loudestsounds

[loudestsounds]

Top 50 Records of 2020

50- Melee by Dogleg

           You like some punk in your cereal? It’s a part of a healthy breakfast. Melee has something truly special here. It’s high octane when it needs to be while still maintaining precision and focus in the instrumentation and recording. Ultimately what’s compelling about the record is how frustrated everything sounds while still managing to maintain melody. It’s the sound of breaking shit to rhythm!

49- Grae by Moses Sumney

           A stunning and rich concoction of songs that leaves you bewildered. Moses Sumney has made something deeply personal while still inviting you inside. While the second half (which was released a few months apart from the first) tends to make the entire album feel a touch long-winded, the effort is well-executed and often breathtaking.

48- Fail to Be by Yashira

           This one snuck in at the last minute. A totally earth-shattering metal record that is determined to damage your dome permanently. There’s certainly a heavy dose of Converge influence all over the record, but Yashira manages to separate themselves from the pack with excellent song writing and unique choices. Production wise this record might be par for the course, but there are some nice little touches on tracks like The Weight and Amnesia that create wonderful depth.

47- Man on the Moon III by Kid Cudi

           I went into this thing with on giant sigh but left questioning whether I had accidentally pressed play on another album. Kid Cudi manages to pull something off! Cudi somehow takes inspiration from the genre that took inspiration from his own catalogue of music circa 2005. This is a terrific record to zone out to and let play out. Will this record rival some of the big stack bullies of hip hop? No. Cudi was never about that. He’s always been about mood and this is one moody son of a-! There are some clear skippable tracks (see: Elsie’s baby boy) but he also lands some excellent grooves on Solo Dolo, Pt. III, Lovin’ Me and Tequila Shots. While the record does suffer from overstaying its welcome with an 18 song track list—it manages not to take you out of the experience.

46- Whole New Mess by Angel Olsen

           WNM was poorly marketed as a distinct album, despite being essentially stripped back versions of 2019′s All Mirrors. Audiences were met with disappointment at having only two fresh songs to sample. The reality is it doesn’t fucking matter. Angel Olsen has done no wrong for her entire career. These songs can breathe in a ‘whole new’ way on this record and allow the listener greater insight while simultaneously haunting the walls of the record. Lark and Tonight (Without You) take on an entirely different life, and New Love Cassette feels like a different song entirely. Even Olsen’s scraps feel like fully realized ideas. Still—the title track steals the show, as we hear Olsen at her most desperate. Usually overwhelming the listener with her poise and sharp wit, Olsen promises that she’ll really do the change. She doesn’t have to change a thing.

45- Eastern Flowers by SVEN WUNDERS

           This one caught me off guard in the summer and I had it playing in the background of everything I was doing. Cleaning. Studying. Working. Eastern Flowers is middle eastern music made by Nordic people and I stopped trying to figure out how that happened a while ago. There is a lovely energy here, one that fuses traditional middle eastern melodies with funk embellishments. Eastern Flowers is just a really fun time.

44- The Archer by Alexandra Savior

           I had skipped Savior’s first record entirely before diving into the sophomore album. Going back, it’s clear that she has developed a great deal in the meantime. Despite Alex Turner producing the last one, the song writing takes the haunting details to whole new heights. Savior seems more confident in her voice, and also more willing to play with it in production (the ghostly tone on her voice in Soft Currents a testament). Savior separates herself from artists with a similar voice or who rest beside her within her genre, in how long she is willing to simmer within a song. These aren’t typical arrangements and it’s exciting to hear Savior throw you for a loop on songs like Howl and But You. We’re all excited for what lies next.

43- Push by Heads.

           Angry. Aggressive. Anxious. Push is a record that feels like the moments that build up before a massive protest. You are constantly pushed to the edge as the listener. There is a sinister element to the vocals that is deeply unsettling. Most songs slowly build with the promise of something bigger, instead reaching success simply by maintaining tension. Then there are songs like Weather Beaten and Nobody Moves & Everybody Talks that change the narrative, exploding into a punishing breakdown. Heads. Have something truly electric and angry on their hands here, and we’ll go along for the ride.

42- Indistinct Conversations by Land of Talk

           Many stripped-back and bare tracks on this one from Montreal’s own Land of Talk. It hits you about halfway through that the album is obsessed with loving one’s own history. Even when things have failed to work out, many songs suggest that we can only look back fondly. Opener Diaphonous warns I was caught up in the wrong stuff/ but I have to laugh. There are moments of greatness on this record, like the rushing movement of Look to You and the twangy riff of Footnotes—yet the marvel is in the consistent beauty, never wavering.

41- Are You Gone by Sarah Harmer

           A really soothing yet fun indie rock record that satisfies my craving for the music I loved as a teenager. There are some lovely arrangements and melodies from Harmer on this one, and while the mood is a touch sad, you’re happy you got to share in the emotion of it all. The album oscillates between more intimate moments and full-band jams, which create a nice balance—as if you’re moving in and out with the tide.

40- Circles by Mac Miller

           I was never the biggest Mac Miller fan. I wasn’t all that familiar with his catalogue before Swimming, and I perhaps made a point of listening to this posthumous release simply because he passed tragically. Still, the songs seem touched by his state, haunting the listener in combination with what we know ultimately happened to Mac. It’s a real shame it had to end like this, but if there was ever a gorgeous, captivating, and mature release to come at the end of a successful career cut short, Circles was it. 

39- Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions by Steve Arrington

           Steve Arrington is back from his cryogenic freeze with a sick friggin’ soul album! These are fun, joyous and lived in gospel/soul tracks that play well in almost any setting. Play this bad boy with your friends, family and even around the office. Nobody will be disappointed. There are also some beautiful production touches that make this a great listen on headphones. Steve wants to tell you all about how funk is the way—and I think I believe him.

38- Atonement by exhalants.

           A fun ripper that makes you want to run up your walls and slam your fists on the floor. Atonement is not active listening per se, at least not in comparison to records released by their cohort, but it certainly puts you in a space that the band creates, dictates and commands. This is a band that has borrowed from others in the genre, but made that rare hardcore record that has just the right amount of hooks while maintaining space to catch ones breath.

37- Petals for Armor by Hayley Williams

           PFA had that multiple EP release thing that a few artists did this year (see: Dirty Projectors). Ultimately the entire project suffered from a touch of bloat—but the incredible songs were spread out enough on this album, that it had to make my list. There are incredible production choices on this record, and it clearly was a labour of love for Williams. The songs are a bit rigid in the vein of Annie Clark, but Williams has a freedom to her vocals that liberates them. I think a more refined 10 track album may have cracked my top 20. Songs like Taken and My Friend don’t seem to have a real purpose on the record other than just being half-baked mood tracks, but they don’t tarnish the effect that songs like Simmer, Over Yet or Sugar on the Rim have on the listener.

