Tag: The National

Favorite Music of 2024

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Music, Power Pop, Shoegaze, Synth Pop1 Comment

There was so much brilliant music that came out in 2024! I’m having the worst time narrowing down my list of faves. Luckily, my two cats, Candy O. and Ada Monroe, have been assisting me.

Ada Monroe looking mad because I wasn’t playing Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the time

It’s my hope that at least one person finds something they dig through this post. If you’re a Spotify person, do check out my “Best of 2024” playlist. Then go buy some music and/or merch. Or go out and see some live shows! Or do a shot every time I’ve written “dream” or “shoegaze.”

Without further ado, here’s my top 36 releases of 2024. Why 36? Why not?

36. fifi knifefight – I’m Not Mad, Just Disappointed Self-described “glam punk” from Austin, TX that channels a mighty ferocity.

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35. Camera Obscura – Look to the East, Look to the West A confection of twee goodness. Recommended for fans of Isobel Campbell and Belle & Sebastian.

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34. Mo Dotti – Opaque These Los Angelenos are one of my favorites in a new wave of dream pop/shoegaze. Opaque was even mastered by Mark Gardener of shoegaze godfathers Ride.

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33. Ride – Interplay Speaking of Ride … Some of the newer generation of shoegazers sound more like early Ride than current Ride does. But that’s not a bad thing. I think it’s good for bands to expand their repertoire.

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32. Bryce Dessner – Solos Dessner (guitar/piano/keyboards for The National) has created an album of sublime, elegiac, neo-classical pieces.

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Chrystabell and me at Joe’s Pub in NYC. I don’t know what I’m doing with my hand.

31. Chrystabell & David Lynch – Cellophane Memories This album feels like dream. Chrystabell’s vocals dance hypnotically around haunting soundscapes.

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30. Wishy – Triple Seven Power pop mixed with shoegaze! I can’t wait to see the Indianapolis band at February’s “Something In the Way” festival at Roadrunner in Boston.

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29. Jack White – No Name To quote the great Huey Lewis, “The heart of rock and roll is still beating,” and Jack White’s blues-rock No Name is the proof.

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Conan Gray’s indie retail limited edition version of Found Heaven

28. Conan Gray – Found Heaven I’m a sucker for this pop opus despite my age.

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27. Charli XCX – Brat My top pop/dance album of the year. It’s filled with ear worms.

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26. Beabadoobee – This Is How Tomorrow Moves Charming pop that reminds me of Frente and Natalie Imbruglia.

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The Marías at The MGM Hall at Fenway in Boston

25. The Marías – Submarine A lush and dreamy album. Perfect for bedtime.

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24. deary – Aurelia EP Pretty much anything from British label Sonic Cathedral is a winner in my book! Aurelia is some pretty swell, shimmering shoegaze.

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23. Gift – Illuminator Sweet, swirling dream pop that’s reminiscent of The Primitives with a dash of Curve.

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22. Phantogram – Memory of a Day It has a good beat and I can dance to it. But seriously, it’s a damn fine album and I’m upset that I still haven’t seen the New York duo live.

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21. Redd Kross – Redd Kross Power pop at its finest with this double album.

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20. Attic Ocean – Retriever EP Lovely shoegaze from Germany.

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19. Idles – TANGK Alt-rockers Idles sucked me in with the bop “Dancer” (featuring LCD Soundsystem).

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18. Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless Another fantastic album from the duo that’s been generating hits since 1981 (!).

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17. Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology Swift ventures into synthpop with delicious results.

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16. Old 97’s – American Primitive “You’ve got to dance like the world | Is falling down around you | Because it is” – Old 97’s, “Falling Down” The alt-country rockers’ 13th (!) album is a barn burner full of vim and vigor.

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15. NewDad – MADRA Dream pop with a hint of goth. Right up my alley.

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Matt Berninger of The National at BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire

14. The National – Rome I’m a little obsessed with The National. I listen to them A LOT. I’m in the Sad Dads Book Club. I saw El Vy (IYKYK) at The Sinclair in Boston by myself in 2015. This past fall, I went and saw The National by myself in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire (Hey-Neal Katyal was there!). In Massachusetts, I braved the Great Woods parking lot with my husband and friend. To have a career-spanning live album from The National is a dream come true. Rome does an excellent job of capturing how brilliant they are live.

