Written by Jennifer Moglia
2020 was a year that could be described in many ways, but, thankfully, one of those things that happened this year was a ton of great new music coming out, despite everything else going on in the world. This list takes a look at my 10 favorite full-length albums that were released throughout this year, in no particular order, with honorable mentions included at the end!
10. “Three Knee Deep” by Three Knee Deep
Released: March 27th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Not a Game”, “Duck Down”
How to Support: Merch via Triple B Records
What I’ve really grown to love about hardcore music as a genre is that sometimes, as cliche as it may be to say, it just sounds good - no deeper messages or statements to be made, just...angry music. That’s exactly how I feel about Three Knee Deep and their self-titled debut album.
Hailing from Tampa Bay, Florida and signed to my personal favorite hardcore label in the game right now, Triple B Records, this band is straight-up, in-your-face, ignorant hardcore music. It fuses elements of 90s alternative and rap/hip-hop with metallic hardcore as a base to create a unique yet easily accessible sound.
This album starts out with an almost dreamy-sounding opening track titled “OG Intro”, followed by a spoken intro and standout track in “Era of Terror.” This is one of those records that will make you miss the catharsis and release that comes with live shows (the closing track is literally called “Mosherz Anthem”) and long for a time when you can finally hear these songs being screamed inches from your face, directly at you and a sweaty crowd.
9. “Manic” by Halsey
Released: January 17th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “929”, “More”, “3 AM”, “You Should Be Sad”, “Alanis’ Interlude”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store, @Halsey on Twitter
It’s no secret that Halsey leaned on concept albums or fictional worlds to base her albums off of. Her debut EP “Room 93” told the story of a doomed yet incredibly romantic relationship, her first full-length “Badlands” deposited listeners into a colorful, post-apocalyptic world full of reckless abandon, and her sophomore LP “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” served as the singer’s own take on the classic story of Romeo and Juliet.
What made “Manic”, her third full-length studio album, so special was that it didn’t take place in some far-off land; this record played out inside the brain of Ashley Frangipane, the human being behind the “Halsey” persona. Whether you like the development of the indie/alt-pop princess’s sound or not, the fact that she was able to make an autobiographical album certainly proved that there really isn’t anything that she can’t do.
Highlights include the emotional improvised closer “929”, the energetic “3 AM”, the angsty country-pop anthem “You Should Be Sad”, and all of the collaborations, but especially “Alanis’ Interlude” featuring legendary singer Alanis Morissette. If there was anyone who didn’t already love Halsey, she’s certainly on their radars now, hopefully being regarded as one of the best and most versatile pop stars in the game right now, rather than just a singer that a few girls found on Tumblr back in 2014.
8. “Evermore” by Taylor Swift
Released: December 11th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Dorothea”, “Coney Island (Ft. The National)”, “Ivy”, “Long Story Short”, “Gold Rush”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store, @TaylorSwift13 on Twitter
The second of two surprise albums by pop superstar Taylor Swift, “Evermore” is all I’ve listened to since it came out earlier this month. The revelation of Swift as an incredible indie/folk singer rather than just a pop star was certainly one of the best parts of 2020.
The singer announced that this record would be coming out less than 24 hours before it would be released, and the excitement surrounding it was certainly warranted. The perfect winter album, “Evermore” feels like a warm hug or a bowl of hot soup for your ears, something you’d listen to while drinking hot chocolate next to the fireplace.
While I truly believe that there isn’t a skippable song on this album, some of the notable moments include the emotional trio of “Champagne Problems”, “Tolerate It” and “‘Tis the Damn Season”, the three-minute daydream that is “Gold Rush”, the acknowledgment of the star’s past struggles on “Long Story Short” and “Closure”, and the features; HAIM on the classic sassy country ballad “No Body, No Crime”, The National on “Coney Island”, and Bon Iver on the closing titular track, “Evermore.” This year, Taylor Swift proved that she’s more than just a pretty face for teen girls to freak out over; she’s a legitimate artist, and a force to be reckoned with.
7. “Our Milk” by Nudie Mag
Released: March 13th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “She’s A Star!”, “Pet”, “Fan of You”, “Please be the One”
How to Support: Merch via Triple B Records, @NudieMagRocks on Twitter
It’s no secret that I’ll listen to just about any band that Triple B Records puts out a release for, as evidenced by some of my other articles throughout this year as well as some of the entries on my year-end lists. I’ve jokingly said multiple times that I’ll check out anything that they tell me to, and I’m so glad that that philosophy led me to Nudie Mag’s debut full-length, “Our Milk.”
