Taylor’s Top 25 Albums of 2020: #10-6

Editor’s Note: This part 4 of a 5 part series. Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here. Part 3 can be found here.

Well, we’re in the Endgame now. My top 10 albums of 2020 are truly some of the best records I’ve heard in recent years. There are some bands on this year’s list that I’ve waited so long to hear from again. Others are still making a name for themselves in a big way. I’m so excited to share this next batch of songs with you, so let’s get to it! Here are numbers #10-6 for my top 25 albums of 2020.

#10: The Strokes – The New Abnormal

I understand that some people can’t love this album because, well, it sounds exactly like past albums from The Strokes. Sometimes, artists are forced into experimentation and others fall flat due to an inability to mix things up. On one of their most straightforward albums in years, The New Abnormal is a reminder of just how influential and important The Strokes are to Rock and music in general. They defined a generation, spurred a subgenre of Rock, and can still write incredible music.

One need only to watch their performance this year on SNL to see that this band is more than just solid in the studio. They’re incredible live, they have such great energy and stage presence, and they’re one of the last great Rock bands of the 2000s. Nowadays, monumental bands are few and far between, but as long as The Strokes keep themselves in the game, we won’t need to worry about the death of Rock and Roll.

“I waited so long/Listening for/Something to work” – “Bad Decisions”

#9: Porridge Radio – Every Bad

There are moments where I feel like Every Bad is the musical equivalent of a panic attack. Dana Margolin, vocalist, songwriter, and front for the band, had possibly the biggest breakout of 2020 for indie artists. It’s not that thousands are talking about this record; its popularity relatively limited to strictly indie circles. The real power Margolin puts into these songs is a feverish anticipation for what comes next. Even on slower tracks, you feel on-edge hearing the lyrics take you through traumatic nights or dauntless triumphs over the mundane.

There are some really great love songs on this album too. Post-Punk is a genre that can really do it all if the band has a good grasp on who they are. Porridge Radio seems to know what they have to offer and I think for those of us who enjoyed their 2016 record, they’re exceeding expectations. After my first listen, I thought I’d revisit this record a few times here and there. Instead, I listened to it quite often in 2020 and no album makes me feel cooler while I’m listening to it. Silly, I know, but there’s something about aesthetic music like this that helps you transcend your headphones in a really cool way.

“But I like you and you like me/But I’ve got other things that make me happy” – “Give/Take”

#8: Soccer Mommy – Color Theory

Man, did I love Color Theory. For an album that released so early in the year (February 28th), it’s certainly one that stuck with me despite hundreds of other albums I heard this year. Sophia Allison is probably a top 10 songwriter for me right now, simply because she has such a great grasp on hooks that are backed up by great lyrics. These songs ooze with 90s Rock nostalgia but don’t feel like an imitation. Authenticity is underrated in music, but Allison has two albums in the past two years that feel as real as anything released in that time period.

With an incredible voice and memorable songs, the 10 tracks on Color Theory are a perfect collection of songs. There’s a lot to love about the band’s more upbeat songs, but then a slower track comes up and you’re just as enamored with what you’re hearing. The flow of Color Theory is also strong, with each track fitting in between others just as it should. The art of the perfectly crafted album is alive and well, and Soccer Mommy put that on display with this release.

“‘Cause no one’s really known me/Like you did when we were young/Our love was our everything” – “up the walls”

#7: Fleet Foxes – The Shore

I’m surprised The Shore didn’t end up higher on my list. It really speaks to the power of this year’s albums. Either way, this is probably the most complete album Fleet Foxes has released since their 2011 masterpiece Helplessness Blues, which I named my Album of the Decade for the 2000s. While other albums stuck with me in more impactful ways, The Shore feels like the record this band needed to release to remind people of how they truly have their craft perfected.

This is probably the most accessible album from Fleet Foxes to date. By ditching some of the more baroque elements of their songs, I think most people could find a handful of tracks on this album they could enjoy. At the end of the day, I spent a lot of time with The Shore thinking about road tripping to this record or even just spending the day in the woods while listening to it. Music that makes you want to experience life is special and rare, and Fleet Foxes create that sort of thing every time they record.

“Though I liked summer light on you/If we ride a winter-long wind/Well time’s not what I belong to/And I’m not the season I’m in” – “I’m Not My Season”

#6: Jeff Rosenstock – No Time

No Time is a force of pure energy. I can’t believe we still have people in 2020 underselling how incredible Jeff Rosenstock is when it comes to Punk music of all sorts. With a heavy history in the Ska scene, Rosenstock carries a lot of different shades to his music. There’s so much to love about his raw, unabashed sound and yet there’s a message behind most of what he does. Even on more fun-filled tracks, there’s a charm to Jeff Rosenstock not many artists can display in their sound.

“***BNB” is one of the funniest songs I’ve heard in a while and it’s also so heartfelt. “State Line” is a wall of sound but it has one of 2020’s best vocal riffs. There’s such a dichotomy to Rosenstock’s music. On the one hand, you have unparalleled chaos. On the other hand, you have carefully calculated songs that achieve everything you could want from a Punk track and so much more. I’m still spinning this record once a week at least and it’s keeping a lot of emotions in check for me.

“Looking for a dream that won’t morph to a nightmare/Lying to myself about things that I love/’Cause I’m distracted by/Public displays of happiness” – “Nikes (Alt)”