Top 5 New Albums 2020

Despite the weird year of 2020, here's my top lists for the year. Methodology is the same as it's been for the last few years. Surprisingly, there are very few live-on-zoom home-recorded releases on this year's list. Either that means I'm typically several months behind the curve anyways, or it means that not very much of the zoom stuff was any good. Anyway, keep 6 feet away and check out this year's list:

5. Eyelids - The Accidental Falls (Lyrics of Larry Beckett)

Jealous Butcher Records, 02/2020

Portland's Eyelids team up with former Tim Buckley lyricist Larry Beckett...

I don't understand the 60s. I don't listen to Tim Buckley. I don't understand why perfectly good bands in the 60s would keep somebody around just to write words. It seems so.. inefficient... insincere... not punk.

Anyway, while I'm nonplussed with Larry Beckett, and find his lyrics far more pretentious than Slusarenko/Moen, the words work OK, and this is a fine album. The songs are sublime pop songs that are re-re-re-listenable. So, I shouldn't complain about who's writing the words, right? It's great.

 

4. Pearl Jam - MTV Unplugged

Recorded 03/1992.
Sony Music, 11/2019

They reran this stuff all the time on MTV in 1993... but until now, it was never actually released on CD. So, this is the first time since about 1993 we get to hear this session. This is a reminder why Pearl Jam was so important in 1992. Despite the  nature of the performance, these 7 songs crackle with electricity. 

 

3. Hum - Inlet

Polyvinyl Records, 06/2020

The return of Hum.

This album is heavy-- in many senses of the word. (180g vinyl!)  Since I think 1997's Downward Is Heavenward is about as close to perfect as an album can be, of course this album can't be quite as good. But it makes an attempt. This one is more somber. Heavier on the DAD chords. Thick, like Disintegration is thick. Worth immersing yourself in with some good headphones.

2. The Lowest Pair - The Perfect Plan

 Delicata Records, 04/2020

The Lowest Pair have reappeared on this list with regularity since their debut album took the top spot back in 2014. I'm not sure there's much more I can say about them, except that this album is in their top two albums. This one's a little more polished-sounding. Great songs. Haunting. Definitely a classic. "We Are Bleeding" was the theme song for the great 2020 Quarantine.

 

1. Giants Chair - Prefabylon

Spartan Records, 12/2019

Sometime back in about 1996, I picked up Giants Chair's Purity and Control 7" from a distro kid at a show [bring back distro kids. they were the best!].

Fast forward to 2019. Over the course of 20+ years, I have downloaded the first two Giants Chair albums (1995 and 1996), plus picked up their split 7" with Boys Life... but I hadn't GOT it yet.

Videos kept popping up among my facebook circles of Giants Chair crowdsourcing their new album (first in over 20 years). I listened, I liked. I ordered the pretty red dot vinyl...

I put it on the turntable, and I GOT it. This is top-notch rock and roll. One of my favorite pure rock albums. Angular, driving, and intriguing.

...and I haven't stopped listening to it all year. During the quarantine, Giants Chair did some really clever acoustic renditions live from home that deconstruct these angular rock songs into angry, backwoods folk.

Also, they released a 2-song cassette of extra songs from the Prefabylon sessions, and it's really good too.

So I'm totally stoked about this band that I've been listening to for 24 years, yet finally GOT this year. Hope you have a similar experience.