You know the drill by now; I believe this is the 9th year we do this topic (we've been doing metal recommendations for 10 years). What good albums have dropped this year?

I'll start with some of my favorites. Nicholas Jaar released the second Against All Logic album. I don't really know what the genre is (Tech House etc. on RYM), but it evokes in me similar things as DJ Shadow or early Massive Attack. That urban haze, catchy and atmospheric at the same time.


New Tricot is as solid as can be expected, math rock with pop sensibilities.


Cindy Lee's (band of Patrick Flegel of Women fame) What's Tonight to Eternity is maybe their best album. Noisy, lo-fi, slowcore-inspired hypnagogic pop. I think its combination of nostalgia and harshness is kindred to Have a Nice Life or something.


(Also check Torres, Sewerslvt, Squarepusher, Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Pintandwefall, Tennis, Aiming for Enrike and María José Llergo, might post tracks later.)

Fiona Apple's new album burst out of nowhere with unexpected ferocity. It's even rawer than Idler Wheel. A bit difficult to grasp on first listen, but it may be her best. (Incidentally, it is also a testament to my aging: the interval between her 2005 and 2012 albums seemed like forever and Idler Wheel was a "comeback", but these last 8 years feel like the last album just came out and I hadn't even had time to look forward to anything):


On the mainstream pop front, the much-hyped Dua Lipa occasionally is worth the hype, although the album is pretty uneven (the last two tracks being quite out-of-place):


In the same vein, Rina Sawamaya is groovy:


For fans of 90s-influenced post-rock and slowcore (e.g. Bark Psychosis, Codeine), there's a new Zelienople out:


And an altogether new group in that tradition, Ramper: https://ramper.bandcamp.com/

Written by IronAngel on 17.04.2020 at 11:25

Fiona Apple's new album burst out of nowhere with unexpected ferocity. It's even rawer than Idler Wheel. A bit difficult to grasp on first listen, but it may be her best. (Incidentally, it is also a testament to my aging: the interval between her 2005 and 2012 albums seemed like forever and Idler Wheel was a "comeback", but these last 8 years feel like the last album just came out and I hadn't even had time to look forward to anything):

This is precisely what I am listeng to right now.

Written by RaduP on 19.04.2020 at 16:42

This is precisely what I am listeng to right now.

Maybe you'll apppreciate this: https://twitter.com/actualawry/status/1252653050495467523?s=21
(full track: https://clyp.it/f3tygxmv)



I'm not sure it's that's much better than the rest of her stuff, tbh, but it's still a 4-4.5 for me, easily. (It all is.) Newspaper, Heavy Balloon, For Her, Relay, title track and Shameika I especially like, atm.

Written by IronAngel on 22.04.2020 at 20:31

Maybe you'll apppreciate this: https://twitter.com/actualawry/status/1252653050495467523?s=21

"Run Away With Me" is my favorite song of the 2010s, along with Bølzer's "Enthranced By The Wolfshook"

Written by RaduP on 22.04.2020 at 21:01

"Run Away With Me" is my favorite song of the 2010s

Queen of converting metalheads. Although I'd dabbled in guilty pleasure pop before, Emotion was the decade's the biggest musical turn-around moment for me. It's also become a go-to album on longer car trips. An album opening doesn't get much more iconic than that (although I may be partial to Making the Most of the Night and Emotion as best song).

Debut album Pink, by RAY, is some seriously bright and shimmering shoegaze laced with upbeat melodies and some j-pop sensibilities. What is it about the Japanese that makes them pick up angsty 90s genres (whether it's shoegaze, noiserock or math rock) and turn them joyful and melodically infectious?

New Pendragon is beautiful.

Written by Maco on 22.05.2020 at 10:19

New Pendragon is beautiful.

This is fantastic

Hippienazis are back. "Get Out" and the title track are instant bangers.

100 gecs remix album may be even better than the original; it's certainly funnier. This is maybe the most ridiculous version, but it also slaps (is that what kids say nowadays?):


Also, on a more respectable note: Hum, pretty much the best 90s alt rock band, released their first album since 1998 and it's just as good as Downward is Heavenward. I did not expect the comeback at all, let alone such a solid one (better than Slowdive, for instance). I've loved it for two weeks now, pretty high up there among AOTY contenders:

Going to toot my horn a bit: I made a list of 2020 albums, first in a few years. Most of it is non-metal, so I guess this is the relevant place to plug it.

Well, this is not a new Corpo-Mente album. But still...

It's not everyday you find a south american jazz fusion band that makes songs about memes, and the fact that they managed to actually make it good is even better. Strongly recommended

The new Croissant Chicago album is ridiculously good

Is this the best OST ever conceived?

Written by Karlabos on 20.02.2021 at 23:49


Is this the best OST ever conceived?

no

Right, so I just discovered this one year late. Atmospheric folkish proggish rock from France that draws equally from Mike Oldfield, The Gathering and Anathema, all with pretty cool vocals and great songwriting.