So, 2020. It's been an interesting year. I think I'll leave analysis of the various horrors that occurred to those with keener minds and stronger stomachs than myself, and focus on the primary objective of this blogue: to catalogue and recommend excellent albums from all over the world, but primarily from the UK, US and Brazil.
Before I begin, this list is entirely subjective. Your list will be different than mine. We don't make lists to have a great big circle-jerk and agree with each other all the time, we do it because there might be an album on someone else's list that you haven't heard and will like, or maybe even because someone's choices might make you reevaluate your opinion of an album.
I must say I missed a number of albums off this list that I really enjoyed - I had a lot of album-listening time, and if I put all the albums I liked on the list, it would be twice as long. I think 100 is a good, round number, though, and it also forces me to think hard about my choices.
The sequence is in descending numerical order of quality - the lower the number, the better the album - although doubtless I will look at this in a couple of months and think "that album should be higher, that should be lower" and so on, but I will resist the temptation to muck about with it. Really, the act of ranking albums like that is somewhat ridiculous... but I did it anyway. Again, I'm sure you'll disagree with my ranking.
I also feel that there were certain areas that I somewhat neglected - there's a lack of Brazilian women on this list, and not quite enough rap albums. I intend to improve upon this oversight in 2021 by paying more attention to albums as and when they come out - this year was a bit of a mad scrabble to prepare the list in the last few months, so stuff got overlooked, and I have a bias towards rock and indie music, so I favoured those genres.
I'd also like to mention some websites that help me find albums - if anybody would like to suggest additional ones, I'm all ears. I need more sources.
Diverse Genres: Pitchfork and Metacritic
Metal: Angry Metal Guy
Brazilian Music: Miojo Indie and Sounds & Colours
With no further ado, here's some arbitrary ranking and categorization of other people's hard work!
100. MACACO BONG: DELTA TRON
If you in any way like post-rock, I urge you to consider Cuiabá, Mato Grosso's Macaco Bong. They are undoubtedly one of the finest bands in the genre, with distinguished dicography consistently exploratory music produced over a decade and a half. This new album is typically excellent and original, bringing together jazz, blues, funk, trip-hop and breakbeat influences into a typically heady genre stew.
99. ALANIS MORISSETTE: SUCH PRETTY FORKS IN THE ROAD
People tend to overlook Alanis these days - she's the kind of artist who provokes comments like "oh, is she still going?" Which is a shame, because she definitely is, and this album about motherhood, struggling with addiction and psychological demons and self-empowerment is smart, affecting and well worth your attention. Nobody writes songs like she does and a new work from her is always welcome.
98. TAYLOR SWIFT: FOLKLORE
I have seen legions of people in forums and comment sections lauding this as the album of the year, and while I can't agree with that, I must say that it's a very tasteful and enjoyable work, as is her second album of the year, Evermore. I've always respected Swift's craft and nous, but this is possibly the first time she's made an album in a style I really relate to.
97. CARIBOU: SUDDENLY
I've always thought of Dan Snaith as more of an instrumental electronica artist who sometimes sings, but here he brings his vocals front and centre. The result is a direct, accessible album with a broad sonic pallette that feels more lyrically and melodically substantial than earlier works.
96. PAUL WELLER: ON SUNSET
In a period of just over ten years, the Modfather has put out six studio albums - and they're all fab. This one was mooted as having house influences, but honestly what I'm mostly hearing is Weller's beloved soul music. All the better for it - ten great, imaginatively arranged songs, with ten great vocal performances. Seriously, I love Weller as a singer.
95. RINA SAWAYAMA: SAWAYAMA
This is a powerhouse pop album that packs a dizzying array of different sounds and genres into its 44 minute runtime, including rock and even touches of metal on the absolute banger "STFU." Whatever Sawayama touches turns to gold - every song is infectious, uplifting and inventive.
I'd like add that it's a fucking disgrace that the Mercury Prize people did not consider Sawayama "eligible" for their shortlist despite her having lived in the UK nearly her whole life. Pathetic. Change your damn rules.
94. U.S. GIRLS: HEAVY LIGHT
Meghan Remy has been making some of the finest, most intelligent pop music of the past decade, and this is a typically stellar effort. Elaborating on the template of 2018's definitive In a Poem Unlimited, the album moves from pop-soul to glam-rock to outré experimentalism without missing a beat.
93. PVRIS: USE ME
Apparently, PVRIS have "gone pop" on this album. Not having heard their previous efforts I wouldn't know, but this is an absolutely storming, hugely infectious and most definitely extremely poppy album, with a compelling vocal performance by Lynn Gunn. Unfortunately, the album's release was marred by sexual misconduct allegations against the guitar player, who was unceremoniously fired from the band. There's not much guitar on the album anyway; I doubt he'll be missed by anyone.
92. IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT: ALPHAVILLE
Black metal in general is quite a rural genre, evoking desolate landscapes, mountains, windswept valleys, snowy tundra... would it be too cliché to say fjords? Fuck it. Fjords. Imperial Triumphant, however, are a distinctly urban band, combining the genre's typical unhinged ferocity with sophisticated touches of jazz and avante-garde music typical of their native NYC. I'm undecided if this or their previous effort, 2018's Vile Luxury, is their apex, so why not treat yourself and pick them both up?
91. JUP DO BAIRRO: CORPO SEM JUÍZO
This genre-blending, gender-blurring record only runs 27 minutes, but in that time it makes quite a mark, moving from passionate and thought-provoking trans advocacy to the explicitly sexual (there's one track that made me feel distinctly prudish!), to Luta por Mim, a highly moving track featuring a verse from rapper Mulambo that might be the year's definitive statement on Black Lives Matter in any language.
90. DOVES: THE UNIVERSAL WANT
Like they've never been away. The Universal Want adds precisely zero strings to the Doves bow as far as I can tell, but delivers on their soaring, richly produced and arranged Britrock sound just as brilliantly as their previous albums. Their many fans will be delighted with this expert service.
89. JINDER: ALMANAC FOR THE FAILING DAYS
The former Mercurymen maestro released two albums this year, both of which are worth your time and money. The first, The Silver Age, released just before COVID hit the west, was a fine effort that looked poised to boost his career significantly until the shit hit the fan. This, the second, was written and recorded while Jinder himself was recovering from the dreaded virus and adds a layer of darkness and intimacy to his ever-exceptional artistry.
88. NAPALM DEATH: THROES OF JOY IN THE JAWS OF DEFEATISM
Napalm Death rarely disappoint. Over the nearly four decades of their career, they've demonstrated an admirable willingness to switch up their sound, from the frenetic grindcore of their legendary late-80s recordings to the death metal of their 90s output and beyond. This album has enough of their traditional fury to satisfy the faithful, but the back half is full of experiments and detours that make it a fascinating listen.
87. CHLOE X HALLE: UNGODLY HOUR
The second album from this R&B duo is - well, I haven't actually heard the first one, but if it's not a step up from their debut, then I definitely need to go look that up. The exceptionally fine production is full of interesting details, the vocal melodies and harmonies are first-class and the songs are full of empowerment and optimism.
86. LEVELLERS: PEACE
One of the small delights of 2020 was seeing the Levellers back in the UK top 10 for the first time since the late 90s - and with a cracking album that feels like a distillation of all their finest qualities. Mark Chadwick and Simon Friend's contrasting voices have equal prominence on this rousing collection of folk-punk songs that speak to our times while recalling this band's heyday.
85. CRACK CLOUD: PAIN OLYMPICS
The Vancouver art-punk collective have really outdone themselves on their second album. Adding lashings of jazz and noise-rock to their genre cocktail, they have created a fascinating sound that seems to change shape every time you get a grip on it. The album seems to turn on a penny between emotional rawness and arty angularity.
84. PANZERFAUST: THE SUNS OF PERDITION - CHAPTER II: RENDER UNTO EDEN
A black metal band with the word "panzer" in their name? Ruh-roh. However, as far as I can tell, Panzerfaust are not that kind of black metal band - in fact, there's a photo of them pissing on the Westboro Baptist Church, which hopefully puts them in the clear. Anyway, they're Canadian. Canadians aren't Nazis, right? Right?
In any case, just like Chapter I, this is earth-shattering, ear-piercing black metal with touches of death and doom that skilfully evokes the horrors of war, interspersed with moments of calm and beauty that make the ugliness feel all the more vivid.
83. TATÁ AEROPLANO: DELÍRIOS LÍRICOS
This is the kind of MPB that I could listen to all day. Evocative - but not derivative - of classic artists like Caetano Veloso and Tom Zé, with the urbane touches of modern counterparts such as Tim Bernardes and Juliano Gauche, Delírios Líricos is smart, resonant and brilliantly arranged.
82. JEFF TWEEDY: LOVE IS THE KING
Jeff Tweedy is one of those guys who just has vibes. On this album at least, he's not necessarily always doing anything so different from hundreds of other singer-songwriters (though both of them definitely have at some point!), but he has an indefinable feel that makes him stand out from the pack. This low-key lockdown record is steeped in what Tom Waits once referred to as "that feel."
81. HAVOK: V
It's been rather a good year for good ol' thrash metal, with Mr. Bungle (see below) and a host of acts old and new releasing fine albums. Denver band Havok's fifth effort was particularly excellent. The riffing is tight and relentless, and David Sanchez's rasping shriek brings intensity to the album's political aggression.
80. THIAGO FRANÇA: KD VCS
This remarkable composition, performed entirely on solo saxophone by França, known for his work with Metá Metá and his Carnival music project A Espetacular Charanga do França, perfectly encapsulates the solitude of lockdown using all the sonic possibilities, both tonal and atonal, of his instrument. The title is Brazilian Portuguese textspeak meaning something like "where have you all gone?"; the whole piece is haunted by loneliness.
79. KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD: KG
An Australian psychedelic rock band who won't make you want to vomit and tear your eardrums out of your skull!
Just in case you didn't get it, that was a joke about Tame Impala.
I fucking hate Tame Impala.
78. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: UNFOLLOW THE RULES
Another absolute belter of an album from the purple-blooded prince of singer-songwriting. I can't remember him releasing anything this enjoyable for quite some time, maybe since 2007's Release the Stars. Wainwright's trademark lushly arranged modern torch songs with soaring choruses are back with a vengeance.
77. TRAVIS: 10 SONGS
After a period in which Fran Healy was delegating much of the songwriting in Travis to bassist Dougie Payne - with better results than you might expect - he's back with a vengeance on 10 Songs. Expect absolutely no concessions to the passage of time. This sounds almost exactly like The Man Who and The Invisible Band, and it's maybe a couple of timeless anthems short of being as good as those albums, but it's every bit as much of a pleasure to listen to.
76. LUEDJI LUNA: BOM MESMO É ESTAR DEBAIXO D'AGUA
My one criticism of this album is that musically, it doesn't really offer anything I haven't heard before. However, it is rare to hear a modern MPB album with this level of excellence across the board. The jazz-tinged musicianship and songwriting are masterly; it is the mere quality of this album that elevates it above its peers.
75. WIRE: MIND HIVE
Wire are a band that never, ever sit on their laurels, always seeking new territory and new songs, rarely playing large sections of their prodigious back catalogue live - and yet, they're always immediately recognisable. Mind Hive has echoes of past classics, but has a discipline and simplicity that is all its own.
74. LOMELDA: HANNAH
There's something about the simplicity and directness of this set that really appeals to me. These affecting songs about solitude, companionship and self-knowledge with their unadorned arrangements go straight to the heart.
73. NADINE SHAH: KITCHEN SINK
This is a difficult album to describe - whatever box I try to put it in, it just won't fit. Very frustrating when you're trying to sum something up in a couple of sentences. Suffice to say, Shah has a fantastic voice and writes brilliant lyrics and melodies, and producer Ben Hillier creates richly detailed and eclectic sonic backdrops that bring a sense of adventure and grandiosity to proceedings. If you want to know what it sounds like, go listen to it.
72. TIM BURGESS: I LOVE THE NEW SKY
This new solo work from the Charlatans frontman is better than the majority of those by his band - and they don't really have a bad album. Here, he explores his love of art-pop, many tracks bearing traces of Eno's early solo work and that of his contemporaries in the early 70s - however, Burgess's instincts are generally more upbeat and major-key than those artists, resulting in an album that is both clever and full of warmth.
By the by, Burgess has also been bringing a shaft of light into many people's 2020 with his Twitter listening parties, with an eclectic range of great musicians guiding participants through a wide array of albums old and new. Find out more at the listening party website.
71. SHIRLEY COLLINS: HEART'S EASE
One of the musical highlights of the past half-decade has been the return from retirement of one of English folk music's premier voices, Shirley Collins, after over 35 years of near-total silence. This follow-up to her comeback album Lodestar is even better than that excellent album, with Collins inhabiting the voices in this set of (mostly) traditional songs with total command. An album full of emotion and wisdom.
70. SUMAC: MAY YOU BE HELD
This is as heavy as lead, a dense, sludgy post-metal epic that sometimes goes off into drone territory. However, it offers moments of light and optimism amidst the ugliness that give the heaviest moments additional impact. Another reason to love Sumac is that they're boycotting Spotify. #FuckSpotify
69. JAY ELECTRONICA: A WRITTEN TESTIMONY
Honestly, Mr. Electronica is my second-favourite Jay on this album. His beatmaking is excellent, and his writing thought-provoking, but this would be half the album without Jay-Z, who gives possibly his best vocal performance since Watch the Throne. However, unfortunately, I have to add a caveat: the album contains antisemitic dog-whistles. Such idiocy mars the album, and is beneath the dignity of everybody involved.
68. GORILLAZ: SONG MACHINE, SEASON ONE: STRANGE TIMEZ
Best Gorillaz album since Plastic Beach! Best Albarn album since... well, actually since the last Blur album, which was five years ago. Gorillaz' Song Machine series of singles has been a highlight of this shitty year, and this full-length collection, packed with superb guest features and some of Damon Albarn's best pop songwriting, is an absolute delight.
67. SUFJAN STEVENS: THE ASCENSION
Sufjan hasn't released a proper solo studio album for a long time, and this 80-minute electro epic could not be more different from 2015's spectral Carrie & Lowell. The album's length, and its contrast of pop arrangements with drawn-out, impressionistic song forms, seems to have confused some critics, but this is an album that richly rewards time and attention.
66. FACELESS BURIAL: SPECIATION
This album is pure, distilled essence of death metal, nasty, brutal and pummelling, with brainy touches that remind me of the work of bands such as Death and Cynic. The chemistry of the band's playing, and the sheer aggression, makes them a worthy successor to the greats, and the homage never sounds like mere pastiche - this death is alive.
