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Urban Dictionary: Class of 2020

Category I:  Welcome

It’s the conclusion of yet another interesting year in this, um, “unique” corner of the internet. Our site’s aesthetics may be firmly entrenched in 2010, but this “best of” feature ushers 2020 out of our collective memories. For many of us that brings immense relief, even if most of the same issues that plagued this year will follow us right into January. Still, there are reasons for optimism as we delve further into this still young decade. One of them is how music stepped up to the plate in a time of crisis. It’s during humanity’s most trying times that art seems to give us the most hope, and from invigorating protest music to pensive quarantine albums, musicians acted like first responders to our emotional needs in 2020.

Everyone’s way of navigating this crazy, chaotic year was different – a fingerprint consisting of our own unique challenges. Personally, I found myself relating to mellow folk (and even country!) as an escape from the psychological stresses caused by the pandemic and its consequences, but it’s just as understandable for others to have taken solace in elated pop, metal, or woke hip-hop (and there’s a little of each here!). It was all we could do not to sink into despair, basically. That’s part of the reason I decided to, at least temporarily, retire my Sowing’s Music Awards shtick (2014-2019, RIP) – replete with its “worst album” and “biggest disappointment” categories – in favor of shedding light upon these artists’ labors of love. Because regardless of whether or not something resonates with you, an unbelievable amount of time, work, and emotional investment goes into the creation of nearly every single album. Music is not something to be taken for granted…and the art that we truly love, connect with, and form memories around is something to treasure.

So here’s to the musicians that stayed by our side this year.


Black Vinyl Player

Category II:  Sowing’s 2020 Playlist

100 songs and 7 hours of Sowing-core. What could be better? This is not in any sort of particular order (quality or alphabetical), so feel free to randomize the playlist for best results. Listen as you read along, play it on shuffle, or pick and choose what you enjoyed so that you can add to your own personal 2020 playlist. The possibilities are endless, but either way, there should be something here that you’ll enjoy – so press that little triangular play button, and see where it takes you!

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Category III:  EP Honorable Mentions

So Glad You ExistThe Piss, The PerfumePetals For Armor I [Explicit]Where Does The Devil HideShow Pony

I’ve never been a huge EP fan. I’d almost always prefer that artists keep great songs on the back burner for their next LP rather than blowing them on a 4-5 song EP that lots of people will forget about in a year or two. I realize that’s very idiosyncratic and borderline irrational, but it’s just how I roll. Regardless, I garnered enjoyment from each of the above extended plays this year. Kinney’s So Glad You Exist is a warm, vibrant slice of experimental electronic pop. Hayley Mary broke away from The Jezabels, if only for a moment, to record a collection of super catchy pop-rock tunes. Another famous Hayley – Hayley Williams – did the same thing in breaking away from Paramore to write Petals For Armor I, which served as the precursor to her solo LP (and it’s honestly better than said LP). My favorite two EPs of 2020 were Zella Day’s 80s-tinged/disco-gaze piece Where Does The Devil Hide and Orville Peck’s haunting outlaw country release Show Pony. This batch of five EPs deserves a passive listen from just about anyone, but if you’re going to focus on two, make it Day and Peck. Their respective 2020 EPs go toe-to-toe with some of my favorite LPs of the year.


Category IV:  LP Honorable Mentions

Strange To ExplainYou and I [Explicit]Born AgainThe God-Shaped VoidFake It Flowers [Explicit]May Our Chambers Be FullThe Slow Rush925En GardePrisynRough and Rowdy WaysOn the FloorThe New AbnormalHabitsThe Great DismalShape & Destroy [LP]Moral Panic [Explicit]The AscensionAway TeamImploding The MirageItalian IceAfter HoursSorceressBrave Faces EveryoneDedicated Side B [LP]

In a year brimming with quality releases, it was tough to fit all of my favorites into the revered “Top 25”. In no particular order, the above collage extends this feature out to a Top 50, and if you’re looking to bolster your own 2020 musical lists, then this is a good place to start. From Woods’ dreamy psychedelic folk all the way to Carly Rae Jepsen’s danceable b-sides compilation, there’s a lot to unpack here. It’s well worth diving into, especially for underrated gems like Shell of a Shell’s Away Team (emo/post-hardcore) or Nicole Atkins’ Italian Ice (soulful indie-pop). Other records were highly acclaimed, and despite enjoying them myself, they never quite clicked on a level worth enshrining in my Top 25: see Psychotic Waltz’s The God Shaped Void or Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways. Then there were the releases that were on the bubble but fell in the #25-30 range, like Ruston Kelly’s Shape & Destroy and Nothing’s The Great Dismal. Crafting a year-end list is always a juggling act between what’s objectively great and what resonates with you. Below, I present my Top 25 Albums of 2020, and I hope you come away from this entire feature with at least a few more 2020 gems than you had before. Enjoy!


Category V:  Sowing’s Top 25 of 2020

I Disagree

25. Poppy – I Disagree

Nothing about I Disagree is overly complex or creative, but it doesn’t need to be – it’s simply a lot of fun. Poppy blends sugary Grimes-like melodies with some basic heavy metal riffs – and enriches it all with superb production – to form a thoroughly enjoyable pop/metal hybrid. Poppy didn’t invent any of the sounds here (from stolen Babymetal concepts to 2000s nu-metal) – but I Disagree fuses them into a product suitable for mainstream consumption. Make no mistake, this is clearly a novelty item – a clear gimmick that you will either love or hate. Will we be talking about I Disagree decades from now as a pioneer of pop-metal? Probably not. However, we will remember it just because of how absurd it is. From the lighthearted, Sgt. Peppers-esque bounce that closes out ‘Concrete’, to the half-spoken (rapped?) verses of ‘Anything Like Me’, to the dark Marilyn Manson reminiscent ‘Fill the Crown’, to the sweet and longing balladry of ‘Sick of the Sun’, and all the way to the riff-bolstered and frighteningly relevant ‘Don’t Go Outside’, I Disagree is a thrillingly eclectic and energetic ride. Getting a word in edgewise within today’s streaming climate can be tough; Poppy managed to stand out by bridging polar opposite genres and had fun while doing it. You can feel free to “disagree” with this inclusion (*slaps own knee*), but this album deserves credit for taking such a ridiculous premise and pulling it off.

