2020 Albums Of The Year Revisited (2021 Remix)

 

And so 2021 rolls to an end and we get ready to look back on the best of the year. Before we do though, I thought it'd be an idea to take a look back at our 2020 albums of the year list one year on. Mainly because there's been a few changes to it.

The reason why is because when I started this blog up, it was August 2020 and we had a backlog of reviews stretching all the way back to the autumn of 2019. Because of this, it was always gonna be a race to the finish line to get everything for the year listened to and reviewed in time and, perhaps unsurprisingly, we didn't quite manage it. In fact, it'd be the end of February before we reviewed our last album of 2020 and there were a few late runners and riders that would've easily gone into our list if only we'd heard 'em in time.

So we'd like to present to you our 2020 Top 50 Albums of the Year (2021 Remix) - a full and comprehensive list of everything from the lockdown year that floated our boat with review links as and where we wrote some words on 'em (and Bandcamp links where we didn't). Of course, the flip side to this is that unfortunately a few albums which originally made our Top 50 ended up getting bumped off the list due to the increased competition - due apologies to Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Riz Ahmed, TV Smith, The Erotics, Phoebe Bridgers, Givvi Flynn, the Sick Things, Rosetta Stone, the Vibrators, Jarvis and Laura Marling, all of whom's albums are still well worth a look even if they're not on the list anymore. Enjoy everyone, have a lovely Christmas and we'll see you all on Boxing Day to start our 2021 rundown...

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50.= X - "Alphabetland"

One of those bands who I'll be honest and say I never quite got when I listened to their output years ago, Alphabetland was a genuine triumphant comeback from X. Guitarist Billy Zoom described it as "what we always wanted to sound like but never quite did" and he's not wrong - this genuinely might be their best effort to date.

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50.= The Empty Hearts - "The Second Album"

One of those rare occurrences where a "supergroup" manages to become more than the sum of its parts to produce a genuinely good album, the Empty Hearts' sophomore effort split itself between catchy power-pop goodness and some genuinely unexpected psychedelic twists and turns to produce something fresh, varied and supremely listenable.

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49. James Williamson/Deniz Tek - "Two Into One"

Two Into One is exactly what you'd want an album by these two garage rock veterans to sound like - lean, fat-free and packing riffs and hooks to keep you on your toes throughout. Great stuff.

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48. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - "Viscerals"

Ignore the hipster-ish name, Viscerals is a brutally heavy guitar assault with Sabbath-heavy sludge-metal riffs which sink their teeth into you and refuse to let go. Slightly terrifying on your first listen, oddly addictive by your fourth.

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47. The Chats - "High Risk Behaviour"

Simple two minutes or less blasts of snotty attitude about living the down and out lifestyle down under with tales of booze, drugs, fights and bin diving. Think simple three chord no-brainer fun, think knucklehead rock 'n' roll at its best.

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46. Fontaines DC - "A Hero's Death"

The progress Fontaines DC have made here since their slightly underwhelming debut is nothing short of remarkable with a new goth/post-punk indebted sound which recalled Echo & The Bunnymen or Joy Division. Carry on progressing at this rate and the sky's the limit for them.

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45.   Asian Dub Foundation - "Access Denied"

Access Denied is exactly the sort of furious state of the nation address that ADF have always done so well mixing guitar heavy call to arms assaults with more psychedelic swampy dub interludes to superb effect. In troubled times like these, it's good to have this band back.

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44. Throwing Muses - "Sun Racket"

As bruised and beguiling as ever, Sun Racket may veer off into dream-pop territory but the trademark barbed lyrics are always hiding underneath the warm fuzz with Hersh's smoky vocals adding a world-weariness to the album. Proof that the Muses are very much still a force to be reckoned with. 

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43. Richard Davies & The Dissidents - "Human Traffic"

Mixing the laid back vulnerability of Peter Perrett or Johnny Thunders with the widescreen Americana style songwriting of Tom Petty or Ryan Hamilton that conjured up the sound of driving down some midwest highway under a big open sky, Human Traffic was a good first offering from former Snakes/Tiny Monroe man Richard Davies and his group.

