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2020: The Year in Tiers - The Middle

In the third tier we find the average, or slightly above records that couldn't quite separate themselves from the middle of the pack. Much like 90's WWF Superstar The British Bulldog, these albums never really achieve greatness but are serviceable middle card entertainment nonetheless.

#72. Welcome to Bobby's Motel by Pottery

There's an undeniable dance-ability to the kinetic acid funk rhythms on display here, just a disappointing lack of substance underneath it all. Especially when the songs slow down, it becomes glaringly obvious how thinly constructed everything is. But if you're in need of a fun Todd Terje alternative this will likely put a smile on your face, for a little while anyways.


#71. Ordinary Man by Ozzy Osbourne

I haven't listened to a full Ozzy solo venture since 1991's "No More Tears" but with this seemingly being the Prince of Darkness' farewell album, I had to give it a try. And honestly, it has no business being as good as it is. The ballad with Elton John is pretty spectacular. And even if the Post Malone collaborations at the end of the record feel a little forced and there are some admittedly cheesy moments sprinkled throughout, this was surprisingly not awful.


#70. Utgard by Enslaved

15 years in and you pretty well know what to expect from Enslaved at this point. And yet they still manage to push into some interesting new territory after the instrumental intermission of the title track, "Utgard", delving into more melodic and borderline power metal terrain for an enticing conclusion following the somewhat formulaic introduction. Enslaved continues to surprise and delivers once again on their surprisingly consistent output.


#69. weight of the world by MIKE

This album starts slow but the second half shows exactly why MIKE has been one of the most prominent up-and-coming hip hop artists for some time now. But frankly, it feels like he needs to be landing more cohesive projects at this point. This still feels incredibly raw and unstructured, which I understand is intentional and some of his appeal, but Earl Sweatshirt has seemingly perfected the same style without sounding quite this messy and unfocused.


#68. Carefree Theatre by Surfer Blood

Surfer Blood's career got off to a meteoric start with "Astro Coast" and while their latest album doesn't have the stand out singles their debut did, "Carefree Theatre" is definitely the best record they've released since. The blend of indie-surf new wave makes for an incredibly fun and easy listen and an interesting direction for the group to explore moving forward.


#67. The Slow Rush by Tame Impala

Tame Impala has become indie nu-psych rock titans of industry but their latest record, as polished and clean as it sounds, just isn't anywhere near as engaging as their previous work. Think of "Lonerism" as the crazy Friday night to kick off your weekend, "Currents" is the main event Saturday Night extravaganza and "The Slow Rush" is the groggy Sunday afternoon clean-up comedown.


#66. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Spanish Love Songs seem to be pulling off the Menzingers' bit better than the Menzingers can anymore. Melodic power pop infused with despondent, slightly overwritten lyrics that make for an emotionally turbulent experience guaranteed to get in your feelings at least once. The down side is that, well, there's no up-sides. It gets to be a bit much, especially with the less than ideal lyricism that can come off a bit over the top when the tone is this one dimensional.


#65. Heaven to a Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor

Impeccably produced and effortlessly consumed, Yves Tumor comes off like TV on the Radio meets Daft Punk. Unfortunately it's the overly redundant aspects of Daft Punk that stick out; specifically their attempts to force feed hooks rather than letting them develop more naturally. "Kerosene!" is the stand out track in that it feels the most authentic but overall, the style on display is what's most fun here, not necessarily the song to song execution.


#64. Do You Wonder About Me? by Diet Cig

If you've seen Diet Cig perform live, you know exactly why this indie power pop duo has such a devout following. But sadly, 5 years and two full lengths in and the group has still failed to capture the intoxicating energy and endearing charm they bring to the stage in recorded form. "Do You Wonder About Me?" is a decent effort, just not all that remarkable. It feels unfinished and not fully realized, even in it's brightest moments.


#63. What's Your Pleasure by Jessie Ware

A solid easy listening nu-disco record, "What's Your Pleasure?" breezes by pretty seamlessly but the recycled 80's synth aesthetic it touts as it's strongest asset is so commonplace in 2020 that it's hard not to hear this record as more of the same dance-pop nostalgia overload you can find virtually anywhere. Neither the lyrics nor the compositions do much to elevate the content passed it's packaging, which is done exquisitely but again - nothing you haven't heard before.


#62. Skeleton Coast by The Lawrence Arms

While they haven't sunken to the depths of their early 2000's punk contemporaries like Rise Against or Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms definitely feel like they're just going through the motions at this stage of their career. Especially when Brendan Kelly isn't on vocals, the band sounds incredibly bland and uninspired. Again, not terrible, just kind of "meh".


