What a terribly strange year 2020 has been. In some respects, it seemed like any other year, but that is coming from a guy that already worked from home full time. But, in other ways it was constant change, a constant struggle to do the right thing while staring in the face of a nation that made it clear that they put their self-interest over the greater good. And here we are praying for vaccine distribution because that is the only thing that can save us from ourselves. It is odd how something so void of activity could simultaneously be exhausting.
Whoa, this is a music blog, not sure how I ended up down
that rabbit hole, but if you are reading this, you know who I am. You know I
follow science. You know I wear my mask because it would benefit my fellow humans.
You know I work in healthcare, and I will be eager to take the vaccine because
if the Dr’s and Nurses I work with it are good with it, so am I. I am not so
pompous or naïve as to assume I know more than them. They trust my Tech. I
trust their Medicine.
Okay, I think I am done with that, now. So, let’s talk
about music. Oddly, I didn’t buy as many CDs as I normally do. I am not sure if
it was selection or if I was being more selective or if I was just pre-occupied
with all the other shit. Still, the ones I did buy hit hard and made me make
some tough choices.
For the new readers, let me get you up to speed with my
rules. Yeah, I’ve got rules and shit. Number one rule: I had to actually
purchase the CD. If I didn’t love it enough to own it, then it is not list
worthy. Seems pretty logical to me. The other rules, with no particular weight,
include: how often I listened to the album; how good the artist can pull it off
live (yes; I know that doesn’t seem to fit an album review, but, again, it’s my
list, and I do what I want up in this piece); quality of recording; strength of
lyrics; no EPs; no live albums – it has to be new music, if an artist did a
live CD of all new songs, I would consider it; and, for artists that have
multiple albums under their belts, how this album compares to their other work.
I am not saying these rules are fair, but I am saying this is what I use to
determine my Top 10. At the end of the day, what was my soundtrack to 2020.
I am pretty sure Fiona has appeared on one of my lists
before. It would surprise me if she hasn’t. I’ve been a fan since Tidal,
and my support and admiration has been unwavering. I kind of feel like we grew
up together. Fetch The Bolt Cutters is art. It is dense and complex and
requires multiple listens to pick-up on and embrace all the nuance. Almost
every list I have read has it in the Top 10, if not the Top 5. I think the one
thing that held it out of the Top 5 for my list is I just didn’t spend a lot of
time with it. Maybe I was too tired to really dig in. It’s not the kind of
album that you can let be background. It is heavy. It demands and deserves
attention. “For Her” transitions out of a bridge with the line, “You raped me
in the same bed your daughter was born in.” Yeah, it is the that kind of heavy
album. Like I said, it deserves attention, and should be on every Top of 2020
list.
Sylvan Esso has long been my go-to for work jams. For
whatever reason, I am able to groove to their music while simultaneously
getting shit done. They are like spinach, if I were Popeye. Oh wait, is that
reference too old for you? Google it, ya young whipper-snapper. Free Love is
exactly what we needed this year. If you follow any of their social, they did
the best live stream performances this year, and made incredibly artsy videos. When
spinning this CD, you can let it sit in the background while you get in some
chair dancing, but be prepared for depth and introspection. They may sound like
a fun party band, but trust if you dig into the lyrics, they always have something
powerful to say. Oh, they also release WITH this year, which was a dynamic live
recording, which deserves a purchase as well. HERE
is a link to their YouTube, do yourself a favor and spend some time checking
out the multi-media they are putting out. Great stuff.
I am gonna be honest, there wasn’t a CD I was
anticipating more than Supernova. Starfire caught me by surprise,
as I had not heard of Caitlyn Smith, but I instantly loved her voice and
songwriting. So, when I heard rumor that she was dropping new music, I was eager
like a fat kid on Thanksgiving. Let me tell you, just like sweet potato casserole
and stuffing, Supernova does not disappoint. As you’d expect from a disk
being produced in Nashville, the production is as clean. Say what you will
about country, but those Studios Engineers know their way around a console. I
am not sure where I would put this album. I am seeing people call it Adult Alternative
on-line, but I feel like it is younger and fresher than that genre. It’s not
country. Hell, what is country anymore? Anything with a pedal steel I guess, such
a weird genre. Here is the deal, if you dig really great singers that are
belting some extremely relatable, yet personal, shit, and are a fan of excellently
produced recordings, you are gonna like this CD.
I found Phoebe through boygenius which is her side
project with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, both of whom I am a huge fan.
Surprisingly, to me at least, it was Phoebe that stood out in that ensemble, so
I started getting all of her stuff. Stranger In The Alps is excellent,
and her collaborations are always impressive, my favorite being the one with
Noah & Abby Gunderson. Needless to say, when I saw that she was releasing
new material, my excitement was palpable. When I step back and look at her body
of work, Punisher is just a more mature recording, not just the
songwriting, but the recording itself. With her wistful voice and intensely
honest lyrics, Phoebe is able to juxtapose vulnerability and fearlessness. Just
read the lyrics to “Moon Song” and you’ll understand what I am talking about.