36- Farewell to All we Know by Matt Elliott

           Farewell is a collection of the creepiest, saddest and most beautiful songs you’ve ever heard. I don’t usually stray down this path but this is an album that works so well when reading or writing. There is some beautiful poetry on the darkness of the world and the last hopes for mankind. What sets the record apart lays in the details. The haunting echoes of the city streets. The whisper of ghosts that drag behind Elliott’s guitar. The record establishes incredible mood, inviting you in for a glass of despair.

35- Polysomn by Kairon; IRSE!

           My head hurts just trying to write about this record. It’s weird, heavy, melodic. The vocals feel unique to the genre while used sparingly. There is a lot of interesting synth play on this record that might invite listeners outside of the genre—but that also add depth and feeling to songs that otherwise might feel like trudges through metal music mud. Polysomn is filled with exciting, dynamic elements that are a good entrance into “weird, heavy music” for you listeners out there. I won’t pretend to know how this band does what it does any longer. Just enjoy.

34- Impossible Weight by Deep Sea Diver

           Frankly, the record is difficult to talk about without making it seem like it sounds like basically all of its contemporaries. In fairness, Deep Sea Diver shares a lot of commonality with the likes of Weyes Blood, Broken Social Scene, Sharon Van Etten (who even features on the title track). That said, everything sounds great on this record. The songs are tight, the melodies hang effortlessly and the vibes are…vibes. There are a ton of interesting choices, from the weird arrangements on Hurricane, reminiscent of Wolf Parade- to the videogame synths on Lightning Bolts. It never gets tired or boring—it just stands as an excellent indie pop/rock record that you can play at your board game night.

33- When I Die, Will I Get Better? by SVALBARD

           Equal parts mathy, metal, prog, emo and god knows what. This album has an intense feel to it that will have you uplifted as you thrash around your apartment. The momentum of these songs truly amazes, as we’re taken for an absolutely blistering ride on almost every track. Nonetheless, the songs find a way to breathe, unlike most of their contemporaries that leave you exhausted by the twenty minute mark. SVALBARD also has an ear for melody that fights typical metal fatigue. I won’t get tired of listening to this one.

32- Silver Tongue by TORRES

           After the bizarre, cryptic disappointment of Three Futures, it didn’t seem clear where TORRES would head. On Silver Tongue she appears to continue a confident journey in her own direction, but with a bit more focus and lot more precision. Where Three Futures was too disorienting to follow and often too indulgent for the listener to feel at all involved, Silver Tongue extends an olive branch—grab hold and you’ll be taken on a strange, glitchy and melodic journey into psychedelic pop rock. While the songs lack warmth, that seems to be the point entirely. There’s a magic in the cold and dreary walls that TORRES builds on the record that impresses with every subsequent listen.

31- The Baby by Samia

           A tremendous indie-rock record with some of the most excitement build-ups and hooks of anything released in 2020. Samia sings about some of the bleak realities of sexual frivolity in one’s twenties, while still somehow gloating about her vinegar and kale diets (all tongue in cheek). There are clear standout tracks (Big Wheel, Fit n Full, Minnesota) – but where Samia shines, and where she separates herself from her cohort of indie rock darlings (see: Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, Clairo) is how well her slower ballads, such as Does not Heal, land. She is a superior song writer in many respects and has everything ahead of her.

30- Live Forever by Bartees Strange

           A very surreal, genre bending record from newcomer Bartees Strange. Live Forever sounds like totally different music depending on which track you’re on. You have some Death Cab. You have some Bon Iver. You have some Joey Badass? It’s a strange journey through an eclectic, cluttered and heavily talented musical mind.

29- The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens

           While the record as a whole underwhelmed me, Sufjan is still Sufjan. If this record was made by any other artist I’d be telling everyone about it. Many of the sounds felt a bit too familiar, which put me off just a touch. There are still unbelievable moments on this record: the layers on Make Me an Offer/ the dance-pop qualities of Video Game/ the swelling choir section of Tell Me You Love Me/ the build up of tension in The Ascension. There are the more confounding moments: Death Star as a song and not as parody/ Sugar as a slapstick suggestion of romance. Frankly I’m not all that blown away by the lead single, and nearly 13 minute odyssey, America—but I can understand how it operates as a statement of frustration and raw emotion. Nonetheless, Sufjan continues to occupy a space that, while at times mystifying, still leaves you entranced by the mystique of it all. We always leave wanting more, even if we’ve had a bit too much.

28- Set My Heart on Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius

           A gorgeous and lush assembly of songs that feel very personal to PG. The songs are grand, yet surprisingly intimate. One frustration with the songs that I’m still struggling to come to terms with, is that they seem very distant from the listener. We’re not invited into the experiences that the songs discuss—they seem isolated and tethered to the artist. That was likely a conscious decision and suits the subject matter well. Still, for all the warmth and atmosphere—you wish you could go along for the ride. Perfume Genius seems content on operating on their own planet—as we listen through frequency.

27- Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

           This was certainly the year of Dua. She seems to have realized her final form and it’s truly a great thing to witness and listen to. Future Nostalgia plays out as an exceptional throwback pop record in a pop era dominated by future/hyper industrial production. These songs are poppy and unashamed to be exactly what they are. With the exception of the clumsy songs that bookend the record (the title track is a lacklustre open & Boys Will Be Boys attempts to tie in a loose, feminist concept to the record)—the album as a whole is jam packed with immense hooks. Let’s hope Dua hasn’t peaked because there is so much to love and groove to on this record.

26- KG by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

           Another instalment of the King Gizzard microtonal series. Unlike Flying Microtonal Banana, KG tends to hit harder and land smoother. There is a ton of groove on this bad boy that gets you comfortably settled, until the boys shake it up with some eclectic, middle east inspired arrangement. The beauty of KG is how you are never allowed to settle into something for too long. You’re almost always moving on to another segment, idea and branch of music that makes you feel...weird. Thanks guys!

25- Quelle by BRIQUEVILLE

           A haunting, drone fuelled romp in the spooky room. Quelle almost puts you to sleep until it urgently shakes you awake with a thunderous riff. It’s clear that every moment of the record is laboured over, every decision painstakingly made. There are moments taken straight out of your favorite horror film, yet the album manages to pull you in closer instead of pushing you away. Bold choices pay off for BRIQUEVILLE on this one, as we enter their world, and almost don’t manage to make it out.