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42. The Dowling Poole - "See You, See Me"

Still as difficult to pin down musically as ever, the Dowling Poole continue to delight and intrigue in equal measure on their third album ranging from XTC style post-punk through Prince-esque funk workouts to Beach Boys style harmony drenched power-pop.

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41. The Speedways - "Radio Sounds"

With Radio Sounds, the Speedways have made a sophomore album that can stand confidently next to its illustrious predecessor Just Another Regular Summer. With tips of the hat to the Buzzcocks, the Undertones and the Ramones this is a perfect summer day soundtrack.

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40. Louise Patricia Crane - "Deep Blue"

Deep Blue was certainly one of the more ambitious offerings of 2020 but Crane carried it off well, veering between Siouxsie style epic goth melodrama and more gentle All About Eve style folky moments plus a healthy dose of psychedelia to top the pot up.

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39. Helen Love - "Power On"

A much needed dose of sunshine, sherbet and singalongability when the world needed it most. Helen Love put their stamp on the material on Power On in their own endearingly enthusiastic inimitable style. Long may they reign.

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38. Faz Waltz - "Rebel Kicks"

Another good offering from Italy's premier exponents of '70s style bootboy glam Faz Waltz. Sure, the influences are nothing you won't expect but when the result is cracking tunes like the ones on here, it's well and truly churlish to complain about that. Top stuff.

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37. Matty James Cassidy - "Old Souls"

Matty James Cassidy continues to grow as a musician and songwriter on his third album with Old Souls veering from Celtic folk laments through to Cash style country and putting out a few curveballs in the process. If rough spit 'n' sawdust country is your thing then this is really one you should check out.

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36. Millie Manders & The Shutup - "Telling Truths Breaking Ties"

A proper 21st century punk album, Telling Truths Breaking Ties takes the classic punk anger but adds a modern twist to it with horn sections, dub rhythms and spoken word diatribes. A group with charisma and skill in abundance, this album proves that Millie Manders & The Shutup's meteoric rise is definitely no fluke.

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35. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "KG"

No less than the sixteenth album from these Aussie veterans, KG is a startling album - incredibly varied and all over the place musically but packing so many unexpected twists and turns in that you're never in any danver of losing your focus.

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34. Matt Berry - "Phantom Birds"

Possibly the last thing anyone was expecting from Matt Berry, Phantom Birds is a gentle acoustic led heartfelt joy of an album. With nods to classic Dylan, Johnny Cash and '70s Americana, these honest to goodness torch songs are perfect for a quiet rainy afternoon's listening.

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33. Neon Animal - "Make No Mistake"

Make No Mistake saw Neon Animal raising the bar in style with a mix of AC/DC-style chugging riffs and a few new tricks which they executed very well indeed. This lot may just be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

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32. Lucy & The Rats - "Got Lucky"

Got Lucky sees Lucy & The Rats taking the promise of their debut album and building on it well. A cross between power-pop and garage rock with an enjoyably ramshackle DIY vibe to it , it marks them out as a band who are well and truly in the mix.

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31. Blue Oyster Cult - "The Symbol Remains"

The Symbol Remains was a much better album than it really had any right to be, bringing the BOC's twisted rock sound up to date in fine style. Drawing from influences across their near fifty year career, this proved that BOC are anything but a spent force.

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30. Hung Like Hanratty - "Dragged Up"

Hung Like Hanratty aren't big and they aren't clever but for days when you just want some angry but humorous foul-mouthed aggro to bellow along to, they take some beating. Dragged Up is a collection of the sort of gleefully antagonistic singalongs that always make for good obnoxious punk rock.

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29. Laura Jane Grace - "Stay Alive"

Originally planned as an Against Me! album before the lockdown intervened and saw Laura stripping these songs back to record them as a solo acoustic-based album, Stay Alive was a simultaneously comforting and stark album for the desperate times of the pandemic.

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28. Tensheds - "The Days Of My Confinement"

The Days of my Confinement saw Tensheds take a more stripped down approach. Stark and ominous, it sounded like Nick Cave covering songs from Springsteen's Nebraska making for truly breathtaking stuff. A great testament to Matt Millership's ability both as a songwriter and a musician.

