Do you really need another intro about what a tough year it’s been? Probably about as bad as you need another year-end list, so here we are. In a year of seemingly endless free time, the days continue to slip away. There’s that single you loved, but you never got around to giving the album a proper listen. Maybe April’s go-to record got lost in the shuffle of getting by these past eight months. What might have stayed in rotation for six months ten years ago might be lucky to last six weeks in 2020. In a sea of options and an algorithm ready to put in the legwork for us, staying power is simultaneously more important and harder to establish than ever.
Hours of research and relistening took place to answer a few simple questions. Can I play this front to back with minimal skips? Would I go out of my way to recommend it? Will it have a permanent place in my record collection? As always, here is the sampler playlist to help you answer those questions for yourself. If you find something you’re really vibing with, purchase some artist merch, hit your local record store, or make use of a Bandcamp Friday.
These are the projects that defined my 2020 and deserve a place in your 2021.
Theophilus London — Bebey
Released January 17
After a decade plus of chasing Kanye West’s artful pop-rap ambiance, Theophilus London is hitting his stride. The image and ambition have always been there, but Bebey is the first time the majority of the project reaches his aspirations. Appearances from wildly different artists like Ariel Pink and Raekwon aren’t a grab bag attempt to appear eclectic, but an inspired take on just how much ground hip-hop and pop can cover. London successfully positions himself as one of the few who can draw from these influences and make it make sense.
Selected cuts: “Leon (feat. Kristian Hamilton),” “Only You (feat. Tame Impala),” “Cuba”
Andy Shauf — The Neon Skyline
Released January 24
A concept album about running into your ex at the bar might be a bit much — a relatable track, sure, but it should be a tired subject after 30+ minutes. Against the odds, Andy Shauf is able to craft one of the most rewarding concept albums in recent memory. His clever melodies, fully fleshed out characters, and a playful Paul Simon-like attention to detail keep you hanging on every word. The Neon Skyline isn’t the blockbuster film. It’s the Sundance slice of life.
Selected cuts: “Neon Skyline,” “Where Are You Judy,” “Living Room”
En Attendant Ana — Juillet
Released January 24
The French quintet checks multiple boxes on their sophomore album: colossal indie-pop hooks, jangly garage rock melodies, and a sobering horn section to keep things grounded. While AI-generated playlists tend to suggest diet versions of bands you already like, the algorithm occasionally gets it right. No one’s doing what En Attendant Ana does quite like them.
Selected cuts: “Down the Hill,” “Do You Understand?,” “Enter My Body (Lilith)”
Brian Brown — Journey
Released January 31
What a journey it’s been thus far. Brian Brown earned his reputation around Nashville for years via SoundCloud loosies with promises of his debut on the way. Years of what seemed like untapped potential finally came to a head in January, and Brown’s stock has only risen since then. Bringing some southern flavor to a Dreamville/early TDE style of production, Journey set the bar for Nashville’s monumental 2020.
Selected cuts: “Stay (feat. Lul Lion),” “Runnin’ (feat. Reaux Marquez),” “Peace”
Loving — If I Am Only My Thoughts
Released January 31
If I Am Only My Thoughts isn’t a record that makes any bold requests. Calling it background music would be reductive, but the comforting sound of the folk rock trio lends itself to moments of peaceful contemplation. Whether it soundtracks your morning stretch routine or sipping a hot tea by a cold window, Loving has captured the sound of your self-care routine. We could all use an exercise in mindfulness, or maybe my quarantine fatigue is shining through.
Selected cuts: “Visions,” “If I Am Only My Thoughts,” “Nihilist Kite Flyer”
Tame Impala — The Slow Rush
Released February 14
For the first time in his career, Kevin Parker isn’t starting Tame Impala from scratch. While his first three albums took a psychedelic tour from the 60s through the 80s, Parker appears to have found a home in the maximalist disco found on 2015’s Currents. His palette has expanded to include progressive rock influences of the time, but The Slow Rush appeals to audience expectations with generally successful results.