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13. Ekko Astral – pink balloons Driving punk/garage/noise rock from Washington, DC.

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12. Billie Eilish – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Billie Eilish’s third album does not disappoint. It’s wistful, it’s hopeful, it’s sublime.

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11. Francis of Delirium – Lighthouse Gauzy, soaring dream pop from Luxembourg’s Jana Bahrich. Check out “Blue Tuesday” to get hooked.

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10. Sprints – Letter to Self Honest to goodness anthemic, alt-rock from Dublin. I got reeled in by the pulsing “Heavy.”

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9. Chalk – Conditions II EP Industrial, gloom pop from Belfast that has flashes of The Final Cut. Would’ve fit in perfectly on the Wax Trax roster in the nineties.

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8. Emma Anderson – Spiralée: Pearlies Rearranged The reimagining of Anderson’s Pearlies is effervescent and beautiful. It’s my favorite reworking since Nine Inch Nails’ Further Down the Spiral (1995).

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7. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Boyz Noize – Challengers [Mixed] I haven’t heard an album that’s such a seamless dance gem since Donna Summer’s On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II (1979). With touches of Pet Shop Boys and New Order, I recommend this as an exercise companion. Which is not something I ever thought I’d say about Reznor’s music!

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6. English Teacher – This Could Be Texas I love this stellar debut album from the British group. Something about them reminds me of more rockin’ Black Box Recorder. Another fave from this year is their Live From BBC Maida Vale EP, which includes a great cover of Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.”

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David Rawlings and Gillian Welch at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, NH

5. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland When I younger, I got to work with this pair and it was an honor. Woodland is timeless and haunting. If you get the chance to see them, go!

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Mannequin Pussy at The Sinclair in Cambridge

4. Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven The Philadelphia outfit is a force to be reckoned with. I Got Heaven straddles pop and rock with aplomb.

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The Garbage Record Store Day exclusive copy/paste

3. Garbage – copy/paste On this Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive, Garbage collects ten gorgeous covers (nine of which were previously released). A favorite is their cover of The Jam’s “Butterfly Collector.” Something I really appreciate about this record is that Garbage includes detailed information about the original versions. An abridged digital version with six of the tracks was made available after Black Friday.

Nick Cave at the Harvard Book Store in 2023

2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Wild God This is such a joyous album. Some Bad Seeds fans may take umbrage at its joy, but I love it and need it.

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My brother, Robert Smith, and me on the Bloodflowers tour in 1999

1. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World I think this is The Cure’s finest release since 1992’s Wish, which is interesting because the album has this “Edge of the Deep Green Sea” vibe to it, with a lovely dash of 1987’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

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Favorite Albums of 2023

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Music1 Comment

Here they are! The albums that got me through 2023. As someone with an incurable degenerative illness, music is a lifeline for me. In another lifetime, I worked in the music industry. Once a year, I still work at the merch table for Letters to Cleo at their Boston “Homecoming” shows. The rest of the time, you can find me listening to these records with a cat on my lap.

If you find yourself liking anything you find on this list, please consider supporting the artists by purchasing merch, music, catching a show, etc. My playlist of favorite tracks of 2023 can be found on Spotify.

Top Albums

30. Drop Nineteens – Hard Light Boston’s very own shoegazers reformed for their first album in over 30 years. It’s textured, evocative of the ‘90s, yet mature. On “Tarantula,” they dip into power pop with sparkling results.

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29. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin I never thought I’d be into lo-fi, indie folk music, but Sufjan Stevens’s connection to The National was too strong for me. Javelin is like a sumptuous lullaby.

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28. Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance If you’re a fan of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” meet the person who inspired its sound: Gracie Abrams. And if you’re a fan of Sidney Bristow, thank Gracie’s dad. Produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, Good Riddance is wistful and delicate.

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27. Parannoul (파란노을) – After the Magic Luscious dream pop from South Korea, After the Magic sounds a lot like British shoegaze, but with dynamic (emo?) keyboards and strings.

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26. Alison Goldfrapp – The Love Invention Alison Goldfrapp, who is one half of the duo Goldfrapp, goes solo on this sublime synth-pop dance record.

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25. Spoon Benders – How Things Repeat Portland, Oregon’s Spoon Benders are an old-fashioned, garage, psych-rockin’ good time. Best listened to loud.

