Andy Shauf - “The Neon Skyline” - Rock
Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf’s “The Neon Skyline” is the year’s best indie record so far and one of the best concept albums ever made.
Adding up to a little more than half an hour, the 11 songs on his fourth LP tell a heartbreaking, down-to-earth story about meeting up with old friends and an ex-lover at a bar. He details each witty joke and confessional line between the characters during a night of drinking and emotional catharsis.
Building on the intense narrative focus of Shauf’s 2016 album, “The Party,” his lyrics read like a mix between a John Steinbeck short story and an Aaron Sorkin screenplay, throwing conventional rhyme schemes away in favor of painterly details and grounded conversations.
Although Shauf’s musical ability is impressive, evident in his crafting of folksy ballads by playing every single instrument himself, the storytelling and bleeding heart of this album are what will keep you coming back for more.
If you need a soothing voice and some stunning tunes to help you through a bad break up or tough times in general, “The Neon Skyline” might be one of your new favorites.
King Krule - “Man Alive!” - Rock
Indie rock is getting drearier and drearier, featuring mellow bedroom-pop from artists like Mac DeMarco and emotionally downtrodden garage anthems from bands like Car Seat Headrest.
But while people all over the world are quarantined because of the coronavirus, would anything else feel appropriate?
These dark times have only improved King Krule’s “Man Alive!” over the past few months, giving his impressionistic blends of punk and jazz even more emotional weight and power.
Archy Ivan Marshall’s music has always been dark, but none of his past albums have delivered powerful moods through songs as catchy as the ones on “Man Alive!”
From the fiery saxophone over the driving bass and drums on “Comet Face” to the warm guitars on the spacey ballad “Energy Fleets,” each track adds to the album’s unique aesthetic with vulnerable vocals, earworm melodies and sullen soundscapes.
If you need something to let you know that you’re not insane and the world really is as horrible as it seems, “Man Alive!” might help you process the darkness we’re all facing right now.
R.A.P. Ferreira - “Purple Moonlight Pages” - Rap
No album exposes the common ground shared between hip-hop and poetry quite like “Purple Moonlight Pages.”
Wisconsin-native R.A.P. Ferreira crafted a jazz-hop album just as chill as it is smart, with the help of some fantastic beats from his backing band, The Jefferson Park Boys.
Delivering a refreshing change of pace from the lo-fi production on Ferreira’s previous albums, The Jefferson Park Boys fill “Purple Moonlight Pages” with lively performances and dynamic shifts that perfectly suit Ferreira’s unpredictable flows.
Although his lyrics don’t come together to form any grand concept, Ferreira packs two or three albums’ worth of witty punchlines and philosophical gems into the album.
His performances are unrelentingly charismatic, whether he’s describing a peaceful domestic scene over the jazzy pianos and warm bass of “LAUNDRY” or melodically bragging about his artistic trajectory over the soulful horns and propulsive drums of “LEAVING HELL.”
If you’re looking for some dense, conscious hip-hop that effortlessly blends classic boom-bap and contemporary jazz, don’t miss “Purple Moonlight Pages.”
Smino - “She Already Decided” - Rap
If you need some feel-good hip-hop to turn your brain off and groove to, Smino’s got you covered.
The St. Louis-based rapper’s mixtape “She Already Decided” is a delightfully indulgent mix of trap and R&B with Smino’s unique flows and tones effortlessly complementing simple and addictive beats.
Although he released the mixtape as a free download through his website, don’t mistake “She Already Decided” for a compilation of unfinished garbage.
Smino remixes a few other rappers’ songs, including Megan Thee Stalion’s “Savage” and Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” but his unique performances make these cuts equally as great or even better than the originals.
The mixtape features plenty of original material as well, including Smino’s surprisingly personal performance over the Thundercat-co-produced luxurious boom-bap of “Year of The Goat.”
The carefree remix of Smino’s 2018 song “KLINK,” featuring a new beat and a hilariously energetic guest appearance from T-Pain, wraps up the album in gloriously indulgent fashion.
Smino delivers bangers that don’t take themselves too seriously, making “She Already Decided” feel like an early 2010s DatPiff mixtape in the best way possible.
Against All Logic - “2017-2019” - Electronic
What began as a veteran producer’s side project has quickly become one of the most exciting acts in electronic music.
