Albums of 2020

[Jorge]

The new Rina Sawayama album is like a better, wilder version of what Poppy tried to do with her last one

[Ello Sailor]

Kinda just sounds like early post-N'Sync Justin Timberlake

[Jorge]

But with drop-D riffs, turn-of-the-century IDM beats and saxophone solos peppered throughout

[chewm]

I really liked her EP, the new album didn't do that much for me on my first listen, might go back to it eventually.

[Jorge]

I really like it. Some nutty aesthetic choices and fun tunes. I am also here for the 2000s r&b and MSN Messenger nostalgia. Nothing here is as good as "Tunnel Vision" but I dig the world it carves out for itself

[Jorge]

Perfume Genius

This album is breathtaking, some of the more ambient-y passages need to grow on me a bit still but overall it's so, so good. Maybe my favorite release of the year so far.

Listening now

I liked Too Bright but this is a whole other level

[chewm]

I'm glad I didn't listen to the singles beforehand because they're still probably my favorite songs, but the whole album is incredible. There's a nice balance between cathartic pop release and more calmer and instrospective moments. I've listened to On the Floor way too many times in like 3 days, it just makes me feel happy.

Other than this one, I've only listened to No Shape (back in the year it came out), I need to go back to it and maybe cheack out the rest.

[Ello Sailor]

But with drop-D riffs, turn-of-the-century IDM beats and saxophone solos peppered throughout

True say

[Mike]

Yes yes, I'm liking the Perfume Genius love

Other than this one, I've only listened to No Shape (back in the year it came out), I need to go back to it and maybe cheack out the rest.

His first one is full of sad lo-fi bedroom piano songs. His pop and more vast and experimental sound only really started on Too Bright. I've only known him since No Shape but I imagine hearing Queen for the first time after being a fan of his first two albums must have been very interesting. That song is an artist breaking free.

Before No Bright, he upgraded the sound of Learning with the more produced and way better Put Your Back In 2 It. Gorgeous ballads from front to back. If you're looking for his upbeat pop side (Slip Away, On The Floor etc) this is not the one. The ballads are way more immediate than on his recent records though. I can not recommend this album enough.


No Bright not only brought more upbeat songs but also his weirder and kinda spooky side. I really like it but he comes to really improve this sound on No Shape and SMHOFI. I like those and Put Your Back In 2 It a lot more.


Having Blake Mills as producer for No Shape and SMHOFI really makes him shine. You know No Shape already, I would check that one out again and also listen to Put Your Back In 2 It. Too Bright and Learning can come later (both lesser versions of their successor to me)

[chewm]

Yes yes, I'm liking the Perfume Genius love

Other than this one, I've only listened to No Shape (back in the year it came out), I need to go back to it and maybe cheack out the rest.

His first one is full of sad lo-fi bedroom piano songs. His pop and more vast and experimental sound only really started on Too Bright. I've only known him since No Shape but I imagine hearing Queen for the first time after being a fan of his first two albums must have been very interesting. That song is an artist breaking free.

Before No Bright, he upgraded the sound of Learning with the more produced and way better Put Your Back In 2 It. Gorgeous ballads from front to back. If you're looking for his upbeat pop side (Slip Away, On The Floor etc) this is not the one. The ballads are way more immediate than on his recent records though. I can not recommend this album enough.


No Bright not only brought more upbeat songs but also his weirder and kinda spooky side. I really like it but he comes to really improve this sound on No Shape and SMHOFI. I like those and Put Your Back In 2 It a lot more.


Having Blake Mills as producer for No Shape and SMHOFI really makes him shine. You know No Shape already, I would check that one out again and also listen to Put Your Back In 2 It. Too Bright and Learning can come later (both lesser versions of their successor to me)

Thank you! I listened to some of these and really enjoyed them. I'll listen to Put Your Back In 2 It one of these days probably. I definitely like No Shape, I don't remember much of it though other than the first 2 songs (which are amazing).

[Mike]

Do you know the two songs released from his dance performance thing?

Spoiler: show

[epilogue]

The new Rina Sawayama album is like a better, wilder version of what Poppy tried to do with her last one

I liked this quite a bit. I've only listened once but it's stayed with me.

[epilogue]

Perfume Genius

This album is breathtaking, some of the more ambient-y passages need to grow on me a bit still but overall it's so, so good. Maybe my favorite release of the year so far.

Listening now

I liked Too Bright but this is a whole other level

I'm listening to this for the second time. I'm kind of bananas about it. It's fucking great. And I've never heard anything by Perfume Genius before.

[Mike]

Perfume Genius

This album is breathtaking, some of the more ambient-y passages need to grow on me a bit still but overall it's so, so good. Maybe my favorite release of the year so far.

Listening now

I liked Too Bright but this is a whole other level

I'm listening to this for the second time. I'm kind of bananas about it. It's fucking great. And I've never heard anything by Perfume Genius before.

[tragabigzanda]

[Toots McSharty]

Perfume Genius

This album is breathtaking, some of the more ambient-y passages need to grow on me a bit still but overall it's so, so good. Maybe my favorite release of the year so far.

Listening now

I liked Too Bright but this is a whole other level

I'm listening to this for the second time. I'm kind of bananas about it. It's fucking great. And I've never heard anything by Perfume Genius before.

[super nintendo chalmers]

Melenas - Despertar

[epilogue]

Current ranking of the 2020 albums I've heard so far (updated):

Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple
Gigaton - Pearl Jam
After Hours - The Weekend
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately - Perfume Genius
Saint Cloud - Waxahatchee

Suite For Max Brown - Jeff Parker
Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The Loves of Your Life - Hamilton Leithauser
Wake UP! - Hazel English
Song For Our Daughter - Laura Marling

For Their Love - Other Lives
Expectations - Katie Pruitt
SAWAYAMA - Rina Sawayama
La vita nuova - Christine and the Queens
Petals For Armor - Hayley Williams

Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman
The New Abnormal - The Strokes
Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
Likewise - Frances Quinlan
color theory - Soccer Mommy

Heavy Light - U.S. Girls
From Liberty Street - Mapache
Invisible People - Chicano Batman
Music To Be Murdered By - Eminem
Marigold - Stu Larsen

3.15.20 - Childish Gambino

[bada]

The new Rina Sawayama album is like a better, wilder version of what Poppy tried to do with her last one

I liked this quite a bit. I've only listened once but it's stayed with me.

After catching some songs on youtube I think I'm going to get this for my wife. Sounds like her kinda jams.

[ghost]

I've been listening to Logan Ledger's self-titled debut since it dropped back in April. Very solid classic country/pop/rock album in the Roy Orbison, Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakam vein.