It’s not just you — this year feels like it’s been 78 months long for everyone.
So yes, it’s a bit past the halfway point when we would normally examine the “best so far” of anything, but we’ll allow it because, well, 2020.
Even without the ability to tour, artists have steadily released new music. Some, such as Taylor Swift, utilized pandemic downtime to craft an unexpected release, while others, such as Lady Gaga, delayed an album drop because the worldwide health crisis that began its takeover in early spring seemed like an inappropriate time to celebrate music.
As the months have passed, a slew of notable musical works has arrived. Here’s a look at some of the “best so far.”
CeeLo Green, “CeeLo Green Is…Thomas Callaway”
Those who have followed Green’s career through Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley and solo work know that he’s a chameleonic talent, with influences as varied as Duran Duran and Sly Stone. His voice is also always a distinctive delight, regardless of the genre he’s embracing on his various projects. But it took Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys to extract Green’s genuine soul. As producer and collaborator, Auerbach leads Green through his gospel roots (“I Wonder How Love Feels”), breezy R&B (“Thinking Out Loud”) and soaring soul-pop (“Lead Me”) on his sixth solo album, which is undoubtedly his most authentic.
Taylor Swift, “Folklore”
If you’re going to turn the drudgery of a quarantine into a creative outlet for some of your finest, most insightful work, then maybe you deserve a few more Grammy Awards next year. Swift’s 16-song opus might not have started as career-defining work, but it’s impossible to listen to clever songs such as “The Last Great American Dynasty,” the whispery “Cardigan,” the sweet folksiness of “Betty” and the haunting church-organ overtones of “Epiphany” and not be impressed with Swift’s ever-expanding depth as a songwriter.
The Chicks, “Gaslighter”
It’s already known as “the divorce album” given the potent lyrical slap of many songs, including the stinging title track and “Tights on My Boat,” which teeters perfectly between pettiness and righteous anger. (“I hope you die peacefully in your sleep. Just kidding. I hope it hurts like you hurt me.”) But it is that title track, with its layered vocals, driving beat and flecks of banjo that exemplify the best of the trio formerly known to be Dixie. Also worth repeated listens — the hard-strumming “Texas Man” and the hypnotically powerful “March March.”
Run the Jewels, “RTJ4”
Atlanta’s Killer Mike and musical partner El-P have never shied from honesty, bracing as it may be, in their songs. The duo’s long-awaited fourth album arrived in the throes of civil unrest throughout the country while offering such prescient works as the steady buzzing “Walking in the Snow,” which was written long before the May death of George Floyd. (”And every day on evening news, they feed you fear for free/And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me/And ‘til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, “I can’t breathe.”) Even the thick bounce of “Ooh LA LA” and the 2 Chainz-guesting “Out of Sight” vibrate with tense energy.
The Pretenders, “Hate for Sale”
Chrissie Hynde might be a few weeks shy of 69, but she can still rattle teeth with her gritty rock punches. A taut 10 songs comprise the band’s 11th studio album, the first since 2002 to feature original drummer Martin Chambers. Hynde and guitarist James Walbourne co-wrote all of the tracks, and from the punky title track to the dreamy “The Buzz” (complete with nostalgic guitar line reminiscent of the band’s 1979 gem “Kid”) to “Didn’t Want to Be This Lonely,” which rolls with a Bo Diddley beat and Hynde channeling Elvis, there is still plenty of swagger left in The Pretenders.
Credit: Phil Chester and Sara Byrne
Credit: Phil Chester and Sara Byrne
Butch Walker, “American Love Story”
It took Georgia native Walker a couple of years to release his composition, a concept record/rock opera that places story songs about racism, homophobia and societal ills against a musical backdrop of ’80s-influenced, guitar-driven pop-rock. Truly, it’s Walker’s most ingenious work, as he knocks you in the gut with his lyrics while simultaneously soothing you with his trademark melodies.
The Indigo Girls, “Look Long”
Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Bath, England, the 15th studio album from the Atlanta-rooted duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers quickly establishes the equilibrium between intimacy and potency. The honey-voiced Saliers offers the wistful “When We Were Writers” and “Country Radio,” while Ray’s “S*** Kickin'” and “Howl at the Moon” allow the Indigo Girls to unleash the grittier side that usually peeks out on their albums. As always, Saliers and Ray unspool lyrics that will simultaneously break your heart and stir your passions.
Some other solid albums worth your time
Larkin Poe, “Self Made Man”; Lady Gaga, “Chromatica”; Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Reunions”; Ashley McBryde, “Never Will”; Chloe x Halle, “Ungodly Hour”; Adam Lambert, “Velvet”; Green Day, “Father of All…”; Fiona Apple, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”; Mandy Moore, “Silver Landings.”
About the Author
