it’s a 2020 AotY list!
Can you believe it?
In 2019 I didn’t do an album of the year list because I did a decade-long retrospective instead! I figured if I was only going to do one or the other, I might as well do the one that you can only do once every 10 years!
I’m excited to tell you what albums I think were the best this year! There’s some strong competition.
1. Brave Faces Everyone — Spanish Love Songs
Far and away my favorite album of the year is Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs. Absolutely the beginning of the year release that I needed to get me through the year that 2020 ended up being. In addition to the song linked below, I recommend “Losers” and “Kick.”
2. Nightfall — Little Big Town
Little Big Town haven’t been on my radar since listening to “Boondocks” on the bus on my way to school in middle school! Well, they were on my radar with “Girl Crush,” but I choose to overlook that track. To be one of two albums representing country music on this list, Nightfall is a strong album. In addition to the track linked below I recommend “Next To You,” “Nightfall,” “Wine, Beer, Whiskey,” and “Trouble With Forever.”
3. Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them — The Amity Affliction
Bringing the metalcore and post-hardcore representation is The Amity Affliction with Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them. I really fell in love with The Amity Affliction with 2018’s Misery and this album is a fantastic follow-up. In addition to the song linked below I recommend “All My Friends Are Dead” and “Catatonia.”
4. In Sickness & In Flames — The Front Bottoms
My love of The Front Bottoms is well known and I’ve even already written a bit about this album. It absolutely deserves its place on this list. In addition to the track linked below I recommend “camouflage,” “the truth,” “the hard way,” and “new song d.”
5. Years — John Anderson
Years is a contemplative album, which I really enjoy from country music. I genuinely feel that the genre often channels contemplativeness in a way that other genres don’t necessarily. I’ve already written about “Years,” the track linked below, and “I’m Still Hangin’ On” in previous posts. I also recommend “All We’re Really Looking For.”
6. Lamb of God — Lamb of God
This album is a strong entry for Lamb of God. It features Jamey Jasta and Chuck Billy each on a track. In addition to the song linked below I recommend “Memento Mori” and “Checkmate.”
7. Growing Down — Termination Dust
Rounding out this list is Termination Dust’s Growing Down. The band, which classifies their music as bedroom pop, dream pop, and emo among other genres on their Bandcamp, came to my attention (as did Spanish Love Songs) because of New Noise Magazine. Instantly the opening track, with its refrain of “Your heart, it can warm me still,” won me over. And the album is solid all of the way through. I recommend, in addition to the track linked below, “Purple Eclipse,” (the aforementioned opening track), “Streelights,” and “Still Sleeping.”