Deep Dark South

24. Bendrix Littleton – Deep Dark South

Sadly, Bendrix Littleton appears destined to fall into that tier of outstanding indie-folk artists that most people will never hear about. Part of the reason is his lo-fi approach and raw production, but it’s also a result of his entire debut, Deep Dark South, blurring together like a hazy winter dream. I’ve always likened the aura to stumbling home at night drunk while staring at all the hazy street lamps and Christmas lights. There’s a very in-your-own-head feel to this – the lyrics are romantic and thoughtful, and the surrounding atmosphere is smooth while also featuring beautiful, distinct flourishes. It’s not the sort of record you’ll think about months after hearing it, but nothing’s quite so gorgeous in the moment. If you’re ever looking to get lost, either literally or figuratively, then Deep Dark South makes for an excellent companion.

When I Die, Will I Get Better? [Explicit]

23. Svalbard – When I Die, Will I Get Better?

I haven’t avidly enjoyed post-hardcore in half a decade, but Svalbard managed to rope me in. When I Die, Will I Get Better? blends heartfelt screams with symphonic keys/instrumentation, and female-written lyrics with a male vocalist who performs roughly half of the duties. So much about this album is about allowing opposing dynamics to clash, and when you take that tension and put it over shimmering guitars and gut-punching drums, you’ve got one hell of an album. The lyrics – which are often centered around the abuse of women – are clearly written not only with clear passion and intent, but also appear to come from a place of knowing: “Is this too much, is this not enough? / If I don’t cover up, does that make it my fault?” It’s a record about battling commonplace oppression and misogyny, and it’s given the lushest and most sweeping instrumental platform upon which to make its message clear.

22. Childish Gambino – 03.15.20

03.15.20 is Donald Glover’s most experimental outing to date. Beyond the officially blank artwork and the numeric song titles, we get everything from industrialized R&B beats to Ariana Grande features, as Glover weaves in between the highly melodic/catchy (‘35.31’) and the anxious/hypertensive (‘24.19’).  As a front-to-end listening experience, it feels almost as chaotic as the alternate artwork pictured above, which can be daunting, but for the most part it all works well. While Glover breaks new ground with his music, he also reaches a personal breakthrough by the album’s conclusion, proclaiming that he loves himself for the very first time in a moment that will have you smiling ear-to-ear: “Never said it even though I prolly should / I said I love me, l said I love me, ah, yeah”. 03.15.20 is a record that pushes sonic and emotional boundaries, serving as the boldest and most daring incarnation of Donald Glover that we’ve seen yet.

folklore [Explicit]

21. Taylor Swift – folklore

The universal acclaim that has be heaped on folklore like it is the next Abbey Road is a bit much. Rabid fans so convinced of the album’s genius felt empowered enough to threaten reviewers who gave the record a good, but not perfect, score. This isn’t even Swift’s best album let alone any sort of milestone in general, so I think some overzealous folks out there need to calm down. That said, this is certainly a wonderful effort from Swift, whose pop shtick was wearing thin after her country shtick wore thin years prior. It’s good to see her continuing to evolve and try new things – here, she plays her indie-folk hand to admirable if slightly varied results. When she’s at her best, she’s nearly unstoppable – the breathtaking ‘Mirrorball’, the magnetic ‘Cardigan’, the wistful bonus track ‘The Lakes’ – but Ms. Swift still suffers from bloated tracklists. To that point, her collaborators (The National’s Aaron Dessner, producer Jack Antonoff) ensure that the experience is an even listen – dulling the impact of relative dips in quality like ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ and ‘Mad Woman’. All things considered, folklore resides within the top three releases of Swift’s impressive discography – a feat that earns it consideration for any year-end list.

Expectations [Explicit]

20. Katie Pruitt – Expectations

Courage. That’s the one word that comes to mind when I think of Katie Pruitt’s debut, which is an album centered around her experiences as a gay woman growing up in an area of the world that oppresses sexual preferences/orientations, in a genre (country) that often accepts such discrimination as the norm. It’s expressed most eloquently on the piano ballad ‘Georgia’, where Pruitt laments what her mother, father, and grandmother would think if they knew the truth about her – exposing them as microcosms of Georgia in general, and in turn as a representation of the south as a whole. When she discovers a world beyond such primitive beliefs, she is empowered to write and sing ‘Georgia’, ending her coming-out ballad with the line, “Oh Georgia, you were wrong.” The best thing about Expectations is that ‘Georgia’ isn’t some one-off diamond in the rough: she sings openly and confidently about her homosexuality and the women that she loves, even challenging religion and bigots in the process: “If loving her is a sin, I don’t wanna go to heaven” / “If loving her is wrong, and it’s not right to write this song / Then I’m still not gonna stop, and you can turn the damn thing off.” Such fire delivered from one of the most powerful and versatile country-pop vocalists I’ve ever heard is more than enough reason to place this comfortably inside my Top 25 albums of the year.

19. Andrew Judah – Impossible Staircase

Every year, there’s at least one album that pops into my year-end list from a familiar acquaintance or through association with somebody I know on this site. This year, it’s Andrew Judah’s Impossible Staircase – which was produced by none other than our longtime contributor Caleb McAlpine. I can confidently say that there is no favoritism occurring here though; Impossible Staircase is an indie-rock/pop juggernaut that has a lot in common with acts like The Dear Hunter. It’s theatrical, over-the-top, and immensely catchy while still possessing a sound technical/instrumental foundation. Judah’s impressive range does the heavy lifting here, alternating between sensitive balladry and soaring choruses seamlessly and seemingly without effort. One of the most well-rounded efforts comes via ‘Hair of the Dog’, an epic indie-rock track that features the album’s best drumming. If you’re in the mood to let loose and sing along to some catchy melodies at the top of your lungs, you’d be hard-pressed to do much better than Impossible Staircase.

The Waterfall II [LP] [Clear]

18. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II

The Waterfall II sounds like summertime captured in a bottle. The warm and inviting vocal harmonies recall The Beach Boys while the sprightly, infectious instrumentation sounds like the Beatles reincarnated. Despite all of the soft, gooey atmospheres that ooze throughout The Waterfall II with sugary delight, My Morning Jacket still isn’t afraid to get down and dirty with ‘Wasted’ – a psychedelic rocker featuring an extended breakdown/solo that recalls a more ambitious mixture of The Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys. In short, this is definitely an old school rock album through and through. The fact that it glows like a starlit sky on a July evening simply adds to its magical aura. Who would have thought that My Morning Jacket would still be churning out essential indie-rock in 2020?

