Top 30 Music Albums of 2020 by 
DommeDamian 
- Chart updated: 05/24/2025 19:15
- (Created: 07/13/2021 19:43).
- Chart size: 30 albums.
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85/100
Phil Elverum philosophizing over his life and musical career for 44 minutes, surprisingly intimate and mature, yet reminiscing of the childlike playfulness that made it all so worth it.
"Elverum resurrected the moniker Microphones for the 45-minute long song of Microphones in 2020 (2020), a profound and introspective analysis of his own life, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. The song takes forever to begin, repeating the same chords for several minutes, as if to create a state of trance. After 13 minutes, the drums kick in, and after 16 the electric guitar unleashes a spasmodic glissando, and after 22 it emits a tidal fuzz; but the song continues, with the same calm and austere melody. When the vocals finally stop, a sea of tinkling keyboards takes over, perhaps signaling a pause of nostalgic recollections that cannot be expressed with words. Then Elverum resumes the same guitar chords and continues his story, with more interruptions but stubbornly anchored to his melody, until the last whisper." - Scaruffi, 7/10; apparently one scale higher than The Glow Pt 2. [First added to this chart: 07/13/2021]
Phil Elverum philosophizing over his life and musical career for 44 minutes, surprisingly intimate and mature, yet reminiscing of the childlike playfulness that made it all so worth it.
"Elverum resurrected the moniker Microphones for the 45-minute long song of Microphones in 2020 (2020), a profound and introspective analysis of his own life, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. The song takes forever to begin, repeating the same chords for several minutes, as if to create a state of trance. After 13 minutes, the drums kick in, and after 16 the electric guitar unleashes a spasmodic glissando, and after 22 it emits a tidal fuzz; but the song continues, with the same calm and austere melody. When the vocals finally stop, a sea of tinkling keyboards takes over, perhaps signaling a pause of nostalgic recollections that cannot be expressed with words. Then Elverum resumes the same guitar chords and continues his story, with more interruptions but stubbornly anchored to his melody, until the last whisper." - Scaruffi, 7/10; apparently one scale higher than The Glow Pt 2. [First added to this chart: 07/13/2021]
Year of Release:
2020
Appears in:
Rank Score:
771
Rank in 2020:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9
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80/100
Shawn broke the cycle. In two ways. For one, he broke the cycle of either making completely fiery bangers or disgraceful hellish pop music, by having at least a few "average-good" songs here. And two, he broke the "white-guy-with-acoustic-guitar" archetype by trying to compose a bit more of an artistic record with Wonder. Now it isn't too artistic may I say, but I need to state that by October 2021, I have been listening to this album at least once a week in all of 2021. At least 60 times in total; it's my go-to album at the moment. And I actually don't have an idea to why. But I'll get into the songs now.
Intro - atmospheric beginning with an extraordinary piano-reverb and Shawn singing pretty. When the synthesizer comes on, it's hard not to think of it as misplaced in sound, but just as hard not to get eerie feels.
Wonder - some people might call this song cheesy, but I reject that as something negative. The concerns Mendes wonders about is very humane, and he delivers the verses with them conversationally smooth. As the chorus comes on (WONDER what it's LIKE to be loved by YOU), it's the opposite of over-produced; the instruments that could have done that, are swimming through the ocean of the choir. After the second chorus, the instrumentation feels like jumping from star to star.
