It’s that time of year again where I get to sit and write down every record I’ve purchased in the last 12 months and agonisingly whittle it down to my Top 10. My first “shortlist” was a whopping 28 albums long.
It was the year of being locked in for a third of the time for me, so it gave me a LOT of listening time.
Also, a little side note: Women really won 2020. What an absolutely mammoth amount of records I bought by female musicians this year even blew me away.
So let’s just get into it:
10: Little Bastards by The Kills
Before you tell me this a record full of b-sides and rarities, I am well aware of that. But I needed this album so badly this year. I needed to hear Alison Mosshart’s cutting vocals over Jamie Hince’s instantly recognisable guitar tone. This will tide us Kills fans over until a brand spanking new album will come out of the woodwork from this pair. No band has musically, visually and lyrically inspired me as much as The Kills have in the past decade or so. Also, this includes my favourite version of I Put A Spell On You in history. It still has the power to give me chills and put all the hairs on my neck up on end. Get me to another Kills show right now, please. If you love Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The White Stripes, get your ears around The Kills and you’ll thank me.
Standout Tracks:
- Superpowerless
- Night Train
- I Put A Spell On You
9: Such Pretty Forks In The Road by Alanis Morissette
It’s crazy to think it’s been a whole eight years since Alanis blessed us with a new studio album. Such Pretty Forks In The Road was well worth the wait. Another Morissette record full of achingly relatable and honest lyrics. Alanis writes of her struggles with post-partum depression on ‘Diagnosis’ and her trial where others were accused of embezzling her in ‘Reckoning.’ She has been such a massive advocate on speaking out about mental health, and that is heavily evident on Such Pretty Forks In The Road.
Her intense, inimitable vocals continue to shine through just as much as they had back on Jagged Little Pill some 25 years ago. An absolutely beautiful record. And let’s keep everything crossed that I will finally be able to see her in October 2021.
Standout Tracks:
- Reasons I Drink
- Diagnosis
- Losing The Plot
8. Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
I can’t tell you how much I’ve listened to this record. It’s a stunning body of work, and considering it’s only Phoebe’s second studio album, it’s mindblowing. Recorded at one of my dream studios ‘Sound City’ in California, Bridgers described it as a “magical place.” Records such as ‘Rumours’ by Fleetwood Mac and ‘Rage Against The Machine’ by Rage Against The Machine were recorded there. There’s that sense of “this is going to be her mark on the musical map” with this album for Phoebe.
You can hear the major influence her favourite artist (Elliott Smith) come through in droves on Punisher. Smith is also one of my favourite musicians, so this is another tick in the box for me. With lyrics describing self destruction, depression, watching things you love end and desire, as someone who’s only a couple of years younger than Bridgers, it’s far too relatable, it’s scary at times. If you like artists like Best Coast and Bombay Bicycle Club, you’ll love Phoebe. She’s a must see for me now when live shows become a thing again.
Standout Tracks:
- Kyoto
- Halloween
- ICU
7. Women In Music Pt. III by Haim
I love Haim. I have done since the very first time I heard ‘The Wire’ back in 2012. They’ve managed to capture pure summer vibes in every single track since they’ve come to be a band. Lyrically, this record focuses a lot on the darker side of life like depression, sexism and unfortunately, a cancer diagnosis within one of the girls’ relationships. It’s Haim doing what they do best; folk pop and pop rock, but with added licks of r’n’b, hip hop, electropop and reggae. It’s Haim with an extra dimension that lacked from the previous two records. And it’s utterly brilliant.
Standout Tracks:
- The Steps
- Don’t Wanna
- Now I’m In It (On the bonus version of the record, but it counts!!)
6. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple….there’s no words for her. She’s just that unique. Her first album in eight years, I was beside myself with excitement for Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Mainly recorded on Mac’s ‘Garageband’ program, it’s homemade to the highest degree, but it works so fucking well. Of course the piano makes an appearance in most songs, much expected on a Fiona Apple record, but this is a mainly percussive album. And not just your run of the mill percussive album, it’s random percussion. A lot of household items, along with Apple utilising bones from her recently deceased dog. Fiona has said for years that her vocals are an instrument too, and she showcased that entirely on this record. There’s no voice like hers. She has come out and said the percussive element of the album is attributed to her OCD, in which she would always walk in rhythm to a strict tempo. I don’t want to compare her to anyone, but she’s so intensely unique, but if you’re a Tom Waits fan, try this record in particular. Two legends of the game.
Standout Tracks:
- Under The Table
- Cosmonauts
- Heavy Balloon
5. Moral Panic by Nothing But Thieves
NBT have been a firm favourite of mine for the last few years, with good reason. Rip-roaring riffs, heavenly Thom Yorke inspired vocals and, this time, some synth-pop to boot. Lyrically, it’s just what the album states, moral panic. With a year that we’ve all experienced, it’s laced with self-doubt, love, mental anguish and the reliance on technology. Musically, let’s just say I am completely buzzing to (hopefully) witness these new tracks live next September. Conor has one of the best voices in the game, with the obvious Radiohead inspirtation, as previously stated, he showcases his love for another hero of his, Jeff Buckley, in tracks like ‘Impossible’ and ‘Free If We Want It.’ It’s very much sways on the side of electronica, with the heavy guitars still evident, but it’s a new realm of Nothing But Thieves that just completely works for them. If you like The Dead Weather, Radiohead and/or Muse, you’ll love them just as much as I do.