RTJ4

17. Run The Jewels – RTJ4

It was nearly impossible not to be affected by the BLM movement in 2020. RTJ4 is tied to the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd, a unique combination of release date circumstance (they actually bumped it up two days early) and lyrical relevance (“Every day on the evening news, they feed you fear for free / And you so numb, you watch the cops choke out a man like me / Until my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, ‘I can’t breathe'”). The argument could be made that listening to RTJ4 and supporting the message in spirit isn’t enough – that it’s indicative of the passivity that landed us in this predicament – but regardless, RTJ4 serves as a rallying cry. Its sociopolitical implications are too immense to ignore, and the music is incredible on top of that. I have no qualms admitting that hip-hop is not really my wheelhouse, but that hasn’t stopped me from playing RTJ4 over and over again; feeling the passion poured into every fiber of this album’s existence, quaking with rage, and longing to be a part of something bigger than myself. RTJ4 is an essential catalyst for social change within one of the most volatile years in recent memory…what more can you ask for from a musical release?

Ghosts V: Together

16. Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V: Together

I’m what you’d consider an “essential employee”, which in 2020 led to some pretty interesting and frightening scenes. Our usual workforce was split into two extra long shifts to ensure continuity of business – should one “shift” become COVID-19 contaminated, they could divide the opposite shift and then rinse/repeat until we were down to our final employee. I found myself commuting to work in the blackness of 2am and driving home, exhausted, shortly after mid day. There was a certain eeriness to seeing the streets so empty at 2pm in a town normally bustling with traffic. My commute was virtually non-existent because I was practically the only car on the road every day, which allowed me to look around more than I usually do while driving. I saw some unnerving things: recently unemployed/homeless breadwinners holding up signs begging for money to feed their families, nurses and other first responders looking dejected/defeated as they exit the hospital a few miles from my home, children holding their parents’ hands crossing the street while crying – presumably because they can’t grasp the magnitude of what’s going on despite knowing something is very wrong. All the while, Ghosts V: Together buzzed quietly in the background, emitting a strangely fitting soundtrack from my car’s speakers. I’ll never be able to untangle this album from those memories. It’s not something I necessarily wish to vividly remember, but it sure does lend the album a weight that few others in my life will ever possess.

15. The Microphones – Microphones in 2020

Existentialism has fascinated me ever since I was in high school. Microphones in 2020 reminds me of some of the required reading I had in my English courses; at times it’s almost pensive to the point of absurdity (“I was already who I am”), recalling a collage of memories along a timeline to the present. It’s in questioning that timeline that Phil Elvrum transforms from mere narrator to philosopher, and it’s that same weighty headspace that won me over. Microphones in 2020 reads like a series of philosophical conjectures: “The true state of all things is a waterfall / With no bottom crashing end / And no ledge to plummet off” / “At any moment we could die / And so with urgency, I keep a candle by my side / And watch it disappear and glow.” Sonically it elevates itself above the intentionally dulled A Crow Looked At Me, but it’s still very lo-fi and far from what anyone might consider exciting or engaging. This approach allows Elvrum’s poetry – because that’s precisely what it is – to take center stage and demand your attention. If you like feeling the weight of your own existence resting squarely upon your shoulders, then Microphones in 2020 is perhaps the year’s best outright.

songs

14. Adrianne Lenker – songs

songs is simply one of the most beautiful and romantic folk albums I’ve ever heard. Adrianne Lenker crafts an atmosphere of crystalline elegance upon a bed of pristine, shimmering acoustic guitars. The lyrics are warm enough to melt your heart, featuring breathtaking passages such as “Stars bloom on a warm summer night / They have a clear view without the bedroom light / I just want a place with you”, or personally telling ones like “I don’t wanna be the owner of your fantasy, I just wanna be a part of your family.” Lenker wears her heart on her sleeve with songs, and it’s the kind of album that will twist your guts around several times whether you’re madly in love or desperately heartbroken. It basically boils down to vulnerability; songs captures that essence and sprawls it across eleven stunning indie-folk gems. It’s a career achievement that marks her best solo effort to date, and it’s also arguably better than anything she’s done with Big Thief.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

13. Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Biting sarcasm takes center stage on Fetch the Bolt Cutters, an album which on the surface might seem like a commentary on breaking free from patriarchal societal norms. The more I listen to the album, the more I’m convinced that it’s so much simpler than that – it’s about speaking your mind, and not being afraid of the repercussions from those who might deem your thoughts and opinions “inappropriate”. The two ideals do go hand-in-hand, and the atmosphere that Apple curates here is both angry and liberating. Whether it’s the personally defiant ‘Under the Table’ or something with much broader implications such as ‘Relay’, Fiona can be heard spitting out uncomfortable truths while balancing gorgeous metaphors with jarring bluntness. When you add in her typical charisma and disregard for mainstream trends, it makes Fetch the Bolt Cutters one of the most candid and refreshing listens from any pop artist in recent years.

Shore

12. Fleet Foxes – Shore

After establishing themselves as one of the biggest names in indie-folk over the course of the previous decade, Shore sees our beloved Fleet Foxes breaking ground with a more streamlined, accessible sound. Gone are the crunching drums and chamber vocals of Helplessness Blues, cast off in favor of glistening production, elegant keys, and sweeping brass horns. It arrives with the energy and fanfare of a folk magnum opus, and delivers consistently on that promise. Few songs this year are as invigorating as ‘Sunblind’, as dazzling as ‘Featherweight’, as poignant as ‘It’s Not My Season’, or as spiritually transcendent as ‘Going-to-the-Sun Road.’ Shore is a remarkably consistent effort with very few, if any, dips in quality. It remains to be seen whether or not the record, with it’s lightweight feel and smooth finish, will hold the same weight as Helplessness Blues or Crack-Up years down the line, but Shore is easily one of the most enjoyable records of 2020 on its face. Considering that the album also dropped as a complete surprise to fans, Shore marks one of the biggest “feel good” releases of the year.

Sam Amidon

11. Sam Amidon – Sam Amidon

Sam Amidon redefined how I assess cover versions of songs. For the longest time I chalked them up to cheap remakes, and even when the covers would exceed the overall quality of their counterparts, they’d “lose points” for originality (or lack thereof). Amidon did things a bit different here though, and it’s worthy of admiration. He primarily selected early 1900s folk songs that have either been long forgotten or were never popular to begin with – often possessing immense personal meaning to him – and completely re-imagined them. The songs are fleshed out with gorgeous electronics and ambient sections, and between Sam’s Nick Drake-esque vocals and the haunting acoustic canvas, it sounds the part of a modern day folk classic. Amidon is at his best when he keeps things simple, allowing his voice and the mesmerizing backdrop to absorb your attention. This is on full display with the gentle to-and-fro of ‘Spanish Merchant’s Daughter’, the crystalline elegance of ‘Hallelujah’, and the folk whimsy  of ‘Time Has Made a Change.’ As the melodies slowly get their hooks in you – and they will – Sam Amidon seems to define every moment you’re in. Disciples of Ben Howard’s 2018 classic Noonday Dream should take notice; this is the same sort of grower which unfurls its beauty over time. That’s what truly great music does. Sam Amidon takes otherwise mundane events and attaches meaning to them, and it’s nearly impossible not to have your year enhanced by listening to this gorgeous folk gem.

