2020 - Top 10 Albums

2020 TOP ALBUMS

1.  Miles - Blu & Exile
Absolutely superlative jazz rap/conscious rap record here. Blu touches on some really meaningful and serious topics with insane bars, and Exile's beats and production are infectious and soulful.

2.  Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 1 - Natalia Lafourcade
If you've never listened to a non-english project before, PLEASE listen to this one. Natalia won me over with Musas Vol.1&2 a couple years ago and this album is just so richly passionate and romantic, it's impossible not to just get swept up in the emotional vibe.

3.  What's Your Pleasure - Jessie Ware
Luxuriant. Glamorous. Indulgent. This album is just somehow the accumulated essence of every bumpin', glossy, must-dance-to hit of the 70s and 80s wrapped up in a tight package. Ear candy cover to cover.

4.  Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - Gorillaz
Gorillaz are absolutely 100% BACK. This album is Damon Albar in peak form, just banger after banger after banger, packed with awesome features.

5.  Underneath - Code Orange
My favorite metal album of the year and my first introduction to Code Orange. Really wild experimentation and fusions on this between metal, traditional rock, ambient, noise, industrial, you name it.

6.  SAWAYAMA - Rina Sawayama
Her first full-length album after a few EXTREMELY good EP drops into the pop scene. Rina Sawayama gets really creative with blends of pop, hip-hop, rock, and even metal once or twice on this, big recommend.

7.  Ungodly Hour - Chloe x Halle
Easily my favorite R&B project of the year. Just unabashedly bouncy, smooth, sexy, soulful, the highs are really high on this one.

8.  Ultra Mono - IDLES
I didn't pick up too much new punk in 2020 (mostly revisited old favorites), but the new IDLES project is harsh, urgent, topical, aggressive punk that felt cathartic to blast this year.

9.  Purple Moonlight Pages - R.A.P. Ferreira
First full-length album and my introduction to the artist. Very smooth, jazzy spoken-word hip-hop, full of slick snappy verses and well-produced beats.

10. Lianne la Havas - Lianne la Havas
Another first foray, her intimate, soft live-recorded sound comes through well on this indie-folk project. Really pleasant singer-songwriter vibes cover to cover.