Selected cuts: “Borderline,” “Breathe Deeper,” “Is It True”
Moses Sumney — grӕ
Released February 21 & May 15
“Dissatisfaction seems like the natural byproduct of identification,” states the interlude “boxes.” grӕ makes no attempts at subscribing to a genre; rather, a song is folk when it needs to be folk or jazz when it needs to be jazz. Like his creation, Moses Sumney rejects the notion that anything needs to be classified as anything. Whether it’s sexuality, gender, or genre, Sumney seeks an identity all his own with stunning results.
Selected cuts: “Cut Me,” “Virile,” “Bless Me”
Purr — Like New
Released February 21
Equal parts late 60s psychedelic pop melodies and larger than life, late 00s indie-pop singalong hooks, Purr’s debut album is a 12 song tour de force of feel-good, should-be singles. The New York duo sounds like they’re making music just for the joy of making music. Jonathan Rado of Foxygen’s production provides structure for this early career optimism, exiting the party, leaving you wanting more at a tight 38 minutes.
Selected cuts: “Giant Night,” “Boy,” “Take You Back”
Ratboys — Printer’s Devil
Released February 28
No flowery, poetic language will do Printer’s Devil justice: this album is just banger after banger. It’s a rare feat when every track would make sense as their top Spotify song without it sounding like the artist is really trying to find that hit. The album would make just as much sense soundtracking your favorite late 90s rom-com as it would blasting from an inexplicably packed smaller stage at Bonnaroo. Some things never go out of style.
Selected cuts: “Alien With a Sleep Mask On,” “My Hands Grow,” “I Go Out at Night”
Real Estate — The Main Thing
Released February 28
We don’t tend to notice the gradual changes in our day-to-day lives. Although at our very core we might remain the same, few of us are who we were a decade ago. Sometimes the same applies to our favorite bands. Each effort can feel like more of the same until you revisit where they came from. Across their 11 year history, the lo-fi jangle pop that defined Real Estate’s early career has given way to a polished, mellow psychedelia. The nostalgia for a youth not yet gone has been replaced with the pride and anxiousness of early fatherhood. They’re the same band in essence, but the growth is undeniable.
Selected cuts: “Friday,” “Paper Cup (feat. Sylvan Esso),” “You”
Soccer Mommy — color theory
Released February 28
If Clean is an expression of teenage heartbreak and insecurity, color theory is its older sibling experiencing a quarter life crisis. Your 20s are filled with highs, but they’re also a time of self-discovery and growing pains. Mental health can become a pursuit, and mortality can start to show its weight. Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison navigates those lows with the firsthand poignancy of someone just trying to get by. It’s not all doom and gloom though; Allison’s knack for late 90s/early aughts warm, sunny melodies continues to shine through.
Selected cuts: “bloodstream,” “circle the drain,” “lucy”
Childish Gambino — 3.15.20
Released March 22
As with most projects under the Donald Glover umbrella, 3.15.20 sets out to couple its most jarring moments with mass appeal. For every radio-ready “Time,” there’s a genre-bending, disorrenting “32.22.” These opposing forces are the core of Glover’s vision. Deceptively carefree melodies boil over into a defiant optimism; as things get worse, Glover grows more intent to maintain his joy. Perspective is the one thing that gets us through.
Selected cuts: “12.38 (feat. 21 Savage, Ink & Kadhja Bonet),” “42.26,” “47.48”
keiyaA — Forever, Ya Girl
Released March 27
The impact of Frank Ocean on R&B cannot be overstated. Bedroom recording experimentation isn’t quite that thing you reluctantly show a friend, too nervous to make eye contact as it plays. It can be the unorthodox home of earworm immediacy and warm, vague nostalgia. That’s not to say keiyaA is indebted to Ocean; her voice is all her own. There’s an low-key confidence about her. She’s not a lost soul looking for something more. She knows precisely what she wants, which can make its absence that much more distressing.