24- Lianne La Havas S/T

           LLH self titles a record that sees her reaching back to a more stripped down, jam-based sound. There are some absolute bleeders on here that see her voice reaching registers she hasn’t covered on previous releases. The live-band recording works in her favor, as the instrumentation is loose enough to create a mood but still manages to quickly snap back to tight and precise progressions. Anchored by a well-executed Radiohead cover (Weird Fishes) the record has a strong b-side to match its grand opening half. The hypnotic qualities of many of the tracks are an especially fun element to the release as the jams tend to work you up wherever you are. La Havas has something very special on her hands with this record, and it’s one I will continue to share for years to come.

23- Omens by Elder

           A softer and, dare I say, poppier release from stoner rock fiends Elder was a welcome addition to music in 2020. There are many long form jams on this record that open themselves up to synths—and while it seems they haven’t totally mastered how to integrate more electronic segments into their riffage, the moods are still tight as hell. Give it a spin with some decent headphones and you won’t be disappointed.

22- Miss Anthropocene by Grimes

           You can try as hard as you’d like to root against Grimes but her music speaks for itself. I looked for ways to tell myself that she had finally waned or has become less inspired—but it’s just not true—she is finely tuned to whatever wavelength is firing on her alien planet. On MA the songs have more space to breathe, often meandering within themselves for over six minutes, until she hits you with a straightforward pop rock track that is so well produced and contains such a great vocal performance, that you simply cannot deny that we have yet another excellent release. It’s freaky, it’s haunting, it’s weird, and at times it’s even pleasurably comic. Grimes is doing it all and she is doing it on exactly her terms. We should expect nothing less.

21- Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan

           I won’t pretend to be an expert on Bob Dylan’s catalogue. Nor will I pretend that I know what makes Bob Dylan good or bad. All I know is that Rough and Rowdy ways has great songs that back beautiful poetry. It’s consistently captivating and often, terribly sad. The final track, Murder Most Foul, may be one of the most potent, historical epics ever put to music. All in all, Bob Dylan has something deeply interesting to add to our weird, chaotic, and just plain shitty times.

20- Superstar by Caroline Rose

           The last show I went to was the album release of this record and it absolutely killed. Playing the record front to back, Caroline Rose will always be the pre-pandemic gig that symbolized the lightning before the thunder. Superstar is an excellent concept album about a fictionalized Caroline travelling across country with hopes of become…well… a superstar. Along the way she tosses and turns in a relationship, eviscerates doubt and self-loathing by replacing it with boisterous egotism, and manages to find herself at a finish line exhausted, and yet surprisingly having still learned something. The tracks on this record blend seamlessly into one another as Rose manages to coalesce the synth-rock madness we are used to with tighter song writing and more lyrical purpose. Caroline Rose may have just ended up what she wanted to be along.

19- The New Abnormal by The Strokes

           Everybody talks about a timeless quality that The Strokes early records have and it seems every record they have made since their first two have been made with the purpose of dispelling that very notion. The fact of the matter is, that timeless quality is what has endeared them to fans for two decades. The New Abnormal recaptures their earlier spirit. Sure, there are indulgent nods to the 80s that they seem obsessed with (sometimes to a fault)—with songs like Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus and Eternal Summer. Those songs likely work better in front of a crowd, and tend to actually crowd the record itself. Yet, there is no denying that there are excellent STROKES SONGS on this record that make you feel the way you felt listening to their first two records. The Adults are Talking is an immediate entrance into what made you love them to begin with, and Selfless follows as one of their prettiest ‘ballads’. Not the Same Anymore and Ode to the Mets close the record on an extremely high note, harkening back to the warmth of Room on Fire, with more mature and independent song structures. The true testament to the band’s growth is with their first single At the Door—which is an epic that ebbs and flows through wild croons and jagged synths, asking you to sit down and believe in the song itself. It’s as if The Strokes have been asking us to simply trust them all along.

18- UNLOCKED by Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats

           This is exactly it. Two masters collaborating in what might be their respective primes. It’s so packed, saturated, concentrated, condensed it almost seems like if it were any longer it would make our heads explode. They found the hip hop secret and managed to unlock it for us. While this may qualify as an EP it is an album’s worth of brilliance. It slaps from beginning to end with Kenny Beats saving his best instrumentals that masquerade as demos. Don’t get me wrong—these are brilliant templates for Denzel to cruise along to. Except Denzel does nothing close to cruising, he sets the road on goddamn fire. While Denzel is namedropping Rosa Parks and Don Corleone while recommending his haters go on a diet, he is playful in the same way Joe Pesci was playful in Goodfellas. With every subsequent verse Denzel is requiring that you answer the question: i’m funny how? You are certainly no clown! We swear!

17- NO DREAM by Jeff Rosenstock

           NO DREAM friggin’ rules dude! It took a bunch of listens for me to get the hang of it. I especially felt resistant to the opening track and how the record begins by pummelling you with punk chords—but that’s where Rosenstock is, so you just have to take it. NO DREAM is about giving up on settling for less. Rosenstock yells about hometown washouts, he yells about road trips, he yells about dopes who don’t believe in climate change. But you really feel something once Rosenstock starts to regret some of those lost loves. Maybe he could have behaved. Maybe he reacted too quickly. Maybe he made choices he never thought he’d make. Haven’t we all thought that? NO DREAM is a masterful punk rock record that maintains goofy, crazy, hilarious and fun traits that all good punk records need while providing us with heart that Rosenstock has never shown us before.

16- We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches

           Well, they did it again and snuck in there at the final hour. The Avalanches’ third record is a groovy, cold weather house record, bookended by some sort of intergalactic nonsense. Ultimately, the nothingness means everything, as there is an incredible amount of feeling that rests in the pieced together samples. Features from MGMT, Kurt Vile, Leon Bridges, Denzel Curry and even Rivers Cuomo only add to the madness. While the run-time is a bit long, the songs are quick enough to carry you through swiftly on your back. The Avalanches have once again offered us hypnotic, dream-like listening, perhaps when we needed it most.

15- Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

           Bridgers has this very special quality about her song writing, where it feels like she’s pulling you close to tell you something and then whispers into your ear a secret that you knew all along. She then pats you on the shoulder, nods her head, and says good luck- all with a smirk.  Bridgers has secrets we don’t have, and that’s what makes her music equal parts haunting and gorgeous. The melodies on Punisher remain in your head for months and while they are deadly serious they also reassure you with a “hey, you know this is just a song, right?”. Songs like Chinese Satellite offer more complex arrangements that are made full (but not heavy!) with string section embellishments. Halloween is the small town folk song about a place you just had to be there to understand. Graceland Too offers a nice release from the shadows that loom all over the record, although it’s never in too much sunlight to become a distraction. The entire album flows effortlessly, and before you know it you’ve reached the breathy scream and laughter at the end of epic closer I Know The End. Life is a game that Phoebe Bridgers is watching us all take bets on. She’ll remind us how it all played out later.