On “2017-2019,” Against All Logic pushes the boundaries of house music, blending it with reimagined elements of IDM, ambient and even industrial hip-hop.
The 2018 album “2012-2017,” which introduced Chilean-American composer Nicolas Jaar’s Against All Logic stage name, provided a refreshing change of pace from his usually ambient and abstract material, crafting forward-thinking fusions of distorted electronics and chopped soul samples.
Instead of revisiting this new brand of nostalgic-yet-futuristic house, Jaar completely reinvents the project’s aesthetic on “2017-2019,” creating strange and harsh soundscapes that reveal more depth with every listen.
From the wall of Beyoncé samples on opening track “Fantasy,” to the pulsing bass and crushing cymbals of “Deeeeeeefers,” each track transforms familiar sounds into something inventive, nuanced and almost unrecognizable.
If you’re looking for tunes that get you moving before they beat you senseless with aggressive samples and grimy bass, don’t miss Against All Logic’s latest achievement.
Squarepusher - “Be Up A Hello” - Electronic
Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with going back to basics.
On “Be Up A Hello,” Squarepusher returns to the drum and bass he helped pioneer in the late ’90s, updating it with lush production and adventurous composition.
After several years and albums of odd experiments with varied genres, English producer Tom Jenkinson revived the sounds of classic electronic music with one of his most versatile and exciting projects yet.
From lightning-fast bass arpeggios over break beats on “Nervelevers” to neo-baroque synth-pop on the opening track “Oberlove,” Squarepusher attacks strange aesthetics with glitching synths, driving beats and otherworldly textures.
Even “Be Up A Hello’s” slower moments stand out as some of the album’s highlights, with the atmospheric drama of “Detroit People Mover” and the haunting ambience of the closing track “80 Ondula” providing much needed breathing room to help digest the album’s chaos.
More than 20 years into his musical career, Squarepusher is still pushing the genre forward with some of his most inventive and entertaining songs yet.
Zack Villere - “Cardboard City” - Pop
If you need some cozy tunes to ease the loneliness of quarantine, nothing is more comforting than Zack Villere’s “Cardboard City.”
This oddball singer, songwriter and producer’s sophomore album builds on the homespun aesthetic and endearing vocals of his 2017 debut, “Little World,” filling “Cardboard City” with even more vulnerable performances and theatrical instrumentation.
Although he pulls from a variety of influences, often blending R&B, pop, hip-hop and electronic music, Villere’s restraint keeps his songs from feeling messy or overwhelming.
Avoiding abrupt shifts in tone and sound, Villere develops songs through patient, dynamic evolutions, giving his heartwarming lyrics and vocals space to breathe while changing up the backdrop enough to keep his songs engaging.
Heart-stoppingly gorgeous touches like the gritty guitar solo over the soft keys of “Sore Throat” or the snappy hip-hop beats and playful piano arpeggios on “Knockout” make “Cardboard City” endlessly replayable.
If you want to hear some endearing songs with a unique aesthetic, don’t miss the best work yet from one of indie-pop’s brightest stars.
Rina Sawayama - “SAWAYAMA” - Pop
Even as pop music becomes more experimental, Rina Sawayama manages to stand head and shoulders above her competition on her first studio album, “SAWAYAMA.”
After releasing her debut EP in 2017, Sawayama quickly established herself as one of pop’s most-exciting voices, combining the indulgent aesthetic of 2000s stars with the adventurous sound of modern icons like Charli XCX.
Sawayama filled her debut with enough meaningful and catchy tracks to rise even higher than those influences.
Intricate production from EDM producer Clarence Clarity packs even “SAWAYAMA’s” most anthemic and accessible songs with rewarding details, like the jarring transitions between clean pop goodness and heavy metal riffs on the song “XS.”
Sawayama’s ability to belt out sing-along choruses doesn’t stop her from getting heartfelt near the album’s climax, like on the tribute to lost friendships “Bad Friend” or “Chosen Family,” a synth-heavy ode to finding common ground despite different backgrounds.
“SAWAYAMA” has enough creative production and heartfelt songwriting to please music fans of all kinds. Do yourself a favor and reserve your spot to watch Rina Sawayama’s meteoric rise to pop stardom.