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24. Travels With Brindle – Notes from Undergrad I was hooked from the haunting first track “Something’s Wrong.” Notes from Undergrad is filled with twee-pop, ukulele-based bops. Recommended for fans of Magnetic Fields.

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23. boygenius – the record What a treat it is to have a full-length album from singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. The vocals of the three combine to produce soaring harmonies. If you get Simon and Garfunkel vibes from “Cool About It,” you’ll find that Paul Simon is credited as one of the songwriters as a tip of the hat for borrowing a bit from “The Boxer.”

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22. Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Mitski’s seventh album is filled with frank and heart-wrenching songs. The Land Is Inhospitable was my companion for many bouts of insomnia.

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21. SQÜRL – Silver Haze The art/drone rock project from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Carter Logan, and Shane Stoneback unsurprisingly evokes a cinematic world, most notably on “The End of the World.”

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20. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS The dream of the nineties is alive in Olivia Rodrigo. Some artists struggle with their sophomore effort, but not Rodrigo. GUTS is a juggernaut of pop confection. It makes no sense that I connect with her lovelorn lyrics, but I do.

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19. Kristin Hersh – Clear Pond Road Raw and intimate, Kristin Hersh unfurls another potent album with Clear Pond Road.

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18. Lovina Falls – Calculating the Angle of Our Descent Valerie Forgione of Mistle Thrush returns to the Boston music scene with her new project Lovina Falls. Calculating the Angle of Our Descent is a shimmering, eclectic, alternative-pop debut.

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Valerie Forgione of Lovina Falls | Photo by Joan Hathaway

17. Sparks – The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte The Mael brothers’ unconventional pop has been delighting devoted fans since the early seventies and Latte is no exception. Check out their minimalist video for “The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” starring Cate Blanchett.

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Sparks at The Wilbur Theatre in 2023 | Photo by Chelsea Spear

16. Screaming Females – Desire Pathway It’s a bummer that this kick-ass New Jersey band called it quits in late 2023. Desire Pathway is a triumphant, rocking farewell.

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15. Madder Rose – No One Gets Hurt Ever The nineties indie rock band is back! It is so good to hear Mary Lorson’s voice on new material. The album, tinged with alt-country, is simply flawless.

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Madder Rose album artwork | Photo by Andy Bologovsky

14. Slowdive – everything is alive The shoegaze outfit does not disappoint with their lush, ethereal album.

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13. The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons What a banger from one of Sweden’s top exports! I’m sad that I missed their Boston show that was replete with glow-in-the-dark suits.

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12. Ladytron – Time’s Arrow Ladytron’s seventh album is a solid, gorgeous addition to the synth-pop band’s catalog. The Liverpudlians also released the charming, surprise Christmas song “All Over by Xmas.”

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11. Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman … Another top-notch rock release from Josh Homme and co. This record was one of my most played of the year. Homme has been through a lot since the last QOTSA album (divorce, death of his close friend Mark Lanegan) and you can feel the catharsis.

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The author with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age forever ago.

10. Billy Nomates – Cacti Billy Nomates AKA Tor Maries got a lot of flack for her no-frills Glastonbury performance. She performed live vocals to backing tracks and had no band. I’ve seen several solo performers take the same lo-budget approach (Poe, Peaches, various electronic musicians like Aphex Twin and Sonoio) but they weren’t under Glasto’s magnifying glass. I’ve even seen full bands “play” to backing tracks and no one’s cared/noticed. It’s a misogynistic shame because Marie’s suffered great abuse and her second album, Cacti is excellent. “Spite” was my summer anthem while “Roundabout Sadness” captured my sullen mood whenever I had a medical flare.

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9. Emma Anderson – Pearlies Emma Anderson of Lush and Sing-Sing goes solo with brilliant results. Of the post-Lush projects (including Miki Berenyi’s Piroshka), Pearlies is most likely to scratch that shoegaze/ethereal/dream pop Lush itch. It also has hints of early Goldfrapp.

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8. Blur – The Ballad of Darren Blur’s latest release is filled with somber ballads and pop rock earworms. I find myself humming various songs from The Ballad of Darren all the time. It’s Britpop all grown up and it sounds brilliant. Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon are two great tastes that taste great together.