14- Find the Sun by Deradoorian

           These songs are odd, cyclical, hypnotic. The vocals are static and often emotionless. Find the Sun is a masterpiece taken directly from 1972—but thank god it was here to lull us into paralysis in 2020. None of the songs are direct injections, instead they are slow-release capsules that require you to take your time. Opener Red Den has a standard song structure (an anomaly), but still has a haunting, looping chorus that is interpolated with a second chorus that rests three levels lower. Perhaps the most direct track is almost impossible to describe. These songs are riddles or rubix cubes or those goddamn magic eye paintings that you have to look at for three hours to make out a boat (I see you, Mallrats). Deradoorian crafts an album that, despite requiring a certain degree of passive effort (huh?), still goes down smooth. Although clearly inspired by CAN, there is nothing frustrating here that forces you to concede that “maybe art doesn’t need to be understood, man”. This is a gorgeously pieced together album of psych/folk/rock that has earned its place on the mantle.

13- What’s Your Pleasure by Jessie Ware

           A dangerously good pop record that throws you back to the 80s with disco inspired flourishes. Some parts Robyn, some parts Madonna. Jessie Ware has a sound that grows past merely reproducing the music that has inspired her. There are curious and inventive details in songs (like the chorus in Ooh La La or the harmonized layers in the verses of The Kill). The songs take you to groovy heights with their detail, but the record also has some straightforward, power thru dance tracks like Read My Lips that anchor it, never letting you forget that this was meant to be danced to with others. What’s Your Pleasure is a beautifully woven pop masterpiece that never lets you go.

12- Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was by Bright Eyes

           Bright eyes is back. This record is an exciting return for the band, one that captures the misery and mysticism that surrounds our age of impending doom. Got to keep on going like it ain’t the end/ got to change like your life is depending on it-- is the first verse we hear from Conor and he never truly lets go of the sentiment. All the tracks are haunted by his past, the bleak world we live in, and the thought of trying to work out a way to make it through the days that feel like years. Down in the Weeds comes out after nine years away from the band, time Conor spent getting married and divorced, and sadly also losing his brother. These happenings find themselves scattered all over the record, as Conor is hesitant to reference them directly, but instead allows them to haunt tracks like ghosts. The instrumentation from Mogis and Walcott is fuller than other Bright Eyes records, the sounds more diverse. If someone asked what Bright Eyes sounds like one could legitimately offer this record as evidence—it is a distillation of many sounds across their entire catalogue. Ultimately what Down in the Weeds does best is remind us that the will to continue through the world is what makes us distinctly human, but also what makes us closer to something greater, something beyond everything. She doesn’t know what a comet does/ you’re approaching as you disappear-- is what we hear on the closing track Comet Song. Bright Eyes brings us closer to a truth we always knew would be just out of reach.

11- Death by Coastlands

           Aptly named, Death is a record about endings. Heart wrenching, devastating, finite and yet oddly satisfying endings. There are very sparing vocals on the record, but the instrumentation offers more feeling than any hardcore record this year. The pacing of songs like Dead Friends, the haunting choir that looms over Marrow, or the breaking of tensions that erupts out of Red Smoke Flare. This record doesn’t need words to evoke feelings of peril, urgency and grief.

10- Songs by Adrianne Lenker

           On not a lot, just forever, Adriane Lenker sings and I want to be your wife/so I hold you to my knife. This line arrives as plea instead of a threat—on an album filled with songs where Lenker reckons with her desperation. She pleas with the past for lost time returned, she pleas with her lovers for mistake forgiven, she pleas with herself for the possibility of change. When added to her catalogue with Big Thief, Songs proves that Adrianne Lenker may be the supreme song writer of our generation. On Anything she describes staring down the barrel of a hot sun as if the imagery were a familiar expression. Lenker tosses poetry at us like she might throw a frisbee. Even if we were positioned well enough to catch it, we could never throw it back, we are lucky to have it all.

09- Host by Cults

           Host didn’t feel like much on my first listen. But it kept burrowing endlessly into my brain. Now I’m waking up in the middle of the night singing the melodies on my way to go pee (No Risk! No Believing! Or Leading...). They nailed all of it. The song writing is crisp. The production is electric and soothing. They lull you to a peaceful calm with lullaby sounding tracks like No Risk. When things are just about to get repetitive they shake you out of your dream state (see: Like I Do). Every track on the record is a standout, but it can only truly be appreciated as one complete, masterful piece of music.

08- how I’m feeling now by Charli XCX

           Sure—it’s a bit of a pandemic time capsule. But holy shit. Charli made this absolute batshit hyperpop record in a month during lockdown. It is truly an unrelenting pinnacle of future pop that will hold up long past this absolute shit show of an era has passed. Charli has this way of making an unsettling listening experience that is also absurdly danceable. There are moments of insane pleasure, unhinged anxiety and bombastic ecstasy. From the promise of once again being together in forever to the claustrophobic realities of quarantine in enemy she covers the entire experience.  These songs really stand alone as brilliant testaments to Charli’s prowess. There is no stopping her as an artist at this point. Oh, and she also did us a tremendous solid by making a danceable record about how we miss dancing together. God bless you Charli, baby.

07- Ohms by Deftones

           This year needed this record. Something loud and clear as hard rock punishment. Deftones have what I believe to be their best record. Their sound has never been more crisp, focused or melodic. There are definitely new areas that Deftones explore on this record. From Spell of Mathematics to the title track—there’s a sharp attitude that plunges into their already excellent formula. The little details and flourishes of synth in songs like Genesis and Pompeji make all the difference (the latter’s transition into This Link Is Dead a clear standout)—allowing the record to breath and the listener to feel overwhelmed with, might I say, the world they have created. The album is full of beautiful moments of focus that keep the tension the band has built and cultivated for over a decade.

06- Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

           Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a record that maybe wasn’t for me at all. I firmly believe that women understand more of this record than I ever could. There’s so much brilliance in the pots and pans percussion that accompanies most tracks. There’s an energy that studio drums could never bring. And well, the songwriting speaks for itself. It’s an undeniable culmination of all of her influences. Fiona Apple is a songwriter that simply doesn’t exist anymore (some of her cohort has actually, sadly, died).