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27. Sault - "Untitled (Black Is)"

Untitled (Black Is) is that most rare of beasts - an insanely ambitious album in its scope that somehow manages to pull off what it aimed to do to come up with an angry and impassioned state of the nation address. A 2020 version of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On? I wouldn't say it's that big an exaggeration.

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26. Rossall - "Last Glam In Town"

The Last Glam In Town sees former Glitter Band musical leader John Rossall hook up with '80s indie stalwarts the Nightingales and Membranes/Goldblade frontman John Robb to turn in an album that's undoubtedly got that big stomping '70s glam sound but puts a modern spin on it. Fine stuff indeed.

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25. Sparks - "A Steady Drip Drip Drip"

Almost half a century into their careers and the Sparks are still putting out great albums like this way after most of their contemporaries have given up the creative ghost. Taking in the group's formative glam stomp as well as excursions into everything from samba rhythms to music hall stylings to pure pop, this is just as much of a joy to listen to as ever.

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24. Cornershop - "England Is A Garden"

A blissful slice of summery psychedelia from the indie veterans, England Is A Garden might just be Cornershop's strongest effort for years. The hard hitting lyrics are still there but they're sugar coated in some supremely tuneful melodies to create something genuinely special.

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23. Diablofurs - "Neon Satellites"

With controls firmly set to the new wave era of the early '80s. Diablofurs came up with one of the best debut albums of 2020 mixing Tubeway Army style electronica with pure power-pop sensibilities to great effect. Definitely a group you should keep a very close eye on going forward.

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22. Levellers - "Peace"

With Peace, the Levellers have served up an album that taps into the tuneful political indie that characterised their imperial '90s phase with a mixture of rousing calls to arms and more thoughtful considered moments. A surprising return to form and one of the better comebacks of the year.

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21. Jello Biafa & The Guantanamo School Of Medicine - "Tea Party Revenge Porn"

2020 was exactly the sort of climate that's fertile for a Jello Biafra album and with Tea Party Revenge Porn, he showed that he was out there raging with, if anything, even more fury than when the Dead Kennedys had their brief spell of commercial success in the '80s. A well aimed boot in the nether regions of small-minded reactionaries the world over, this was a top album.

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20. Nick Marsh - "Waltzing Bones"

Hard to believe that 2020 marked five years since Nick Marsh left us but this posthumous album created from tracks he was working on at the time of his death is a timely reminder of his skill as a musician and songwriter. Still much missed.

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19. Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons - "Beast"

Four albums into their career and Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons are still kicking up as much of an unholy racket as ever on Beast. Puss is on fine bile-spitting form here and behind her Jake and Ant keep things as clinically tight as always to create an excellent addition to this band's musical legacy.

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18. Beach Slang - "The Deadbeat Bang Of Heartbreak City"

A decade into their career and Beach Slang are still putting out some of the coolest low-slung Replacements influenced loser-rock you're likely to hear. Well worth a listen for those who like their rock 'n' roll scuzzy and scuffed.

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17. The Struts - "Strange Days"

Aka the record that you always kind of suspected the Struts would be capable of if only they could stop their albums being overproduced so badly, Strange Days was a riff-spewing monster of an album that finally saw the band living up to their potential. It's official - the Struts have finally arrived.

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16. Carol Hodge - "Savage Purge"

Carol Hodge's second solo album saw her really hitting her stride with a collection of supremely heartfelt songs ranging from political anger to more stark and stripped back moments. A great album which really marks Hodge out as a talented musician and songwriter.

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15. Bob Mould - "Blue Hearts"

Following the more upbeat Sunshine Rock, Blue Hearts saw Bob Mould back to arguably his angriest since the days of Husker Du. There's a reason why the guy has been a mainstay of the alternative music scene for nearly four decades now and Blue Hearts has all the proof you'll need.

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14. Silver Sun - "Switzerland"

Switzerland would sadly turn out to be Silver Sun's final album due to the untimely passing of frontman James Broad in October. It's a good testament to the man's skill as a songwriter with all of the power pop fizz hiding their trademark deceptively dark lyrics. They will be much missed.