While Triple B Records bands are traditionally within hardcore or a subgenre of it, Nudie Mag is a special brand of powerful, punk driven alt-pop, although if you described it using just about any other word, I’d probably agree. Their sound is just so fun, unique and eclectic, which can be rare under the umbrella of pop-punk.
My favorite track on this is definitely “She’s A Star!”, with sweet, tongue-in-cheek lyrics about relationships and astrology; other standouts include “Pet”, “Fan of You”, and “Please be the One.” Even though this record has certainly aged well in the “quarantine period”, coming out just as lockdowns began in mid-March, if there’s one band that will benefit from live shows coming back, it’s Nudie Mag; these songs are just too energetic to not be played loud to a crowd that’s ready to dance.
6. “Infrared Image of a Dying Star” by Christa Ferry
Released: June 5th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Sun Baby”, “Brain Pulp”, “Fight Club”, “Sucker Punch”
How to Support: @ChristaFerry on Twitter
In a year that was mostly deprived of live shows, it may have been harder than usual for some to find new artists, especially in their local scene. Thankfully, I was able to find Christa Ferry through some friends and other artists in the Long Island, New York music scene, and I fell in love with her debut album “Infrared Image of a Dying Star” almost instantly.
A mix of traditional songs and spoken word poetry, this record tells a deeply personal and immersive coming-of-age story of sorts, depicting concepts like love, breakups, loss, responses to trauma, and recovery. By the time this album is finished, you feel like you’ve lived through the narrator’s toughest moments with them, all in under 30 minutes.
Some of the highlights consist of the chilled-out acoustic “Sun Baby”, the sappy sweet piano-driven “Brain Pulp”, and the recovery anthems “Fight Club” and “Sucker Punch.” This album has something for everyone, between video game sound effects in “Yoshi’s Story” and an incredible cover of The 1975’s “102”, and is sure to be in your rotation for months after you hear it.
5. “Folklore” by Taylor Swift
Released: July 24th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Seven”, “Illicit Affairs”, “August”, “Mad Woman”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store, @TaylorSwift13 on Twitter
As mentioned earlier, Taylor Swift released two surprise albums this year, further cementing her legacy as one of the best artists of this generation and of all-time. Her first record this year, “Folklore” showed off a new side of the singer, leaning more towards an indie/singer-songwriter sound rather than the pop sound from her last few albums.
Once again, there are barely any songs that I skip here, but there are definitely a few standouts. Swift’s versatility is evident here; “Seven” is a masterpiece, a tribute and goodbye letter to fleeting youth, while “Illicit Affairs” touches on just how complicated and nuanced adult relationships can be. At the album’s core is a trilogy of songs about a love triangle, with “Cardigan” being from the perspective of a girl named Betty looking back on a past relationship, “August” from the perspective of an unnamed “other girl” who has a summer fling with a boy named James, and “Betty” from the perspective of James, Betty’s boyfriend, trying to win her back after being unfaithful that summer.
While not necessarily the strongest musically, these three songs are fan favorites due to the strong storytelling and imagery within them, bringing listeners back to Swift’s roots of classic country music storylines and super personal lyrics. In a time where so much was going wrong with the world, “Folklore” was able to bring joy to “swifties” everywhere, and for that, it will always be remembered fondly.
4. “Honeymoon” by Beach Bunny
Released: February 14th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Dream Boy”, “Cloud 9”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store, @BeachBunnyMusic on Twitter
A misconception made by many is that songs about sad things need to sound sad. Once I listened to Beach Bunny’s 2018 EP “Prom Queen”, I knew that that wasn’t true; this sentiment is only further proven in their debut full-length album, “Honeymoon.”
Following in the footsteps of indie-alt-pop princesses like Marina Diamandis, Lana del Rey, and Halsey, Beach Bunny’s Lili Trifilio is blunt and to-the-point in her lyrics about insecurity and heartbreak but still her wording, instrumentation, and delivery soften the blow, keeping things feeling delicate and dreamy. On a deeper level, this teaches the lesson to everyone, but especially young girls, that you don’t have to stay stuck in your trauma or bad memories forever; you can still feel happy and pretty, despite what you’ve been through in the past.
