With the decade being over halfway over, Music Review Committee decided to take a look back on the albums that have helped defined our lived experiences within the 2020s thus far.
Luke – Hellmode by Jeff Rosenstock: Jeff Rosenstock’s Hellmode is my favorite album of the 2020s by far. Rosenstock shows us an unusually positive and hopeful side of himself on this record, after many albums of depressive, furious punk. Rosenstock writes about love, stability, healing, and legacy, all while reflecting on his long and impactful career in the underground rock scene. His instrumentals are simultaneously beautiful and unhinged, with raging electric guitars and hard-hitting percussion. Rosenstock’s vocals are more sing-songy and melodic than ever, while maintaining his signature screamy edge.
Dzevad – Only For Dolphins by Action Bronson: Imagine a cartoon mob boss with an affinity for fine cuisine and combat sports speaking his mind over jazz beats that could be performed by an orchestra. That’s what you’re getting here. There might be albums from this decade with more substance than Only For Dolphins, but I don’t think there’s been a more fun album. You can tell Bronson is a man of taste, and his humor is off the charts. I dare you to listen to songs like “Golden Eye” and “Sergio” and not crack a smile.
Nathan – Quaranta by Danny Brown: As a huge fan of Danny Brown since highschool, seeing this new side of him was a very interesting but good perspective on how he’s making efforts to change his life for the better. It’s nice seeing Danny enjoy himself after years of his rollercoaster of a life. My favorite track would be “Aint My Concern”, a phenomenal song about the current state of rap and music in general. Definitely should give the album a try if you haven’t listened to it.
Ryan – Two Star & the Dream Police by Mk.gee: To put it simply, on Two Star and the Dream Police, Mk.gee takes the best parts of 80’s pop and rock and just completely breaks it down into something unrecognizable but utterly beautiful. Mk.gee guitar work and spacey production creates an atmosphere that feels so familiar yet entirely foreign. From the smoothness of “How Many Miles” to the hypnotic abrasive noise of “Rylee & I”, Mk.gee meticulously crafted an unforgettable experience that will never leave my head.
Dakota – Whipped Streams and Other Earthly Delights by Moth Cock: Balls-to-the-wall psychedelic midi-jazz that keeps you entertained through the whole 3xLP. Break off a track or two and consume the tape in bits and pieces or play the whole thing and let the bleeps and bloops consume your soul. Busy and dense electronic walls akin to Black Dice are contrasted by spacey ambient pockets and groovy sax stretches that leaves you with a new favorite track after every listen.
JFitz – Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern by Lil Ugly Mane: It’s a strange exercise to compare the albums of Travis Miller, better known as Lil Ugly Mane, whose multi-decade career has spanned a wide range of aliases, genres, and aesthetics. However, his work has always been true to his own creative vision, and through albums like Oblivion Access and Bedwetter’s Volume 1 he explores themes of depression and loneliness with an authenticity that few artists dare to. Volcanic Bird Enemy is almost nothing like these albums, trading murky hip-hop and angry, misanthropic lyrics for an almost childlike aesthetic and a surrealist depiction of his everyday life. However, this style change feels just as authentic of a depiction of mental illness as his previous work, seeking to illustrate the effect that his depression has on relationships with others and the motions of a mundane life. The sound of this album shifts wildly between songs; tracks like “Human Fly” and “Clapping Seal” echo the lofi pop sounds of Daniel Johnson, while “Headboard” and “Porcelain Slightly” moving head-on into a dreamy shoegaze soundscape. However, it all forms one cohesive project which is equal parts comforting and cathartic.
Eddy – PetroDragonic Apocalypse by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: I still remember the day that the KURE people announced that King Gizzard released a new album with a really long title. I was working that day and had some music playing so I decided to tune in to the album. From start to finish, it was an awesome experience. I didn’t feel human. It was awesomeeeee. There are some dope guitar riffs that cannot escape my head, some memorable hooks that had me thinking about the different songs for days, and each song stands out from one another. This album made me realise that I really really dig thrash metal. Dare I say that this album is better than Infest the Rats Nest…
Logan – Imaginal Disk by Magdelena Bay: When I first heard Imaginal Disk, I didn’t know what to expect. It was recommended to me by a few other board members, so one morning, I sat down in the office and gave it a run. Even though it was outside of my regular wheelhouse, for some reason it stuck with me, and I listened to it again and again. Tracks like “Image” and “Tunnel Vision” wormed their way into my daily listening habits, and have actually directed me towards more electronic music. If their next album is half as good as Imaginal Disk, I’m sure I’ll be playing it on repeat.
Molly – Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain: To say this album is a religious experience is an understatement. The unrivaled story telling of Ethel Cain’s life and death resonated with my own religious experiences on an interpersonal level that I didn’t know I needed. Hearing that transition from “Televangelism” into “Sun Bleached Flies” brought genuine tears to my eyes which is a feat in itself; which is why if there was any album I could force the entire population to listen to it would be this album. A musical experience that is truly a genuine work of art.
Ben – The New Sound by Geordie Greep: Black Midi was an awesome group to say the least and it was upsetting to hear that they were no longer active. However, Geordie Greep came with a solo album and decided to drop banger after banger. Such a unique sound is truly all I can say, it doesn’t seem to follow any “rules” of music and the experimentation is always welcome. The song “Holy, Holy” and others have such a fast pace and lyrics that are almost quite literally narration yet work so well. It’s an interesting blend carried by impressive instrumentation and Greep’s swift vocals that convey each track perfectly. Such a pleasure to listen to each time and I’m really excited to see what he’ll produce next.
Isaac – Ooh Rap I Ya by George Clanton: Like all great curators, impeccable taste and artistic sensibilities will inevitably lead to something new and original after sifting through and constructing from their inspirations. George Clanton continues this trend on his 2023 album Ooh Rap I Ya. After mastering and growing out of the vaporwave genre that he helped pioneer, he continues to find new influences and new sounds to add to his auteurist take on 20th and 21st century pop and electronic music.
Arianna – Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple: It’s no secret that Fiona Apple is one of the most prolific songwriters of the past several decades and I would argue that Fetch the Bolt Cutters delivers her best work yet. Every facet of this album from production to instrumentation feels extremely raw and vulnerable. The way Apple writes from a place of self-reflection makes you feel like you’re having an encounter with an older woman, full of warmth and life advice to give.
Kate – Omnium Gatherum by King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard: Even though it is the second of five albums released by KGLW in 2022, it is a standout among their vast discography. Omnium Gatherum collects all kinds of genres and puts the KGLW charm on it, making it similar yet entirely different from their albums previous and to come. Featuring their longest song “The Dripping Tap” at 18:01, metal such as “Gaia”, and psychedelic like “The Garden Goblin” makes this album accessible and inviting for Gizz fans new and old. Although the album consists of many different genres, it is somehow impossible to separate, making these songs part of a true album experience unlike any other.