65. GIL SCOTT-HERON/MAKAYA MCCRAVEN: WE'RE NEW AGAIN
This is the second time that Gil Scott-Heron's final album has received a makeover, after Jamie xx's commissioned remix in 2011. The jazz-soul sound renowned drummer McCraven creates is a perfect fit for Scott-Heron's last stand, and a worthy tribute. It's almost as good as the original.
64. THE WEEKND: AFTER HOURS
If on his previous album, Abel Tesfaye took his hipster R&B sound to the dancefloor, on After Hours (as the name suggests) he has created a soundtrack for solitary introspection. His music is stripped of frills and features, and reduced to its bitter, bruised essence.
63. BLACK ROYAL: FIREBRIDE
On their second album, this Finnish death-doom metal band have pivoted towards the death side of their equation, with speeded-up tempos giving their trademark killer riffs extra bite. Riku Niemelä's mighty roar on this album would be my favourite extreme metal vocal performance of the year, were it not for a certain Mr. Patton...
62. ARCA: KICK I
Arca vaguely gestures towards the mainstream on this one - she hasn't exactly gone full-on pop, but collaborations with artists such as Björk, Rosalía and Sophie are good indications of where she's headed here. A smart, engaging collection of modern avant-garde pop songs.
61. OZZY OSBOURNE: ORDINARY MAN
Hopefully, Ordinary Man is not Ozzy Osbourne's final album - he certainly has plans for at least one more, so let's pray to the gods of metal that Parkinson's doesn't rob him of the ability to record it. However, were this to be the last one, at least he would be going out at the top of his game - this is his finest work since the 90s, showcasing his patented gonzo blend of glam, alt, trad and doom metal to great effect. Even the kooky song about aliens is great.
60. JEFF PARKER: SUITE FOR MAX BROWN
In lieu of a new Tortoise album (did I mention they're my favourite post-rock band?), I'm more than happy to accept this jazz odyssey from their longtime guitarist. This is an imaginative and varied set full of outstanding instrumental performances, not least from Parker himself.
59. NO JOY: MOTHERHOOD
On the first No Joy album in a half-decade, Jasmine White-Gluz has spiked her shoegazey dream-poppy brew with a shot of eclecticism, injecting it with doses of trip-hop and 90s-style breakbeats. However, her consistent focus on providing that crucial combination of melody and noise gives the album focus and makes for a thoroughly satisfying listen.
58. THE FLAMING LIPS: AMERICAN HEAD
In which the Flaming Lips take the conceptual cohesion and dark social commentary of their latter-day work and combine it with the sound of The Soft Bulletin (still their masterpiece). The resulting work is fit to stand alongside the finest moments in their esteemed discography. Essential for fans, and not a bad entry point for newbies.
57. BRUNO SCHIAVO: A VIDA SÓ COMEÇÕU
Bruno Schiavo is an excellent singer-songwriter whose work reminds me of the likes of Mutantes (apologies for the lazy comparison, but it is genuinely reminiscent). I was also put in mind of certain works by Super Furry Animals, and the excellent rhythm section on this album reminded me of Tony Allen and Paul Simonon's collaborations. Definitely gets my Brazilian Debut Album of the Year award.
56. MARGO PRICE: THAT'S HOW RUMORS GET STARTED
Margo Price moved away from the more country-based sound of her debut and sophomore releases on her third album, creating a classicist pop-rock sound somewhat reminiscent of Stevie Nicks' work with Fleetwood Mac. Every song here is infectious and distinctive - I don't drive these days, but it would probably make great driving music.
55. DUA LIPA: FUTURE NOSTALGIA
This excellent pop album looks both forward and backwards, as the title suggests, drawing on several top producers to update the Madonna/Kylie electro-disco aesthetic for 2020. Future Nostalgia is certainly considerably better than the recent efforts of those two singers. I recommend it for the parties you're currently unable to have.
54. NICK CAVE: IDIOT PRAYER: NICK CAVE ALONE AT ALEXANDRA PALACE
This powerhouse performance, just Nick Cave and his piano, goes on over 80 minutes, but not a single song feels superfluous. Cave is not afraid to expose the weaknesses in his voice as he transforms songs that were previously thunderous anthems into naked confessionals in a set that draws from diverse areas of his illustrious songbook. This is the live album for 2020.
53. THE SOFT PINK TRUTH: SHALL WE GO ON SINNING SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE?
This is a fine set of ambient techno that manages to be both cerebral and emotional, utilizing a broad palette of sounds whilst maintaining a unity of form and purpose. Also, it's a really great album title that skewers the hypocrisy of fundamentalist thought.
52. YVES TUMOR: HEAVEN TO A TORTURED MIND
I can well imagine that the bold, jarring soundscapes explored on this album would indeed be heaven to a tortured mind. On their most successful album to date, Sean Bowie does their namesake proud with a set of twisted, infectious avant-pop songs that could be seen as modern analogue of the Berlin trilogy.