While “Prom Queen” was an EP centered around those darker feelings of heartache, “Honeymoon” is a more mature relationship-centric album; my favorite track here is “Dream Boy”, a sugary-sweet upbeat track about finding someone who wants to make you want to let go of insecurities and allow yourself to fall in love. As much as I enjoyed this record, I’m glad that it’s only the beginning for this band, and I can’t wait for their EP “Blame Game” to come out next month; if the lead single “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” was any indicator, it’s sure to be another step up for them.
3. “Underneath” by Code Orange
Released: March 13th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “You and You Alone”, “Swallowing the Rabbit Whole”, “The Easy Way”, “Sulfur Surrounding”, “(deeperthanbefore)”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store and Roadrunner Records, @CodeOrangeTOTH on Twitter
I talked about this album in my “Top 5 Hardcore Releases of the First Half of 2020” article earlier this year, but there’s no way that I could leave it out. My last “normal” memory before COVID-19 took the world by storm was listening to this album during my last in-person class of the 2019-2020 school year, and I’m certain that it wouldn’t have been this memorable if the album wasn’t as amazing as it is.
Code Orange has said that this heavy-hitter of a record is about the nightmarish, dystopian future that could await us if humans’ obsession with screens and technology continues. Little did we know, this would end up hitting way too close to home by the end of the year.
This is one of the best, most complex concept albums of the past few years, if not ever, from the “glitch” sound effects and unhinged screams for help in the background of nearly every song to the creepily innocent voice proclaiming “let’s take a good look at you” in the opening track “(deeperthanbefore)”, this is a completely immersive, all-consuming experience of an album. If Three Knee Deep is just straightforward, ignorant hardcore, this is hardcore at its most creative and artistic, and both are definitely deserving of a place on this list.
2. “Harmony” by Rich People
Released: August 7th, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Play”, “Unlove”, “Broad Strokes”
How to Support: Merch via Official Artist Store, @RichPeopleBand on Twitter
One of my most highly-anticipated releases of 2020 was “Harmony”, the Philly/New Jersey-based alternative band Rich People’s second full-length, the follow-up to 2018’s “Grace Session” EP. This album undoubtedly lived up to all of the expectations that I had for it, the band moving to a more mature, developed sound with the same personal, heartfelt lyrical content that fans have come to love from this band.
The opener, “Contrast”, is one of my favorite opening tracks of the year, complete with references to nearly every song the band has put out and a simple message of connecting despite differences. The next three songs, “Joy Notes”, “Broad Strokes”, and “Kathleen (ft. Collin Walsh)” are all love songs in one way or another, whether the love is for a current partner, a future love interest, or a parent who has always been there.
Other highlights include “Play”, a catchy song with a to-the-point, important message, the deeply emotional “Fairmount”, and the straight-out-of-an-indie film “French Kiss” and “Unlove.” The closing track “Moving Parts” takes a look back at how Rich People came to be, the lessons learned and bonds formed because of the band, and prepares listeners for what’s next for them; if it’s anything like this record, it’s sure to be incredible.
1. “I Won’t Fade On You” by Elder Brother
Released: October 2nd, 2020
Favorite Tracks: “Ok, Alright”, “If You Love Me (Like You Say)”, “Projector”, “I Get So Tired Of You”
How to Support: Merch via MerchNow and Big Cartel, @ElderBrother_ on Twitter
My favorite album of 2020 comes from a band that I had never listened to before the tenth month of the year. I listened to Elder Brother for the first time the night that “I Won’t Fade On You” dropped, on a complete whim looking for new albums to check out.
This record was a surprise, a completely pleasant one. After listening in full for the first time, I felt like I had watched an entire relationship play out, from infatuation in the opening title track, to insecurity in “If You Love Me (Like You Say)” and “Projector”, love beginning to fade in “Ok, Alright” and “I Get So Tired Of You”, and, finally, the breakup in “The War Is Over” and “Hair” and the start of the healing process in the final track, “Washed.”
This year has been rough for everyone, whether it be due to the COVID-19 pandemic or something completely unrelated, and as someone who experienced their fair share of emotional turmoil in 2020, this record said everything that I was thinking and told me everything that I needed to hear. At the time of release, I called this album the soundtrack to autumn heartbreak, but, come winter, it slowly morphed into a soundtrack for recovery for me; I hope that Elder Brother’s “I Won’t Fade On You” takes you on your own journey, too.
Honorable Mentions:
“Cost of Sacrifice” by Chamber
“Internal Incarceration” by Year of the Knife
“California Cursed” by DRAIN
“Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress” by Gulch
“Lament” by Touche Amore
Did your picks make the list? Let us know by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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