#61. Ultra Mono by Idles

Without the frantic, intoxicating energy that buzzed through every track on "Joy as an Act of Resistance", "Ultra Mono" comes off overly repetitive and incredibly slow. It feels like a VH1 Storytellers version of the band, slowing things down to overly explain every nuance until the material has been dumbed down to a crawl and lost the ferocity of it's bite almost entirely. Here's hoping Idles returns to delivering their post-punk irony at break neck speed again in the future.


#60. Lonesome Holiday by Murder by Death

As a fellow Indiana born movie fanatic, I really didn't think there was a chance in hell that Bloomington's Murder by Death would release a holiday album without including a rendition of the title track from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. But instead, we get "Holiday Road"?! There must be some complex licensing tied around "Christmas Vacation" because the original isn't even available on Spotify either. Regardless, the holiday covers performed here are fun enough, even if they're songs with plenty of renditions already available - it's the pedestrian original content that's really holding this record back.


#59. K.G. by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

16 records over the span of 8 years is pretty insane, especially considering 8 of those albums have been dropped in the past 3 years. And yet somehow, the onslaught of material hasn't deluded King Gizzard's exuberant exploration of varying sounds, this time delivering something that sounds like King Crimson scoring the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It's a wildly invigorating underwater dance pop record with some of the best drumming you'll hear anywhere this year. It just takes a little too long to get going, with the first half of the record feeling pretty interchangeable until it finally finds it's footing and cuts loose on "Some Of Us" through the finale.


#58. how im feeling now by Charli XCX

There were a lot of quarantine albums released this year but I think this was the first one I remember hearing that was RECORDED entirely during quarantine. It definitely captures the isolation and angst of being trapped in our houses earlier this year but overall, it's still largely just a repetitive pop album. Like, PAINFULLY repetitive. And was I the only one that heard "party 4 u" sound like "I'm about to potty on you"? And just when the album finally starts to get more interesting, it ends.


#57. Ceremony by Phantogram

"Pedestal" and to a lesser extent "Into Happiness" are two of the best songs Phantogram's ever put out but the rest of this album is kind of a weird gloomy mess, leaving for a very mixed experience. Once the duo veers out of the safety net of their indie-pop constructs, they can't quite seem to find their footing. Phenomenal production, inconsistent arrangements, and some remarkable hooks add up to a middle of the road pop rock endeavor with singles destined to soundtrack commercials and movie trailers over the next several months along with 7 or 8 throwaway tracks sure to be forgotten almost instantaneously.


#56. Fluid Existential Inversions by Intronaut

One of the most wildly ambitious and instrumentally complex acts currently going in metal, Intronaut has the talent to be one of our generations best prog acts but they very rarely can piece the sum of their individual strengths into a cohesive sum. Their last effort, "The Direction of Last Things", showed signs that they had finally found the formula to showcase their sound in all it's glory but other than "Tripolar", this album seems to be a bit of a regression for the group.


#55. Honeymoon by Beach Bunny

This frenzied collection of sad girl bedroom pop shows immense promise but my largest frustration is that I simply want more. This feels like a collection of demos, the entirety of the 9 tracks running at just 25 minutes long. It doesn't help the incomplete feeling that the record ends on it's absolute best track "Cloud 9" - which also feels like the most fully developed of the bunch. It's like seeing the pilot episode for an incredible looking show that never got picked up for a full season.


#54. Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

You can take away a lot of different things from music. Most people listen along and never pay any mind to the words they find themselves repeating to the mundane dribble spilling out of their car stereo. For me, there has to be a balance of style and substance. And while Fiona Apple brings a plethora of substance, I just don't find any appeal to the musical packaging she wraps her insightful musings within. Her writing is indisputably captivating but it feels more like poetry or spoken word to me. Enlightening but not all that entertaining.


#53. Omens by Elder

Another heavy dose of stoner psych metal from Elder showcases the band starting to transition into synth infused prog rock but honestly, I don't mind the new direction. It doesn't quite capture the same edge and aggression but this feels like a natural development for the group even if the transformation isn't entirely captivating. It feels like we've caught them in between phases so hopefully they fully embrace the transition on their next record.


#52. 3.15.20 by Childish Gambino

With all the hype swirling around the video for "This Is America", I understand Glover's decision to wait and release the accompanying full length until a later date. But surprise dropping it the first weekend of the COVID pandemic engulfing America with a track list composed of timestamps and no "This Is America" anywhere in sight? C'mon man...There are some fun tracks here ("Under the Sun" or "53.49" being the standout) but overall this feels like Gambino punting on piecing together a masterpiece and just giving us the work in progress version of what should have been his magnum opus rather than stewing over piecing it together any longer.


#51. X: The Godless Void and Other Stories

by And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead

Celebrating their tenth full length, "X" feels like an anniversary party, revisiting all of the various career stages Trail of the Dead have undergone along the way. And while it's fun to reminisce with one of indie rock's most criminally under appreciated acts, the latter half of the record leaves you feeling as if the band really doesn't know where to go from here. A bit disjointed and directionless, and not in the fun experimental fashion "Tao of the Dead" tapped into. A fun throwback but ultimately lacking growth.