Standout Tracks:
- Unperson
- Phobia
- Can You Afford To Be An Individual?
4. Wake Up, Sunshine by All Time Low
Oh, don’t we all love a bit of pop-punk joy in a year that has brought us anything but joy?! Wake Up, Sunshine was what I definitely needed this year. All Time Low have dabbled a little bit more with production and electronica in the previous two records, but Wake Up, Sunshine is a true return to form, even bagging them their first Alternative Number One in the US with ‘Monsters,’ which ended up in the top spot for well over two months. I can’t wait to experience these guys live for the ninth time next September (all hoping, obviously!) If you love Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy, stream/buy a copy of Wake Up, Sunshine and let’s pretend this year wasn’t a complete shitshow.
Standout Tracks:
- Pretty Venom (Interlude)
- Clumsy
- Monsters (feat. blackbear)
3. Gigaton by Pearl Jam
2020 filled me up with so much hope; Josh and I had tickets to see Pearl Jam in Hyde Park in July, they had released their much anticipated first single from the new record , which was subsequently released in March. And then it all went to pot. Seven years since Pearl Jam’s last effort, Gigaton was one of the only records I stayed up until past midnight to listen to straight away this year. And I was not disappointed in the slightest. With a chorus harking back to the likes of ‘School’ by Nirvana in ‘Quick Escape’ to Eddie Vedder’s vocals backed by an eerie organ in ‘River Cross,’ Gigaton brought it all for us Pearl Jam fans. ‘Who Ever Said’ is the most “Pearl Jam” PJ song on the record, for anybody who wants a gateway track. Now let’s just keep everything crossed we finally get to see this record live in Hyde Park in July 2021.
Standout Tracks:
- Dance Of The Clairvoyants
- Superblood Wolfmoon
- Quick Escape
2. A Celebration Of Endings by Biffy Clyro
2020: The year Biffy Fucking Clyro came back with a mighty bang. Four years since Biffy blessed us with ‘Ellipsis,’ we’ve been longing for this record for a long time. With beautiful, tear-inducing ballads like ‘Space’ and ‘Opaque’ to slap you in the face, balls to the wall arena bangers like ‘Weird Leisure’ and ‘End Of,’ Simon Neil was right: this is truly Biffy’s ‘Opus 8.’ This is evident with album closer ‘Cop Syrup.’ Opening a track with ‘I’ve been punching rainbows since ’79’ and ultimately singing the phrase ‘Fuck everybody! Woo!’ multiple times throughout the first couple minutes of the song, until we all of a sudden reach this absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous string section for a total of four minutes, before ending the final 20 seconds of the song with a final ‘Fuck everybody, woo!’ I have two sets of Biffy tickets for 2021. Whether or not these shows will come to be, time will only tell, but I can assure you after the year we’ve all had, I need to be stood in a venue screaming ‘Fuck everybody!’ at the top of my lungs.
Standout Tracks:
- Cop Syrup
- The Champ
- End Of
- Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams
Now…I could write a full essay on this album. For the last 7 months, I’ve listened to entirety of Petals For Armor an obscene amount of times. This is the record that I’m going to forever associate with 2020. This was the vessel of songs that helped me survive this year. Honestly.
Everyone knows Hayley Williams as the firecracker frontwoman of Paramore. Her voice has soundtracked most of my life, usually through the medium of anger-laced, emotional and, especially in the last two Paramore records, a lot of fucking fun music.
But Petals For Armor was different. This was the first time Hayley was going out on her own. There was no ‘We Are Paramore!’ This was the year we were going to get Hayley at her truest, and definitely her darkest moment.
We were blessed with songs where she was brutally honest about her past marriage (‘Dead Horse’ and ‘Simmer,’) tracks where she was grappling with her mere existence, mental health and grief (‘Leave It Alone’ and ‘Crystal Clear’) and then the songs where you can tell she’s accepted that she’s allowed to be happy with her own body, mind and has no apologies about it (‘Watch Me While I Bloom’ and ‘Roses/Violet/Lotus/Iris’)
This record is a total rollercoaster. It’s set out in three parts, five songs each. A 15 track album is unheard of most of the time, and when we do get them, they’re usually all filler, no killer. But not Petals…this is different. This is Hayley Williams being fully open and experimental with her songwriting talent, love of synth and indie pop.
‘Roses/Violet/Lotus/Iris’ is my favourite track. Not only on this album, but of the whole year. The honesty of those lyrics cut right through me the first time I heard them. Especially in this era of social media, all we do is cut ourselves down 24/7. We compare ourselves constantly to an ideal that isn’t even fucking real. It also features back-up vocals from Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.
I’m not sorry for the onslaught of love I’ve just given this album. It’s the least it deserves.
Standout Tracks:
- Roses/Violet/Lotus/Iris
- Cinnamon
- Leave It Alone
And that’s 2020. It’s been a fucking wild year, and not for any good reasons. I have everything crossed we get to be in arenas, muddy fields and tiny sweaty venues again, experiencing live music at its finest.
Thank you for reading.
Claire x
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