For years I've compiled a year end Top 10 Albums list. Goes way back to an old friend at Warner/Electra/Atlantic. He would ask everyone at the other record companies for their lists and it became a bit of a thing. The good folks at Cactus Music (Houston's best record store) have carried this on for quite a while and I usually send my list over to them. 2020 was such an odd year for all of us, but particularly me. A year of loss, scrambling to get my business back, political campaigning and all the bullshit that went along with that. In fact, that's how I'll label 2020. Some bullshit.
I just didn't have the time or temperament to take in a lot of new music. My December date with COVID allowed me to really focus on what my Top 10 would be and it wasn't easy. Well, 1-3 are usually pretty easy. The rest gets tough. No William Fitzsimmons album to automatically take the top spot. Like I said...some bullshit.
OK, here we go.
1. The Sea The Sea - Stumbling Home
2. Garrett Kato - Hemispheres
3. Fleet Foxes - Shore
4. Doves - The Universal Want
5. Artemis - S/T
6. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
7. Víkingur Ólafsson - Debussy and Rameau
8. The Mavericks - En Español
9. Jason Isbell - Reunions
10. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
On a side note, Liam Gallagher put out a couple things (and we all know how bad I'm up on Liam Gallagher's schnutz). One was a live Unplugged album and the other was a Christmas single. Neither would qualify for this list, but it must be noted that both were better than any of Noel's solo output.
