The Best of 2020 ... So Far
FUV's New Dig:Best of 2020 ... So Far (collage by Laura Fedele)
It's safe to say that 2020 has not turned out as anyone anticipated back in early January. Not only did the coronavirus pandemic shut down touring and promotional opportunities for musicians (and kept all of us in quarantine for a long time), it also shifted release dates for albums, with some musicians opting to get music out as quickly as possible (Laura Marling, Fiona Apple) while others moved release dates deeper into the spring (Nicole Atkins).
Although musicians have taken a worrying financial hit with tours cancelled or postponed, their albums have gotten much-deserved focus, like those that landed on FUV's New Dig list over the past six months. Some releases, recorded long before the pandemic, have been especially prescient or riveting: Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams and M. Ward cast their eyes to American history and present political dilemmas, while others, like Waxahatchee and Car Seat Headrest, took bold risks with their sound and production, surprising and delighting their fans.
For such a horrendous year, 2020 has been outstanding when it comes to music. We're grateful for these albums that have kept our spirits afloat:
Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways
Perfume Genius, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Nicole Atkins, Italian Ice
Car Seat Headrest, Making a Door Less Open
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Reunions
Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Lucinda Williams, Good Souls Better Angels
Laura Marling, Song For Our Daughter
Pearl Jam, Gigaton
Waxahatchee, Saint Cloud
M. Ward, Migration Stories
Margaret Glaspy, Devotion
Real Estate, The Main Thing
Caroline Rose, Superstar
Soccer Mommy, Color Theory
Best Coast, Always Tomorrow
Nada Surf, Never Not Together
Nathaniel Rateliff, And It's Still Alright
Tame Impala, The Slow Rush
The Lone Bellow, Half Moon Light
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