Top 50 Albums of 2020 (10-1)

 And now, my top 10 albums of 2020:

10.

Purity Ring - WOMB

The synthpop duo combined the more visceral parts of their first record with the maximalist tendencies of their second to create an album that maintains a marvelous tension throughout.

9.

Tricky - Falls to Pieces

Recorded after the death of his daughter, Tricky's Fall to Pieces is an album born from grief and is one of Tricky's most haunting and beautiful works.  

8.

HEALTH - DISCO4::Part 1

An album of collaborations with artists as disparate as Soccer Mommy, 100 gecs, JPEGMAFIA, and The Soft Moon. Despite no real thematic continuity with the different styles of music, HEALTH always finds a way to make them work as a whole.  

7.

Bob Moses - Desire

Spectral synthpop with an edge, Desire is Bob Moses' taking risks and having them pay off.

6. 

Taylor Swift - folklore

One of two surprise albums this year, Taylor Swift's folklore found her working with The National's Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, and Bon Iver on this masterful collection of intimate stories. Swift works best in this format, allowing her imagination to wander and wonder.

5.

Future Islands - As Long As You Are

Another immaculate collection of heartsick synthpop from the Baltimore quartet.  Samuel T. Herring's lyrics have gotten even more intimate and complex.

4.

Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension 

After the hushed brilliance of Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan returned with his dark, synth-heavy opus of songs that dig deep into subjects as heady as faith and hopelessness. 

3. 

Ólafur Arnalds - some kind of peace

Starkly beautiful set of songs that haunt you long after you listen.  

2.

PVRIS - Use Me

The best pop-rock album belonged to PVRIS.  Use Me is a muscular record that shows the band embracing a more mature sound and lyrical refinement.  Plus, it has some of the catchiest melodies.

1.

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?

Her last two records found her being directed to a more adult-contemporary style. While she has the chops for it, Ware is much more suited for dance music, as her debut made abundantly clear. Ware even thought about quitting music but, in working with producer James Ford, she found her calling again and the results are dazzling.  What's Your Pleasure? is a supremely confident set of songs that put a fresh take on house, synthpop, R&B, and disco. It's a record that makes you dance and makes you smile and is my album of the year, no question.