Listed below are the best albums of the 2020s (so far) as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 4 hours ago).
"Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is a drifting mixture of Electronic ,vaporwave, and ambient. I think the albums greatest strength is its cohesion, every single track just flows into the next. It really builds atmosphere and helps the album feel meaningful. On the other hand the album doesn't really h...""Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is a drifting mixture of Electronic ,vaporwave, and ambient. I think the albums greatest strength is its cohesion, every single track just flows into the next. It really builds atmosphere and helps the album feel meaningful. On the other hand the album doesn't really have any standout moments and the rap bit on "The Whether Channel" really breaks me out of the album. "[+]Reply
"This makes a really welcome change from so much recent singer songwriter music which, even if it's not outright bad, leaves very little impact on me. Central here is Joanna's voice, which has a roughness that seizes you through each of these pared back tracks. They remind me a little of Joanna Ne...""This makes a really welcome change from so much recent singer songwriter music which, even if it's not outright bad, leaves very little impact on me. Central here is Joanna's voice, which has a roughness that seizes you through each of these pared back tracks. They remind me a little of Joanna Newsom on The Milk Eyed Mender, which I think also succeeds in its directness. It's helped along by the simple and mostly solo compositions which do just enough to back up the vocal performances without overpowering them. The Human Magnet Song is the only exception to this, it's not a bad track at all but it's full band performance is quite jarring after 10 much more minimal songs. The lyrics are the other big stand out point here, like few other records they've got an emotional honestly that's almost uncomfortable to listen to. Joanna shows the sadness and bitterness caused by a break up and how it twists their perspectives towards their ex partner and themselves, especially on a track like People Are Toys to You. I think these sentiments are so effective because of their uncomfortable familiarity, lots of people will have these kinds of thoughts when they're pushed to their limits and because of their nastiness we don't really like to lay them out and confront them like Joanna does here."[+]Reply
"Post-punk mosh pit meets the euphoric Rave dancefloor. Records that take pride in comparative dreariness always hit the spot for me, and this is an ecstatic new take on those themes. It’s hard to understate how much I love both the post-punk and the Acid House influences this album draws from, an...""Post-punk mosh pit meets the euphoric Rave dancefloor. Records that take pride in comparative dreariness always hit the spot for me, and this is an ecstatic new take on those themes. It’s hard to understate how much I love both the post-punk and the Acid House influences this album draws from, and its succinctness in blending those two is sublime. The backdrop may be that of overcast skies and brutalist concrete, but the brush they paint with is strobe light green.
Less than seeking your empathy, Working Men’s Club takes the mundane on a mushrooms trip, injecting its personal experience into a rave-meets-punk super gig. Their debut’s greatest achievement is the mix between synth and guitar, which constantly hang in a ying-yang balance over which one will fulfill the band’s cacophonic prophecies. There’s a harshness they seem determined to express and celebrate in every track, and the way they wield their drum machines and synths delivers that perfectly.
Working Men’s Club crosses the social and economic divide of the north and south with the authenticity of its sound. It has no desire to dwell on any downsides of present reality, instead turning its world into a bold vision that flourishes on this record. Far from reinforcing geographical division in our country, Minksy-Sargeant and Co. reinvent both northern stereotypes and their own experiences into an innovative, expressive and personal sonic landmark."[+]Reply
"As I was preparing to write a BEA review for this album, I read the Paste review and realized that there was really no point in attempting to clarify and quantify my opinion at this time. Maybe in a decade-plus it will be possible to return to this and give it a proper critical analysis, but anyo...""As I was preparing to write a BEA review for this album, I read the Paste review and realized that there was really no point in attempting to clarify and quantify my opinion at this time. Maybe in a decade-plus it will be possible to return to this and give it a proper critical analysis, but anyone attempting to do so now risks getting caught up in the tidal wave of overwhelming cultural discourse. If you don't pick a side, don't worry: You will be ASSIGNED one by whoever. You will be assigned the "hater" or "Swiftie" title even if you, like me, initially recognize the album as merely an okay collection of pop songs with a couple of good ones and a couple of bad ones (one with a particularly offensive reference to the quality of Charlie Puth's musicianship/songwriting...I almost turned the album off in disgust when I heard that).
Anyway, I'm not going to even bother. I'm too scared that even after writing something HERE, a relative safe space, I'll get caught up in the discourse in an unhealthy way the second I attempt to put any sort of "pen to paper" about this collection of 16 songs (31 if you're truly patient). There are already a couple of reviews below mine and I agree with them both on some level, but any sort of rational discussion on the internet outside of this little bubble isn't really worth the time and anguish at the moment.
You wouldn't go outside during a hurricane, would you? Sorry if this review isn't "helpful.""[+]Reply
"Though much more musically challenging than any of the other KGLW releases so far this year (or even just this MONTH), Changes still manages to hit its hardest with its more traditional shorter, groovier numbers like "Hate Dancin'", "Astroturf", and "Gondii". I've seen this album be referred to a...""Though much more musically challenging than any of the other KGLW releases so far this year (or even just this MONTH), Changes still manages to hit its hardest with its more traditional shorter, groovier numbers like "Hate Dancin'", "Astroturf", and "Gondii". I've seen this album be referred to as KGLW's unique rendering of "Giant Steps", which seems like surface-level absurdity...but maybe not. What do I know?
One thing is for sure: They sure don't give a fuck what we all think. If people hate it, they're just going to put out another one. I'm not complaining."[+]Reply
"Okay so when Fleshwater, a Vein.fm post-hardcore/alternative metal side project, dropped "demo" I was ecstatic. The demo version of "Linda Claire" sounded like the perfect merge of 90s hardcore and late 2010s indie female vocals. With enough DIY muddiness in the mix that it sounded unique and com...""Okay so when Fleshwater, a Vein.fm post-hardcore/alternative metal side project, dropped "demo" I was ecstatic. The demo version of "Linda Claire" sounded like the perfect merge of 90s hardcore and late 2010s indie female vocals. With enough DIY muddiness in the mix that it sounded unique and compelling, the 7 minute 3-song release was a sign of real potential. However, We're Not Here To Be Loved strips all that away and instead gives us exceedingly clean sterile mixes, demonstrating that Fleshwater is a band with great technical competency over the genre but no aesthetic taste whatsoever – "demo" was a fluke. The Razor's Apple is still an alright song, and there's nice moments like in the short Kiss the Ladder, but there's nothing else here really worthwhile."[+]Reply