Ten Records To Listen To From 2020 So Far:
Happy quarantining readers!
If you've suddenly found a lot of free time on your hands and are looking for new music to sink your teeth into start with these ten records, the best of what I've heard in the three months of the year so far.
10. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene
While its true that most of this record lies in the success of its many singles Grimes adds a highlight or two on and produces a solid studio album without surrendering any of her creativity. Miss Anthropocene is industrial and apocalyptic in its subject matter but squeezes some incredibly catchy tunes out of its themes and is pretty consistently rewarding.
Listen To: 4am, Violence
Review
9. Wolf Parade - Thin Mind
Spencer Krug and company are back with one of the best Wolf Parade records in years. While his unique songwriting is just as intoxicating as ever the real highlight of the album is its busting energetic instrumental passages that give him an interesting and ever evolving palette to be a unique and charming frontman.
Listen To: Out Of Control, Against The Day
Review
8. Torres - Silver Tongue
Torres is back and diving even deeper into her infectious and unique electronic brand of singer-songwriter music. With chilling landscapes backing her huge performances Mackenzie crafts a truly unique record in a genre overrun with generic sounds.
Listen To: Last Forest, Good Scare
Review
7. Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
Childish Gambino's return has divided people and its easy to see why with some incredibly interesting songs and some really misguided ones. Ultimately I think the good outweighs the bad and some of my new favorite Gambino songs pop up on the album. If anything it is worth listening to just to get in on the discussion alone.
Listen To: 12.38, Algorhythm
Review
6. Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony
Jay Electronica chose to share hit long awaited debut album with Jay-Z which caused a lot of fans to enter the record with some preconceptions. Even though it isn't what many may have wanted the record does see two talents MCs pairing up to deliver some strong verses about faith and family over a series of great beats crafted by a list of fantastic producers and is definitely the old head highlight of 2020 so far.
Listen To: Ghost Of Soulja Slim, The Neverending Story
Review
5. Caribou - Suddenly
Dan Snaith returns to the Caribou moniker with another rewarding set of intimate catchy electronic tunes. Pulling from the worlds of hip hop he spins beautiful vocal samples around glittery synths to create some of the most infectious sounds I've heard from anywhere all year long.
Listen To: Home, New Jade
Review
4. Destroyer - Have We Met
After what many considered to be a bit of a misstep with the last Destroyer record we all hoped Beyar would return to his earlier 2010's form. While this record may not quite be Kaputt or Poison Season it is a big step in the right direction full of moody dark tracks absolutely soaked in charisma until they are irresistible.
Listen To: It Just Doesn't Happen, Cue Synthesizer
Review
3. The Weeknd - After Hours
With a trio of singles this good After Hours had big shoes to fill and for the most part the album lives up to its big name and big star. The biggest commercial success of 2020 so far also happens to be a glitzy fun throwback to the slick synth pop of the 1980's that sees Abel pushing forward towards a new style in a way that is consistently catchy, captivating and timeless.
Listen To: After Hours, Heartless
Review
2. Against All Logic - 2017-2019
The follow-up Against All Logic record that so many didn't anticipate was ever coming not only arrived, but lived up to expectation and is almost as good as its predecessor. The low-fi heavily funk and electronica inspired house record is full of killer beats, rewarding progressions, amazing vocal samples and some of the catchiest synth and drum lines you'll hear in any music period, do not miss this album.
Listen To: Deeeeeeefers, Fantasy
Review
1. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
The most seamless and rewarding single album listen of 2020 so far comes from Kevin Parker, Tame Impala's The Slow Rush. After a five year absence the band returned with an increased focus on the psychedelic pop of their third record and took the dial up to 11. Hitting on one beautiful soundscape after another the record contains some of the grandest tracks I've heard this year as well as some of the most intimate and when it all comes together The Slow Rush is the one record that I would not miss out on in 2020.
Listen To: It Might Be Time, Breathe Deeper
Review
If you've suddenly found a lot of free time on your hands and are looking for new music to sink your teeth into start with these ten records, the best of what I've heard in the three months of the year so far.
While its true that most of this record lies in the success of its many singles Grimes adds a highlight or two on and produces a solid studio album without surrendering any of her creativity. Miss Anthropocene is industrial and apocalyptic in its subject matter but squeezes some incredibly catchy tunes out of its themes and is pretty consistently rewarding.
Listen To: 4am, Violence
Review
9. Wolf Parade - Thin Mind
Spencer Krug and company are back with one of the best Wolf Parade records in years. While his unique songwriting is just as intoxicating as ever the real highlight of the album is its busting energetic instrumental passages that give him an interesting and ever evolving palette to be a unique and charming frontman.
Listen To: Out Of Control, Against The Day
Review
8. Torres - Silver Tongue
Torres is back and diving even deeper into her infectious and unique electronic brand of singer-songwriter music. With chilling landscapes backing her huge performances Mackenzie crafts a truly unique record in a genre overrun with generic sounds.
Listen To: Last Forest, Good Scare
Review
7. Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
Childish Gambino's return has divided people and its easy to see why with some incredibly interesting songs and some really misguided ones. Ultimately I think the good outweighs the bad and some of my new favorite Gambino songs pop up on the album. If anything it is worth listening to just to get in on the discussion alone.
Listen To: 12.38, Algorhythm
Review
6. Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony
Jay Electronica chose to share hit long awaited debut album with Jay-Z which caused a lot of fans to enter the record with some preconceptions. Even though it isn't what many may have wanted the record does see two talents MCs pairing up to deliver some strong verses about faith and family over a series of great beats crafted by a list of fantastic producers and is definitely the old head highlight of 2020 so far.
Listen To: Ghost Of Soulja Slim, The Neverending Story
Review
5. Caribou - Suddenly
Dan Snaith returns to the Caribou moniker with another rewarding set of intimate catchy electronic tunes. Pulling from the worlds of hip hop he spins beautiful vocal samples around glittery synths to create some of the most infectious sounds I've heard from anywhere all year long.
Listen To: Home, New Jade
Review
4. Destroyer - Have We Met
After what many considered to be a bit of a misstep with the last Destroyer record we all hoped Beyar would return to his earlier 2010's form. While this record may not quite be Kaputt or Poison Season it is a big step in the right direction full of moody dark tracks absolutely soaked in charisma until they are irresistible.
Listen To: It Just Doesn't Happen, Cue Synthesizer
Review
3. The Weeknd - After Hours
With a trio of singles this good After Hours had big shoes to fill and for the most part the album lives up to its big name and big star. The biggest commercial success of 2020 so far also happens to be a glitzy fun throwback to the slick synth pop of the 1980's that sees Abel pushing forward towards a new style in a way that is consistently catchy, captivating and timeless.
Listen To: After Hours, Heartless
Review
2. Against All Logic - 2017-2019
The follow-up Against All Logic record that so many didn't anticipate was ever coming not only arrived, but lived up to expectation and is almost as good as its predecessor. The low-fi heavily funk and electronica inspired house record is full of killer beats, rewarding progressions, amazing vocal samples and some of the catchiest synth and drum lines you'll hear in any music period, do not miss this album.
Listen To: Deeeeeeefers, Fantasy
Review
1. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
The most seamless and rewarding single album listen of 2020 so far comes from Kevin Parker, Tame Impala's The Slow Rush. After a five year absence the band returned with an increased focus on the psychedelic pop of their third record and took the dial up to 11. Hitting on one beautiful soundscape after another the record contains some of the grandest tracks I've heard this year as well as some of the most intimate and when it all comes together The Slow Rush is the one record that I would not miss out on in 2020.
Listen To: It Might Be Time, Breathe Deeper
Review
