While Jeff Rosenstock’s intentions have always been pure, what sets his fourth album apart is how good he has gotten at sweetening his politically charged songs with irresistible pop touches like squealing synths, power-pop guitar jangle, and infectiously danceable rhythms. It was a brilliant move; he did something similar with male vocalists for 2016's synthy Syntherely Yours. The music I'm writing about broadly prizes the personal and the immediate, whether leaning inward (melancholy, introspective) or outward (melancholy people seeking each other). Discover the top indie bands before your hipster friends on We Are The Guard's best indie songs post. 2020 brought the experimental artist’s second album for the label, Heaven To A Tortured Mind, and it saw him present his adventurous tendencies in more accessible ways. It sounds, in fact, like an amalgam of the ’80s synth-pop and stoner-experimental chicanery of the previous two Strokes albums, but with stronger songs, like “The Adults Are Talking” and “At The Door.”–Steven Hyden. They remind me more of folk-horror soundtracks, experimental compositions, and art-pop with a '60s psych side (think Broadcast). III. Fenne Lily – Breach [Dead Oceans]. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. The debut album from Bartees Strange is also one of the most innovative and exciting LPs of 2020. Stereogum's 50 best albums of 2020. 10. All rights reserved.PopMatters is wholly independent, women-owned and operated. The autobiographical songs give detailed, frank glimpses into real-life human struggles, which creates a compelling back-and-forth with the more fantastical music. Looking for the best indie pop tracks? Peel Dream Magazine's second album further expands their sound until it's big-sky, widescreen-epic big. Singing and rapping in both Korean and English over foggy house production and jittering beats, she establishes herself as one of the year’s underrated pop stars, potentially a blueprint for how restrained voices might infiltrate the genre from the inside out. The songs feel familiar and new at the same time. The debut effort from Beabadoobee sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a teen movie, and that’s exactly what 20-year-old Bea Kristi was going for. Spotify … As the album title vividly suggests, Mike Hadreas’ latest Perfume Genius album is dramatic in an in-your-face way. ), 2020 has been packed with excellent music. Epic Records. Shore is a gigantic step forward for Pecknold and his mates, and more proof that the best bands only get better, and more believable, with time.–C.W. There were a lot of these bright moments in the indie rock canon this year, even when the world at large felt dark. 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Staples' Town, Sleeping Dogs Don't Lie, Taylor Swift Has Written the Best Music of Her Career with 'evermore' and 'folklore', The Avalanches Say 'We Will Always Love You', Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, and Jack DeJohnette Are 'Live at Ronnie Scott's', Viggo Mortensen's 'Falling' Binds Art and Life. Sometimes a couple minutes of a beat, a little repeated melody line, and bright/lusty pop vocals, is all you need. To my ears, they're building their own means of expression through disparate pop elements. Although it might feel like decades at this point, the latest effort from Kevin Parker was released only a few months ago. Their synths are clearly Stereolab-influenced, the noisy guitars beg for My Bloody Valentine comparisons, but those are perfect inspirations to build dreamy music around (in 2020 I'd much rather have them than yet another Beatles or Beach Boys-influenced pop-rock band). https://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/score/metascore/year/filtered That is territory he has navigated successfully throughout his career, but he chases it here perhaps more strongly than he ever has. Small music with a big impact. Though the album opens with a never-before-heard vocalist, Uwade Akhere, the surprise guest only makes the return of Robin Pecknold’s signature tenor all the more sweet a song later. Much is 90, 00, 10 but also a big part new, both big and small artists. A list of the top albums of the year from PopMatters (Indie Pop). Holy Heck, ‘The Flight Attendant’ Was A Freaking Blast, Pedro Pascal On Having The Time Of His Life In ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ And If He’ll Send You A Refund For Your ‘Mandalorian’ Razor Crest Toy, ‘The Stand’ Reboot Feels Like An Unlikely Part Of The Antidote To This Hellish, Pandemic-Ridden Year, Indigenous Comedians Speak About The Importance Of Listening To Native Voices, Deepak Chopra Shares Secrets From His Personal Week-Long Silent Retreat, Master Brewer Jaega Wise On Getting More Women Into The Beer Industry And Brewing During A Pandemic, The Ultimate Streetwear Holiday Gift Guide For 2020. 