Elisabeth [Explicit]

10. Zach Bryan – Elisabeth

It’s pretty common for lo-fi country/folk artists to miss out on mainstream recognition. It’s far less common for them to purposely dodge any chance of commercial success. Zach Bryan prefers to keep things simple and in-house, and even sings about it on Elisabeth: “I don’t think they understand how deep loyalty goes / For some boys I got in a barn we built out of pure Douglas fir / Badly written songs next to horses’ shit is what an Okie boy prefers”…or, “The radio man came to fuck it up as he boasts about number ones…You can keep your name and burn the cash / Tell ’em I died singin’ in these hills if they ask.” Elisabeth is an album written by Bryan and recorded with friends despite significant interest from high-profile labels following the success of his debut album, DeAnn. It’s tough to find artists with this much authenticity and conviction. What makes Elisabeth special is that despite the crude production and lack of frills, the album still works magnificently – a testament to Bryan’s god-given gift as a songwriter (I keep referring to him as the country Elliott Smith, and I stand by it). Although it’s a bit bloated at 18 tracks, it is masterful at carrying the story and motifs that started on DeAnn. Perhaps that is what Bryan is aiming to preserve through his musical autonomy – the ability to write exactly what he wants to write about, and to capture the elements of his life through music. Elisabeth is his most endearing story yet.

The Golden Days are Hard

9. Westelaken – The Golden Days Are Hard

If you’ve never heard of Westelaken, then you are not alone. The Canadian indie-rock act has only a handful of fans, to the extent that they hand-delivered many of their CD orders to those who live in their hometown of Toronto. They also handwrite lyrical booklets and will ship them to you at your request. Basically, it’s hard to find a nicer group of people who love what they do, and it’s refreshing in today’s hyper-competitive streaming era. The Golden Days Are Hard is just as heartfelt and personal as the artists behind it. The album weaves through uptempo rockers like ‘January Song’ and more pensive, elaborate compositions such as ‘Grace’ without ever sounding disjointed. In fact, the ground they’re able to cover is uniquely impressive –  from folk to punk to country, and even a foray into ambient post-hardcore. Westelaken’s skill set is tremendously eclectic, which makes it nearly impossible to become bored by anything they do. The album’s lyrics are equally as likely to resonate with listeners, focusing heavily on the death of loved ones and moving on in the wake of their absence. The Golden Days Are Hard is one of those records that evades widespread attention, but once you hear it, it’s nearly impossible to shake.

Halo of Hurt

8. Seahaven – Halo of Hurt

I can’t say that I ever expected to place Seahaven within my top ten albums of the year. They’ve always been one of my favorite “sounds like Brand New” acts, but they seemed to be missing some sort of intangible spark. Halo of Hurt is their evolution, their maturation, their magnum opus – whatever you want to call it, it’s basically their The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. It is so much more menacing/brooding/twisted than anything from their past, and the songwriting has improved tenfold. Look no further than the elaborate and ominous opener ‘Void’ to witness just how far they’ve come since their 2010 debut EP Ghost, or check out ‘I Don’t Belong Here’ for what might be the best all-around song of their entire career. When Seahaven isn’t toying with soft-to-loud formulas or experimenting with dynamics, Kyle Soto’s gloomy lyrics find their way to the forefront: “So take the dose that will help the most / Till you feel the rope tighten on your throat / You see we’re all just sailing home at our own pace.” This is a dark, tense, and sprawling emo/indie-rock masterpiece – and an unanticipated one at that.

Love, Disorderly

7. Thomas Azier – Love, Disorderly

Thomas Azier’s Love, Disorderly possesses a manic energy. It feels supercharged with a sense of modernity and paranoia, constantly teetering on the verge of losing its mind. Despite the dystopian feel to the whole thing, it still manages to be wholly engaging and melodically addictive. Vocally, Azier at times recalls Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith with Matthew Bellamy’s (Muse) appetite for the grandiose. Musically, the electronics are propulsive and rhythmic, creating this epic, sweeping atmosphere that lends Love, Disorderly a conclusive world-ending air. Given the events of 2020 – from pandemics to politics – the album seemingly drew inspiration from its surroundings, creating what is not only a towering magnum opus for Thomas Azier, but also one of the strongest LPs to drop during this strange, contentious year. This is the sort of album you’d hope for if you’re forced to watch the world around you crumble: it’s magnetic, imaginative, and possesses that all important sense of apocalyptic finality.

Saint Cloud

6. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

It’s not every day that an artist departs from a successful indie-rock sound to go full-blown, Dylan-esque Americana. The transformation almost reminds me of how The Decemberists went from theatrical rock to subdued Americana; only this time the artist was actually better off for it. Saint Cloud is stripped back and gorgeous. It puts the onus on Katie Crutchfield – from her voice to her lyrical capabilities – and she passes the test with flying colors. Thematically, the record tackles her recovery from alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse, and the internal battle taking place becomes more apparent as you familiarize yourself with the verses (“I’m in a war with myself / It’s got nothing to do with you”). Musically, the songs are subtle and layered. Only a handful of tracks will jump out at you immediately (with ‘Can’t Do Much’ residing near the top of the record’s accessible tunes), while the rest reveal their beauty through time and repetition. Ultimately, despite its relaxed outward appearance, Saint Cloud reveals itself to be quite morbid: “the lilacs drank the water, and the lilacs die”…”I go when I go / Look back at me, embers aglow.” Saint Cloud is an album all about hardship and strife, so the deaths taking place here are metaphorical: it’s a funeral for the old Katie – the substance abusing rocker – and a celebration of the new folk-loving Katie emerging from that dark cocoon like a butterfly in Spring. Waxahatchee has undoubtedly found her calling with Saint Cloud – a record that sees her transform personally and professionally right before our very eyes.