51. TIM HEIDECKER: FEAR OF DEATH
With a little bit of help from his friend, the prodigiously talented Natalie Mering AKA Weyes Blood, Heidecker has created his finest album. Retreating somewhat from the political edge of his anti-Trump songs, this set of wry, self-deprecating songs about - well, fear of death - is beautifully arranged, and Mering's solo performance on the album's final song is, as always, a tour de force.
50. SIGUR RÓS: ODIN'S RAVEN MAGIC
Technically, I'm not sure if I should be including this as it was recorded over a decade ago. It's so bloody good though, the best Sigur Rós-related thing to come out since ( ), epic, operatic and grand.
49. BC CAMPLIGHT: SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF
The combination of darkness and self-effacing humor that Brian Christinzio pulls off on this album is almost as impressive as the richly detailed musical textures. Altogether, it's a masterpiece of songwriting and musicianship that combines the home-made with the epic.
48. SPARKS: A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP
This is probably the best Sparks album since... well, actually, all Sparks albums are pretty awesome. This is another Sparks album, and they are still at the top of their game. If you like Sparks, you will probably enjoy this. In fact, if you like Sparks you probably already have this. Come to think of it, this entry is pretty superfluous. I should probably cut it out and replace it with an one for an up-and-coming band who aren't as good as Sparks.
47. UNLEASH THE ARCHERS: ABYSS
Unleash the Archers are the best power metal band in the world right now. Their combination of speed, brilliant playing, and the splendid vocal acrobatics of Brittany Slayes, is irresistible. I'm not sure which is better, Abyss or its predecessor Apex, so I suggest you go listen to them both.
46. JARV IS: BEYOND THE PALE
This album was recorded partly live, apparently, combining improvised passages with more thought-out studio work. It could have been recorded on top of the Taj Mahal for all I care - it's Jarvis bloody Cocker, who I always enjoy, and what's more it's his best work since the last Pulp album.
45. CREEPER: SEX, DEATH & THE INFINITE VOID
I'll be honest, I could do without the wince-inducingly pretentious spoken word passages on this album, and the concept means nothing to me. The choruses, though - oh, the choruses. The choruses are huge. Wall-to-wall rock bangers like they used to make back in the 90s. My inner Weezer fan is deeply satisfied, something I can't really say about most latter-day Weezer albums.
44. SEVDALIZA: SHABRANG
The minimalism of this dark avant-pop epic, combined with the generally low bpms and glacial atmosphere, has the power to unsettle, as do some of the lyrics. It might not be the year's most accessible album, but it is a very impressive work of art, and consistently impressive across its 58-minute run time.
43. BOLDY JAMES & THE ALCHEMIST: THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA
Boldy James has been busy this year, releasing multiple albums. So has beatmaker The Alchemist, as a matter of fact: his album with Freddie Gibbs is also well worth seeking out and has appeared on many year-end lists. I prefer this, though, partly because Boldy James is much more to my taste as an MC - his richly detailed lyrics and exceptional rhythmic control are hugely impressive.
42. THE OCEAN COLLECTIVE: PHANEROZOIC II - MESOZOIC / CENOZOIC
The Ocean's series of albums based on geological eras continues to fascinate. This particular entry covers the period from the age of dinosaurs to the modern day, and moves seamlessly from crushingly heavy progressive metal to atmospheric post-rock passages. I've no idea exactly how the concept relates to the music, but they've created a thing of beauty here.
41. NUBYA GARCIA: SOURCE
Source is this prodigiously gifted saxophonist's debut as a bandleader, and I'm hoping for many more. The strong dub and R&B influences create a modern fusion style that perfectly complements Garcia's inspired playing, creating a distinctive and consistently enjoyable album.
40. DRAKEO THE RULER: THANK YOU FOR USING GTL
Drakeo the Ruler pulls off a neat conceptual trick on this album. Currently trapped within the USA's prison-industrial complex, he recorded all his vocals for this album over the phone, and his inclusion of the pre-recorded messages from prison phone service operator GTL carries with it an implicit criticism of the way in which US prisons profit from their inmates. The lyrics are biting, the vocal dexterity is impressive, and the beats are top-notch. Highly recommended.
39. CAR SEAT HEADREST: MAKING A DOOR LESS OPEN
Will Toledo's newest album did not receive universal acclaim, and I can see why - the songs are much less anthemic, and it's probably his most jarring change of style since his move from cult Bandcamp favourite to indie darling a half-decade or so ago. I love it, though - these mantra-like, often electronic-led songs are highly affecting and effective, and I always like to hear artists adding new strings to their bow.
