There's never enough time. An often heard lament amongst the crew who review is the lack of dedicated time for listening. While we admittedly all listen exponentially more than most average people, life (for better and for ill) gets in the way. So what happens when suddenly life stops and you have more listening time than you know what to do with? Take a look below to celebrate not only the glorious musical output of 2020 but also the strange pandemic bonus of having ample time to listen, re-listen, digest and listen again to any and all albums released this year.
Honorable Mentions - These albums were at one time somewhere on the spectrum of light to heavy rotation for me but for one reason or another they weren't quite up to snuff...yet. While this may not seem like enough to be worthy of being recognized, there were another 40+ album I spent time with released this year that didn't even make this part of the list. So, that counts for something, right? With that in mind, buried within these seven works there are multiple killer tunes, hours of great grooves, and the (always possible) potential for me to re-evaluate in years to come. However, in a time where I had nothing but time, the following all fell just a little short of top billing:
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Admittedly, it took me too long to figure out my feelings for these guys. For a while, it was just a band where I only really liked one song. Then, thanks to the prodding of some people smarter than I, they became a band whose first two albums I really started to enjoy. This lead me to get really excited for Currents (after the fact) and realize they were a killer (one man) band that I was ready to follow a lot more intently. As ready as I was, I came away quite confused when I didn't enjoy The Slow Rush more. It's... fine? I also get the sneaking suspicion I just don't get it yet. Kevin Parker seems to operate at an entirely different musical plane the most of the rest of us, and it seems to take me a couple years to catch up. I want to like this a lot more than I do, but I'm not giving up hope on it just yet.
Quarantine Memory: Released before the pandemic, this is an album I've had more than enough time to sit with to let it marinate. Oddly enough, until writing this review, I don't think that I had revisited it more than one or twice throughout that entire time, further cementing why it ended up where it did.
Phish - Sigma Oasis
Always a band I struggled to find firm footing with, they were also one that I couldn't help but enjoy. Thanks to the persistent efforts of a Phishead buddy, I've grown to appreciate Trey, Mike, Fishman, and Page for what they are; an extremely talented, funky, and incredibly versatile touring band that always struggled to get that same sound to appear on record. On Fuego, an album from a few years back, there were some tracks that allowed me to finally get into them in a non-live format. This one though was the first time where I was almost fully on board and loving almost everything they were doing from start to finish. I got it. I was in. And of course, that meant I was ready to go see them play these already awesome, jammy tunes live. There was only one small problem...
Quarantine Memory: Hearing my wife unexpectedly burst out with the chorus to "Shade" before blowing my mind by ASKING me to put the album on, something I'd never heard her do in 13 years of Phish exposure.
Pearl Jam - Gigaton
Sometimes an album can really disappoint you, even though it's pretty damn good. Gigaton is actually the exact opposite of that. Watching a favorite band continue to age is both triumphant (they didn't break up and I can still see them live!) and sobering (their most recent material is fine but...) however you usually just learn to lower your expectations. In this instance though, it actually allowed me to be pleasantly surprised. More than half the tracks are legit good and a few would even reach the status of unironically being put onto a PJ playlist I make. There are only a few clunkers and honestly, at this stage, I'd almost be more surprised if there wasn't. A 6-year hiatus speaks to this album not coming together easily, but hearing Vedder snarl and growl until McCready wails on the guitar is lighthouse for my ears looking to find their way back to the musical safety of my formative years.
Quarantine Memory: The first album to come out when we started locked down, Gigaton was a welcome diversion from the massive uncertainly of those first few weeks. I listened to the first few tracks laying in bed at 4:00 because why not?
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II
A sequel to a previous #1 album from Melse, this collection of sad, forlorn tunes all come from the same recording sessions as the original Waterfall. But this isn't just a culled together group of scraps, fed to fans as a way to get a quick buck. This is just another full album worth of great tracks that didn't fit (for one reason or another) on the original. In an interview, I heard Jim James say that many of these were a lot sadder due to a rough breakup he went through, which may have contributed to their lack of inclusion on the original release. Thankfully for us, the band took the opportunity to go back and hear how good everything was that had been left on the cutting room floor. What we end up with is new music a lot quicker than we would have imagined (and apparently they have another full album in the can and ready to go). Never one to sit back and rest, these boys have found a way to really take advantage of their time off the road.