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7. The National – Laugh Track Fans of The National were shocked to learn during a September concert that the band would be releasing a second album in 2023. And that they’d be releasing it digitally THAT WEEKEND! (Yes, I was a shocked fan even though I wasn’t at said concert. I caught it via Instagram Live.) Laugh Track is a fitting companion to First Two Pages of Frankenstein and includes guest vocalists Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Phoebe Bridgers, and Rosanne Cash. Standout tracks include “Space Invader” and opening track “Alphabet City.”

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6. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori Depeche Mode’s first album since the death of Andy Fletcher is a rich, textured contemplation on mortality. Surviving members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore have created another sonically gorgeous gem.

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Depeche Mode at TD Garden on October 31, 2023. Photo by Amy Lordan-Tripp

5. ††† (Crosses) – Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete Chino Moreno of Deftones and Shaun Lopez of Far get their darkwave on in their goth love letter that even includes a track with *the* Robert Smith. Recommended if you like Songs of Faith and Devotion-era Depeche Mode.

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4. Daughter – Stereo Mind Game Six years was a long time between Daughter albums. Thankfully, there was vocalist Elena Tonra’s soul-crushing solo debut Ex:Re to bridge the gap. Like The National, Daughter seems to have a deep connection to my brain. Stereo Mind Game is atmospheric and glistening.

Side note: my four-year-old cat, Ada, loves them. She also likes Nick Cave and Harry Styles. Ada will get right up against the speakers when those artists are on.

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3. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Australian Carnage: Live at the Sydney Opera House My first post-Covid show was Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston. It was a transcendent, tear-filled experience for me. At that show, and on this album, Cave and Ellis perform(ed) gentle, soulful versions of songs from the Bad Seeds’ catalog along with many of the songs from the duo’s album Carnage.

Side note: This year, I got to meet Nick Cave at a book signing for Faith, Hope and Carnage at the Harvard Bookstore and he was so very kind and empathetic.

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Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in 2022. Photo by Amy Lordan-Tripp

2. Ash – Race the Night This album from the Northern Irish lads is such a perfect, power-pop album! Now they just need to come back to the States so that I can hear the new tracks live. Meanwhile, you can find me watching the hilarious video for the epic “Crashed Out Wasted” on YouTube.

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Ash: Rick McMurry. Mark Hamilton, and Tim Wheeler | Photo by Stephan Brückler

1. The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein I’m a little obsessed with The National. If you follow my Instagram, you know this. Their first (!) album of 2023 made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my depression. First Two Pages feels like a return to the eras of High Violet (2010) and Trouble Will Find Me (2013). The “Sad Dads” frontman/lyricist Matt Berninger came through a traumatic bout of writer’s block to pen this album, which features guest appearances from Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift.

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The National at Roadrunner in Boston (2022) | Photo by Amy Lordan-Tripp

Concert Highlights of 2022

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Music, Pop CultureLeave a comment

Is it too late to still be looking back on 2022 on January 12? I rung in the new year with my second case of Shingles, so I’m going to just go ahead with this listing of my favorite concerts of 2022!

5. Metric and Secret Machines at the House of Blues in Boston on October 25. I know my ears and soul were deprived most egregiously during Covid, but I’ve seen Metric several times since 2005 and I think they’ve never sounded better. Opener Secret Machines were a shoegaze/space rock treat! I hadn’t seen them in ages.

Pet Shop Boys at the Leader Bank Pavilion on September 19/Photo by Amy Lordan

4. Pet Shop Boys, New Order, and Paul Oakenfold at the Leader Bank Pavilion on September 19. This show was originally scheduled for 2020, then 2021, then (third time’s the charm!) 2022. This was an outrageously good performance by the always amazing Pet Shop Boys. We did get a little wet while we sheltered in place under the tent during a strong thunderstorm after the legendary New Order. And when I say “we,” I mean my husband and … my brother! My brother rarely goes to shows anymore, but he’s the best big brother ever because he took me to see New Order in 1993. That was when Peter Hook was still on bass, and quite honestly, best part of New Order live. Don’t get me wrong: I looooove New Order, but they’ve never been the best live band and they end up paling in comparison to the theatrical PSB.