Higher - ooooooouuuggghhhhh MAAAAAAN. Higher. F*****g Higher. This song. Yeah. This song here is special. Look, I do not care if I am the only person in the entire universe with this opinion (perhaps I am) but Shawn Mendes' Higher is perfect to me. Throughout 2021 when I listened to his Wonder album, this song ended up reshaping my view of what music perfection is, all over again. Every tiny little detail about the song I absolutely cannot put into words as how much I loove it; it's like Christ himself gave this song to me as a personal gift. The rhythm is super hard hitting and I have vibed to this song in public countless times shamelessly. The lines has a flirtatious yet observing romantic quality to them that I find relatable on so many levels. The subject matter is like finding contemporary but true love while being high as a kite (that's my interpretation of it) and it's super simple but it's super duper effective. Mendes' voice has never sounded more extraordinary; the vocal balance he has on this song is otherworldly to say the least (like the way the confident falsetto is harmonized with a tender vibrato in the chorus is audio magic), as well as his agilities are all coming with the exact right notes the exact right time. Also his vocal range, I strive for that. Even for a pop song, the structure is very straightforward but very rarely has it been as purposeful, and I also wish more artists would recognize switching up the second verse from the first is always a win-move (this song proves it to, in my opinion, maximum euphoric effect). Just like with his voice, the organization of each melody (the synth tone, the bass line and Shawn's words) are varied yet completely in sync; they compliment each other fully. Where many other musicians (not just in pop but in all genres) fail is to stick a satisfying landing on a song (meaning a great way to end it in a non-lazy way), Higher shows how it's done. Almost the same thing with song lengths, this song has everything I ever could ask for in 2:40 (just like how Tim Buckley have 5-10 times more artistry and quality in a 35-40 minute album than most artists can dream of having in a 70-80 minute one). The groove rivals any groove from.... any of my favorites, even Michael Jackson. When I travel to the 5th dimension, this percussion is what my spirit will hear. I also am a big fan of how the production turns out to be (direct but never overpowering). After experiencing everything about this song I've re-ranked 85% of my listened music, and 80% of my perfect scores (100/100s) are gone. I've heard this song at least 50 times a month since the album dropped.
Song of the decade (alongside Gorillaz' Desole), and one of my favorite songs of all time.
24 Hours - took me a while to like, but now I think it's one of his better ballads. I just really dig the lyrical portrait of marriage.
Teach Me How To Love - a little lighthearted attempt at being sexy in a sugary way, but some elements of the song (like the staccato guitar or the "teach me teach me teach me how to looove" refrain) are unskippable. Also, instead of saying "Effing me up" he should say "messing me up", maybe that's too much a detail but I always think of it when I hear it.
Call My Friends - this song reminds me of some of the best tunes of M83's Hurry Up We're Dreaming, in terms of relationship, wall of synth, and 80s aesthetic. I really like it.
Dream - this is atmospheric dream pop at its most sophisticated. The flow of the instrumentation is top freaking notch. The misty introduction and the synth in the chorus actually fits greater than in the intro track. And those drums are something else, especially with the emotional solo on top of it at the end, right before the otherworldly finger-picked guitar that closes out this ear-blesser.
Song For No One - now this is somewhat lackluster. The songwriting is a little unfocused, the musicianship isn't fleshed out, melodiousness is virtually drowning itself, and the sleigh bells in the supposed "gun punch" of the song, reeeallly undersells it. The third verse as well as the relatable "Ten missed calls, a couple texts / None of them are who I'm lookin' for" [albeit, it's a very bad idea to check your phone once you wake up, or just before going to sleep], saves it from utter embarrassment and being adverse, but this is filler. Shouldn't have been on here.
Monster - I can totally see why Spectrum Pulse consider this the absolute worst song here, both in terms of musicality and the marketing behind it. However those lyrical merits, and the catchy hook, and Bieber shockingly not being underwhelming on his feature, does enough for me.
305 - this was my first favorite song on the album. And I still love it very much, especially the soothing background choir in the chorus is magical. Mendes, being in his lower range, both brings the songwriting an authentic, and the overall joint (in contrast to the remaining of Wonder) an outstanding longevity.
Always Been You - the one big disaster on Wonder. None of the lines are memorable, Shawn undersells the performance, the hook is weak, and worst of all, that unlistenable synth that is both completely unnecessary, very try-hard, and on of top of that, mixed too loud. I have deleted that song off my iTunes/iPod.
Piece of You - this song also took me a while to get into, but I find the concise rhythm in the groove and Mendes' verses too well-written to unlove.