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13. Idles - "Ultra Mono"

Honestly, I'll hold my hands up 12 months later and say that looking back I was very harsh putting Ultra Mono way down at number 44 on the list originally - this is definitely an album that grew on me with every listen, it's just that I only heard it about a week before I did the original list. Great stuff from Idles which cemented their reputation as one of the most vital bands in the country today - Mr Motivator remains one of the most awesome pick-me-up songs going.

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12. AC/DC - "Power Up"

Power Up was a good reminder of everything that makes AC/DC such a vital band - not bad considering the hardship it was born out of. The sound of a band well and truly back to their best and a welcome reassurance that Beano, Angus and co have very much still got it.

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11. Beans On Toast - "Knee Deep In Nostalgia"/"The Unforeseeable Future"

 

Released on the same day, these two albums show the two different sides of Beans on Toast. While Knee Deep In Nostalgia was a warm and gentle full studio album designed to offer some comfort with positive thoughts in these troubled times, The Unforeseeable Future was a stark stripped down effort recorded in lockdown with BOT just trying to make sense on what the hell was going on. 

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10. Ryan Hamilton - "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere"

Described by Hamilton as his self-discovery album, Nowhere To Go But Everywhere veers from pure pop singalongs to quite beautiful downbeat numbers. This was Ryan channelling his feelings through his music to superb effect and proof that this guy is definitely going to be around for the long haul.

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9. Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions - "Barry Milner Is Thick"

With their fifth album, Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions have come up with arguably their strongest offering to date. Split almost half and half between their traditional punk aggro and a more melodic almost power-pop sensibility emerging, this is the sound of a band really drawing on their experience to take things to the next level.

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8. Baby Chaos - "Ape Confronts Cosmos"

Baby Chaos' fourth album might just be their best to date. It mixes all the best bits about their old sound with the more melodic heartfelt stuff which they made a name for during their years as Deckard. Supremely varied but with killer hooks and tunes throughout, this is the sound of a band well and truly hitting their peak.

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7. Sensible Gray Cells - "Get Back Into The World"

Get Back Into The World was Captain Sensible and Paul Gray letting their love of garage rock and psychedelia loose and creating a great album while doing so. It brims with ideas but although it goes on more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, it never loses its focus throughout.

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6. Girls In Synthesis - "Now Here's An Echo From Your Future"

London post-punks Girls in Synthesis are basically Idles but even angrier and more discordant. Now Here's An Echo From Your Future is anything but an easy listen but the sheer fury and frustration at the world contained within its grooves makes for one hell of a compelling listen.

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5. Dream Nails - "Dream Nails"

Quite simply, one of the most exciting debut albums in years. Dream Nails practically bubbles over with righteous feminist aggression but does so with a sense of humour that's often sadly lacking in political punk bands not to mention tunes and hooks to spare. Angry, compassionate, playful and humorous, it's everything that a great album should be.

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4. Maid of Ace - "Live Fast Or Die"

With Live Fast Or Die, Maid of Ace might have come up with their angriest and arguably strongest effort yet with the riffs given an extra dose of heaviosity and the songs burning with a white hot fury that scorches your ears through the headphones.

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3. Duncan Reid & The Big Heads - "Don't Blame Yourself"

With Don't Blame Yourself, Duncan Reid has again reaffirmed himself as one of the best power-pop songwriters in Britain today. From sheer pacy power-pop bliss to some quite lovely more measured moments, this album is an absolute triumph.

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2. Dead Sheeran - "A National Disgrace"

Foul-mouthed, ferocious and with a sense of humour as black as coal, the emergence of Dead Sheeran was probably one of the few positive things to come out of the lockdown. It's rare that a song can make you absolutely incendiary with rage at what the bastards in power are doing to this country and then make you belly laugh just a few seconds later but DS frequently manage it on here.

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1. Jim Bob - "Pop Up Jim Bob"

2020 will probably be remembered as the year when alternative music really did go properly political again. Yet it was an experienced campaigner in the form of Jim Bob and his first album for seven years which really seemed to capture the zeitgeist like no other. Harking back to his the political fury of his halcyon days with Carter USM but with a more measured approach in line with his solo albums, Pop Up Jim Bob really was the best of both worlds. Quite simply, this is Jim Bob at his ultra-observant best with a good mix of old and new.