Selected cuts: “Rectifiya,” “Hvnli,” “I! Gits! Weary!”
Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud
Released March 27
Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield has allowed herself to stand on full display. Her Alabama accent is no longer buried under distorted guitars — if it wasn’t for her indie rock roots, Saint Cloud would have praise as the best country album this year. Beyond the record’s stripped down sound, Crutchfield bares her history of alcoholism and codependency. Rather than being a record rooted in her lows, it’s the sound of someone rebuilding themself again.
Selected cuts: “Oxbow,” “Can’t Do Much,” “Lilacs”
Peel Dream Magazine — Agitprop Alterna
Released April 3
Nostalgia works best when it’s a celebration rather than a re-creation. Peel Dream Magazine goes through no effort to hide the influence of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Stereolab. Agitprop Alterna’s mission is to simultaneously laud the history of indie outliers while finding its own place in the genre, rather than simply asking, “Remember?” Not unlike their humming whispers behind hazy guitars and dripping synths, the band’s journey to find their voice continues — but this voyage couldn’t get much more enjoyable.
Selected cuts: “Pill,” “NYC Illuminati,” “Up and Up”
Yves Tumor — Heaven to a Tortured Mind
Released April 3
Given their electronic production history, Yves Tumor is well equipped at recontextualizing guitar samples throughout the album to morph themself into something entirely different. Psychedelia, glam and R&B work together to turn this shapeshifter into a bonafide rock star. Channeling Prince at his most sexually charged, Heaven to a Tortured Mind is love, frustration, and heartbreak at their most hedonistic. Its woozy production and Tumor’s passionate delivery explore sides of these emotions seldom explored but often seen; something you might find in a dive bar bathroom after 1am.
Selected cuts: “Gospel for a New Century,” “Kerosene!,” “Romanticist”
Fiona Apple — Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Released April 17
As the title suggests, Fetch the Bolt Cutters is the sound of liberation. The album isn’t confined to any standard songwriting rules; Fiona Apple’s message is amplified by household percussion and sparse instrumentation. Her reclaimed empowerment ranges from cathartic to a “kill ‘em with kindness” grace. Whether relinquishing herself of control from abusers, bullies, self-doubt, or the patriarchy, Apple does so with a sly grin on her face.
Selected cuts: “I Want You to Love Me,” “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” “Heavy Balloon”
Westside Gunn — Pray for Paris
Released April 17
What is professional wrestling but a retelling of Shakespearean tragedies? The parallels of rap and wrestling are nothing new, but this record is intent on making a case for coke raps and Ric Flair-level braggadocio being high culture. From the cover art reimagining Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath in Gunn’s chains to the record’s score of lavish boom-bap, Pray for Paris is street opulence.
Selected cuts: “327 (feat. Joey Bada$$, Tyler, the Creator & Billie Essco),” “French Toast (feat. Wale & Joyce Wrice),” “Euro Step”
Kota the Friend — EVERYTHING
Released May 22
Timing is a funny thing. EVERYTHING dropped during the wrong year to soundtrack the endless summer of barbecues and lake days it should have. Birds chirping, breezy guitars, head-nodding drums. However, it was right on time for being the carefree record needed in a year overburdened with worry. The production and themes are admittedly a bit one-note, but instead of coming off uninspired and monotonous, EVERYTHING is a mantra of positivity.
Selected cuts: “Summerhouse,” “Long Beach (feat. Hello O’Shay & Alex Banin),” “Everything (feat. Lil Kota)”
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist — Alfredo
Released May 29
The chemistry between Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist has been evident since Gibbs stole the show on Curren$y’s “Scottie Pippen” nearly a decade ago. That verse set the bar for the kind of raps that brought about the era of critical acclaim in which Gangsta Gibbs is currently thriving. Similar to his records with Madlib, Gibbs flourishes when allowing one producer to cultivate the vibe. His gruff, cold voice over The Alchemist’s lush soul samples are the perfect accent to one another. This is two talents at their peak.