Look Up At The Stars - a mixture of a sweet lullaby, a top-class pop ballad and a potent song expressing a majestic state of mind. It's indie folk bracing, until the rest of the musicianship comes in and it's just as wholesome (normally when the remaining instruments kick in, it will damage the vibe, but no no no not this time at all). "Somehow you always seem to understand / So let me spend the night in wonderland with you" is obviously referring to his tour with fans, but I also look at it as meeting a potential significant other and having the best night of your lives together, any possible way. It simultaneously contains one of the greatest melodic turns in Mendes' catalog, which is really saying something.
Can't Imagine - a pleasant ender to the album. It's aiming at Beatles' Blackbird and it doesn't touch it at all, as well as the repeated lyrics makes it seem a little lost, but I still prefer listening to this lullaby than most singer songwriter stuff of these years.
Great album! I hope the concert in March will be too. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Shawn broke the cycle. In two ways. For one, he broke the cycle of either making completely fiery bangers or disgraceful hellish pop music, by having at least a few "average-good" songs here. And two, he broke the "white-guy-with-acoustic-guitar" archetype by trying to compose a bit more of an artistic record with Wonder. Now it isn't too artistic may I say, but I need to state that by October 2021, I have been listening to this album at least once a week in all of 2021. At least 60 times in total; it's my go-to album at the moment. And I actually don't have an idea to why. But I'll get into the songs now.
Intro - atmospheric beginning with an extraordinary piano-reverb and Shawn singing pretty. When the synthesizer comes on, it's hard not to think of it as misplaced in sound, but just as hard not to get eerie feels.
Wonder - some people might call this song cheesy, but I reject that as something negative. The concerns Mendes wonders about is very humane, and he delivers the verses with them conversationally smooth. As the chorus comes on (WONDER what it's LIKE to be loved by YOU), it's the opposite of over-produced; the instruments that could have done that, are swimming through the ocean of the choir. After the second chorus, the instrumentation feels like jumping from star to star.
Higher - ooooooouuuggghhhhh MAAAAAAN. Higher. F*****g Higher. This song. Yeah. This song here is special. Look, I do not care if I am the only person in the entire universe with this opinion (perhaps I am) but Shawn Mendes' Higher is perfect to me. Throughout 2021 when I listened to his Wonder album, this song ended up reshaping my view of what music perfection is, all over again. Every tiny little detail about the song I absolutely cannot put into words as how much I loove it; it's like Christ himself gave this song to me as a personal gift. The rhythm is super hard hitting and I have vibed to this song in public countless times shamelessly. The lines has a flirtatious yet observing romantic quality to them that I find relatable on so many levels. The subject matter is like finding contemporary but true love while being high as a kite (that's my interpretation of it) and it's super simple but it's super duper effective. Mendes' voice has never sounded more extraordinary; the vocal balance he has on this song is otherworldly to say the least (like the way the confident falsetto is harmonized with a tender vibrato in the chorus is audio magic), as well as his agilities are all coming with the exact right notes the exact right time. Also his vocal range, I strive for that. Even for a pop song, the structure is very straightforward but very rarely has it been as purposeful, and I also wish more artists would recognize switching up the second verse from the first is always a win-move (this song proves it to, in my opinion, maximum euphoric effect). Just like with his voice, the organization of each melody (the synth tone, the bass line and Shawn's words) are varied yet completely in sync; they compliment each other fully. Where many other musicians (not just in pop but in all genres) fail is to stick a satisfying landing on a song (meaning a great way to end it in a non-lazy way), Higher shows how it's done. Almost the same thing with song lengths, this song has everything I ever could ask for in 2:40 (just like how Tim Buckley have 5-10 times more artistry and quality in a 35-40 minute album than most artists can dream of having in a 70-80 minute one). The groove rivals any groove from.... any of my favorites, even Michael Jackson. When I travel to the 5th dimension, this percussion is what my spirit will hear. I also am a big fan of how the production turns out to be (direct but never overpowering). After experiencing everything about this song I've re-ranked 85% of my listened music, and 80% of my perfect scores (100/100s) are gone. I've heard this song at least 50 times a month since the album dropped.
Song of the decade (alongside Gorillaz' Desole), and one of my favorite songs of all time.
24 Hours - took me a while to like, but now I think it's one of his better ballads. I just really dig the lyrical portrait of marriage.