You asked to walk me home
But I had to carry you
And you pushed me in
And now my feet can't touch the bottom of you
You couldn't have, you couldn't
have
Stuck your tongue down the throat of somebody
Who loves you more
So I will wait for the next time you want me
Like a dog with a bird at your door
We hate Tears in Heaven
But it's sad that his baby died
And we fought about John Lennon
Until I cried
And then went to bed upset
Now I'm dreaming
And you're singing at my birthday
I've never seen you smiling so big
It's nautical themed
And there's something I'm supposed to say
But can't for the life of me remember what it is
And if I could give you the moon
I would give you the moon
You are sick, and you're married
And you might be dying
But you're holding me like water in your hands
When you saw the dead little bird, you started crying
But you know the killer doesn't understand
She creates with abandon and will not be constrained by any box you, or I, want to put her in.
I think this might be the surprise of the list, not
because I haven’t been a fan for a long time, but because it caught me off
guard, and despite being an accomplished songwriter and putting in her dues for
years, Ashley is still a bit under the radar, for most. I saw her dropping
singles, but I missed the album release. August is the busiest time for the
youth football season, so I was in full-on coach mode and just missed it. I
didn’t pick it up until the week of December 14th after she dropped
her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert which was so good I went out looking for more
music. Typically, albums that I buy in December really struggle to get the kind
of rotations that would garner a spot on my list, but right out of the gate,
Ashley lets you know she is not playing around. “Pauline” is this dirgey ditty
about her mom and grandma. It is introspective, vulnerable, and authentic, and
the album never lets up. It’s one of those discs that defies the rules. I don’t
care that I didn’t get to listen to it 100s of times over the course of the
year, because this is like her Southeastern.
Those that know, know. The production is exceptional. It has the tones and
textures that I love the most about Alt-Country/Americana. So much lovely lush tremolo.
If you appreciate really incredible storytelling, this is the disc for you.
When I think about the soundtrack to my 2020, this disc
had to be included. Y’all already know that All Them Witches is my son’s
favorite band. Every year I set his highlight video to their music – here is his 5th grade film –
and we listen to them before every practice and game, so you know the new disc
was in HEAVY rotation. What is
incredible to me is how prolific they are. All Them Witches lives in a world that
is sonically undefined, from album to album they seem to be able to reinvent
themselves while remaining true to themselves. My son and I had a pretty
intense discussion about Nothing as the Ideal. I mean as intense as you can get
with an 11 year old. He says it is his second favorite ATW recording, but it
falls more to the middle of the pack, for me. They veered a bit from the psychedelic
grooves that I love so much on ATW, Sleeping Through the War, Dying
Surfer Meets His Maker, and the others. Instead, a few cuts, seemed to be
drawing from a more old-school thrash and metal influence, almost reminiscent
of Motorhead. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but I really love when they
stretch things out, when they let the song breathe. I mean they only had three
songs that were longer than five minutes for fuck sakes. That’s abnormal for
them. No surprise, but the two that eclipsed nine minutes, “See You Next Fall”
and “Rats in Ruin,” are my favorite of the disc.
Ya know, I never would have thought that in the middle of
a global pandemic the album that I would need was a brutally honest coming of
age while coming out of the closet recording, but here we are. Expectations
is riddled with track after track of incredible storytelling and authenticity. The
instrumentation is timeless. Katie’s guitar playing is tastefully understated,
and her voice lilts and sores, commanding an impressive dynamic range that is
rare in such a young singer, but really, it comes back to the songwriting. It
is just so open and intimate. I genuinely feel like I know this total stranger.
I feel like she is a member of my tribe. As a singer/songwriter myself, I
suspect that was always my ultimate goal, to open up and let the listener
really know me, to find connection. In a year that placed connection at a
premium, Expectations helped to fill the void. We talk a lot about love
is love, and that is easy for some to understand, but for others they still
struggle with that concept. For those that are struggling, I beg you to read
these lyrics…
I was broken and bent out of shape
Everything was a dark shade of gray
There never was a sunnier day
Than when you decided to get on that plane
Touch down in the Tennessee rain
And I had no clue, it was gonna be you
Then one night we got high on your bed
I had the munchies and your eyes were red
In the grocery store shopping for bread
You looked me dead in my eyes and you said
"Let's have a sword fight with these French baguettes"
And that's when I knew, it was gonna be you...
You came wandering into my life without warning
We stayed up talking, before I knew, it was morning
At a house party just down the street
My band was playing and you came to see
Oh, we both had way too much to drink
We made out all night on some strange balcony
I swear I never wanted to leave
And neither did you
Oh, neither did you...
