Savage Mode II: 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, 2020 (Hip-hop,Trap)

21 Savage is much more versatile much more amiable and occasionally humorous. Metro Boomin keeps up his consistent production with wide dark beats with little shimmers and sparkles. Retro Homage is present as shown on Steppin on Niggas an NWA nod. Savages attempts at softer more sensual trap are largely effective on Mr. Right Now and Said N Done while the tough songs (Glock in My Lap and Brand New Draco) reminding us that this is still a Savage tape. One of the better trap albums of the year.

Hip-hop/Trap

Fleet Foxes: Shore (2020) (Folk,Pop,Rock)

Much more poppy than last efforts. Many pop ballads work well in their sphere and the punchy drums and colourful instrumentation helps give life to many songs, with many being well written. Some ballads are a bit to watered down. 

Chamber Folk/Folk-Pop/Folk Rock

Run the Jewels:RTJ4 (Hip-hop) (2020)

Hard bars, digitized boom-bap production, and some monster flows. From the start Killer Mike and El-P hit you with high octane and politically charged verses that demand attention, crafting an enticing album for hip-hop listeners. The oldheads win on this one, one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.

Boom-bap/ Concious Hip-hop/ Hardcore Hip-hop

Arca: KiCk i (2020) (Electronic, Pop)

Arca's usage of texture is intriguing and varied with her performances, ranging from chaotic to open and dramatic, focusing for the most part on sonic sentiment and dynamism rather than harmony and catchiness which allows for left field-like songs that still occasionally manage to fit in the pop sphere(Mequetrefe, KLK, Machote), for the most part, the tunes are for avande garde electronic but much crossover appeal can be found. Most songs are in Spanish, few are in English.







Art-Pop/Avande Garde/Electronic

Donovan: A Gift From a Flower to a Garden (1967) (Folk,Pop,Rock)

The hippie tendencies run deep and the faint nature of many songs will be worthwhile for those wishing to relive this era. As charming Donovan's whimsical and earthy sing is, at times the performances and instrumentals don't take as much authority rather seeming frivolous and too passive. Highlights include Wear your love like Heaven, There Was a Time, Someone Singing.






Folk-Rock/Psychedelic Pop

Bladee: Gluee (2014) (Hip-hop,Pop)

In icy fashion, this tight album is a hazy collection of tunes rapped in a dejected occasionally monotone fashion, but in a drugginess that is intoxicating and beats that glisten and can't help giving a feeling of bliss and euphoria, allowing for a fruitful merger of art-pop and cloud rap. A very similar album to Yung Lean's Unknown Memory released in the same year, but an all-round more concise and stronger finished product. Favourites include Ebay, Shadowface, Everlasting Flames and Unreal.






Art-pop/Alternative R&B/Cloud Rap/Trap

Neil Young: Homegrown (2020) (Country,Folk,Rock)

Recorded between 1974 and 1975. For the most part quaint country-folk ballads with the occasional rock tune largely relating to Young's relationships at the time. A good batch of folk songs from one of the greatest in the genre.








Country/Folk/Rock

Bladee: 333 (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop)

With excellent production helmed by Whitearmor, Bladee continues his trend of art-pop, rap fusions. Some poppier tracks that surely borrow from older trends such as Don't Worry, Mean Girls and It Girl. With ballads such as Wings in Motion and Only One mixed in, 333 has a range of productions and Bladee's singing and vocals have improved, largely due to a more effective use of autotune. The brevity of the songs does lead to a disjointed listening experience but many of the minuscule songs are refreshing enough both in performance and production. Such as Hero of My Story 3style3 where Bladee alternates between flows and vocal effects over a very ascending ethereal instrumental and the quirky Reality Surf with Bladee's subtle delivery and vocal samples.



Art-pop/Experimental Hip-hop/Trap

Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately (Pop) (2020)

Some sentimental romantic tunes with melancholic taint. Though some ballads may be a bit melodramatic and skeletal, tending to float in the ether (Leave, Moonbend), Perfume Genius succeeds in crafting a fruitful collection of art-pop tunes while maintaining intimacy. The singing, though often wispy can be very soulful and slightly desolate. While instrumentally the album can quickly change allowing for versatility through merging an array of indie sounds, synths, classical music, quirky and more rock-oriented tunes, while still maintaining the cohesion of the album. Worth listening to for pop fans. Highlights include Describe, Jason, On the Floor, Your Body Changes Everything, Some Dream.

Art Pop/ Chamber Pop/ Indie Pop

Jeff Rosenstock: NO DREAM (Punk, Rock) (2020)

The scrappy punk energy is effectively encapsulated in intimate, angsty tunes that foray into power pop even if many of the songs may seem short the performances explosive. Sonically NO DREAM may not be too elaborate or novel, but Jeff's performances are for the most part explosive, emotive and compelling enough to connect with most punk, rock, pop fans (in that order). Favourite tracks include Nikes (Alt), Scram!, N O D R E A M, State Line, The Beauty of Breathing, Honeymoon Ashtray.




Indie Rock/Power Pop/Punk Rock

Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist: Alfredo (2020) (Hip-hop)

Drugs, crime, God and the Streetz are lyrically found throughout Alfredo wrapped with The Alchemist's jazzy beats making an enjoyable but not particularly novel album. Though lyrically dark for the most part the album is breezy and easy going with the occasional upbeat, high tempo song (Frank Lucas, Baby $hit, All Glass),  Freddie manages to employ compelling flows and lyricism cementing himself even more in the gangsta rap cadre. Highlights include God is Perfect, Frank Lucas, Something to Rap About, Baby $hit.