38. BARTEES STRANGE: LIVE FOREVER
One of the most gratifying musical trends over the past decade has been the increasing prominence of Black voices in indie-rock, led by pioneers such as Shamir (who released two albums in 2020, both of which are excellent but neither of which quite made it into my top 100) and now Bartees Strange, whose debut album is a truly original and unique work that demands to be heard. Live Forever blends an array of modern genres seemingly effortlessly into a cohesive, affecting style.
37. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: LETTER TO YOU
The Boss is Back! Well, actually, he released an album in 2019, but this time he's brought the E Street Band into the studio for the first time in ages, and basically just jammed these tunes out with them almost live. There are a clutch of excellent new songs here, and he's dug out three outtakes from the early 70s, but what really stands out is the chemistry and energy of the band playing together in the studio. A welcome entry into the Springsteen canon.
36. NEGRO LEO: DESEJO DE LACRAR
Negro Leo nails it every time. Every album of his is just fantastic - there's no other musician on the planet like him. His avant-garde, jazzy MPB brew is impossible to categorize (beyond vague, reductive statements like "avant-garde, jazzy MPB") and always carries a satirical or political edge. Desejo de Lacrar is one of his best works - I might not know how to describe it properly, but I can certainly recommend it.
35. KID CUDI: MAN ON THE MOON III: THE CHOSEN
Kid Cudi's latest installment in his Man on the Moon series is a self-conscious return to form. His first full-length solo hip-hop album for four years, it may not have the originality of some of his early work, but it displays a maturity and a mastery of the form that comes from many years of boundary-pushing. It's a celebration of all things Cudi, the light and the dark side.
34. JEFF ROSENSTOCK: NO DREAM
Jeff Rosenstock's previous album, POST-, was a cathartic blast of anger and frustration that anybody horrified by the Trump administration and the direction the world is going in could relate to. No Dream is... much the same thing, to be honest, and still very welcome. Trump may be on his way out, but unfortunately I think we'll be needing artists like Rosenstock for quite some time to come.
33. LUCINDA WILLIAMS: GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS
One of the greatest, most distinctive voices in American roots music returns with a state-of-the-nation address. Good Souls Better Angels is a tighter, more focused set than the sprawling double-albums Williams is known for, channeling political anger and making good use of modern production touches to create one of her most energetic collections.
32. PORRIDGE RADIO: EVERY BAD
This intense, exhilarating album from a band I'd never heard of was one of the more pleasant surprises in a year full of them. Dana Margolin's vocals have a rare honesty and authenticity, and the band's brand of alt-rock is full of imagination and invention. This is their fourth album, so I shall have to dig into the back catalogue.
31. MR. BUNGLE: THE RAGING WRATH OF THE EASTER BUNNY DEMO
Mike Patton is not an artist who's accustomed to looking backwards, but on this occasion he's gone backwards to go forwards, assembling a version of Mr. Bungle augmented by Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Scott Ian of Anthrax to create an album on the foundation of the band's original demo from the late 80s. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's a collection of feral crossover thrash with a psychotic vocal performance from Patton.
30. RASHID: TÃO REAL
For his third official studio album, Paulista rapper Rashid has delivered one of those epic hour-plus-long albums that supposedly died out in the 90s. The concept is simple: it's an album for you to listen to in the street. Unfortunately we haven't been listening to too much music in the street this year, but I enjoyed this excellent, generous-spirited album just fine in my bedroom.
29. DESTROYER: HAVE WE MET
I really should be more familiar with Destroyer, an artist whose extensive back catalogue has a formidable reputation. However, when this came out I had to answer the eponymous query in the negative. The smart indie-pop on this excellent album makes it clear to me that exploring the Destroyer discography should be a priority.
28. JESSIE WARE: WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE?
This is an absolutely flawless dance-pop album in a year where several such records have been released by the likes of Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa, et cetera. Jessie Ware's subtle, sophisticated take on the genre tops all those other releases, boasting a consistently engaging blend of modern production and classicist arrangements.
27. FONTAINES D.C.: A HERO'S DEATH
This Irish quintet appear to have been anointed Rock's Great New Hope - and listening to their second album, I tend to concur. Their post-punk sound reminds me of several great historic bands without aping any of them, the songwriting and musicianship is absurdly strong, and Grian Chatten is a natural frontman with an instantly recognisable voice. These guys should go far.
26. RIZ AHMED: THE LONG GOODBYE
After suffering through a long, abusive relationship, Riz Ahmed is breaking up with Britannia. That's the central metaphor on this album, in which Ahmed vents his anger at the UK's slow transformation from a modern, multicultural nation into a small-minded, delusional Little Britain, a global joke, a country whose priorities have become so twisted that it places the prejudices of racists and bigoted xenophobes before its own economic self-interest; a foreigner-hating fascistic backwater that fetishises deportation (I could add about twenty more run-on clauses to that sentence - I'm nearly as angry as Riz). The music, somewhat reminiscent of MIA, is excellent, and Ahmed's vocal delivery is highly effective at conveying his anger and sense of betrayal.
