet Shimmers, is an album that could only have been made in 2020. It’s a catharsis of queer pain, a conglomeration of psychedelics and alternatives to any kind of status quo. It’d be reasonable to believe that such a record holds tremendous emotional weight - which it does - but when the band making that record describe themselves as being “for fans of sparkle force and gender Neutral Milk Hotel,” you know there’s a sly sense of fucked-up humor bubbling under the surface.
Rooted in a lo-fi approach to neo-psychedelia and dream pop, the sounds concocted on FDIM are varnished in haze, experimental in assemblage and as sweet as Skittles. Lyrically, the struggles of gender identity form the record’s central message, as they eloquently articulate experiences of relationship failure, finding community, sexual fervor and philosophical dread. None of this should make for an easy listen, but Pet Shimmers somehow find a way to make this easy to access, appreciate and adore.
Mo Troper is many things: a lovelorn cynic, a snarky satirist, a hook master-general, a maestro of metaphor, a Tweeter’s Tweeter. But on Natural Beauty, Mo adds “optimist” and “pop god” to his book o' names, gracing us with not only the power pop record of the year, but the finest work he has thus far produced. He’s grown from the bitter, jaded garage rock roots of Beloved into the man who doesn't need no lame-o, self-celebratory DIY scene to validate his art.
It’s easy to hear why: the orchestral, sunshine pop nature of most of the tracks paint a portrait of Candyland too inviting to not visit. It's a display of instrumental mastery most songwriters fantasize of. But it's the lyrics where Mo has always been a standout, and with a wider range of emotions on display than ever before, we see exactly why Mo writes the way he does, and how when coming from him, it strikes all the more deeper. “Lucky Devils,” “Potential” and “Cameo” can do the talking on this one…
We’re one decade removed from the origins of “chillwave,” a micro-genre that sailed on the high seas of hype before plummeting into a self-referential blogosphere punchline. And yet, in the decade since, the genre has persisted, un-ironically evolving in a way to where it’s legitimacy can’t be denied - especially when a record as sonically sensual, synthetically splendid, and creatively quirky as LOOK! by Shimmertraps exists.
The synth tones created by Zach Moses and Brodie Cole are reminiscent of Psychic Chasms-era Neon Indian, yet are wholly original in construction, interplay, and their waggish nature. With genre influences from the lo-fi of Helvetia to the electro of Favored Nations, the range displayed throughout these faded funk-fests illustrates just how far bands who make "vibes" have come. The nostalgia tapped for this record is romantic, from a bygone era of carnival kisses and gondola rides down the lazy river - just listen to "Stacey," the sound of a dilapidated, animatronic barbershop quartet crooning as you and your loved one cozy on up on a swan boat. It’s a completely new color, a new flavor, a new whatzamahoozit of sound and style. It’s Shimmertraps - a band you MUST be paying attention to.
Throughout The Baby, New York singer-songwriter Samia hits on a theme that the anime FLCL is renowned for: just because you’re an adult now, doesn’t mean there’s anything different to who you are. The songs throughout this record revel in all modes of youth - its freedom, its fear, its uncertainty, its expectations - all the while delivering diaristic poetry from an emerging, remarkable voice, that makes you realize just how easy it should be to communicate to the ones you love.
Samia falls into the same school of songwriters as Jenny Lewis, Phoebe Bridgers, Suzanne Vega and Lucy Dacus, but with a more driving, universal indie rock sound - it’s ideal for college radio or a "Feel Good" playlist on a streaming service. Her voice - a more sonorous brand of femininity - is what steals the show, placing her lyrics front and center as she backs her songs with only what’s needed. “Fit N Full,” “Big Wheel, “Limbo Bitch,” “Triptych” - all of these are defining songs in the style of songwriter that is most popular amongst the perpetually online. But album closer “Is There Something In The Movies?” is the crowning gem, an emotionally piercing number that stakes the flag of Samia’s artistry firmly in the mountaintop. It’s a strong way to start - and a hunch tells me she’s only going up.
Descender - Post Louis’s enthralling, multifarious debut - is an extraordinary artistic statement, an album so adroitly performed, deftly arranged, thematically captivating and musically moving it’s hard not talk about it endlessly. Mixing late 90s indie rock, mid-2010s art rock and an experimental edge in a way that’s vividly familiar yet impossible to pinpoint, the London band commands your attention with phenomenal musicianship, enticing you further with moments of orchestral dissonance and drones of celestial beauty.
