Graphic by Audrey Kim
Matt Reinstein
Former Arts Editor
Look, I don’t think either one of us feels that it’s necessary for me to remind you of how bad this year was. So I won’t. What I will say, though, is that there was a ton of great music this year. Here’s a ranked list of the 10 albums that I liked the most in 2020. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I’m aware that there are many other amazing albums that came out this year that I missed, or just didn’t get the chance to listen to. This list also represents my music taste, meaning that it’s purely subjective. It’s hard to compare these albums, and I hope you can appreciate that days and nights were spent thinking about this.
Let’s get to it!
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in alphabetical order):
After Hours by The Weeknd
Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist
Dead by Hank Von Hell
Every Which Way by Dan Reeder
Underneath by Code Orange
- Reunions by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
What I like most about Jason Isbell’s newest album is going to seem too simple: there’s just a bunch of great songs on it. But I’m comfortable with that reasoning because Jason Isbell is a songwriter you can trust. The album has the best intro track of the year with “What’ve I Done to Help,” a groovy call to Americana with sleek production. On the other hand, Isbell doesn’t shy away from his political beliefs in this album. “Be Afraid” is a great song about demanding more from people in power, while also acknowledging how scary it can be for fellow country artists to call out politicians supported by their fan base. However, I find the song of the album to be “St. Peter’s Autograph,” an emotional song of consolation to his wife, who recently experienced the death of a friend. He’s sad but knows not as sad as she is. He’s confused but knows not as confused as she is. It’s a profound moment in which the idea of “a couple being one” just doesn’t work. Isbell makes an album that shows his quality of making ideas linger. Whether it’s about politics, alcoholism, or death, Isbell wasn’t afraid to explore topics that were both broad and strong.
- Shabrang by Sevdaliza
Trip-hop can be a tricky genre to hit perfectly, but the minimalist approach from Dutch-Iranian singer/songwriter Sevdaliza works really well. The tone is eerie and brooding, similar to a Billie Eilish pop album. But this album is far more mature (no shade to Billie) both sonically and thematically. In fact, I think Billie should be taking notes. The intimacy on the album is something that I find quite moving. The title track, “Shabrang” is about gaining courage to confront someone who has really harmed you, but realizing they are still stronger than you are. There’s a spiritual feeling to the song, which she refers to as “a holy suffering.” Sevaliza includes pieces of her heritage in her songs, with Arabic words such as “Habibi”. I don’t think the song is directly about her heritage, but as a truly vulnerable song, I find the use of the word to be a message of clinging onto something familiar during her depression. That word suggests to me that something she will always find some comfort in is her heritage.
- punk2 by brakence
“punk2” is the debut album from the up-and-coming emo-pop artist Brakence. Brakence has a deep and clean voice, singing about teenage heartbreak, lust, and troublemaking. And, although the lyrics aren’t profound, the sound and production of the album is quite advanced. It’s the kind of emo-pop that caters to Brockhampton, black nail polish-wearing teens. In fact, it’s kind of reassuring to hear a teenager talking about how he feels without any fear of being seen as sophomoric or silly. The guitars sound very impressive throughout the album, specifically in the songs “f*ckboy” and “prozac.” Brakence is still in the underground scene, but I think it’s only a matter of time before his name becomes more recognized.
- Welcome to Conceptual Beach by Young Jesus
Los Angeles band Young Jesus’ newest album, “Welcome to Conceptual Beach” is an experimental math rock record with gorgeous results. Much of the album feels free-form, but the song structures are so complex and grand. The intro track, “Faith,” has a Bon Iver auto-tuned vocal influence. And, despite some of my issues with Bon Iver, the highly advanced instrumentation that backed the album seemed to work for me. The songs that are stretched out in regards to time (with some songs going up to 12 minutes) are made up of a bunch of good musical ideas that seem to all have been a series of revelatory moments at band practice. “Pattern Doubt” has a beautiful saxophone solo, “Root and Crown” has droning synthesizers, and all of the songs have solid vocals due to the high range of frontman John Rossiter. The best of them all is “Lark,” a song about dreams and love, and how they’re both embodied in a songbird. “Welcome to Conceptual Beach” is an ambitious album, which hits the mark on near all of its ambitions.
- Eternal Atake by Lil Uzi Vert
Gosh, the more I listened to this, the more I realized that “Eternal Atake” had to be on this list. I’m on board the pop/trap train, and Uzi has slowly become my favorite artist in the genre. “Eternal Atake” works as a concept album that sees Uzi portrayed as a hero on Earth sent on a rocketship to pluto. The album works in bunches as he stops on different planets along the way. The creativity on the album never really takes a break, as there’s RnB, trap, pop, and even dance rap scattered throughout the album. There’s also an amazing sample of the Backstreet Boys which I could say is my favorite song of all time (depending on the day, of course). Uzi is manic, but switches register really well, which clearly shows that his vocal performance isn’t just “uncontrolled.” “P2” is a really good example of this, as the 3rd verse finds him changing the key and singing from his head, as opposed to his chest, but still riding with the beat. Uzi brings intensity to the songs but also has a really nice way of staying in control.
