The short version: 2020 was rough for a lot of people around the world. While other outlets are better suited for writing eulogies to this cataclysmic annum, I’ll simply say that one thing keeping me, and many others, going through all of it, has been music. There’s been so much good music this year that, listening to all of it, you’d almost think all is well in the world. Let’s take a look at my 50 favorite albums of the year.
50 Mall Grab – Sunflower
49 Merzbow – StereoAkuma/EXD
48 Akhlys – Melinoë
47 R.A. the Rugged man – All My Heroes Are Dead
46 Ka – Descendants of Cain
45 070 Shake – Modus Vivendi
44 Abysmal Dawn – Phylogenesis
43 Traveler – Termination Shock
42 Earth Trax – LP1
41 Cloudkicker – Solitude
40 October Falls – A Fall Of An Epoch
39 William Basinski – Hymns of Oblivion
38 Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans
37 Freeways – True Bearings
36 Akira Jimbo – 26th Street NY Duo/27th Avenue LA Trio
35 Bombay Bicycle Club – Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
34 Solothus – Realm of Ash and Blood
33 Wake – Devouring Ruin
32 This Will Destroy You – Vespertine
31 Run the Jewels – RTJ4
30 ILLFIGHTYOU – ILLFIGHTYOUTOO
29 Salem – Fires In Heaven
28 The Flashbulb – Our Simulacra
27 Addison Groove – Fred Neutron
26 Boris – NO
25 Caribou – Suddenly
24 Disavowed – Revocation of the Fallen
23 Willie the Kid – Capital Gains
22 Curren$y & Harry Fraud – The OutRunners/The Director’s Cut
21 Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin kynsi
20 Krallice – Mass Cathexis
19 Yppah – Sunset in the Deep End
18 Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
17 Duma – Duma
16 Merzbow, Mats Gustafsson & Balázs Pándi – Cuts Open
15 Squarepusher – Lamental/Be Up a Hello
14 Çaykh – Où
13 Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats – Unlocked
12 The Microphones – Microphones in 2020
11 Circle of Ouroborus – Viimeinen Juoksu
10 Mr. Bungle – The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo
9 Mare Cognitum & Spectral Lore – Wanderers: Astrology of The Nine
8 Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony/Act II
7 Buke & Gase and Sō Percussion – A Record Of
6 The Weeknd – After Hours
5 Jim O’Rourke – Shutting Down Here
4 Caspian – On Circles
3 Future Islands – As Long As You Are
2 Touché Amoré – Lament
1 Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
If your favorite album didn’t make my list, make your own list, bucko.
Opinion of the Court 