The National at Roadrunner on September 22/Photo by Amy Lordan

3. The National at Roadrunner on September 22. I have a huge crush on The National. Singer Matt Berninger’s melancholy and wit suits me perfectly. My first time seeing The National was at Mass MoCA with my bookseller dream girl Lisa (AKA Tigger Girl). I’m guessing that show will always hold a special place in my heart. But this was my first show at the new Roadrunner and I was impressed. The venue is pretty decent from a disabled person’s point of view. I did have issues getting into the bathroom after the show because the line went down the stairs and I needed to use the ramp. Miracle of Boston/The National fans/gender neutral bathrooms: people at the top of the stairs let me in line! Of course I still had to wait for someone without visible impairments use the handicapped stall while I braced myself with my rollator (Hey! Maybe they have invisible disabilities. I do!). The ADA section is down front, stage right. I couldn’t see the excellent brass section from our angle, but the view of the rest of the band was incomparable. Heads up: email Roadrunner to request ADA seating in advance.

2. Itzy at MGM Music Hall in Boston on November 10. This was so close to being my number one show of 2022! See that “YouTube Story” above that I made? It has over 120K views and 19.2K likes on Instagram. Itzy is so fun and popular! Right, Midzi? (That’s what Itzy fans are called). I loved this night of K-Pop confection because it was my nephew’s first concert! I’m such a cool aunt. We even went to El Jefe’s for tacos after.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Wang Theatre at the Boch Center on March 22/Photo by Amy Lordan

1. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Wang Theatre at the Boch Center on March 22. This was my return show. I hadn’t been to a concert since Local H and Soul Asylum in February of 2020. Nick Cave is one of my top five favorite artists and possibly my most beloved lyricist (I do still have a soft spot for that Morrissey fella, plus Jarvis Cocker, Stephin Merritt, Emma Anderson/Miki Berenyi of Lush, Robert Smith, … wait this is getting too long!) Anyhow, I wept and tried to not steam up my glasses with my N95 mask while Cave and Ellis broke my heart wide open. Here’s the thing: being disabled can suck, but music is transcendant.

I only went to eleven shows total last year. I missed Blood Red Shoes, The Darkness, and Suede/Manic Street Preachers because I was too sick to leave the house. I won’t be going to another show until after flu season because I’m immunocompromised. At every show I attended, I wore an N95 mask. I use various mobility aides because of the degenerative illness that I have (Ehlers Danlos syndrome. I’ve been vaccinated five times against Covid. I got my flu shot as I do every year. I’m due for my pneumonia vaccine in the fall. Because my immune system is so crappy, I have to really measure how important a concert is. When I recently got bronchial RSV with asthma flare, I was out of work for four weeks. I love to live vicariously through others’ concert photos (I’m looking at you jtourtellot, djangiec, eep_97, and Matt Lambert! Keep up the good work!)

Favorite Albums of 2020

On By Amy Lordan-TrippIn Music, Pop CultureLeave a comment

Other than hugging my mom, what I missed the most this year has been concerts. When I saw Soul Asylum and Local H in February, I had no idea that it would be my last show of 2020. When I worked in the music industry, some weeks I’d be at shows every night. One night, when I worked at Ryko Distribution, I saw three separate concerts (at three different venues) on one night. I saw more shows on that one night than I have in all of 2020.

The upside of all of this quarantining at home, aside from reading way more than usual, has been the bonus music exploration time. KEXP, WERS, Hot Press, Bandcamp, and Vanyaland were some of my favorite sources for new tunes. When I wasn’t reading, you could find me playing Animal Crossing while blasting music.

As someone who’s immunocompromised and spent three months quarantining when she was 12, escaping through music has been a big part of my life. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through this year without these albums (and many, many others). Without further ado, here’s my top ten favorite albums of 2020!

Top Ten Favorite Albums

Matt Berninger’s Serpentine Prison | Photo by Amy Lordan

10. Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison The frontman of The National released his first solo effort and it’s quite excellent. It picks up where The National’s Trouble Will Find Me left off.

9. Butch Walker – American Love Story This is Walker’s musical! Maybe someday it’ll be on the stage. For now, you can enjoy its many power pop ear worms like “Fuck It (I Don’t Like Love)” and “Everything White.” And if songs like Walker’s “Joan” are among your favorites, then your heart will break for the “Sunset Grill”-sounding “Out In the Open.”