Selected cuts: “God Is Perfect,” “Scottie Beam (feat. Rick Ross),” “Something to Rap About (feat. Tyler, the Creator)”
OHMME — Fantasize Your Ghost
Released June 5
Fantasize Your Ghost is the moment sailors realize sirens have lured them to imminent shipwreck. The ethereal vocal harmonies are still enchanting, but the apprehension of the rocks approaching begins to take hold. The record’s chaotic sense of melody and pacing have no business being as catchy as they are. Rather than exist within conventions, the Chicago-based duo draw the listener into their standard of popular music.
Selected cuts: “The Limit,” “ 3 2 4 3,” “After All”
Run the Jewels — RTJ4
Released June 3
Run the Jewels’ fourth outing would have been prophetic if police brutality and systemic racism weren’t already ingrained in the fabric of our country. Killer Mike and El-P began work on the album in 2018, but being released one week after nationwide protests for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd began, the duo captured the tone of the moment and gave it a soundtrack. There are no empty gestures here; they understand a song can only do so much, and woke tweets accomplish even less. Even with the album’s more amusing moments, this is music to couple with action.
Selected cuts: “yankee and the brave (ep. 4),” “holy calamafuck,” “JU$T (Pharrell Williams & Zack de la Rocha)”
Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher
Released June 18
“I Know The End” fulfills a promise Phoebe Bridgers’ second solo album continues to make throughout its 40 minutes. Its subtle, engulfing production gives tales of collapsing relationships, mental health, and personal tragedy an apocalyptic weight. Her sense of humor, whether fantasizing about murdering someone’s skinhead neighbor or self-deprecating her own songwriting as an Elliot Smith knock-off, are brief easter eggs that make the heartbreak that follows even more of a gut punch. The fallout is perpetually over the horizon, but Bridgers knows it’s coming.
Selected cuts: “Garden Song,” “Kyoto,” “Halloween”
Gum Country — Somewhere
Released June 19
There’s no aging out of growing pains. After moving from Vancouver to Los Angeles, The Courtneys’ Courtney Garvin had to confront the anxieties that come with any fresh start. Her newfound solitude provides ample space for questions of identity, hobbies, and relationships with a grungy, slacker aesthetic that can shrug it off before it gets too dark. It’s the sound of trying to find ways to fill your days; maybe gardening could be relaxing, or tennis could pass some time. In a year of unintentionally timely records, the blithe isolation of Somewhere finds comfort in the mundane.
Selected cuts: “Somewhere,” “Tennis (I Feel OK),” “Talking to My Plants”
Neil Young — Homegrown
Released June 19
The 1970s were Neil Young’s most prolific, creatively successful years, but they also hosted some of his lowest lows. Young had the choice between releasing this breakup record or Tonight’s the Night, a grief-stricken album inspired by the drug abuse and overdoses around him. He opted for the latter, keeping these details of his life on the shelf for decades. Homegrown confirms 45 years after its intended release that great songwriting has no expiration date.
Selected cuts: “Separate Ways,” “Try,” “Vacancy”
Becca Mancari — The Greatest Part
Released June 26
Hindsight is just as vital to Becca Mancari’s ethos as foresight. After cutting her teeth in traditional Americana, she brings the genre’s evocative storytelling to a distinctive brand of indie pop. The struggles of coming out to a deeply religious family inform the album’s tone, but the joys of her long term love are a sunbeam through the clouds. Slide guitars are just as essential to its sonic palette as synthesizer grooves. It’s this combination of her history and forward thinking that pave such an interesting road ahead.