Quarantine Memory: Listening to "Feel You" on repeat and knowing how much it's going to kick ass to hear it live. Then subsequently and solemnly wondering how long it'll be before I have that opportunity.
Kyle Forrester - Hearts and Gardens
The age-old (stupid) question is always "Why don't they just make the whole plane out of the material they make the black box from!?" There are of course myriad reasons this can't be done, but it feels similar to the idea of me wondering why every song can't be as good as the first track on Hearts and Gardens. Of course, this is a complete and unwarranted overlooking of the rest of the album, which is actually quite good. However, "Know What You're Doing" is so delightful, I can't help but walk away from it a little disappointed each time it's over. I do let the rest of the album play through though and it brims with potential, or at least that's what I thought until I looked and saw that he has been making music since 2009. This paragraph has ended up with way too many backhanded compliments for how much I actually enjoyed this but my clearly complex feelings on display here should give you all some indication as to how it didn't quite make the top 15.
Quarantine Memory: Playing "Know What You're Doing" on repeat while competing in a water balloon obstacle course with Uncle Sauce and Parker J in the backyard, the absolute pinacle of lockdown joy.
Texas Gentlemen - Floor It!
Stumbling upon this album right around the birth of my second son thanks to Murny, I've found myself going back for repeated listens thanks to the jolly, bar-room, good-timey feel. Who doesn't need a little bit more of THAT these days? A five and sometimes six-member well-oiled machine that was originally known as a backing band for big names in country (George Strait and Kris Kristofferson to name a few), these guys have managed to meld together sounds and influences into an album that can really only be described as fun. Bouncing around fluidly between genres, they sound like Workingman's Dead era Grateful Dead one second before grooving out like the backwoods funk version of Blitzen Trapper found on VII the next. As we've seen once or twice before (**cough, cough** The Band), sometimes honing your chops as a hard-working, versatile backing band before stepping out on your own can certainly pay dividends.
Quarantine Memory: Listening to "Ain't Nothing New", the first song they released off of this album while in the hospital room, awaiting the birth of son number two and wondering how long my new little man would have to live in this newfound, lockdown filled world.
Jonathan Wilson - Dixie Blur
The closest omission from my top 15, I almost wrote this whole thing off before I even had an inkling of what this list was going to be. I just had to get over my own disappointment. While totally not Mr. Wilson's fault for doing whatever he wants, I've been dying for him to make Future Visions pt. 2 and it's just not coming anytime soon. I was so desperate to hear the spaced out funk-rock he had done in the past I didn't actually open my mind enough to hear Dixie Blur for what is was. Once I just sat down and accepted the acoustic, country grooves that he was delivering, I came to realize it has ample charm and all those same melodies that hooked me to him in the first place. It's mellow, and if you're looking for spaced-out guitar solos, you're in the wrong place. But, if you're willing to be patient and let it soak in, you're going to be rewarded mightily.
Quarantine Memory: Coming home from the 90th trip to the grocery store and realizing my wife was listening to it, causing me to finally let go of my bitter feelings for the first time and really give it a chance.
If I HAVE to be Trapped In My House... this is what I don't mind being trapped with. While very little can be said to be straight-up good when it comes to this horror show of a year, I've never had more time to listen to new and old music alike. Whereas in a normal year, an album I adore might get 15 plays, this year each one in this group easily exceeded that amount, and usually just within the first week of its existence. Quarantine and all the shutting down of life that's existed since has given me an inordinate amount of time to appreciate new musical output. Here's the best of what I found:
15. Whitney - Candid
This collection of covers is easily the one that I could have left off if I really needed to make a swap from the collection that didn't quite make it. The thing is though, I listened to it a ton. This occurred for two main reasons; one, when they hit on a cover ("Rain", "Take Me Home, Country Roads") it's just pure bliss, and two, they do an amazing job of leaving a song as recognizable in comparison to the original while still putting their own stamp on it. Every one of these tracks is unquestionably Whitney. Them making it this high on the list, when there are so many good albums, is my version of a thank you note to these fellas for all of their output in such a short career as a band. They will also forever go down as the "last band I saw before the world shut down", something I was thankfully able to enjoy at my favorite venue with my favorite wife.