Ohms

5. Deftones – Ohms

The hype was, and still is, real. Ohms is one of the best things that Deftones has ever released, which is saying a lot considering the band’s iconic status. The fact that they continue to outdo themselves decades into their career without truly altering their sound is almost mind-blowing. Ohms balances heaviness and melody masterfully, while correcting the production issues that plagued 2016’s underwhelming Gore. A handful of tracks here qualify as all-time great Deftones songs: ‘Genesis’, ‘The Spell of Mathematics’, ‘ Pompeji’, ‘This Link is Dead’…Ohms is a juggernaut thanks to blockbusters like these which will forever anchor it in alt-metal lore. Surrounding these cornerstones are tracks that are nearly just as good, qualifying Ohms as at least the most consistent Deftones album ever, even if we will never be able to agree if it’s their best. What sets Ohms apart from the band’s other recent output, aside from their reunion with producer Terry Date (who last worked with them and Chi Cheng [RIP] on Eros), is the group’s willingness to get weird again. ‘The Spell of Mathematics’ is the heaviest song on the record but fades to a series of finger snaps. ‘Pompeji’ features a chorus of squawking seagulls and an extensively ambient outro. It’s stuff like this that gives Ohms a unique identity beyond “just another awesome ‘tones record.” This is the mark of a great band twenty-five years into their career, still finding new ways to wrinkle their tried-and-true formula while obliterating all expectations in the process.

Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was

4. Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was

I can still remember spouting off holy shit‘s like crazy during my first run-through with Down in the Weeds, a record that seemingly outdoes itself every couple of minutes with something even more epic and sweeping than whatever came before it. I’m not what you’d call a hardcore Bright Eyes fan: I adored I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning back in the day, but the rest of Oberst’s discography – Bright Eyes, solo, and elsewhere – has been met with a lukewarm response from me. He was always that artist that I thought was pretty good but a little over-hyped, and certainly not the generational talent that he was often touted as. Now, I see it. Down in the Weeds feels like an album to end all albums. Whether it’s the chilling shout that acts like a catalyst to the haunting chorus of ‘Dance and Sing’, the way the guitars and drums erupt on ‘Just Once in the World’, the brass and string-laden crescendo which concludes ‘One and Done’, the ironic “cinematic ending” to ‘Stairwell Song’, the bagpipes from ‘Persona Non Grata’, the way that ‘To Death’s Heart (In Three Parts)’ laces Pink Floyd references with the 2015 terrorist attacks at Paris’ Bataclan theatre, the cynical lull and sway of the finale ‘Comet Song’ – the record just constantly one-ups itself, making for the sort of listen that will blow you away every single time you hear it. It’s a bold enough statement to proclaim that this is a top five album of 2020; it’s even bolder to assert that it’s the greatest achievement of Oberst’s long, storied career. Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was is both – a modern day indie-rock/folk classic whose vast scope and poignancy can’t be overstated.

Punisher

3. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Punisher‘s progression from initial disappointment to one of the best albums of 2020 has been something to behold. Its unhurried tempo and relaxed demeanor certainly dampen the album’s immediate appeal; listeners are forced to sit through some six ballads, and even the more exciting moments – for the most part – barely float above a middling pace. Bridgers’ melodies are also less in-your-face than they were on her celebrated Stranger in the Alps debut, often hidden behind a wall of indie-rock instrumentation that didn’t used to exist. It forces you to submerge your senses in the world she’s crafted – an eerily calm, apocalyptic snow globe. The longer you come back to it, the more it all begins to make sense – like puzzle pieces snapping into place. Now, I can’t imagine Punisher being anything other than a series of slow, drawn-out, and emotional ballads that clear the pathway for ‘I Know The End’ – the record’s screamed, cathartic closer – to wreak havoc with the idea of what we consider “normal” from indie-folk artists. The entire record is like laying on a blanket stargazing as a meteor approaches. It’s both sad and beautiful. When the collision finally occurs on ‘I Know The End’, it shakes you to your core. Punisher is full of stunning introspection and irresistible finality – a record made precisely for times like these.

Circles

2. Mac Miller – Circles

I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I’m one of those fans. I didn’t listen to a single Mac Miller album until after his unfortunate passing, and it began with his posthumous effort Circles. My personal bar for white rappers and hip hop artists is, perhaps unfairly, pretty low – so I entered the experience with virtually no expectations other than to honor a man who died under tragic circumstances. Circles threw me for a loop. The jaunty rhythm, chill vibes, witty lyrics, psychedelic atmosphere – the whole thing was so far beyond my wildest expectations that I almost wanted to proclaim it AOTY right there on the spot…back in January. ‘Complicated’, ‘Blue World’, and ‘Good News’ are the sort of songs that acknowledge struggles but make us feel better about them too, while ‘I Can See’ and ‘Surf’ are the are sonic light years ahead of what you’d think a twenty-something hip-hop artist would be capable of composing. To boot, one of the bonus tracks (‘Floating’) also belongs in the aforementioned category of “pick your jaw up off the floor.” This album would have been important for Mac Miller were he still alive, but it’s still pretty damn huge even in his death. It’s as he once sang on ‘Funeral’: “A shame that my tragedy my masterpiece.” Miller’s masterpiece may have come in the form of a posthumous album, but it’s one that keeps will his spirit alive for generations as a prevailing example of just how transcendent hip-hop can be.

Honey Harper: Star-maker [Winyl]

1. Honey Harper – Starmaker

Country music has been a revelation for me in 2020, and I owe it all to Honey Harper. I always used to chalk the genre up to overly simple, nauseatingly twangy rednecks with more tractors than problems.  While that pocket of country music certainly still exists, what unfurled before me in 2020 was basically the rest of the entire genre – you know, the good part. Honey Harper is leading country music’s cutting edge, and his debut Starmaker blends dream-pop, psychedelic folk, and traditional country music to form an experience that sounds like nothing else. Harper’s vocals drip like honey off a spoon, a slow and exceedingly sweet drawl that has a way of making anything sound poignant. His wife and writing partner Alana Pagnutti periodically contributes gorgeous backing vocals, and when to two intertwine for duets the results are breathtaking. Elsewhere, lush strings and pan flutes lift up cornerstones like ‘Something Relative’ and ‘Vaguely Satisfied’ to heavenly heights. Each song has a unique accent that empowers it to stand out from the rest of the tracklist, and at a lean thirty-seven minutes, Starmaker flows seamlessly without a single skippable moment.  It’s experimental, melodic, infectious, beautiful, and entirely digestible in just about any setting. For all these reasons and more, Starmaker was almost always playing in my car, on my phone, or around my house from the moment it dropped back in March. As the pandemic reached the peak of its first wave in the United States, Starkmaker was my only reliable escape. It transported me from this unpleasant reality to a beautiful garden in some far off galaxy; soothing, divine, and ever flourishing. For country music, this seems like a one small step for mankind sort of moment. For me, it was merely what I needed to survive.





