{"id":82269,"date":"2020-12-31T19:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T19:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=82269"},"modified":"2020-12-31T15:13:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T15:13:21","slug":"best-albums-of-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/best-albums-of-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Albums of 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@blocks?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Image Credit: Blocks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><span style=\"color:#3366FF\"> Now that the finish line of 2020 is in sight, at RouteNote we\u2019re looking back over this endless year and pulling together some of the highlights from the music world. These albums made a big impact. <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For the album as a format, the chaos of 2020 was perfect. In a swerve away from the modern listening vogue of skipped-through <a href=\"http:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/how-do-i-submit-my-music-to-spotify-playlists-for-free\/\">playlists<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/how-to-get-your-music-on-tiktok-and-earn-money-for-free\/\">TikTok<\/a> hits suddenly the world had time to sit down and listen to a whole record, from start to finish. Artists had a chance to indulge their creative whims and record their dream albums. 2020 was a year of huge pop albums like Lady Gaga&#8217;s <i><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/G0Ys0bgcOuo\">Chromatica<\/a><\/i> and rap anthems from the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/7lQouCmPggSsg1972D3TiE?si=RfGXW6DjQUue9i9iW2IAcQ\">Megan Thee Stallion<\/a>. It was a year of protest records; a year of introspective ballads. This year also saw the triumphant and unexpected re-emergence of disco, perfectly timed with a moment when we truly could dance like nobody was watching, because there\u2019s no place for snobbery in an isolated household. This collection of albums is a jumping-off point to explore the records that were released in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Fleet Foxes \u2013 <em>Shore<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Shore\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/0lmjCPEcec2k6L7ysNIcd3?si=m-vXI_90RluCi7lKXowg_A&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This year we\u2019ve craved stability, and the indie-folk band helped with that by releasing an album that sounds&#8230; exactly like a Fleet Foxes album. Familiar music to curl up to, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2020\/dec\/27\/fleet-foxes-a-very-lonely-solstice-live-stream-review-all-is-balm\">beautifully played<\/a> by talented musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Run The Jewels \u2013 <em>RTJ4<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: RTJ4\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/6cx4GVNs03Pu4ZczRnWiLd?si=r-t_e1ozSi-itwgQxKtalg&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Wit and fury. Run the Jewels\u2019 fourth album was a surprise drop two days before schedule, at the height of the BLM protests. On \u2018Walking in the Snow\u2019 Killer Mike raps \u2018And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me\/And \u2019til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, \u201cI can\u2019t breathe\u201d\u2019 references the 2014 death of Eric Garner, but is chillingly prescient in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Mac Miller \u2013 <em>Circles<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Circles\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/5sY6UIQ32GqwMLAfSNEaXb?si=iSZuTQD2RcG0C0qx2UcS3g&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The final album from the late rapper is a heartbreaking example\nof what could have been. Miller feels his way through genres, blurring rap, pop,\nfunk and soft-rock in his typical unhurried, languid style. An emotionally bare\nyet confident portrait of a musician who was just starting to touch on his true\npotential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Raleigh Ritchie \u2013 <em>Andy<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Andy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/3tHaxaqYoegOY5DzpTB29a?si=rUfa2iXNTieECCH4FIBEpA&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as Jacob Anderson\u2019s confident second album begins\nyou forget he ever starred in Game of Thrones. Performing as Raleigh Ritchie he\nlays out personal insecurities and worries \u2013 \u2018I\u2019m too hard on myself\u2019, he\nadmits on opener \u2018Pressure\u2019, \u2018I should seek real help\u2019. Despite the searching\nlyrics musically the mood is bubbly, a mix of exciting retro sounds and jaunty beats,\nas Ritchie switches between rapping with a playful flow to soulful singing\nvoice with impressive poise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Taylor Swift \u2013 <em>folklore\/evermore<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: folklore\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/2fenSS68JI1h4Fo296JfGr?si=szXJOHulQYChhE9ltgSFbA&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For many fans Swift\u2019s surprise albums must have felt like an offering to help through lockdown. And for Swift herself, the process of creating music free from commercial pressures must have been a creative oasis. From the gentle piano chords at the beginning of \u2018The 1\u2019 and Swift confiding \u2018I\u2019m feeling good, I\u2019m