It was perfect, as if God himself wrote it
I'd be fine dying, if my life were only this moment...
Oh oh oh oh... oh oh
Oh oh oh oh... oh... oh oh... oh
In my bedroom when I was a child
I imagined that same exact smile
In my dreams, oh, you drove me half wild
I thought for sure it was all in my mind
You could never exist in real life
Yet somehow you do
Oh, somehow you do
There must have been angels
Singing sweetly above me
Oh, do you love... me?
There's nobody who
Makes me feel... like you do...
I know that it's always been... you...
I am hoping that knowing that is a girl singing about loving a girl will help you understand.
Y’all had to know this was coming right? When has a Jason
Isbell album not made my list. When I was compiling the list, Reunions
was there, but I initially had it much lower, then, as I do before I write my
review, I gave it a listen, and instantly I realized I knew every word to track;
I knew all of Jimbo Hart’s bass lines; knew all the slide parts, all the times
Amanda Shires’s harmonies kick in. Because it was released in the front half of
the year and didn’t get a lot of play during the football season (as a person
that works from home, the football season is when I listen to the most music
because it is when I am in my car the most, going to and from practice, picking
players up, dropping them off, roadtripping to games, etc.) I had forgotten how
much of an impact it had already made on me. I had forgotten how strong it was.
I am to the point where I would fight someone that didn’t think Jason is one of
the best songwriters America ever produced, and it is fuckin’ justified. Album
after album the dude is able to paint an authentic American landscape that is
accessible, dreamy, and thought provoking. I mean read “Only Children” and tell
me that is not the most well written story you’ve read this year?
Walking around at night
Fighting my appetite
Every kid in cutoffs could be you
Remember when we used to meet
At the bottom of Mobile Street
And do what the broken people do
Are you still taking notes
The Holy Ghost could get inside you
And do whatever you put your mind to
Will you read me what you wrote
When we were locked outside the building
Over-encouraged, only children
Cold coffee on the fire escape
We bet it all on a demo tape
When we still had something left to steal
Remember when we took too much
To get a little of the human touch
Hand to mouth and reel to reel
And are you still taking notes
Hydrocodone in your backpack
Maybe these words will hold the beast back
And will you read me what you wrote
The one I said you stole from Dylan
Over-encouraged, only children
Heaven's wasted on the dead
That's what your mama said
When the hearse was idling in the parking lot
She said you thought the world of me
And you were glad to see
They finally let me be an astronaut
Are you still taking notes
Will you have anyone to talk to
Castle walls that you can walk through
And do the dead believe in ghosts
Or are you lost in some old building
With over-encouraged only children
Honestly, I could just drop the lyrics and let them speak
for themselves, but you have to hear the music. The 400 unit is one of the tightest
bands making music today. Everyone of them respects their craft; they don’t cut
corners; they don’t forsake talent for studios magic; and all of that is
evident when you listen to Reunions.
No artist got more play in my house than William Wild in
2020. William Wild, which is the moniker of Knoxville based singer/songwriter/producer
Garrett Sales, is my go-to to get my head right, to calm me when the kids have terrorized
my morning, or I need some calm before bed. Push Ups soothes me. It’s Garrett’s
voice. His incredible ability to slide into falsetto with no break is breathtaking.
Unlike previous recordings, William Wild and Steady Now, Push Ups
is more expansive. The instrumentation has an electronic bend, and his knowledge
of production is on full display because every musical direction, every decision
that is made is tasteful and intentional. Much like Sylvan Esso and All Them
Witches, you can let William Wild be the background to your moment, but if you really
listen, if you get beneath the surface, Garrett is opening himself up; he is
exposing the rawness of his existence, and it is beautiful.
I just went through every Top 10 I have written. I have been
at this since 2009, and while several hip-hop artists have appeared on my lists,
no one has ever taken the top spot, until this year. If y’all follow any of my
social media, you know Nas is my favorite rapper, has been and probably always
will be. If Nasir had two more songs, that disc could have made the list,
but I put that in the EP category. King’s Disease, however, with 13 terrific
tracks, definitely qualifies, and, in my opinion, it is Nas’s best work since Illmatic.
So, here is the thing, I just don’t feel qualified to talk about hip-hop. I
know what I like. I know I played this CD after every football game, after
every football practice. I know my kids know every word on every song. I know
it earned it’s spot on my list, but I also know what I don’t know. As a singer/songwriter
I feel qualified to speak on the majority of the music I review. I know the history.
I understand the instrumentation, the song construction; I can differentiate
quality lyrics from shit, but when it comes to hip-hop, I prefer to listen to
folks that are more knowledgeable than I am. So, HERE is the Joe Budden podcast
discussing the disc.