Quarantine Memory: Ending up in a headspace where I'm spending an inordinate amount of time wondering if I needed to listen to more SWV and also questioning how a band could make a version of the usually quite annoying" West Virginia" song that I suddenly loved.
14. Advertisement - American Advertisement
Straight from the depths of the good ol' rock and roll chasm, these young fellas manage to take the well-worn 70s sludge sound and infuse it with some fresh energy. Packed with everything you would expect to find in a basement with black lights and carpeted walls, this type of reincarnation always makes me smile. No matter how much popular music itself continues to push away from the heavy rock era, there are always going to be kids who want to get together and bash out their own version of it. "She Was Dead" gets me every time with the glorious build to a searing solo, putting it easily into my top songs of the year conversation. The best part of this for me is that they don't sound anywhere near a finished product. While purposeful at times, their rough, raw sound is sure to evolve over the years as they grow and my hope would be, they end up on this list for many years to come.
Quarantine Memory: Waking up every morning during the first few months of quarantine and playing a variation of corn hole with the boy, using this as my pocket soundtrack to help pass the time.
13. Cloud Nothings - The Black Hole Understands
Released only through their Bandcamp, this album isn't available through most of the normal outlets and is actually quite a pain to try to share with friends. Thankfully, sometimes you have to do things for just yourself, and in this case, it certainly seemed like that was the idea of Dylan Baldi. Crafted entirely by him and the drummer Jayson Gerycz, the tracks were done via email and in isolation from each other. What really threw me for a loop though is that the songs were sunny, upbeat, and filled with catchy hooks that weren't buried in noisy grime. This is a major directional shift for the Nothings, a band no one has ever accused being happy. Of course, that's not to say I didn't enjoy their previous work. However, when that first cheery chorus came blaring out of my speakers, I almost spit out my drink. Filled with light, airy music that's the antithesis of what the band had made their calling card, this was the first installment in what became a subscription service of monthly releases. Desperate for a way to reach their fans, scratch a creative itch (and make some money, no doubt), this was the surprise of the year for me.
Quarantine Memory: Chuckling to myself as I listened to the first couple tracks on Bandcamp and wondered if this abrasive band had really put out a power-pop album? Then subsequently realizing I was probably going to be the only person I knew who got to hear it.
12. Dawes - Good Luck With Whatever
A recent viewing of their quarantine live stream concert really hammered home that these guys are at the absolute peak of their powers. I've probably said that five times before but each time it's true. With Lee Pardini fully into the fold as a master of all things with keys and Trevor Menear as a second guitarist freeing up Taylor, they are as locked in as you could ever want. They sound just as brilliant delivering new versions of old songs and as they do stretching out on new ones. After Passwords wasn't quite as enjoyable as some previous albums, I was a little worried that their new output might not be able to match what they had become as a touring band. Thankfully, GLWW came along and proved me wrong. Formed as a stew with a dash of each of their previous sounds, it's a gorgeous walk through their career in 9 songs. From the rollicking fun of "Still Feel Like a Kid", the contemplative introspection of "Didn't Fix Me" to the always gorgeous multi-part harmonies of "Free As I Want to Be", they hit every note they should. It's good to have these guys back doing what they do.
Quarantine Memory: Hearing "St. Augustine At Night" for the first time on record (after hearing it live with some friends a while back) and having it hit me just right, tears falling down my face as I thought of how much my dad would have loved it.
11. Poolside - Low Season
Normally a genre that I would tend to shy away from, these hypnotic grooves weaseled their way into my mind and wouldn't let go. Thankfully, Murn had shown me the light a few years back and what started as good background grooves to have on while reading slowly morphed into me wanting it on at all times of the day. The tracks themselves are always built upon a catchy loop but what makes them special is that no matter how long they go, there are always subtle changes, little flourishes or ethereal vocals keeping my brain invested. It's inescapably catchy. The songs are never in a hurry though, almost like dance beats that have been given quaaludes. This intoxicating mix creates the perfect atmosphere for background listening just as much as it does for full-bodied deep-diving into the music. While I never would have guessed it, I'm 100% in on Poolside.
