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CHIRP DJ writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2020: Jenny West
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2020. Our next list is from DJ and Record Fair Director Jenny West.
This was a weird year. There was a ton of music. I did not get to all of it. A lot of it I crammed in the last two weeks of the year. With so much new content and time and so few ways to access it (RIP live shows, record stores, and pretty much everything but Bandcamp being garbage) we are somehow living in abundance and restriction simultaneously.
And of course, the weirdness and horribleness colored my tastes and preferences for what I want to hear (look, Radiohead's Amnesiac remains one of my favorite albums of all time but you're kidding yourself if you think I could survive a thorough play of that this year). So here's my best effort to summarize 2020 in music.
#1 Source by Nubya Garcia (Concord Jazz)
2020 sees jazz continuing to make inroads into the mainstream, for better or for worse, and Nubya Garcia exemplifies why that's both important and not a sufficient summary of modern jazz's story.
This debut album from the London saxophonist has been a long time coming. She's been racking up awards for her performance for the past few years and contributing to the ongoing jazz renaissance on records by Makaya McCraven (Universal Beings) and Nérija, so it's exciting to finally hear something released under the 29-year-old's own moniker.
The most diverting tracks are those that synthesize Nubya's relatively straightforward jazz composition with the rhythms of her Caribbean & South American heritage: particularly, the strong dub influences of the title track and the aptly-named "La cumbia me esta llamando", or "the cumbia is calling me" in English.
Every track is solid and there's no drag, even when the lengths climb above 5:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL4Ae5ORq24&ab_channel=NubyaGarcia
#2 SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama (Dirty Hit)
I was prepared for at least one banger pop record in 2020, but I was not prepared for Rina Sawayama. The British-Japanese artist's debut satisfies so many sonic cravings at once, it feels simplistic to call this a pop record -- thought that is what it is, unapologetically.
Whether calling back to the '90s popstar heyday, early Aughts Hot Topic jams, or late Aughts/early Teens dance music, the ever-changing language of pop is distilled into a unique and eclectic blend behind Sawayama's compelling vocals. The best pop invites the listener to see the world through the artist's eyes, rather than reinforcing the exclusivities that typically exist in this particular musical domain (and throughout life and music, really).
Rina uses her lyrics to share her life and her worldview, and the result is sincere without being saccharine. Is this poptimism? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv5i5yg-zNc&ab_channel=RinaSawayamaVEVO
#3 Critical Hit by Gal Gun (Human Instrumentality Project)
I was predisposed to be excited about the sophomore effort from Gal Gun - the local quartet's debut, Special Music of Emotion, was one of my top 10 of 2018, and I was itching to find out if they'd take their sound in a different direction or cement their status as heirs apparent to the Chicago power pop throne, most recently vacated by OK Go (who, while still active, have departed both Chicago and their initial power pop sound).
I'm happy to report it's the latter - and while their sound is as tight and well-executed as any of their predecessors, it's also way more fun and interesting, at least to me. While they'll probably draw comparisons to early Weezer and maybe even Japanese band The Pillows from their nerdier audience (hint: it me), Gal Gun maintains a sound that is both extremely consistent and uniquely them - no mean feat in this genre or this era.
Buzzy sister band Beach Bunny (bassist Anthony Vaccaro appears in both) also gets a mention on this list, but Gal Gun's tracks are the ones getting stuck in my head. The only misstep here might be the release date: clearly this is the soundtrack to summer 2021, not December 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk6KvXyXvAY&ab_channel=HIPRecords
#4 Lianne La Havas by Lianne La Havas (Warner)
This is no "adult contemporary", but this is music for grown folks. After 5 years away, Lianne La Havas's third album shows growth and confidence; a near-perfect execution of the neo-soul genre that the Brits seem to have cornered in the past decade.
The cover of Radiohead's "Weird Fishes" is particularly captivating - she brings the song into her own comfort zone to hook the listener, then pushes it back out into the more sonically challenging territory familiar to Radiohead fans but decidedly unfamiliar in this context. The result is a show of musical strength, and that feeling permeates the record.
With elements of jazz, pop, funk, soul, rock, blues, and certainly other genres, this record truly feels like it holds something for everyone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdbHO_KhCig&ab_channel=LianneLaHavas
#5 Visions of Bodies Being Burned by clipping. (Sub Pop)
Sometimes it's less about the individual album itself and more about celebrating the continued existence of a truly unique sound. I'm admittedly not super tapped-into the worlds of either experimental hip-hop or horrorcore, but I can say with certainty that I have heard nothing like this record this year, nor previous years save the group's earlier work.