Thematically, the album dissects topics from an angle rarely seen in today’s lyrical landscape. It manages to address how capitalism has tainted working life and labor, the exhaustion of existence in the modern world, the dynamics of power between our loved ones, and perseverance through trauma - when no guarantee of societal change exists. Stephanie Davin’s ghostly voice is damn near operatic, guiding the listener through the multitude of emotional peaks and valleys with their hand held tight. Robbie Stern’s excellent songwriting with Davin, and the pristine, cathedral-esque production, only round out the accomplished character of this album, making Descender not only the best debut of this year, but one of the best debuts of the past you-name-how-long-I-will-challenge-it.
1. Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life - Walter Etc.
In its simplest terms, Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life is a concept album about a failing relationship. It follows the arc of Walter and Kaitlyn as they grow apart from one another, with every intricate detail of their faltering love accounted for. It’s gut-wrenching, despondent, and not for the faint of heart. But it’s oh so much more than that.
Dustin Hayes has been the mastermind behind Walter Mitty and his Makeshift Orchestra for years, building a discography with a consistent narrative thread that documents the most important aspects of his life. DCPPOML - released under the Walter Etc. moniker - fits into the narrative through-line of the pre-conceived Walter character, while also managing to dig dip into his own personal loss, and the journey he endured to come out as the man he is now. For me, it's the greatest break-up album I’ve ever heard, the finest statement on DIY ever made about DIY, and the most reassuring, comforting and empowering romantic film to not yet hit the silver screen (see: the “screenplay” review).
Every lyric on this album has a depth of greater meaning, of a greater existential struggle amidst catharsis. Through the journey of his relationship, Walter comes to the hardest realizations of his life - primarily, that the person he used to love can no longer define him. He realizes who he used to be, how he's gotten to where he is, and what he needs to do to get where he wants. He comes out of it at rock bottom, numb to the pain yet awake to the memories. And yet he perseveres. He changes negligent behavior. He puts himself on the right path by doing what he should have done all along: thank her.
For me, and what I can only assume is all of us, the central theme of 2020 has been moving forward and surviving in the face of our strongest adversity. Moreso than any record this year, DCPPOML lives up to this mantra. It stands as timeless, as the ultimate expression of recovery, grappling heartbreak with wisdom, and the evolving nature of love. In the face of this year's inflicted abandonment, depression, discouragement and nihilism, we should do as Walter and catalyze a whole new perspective, a whole new mode of life, a whole new world. It’s the only way we can live.
THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2020 (#1-50)
- Dark Comedy Performance Piece of My Life - Walter Etc.
- Descender - Post Louis
- The Baby - Samia
- LOOK! - Shimmertraps
- Natural Beauty - Mo Troper
- Face Down In Meta - Pet Shimmers
- American Head - The Flaming Lips
- Honeymoon - Beach Bunny
- New Me, Same Us - Little Dragon
- Lovesick - RICEWINE
- Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ - Kali Uchis
- Inlet - Hum
- Curse Rotted Record - The Goin’ Nowheres
- Good Luck Everybody - AJJ
- Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
- Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
- Silk Road - TONER
- Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise) - SAULT
- Hit to Hit - 2nd Grade
- Bellavista - Viva Belgrado
- Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress - Gulch
- Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple
- Lament - Touche Amore
- Sister - Ultraista
- Ultimate Success Today - Protomartyr
- Heavy Light - U.S. Girls
- Broken Window of Opportunity - Sir Michael Rocks
- Somewhere Nowhere - Hundredth
- X: The Godless Void and Other Stores - …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
- JAGUAR - Victoria Monet
- Chromatica - Lady Gaga
- NO DREAM - Jeff Rosenstock
- Superstar - Caroline Rose
- I Feel Alive - TOPS
- Fungus II - Wasted Shirt
- Limbo - Amine
- Basta de Musica - Martin Buscaglia
- Songs for Pierre Chuvin - The Mountain Goats
- Flower of Devotion - Dehd
- Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
- Country Westerns - Country Westerns
- Brave Faces Everyone - Spanish Love Songs
- Melee - Dogleg
- Set My Heart On Fire Immediately - Perfume Genius
- Live Forever - Bartees Strange
- What’s Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware
- Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - Gorillaz
- Pure X - Pure X
- Fake It Flowers - beabadoobee
- Printer’s Devil - Ratboys
THE TOP 10 EPs OF 2020
- Summer Sleeping - Thunder Dreamer
- Crush - Day Wave
- Slip Away - Mini Trees
- strange/animals - Sakkaris
- I’m Allergic To Dogs! - Remi Wolf
- Dreamboats 2: A Real Chill Sequel - Sleeping Bag & Rozwell Kid
- We Are All Atomic - Spotlights
- After Fillmore County - Vansire
- Nihilist In The Club - Izzy Camina
- Born At Midnite - Born At Midnite
HONORABLE MENTIONS OF 2020
OVERRATED LPs OF 2020
DISAPPOINTING LPs OF 2020
THE WOMP WOMP
Ultra Mono - IDLES