on some new shit\u2019, it\u2019s territory in which the singer hasn\u2019t been able to tread before. <em>folklore<\/em> features neither folk music nor folktales, but stripped back tales of love and loss, whilst <em>evermore<\/em> has a more polished feel. Would Swift have made those records anyway, without the privileged option of being able to hide and make music in a pandemic? This was the year that Swift stepped away from orchestrating the commercial success of gargantuan singles in favour of a quieter, more winding path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Phoebe Bridgers \u2013 <em>Punisher<\/em> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Punisher\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/2xECuqnvvmVktV7UO8Dd3s?si=IqhTkasGRlOEHYQDx9hxiA&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bridgers is a master of atmosphere, and the songs collected on her second album tell a seemingly gentle story with a bite. Lyrical genius overlays immersive indie-rock sorcery, as darkness builds throughout disguised under pretty, upbeat indie-rock music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Lianne La Havas \u2013 <em>Lianne La Havas<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Lianne La Havas\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/6JwtB0zzNYy4qANDrJtrJy?si=5DBXdFPgStSYiFNjrNI2LQ&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>La Havas lurked just above the radar on two previous albums, but the third sees her step fully into the light. The new confidence suggested by the self-title is clear with assured production and a voice which soars from tenderness to defiance. \u2018I\u2019m born again\u2019, La Havas sings on opener \u2018Bittersweet\u2019, letting her voice fly, and the listener believes it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>The Chicks \u2013 <em>Gaslighter<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Gaslighter\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/1YV5Rh6n8dLOycCqWcUSq4?si=TkXVkQHCTxOFOsN3t6Lf-Q&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-53180585\">newly renamed<\/a> Chicks return, perhaps for the final time, with their first album in 14 years. It\u2019s a merciless break-up record. Taking furious aim at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/the-chicks-march-march-colbert-1030202\/\">exes and politicians<\/a>, the close country harmonies form a cocoon around the cathartic release from the lyrics. \u2018March, March\u2019 calls for protest \u2013 \u2018our youth have to solve our problems\u2019 \u2013 and elsewhere barely-contained rage at the brushing aside of female struggles twirls out through melodious country-pop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>J Hus \u2013 <em>Big Conspiracy<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Big Conspiracy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/3ORNNahv0Z1IU0AKoliZwn?si=sL7WptIITtaQPtMnAcV1vA&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2020\/jan\/23\/j-hus-big-conspiracy-album-review\">east London rapper<\/a> shows a deft musicality on his second album. Genres flicker by \u2013 Afrobeats, trap, horn lines darting in and out on tracks like \u2018Must Be\u2019 and \u2018No Denying\u2019, and other times there are echoes of big, atmospheric \u201890\u2019s rap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Dua Lipa \u2013 <em>Future Nostalgia<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Future Nostalgia\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/7fJJK56U9fHixgO0HQkhtI?si=J6dWgSb-QRKgXkNfzqN-cw&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lipa\u2019s second album is a prize collection of classic dance tracks that begs to be played to a packed, shimmying dancefloor lit by soaring spotlights. Yes, disco had a moment in 2020, with Lipa and <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/streaming-startup-secures-funding\/\">Kylie Minogue<\/a> leading the way. Popping basslines, \u201880s synth lines and electronic claps swirl together to form an album of pop bliss, squarely aimed at encouraging listeners to have a good time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Laura Marling \u2013 <em>Song for Our Daughter<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Song For Our Daughter\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/0ubXthGSkZfe30Nuj91lcu?si=yvTjKRdXRoKrb_z5_WgLGw&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Beautifully produced. Addressing a fictional daughter, Marling seems to be looking back over her own life, analysing past exploits and emotions with the benefit of hindsight and a wry shake of her head. The record\u2019s release was brought forward due to the pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes \u2013 <em>What Kinda Music<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: What Kinda Music\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/6iOCv7oGL5sGi2aVnRz2BI?si=3MApODVMT2CV04KqgDe9ww&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The joyous union of virtuoso drummer Dayes and jazz guitarist and singer Misch; pushing each other to new musical highs, exploring their instruments and new grooves, perfectly in step together and sounding like they\u2019re having a blast. The atmospheric \u2018Tidal Wave\u2019 swells from a groove to a menacing chorus, whilst the psychedelic sonic explorations of \u2018The Real\u2019 bubble along enigmatically. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>HAIM \u2013 <em>Women in Music Pt. III<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Women In Music Pt. III\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/6NtEjhPWfZcvJQuvjGX4bk?si=CudTgPzKRzaNZo6uB6Hlpg&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Featuring the familiar retro sound and harmonies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2019\/oct\/05\/haim-we-can-go-toe-to-toe-with-any-male-rock-band-and-blow-them-out-of-the-water\">HAIM\u2019s<\/a> third album however is lyrically darker than their previous offerings. Writing together is a form of therapy for the sisters and this album sees them exercising demons in a far less guarded way than previously, audible too in the looser production. The title is a middle finger to the misogynistic questions the group have been asked by journalists \u2013 always seen as \u2018girls in a band\u2019 first, never solely a band made up of gifted musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Paul McCartney \u2013 <em>McCartney III<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: McCartney III\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/1P7h3400RJA3YZm8Va2884?si=mck2MoA0TPm-a75Ot-FKJw&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>McCartney\u2019s response to the pandemic was to hole up in a Sussex farmhouse and experiment, emerging with this, his third solo record. The result sees the Beatles legend unexpectedly sidestepping through different musical styles, from early Gomez lo-fi to jangling folk and wherever else his meandering mind takes him, having some creative fun. Forty years since <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/reviews\/albums\/15536-mccartney-mccartney-ii\/\">McCartney II<\/a> the ex-Beatle can still write a lovely melody, and still surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Nubya Garcia \u2013 <em>SOURCE<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: SOURCE\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/5iooBeTrG8wPKMgo7OAOX6?si=Rrb7zZ4pQHCPYSdF_rGw0w&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The jazz saxophonist\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/downbeat.com\/news\/detail\/nubya-garcia-identity-access-independence\">debut album<\/a> hums with character and energy. The dub reggae title track is anchored by tramping keys and frenetic drums. Other tracks see Garcia revelling in Afro-Carribean jazz, confidently playing with rhythm and space. Garcia never shoulders the band aside, at times almost accompanying rather than leading the expert musicians who fill the album but then bursting out with a rippling solo in reply. Music to set sparks off in your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>SAULT \u2013 <em>Untitled (Black Is)<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Untitled (Black Is)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/0GPmuVuCdC5hCsiuy1wXle?si=kTEz0N0TS2K9I7t0GML92w&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>SAULT are an <a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/culture\/music\/sault-album-of-the-year-explained-who-734426\">anonymous collective<\/a> from the UK and &#8216;Black Is&#8217; is the companion to &#8216;Rise&#8217;, the other album released by the group this year. Musically the album takes 1970s influences as a foundation: disco and soul, RnB and Afrobeats. But historical throwback it is not. \u2018Don\u2019t shoot, racist policeman\u2019, voices chant on \u2018Don\u2019t Shoot Guns Down\u2019, furiously pointing to the current crisis that the BLM protests highlighted back in June 2020. Haunting tracks \u2018X\u2019, \u2018Black Is\u2019 and opener \u2018Out The Lies\u2019 lay out the land \u2013 the project is a celebration of Blackness, encompassing joy and pain, encouraging unity \u2013 expressed through glorious melodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>IDLES \u2013 <em>Ultra Mono<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Ultra Mono\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/20O6GKv8VfyvL4Gy0TAJs7?si=yCtNNxOqST21g_JSxWeEoQ&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>IDLES&#8217; latest album is 42 minutes of fury at the state of the world, with open-hearted expressions of male vulnerability spewed out through screeching guitar, hammering drums and yowling vocals. Standout track \u2018Grounds\u2019 is the kind of howling rallying cry that IDLES specialise in. The whole record begs to be blasted live to a sweaty crowd. Maybe next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Schedule your own album for release through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.routenote.com\/services\/artist\">RouteNote<\/a> to start 2021 with a bang. Happy New Year!<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that the finish line of 2020 is in sight, at RouteNote we\u2019re looking back over this endless year and pulling together some of the highlights from the music world. These albums made a big impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":82290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[20652,20650,20654,20651,20653,19675,19676],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Best Albums of 2020 - RouteNote Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/best-albums-of-2020\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Best Albums of 2020 - RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Now that the finish line of 2020 is in sight, at RouteNote we\u2019re looking back over this endless year and pulling together some of the highlights from the music world. 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