Selected cuts: “Hunter,” “First Time,” “Tear Us Apart”
Khruangbin — Mordechai
Released June 26
If you’re familiar with Khruangbin’s first two albums, your suspicions about Mordechai are confirmed with its first 30 seconds: it’s not broken, and they’re not fixing it. The band continues their signature sound of refracting culturally diverse influences through a soul/funk prism. Mordechai is unique in that the trio has a growing comfortability with injecting lyrics into their largely instrumental sound, tweaking the formula enough to show promise of new territory on the horizon.
Selected cuts: “Time (You and I),” “If There is No Question,” “So We Won’t Forget”
Bully — SUGAREGG
Released August 21
Bully’s Alicia Bognanno is feeling empowered for the first time in her career, allowing the Nashville-based garage rock project to reach new heights. Reintroducing the three piece band as a solo project, outside production work from John Congleton, and finding proper treatment for her Bipolar II Disorder have allowed her to focus entirely on her craft and trust in her own process. Bognanno’s third record is still a grungy tour through her highs and lows, but there’s a peace and confidence in the journey.
Selected cuts: “Every Tradition,” “Prism,” “Like Fire”
Angel Olsen — Whole New Mess
Released August 28
Simplicity is an admirable trait. If something can’t work in its simplest form, it might not be worth the pursuit. Whole New Mess unveils the original vision for 2019 standout album All Mirrors, trading the latter’s orchestral synth-pop for bare, heart-wrenching folk balladry. Both uniquely highlight the strength of these songs, but Olsen’s latest is a testament to no amount of studio trickery being a substitute for fantastic songwriting.
Selected cuts: “Whole New Mess,” “(We Are All Mirrors),” “Lark Song”
Widowspeak — Plum
Released August 28
Grand gestures aren’t fundamental to big statements. Widowspeak’s fifth album finds profoundness in the uneventful. Slight changes in tone and vocal inflection play like a shift in train of thought, appearing minor, but having a substantial impact. From projecting your mortality onto a piece of fruit to contemplating your unfulfilling job, Plum inhabits our daily, fleeting thoughts.
Selected cuts: “Plum,” “The Good Ones,” “Breadwinner”
Lomelda — Hannah
Released September 4
Hannah is the spirit of a Frankie Cosmos-like sentimental slacker with Alex G’s thoughtful, folk-inspired experimentation. It’s a record that captures the raw emotion of a demo, but with an attention to detail in its intertwined melodies and off-kilter rhythms that can only come from hours of tinkering. Opposing notions are ultimately the heart of the record — falling apart and piecing oneself back together simultaneously.
Selected cuts: “Hannah Sun,” “Wonder,” “Both Mode”
Namir Blade — Aphelion’s Traveling Circus
Released September 18
Shades of Janelle Monáe’s Afrofuturism meet the lowkey noir of Cowboy Bebop in Namir Blade’s world. It’s a record that toys with our sense of what’s retro, modern, and futuristic, creating something as relevant in 2010 as it will be in 2030. Science fiction and anime imagery advance the record’s narrative, but love and the human condition are its themes at a fundamental level. Regardless of your space and time, these are the things that transcend.
Selected cuts: “Pace (feat. Jordan Webb),” “Stay,” “The Head”
Steve Arrington — Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions
Released September 18
Like Al Green before him and Ma$e after him, funk legend Steve Arrington left popular music for the ministry upon a religious awakening in 1990. Sporadic releases over the past 11 years showed the funk was still there, but Soul Sessions proves that the 64 year old keeps getting better with time. This album stretches from traditional soul to house to Knxledge-produced, hip-hop influenced R&B. He’s neither grasping to be relevant nor clinging to the past. Each sound explored had some level of influence on the other, and every hat worn fits.
Selected cuts: “The Joys of Love,” “Make a Difference,” “Soulful I Need That In My Life”
Fleet Foxes — Shore
Released September 22
Dropping an album on the autumn equinox is the single most on-brand decision Fleet Foxes have made. Most folk evokes intimate imagery of state park trails, but Shore is the grandiose view at the top of a mountain, looking down at the orange leaf canopy beneath you. There’s always an element of finding beauty in minimalism, but Fleet Foxes are often at their best when expanding that momentary feeling of awe for minutes at a time.