25. ANAAL NATHRAKH: ENDARKENMENT
Anaal Nathrakh have always been ferociously heavy, and that doesn't change on Endarkenment. What is different is the increased emphasis on sugar-coating the horror with melody, creating a sound that's as infectious as Covid and about as pleasant (if you think that simile's in bad taste, I know a guy who wrote a song called Catchy Like Corona).
24. NO HOME: FUCKING HELL
This raw, disturbing album is the product of a serious talent. Listening on headphones, the combination of the cathartic lyrics and vocalisations with DIY aesthetics and electronic experimentation actually left me feeling a little queasy at times. It's a tough and challenging listen full of difficult emotions and sounds, but well worth the effort.
23. BUSTA RHYMES: EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT 2: THE WRATH OF GOD
Making an album that's explicitly a sequel to his finest work is a bold move from Busta Rhymes, especially given that in the two decades since his output has only shown intermittent flashes of the genius that was in full effect in the late 90s. He absolutely knocks it out of the park on this one, though, outshining all his illustrious guests, including Kendrick Lamar and Q-Tip, on the kind of epic CD-length hip-hop album they supposedly don't make any more.
22. KATIE GATELY: LOOM
With her sophomore album, Katie Gately has produced one of the year's most striking works. Inspired by the loss of her mother, Loom explores grief in a tapestry of electronic and human elements. The album's centrepiece, "Bracer," is an epic tour de force that build from a whisper to a scream, and a contender for my song of the year.
21. RUN THE JEWELS: RTJ4
El-P and Killer Mike return with their fourth classic in a row. These guys absolutely kill it every time, providing an intense, relentless blast of energy and anger with state-of-the-nation lyrics, state-of-the-art production and perfectly chosen and deployed guest spots. I need hardly say more than that in 2020, they did it again.
20. PROTOMARTYR: ULTIMATE SUCCESS TODAY
This brutal, chilling deconstruction of Trump's America might just be my favourite Protomartyr album. The musicianship is on another level, crushing rhythms topped with squalling guitars with added layers of jazz-inspired instrumentation. The title phrase "ultimate success today" is repeated numerous times through the album in cold tones of mockery; if you want to know what that means, check out the cover art.
19. VALCIÃN CALIXTO: NADA TEM SIDO FÁCIL TAMPOUCO IMPOSSÍVEL
Nothing has been easy; nor has it been impossible. On his sophomore album, Calixto really leans into the axé side of his axé-punk aesthetic. His debut, Foda!, shared this album's strong sense of community and connection to his home city of Teresina, Piauí, but there was a darkness and anger to that record. Conversely, this warm, welcoming set of songs about hope, forgiveness, family, and overcoming oppression and adversity brings a smile to my face and peace to my heart every time I listen to it. Axé indeed!
18. JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD: EVEN IN EXILE
The Manic Street Preachers have always made such a big deal about the lyrical/conceptual side of their songs, it's often overlooked that what really makes it all cohere is the prodigious musical talent of their unassuming singer/guitarist. On Even in Exile, a concept album about the life and times of Victor Jara with lyrics by Nicky Wire's poet/playwright brother Patrick Jones, James Dean Bradfield cuts loose from the obligation to write bolt-on anthemic choruses, allowing him to stretch out and explore his musicality. Perhaps he should continue with this path on the next Manics album.
17. ANGEL OLSEN: WHOLE NEW MESS
Sometimes, the demos are better than the recording proper - just ask PJ Harvey, who followed up Rid of Me with the demo tape for the album, or Bruce Springsteen, who went one step further, junked the studio recordings for Nebraska entirely and released the demo instead. Angel Olsen already had an excellent album in 2019's All Mirrors; on the demos for that record, now released as Whole New Mess, the polish and artifice are stripped away to reveal the emotional core of those songs, resulting in what might just be Olsen's best album.
16. ELVIS COSTELLO: HEY CLOCKFACE
Elvis Costello is always worth a listen, whether he's doing one of his genre experiments or making a self-consciously "Costello-esque" record. Hey Clockface, compiled from multiple sessions, is kind of both at the same time, ranging from spoken word pieces to jazzy ballads to startling experimental rockers. One of his most adventurous and rewarding albums.
15. AESOP ROCK: SPIRIT WORLD FIELD GUIDE
The latest album from the ever-verbose Aesop Rock is a typically dense, trippy listen full of psychedelic beats and surreal wordplay. Spirit World Field Guide is a rambling imaginative journey that gets better with every listen.
14. THE MICROPHONES: MICROPHONES IN 2020
After a two-decade layoff, Phil Elverum has returned to his former project with a single, album-length track that's a fascinating stream-of-consciousness examination of his past and the motivations and stories behind his songwriting. Not only is it lyrically brilliant, the music, harking back to the late Microphones sound, is consistenly engaging and sonically adventurous.
13. LIANNE LA HAVAS: LIANNE LA HAVAS
I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't have bothered with this album had it not been for the cover of Radiohead's Weird Fishes, which is excellent - but so are all the other tracks on the album (the fact that it took a Radiohead cover to get me to listen says much more about me that it does about her). La Havas is a very promising singer-songwriter who seems to have come into her own with this album, and I look forward to more from her.