The most valuable lesson Fiona teaches us is that there is no perfect way to get over anything. But we are meant to wrestle with endings. Maybe we are all meant to move on. Making friends, sneering at enemies. Like beasts in the wild. Life might be one big game of axis and allies. Like Fiona walking on her way to school, we “grind our teeth to a rhythm invisible”. This record proves that we should each bring our mouthguard.

05- Every Bad by Porridge Radio

           Every Bad is the room that your loneliness goes inside of to scream. Porridge Radio has an absolute masterpiece on their hands. Absolutely punishing lines that carve away your own anxiety with excellent songs that switch things around constantly. There isn’t a single stale song on the record and yet they work so cohesively. Every Bad is constantly asking us to self-examine, to dig a little deeper. What is going on with me? Is the first lyric you hear on the record. I’m coming home is the last. The record spans the cycle of existential dread guiding you through difficult choices and it could not have come at a better time.

04- St. Cloud by Waxahatchee

           I think I like Americana music. I probably knew that when I couldn’t resist the sing-along qualities of Killers records like Sam’s Town or Battle Born—but Crutchfield’s 2020 record has solidified for me. The writing here is too good to be true. Equal parts poetry and melody, her voice has this raw quality that really carries home when she plays up the southern twangs and drawls. The album feels obsessed with new beginnings after brutal endings. Hometowns on fire and the power of choosing to move on. The lyrics still feel haunted by the weight of memory (St. Cloud), and the anxiety surrounding what might come next (Ruby Falls), but the fresh approach to song writing has Waxahatchee sounding the best they ever have.

03- RTJ 4 by Run the Jewels

           They did it again. Not much to say here. It never gets old and it never feels stale. The records still feel like their own distinct hip-hop manifestos. The boys seems just as angry as they always did. The album arrived in the midst of a revolutionary cloud that hung over the world. The album is proof that we should expect it to remain overcast. The production on this thing is just as sleek, with El-P switching things up in bold ways on tracks like Goonies vs. ET. Some of the older tricks are used again, we have our comedown track with Pulling the Pin, we have our rock sample track with The Ground Below, we have our standout single with Ooh La La. The predictability of these songs may sound as if the album is formulaic but that’s beside the point. The fist will still knock your ass down, even if you knew it was coming. A truly loving element to the record is the bond that Killer Mike and El-P foster with each other through their alter-ego characters Yankee and The Brave- you can’t help but bask in their romance. The opening track is a blunt reminder that, in case you forgot, these guys are still here for another eleven rounds. The closing track solidifies the truth that they aren’t going anywhere, not anytime soon. And nor should they. We need Run the Jewels more than ever.

02- Captured Spirits by Mammal Hands

           Mammal Hands came out of nowhere and blew my goddamn mind. I have no deep connection with Jazz as a genre, but by god did this record force me to go digging. It’s the type of accessible, energy driven music that makes you cozy and comfortable until it rips your goddamn ears off with sax solos and manic piano arrangements. While the latter half of the record doesn’t manage to match quite the same energy as first half standouts like Late Bloomer or Riddle—the beauty of the record is in its assured sense of pace. We’ll get to the good part, but on their time. Mammal Hands know what they’re doing.

01- Women in Music Pt. III by HAIM

HAIM have found, executed, and perfected their sound all in one album. WIMPIII is a masterwork that shockingly happened all at once. Where previous albums Days Are Gone and Something To Tell You may have excited with the promise of what could come next, this record stuns you with what is happening right before your eyes. The confidence that the sisters share on the album’s cover shines through on all the tracks. They know who they are and they know how they sound. I Know Alone is a perfect example of refined song writing, with subtle production touches (especially in the percussion) that add something extraordinarily dynamic. Up From A Dream and Gasoline are the pure rockers that you knew the band was capable of, but that they never before capitalized on. There are softer, more romantic folk tracks like The Steps and Leaning on You that might make your parents cry. Spanning a wide range of topics (depression, lost loves, home, isolation) the album fit so perfectly with our insane year—but the sound, summery and sheen, will manage to stand the test of time. There was initial frustration with the choice not to include singles Now I’m In It, Hallelujah & Summer Girl within the formal track list (because on any record they are the strongest songs!)—but with further consideration, their inclusion as bonus tracks make perfect sense. HAIM has crafted 13 gorgeous, smart and powerful songs that stand alone, together. Those bonus tracks just act as a mind-blowing encore. Women in Music Pt. III is the most dynamic, focused and well-written record of 2020. We dare not ask for better.

[loudestsounds]

Top 50 songs of 2020

50- Virile by Moses Sumney

An intense song if there ever was one. There is so much going that it almost works against it, however the production on this thing is so high that is sticks a landing that would impress even those who weren’t yet on board the Moses Sumney train. Oh, and his vocal range is bananas.

49- Whole Life by Perfume Genius

From the first breath of the song to the stunning finish. It’s just gorgeous. While the track is propelled by the unbelievable vocal performance, it is the incredible strings that lay in the foreground, pulsing and pulling with each new verse.

48- Delete Forever by Grimes

This is an all-time Grimes track that speaks to how she has evolved as an artist. There were many opportunities to make this track weirder, or industrial sounding, or whatever spooky ghoul aesthetic Grimes liked that day. But instead? We get a song with verses and choruses and an acoustic guitar and even her version of a Kid Cudi hum! Sign me up—this track rules.

47- Good Grief by TORRES

A real standout from a record that marked a modest comeback from Torres. This song specifically harkens back to the Sprinter era—and that is a welcome thing indeed. A fun rocker that hits you with some serious sad shit. Good grief baby, there’s no such thing.

46- No Time to Die by Billie Eilish

This is a goddamn great Bond song. Billie is good, people.

45- New Low by Sarah Harmer

A fantastic, straight forward, no bullshit, indie track. There’s a beauty in the simplicity of this song that takes you back to that mid 2000s era where indie-rock felt that certain way.

44- Stupid Love by Lady Gaga

The worst thing about 2020 is that we don’t get to dance at a dive bar to Stupid Love (and all of its inevitable remixes). Why God, why! That friggin tube amp bass effect is hilarious but really, really fun.Gaga is having fun and you should try it sometime dummy.

43- Pressure by Kamaiyah

Hook this sassy shit up! You kidding me? Play this at my funeral. This shit baaaaad.

42- I Can Tell There Was an Accident Here by Saosin

Who saw this emo ripper coming? Totally worth it, man. This thing totally grinds your chin into chalk dust. Anthony Green hasn’t sounded this great in a while either. I totally vote that we 100% rock on my dudes.