Nine Inch Nails performing in Mansfield, MA in 2009 | Photo by Amy Lordan

8. Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V: Together Atmospheric, ambient, and haunting. This release, along with Ghosts VI, is available for free on the Nine Inch Nails website. Go grab them both. As the description on the website says, “TWO DIFFERENT RECORDS FOR TWO DIFFERENT MINDSETS. DOWNLOAD NOW FOR FREE. STAY SAFE!” This year, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails also released scores for the films Soul and Mank. That Emmy, Oscar, and Grammy award winner Reznor knows how to stay busy. Maybe Reznor should collaborate with Butch Walker on a musical so that he can get his Tony?

7. Run the Jewels – RTJ4 Remember that feeling in college you’d get when you listened to Consolidated? That’s the buzz I get from this politically-charged album. I get goosebumps every single time I listen to “Walking in the Snow” and I hear the lyrics, “Until my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, ‘I can’t breathe.'”

6. Phantogram – Ceremony This was my go-to album when I needed a pick-me-up. Songs like “Dear God” and “Into Happiness” capture how I miss my friend with lyrics like “Take me out of this world I’m living in | Tell, tell my friends ’cause I know I’mma see again” and “Wish you could be here | No more loneliness | You’d make it perfect.” Also, it has a good beat and I can dance to it.

5. Pillow Queens – In Waiting This is the Irish quartet that’s missing from your collection. Wistful. Melodic. Shimmering. Kinda sounds like Teagan and Sara gone shoegaze and power pop. From 2:51 of “Holy Show” to its end is truly glorious.

4. Hinds – The Prettiest Curse Ah! Sweet power pop meets lo-fi garage rock. The Spanish quartet’s third album is a gem. They straddle the lines of pop and rock perfectly, and they even throw in a dash of synth-pop. It’s like Apples In Stereo, Fuzzy, and CSS had a baby and that baby is Hinds.

Deftones at the House of Blues in Boston in 2013 | Photo by Amy Lordan

3. Deftones – Ohms Hands down my favorite Deftones album since White Pony. Some tracks are kinda thrash metal (“Urantia”) while others (“The Link Is Dead”) meander into Angelo Badalamenti territory.

Nick Cave performing with Grinderman at the House of Blues in Boston in 2010 | Photo by Amy Lordan

2. Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer This is my kitten’s favorite album of 2020. She has a penchant for Nick Cave (and also Harry Styles). Everytime we play Nick Cave, she has to jump up to the speakers and be as close as possible to them. I think she gets that from me. Whenever I’ve seen Nick Cave live, whether it’s with Grinderman or the Bad Seeds, I always want to be close to him. I think that Cave is the most brilliant lyricist of his generation. With Idiot Prayer, Cave’s lyrics seem even more poignant in this stripped down, solo live performance. Idiot Prayer was recorded at Alexandra Palace in London and was streamed globally to ticket holders online on July 23, 2020.

1. Hum – Inlet I am obsessed with this moody, brooding, sonic masterpiece. When I found myself in the emergency department because of an intractable migraine, this was one of the albums that soothed me. It’s so easy to get lost in Inlet. I was particularly drawn to “In the Den” with the lyric “Find me here on the ground and in need of you” and wishing that my partner could be by my side. But that’s life during a pandemic.

Honorable Mention

  • Grimes – Miss Anthropocene
  • Pet Shop Boys – Hot Spot
  • Morrissey – I Am Not a Dog On a Chain (Yes. I’m just as confused as you that this isn’t in my top albums. It starts out strong and then just peters out.)
  • Bohren & Der Club of Gore – Patchouli Blue
  • The Rentals – Q36
  • Lanterns On the Lake – Spook the Herd
  • Throwing Muses – Sun Racket
  • Yumi Zouma – Truth or Consequences
  • Greg Dulli – Random Desire
  • Jarv … Is – Beyond the Pale
  • Doves – The Universal Want
  • Songhoy Blues – Optimisme
  • Taylor Swift – evermore (Yes. I’m just as confused as you that this is in my honorable mention section. It might even bump out one of my top ten albums! Why? Because this is basically an album by The National with Taylor Swift. Aaron Dessner of The National co-produced both of Swift’s 2020 album releases. In the past, I’ve tried to get into Taylor Swift, but had no luck. This time, I was like, “She does a song with The National? I gotta hear it.” So I did. I listened to “Coney Island” and then I listened to the whole album. And then I listened to the whole album again. And I’m in love. Particularly with “Champagne Problems.”

For more of my favorite tracks from 2020, including new singles by Dubstar, New Order, and Parlour Bells, check out my Spotify playlist.