Quarantine Memory: Multiple weeks in a row of this being on repeat is the perfect way to help ease the stress of being stuck inside. The world was on fire but my mind could breathe when this was spinning.
10. Country Westerns - Country Westerns
When Jake feels confident enough to hit me up and suggest I immediately listen to something, it's time to stop building a fort with my son and do what he says. Within the short span of seconds from the opening riff to the gruff yowls that appear on "Anytime", I was 100% in. A straight forward three-piece consisting of grizzled bar owners and musical vets, this album sounds like a how saloon owner feels. Produced expertly by Matt Sweeney, it doesn't shy away from what it is; raw, driving, ass-kicking rock and roll. Bonus points are always going to be given by me for ripping multiple excellent solos (extra bonus for Joel Plunkett having a few that are very Mascis-esque). Add that to the fact the drummer used to be in the Silver Jews AND they covered my favorite song from my favorite album last year on a recent quarantine live show and you've just got too many connections for me to ignore. They seem a little too old for a line here from me about "looking forward to what they do in the future" so for now I'll just happily take what they've given me in the present.
Quarantine Memory: Crawling around a massive blanket and table fort the little man and I had built whilst blaring this from my crummy phone speakers, realizing immediately I needed it on in a much bigger, much louder system.
9. Delta Spirit - What Is There
Always a band on my periphery, Delta Spirit was more of a name I was familiar with than a group I listened to. That all changed the second I heard "How Bout It?" the first time. A ragged, emotional vocal performance that slow-builds to an absolutely ripping solo? Now I was full-on curious. When the next song, "It Ain't Easy" came out and managed to blow my socks off to the same degree, I knew it was time for me to start paying much closer attention. Those two songs however are far from the one ones that deliver though; the rest of the album does a wonderful job of finding a way to take the angst of 2020 and channel it into a musical sound. It verbalizes desperation, it's filled with anguish, almost devoid of hope at times, and in the end, it's just downright raw. So... 2020. Taking six years off between albums can be a sign of turmoil or the inability to craft tunes deemed worthy of release. In this case, though, it was clearly a restorative period that allowed them to hibernate before bursting back with this stellar album.
Quarantine Memory: Spinning "How Bout It" enough times that within the first week I was able to "play" a full mouth guitar version of the solo, always hallowed ground for me.
8. Brendan Benson - Dear Life
To be completely honest, the only reason I even gave this a chance was due to how good the most recent Raconteurs album turned out, specifically the BB penned "Only Child". With no solo output since 2013 (and being honest nothing I've enjoyed since 2009) I'd sadly written Mr. Benson off as a casualty to the life of a touring musician. Whether it was substance abuse or another issue altogether, it seemed that his muse was gone and it was something I lamented a great deal. All four of his solo albums to start his career were exquisite power-pop gems filled with countless songs that would have been #1 hits in an alternative universe. I truly loved them and considered him a legit favorite of mine. I was afraid all that was gone when word trickled out he was going to be releasing Dear Life. Hearing the vocal performance on the laughably dancey first single "Good to be Alive" was like putting on an old comfortable sweater. What was this? He can sing again? The effortlessly gorgeous melodies he so expertly tossed about have returned? Sign me up. From there it only got better. Every song showcases his skills as a tune writer, someone capable of crafting ear-worms other musicians only dream to write. I'm not sure how it happened, but however we got here, I'm thrilled to have him back.
Quarantine Memory: Surreptitiously listening in to my son sing along to "Good to Be Alive", while on the way to school, grinning from ear to ear, happy to be passing along the music bug to the next generation.
