Fiona Apple, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”
I’m still figuring this one out. It’s a new record every time. It’s the first record in a long time that made me want to start working on new songs. It is masterful without being daunting. Epic without being inaccessible. Intricate without losing any of its charm or fun. Insightful without being preachy. Innovative and risky without being reckless. I’m glad you took yr time, Mizz Apple!
Neil Cicierega, “Mouth Dreams”
This is newish, so I am still delving into the rich tapestry of remixes/mashups on Neil Cicierega’s newest opus. But after just a handful of dedicated listens, I’m already in love. I don’t know if it will ever match “Mouth Moods,” but it might; each new listen gives me even more to notice and love.
HAIM, “Women In Music Pt. III”
I listened to it once when it first came out, then listened to it five times in a row at the end of last week. I liked it, then loved it, then put it up there close to “Days Are Gone.” They were able to get more complex with their production without losing any of the magic that made their sparser records so special. And the songs themselves, they are delicious!
“Hamilton” OST (2015)
I’ve had these songs recommended to me from everyone for years, but I held out until I could actually see the show. When it released early on Disney+, I committed to watching all 3-plus hours of it one day while working… and immediately started it over again. And again. And again. It hits me even harder on repeat watches/listens, so I have to make sure I won’t be interrupted. When Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom, Jr.) sings “Wait For It,” it makes me feel a kind of desperate bittersweet hopefulness I haven’t felt for a very, very, very long time.
Phantom Planet, “Devastator”
My favorite band from high school goes on hiatus for a REALLY long time, then reforms and releases a new record. I am excited, I am worried. What if it’s boring? What if they haven’t progressed much past where they were when they paused? What if they mailed it in? I couldn’t have guessed they’d put out their best record ever. This record captures the thrilling melodies and pop craftsmanship as their first few records, the scuzzier weirder aspects of their later records, and blends them perfectly. Devastator is fudging incredible.
Pinegrove, “Skylight” (2018)
I dug into their discography after my friend Jesse sent me the song “Darkness,” figuring I’d like it. Well, I loved it, and it was my most played track of 2020, according to Spotify. Like Nada Surf’s “Proximity Effect,” this band found me at just the right time such that I related instantly. The songs are simple on top and rich below. Sort of like “Krang” from TMNT.
Run The Jewels, “RTJ4”
What can I say? Each album becomes more nuanced, more impassioned, more urgent. I’ve never felt so hyped while at the same time thinking so seriously about wealth disparity.
Surfer Blood, “Carefree Theatre”
This band could put out the most ho-hum record and I’d still love it based on their vibe alone. Thankfully, this is another batch of instantly hummable songs that offer a new and deeper joy on each subsequent spin. It’ll be a bit before I can properly place it among their other records, but it’s nowhere near my least favorite,
and it’ll only climb.
Honorable mention:
Brock Berrigan, “Utah” – Music to drive through the desert too (while wearing a chicken mask)
Fatlip, “The Loneliest Punk” (2005) – Didn’t put this in the “Best” list because I’ve already heard it plenty before, but I rediscovered it at the perfect time. I hope Fatlip is doing well
Fleet Foxes, “Shore” – Same deal as “Crack-Up”; I don’t get it yet, but I listen and hear a lot of promising moments, and I am sure it’ll click one day
Megan Thee Stallion, “Good News” – I don’t know if I am cool enough to love this record as much as I do. It’s absolutely ridiculous and obscene and I can’t get enough
“Moana” OST, “Frozen” OST – Being a dad hath forced me to know and love these movies and soundtracks. I’m not crying, my eyes are bleeding clear blood!
Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush” – Didn’t hit me in the jornk immediately, but bloomed like a flower growing from soil of powdered Vitamin C, LSD, and CRISPY FUNK BITS