Sowing
11.25.20
It's too early for this, and I'm sure many of you will remind me. Every year as the staff gears up for the collective Top 50 Albums feature, I like to get mine published ahead of time so I can shift my focus to the cumulative project. Hope you enjoy the feature regardless, and as always let me know what you think of any albums you check out because of this list. I love seeing some of the lesser known gems get an extra shine as folks cram for their own year-end lists.

unclereich
11.25.20
happy thanksgiving dude!

Pheromone
11.25.20
you're gonna feel really silly when the new brand new drops as a surprise on christmas day

SteakByrnes
11.25.20
Far too early for sure but hell yea on the Svalbard placing

JohnnyoftheWell
11.25.20
happy new year

Sowing
11.25.20
"you're gonna feel really silly when the new brand new drops as a surprise on christmas day"
-I'd so welcome this even if it makes me look silly.

"hell yea on the Svalbard placing"
Yeah that Svalbard album is really good. It's not even my scene, so I'm sure it will rank higher for those who enjoy screamy post-hardcore.

Lucman
11.25.20
Great read, Sow. Starmaker at 1 brings a smile. That's a set in stone top ten for me. Folklore will most likely be my AOTY, especially after having watched the live-studio sessions. 8 is something I need to hear desperately! And 5....and so wish I could get into it but numerous attempts have left me empty handed.

Lucman
11.25.20
Urgh, I meant to say 12 is what I cannot get into * facepalms *

Feather
11.25.20
Man you were not kidding, I got Seahaven to you just in time AND to make the top 10 lol. Phoebe, Bright Eyes and Seahaven are DEFINITELY in my top 10 as well. I love that Poppy managed to make it on your list. 2020 was full of surprises.

Colton
11.25.20
it's funny how we seem to have fairly different taste for the most part but both have 7, 3, 2 and 1 in our top albums of the year and both have the same AOTY. Starmaker is amazing

Colton
11.25.20
although it may be beat by "Marigold" by Pinegrove for me which you should definitely check, some really gorgeous country-ish indie

Bedex
11.25.20
:theodenitbeginsmeme.jpg:

Sowing
11.25.20
@Lucman: It took me quite a while to settle on Starmaker as my AOTY. Pretty much every album in my top 5 took a turn and I even occasionally considered other albums from my top 10. There was no clear cut winner but considering how important Honey Harper was to my country evolution this year, along with the fact that it was my most played record of 2020, served as the tiebreaker. Folklore is a great album and one of Swift's top 3 creations in my opinion, but I'd still take 1989 or Speak Now over it. I'm glad to see you loving it so much though. Creatively, I think it was the right direction for Swift to take. I'm fairly confident you'll love 8, and 12 does seem like it'd be your kind of thing, but sometimes it do just be that way. *insert shoulder shrug emoji*

@Feather: Yes, thank you for making sure that Seahaven didn't slip by me. It's definitely their best record and that evolutionary TDAG type of moment that IMO makes a band. It's their classic. Phoebe and Bright Eyes easily could have been my #1 in previous years, but 2020 brought me what is possibly my favorite country and hip-hop records at the same time. Who woulda thunk it? Especially considering that neither of those genres mattered to me very much prior to 2020...

@Colton: We overlap where it matters - the good stuff. ;-) Cool to see you digging a lot of my top 10, especially the lesser known items. I did hear Marigold and liked it, but I actually thought it was the worst Pinegrove album haha. Still a solid 3.5 though.

Lord(e)Po)))ts
11.25.20
Lol I feel like u post this earlier every year

Jasdevi087
11.25.20
fellas is it gay to listen to new music in December?

ajcollins15
11.25.20
much love sowing!

Sowing
11.25.20
@Potsy: I posted literally on the same date last year which wasn't even intentional lol

@ajcollins15: Thanks!

unclereich
11.25.20
twas a great year for album art

SlothcoreSam
11.26.20
Surprised not to see The Airborne Toxic Event, on your list. That was a massive grower for me.

DrGonzo1937
11.26.20
Yesssss mate. A lot I didn’t vibe off on this list, but honey at number one is well deserved

DrGonzo1937
11.26.20
Also, very surprised Jesse Williamson didn’t make the cut

Klekticist
11.26.20
Agree with number one

Gnocchi
11.26.20
This list is verrrry Sowing. Any honourable metal mentions? (No, not Deftones) I wouldn’t mind seeing something that surprises you out of your comfort zone once a year.

JohnnyoftheWell
11.26.20
QUESTION what is the difference between SowingSeason and Poison the Well

ANSWER one of them released the Opposite of December in 1999, the other releases it every year

Lord(e)Po)))ts
11.26.20
Solid effort on that one bud

greg84
11.26.20
Well done! Some of those will be on my list too.

BlushfulHippocrene
11.26.20
Goddamn, how long did this take you? You're a machine. Been listening to 1 a lot this last week; it makes me feel something, but I'm not sure what, and it's never sustained. Excited to keep digging into it though.

Sowing
11.26.20
@unclereich: It truly was. Even just using this list as a sample size, I loved 9,12,14,15, and 23.

@SlothcoreSam: I think you found my first accidental omission. It wouldn't have been in my top 25 but it definitely should have been in my Honorable Mentions section. The whole album is pretty good, probably their best, and the title track is peak ATE.

@DrGonzo: Thanks bud, it was kind of an odd year in terms of what hit me the hardest and #1 is a prime example. It's so deserving though. I don't think we can overstate how big Starmaker is for the genre. It's gotten some decent praise here and elsewhere, but I hope that in time it's seen for being the trailblazer that it is.

@Klekticist: Cheers, it's an excellent record.

@Nocte: By that you mean more metal, no? Because my #1 and #2 albums here are country and r&b/hip-hop respectively, which is fairly out of my comfort zone compared to my previous 11 years here.

@greg84: Thanks man, glad there will be some overlap on our lists. Excited to see yours!

@BlushfulHippocrene: Ha, cheers Blush. This feature always takes me a bit of time annually, usually I work on it off/on in the week leading up to American Thanksgiving and then post anywhere between the holiday itself and the first week of December. I think 1 is a special album no matter how you look at it, but I know what you mean by not being sure of exactly "what" I feel from it. That's why for a good chunk of the year I was leaning towards some of those other top 5 selections, especially 2-4. However, when I think of 2020 in music, I reflexively think of Starmaker. It just feels attached to 2020 somehow, I suppose for the reasons I mentioned in the blurb. It was my escape...I guess it just makes me feel peace which was hard to come by this year.