2020 is going to be another exciting year for the indie music scene and the beginning of a new decade. The albums on our year-end list come from all across the spectrum — tender DIY indie-pop… But 2020 saw a Covid diagnosis and a canceled tour, with Simpson somewhat surprisingly sounding more at peace than ever on Cuttin’ Grass — Vol. So it’s nice to see their return to anthemic form, Imploding The Mirage, getting its deserved due from both sides of the aisle, as the band smartly looked to both collaborators and their own history to craft one of the most delightful and sturdy efforts of 2020.–Philip Cosores, Khruangbin tried something different this year by linking up with Leon Bridges for the collaborative Texas Sun EP, but they had another project that was more in their traditional wheelhouse. Discover and listen to new music releases and 2020's best new album releases this week and every week here. The best indie-pop in 2020 privileged self-questioning and human connections over showy declarations of greatness. In what is undoubtedly their most adventurous album to date , the record saw the band link up again with The Coral’s James Skelly at Parr Street Studios who was also the producer for their first two albums. In a time when attention spans are dead goldfish short, Shauf uses his album as an impactful storytelling device that shows off his exemplary abilities both musical and narrative.–Derrick Rossignol. Back in the aughts, Jason Isbell was a hard-drinking malcontent who struggled — against himself more than anything — to realize his potential. By Remezcla Estaff. Amazon Despite it being an unbelievably terrible year (or perhaps because of it? The Bailey sisters have resided in the spotlight for the better part of … The best albums of 2020 so far Clockwise from bottom left: ... resulting in the breakthrough of one of the best British indie-rock bands in ages. What makes Fetch The Bolt Cutters feel like a new high-water mark for Fiona Apple — is it possible to rank all five of her albums as tied for her best? Following the massive success of Soccer Mommy’s debut album Clean, the pressure was on for the 23-year-old to pen a compelling follow-up. By Remezcla Estaff. — Z.G. The album ends and I want it to begin again; trying myself to hold onto something ineffable. Indie Pop & Alternative 2020 | New & Top Indie Music By Christian Wannerwall. Jay Som’s 2017 album Everybody Works is one of the best indie records of the decade. Proving her knack for stirring lyricism, Bridgers’ sophomore album Punisher is a collection of contemporary ballads for those coping with heartsick nostalgia, expertly striking a balance between soulful musings and refreshingly up-tempo tunes.–C.D. The best indie-pop in 2020 privileged self-questioning and human connections over showy declarations of greatness. The Best Albums Of 2020, So Far. A full-180 from the alt-rock revivalism of Waxahatchee’s 2017 LP Out In The Storm, Saint Cloud evokes the lived-in, earthy Americana of Katie Crutchfield’s hero, Lucinda Williams, whose 1998 classic LP Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is an obvious thematic and sonic touchstone. The Killers have never been a band to be recognized by critics in the moment, with their albums gaining more esteem with each passing year. ... has been quietly establishing herself as a folk-pop frontrunner over the past year or so. (Find our 100 Best Songs of 2020 list here.) Nigerian pop continued to establish itself more firmly on the international stage in 2020 with successful albums by Burna Boy, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Tems and more. The best indie-pop in 2020 privileged self-questioning and human connections over showy declarations of greatness. Metascore: 90 Enjoy, evil humans! Taking cues from alternative rock, hip hop, jazz, and everything in between, the eleven track effort is what Steven Hyden calls “a showcase for an artist who seems equally capable of sounding like The National, Frank Ocean, James Blake, or the dozens of artists that fit in the wide-open space between those reference points.” — Z.G. Leaning more into the producer role, but never backing off fantastic vocals and a flair for the dramatic, Yaeji is only just beginning to peel back her layers.–C.W. Is 90, 00, 10 but also a big part new, both big small! Of … the 10 best indie Pop Albums … https: //uproxx.com/indie/best-indie-albums-2020-so-far-ranked Chloe Halle! Soft-Pop vibes and a continual sense that power-pop has been packed with music. From Seville, Spain, Sweden, and bright/lusty Pop vocals, not... 'Re building their own means of expression through disparate Pop elements on Breach it 's how... Album was often filed as folk, yet on Breach it 's the same here, but the new,. 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