Jazz Rap/Gangsta Rap

billy woods, Kenny Segal: Hiding Places (2019) (Hip-hop)

Grimy vagabond rhymes with his usual cryptic lyrics and quotable punchlines. Beats are disorienting dark canvases for his esoteric ramblings which often start subtly only to add instrumental complexity. Woods is a captivating rapper even if his bars may need more attention than warranted, his flows are captivating and versatile, the nihilism and despondency of his bars reaks of booze. 

Best Tracks: Spongebob*, Steak Knives, Checkpoints, Spider Hole*, A Day in a Week in a Year, Crawlspace*

Abstract Hip-hop

Nicolas Jaar: Cenizas (2020) (Ambient,Electronic)

Cenizas serves as detached spiritual odes. Never explicitly catchy or attention-grabbing, not immersing the listener but rather creating space to invite the listener to interpret this eerie, smoking work of art in their own introspective manner. Ambient yet the compositions are mostly jazz-inspired.



Best Tracks: Cenizas, Agosto, Mud, Hello, Chain *


B

Ambient/Avantgarde Jazz/Electronic

Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla: Terrouzi (2019) (Electronic,Instrumental)

The occasional trap drums can be stale but the Moorish instrumentation can often be worthwhile and some melodies are catchy. The album is, for the most part, mellow and warm, well fit for summer listening.





Best Tracks: Khal Kar, Kar, Lestkal, Niamey*, Mentou*


B


Electronic/ Ethnic Psybient/ Moorish Instrumental


Buy Here

Future: DS2 (2015) (Hip-hop,Trap)

A nicely bottled album that embodies the luxe, hedonism and druggy nature that Future and much of trap music has been known for. For the most part very cohesive, but occasionally a bit redundant.






Best Tracks: Thought It Was a Drought, I Serve the Base, Where Ya At, Groupies, Lil One, Freak Hoe, Blood On the Money


B


Southern Hip-hop/Trap

Ka: Descendants Of Cain (2020) (Hip-hop)

Largely the same abstract atmospheric style he is known for, this time with a larger thematic emphasis on Christianity and it's relation to Ka's life in somewhat of a noir biographical style. There are times where the vocals could have been more pronounced (My Brother's Keeper, Eye Of A Needle) and some instrumentals are too attention-grabbing yet lack diversity. The dark and punchy verses remain, in a good abstract hip-hop project.

Best Tracks: Every Now And Then, Unto Dust*, Solitude Of Enoch, Land of Nod, I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)

B

Abstract Hip-hop/Christian Rap/Conscious Rap/Experimental Rap


Buy Here

Yung Lean: Stranger (2017) (Hip-hop/R&B)

In a cleaner more polished formula than usual, Lean crafts a cloud rap album filled with a mix of introspective ballads and catchy cuts. Lean's rapping and lyricism is occasionally captivating and in association with the crisp and clear production of Gud, Yung Sherman, and Whitearmor he does effectively write songs that embody a sentiment of melancholy and bliss. Like much of his work, there are moments with underwritten, unstructured songs, marinating in instrumental vapor, but that being said, Stranger may be his most accessible album and also one of his strongest.


Best Tracks: Muddy Sea*, Red Bottom Sky, Skimask, Hunting My Own Skin, Iceman, Agony*, Yellowman

B



Alternative R&B/Ambient Pop/Cloud Rap/Emo Rap

Travis Scott: ASTROWORLD (2018) (Hip-hop,Trap)

A chaotic jumble of songs much like his previous album, but this time it's more serious, and there is an emphasis on creating multiphased songs with more interesting production choices. Even if the instrumental transitions don't always feel smooth and some songs rely too much on these shifts, , much of the production choices are successful and captivating. I don't feel as though Travis is an especially spectacular lyricist and many times his performances hinge too much on the "vibe" or energy he gives off, but most of the appeal in ASTROWORLD lies in the psychedelic vibe he and the army of producers and guests craft, which range from chill (STOP TRYING TO BE GOD, YOSEMITE) to frenzied (CAROUSEL, NO BYSTANDERS) allowing for a disorganized but occasionally intriguing listen with a range of different performances. Nice Stevie Wonder harmonica solo on STOP TRYING TO BE GOD.

Best Tracks: STARGAZING*, CAROUSEL, SICKO MODE, STOP TRYING TO BE GOD*, NO BYSTANDERS, YOSEMITE, WHO? WHAT!, 

B

Experimental Hip-hop/Pop Rap/Psychadelic Hip-hop/Trap

Clipse: Lord Willin' (2002) (Hip-hop)

The debut album from Virginia Beach duo Clipse has them painted as sinister, drug-pushing hustlers of the bling era. The production, handled totally by The Neptunes has flashes of soul and electronic sounds, more organic sounds, horns and synths. Malice and Pusha T cook up clever rhymes but what remains most attractive them are their menacing deliveries. The album does lose its bite as it goes on and some songs could be trimmed off, but an overall, good hip-hop project.

Best Tracks: Intro, Young Boy, Virginia*, Grindin'*, Cot Damn, FamLay Freestyle, When the Last Time, I'm Not You

B


Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop/ Southern Hip-hop

Pusha T: King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (2015) (Hip-hop)

On his second album, Pusha T continues his mafioso raps over darker instrumentals in a tight, sinister album, mostly stepping away from the poppier aesthetics of his previous albums as he finds his groove as a solo artist. It may still have listeners wanting more but an overall enjoyable experience for fans of his brand of hip-hop.



Best Tracks: Intro*, Untouchable*, M.F.T.R.*, M.P.A, F.I.F.A, Sunshine

B+


Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop/ Southern Hip-hop