7. Drive By-Truckers - The Unraveling
Fair or not, certain stereotypes exist, and as a result of some about those whose voices sound a little different, it's always a little jarring to hear such beautiful truths spouted with such a deep southern accent. I know that's not fair but at times it can be true. For me though, it's all the more impressive knowing that these guys have been doing it for years, attempting to get everyone to reevaluate what it means to be southern. As a result, they've certainly gotten pushback from a contingent of their audience. Sticking to their convictions though, whatever backlash they may have received changed absolutely nothing about how they work. In fact, if anything they plowed right on ahead to the point where they have now delivered their most politically charged, truth-to-power, screed against the state of the country to date. Without question, this album captures the despair and hopelessness that can be America better than anything else I've heard. Both songwriters, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, do an incredible job of capturing life in small town America, painting with specific yet broad strokes in a way that's instantly identifiable and recognizable. Whether it's the touching simplicity of "Rosemary with a Bible" or the hard charging drive of "Armageddon's Back in Town", it all works. Though late to the party on them as a band, ever since I finally found them back in 2009, I've been thrilled to be able to be along for the ride.
Quarantine Memory: Hearing "Thoughts and Prayers" for the first time and having to stop to look up the lyrics. Immediately listening again, sending it to everyone I knew and hugging my son as my tears welled up.
6. Neil Young - Homegrown
The idea of a lost, mythical album existing for one of your favorite artists isn't an impossibly rare concept. Neil is the also the kind of guy that has no qualms with shelving a possibly excellent, prime-of-his-creative-peak, album for reasons that may only make sense to him. All told, I've been hearing about the existence of Homegrown ever since reading Shakey for the first time 20 years ago. Could I really buy that it existed? Sure. Did it seem likely that it would ever see the light of day? Nah. So when it was announced it would be coming out this year, I did my best to remain skeptical. Neil has been known to change his mind once or twelve thousand times. Then a cover was released, intriguing... And then the first single came out (!!). Holy shit, this was happening. And it was fantastic. Whether it was a new, achingly beautiful track like "Separate Ways" or full band studio version of "Love is a Rose" (not to mention the reworked "White Line") that we had heard before, everything was as glorious as I could have imagined. Outside of "Florida", an extremely unnecessary spoken word story accompanied by a finger being rubbed around the outside of a glass, every song can only be described as a gift. Cheers to you Uncle Neil for finding a way to make 2020 suck a little less.
Quarantine Memory: Realizing my son had the same inclination to make up absurd, non-sensical lyrics to songs by hearing him repeatedly sing "Hen-Bone", an ode to our dog Henley, to the tune of "Homegrown", and loving every single second of it.
5. Trace Mountains - Lost in the Country
An early candidate for album of the year early in the spring, the only thing that got in the way was the incredible excellence of the albums released after this one. There's an inescapable vibe that overcomes me whenever this album is on. Fronted by a former member of LVL UP, these wistful tunes are buoyed by Dave Benton's borderline emo sounding voice. While that may seem like an insult, in this case, it really works. Whether it's the slow building, eventual guitar release of the opening track "Rock and Roll", the sneakily upbeat flow of "Fallin' Rain" or the quiet lament of "Dog Country", all the tracks deliver in their own way. It's a quintessential "put it on, let it play and then start it all over again" kind of album. Anytime I put this on, I'm in a better mental place. The dulcet tones and calming vibe allowed this to be a clear go-to album for my time in the hospital for the birth of my second son. This will be an album that I surely return to time and time again, always with that happy memory attached.
Quarantine Memory: Looking in my rearview-mirror to see my son singing along to "Lost in the Country" and then having him tell me "What? I really like this" when he finally caught me.
4. Supercrush - SODO Pop
Earlier this year, Jake and I did a quarantine Zoom to exchange music during which he casually mentioned Supercrush as a band he found very late last year. He most certainly had named them in passing to me and I had most definitely forgot all about them. Thankfully, this musical rendezvous allowed me to hear a few of their songs and realize they were a power-pop dream in the vein of Teenage Fanclub and Fountains of Wayne. Sold! SODO Pop is filled with absolutely everything I love about this style of music when it's done right; crunchy guitars with riffs for days, searing leads guiding the tunes along/hummable solos, a driving rhythm section holding things down and angelic vocals layered over the top of it all. While this isn't an album that has specific standout tracks for me, that's much more due to it's all around excellence than it is for lack of shining stars. If you're a fan of the bands I mentioned above, put this on and tell me you don't end up smiling and nodding along as the music easily catapults you back to the early 90s indie scene.
Quarantine Memory: Realizing that I was constantly humming these tunes to myself, at louder and louder volumes, alone in my classroom, to the point where other teachers stopped by to see who I was talking with.
