December 27, 2020
Favorites of 2020 Edition
Listening selections for the week of December 27, 2020, best enjoyed with a pour over cup of Peace Coffee’s Peru Single Origin, for smooth, well-balanced notes of chocolate, caramel and butter.
Highlights include:
The opening cut from my favorite pop record of the year: Georgia’s Seeking Thrills
A celebration of excess from Rina Sawayama’s boundary pushing debut opus
Sleek dancefloor-ready grooves from Disclosure’s excellent return to form Energy
One of countless sonic marvel’s on Mike Hadreas’ best work yet
Kevin Parker’s continued graceful transition into pop superstardom
Intimate, clubby vibes from Caribou’s sixth studio album: Suddenly
An ambitious sonic risk for The Strokes on The New Abnormal, their best record in a decade
Breathtaking cinematic pop from Joji’s otherwise underwhelming Nectar
Adventurous, kinetic jazz from saxophonist extraordinaire Nubya Garcia’s Source
Disco funk from The Weeknd’s best and most consistent offering
Rugged folk rock from transcendent talent Laura Marling’s Song For Our Daughter
A demonstration of everything great about club-jazz fusion from Moses Boyd’s Dark Matter
Dua Lipa’s conquering breakup anthem that channels the best of ‘70s disco and '80s dance-pop
Righteous anger from El-P and Killer Mike’s strongest collaboration yet
Soaring, golden hour folk rock from Fleet Foxes’ transfixing Shore
Deeply personal rhymes from Open Mike Eagle’s most affecting work to date
Sweeping pictorial rock from Other Lives lush For Their Love
A touching tribute to those we’ve lost from Khruangbin (Rest in peace Grandma Betty Roy)
Israeli funk producer Kutiman’s compelling reimagining of his 2014 trip to Tanzania
Contemporary percussive jazz at its finest from Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ What Kinda Music
Reflective ruminations from a life cut tragically short
Fierce, horn-driven R&B from Tora, brimming with potential
One of many successful updates to jazz standards on Blue Note Re:imagined
Fire from 2020 hip hop breakout stars Tobe and Fat Nwigwe
An infectious pop anthem from Kiesza’s sophomore album Crave
Soulful country rock from one of the great characters in the genre’s history
Masterful songcraft from Phoebe Bridgers that all but solidifies status among indie’s elite