Teach Me How To Love - a little lighthearted attempt at being sexy in a sugary way, but some elements of the song (like the staccato guitar or the "teach me teach me teach me how to looove" refrain) are unskippable. Also, instead of saying "Effing me up" he should say "messing me up", maybe that's too much a detail but I always think of it when I hear it.
Call My Friends - this song reminds me of some of the best tunes of M83's Hurry Up We're Dreaming, in terms of relationship, wall of synth, and 80s aesthetic. I really like it.
Dream - this is atmospheric dream pop at its most sophisticated. The flow of the instrumentation is top freaking notch. The misty introduction and the synth in the chorus actually fits greater than in the intro track. And those drums are something else, especially with the emotional solo on top of it at the end, right before the otherworldly finger-picked guitar that closes out this ear-blesser.
Song For No One - now this is somewhat lackluster. The songwriting is a little unfocused, the musicianship isn't fleshed out, melodiousness is virtually drowning itself, and the sleigh bells in the supposed "gun punch" of the song, reeeallly undersells it. The third verse as well as the relatable "Ten missed calls, a couple texts / None of them are who I'm lookin' for" [albeit, it's a very bad idea to check your phone once you wake up, or just before going to sleep], saves it from utter embarrassment and being adverse, but this is filler. Shouldn't have been on here.
Monster - I can totally see why Spectrum Pulse consider this the absolute worst song here, both in terms of musicality and the marketing behind it. However those lyrical merits, and the catchy hook, and Bieber shockingly not being underwhelming on his feature, does enough for me.
305 - this was my first favorite song on the album. And I still love it very much, especially the soothing background choir in the chorus is magical. Mendes, being in his lower range, both brings the songwriting an authentic, and the overall joint (in contrast to the remaining of Wonder) an outstanding longevity.
Always Been You - the one big disaster on Wonder. None of the lines are memorable, Shawn undersells the performance, the hook is weak, and worst of all, that unlistenable synth that is both completely unnecessary, very try-hard, and on of top of that, mixed too loud. I have deleted that song off my iTunes/iPod.
Piece of You - this song also took me a while to get into, but I find the concise rhythm in the groove and Mendes' verses too well-written to unlove.
Look Up At The Stars - a mixture of a sweet lullaby, a top-class pop ballad and a potent song expressing a majestic state of mind. It's indie folk bracing, until the rest of the musicianship comes in and it's just as wholesome (normally when the remaining instruments kick in, it will damage the vibe, but no no no not this time at all). "Somehow you always seem to understand / So let me spend the night in wonderland with you" is obviously referring to his tour with fans, but I also look at it as meeting a potential significant other and having the best night of your lives together, any possible way. It simultaneously contains one of the greatest melodic turns in Mendes' catalog, which is really saying something.
Can't Imagine - a pleasant ender to the album. It's aiming at Beatles' Blackbird and it doesn't touch it at all, as well as the repeated lyrics makes it seem a little lost, but I still prefer listening to this lullaby than most singer songwriter stuff of these years.