3. Rolling Coastal Blackout Fever - Sideways to a New Italy
This is the album I've wanted the Strokes to make for years now. While the similarities between the two bands are minimal, the urgency and cohesion that has been lacking in the latest output from the NYC gents is here in spades with the boys from down under. Remarkably catchy intertwining guitars manage to each find their own space, despite the fact that there are three distinct players working simultaneously. What could easily be a mess ends up being a pure delight, especially on "Cars in Space", a top 3 candidate for my song of the year. One of the coolest things about watching my son age is seeing him become a legit barometer for good tunes. He's not quite ready to track down things of his own just yet, but he has reached the point where whenever I see him bopping along, humming choruses, or even repeating some lyrics after multiple listenings, it's a signifier that the music is up to snuff. To this, he bops and hums.
Quarantine Memory: Hearing "Cars in Space" on headphones for the first time while reading a book and stopping so that I could put the book down and listen to it on repeat for a good half hour straight.
2. Bahamas - Sad Hunk
Death, taxes and Afie putting out a stellar album are the only true constants in this world. Perhaps the most unifying artist for all the members of this blog, Bahamas has been a North Star of consistency for me and my musical comrades. After appearing in the top 10 of all of our lists in 2018, everyone had sky-high hopes for Sad Hunk. Of course, those increased expectations also make you a little nervous... What if there is a drop off? What if he loses his spark? Oh wait, never mind; he shattered every expectation the minute "Own Alone" danced, bopped and shook its way through its first 3:00 minutes before exploding into two dueling guitar solos. Game, blouses. But we don't stop there; the rest of the album is just so damn good. As always, the music just has a ton of room to breathe. The only thing that matches the exquisite song writing is the gorgeous way the whole collection has space to reach deep into every available emotional well. It's unparalleled how much I enjoy the way this album SOUNDS. As stupid as that may seem on a blog that ranks ones favorite music, it's just true. Every instrument is distinct, clean and clear. His voice is floating above it all, highlighting his insightful and honest analysis of life and love. And the witches brew that is creates is almost as delightful as his insanely deadpan and hilarious social media hijinks. A+ for you good sir.
Quarantine Memory: Sitting at my kitchen table at 6:10 in the morning before work the first time I got to hear "Own Alone" and literally cackling out loud at how good it was, then listening to it the whole way to school.
1. Blitzen Trapper - Holy Smokes Future Jokes
Sometimes you'll hear of an album where the individual songs don't work on the same level as the entirety of the product. It's the whole "sum of its parts is greater than the whole" or what not. That's the only real explanation for what happened here. The first couple singles released just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't hear how it worked. I wasn't ready. So, in all honesty, I went into the release of the full album not expecting all that much. Four repeated listens later I realized how wrong I was. Who knew I was clamoring for an album centered around a Tibetan book of the dead that focused on the time period between death and rebirth? Not me, that's who. This is not something I put on for individual songs; I just start the album from the beginning and let it play all the way through (which goes back to why the singles just didn't work on their own). It may not be my favorite when I looked back years from now but Eric Earley and crew have proven time and time again that I shouldn't be so quick to give up; a lesson well worth ruminating on this year of all years. When it comes to the Trapper though, I should know better.
Quarantine Memory: Hearing my son help to get himself to sleep by singing "Holy smokes, those future jokes". This was the year he really started to develop a musical identity. It was something I was SO nervous about, not wanting to push him too much but also knowing a) how incredibly important it was/is to me and b) how massively meaningful that relationship was between my own father and I. 2020 was when it happened. Whether it was because we were stuck together and he was forced to be with me in the car every day, the fact that he couldn't escape me and my constant tunes at home, the development of his youthful brain, or a combination of all three of these, it didn't matter how we got there because....it happened. He's in. He loves it. He wanted headphones for Christmas. He talks about his favorite songs that I play. He asks to hear specific artists. He goofily and absurdly dances around the house with me. He sings along. He's got the bug. In a year that sucked for a million reasons, this revelation has without a doubt been an incredible silver lining, something I truly cannot wait to foster for years and years to come. Now, if you'll excuse me... it's time to start working on getting there with little man #2...