Egarran
11.26.20
Love this and love you

Demon of the Fall
11.26.20
Nice work Sow. We have negligible taste crossover but despite this you have reminded me that I need to catch up on Fiona Apple, so thanks. ‘Pawn‘ is such a great album.

Sowing
11.26.20
@Egarran: lvu2 bb

@Demon of the Fall: Cheers! Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a superb album. Probably top 5 any other year but 2020 was incredible so it got bumped out of my top 10 by some personal faves. Wouldn't be at all shocked to see it do well in the staff cumulative voting.

JoyfulPlatypus
11.26.20
Giving Svalbard a listen now. Your list reminded me that I totally missed it earlier in the year, so thanks!

Egarran
11.26.20
Sow is an unfortunate nickname

unclereich
11.26.20
not nearly as bad as dyke

Sowing
11.26.20
@JoyfulPlatypus: It rules. It takes a lot for a scene post-hardcore band to make my year end list. I think you'll enjoy it.

Voivod
11.26.20
Need to finally listen to that Deftones album.

Sowing
11.27.20
@Voivod: It's like a blend of KNY and DE. Hope you enjoy it!

Squiggly
11.27.20
aaggghhhh this should just be my catch up list. So many good picks. Love 2, 3, 5, 15, and 17, and REALLY love 9 & 13. Just stellar.

neekafat
11.27.20
wow I've heard a lot of these, but I've fallen so behind this last quarter and idk if I can catch up in time to make my list ):

neekafat
11.27.20
Will accept the Punisher #3 btw (;

Sowing
11.27.20
@Squiggly: Much appreciated! Let me know if there's anything else here that you end up enjoying!

@neekafat: Cool that we have some overlap. You should still make a list, just use what you've heard. Personal lists are just that, they don't need to be all-inclusive :-) Punisher spent some time flirting with being 2 or even 1, but at the end of the day I couldn't deny HH or MM. It feels so weird, but good, to have my AOTY and runner-up fall under country and hip-hop.

Divaman
11.27.20
One of the things that always strikes me on these end of the year lists on Sputnik is the extent to which even though we're a site of music lovers, we all tend to have such different musical years every year. Not only have I not heard any of your Top 25, it never even occurred to me to listen to any of them. The closest thing we have to overlap is I've listened to a few of your honorable mentions (and the Woods LP will probably make my own Top 10), and I also really liked the Hayley Mary EP, so we had least that much common experience this year. Anyway, glad your musical 2020 was a good one -- mine was too. And maybe I'll give your playlist a listen, to at least taste a sample of your year. All the best!

Sowing
11.28.20
It's definitely amazing how different everyone's journey though a year is musically. I agree totally. Even compared to the users on this site that I share the largest taste overlap with, we still only have like 30% of our top 25 in common. It just goes to show how much music we miss out on. I hope you get something from this top 25! And I'm glad you made it through 2020 safely and happily to this point!

Divaman
11.28.20
Same. Stay well.

dmathias52
11.28.20
Yeah, basically what Diva said. We share maybe 5 in our top 25, which somewhat surprises me! I’ve heard most of these, but at definitely intrigued by some or three ones I haven’t (Well maybe not Poppy). While I do always look forward to your end of the year awards, I love the writing and description you gave or why you’re avoiding stuff like “worst of the year”. I’ve gone out of my way to avoid listening to stuff I know I won’t enjoy this year - What’s the point of taking that enjoyment away from someone else?

Divaman
11.28.20
Oh, I didn't see Sufjan in the Honorable Mentions. That might make my Top 10 as well.

Sowing
11.28.20
@dmathias: I expected more overlap as well! It's probably because a lot of good country albums got omitted from my list in favor of underground indie folk stuff, which remains as the foundation of my taste in spite of country's (and to a smaller extent even hip-hop's) 2020 surge. And of course I very much appreciate what you said about the writing; I just felt like it's counterproductive to bash hard working artists this year...as fun as that can be, 2020 isn't the year to do it IMO. Plus I did that mini awards show shtick for 5 years, seems like a nice round number to cut off at and transition to something more standard.

@Divaman: My experience with the new Sufjan was sort of strange. It hit me hard right away and I loved it to the tune of a strong 4/light 4.5, but then it just fell off a cliff and I stopped listening to it. I'm not sure what to make of it even now but I thought it was at least deserving of a mention here.

ChoccyPhilly
11.28.20
Dude, we haven't even hit December yet. These posts should be illegal until at least mid Dec

ChoccyPhilly
11.28.20
That being said, it's looking like Honey Harper is topping my 2020 list too. That or Poppy.

Sowing
11.28.20
I mean it's a 6 day difference if I posted on December 1, and it really wouldn't prevent me from missing any 11th hour releases. But I get it, there's always a chance some great albums drop in December- but it's a risk I'm willing to live with.

With that said, I'm glad to see so much love for Honey Harper. I honestly didn't even know the album had caught on to such a large extent here, but it's heart warming to see. Poppy is just sheer fun. I don't know how anyone could hate it.

Feather
11.28.20
Ayyyy just saw Shell, Ruston Kelly and Zella made the honorable mentions! I think Ruston Kelly will make my top 25, that album is just so uplifting.

ChoccyPhilly
11.28.20
I think after Casualties of Cool the community was dying for another dreamy, atmospheric country album. There have been a few good ones but I think Honey Harper is the best follow up which most of us can get behind

Sowing
11.28.20
@Feather: I legit had such a hard time leaving so many of those honorable mentions off my top 25. It became a "what's better" vs. "what did I like more" comparison, and in those cases the latter always prevails for personal lists. Ruston would have been a shoe-in but it's almost too smooth. Someone compared it to Christian rock and I think that's accurate. I loved it, but it didn't stand out enough over time.

@Choccy: Thanks for reminding me that I still need to hear Casualties of Cool.

Feather
11.28.20
@sowing it’s my fault, I was the one that commented that my girlfriend asked if I was listening to Christian rock when she first heard me listening to it hahaha.

Sowing
11.28.20
That was you? Small world lmao. Ever since that moment I haven't viewed the album the same.

JohnnyoftheWell
11.29.20
Finally read this in its entirety, and while a lot of that list does things to my eyebrows, I vibe your Bolt Cutters take pretty hard; there has been so much fuss over how "important" it is, which is great in a way, but I feel a lot of that discussion has paved over the way it lives its own truth - the best part ofc!! Lovely pitches all round - good read ;]

YouFoldAndIWin
11.29.20
Where is ruston kelly?