Great album! I hope the concert in March will be too. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
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80/100
Rock music has Died, so let it rest. But sub-cultures and the spirit lives on. That you can catch in the punk album of the decade, Less Life by Died. This is actually a "rock" album worth writing home about. Very truly punk revivalism at its absolute finest. A complete standout from the crowd, yet there's no deconstructing of genres as much as a tightly written and passionately played song after song after song. When I listen, I find it extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to find flaws or disadvantages (well the spoken word part can get a bit too Slint-worship but doesn't interrupt with the coolness). The more you float away from the norms of capitalism and the music industry's BS, the more this album will speak to you on a visceral level, without being challenging to listen to. That, is a feet in and of itself. Less Life remains enjoyable and raw but Died takes everything to school on Busy Man. Throughout the album, they've worn their influences on their sleeve, on this track they take The Replacements, Pixies, Nirvana, Slint and even Minutemen at their finest and rival them. Genius progression with guitar lines doing heart surgery, this'll be the most epic thing you'll hear today. [First added to this chart: 07/13/2021]
Rock music has Died, so let it rest. But sub-cultures and the spirit lives on. That you can catch in the punk album of the decade, Less Life by Died. This is actually a "rock" album worth writing home about. Very truly punk revivalism at its absolute finest. A complete standout from the crowd, yet there's no deconstructing of genres as much as a tightly written and passionately played song after song after song. When I listen, I find it extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to find flaws or disadvantages (well the spoken word part can get a bit too Slint-worship but doesn't interrupt with the coolness). The more you float away from the norms of capitalism and the music industry's BS, the more this album will speak to you on a visceral level, without being challenging to listen to. That, is a feet in and of itself. Less Life remains enjoyable and raw but Died takes everything to school on Busy Man. Throughout the album, they've worn their influences on their sleeve, on this track they take The Replacements, Pixies, Nirvana, Slint and even Minutemen at their finest and rival them. Genius progression with guitar lines doing heart surgery, this'll be the most epic thing you'll hear today. [First added to this chart: 07/13/2021]
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80/100
"Coming from a person who's had The Fool as one of his most spinned 2021 albums (if not the most), this still hasn't grown on me yet. Well that's not true, it has risen from terrible to mediocre. There are a few decent songs here like the closing cut or Mean Girls, but the Bladee that is all about swagger, child-like observing and ear-candy trips (like I adore on The Fool and find interesting on Red Light) is absent on 333. The cover art dope tho."
That was the previous comment. This album went from 15 to 40 and stayed there (including when I wrote it). And now recently it silently got up to 50 and then quickly to 65....and a 75 to now a solid 80. Maybe it's because I've heard Red Light a lot this year but it is refreshing that he made an album this varied. Though sonically and "psychedelically" speaking, this album is definitely not as polarizing as Gluee's ???, Eversince's icestorm-vibe, Exeter's muffin-acid trip, The Fool's airy winds, or even his latest Crest with Ecco2K. Yet it does contain some of my favorite Bladee songs like aforementioned Swan Lake (mellow Bladee at his best), Noblest Strive, Wings In
Motion, Keys To The City and Reality Surf.
Bladee also follow a good new rule I have made for a lot of music his kind which is not to overdue the songs in length; every song on this album clocks in under 3 minutes and the 16-song album is under forty. [First added to this chart: 11/21/2021]
"Coming from a person who's had The Fool as one of his most spinned 2021 albums (if not the most), this still hasn't grown on me yet. Well that's not true, it has risen from terrible to mediocre. There are a few decent songs here like the closing cut or Mean Girls, but the Bladee that is all about swagger, child-like observing and ear-candy trips (like I adore on The Fool and find interesting on Red Light) is absent on 333. The cover art dope tho."
That was the previous comment. This album went from 15 to 40 and stayed there (including when I wrote it). And now recently it silently got up to 50 and then quickly to 65....and a 75 to now a solid 80. Maybe it's because I've heard Red Light a lot this year but it is refreshing that he made an album this varied. Though sonically and "psychedelically" speaking, this album is definitely not as polarizing as Gluee's ???, Eversince's icestorm-vibe, Exeter's muffin-acid trip, The Fool's airy winds, or even his latest Crest with Ecco2K. Yet it does contain some of my favorite Bladee songs like aforementioned Swan Lake (mellow Bladee at his best), Noblest Strive, Wings In
Motion, Keys To The City and Reality Surf.
Bladee also follow a good new rule I have made for a lot of music his kind which is not to overdue the songs in length; every song on this album clocks in under 3 minutes and the 16-song album is under forty. [First added to this chart: 11/21/2021]
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80/100
Despite the fact that RYM's genres are laughably bad, this album embodies what can be described as "comfy synth". This is like ice cream or candy floss hitting your taste buds, set to synth-filled new age music.
"An ethereally lush album start to finish. Put it on and you will be overcome with warm, nostalgic feelings of an idyllic rustic childhood, regardless of whether or not you had one. Like a warm hug in winter. Highly, highly recommend."