41- Mr. Lonely by Angel Olsen, Emile Mosseri

I don’t usually rank covers! And I also don’t usually rank songs made for films! But Angel Olsen was the perfect fit for this track, covered for the Miranda July film Kajillionaire. I don’t have much to say about the song other than it is yet another brilliant pairing of Angel’s voice with fantastic, yet subtle, string sections. There is something simultaneously sad and comical about the track. You can’t imagine feeling this lonely and also articulating this level of loneliness without having a laugh at yourself.

40- Fell Into the Ocean by Dan Deacon

This DD record was super underrated! It did lack a little focus, but it had many standout tracks, with Ocean being one of them. It has such a peaceful groove that lulls you at first and then disrupts your day with a dance-y, playful chorus. I will forever remember that first you must relax/before transcend.

Aboulia by Matt Elliott

By far the most depressing song of 2020 from the most depressing man of all time. This is some seriously sad shit. I want to listen to this during a rainy day on a veranda in Spain while the bulls….ride….in?

38.It Was Me by Deradoorian

On an album of moody and wacky licks—It Was Me is perhaps the most straightforward, Can-inspired track. There’s a potency to the delivery of Deradoorian’s lines, and the instrumentals compliment the lyrical sentiment. This song has that feeling of discovering all the magician’s tricks, and then threating that same magician with exposing their secrets. I don’t even know what I mean, but if you listen to the song you’ll get it okay.

37- Straws In The Wind by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

I enjoyed this track greatly as a single—but within the context of the record it fits even better. While it runs a little long and some might argue it overstays its welcome—the Straws has King Gizzard sounding more human than they ever have—as if finally, underneath all the hyper-future allegories of nefarious dungeon galaxy droids maybe they have something they actually want to say.

36- Big Wheel by Samia

A quiet yet comfortably confident indie track that sets an undeniable groove for the entire album. It’s just one of those songs that after one listen has you adding it to twelve playlists.

35- Little Patches by Eric Osbourne

A really pretty, almost spooky, song about making the most of the little, incomplete histories we all share. Very well executed, and fitting as an album closer.

34- This Link Is Dead by Deftones

On an album of standout tracks, this was my favorite mix of head splitting riffs. The production on this track specifically feels crisp in a way Deftones never has felt. There’s a clarity to each instrument that somehow doesn’t give you a headache.

33- Weird Fishes by Lianne La Havas

I tend to have a very strict no-Radiohead Cover rule. Do not cover Radiohead kids. Unless you are Lianne La Havas. This cover rules and, dare I say, takes the song to a place the original doesn’t quite touch (they’re their own thing ok!!!).

32- Love Again by Dua Lipa

A few tracks to pick from on this breakout record from DL. It has to be the perfectly executed mini-chorus of I can’t believe/I can’t believe/I finally found someone that has an undeniable quality.

31- People, I’ve Been Sad by Christine & The Queens

A totally weird song I have never heard before. This song freaked me out when I first heard it—it is the weirdest mix of glitch-pop that I’ve heard in a while because it is equal parts weird as hell and easy-listening? I have no idea if introducing this song to people actually works or if they will think I’m crazy. Anyway, great song my dudes.

30- My Own Soul’s Warning by The Killers

When The Killers are good it is good for planet earth. Ladies and Gents, The Killers are good. Sure—the sound is a return to Hot Fuss/Sam’s Town era Killers, but I do recall that era totally owning. It felt good to know The Killers let us put on our tightest stage pants during this shitshow of a year.

29- Semantics by NNAMDI

I was not familiar with NNAMDI at all before listening to this track—and to be fair, not much on this record sounds quite like this standout (although it is also quite good!). The song is STOP EVERYTHING good. It almost makes no sense that it exists at all—it’s a stunning genre bending highlight that is the type of singular effort that forces you to have an artist on your radar forever. Jesus, that messy yet symphonic explosion at the end.

28- The Joys of Love by Steve Arrington

Some gorgeous soul/funk for your morning. Arrington is particularly potent in the morning, when maybe your heart and mind are more open to something actually working out alright.

27- Love is Bravery by Old Man Gloom

Maybe we just needed a heavy, hope-filled anthem in 2020. OMG came out with the song we needed back at the early stages of this shit show pandemic. These were choruses that we needed to hold on to when the world felt dark as hell. We are the way out of this, thanks for remind us Old Man Gloom.

26- God is Perfect by Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist

Undeniable hip hop masterpiece right here. This track is no bullshit, pop the champagne stuff. Bump it in the car. Bump it in the mall. Bump it with the homies. Do your thing cause this is where it’s at. Love that piano in the backdrop of the track as well as the spooky down tones that accompany it.

25- To Perth, before the border closes by Julia Jacklin

You might say this is pandemic pandering, but so what? There’s a special quality to JJ, where she teaches us not only that it is okay to be sad, but specifically how to be sad. The refrain of Everything Changes has you simultaneously broken apart and yet hopeful.

24- 4 American Dollars by U.S. Girls

This was one of the first great tracks of 2020. A pre-pandemic banger of infectious, funk infused disco-rock. U.S. Girls have such a knack for making something made up of many, tiny little pieces--- work so brilliantly. I will have the chorus of “you can do a lot with four american dollars” in my head for nine hundred years.

23- Not The Same Anymore by The Strokes

It was a toss-up between NTSA and album closer Ode to the Mets, but there is something about the magic that happens when The Strokes stick to (or return to) a formula that they have mastered. If anyone else wrote NTSA it would seem tame, palatable and routine—but The Strokes just have this way. A throwback to Strokes songs of old, Not The Same Anymore crushes you with the same feelings of sadness, guilt and regret that Casablancas’ dusty croon is perfect at delivering--- while the gang as a whole plays the song they were almost meant to play. Some things never change, here The Strokes take a moment to look back at everything that has, and collectively nod.

22- Under the Table by Fiona Apple

I won’t pretend to understand everything that FA feels when she sings about seething in rage at men over a dinner table. But damn does it make you want to wake the hell up from your own bullshit. Whether you’re identifying as the jackass she hates or as the protagonist wanting to drink a jug of “I’m not taking any shit” juice—this song hits the spot.

21- Back At The Beginning by Caroline Rose

There were a few tracks to choose form off of Rose’s brilliant Superstar, however BATB is perhaps the best executed. Rose pulls out all the stops vocally, ranging from her deep and comic rasp to her higher and more piercing harmonies. BATB is the most Caroline Rose song that Caroline Rose has—and that means something for an artist this criminally underrated.

20- Riddle by Mammal Hands

A gorgeous and soothing track that effortlessly builds without you even realizing it, until finally it releases into a stunning chorus—arguably my favorite section of music all year.

