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It's always struck me as a little bold to publish a "best of the year" list in December. Presumptuous, perhaps. Like, discontent with simply counting unhatched chickens, then proceeding to pick a favorite hen from among the eggs. More music could still be released! What if somebody drops a surprise album at 11:59 PM on New Year’s Eve? What then? It's not dissimilar to the nagging sense of dissatisfaction I feel when Spotify Wrapped emerges every early December: I'm not done yet! What if I get into some new, crazy subgenre in the last 2 weeks of the year? I want it on the charts!
Rather than exposing a flaw in the system, I think this just emphasizes that which, deep down, we all already know: these lists don't really matter. They are important for the artists they feature, certainly, and they make excellent fodder for Twitter arguments, but how many of us actually go back and listen to all 50 of Pitchfork's favorite albums? Even to the top 20?
This is my primary bone to pick with such lists: they are far, far too long for their order to have any meaning whatsoever. What is the difference between a #28 album and a #37 album? Beyond the honorific ego-stroking of it all, there is virtually no reason to order a list of 100 albums. Far more useful would be a list geared towards the listener, ordered by style or genre or something of that nature. Something to help potential listeners find that new artist they're looking for. Don't tell me it was the 26th best album of the year, tell me whether or not I'd be into it. I'm talking about a sort of Amazon-esque system to all of this: If you like Snail Mail, you may also like.....
That being said, I do love a good top-10 list. Short enough to salvage some meaning from its structure, these lists provide an actual benchmark for the quality of its contents. The ninth best album of the year is a distinctly different title than the third best, and to have an album fall in number one - to have your work declared the best of the year - has to mean a great deal to the artist.
Still, I'm a firm believer in concision. If it can be pared down, it ought to be. That's why I've prepared a list of my top 5 albums of the year. It's a short list, yes, but I can guarantee that each of these albums is absolutely worth the time it takes to give them a listen. There is no filler, no choices made just to pad out the numbers. These are the albums that defined this year in music, at least for me, and I've no doubt they'll remain in my rotation well into 2021 and beyond. And, just to be sure nobody catches me off guard, I'm releasing this at the beginning of January. As for the other 45 albums? I'll leave that for you to decide.
#5: Bob Dylan - Rough & Rowdy Ways
I've written here before about the confident insanity that defines Bob Dylan's 39th album (and his first of original songs since 2012's Tempest). It is at times bizarre, frequently baffling, and always very Dylan. In some ways, it feels like this album captured the spirit of 2020 better than any other: it is surreal, entirely unique, and feels unstuck from time somehow, neither of this moment nor any other. If the last year has proven anything, it's that time isn't nearly so dominant over us as we may have thought. The fact that a full 9 months have passed since March 2020 is throwing me for a loop even as I write this. This album floats along in much the same way, accompanied by a verbose set of lyrics and that sharp sort of humor only Dylan can bring to the table.
#4: Tre Burt - Caught It From the Rye
Tre Burt writes folk music in a way that is simultaneously old-fashioned and unshakably modern. Caught It From the Rye, released back in January, is full of such songs, packed with the dueling presence of deep-set pessimism and unshakeable optimism that has come to define the internet era. Songs like "Undead God of War" and the title track centralize this tension, yet never manage to land on a conclusion. The single "Under the Devil's Knee," released in the summer, also deserves a mention, and, for the purpose of this article, I'll include it under this same umbrella.
#3: CHIKA - INDUSTRY GAMES
Yes, I know this is an EP. Sue me.
I cannot quite put into words the quality that makes me love this album so dearly. It's something in the Gospel-inspired instrumentals, the determined confidence of CHIKA's delivery, the concise perfection of the record's 20-minute run time. Whatever it is, tracks like "ON MY WAY", "SONGS ABOUT YOU", and especially "CROWN", the EP's fantastic closer, never fail to excite me. CHIKA is producing some of the most interesting hip-hop of the current era, and if this EP is any indication, she ought to be around for while.
#2: Adrienne Lenker - songs
Recorded alone with her producer in a cabin in the mountains, songs captures the other side of 2020. Released in October with its companion LP instrumentals, this album encapsulates the quiet, abiding day-to-day experience of the past year. It's Pink Moon for the modern era, sparse and hushed. A fantastic album about the uncertain experience of learning to make it on your own, no "Best of the Year" list would be complete without songs. Still, in a year such as this, it’s hard to find an album more timely, more of the moment, or more beautiful.
#1: Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Look, we all knew it was coming. This was the album that launched Phoebe Bridgers into a new phase of her career: that of a household name and a bona fide voice of an era. Punisher, her second full-length album, is full to bursting of memorable moments. The orchestral bent of "Chinese Satellite", the gentle meandering of "Graceland Too", the apocalyptic explosion of "I Know The End". Jaw-dropping lines tumble out ceaselessly, masterfully-written lyrics like "It's a government drone or an alien spaceship/Either way, we're not alone."
Punisher has transcended from one of my favorite albums of the year to one of my favorites ever. It's a masterclass in songwriting and its understated, vaguely spooky production never fails to move me. Say what you will about 2020, but hey, any year that brought us Punisher can't be all bad.
In One Ear
A brief check-in as to what I've been listening to lately:
Cornbread - Lee Morgan
I've been listening to a fair amount of Jazz lately, but this album especially has entered my heavy rotation. It's everything I look for in a Jazz album: forceful compositions, long solos, Herbie Hancock... what's not to love?
Spine River- Wall Matthews
The transitional period of December has passed. Now it's January. In other words, winter. Real winter (or, at least, as close as we get to "real winter" in Virginia). Spine River, a collection of solo guitar pieces by the composer Wall Matthews, is the perfect soundtrack to the gray days and pale mornings of the next few months. It's the auditory equivalent of a frozen creek, ideal for the post-Christmas chill of early winter.
The Whole Love - Wilco
I had enjoyed Wilco peripherally for some time, but this is the album that really won me over in my senior year of high school. Careening along through songs like "Dawned On Me" and "Born Alone", the eclectic album makes for a broad, high-energy listening experience and the perfect introduction to the rest of Wilco's catalog.
Both of These
This Week's Mixtape
Each edition of Nightswimming will come complete with a companion mixtape. Some of the songs relate to this week's newsletter, others not at all. As with any mixtape, listening in order is recommended, but if you don't have Spotify Premium or - heaven forbid - you just prefer to shuffle, then don't worry. The songs are still great, and nothing's set to self destruct.
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David Lefkowitz is a writer, musician, and former Latin NHS president. His work has been featured by Melted Magazine, The Outbound Collective, and Vinyl Tap Magazine, among others.