A cozy 25-minute little album, lightened up with sugary melodiousness, that is like a time-capture to an alternate reality where you're chilling in the living room or kitchen as grandma's lovely crib. At absolute best, this feels like you're being cured from a disease you've had for years. I'm so comfy rn. [First added to this chart: 02/26/2023]
Despite the fact that RYM's genres are laughably bad, this album embodies what can be described as "comfy synth". This is like ice cream or candy floss hitting your taste buds, set to synth-filled new age music.
"An ethereally lush album start to finish. Put it on and you will be overcome with warm, nostalgic feelings of an idyllic rustic childhood, regardless of whether or not you had one. Like a warm hug in winter. Highly, highly recommend."
A cozy 25-minute little album, lightened up with sugary melodiousness, that is like a time-capture to an alternate reality where you're chilling in the living room or kitchen as grandma's lovely crib. At absolute best, this feels like you're being cured from a disease you've had for years. I'm so comfy rn. [First added to this chart: 02/26/2023]
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80/100
Ride a horse in the moon of your dreams.
This reminds me a bit of Rise of The Guardians movie, dream sweet dreams. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Ride a horse in the moon of your dreams.
This reminds me a bit of Rise of The Guardians movie, dream sweet dreams. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Year of Release:
2020
Appears in:
Rank Score:
824
Rank in 2020:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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80/100
Fairytale-y, this marked the beginning of Bladee's optimistic spiritual form of being, converting to spiritual religion and away from the materialism that seemed to hang over the predecessors. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2022]
Fairytale-y, this marked the beginning of Bladee's optimistic spiritual form of being, converting to spiritual religion and away from the materialism that seemed to hang over the predecessors. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2022]
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75/100
The majority of the times I get lost in the baby-blue sunset atmosphere of color theory that I almost forget it is a really dystopian record, lyrically. Still, the songwriting has also grown on me, and the moments where Sophie shines through with her expression of sadness are in the semi-heartbreaking Royal Screw Up, and my two favorites; the dominant Night Swimming and the Jeff Buckley-esque Stain.
Not a masterpiece, but it certainly is very memorable. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
The majority of the times I get lost in the baby-blue sunset atmosphere of color theory that I almost forget it is a really dystopian record, lyrically. Still, the songwriting has also grown on me, and the moments where Sophie shines through with her expression of sadness are in the semi-heartbreaking Royal Screw Up, and my two favorites; the dominant Night Swimming and the Jeff Buckley-esque Stain.
Not a masterpiece, but it certainly is very memorable. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Year of Release:
2020
Appears in:
Rank Score:
426
Rank in 2020:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75/100
Perhaps my favorite duology in album history, Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon, is getting to the set of trilogy with III: The Chosen. The first 2 came out in the span of 1 year gap, whereas number 3 comes out 1 decade later - almost a testament to how the predecessors have influenced music. Now, it's clearly the weakest, in quality and replay value, yet it's still well built. A lot of great songs and also, this features my favorite Phoebe Bridgers performance (by far). [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Perhaps my favorite duology in album history, Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon, is getting to the set of trilogy with III: The Chosen. The first 2 came out in the span of 1 year gap, whereas number 3 comes out 1 decade later - almost a testament to how the predecessors have influenced music. Now, it's clearly the weakest, in quality and replay value, yet it's still well built. A lot of great songs and also, this features my favorite Phoebe Bridgers performance (by far). [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
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75/100
Quite a hidden treasure we have here, Cinder Well or originally Amelia Baker has studied her roots. She uses a guitar refrain in the title track from the 60s, that we've heard a thousand times. She declares that there's no summer here, and "it rains on the concrete, but the whisky has seemed to settle in the greyscale". A bleak soundscape but with a colorful voice and sincere playing. She also had every opportunity to go the cliché route of ending Fallen with a big band emo breakout, luckily she don't and is aware enough that the message relies in that she is, in fact, alone. On top of that, the melody on that song is a bit stinging. She channels a lo-fi Donovan on The Cuckoo, and although I do like it, the clash of dense acoustic with the vocal in the front can get a bit messy; it helps that Old Enough features a more funereal delivery.