- Suddenly by Caribou
I like my fair share of Electronic music, but I’m at the stage of getting into a genre in which subgenres all hold the same place in my head. I’m starting to get better at it, and I know the difference between terms like house, IDM, and new wave, but there’s still a lot for me to learn. However, I know that I liked ”Suddenly” quite a bit from Canada’s Daniel Snaith, otherwise known as Caribou. The various genres of electronic music can be found layered into the album, but also genres such as psych-rock and even trap make appearances on the album. Snaith’s falsetto is unoriginal, yet soothing, providing room to experiment with the beats. There were some songs in which I heard some Kevin Parker influence (Tame Impala fans, you will like this). There is a slew of highlights, as the album has no filler. “Never Come Back” is the most EDM of the bunch with a house beat blanketed through catchy synthesizer layers. Overall, “Suddenly” is a good first step into electronic music for psychedelic rock fans.
- Imploding the Mirage by The Killers
The Killer’s most recent release can be criticized for holding too close to Bruce Springsteen’s influence of heartland rock, but I’m all there for it. The truth is, this is The Killers’ most catchy release since 2006’s “Sam’s Town.” The album is really driven by frontman Brandon Flowers’ enthusiasm through the project, as you can hear and sense that this album is something he’s really excited to be putting out. His broad vocal range and pronounced delivery make for the songs to have a pop-radio feel, while the orchestration reminds me of show-tune charm numbers. This is not to describe the album as too plastic; rather, it’s to describe its euphoria as inviting. “Caution,” one of my favorite songs of the year, holds a sticky bassline and synth lines that balance out the gated reverb drum. The title track, again, is bubbly and energetic. I guess one of the main reasons I like this album so much is by how good it makes me feel.
- Starting Over by Chris Stapleton
It’s my opinion that Country radio only has two real songwriters, Chris Stapleton and Eric Church. While I think Eric Church has a slight edge in regards to crafty song content, the truth is that Chris Stapleton is one of the best pure vocalists of our time (my hot take; at the same level, if not better, than Adele). “Starting Over” is a collection of catchy, sweet, yet very mature songs that results in the best country album of the year. Stapleton is a soul man as well, which can be heard in the songs “Cold” and “Whiskey Sunrise.” His voice alone in those songs is so big that it can carry them no matter the content, despite them being intense songs about shaky love and depression. While Stapleton’s songs usually benefit from the intensity of his voice, one of the most endearing moments of the album is from the lovely, “Maggie’s Song” about his family dog. The songs are still country formula, but Stapleton is veering into John Mayer-esque territory with his newest release.
- SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama
I had known about Rina Sawayama given the underground success of her last EP, “RINA.” Her debut album, “SAWAYAMA,” keeps the same 90s pop nostalgia (which makes for some really catchy hits), but surprisingly compliments that sound with 90s nü metal. It makes for some of the songs to have an anthemic quality to them. The intro track, “Dynasty,” as well as “Who’s Gonna Save U Now” seem to be made for concert climaxes. But what I find most appealing about the album is that, despite how grand and epic the production on the project is (which is great), the themes on it remain tender and introspective. Being from Japan and growing up in England, there are standout songs that are about exploring identity, heritage, and some of the side-steps along the way. The song, “Tokyo Love Hotel” is about the Western obsession with Tokyo culture and if she, growing up in England, is obsessed with it for her familial ties or because of the cultural impact it has. “SAWAYAMA” is a fresh and exciting addition to the expanding pop field.
- LP5 by John Moreland
John Moreland’s newest album is among the most honest albums of the past decade. Hell, one of the song titles is “I’m Learning How to Tell Myself the Truth,” a moving song about him finally being ready to love a woman because he just realized he loves himself, Moreland’s poetry is gentle and doesn’t ask to be much more. Moreland’s songs work to bring out the emotions of the listener and to explore them in a way that puts no real pressure to figure them out. If he does find an answer in his songs, it’s always behind a theme of patience and inevitability. The beautiful love song, “When My Fever Breaks,” is about his experience waiting for love, and finally finding his wife. Moreland’s honesty and his poetic songwriting are a perfect pair. From the heartbreaking song, “In Times Between,” Moreland gives us the beautiful lyric: “You’re buzzing in the strings, you’re sailing towards the skies/You’re swimming in the seas that are streaming from my eyes”. I usually hesitate to call an album “perfect,” but this, simply put, is. “LP5” is my favorite album of the year, and one of the best albums I’ve listened to in a long, long time.