12. ARTHUR MELO: ADEUS
This album was my first encounter with Arthur Melo, a young singer-songwriter from Belo Horizonte who cites as influences Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Devendra Banhart, amongst others - but for me his voice and guitar playing immediately brought to mind the late master of bossa nova, João Gilberto. Except Melo deconstructs the genre, turns it inside out and shrouds it in a melancholy and alienation that remind me a little of his fellow mineiro, Jonathan Tadeu. An extremely interesting work.
11. HAKEN: VIRUS
My favourite Haken album - fight me! Virus continues the British prog-metal favourites' controversial (and awesome - I will fight you) dabbling with djenty sounds and showcases their tightest, most focused songwriting to date in an album that's all killer no filler. The title is a bit on the nose, but apparently they came up with it long before anybody knew what COVID was.
10. ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER: MAGIC ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER
This is one of those albums where the artist takes everything they've done up to that point and weaves it into an accessible career-defining statement, like Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion and several other albums I am failing to bring to mind. Here, Daniel Lopatin's electronic explorations are refined into an album that is as poppy and infectious as it is brave and startling.
9. KA: DESCENDANTS OF CAIN
I never heard Ka before, but this was certainly a great place to start. Lyrically, this album weaves a Biblical metaphor through several strands of contemporary social commentary and personal reflection in an intellectual and emotional powerhouse of a performance. Musically, the mostly percussionless, ambient beats (or non-beats) are highly original and put the spotlight squarely on the outstanding vocals and writing.
8. PAUL MCCARTNEY: MCCARTNEY III
One of the more pleasant side-effects of COVID was that lockdown has forced Paul McCartney to eschew the use of producers who were fashionable five years previously in a futile quest to get his songs into the Billboard charts and instead simply follow his muse. Ironically, doing so has made him feel like a much more relevant artist, and the resulting album is imaginative and engaging from start to finish, displaying to the full his knack for creating seemingly effortless hooks. Paul, mate, just produce yourself from now on. You know better than Ryan chuffing Tedder.
7. BRIGHT EYES: DOWN IN THE WEEDS, WHERE THE WORLD ONCE WAS
After a long layoff, Conor Oberst and company return, bringing with them strings, horns, and... synthesiser? Flea playing slap bass? Seriously? The risk-taking pays off, resulting in one of the finest products in an extremely distinguished discography.
6. MOSES SUMNEY: GRAE
Moses Sumney is one of the most intriguing popular musicians to emerge in the last half-decade and one of the hardest to pin down, hovering between avant-pop, indie singer-songwriter and R&B. Grae is his breakthrough album, stylistically if not commercially, a double-album exploration of identity that forges a cohesive sound from his wide-ranging influences.
5. PHOEBE BRIDGERS: PUNISHER
Phoebe Bridgers has outdone herself with Punisher, an album that combines intimate, direct indie-folk songwriting whose production is full of light and shade, with sonic details and arrangements that make it an exceptionally rewarding relisten. It's already a superb album when the epic closing track, I Know the End, pushes it over the top into classic status, earning her my "finale of the year" award.
4. ZÉ MANOEL: DO MEU CORAÇÃO NU
Zé Manoel has such a melodic gift that his softly mellifluous vocals and jazz-soul piano stylings may lead non-Portuguese speakers to mistake this album for background music rather than the tour-de-force of songwriting and musicianship it actually is. The lyrics, whether Manoel is addressing a lover, skewering the racism (now horribly enabled and unleashed in Brazilian society by the miserable creature currently occupying the presidency) or singing for Orixás, deserve the closest attention, as does the brilliantly played and arranged - and subtly eclectic - music.
3. CHILDISH GAMBINO: 3.15.20
I knew Donald Glover as Childish Gambino long before I clued into the fact that he acts (I don't watch much TV) and have always admired his increasingly adventurous albums, but this is on another level. Every track brings a new sound, from ambient passages to R&B, electro, avant-garde hip-hop - there's so much to unpack on this album.
2. BOB DYLAN: ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS
I had a bit of a fanboygasm when Dylan dropped the incredible epic Murder Most Foul back in March, and when I realised it was going to be a full album - well, it almost compensated for the whole not being able to leave the house thing. The wizened Minnesotan sage croaks and croons his way across the 70 minutes of this album with an unmatched authority, and the lyrics - well, agree or not, they didn't give him a Nobel for nowt.
1. FIONA APPLE: FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS
The best album of Fiona Apple's career, Fetch the Bolt Cutters would be my number one most years. This bona fide masterpiece runs the gamut of human emotions with a technical mastery and stylistic boldness that surprised even me, a long-term admirer of her work. And she's also playing piano somewhere on Dylan's album, so she's done the 1-2.
A #listadaslistas passou por aqui e gostou do que viu.
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