#50. Blood Machines Official Soundtrack by Carpenter Brut

With a style built from the scrap heap archives of 80's horror synth, it was really only a matter of time before Carpenter Brut took on producing their own horror soundtrack. They definitely do a fine job of replicating trademarks from the era but ultimately I left wanting a little more from this predictable retro score. Especially considering the volume of synth nostalgia we've seen in recent years, this doesn't particularly stand out the way their previous work does. Fun but forgettable.


#49. Making a Door Less Open by Car Seat Headrest

I found myself in the minority with this one, as I really appreciated Car Seat Headrest reaching outside their lo-fi indie comfort zone and delving into a new wave aesthetic. What held the album back for me was that the lyricism just wasn't what I'd come to expect. It felt as if they were leaning too much on the new aesthetic to carry the record and the lyrics were neglected as a result. It's like seeing your most responsible friend go on a bender and have a one night stand - it's nice to see them cut loose and enjoy themselves but you really don't want to see them turning this into a habit because you know they're capable of so much more.


#48. UMMON by SLIFT

If you wanted to try and describe the ending to Stanley Kubrick's 2001 through a stoner psych rock album, this would be the ideal way to do so. The acid metal odyssey kicks off at warp speed and most effectively on the title track "Ummon" and despite tailing off in the latter half of the record, the unique energy field that Slift transports you through along the way is more than worth the trip. It's only shortcoming is that as epic as it sounds, the album's just stretched out far too long.


#47. Muck by Dikembe

The "Don't Call Me Emo" Gainesville veterans return after a 4 year break but unfortunately it's with their least dynamic effort to date. I love the dry and washed out alt-rock sound that they've evolved into over "Mediumship" and "Hail Something" but this record lacks the riff heavy knock out punch and songwriting depth that made their earlier work so remarkable. And while it's a drop off, this is still a fine album, just a tad underwhelming (and way too repetitive) given the high bar they've set for themselves.


#46. Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling

Laura Marling displays what an incredibly moving storyteller and passionate vocalist she's become on her latest record but as emotionally gripping as it can be in it's brightest moments (like "Only the Strong") the songs can start to run together with such a one dimensional sound throughout the entire album. She's unbelievably talented, no doubt, but with such a singular tone, there's plenty of room to grow.


#45. Erotic Nightmare Summer by Carpool

The breakout single "The Salty Song" shows a ton of promise for Carpool but unfortunately, the rest of their debut record feels a bit forced. They never really find themselves capturing that same infectious power pop energy, but seem determined to cram it into every other song anyways. Overall it's a solid emo debut but not every song needs gang vocal sing along.


#44. Lament by Touche Amore

For those who like your emo closer to the screamo spectrum while maintaining a pop-punk over hardcore inclination, Touche Amore is a pretty perfect melting pot of influences. It's bouncy and energetic with engaging instrumentation under suffering introspective screeching vocals. And while I don't necessarily hate the delivery (think Modern Life is War or Defeater for reference) it's the lyrical content that often keeps me from fully embracing this group. It sometimes sounds like a self-care anthem of cliches (y'know, ghosts and crowns and branches, etc) that tends to nullify the sincerity of the overall effort due to the occasional cringey overused metaphor.


#43. Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress by Gulch

At just 8 tracks and 15 minutes in length, Gulch's debut sounds like the soundtrack to being shoved into your first mosh pit and getting scissor kicked in the face. A boost of adrenaline for sure, but certainly not the most pleasant experience. The rapid fire assault of thrash metal intensity is invigorating, no doubt, but could certainly use a little more development.


#42. Dinner Party by Dinner Party

The aptly named neo-soul collaboration of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder does sounds like an incredibly chill dinner party. It's a free flowing smorgasbord of personality and easy listening grooves. The record is so laid back and disarming in it's soothing tone that before you know it, you're already on your second play through. Lacking in stand out tracks, Dinner Party is consistently entertaining even if it's not necessarily groundbreaking.


#41. Knock Yourself Out by PHONY

Following up last year's "Songs You'll Never Sing", less than a year later PHONY returns with a much more subdued and albeit less enthused effort in "Knock Yourself Out". The energy and excitement seem dried up and replaced with a morose sense of dread and emptiness that leave a lot to be desired after such a promising debut a year ago. I'm told the songs are actually re-recorded material written before "Songs You'll Never Sing" which explains why this feels like a demo tape more than a follow up (apparently because it kind of is...?) There's glimpses of greatness but it hasn't quite been utilized yet.



View the Rest of the 2020 Year in Tiers Here:


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