19- Lilac by Porridge Radio

I’m a sucker for songs that build and build until they cannot bare the weight they’ve put on their back. Usually massive buildups fail when they cannot stick the landing, but Lilac manages to make the journey the reward by beating you over the head with its refrain.

18- Remember Where You Are by Jessie Ware

There are many standouts on an album that is as equally danceable as it is thoughtful, but Remember Where You Are reduces every thought, feeling and danceable groove in the record into one punishing closer of a track.

17- Fallin’ Apart by Young Franco, Denzel Curry, Pell

Two minutes of totally infectious dancehall music. This thing just slaps. Brilliantly, it can be played on repeat to absolutely no one’s disappointment. Dance away, kids.

16- To Death’s Heart (In Three Parts) by Bright Eyes

I love a song that really sticks its landing. Bright Eyes seem to care more about that now than ever. Even if the ideas are still scattered lyrically, the compositions are stronger and tighter than they ever have been. Also the rare Bright Eyes solo-ing segments are very welcome! Some really beautiful lines from Conor on this one as well, making some things universal but also keeping a few for himself. Who would expect something different?

15- Lay_Up.m4a by Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats

Hell ya. This was a huge standout on an already crazy, erratic and intiable EP from Curry and Beats. I could listen to them collaborate together for a century. Some seriously devilishly cool lines from Curry on this track about Lando Calrisian, dildo’s and fish tits. It’s just two masters at the absolute top of their game. Give us the full LP baby, we need it.

14- Crash by Nilufer Yanya

Nilufer Yanya can not write songs fast enough. I will continue to eat up whatever she writes. This song is essentially variation on the same riff for five minutes but when the shit is good the shit is good. Excellent production choices and attention to detail prove that Yanya is poised to head into increasingly interesting directions.

13- Over Yet by Hayley Williams

While the transitions in the track initially come across as clumsy, it’s the jarring risks that Williams takes that pay off. An excellent pop journey of a song. Crisp production and fantastic melody make repeat listens.

12- Working It Over by Cults

An expertly crafted indie-pop track reminiscent of Devotion era Beach House. Just a well-constructed, excellently produced synth track. The little sonic details require great headphones, but the rewards are endless.

11- State Line by Jeff Rosenstock

I love many songs off of Rosentock’s NO DREAM- but State Line was the first track I fell in love with. There is something so straightforward about the track in a way that spins a memory of pop-punk songs from a past you may/may not have ever lived. I miss this punk romantic shit so bad.

10- Ooh, la la by Run the Jewels

The boys hit it out of the park again. Equal parts banger, dance-hall, and braggadocious manifesto—Killer Mike and El-P deliver with the most infectious hip hop single of 2020.

9- Late Bloomer by Mammal Hands

I don’t know how to comment on jazz, but if you listen to this song, and make your way through the insane crescendo, and somehow feel nothing you totally suck. This is such a friggin’ blast to listen to. God! Damn! It!

8- St. Cloud by Waxahatchee

There is something so beautiful about endings—but something so messy about legacies. How do we close the book on a person we have lost? How do we survive long after we have gone? Crutchfield reminds us that we live through memory—and that the darkness of our times is merely a candle to our flame.

7- The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens In what was personally a confounding and somewhat impersonal record from Sufjan—The Ascension has him return to the sound that knows him best. Intimate, building, and intense—the title track asks the very same question we’ve all wanted to know: What now?

6- I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers

To close her record, Bridgers decided to deliver an epic. With horns reminiscent of Bright Eyes’ Road to Joy—I Know The End delivers the most gut wrenching promise of apocalypse—all while Bridgers smirks, having known it was coming all along.

5- Anything by Adrianne Lenker

Just unbelievably gorgeous. Something unassuming and yet serene. What a maze of imagery and history. I love that line about staring down the barrel of the hot sun. Lenker just knows what works, proving once again she is an unstoppable force in folk.

4- Up From A Dream by HAIM

HAIM delivers the best song of their career with this emotional rocker. The gasp for air at the start of the track is absolutely necessary as we come along for the ride. The brief solo absolutely rips and the harmonies behind Danielle’s chorus pull it all together.

3- Anthems by Charli XCX

My number one power jam of 2020. This song is relentless fun and pumped with energy. Seems like a simple enough backbeat and chorus, and yet you are so happy it keeps coming back. There was nothing more exciting to listen to during quarantine—and it will remain the ultimate pandemic anthem. When it’s over, we might be even closer.

2- Anaphylaxis by PUP

Find me a better song about a panic attack. I dare you. Anaphylaxis beats the shit out of you while it takes you to that very special place we all love to hate. PUP has this unbelievable knack for making punk anthems you accidentally sing along to in the grocery store until you realized you just screamed “feels like I was kicked in the testicles” while picking out avocados.

1- I Want You to Love Me by Fiona Apple

There isn’t a composition that compares in 2020. Combined with her vocal performance this thing steals the year. An absolute show-stopper of a song. Opening an album like this should be illegal. Fiona Apple reflects on her history and what the world has given us thus far, and demands more. We all should.

[loudestsounds]

*Favorite* Albums of 2013

Making lists is fun. Let's sweat to the oldies that were 2013 and take a look into the softening cavern that is my head. Here's what slayed, what inspired, and what was brave in the world of music this year.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2013 for Mr. Jude.

10. Haim- Days Are Gone

This album sold me from the start. These chicks bring all sorts of powerfunk and wind rhythm to west coast rock, and it feels more progressive than Fleetwood Mac ever did. The only downside is the LP seems to be 1 or 2 tracks too long, barring it from perfection. Still, kick back and let some premium tunes take you away.

9. Native- Orthodox

8. Daft Punk- Random Access Memories

Turns out Daft Punk released other songs besides 'Get Lucky'. The strength in RAM is the inconsistency and the variation and manipulation of genre. Daft Punk knows exactly what we want and don't want simultaneously, and forces us to grow as listeners. Just as they give us a taste of the very thing we crave with tracks like "Give Life back to Music", "Lose Yourself to Dance", "Doin It Right" and the aforementioned "Get Lucky", they throw us a curve with "Giorgio by Moroder", "Touch" and "Fragments of Time". The best time is to be had with "Instant Crush", featuring Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. Hints of nostalgia, a beautiful melody right out of 1988, and an all around shiny tune that will have you dancing in tears. However the summit of the album is found when the listener hits "Touch", a bombastic infusion of soul, jazz, funk and the everlasting electro that is Daft Punk. Letting others into their circle is exactly what Daft Punk needed to do, and with RAM it appears this is what they've been working up to all along.