Gyromania
11.29.20
rly don't think his latest was nearly as good as halloween.

great list. glad to see someone else enjoys circles as much as me. ohms didn't age well at all for me though. still a great record but not pushing top 20 for me.

Sowing
11.29.20
@Johnnyofthewell: I hope your eyebrows do eventually return to their normal shape =D appreciate the kind words, and I obviously share your affinity for Fetch the Bolt Cutters. It's such a frank and no fucks given album; I love when pop artists keep it real.

@YouFoldAndIWin: It's in my Honorable Mentions, although I originally had it at #24 before I eschewed it in favor of Poppy and Bendrix Littleton. Those album's just seemed more unique and memorable. Ruston's latest was gorgeous, but a forgettable kind of gorgeous that I hate to admit didn't age wonderfully.

@Gyromania: Halloween is definitely way better, agreed. Thanks for the kind words as well. I toyed with making Mac Miller my #1 at various points in 2020, its dreamy atmosphere and chill mood are literally perfect and offer me everything I could want in a hip hop album. Ohms also fell off for me but just not quite as much; it blasted through the doors as my clear-cut AOTY then quickly regressed to #5 in a matter of months. It's still superb though.

Divaman
11.29.20
OK, I've got your playlist up on my TV while I work today. Off to a good start. I like the Seahaven song. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sowing
11.29.20
Sweet. I'm glad someone is listening to it because usually nobody comments on my annual playlist and it's crossed my mind before that I'm the only one who actually hears it lol. I hope all the songs are available in your region (sometimes they are grayed out)! Let me know what you think!

Voivod
11.29.20
-- @Voivod: It's like a blend of KNY and DE. Hope you enjoy it!

What's KNY and DE? Not so good with acronyms haha

Sowing
11.29.20
Ah my bad! Koi No Yokan and Diamond Eyes - two of the band's recent and most well received albums. :-)

Divaman
11.29.20
You've got like 9 likes on the playlist, so somebody must be listening to it.

Divaman
11.29.20
I'm up to Hayley now. This is on my list, too. Has a good shot at my Top 20 Songs.

Sowing
11.29.20
Honestly I don't know how Spotify works as much as I pretend to, I didn't even know someone could like it or how they'd find the playlist outside of this blog. Glad it's getting some spins! It's 100 songs long so I don't realistically expect anyone to listen to the entire thing.

Divaman
11.29.20
I didn't know how the likes thing worked before today either. But when I found your list, I saw the number of likes up at the top. I tend to use YouTube for playlists more than Spotify, because I don't pay for Spotify and the free version has too many commercials.

FuzzyThoughts
11.30.20
Nice write-up, Sowing. You've introduced me to a number of new artists this year (Westelaken, Thomas Azier) and helped me get into country as well (Honey Harper, Katie Pruitt, Zach Bryan, Ruston Kelly, etc).

The Mac Miller release was my top hip-hop album for the year up until a week back when I listened to Deco's *Snakes and Birds* and Aesop Rock's *Spirit World Field Guide*. Now I'm undecided on which would be my top one for 2020. Did you listen to those? Bet you'd like the Deco release quite a bit.



FuzzyThoughts
11.30.20
(that should say Deca, not Deco.... d'oh)

Sowing
11.30.20
@Divaman: I hate how many commercials it has, but if I'm paying enough attention I can quick select the next song before the current one ends, which bypasses any commercials =D

@FuzzyThoughts: Thanks, that means a lot! I'm glad you're enjoying some of the lesser known "finds" this year. Westelaken is one of those bands that like 50 people in the whole world know about lol, which makes them even more special to me. Azier's album is just sheer apocalyptic splendor. Also happy to hear that you've boarded the country train at the same time as me - it's good to have someone out there to bounce recs off of! Mac Miller's posthumous album might be my favorite hip-hop album *ever*, which is admittedly naive of me but I also barely listen to the genre, so ~insert shoulder shrug emoji~. I did NOT hear any Deca, so I will make that a priority jam.


FuzzyThoughts
12.01.20
Yeah, Westelaken only has around a few hundred likes on Facebook if I'm remembering right. And those handwritten lyric books they were doing at one point isn't something you see often.

I'm not a big hip-hop guy either but maybe that'll change a bit more next year. Hope you like the Deca album, his earlier release "The Ocean" seems to be the most well-received generally, but I just love "Snakes and Birds" from this year.

neekafat
12.01.20
@Sowing we always have overlap! But yes, my favorite albums of this year are a bit more around the board genre-wise too which is cool :)

mvdu
12.01.20
Nice list! I would have the Taylor Swift much higher. But you brought 2 very special albums to my attention: Honey Harper’s Starmaker and Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud. Thanks! And agreed on the Phoebe Bridgers being top 10.

mvdu
12.01.20
I don’t know why it added those characters to the albums I mentioned, but you can still tell what I meant.

Sowing
12.01.20
@FuzzyThoughts: I'll stick with the 2020 release to stay current and then backtrack if I like what I hear.

@neekafat: Mine too, hence country at #1 and hip-hop at #2. I'm really hoping to discover those genres even more in 2021.

@mvdu: Thank you! Swift could go higher in some future variation of my 2020 favorites - she's one of my favorite artists in general so her work has a way of staying with me while others fall by the wayside. As it stands though, it's my 3rd favorite Swift behind 1989 and Speak Now, so it's obviously good but not "Top 10" good. I'm glad you got just as much out of Honey Harper and Waxahatchee; both of their albums were incredible and helped shape my country/Americana taste. Bridgers' Punisher was almost my AOTY at a few points in time this year...the eerie "calm before the storm" vibe is irresistible to me.

Divaman
12.01.20
Made it up into the '70s of your list. I'm away for a few days, but will try to finish it off when I get back. Have written down a number of songs I wasn't previously familiar that I'll add to my own iPod.

Sowing
12.01.20
Awesome man. I'm so glad someone is getting that much use out of the playlist. Definitely keeps me motivated in doing this sort of thing.

Let me know what that list is when you are finished!

mynameischan
12.08.20
gooooooooood list

Divaman
12.08.20
I haven't gotten back to the playlist yet, but the ones I marked so far are the songs by Adrianne Leaker, Grimes, Andrew Judah, Poppy, Nine Inch Nails, Sam Amidon, The Weeknd, Thomas Azier, Zella Day, Geology, Drive-by Truckers, and The Airborne Toxic Event.

Sowing
12.08.20
Thanks Chan! Figured we'd have some overlap even if the ordering ends up different.

Glad to see so many artists you're enjoying Diva. I've been listening to Andrew Judah in recent weeks and his album keeps climbing the ranks.

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