But I would say that it uses its few instrumental to varied results. Wandering Boy opens the record with East-African neoclassical vocal agility and Irish violins. Well's tale makes the otherwise warm aesthetic sound cold like intended. Although it was not intended to be hymns to loneliness, it still fills that layer. The Doorway interlude is simply a one minute interlude into that busy, quasi-dystopian world without instruments. The music itself remains frosty and lost, even the Appalachian folk violin acapella Queen of The Earth Child of The Skies is like one soul convincing itself to stay bright in a world with....no summer.
The masterpiece within the album is the stellar Our Lady's, almost a prog-folk tune, that ranks among the most profound of the decade, despite it being in line with the whole record's 70s folk style. The beginning includes two guitars: one that thrives the wind, and a rhythmic one that imitates a banjo and captures the wonders of her tragedy. A sharp string then replaces the first one, adding in a melancholic and thematic piano, the atmosphere feels more dooming, tense, gloomy. Cinder's last part within the Nico-inspired landscape when she states "there is joy there" and not ending with a resolving melody (like how chromaticsun put it). For an album called No Summer, Well knows how to capture a sonic neighborhood of chamber coldness well. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Quite a hidden treasure we have here, Cinder Well or originally Amelia Baker has studied her roots. She uses a guitar refrain in the title track from the 60s, that we've heard a thousand times. She declares that there's no summer here, and "it rains on the concrete, but the whisky has seemed to settle in the greyscale". A bleak soundscape but with a colorful voice and sincere playing. She also had every opportunity to go the cliché route of ending Fallen with a big band emo breakout, luckily she don't and is aware enough that the message relies in that she is, in fact, alone. On top of that, the melody on that song is a bit stinging. She channels a lo-fi Donovan on The Cuckoo, and although I do like it, the clash of dense acoustic with the vocal in the front can get a bit messy; it helps that Old Enough features a more funereal delivery.
But I would say that it uses its few instrumental to varied results. Wandering Boy opens the record with East-African neoclassical vocal agility and Irish violins. Well's tale makes the otherwise warm aesthetic sound cold like intended. Although it was not intended to be hymns to loneliness, it still fills that layer. The Doorway interlude is simply a one minute interlude into that busy, quasi-dystopian world without instruments. The music itself remains frosty and lost, even the Appalachian folk violin acapella Queen of The Earth Child of The Skies is like one soul convincing itself to stay bright in a world with....no summer.
The masterpiece within the album is the stellar Our Lady's, almost a prog-folk tune, that ranks among the most profound of the decade, despite it being in line with the whole record's 70s folk style. The beginning includes two guitars: one that thrives the wind, and a rhythmic one that imitates a banjo and captures the wonders of her tragedy. A sharp string then replaces the first one, adding in a melancholic and thematic piano, the atmosphere feels more dooming, tense, gloomy. Cinder's last part within the Nico-inspired landscape when she states "there is joy there" and not ending with a resolving melody (like how chromaticsun put it). For an album called No Summer, Well knows how to capture a sonic neighborhood of chamber coldness well. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Total albums: 30. Page 1 of 3
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Top 30 Music Albums of 2020 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Bladee | 2 | 7% | |
| Shawn Mendes | 1 | 3% | |
| Adrianne Lenker | 1 | 3% | |
| Gorillaz | 1 | 3% | |
| Died | 1 | 3% | |
| Paysage D'Hiver | 1 | 3% | |
| Fleet Foxes | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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16 | 53% | |
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4 | 13% | |
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2 | 7% | |
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2 | 7% | |
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1 | 3% | |
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1 | 3% | |
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1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
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Other year charts by DommeDamian
(from the 2020s)| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 3 Music Albums of 2025 | DommeDamian | 2025 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 36 Music Albums of 2024 | DommeDamian | 2024 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 48 Music Albums of 2023 | DommeDamian | 2023 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 54 Music Albums of 2022 | DommeDamian | 2022 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 | DommeDamian | 2021 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 30 Music Albums of 2020 | DommeDamian | 2020 year chart | 2025 | |
Top 30 Music Albums of 2020 ratings
87/100 (from 1 vote)
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 10/10/2021 21:58 |  Rhyner | | 99/100 |
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