7. Youth Lagoon- Wondrous Bughouse

This album is all the right feelings at all the right times. Probably the record that hit me by the most surprise in 2013. These wacky tunes come out of nowhere and blow you out of the water with intense and focused psychedelia. If you're not a fan of mind altering substances Wondrous Bughouse can still be enjoyed on a long stroll with a good set of SOUNDPHONES and a willingness to let go. Give this a try. Do it.

6. Queens of the Stone Age- ...Like Clockwork

Liking Josh Homme is very similar to liking your drunk uncle. You really don't want to end up like him, and you don't want to see life through his eyes, but he certainly is making a lot of sense. The best 'dark' rock record of the year by far, it grooves harder than most and has a shine that screams to the heavens. Homme is more powerful poetically than he has been in a while, as his tongue and cheek commentary and disdain toward society comes through as he says "it's how you look/not how you feel". And that very attempt at  satirical sentiment may be true of the record itself. While singles like "My God is the Sun" and "If I Had A Tail" scream riff-heavy thunder-hammers, it's the slow stuff that pulls you into Homme's mood, and hooks you into his universe.

5. MGMT- MGMT

It's probably just me. I have this fetish in regards to artists doing whatever the fuck they want and almost ignoring their audience. MGMT wanted to create a sound that they wanted to create, and that's what they did. They put a lot of effort into recreating their level of production and reimagining the course of their careers with this terrific trip of a record.Yet even though MGMT compiled 10 songs that seem to alienate their audience, they also captivate and act generously toward the ones who are willing to invest in their music. By creating a visual component to the album they appeal to the psychedelic listener who wants his music experience to be an afternoon. MGMT creates an urgency within the listener, asking us to consider that they might be more than just sounds, but ideas. It is clear that the duo has trouble making the pop songs that they used to, not because they can't, but because it doesn't feel right. In "An Orphan of Fortune" VanWyngarden asks "If I don't feel right/polishing off the sand", and it is clear by the end of the track and the end of the record, that polishing their music is no longer their goal. It isn't about being glamourous. It isn't the fists in the air. Their fans may not join along, but for MGMT, these certainly are alien days.

4. Arctic Monkeys- AM

This might be the best these guys ever do. But fuck what a pinnacle of excellence they have reached if it is. AM is a jaguar in a leather jacket riding a hog. It's everything still empowering about genuine rock'n'roll. It's proof that clean but still greasy rock can be important and not shallow. The Monkeys appear to be more beat and riff driven than they have in the past, and they have shaken off the folk that was found in Suck It and See or the electronic driven parts from Humbug. Yet whatever they seem to do, it always blows my brain. Turner's poetry is at it's height as well, as "Arabella" and "Knee Socks" take his vision to new heights, as AM takes the Arctic Monkeys to new heights as well.

3. Arcade Fire- Reflektor

There have been a lot of complaints concerning the lengths that Arcade Fire went to in crafting these songs. Would more concise tracks have benefited the album? Is it a bit to far-reaching? Nonsense. This is exactly what they should do. Why? Because they do it so fucking well. An album split into thirds, Reflektor is exactly what music needs: the willingness to be brave. Arcade Fire is not afraid to stretch the attention span of its listeners, and that's exactly what they do. The first third of the album starts with the most diabolical track of 2013 in 'Reflektor', a song that could have gone wrong a thousand ways, and ends with "Here Comes the Night Time". The second third of the album, spanning "Normal Person" to "Joan of Arc" is the shiny modern rock that Arcade Fire produces so well, proving that they can still stay true to their classic roots and harken back to Funeral and Neon Bible. And the last third of the album, schematically, comprises the entire second side. These songs are long, if you consider upwards of 6 minutes long. And yes, they are repetitive. But variation is not always a sign of excellence, sometimes repetitive vitality is most important, and that is how it is made perfect. "Awful Sound" and "It's Never Over" tell a story of heartache and existential longing, then "Porno" brings us back to earth with human fault and doubt, until we are brought to the heavens with the post-rock anthem "Afterlife" and the digital sea of sound that is "Supersymmetry". Too long you say? Perhaps your minds reach is too short.

2. O'Brother- Disillusion

The most important sludgy, greasy, post-hardcore album in a real long while. Pure poetry, powerful rhythm, supreme groove and devastating harmony are all in one within O'Brother's sophomore effort. Oh, did I mention it slays fucking hard. You'll be thrashing around your house like nobodies fucking business, screaming with Merritt his songs of philosophical struggle. As the title suggests, the album concerns itself with our origins, the pitfalls of human design, and the ability to overcome that which appears pre-determined. So much is lost within communication, and while the pain may be devastating along life's jagged road, one must find the will to move forward. These guys are heavy, and they aren't for everyone, but if you can tolerate a lot of sustain and feedback, and listen closely for the changes in pace and melody, your ears are in for a clusterfuck of ecstasy. Grab a beer. Crank it loud. Fucking slay. 

1. The National- Trouble Will Find Me

While not straying too far from 2010's High Violet, The National come back with a more poignant and concise record of sorrow, regret and loss. However while in 2010 concerns of family and friends lingered in Berninger's lyrics, these seem to take a more introspective approach. There's the uneasy tension of the idea that life may be hopeless, and that the pain that comes with being is inevitable and a necessary process. Trouble Will Find Me also gives us an opportunity to see these guys rock out like they used to with tracks like "Sea of Love". However while the first half of the album lays a foreground, the second half is a devastating triumph. "Humiliation" feels right in all the wrong ways, "Slipped" is the most passionate instance of desperation in music today, and "Pink Rabbits" paints a picture like no other. However we need not give all the credit to Berninger's lyrics, as the two sets of brothers at his side light his words with shimmering guitar portions and a steady rhythm section that beckons us to crawl into the sound. Closing with "Hard to Find", The Natonal proposes the idea that they still don't have the answers, but maybe, just maybe, that's just fine.

Honourable Mentions:

Wooden Shjips- Back to Land (Constant, overwhelming space-rock)

The Strokes- Comedown Machine (Imperfect but brave and necessary)

Wavves- Afraid of Heights (More of the same themes but with a deeper and darker sound)

Portugal. The Man- Evil Friends (A step towards the mainstream perhaps, but while better production has made them less raw, it has shown us a shiny side that feels damn good)

Jake Bugg- Shangri La (He equals his first LP, but leaves us wanting more. I can't wait)

Pheonix- Bankrupt! (Conceptual and precise, exactly what we needed)

David Bowie- The Next Day (We know by now that Bowie can do wrong, but he's gone all right here. Could have had less tracks, it's asking a lot of an audience. But he can still rip it.)