Selected cuts: “Sunblind,” “Can I Believe You,” “A Long Way Past the Past”
Benny the Butcher — Burden of Proof
Released October 16
Burden of Proof doesn’t rock the boat, but that isn’t always necessary. What kept JAY-Z hot in 2000 is what kept Rick Ross hot in 2010. Fast-forward another decade and executive producer Hit-Boy embodies the sun-soaked, luxurious soul of Kanye West, Heatmakerz, and Just Blaze to contrast the Buffalo winter coldness of Benny’s coke dealing raps. Revitalizing the sounds of yesteryear is nothing new for his Griselda labelmates, but what sets him apart is his ear for bringing streets to the radio.
Selected cuts: “Burden of Proof,” “One Way Flight (feat. Freddie Gibbs)” “War Paint (feat. Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine)”
Open Mike Eagle — Anime, Trauma and Divorce
Released October 16
Between a divorce, music partnerships dissolving, and a cancelled television show, Mike Eagle has really been going through it. These unexpected life changes weigh heavy, but this isn’t a typical breakup record. Whether he’s comparing himself to the down-and-out, sweatpants-wearing Peter Parker from Into the Spider-Verse or blaming an episode of Black Mirror for his fractured marriage, his personality and sense of humor spin the subject matter in a way only Eagle can.
Selected cuts: “Death Parade,” “Sweatpants Spiderman,” “I’m a Joestar (Black Power Fantasy)”
Adrianne Lenker — songs / instrumentals
Released October 23
songs / instrumentals is like stumbling upon that old journal entry written in the wake of heartbreak. As painful as it is, you can’t help but crack it open on occasion and allow it to transport you. The Big Thief frontwoman’s vivid musings on love lost coupled with the natural, unedited sounds of her cabin in the woods make the listener feel present for both the relationship’s collapse and the recording sessions that follow. There’s no arc or resolution found on this page; it exists fully in its longing.
Selected cuts: “two reverse,” “anything,” “dragon eyes”
This Is the Kit — Off Off On
Released October 23
There’s an understated craftsmanship to Off Off On. It has the cinematic denseness of a Grizzly Bear record with the unassuming subtleness of a singer-songwriter like Bedouine. The contrast creates an undercurrent of urgency; it’s the transition from stillness to tension before your fight or flight kicks in. If the lyrics are any indicator, that response is triggered from frontwoman Kate Stables’ own inner monologue.
Selected cuts: “Found Out,” “This Is What You Get,” “Coming to Get You Nowhere”
Reaux Marquez — NO DECOYS EP
Released November 27
Reaux Marquez’ debut EP serves as a precursor for his NO ROADS album, but in a larger sense, sets the tone for Nashville hip-hop in 2021. The project displays four of the city’s most promising talents on some of their hottest production yet from the lush jazz of “PENNYWI$E” to the lowkey trap of “IN!” Marquez’ offering at the tail end of this banner year successfully positions him as one of Nashville’s most vital voices.
Selected cuts: “JUGULAR (feat. Brian Brown),” “IN! (feat. Ron Obasi),” “PENNYWI$E (feat. Brian Brown, Ron Obasi & Yours Truly Jai)”
The Avalanches — We Will Always Love You
Released December 11
The Leon Bridges-assisted “Interstellar Love” was inspired by Carl Sagan placing the brain waves of future wife Ann Druyan on the Voyager’s Golden Record. This sentiment encapsulates the entire body of work as a long distance love letter. Whether it’s a message sent across galaxies or the threshold of life and death, We Will Always Love You is a romantic, electronic portrait of the role technology plays in our place in the infinite.
Selected cuts: “We Will Always Love You (feat. Blood Orange),” “The Divine Chord (feat. MGMT & Johnny Marr),” “Interstellar Love (feat. Leon Bridges)”