The project of Daveed Diggs (now of Hamilton fame) and producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, the tensions and anxieties created by steady beats and cacophonic glitchscapes perfectly compliment lyrics that are more rhyming thriller vignette than rap battle. Don't listen to this one on a dark walk home alone, but do find the time to enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQNPlCcsop8&ab_channel=clipping.-Topic
#6 Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy (Skint)
This isn't the corner I expected an extremely cohesive house record to come from this year, but I'll take it. Róisín Murphy's previous work in the trip-hop and experimental spaces is apparent, as her range of influences tweak these jams across tempos, keys, and subgenres, but these are all pretty much house tunes of one stripe or another and I'm happy for the at-home dance party in this dogrel of a year.
Her voice compliments the sound perfectly and gives the impression of a disco queen from a bygone era curating the tunes at an invite-only basement club. The cherry on top is that there's a song about "Murphy's Law" - the idea that anything that can go wrong will go wrong - and while it may have been intended as a simple play on her name, it couldn't be more appropriate for 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Khh8NB-qBo&ab_channel=R%C3%B3is%C3%ADnMurphy
#7 BT/she/her by Bethany Thomas (self-released)
My more detailed thoughts about this record can be summarized as follows: the debut from Chicago's own Bethany Thomas has Big [Jeff] Buckley Energy. Thomas's talent is clear - the soundscapes being crafted here push boundaries and experiment with styles but are uniformly full of passion and vibrancy.
Her voice is extremely powerful, equally adept at Riperton-esque whistle tones and mezzo soul diva balladry. This was a self-released project recorded in between acting gigs and mixed/mastered at a local shop during quarantine; admittedly, not the most optimal of circumstances, but the sound being planted here already feels like it's outgrown its container.
The mind fairly boggles imagining what a Bethany Thomas record could be with the level of attention and professional support the industry seemingly reserves for the Taylor Swifts and Beyonces (no shade - just entreating the purse-string-holders to share the love!) or even Brittany Howard. All to say that a sizeable portion of my enthusiasm for this record is rooted in excitement for what comes next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb31Gxiazd0&ab_channel=BethanyThomas-Topic
#8 The Gentle Fall by Serengeti (self-released)
It's been a while since we've seen Dave Cohn as Serengeti - just Serengeti, no alter ego, no Kenny Dennis and friends, no quirky collaboration - and the result is simple, poignant and refreshing.
Which isn't to say that this record was entirely a solo effort, as the delicate acoustic guitar riffs that back Serengeti's raps (more spoken-word poetry than spitting bars this time around) were performed by Christian Lee Hutson, one of modern Americana's best-kept secrets. But this doesn't feel like boundary-pushing for its own sake so much as an earned moment of reflection in a long, eclectic (and often eccentric) career.
We are here to breathe in the moment together and briefly ponder whether we should be reading anything into lyrics about Richard Dreyfuss and capoeira instructors before letting it all gently fall away. https://youtu.be/eypQpbqaxks
#9 Keleketla! by Keleketla! (Ahead of Our Time)
Sometimes I just want a robust sonic salad to groove on and this Keleketla! record hits the spot. Jazz, afrobeat, protest chants, breakbeat, electropop, acid house, and spoken word all have a home here, and nine times out of ten you can dance to it. What's not to like?
A collaboration between Coldcut (founders of the Ninja Tune label) and the Keleketla! arts initiative in Johannesburg, the miles between London and South Africa don't feel far at all when they're pulled together in such a compelling fashion. https://youtu.be/M_C4ccb3DdY
#10 Honeymoon by Beach Bunny (Mom + Pop)
I mentioned brother band Gal Gun earlier in this list and how their song kept getting stuck in my head - while Beach Bunny isn't always going for the infectious hook, they've got the heartstring tug down pat. More like a yank, honestly - I'm not sure what it is about their sound or lyrics, but it is hard to listen to them and not get misty about your teen years and loves lost.
A long-awaited debut after an extremely well-received EP in 2018, Beach Bunny hit the ground running with a move to Mom + Pop. I can only imagine where the hype train would be now if the pandemic hadn't hit - the album landed right before lockdown and supporting tours never happened.
Maybe my attachment to this record is in part due to them being one of the last bands I was able to see live - and if you think they're giving you the feels now, just wait until you can see them in person. These kids are going places, and hopefully we'll be able to hop back on for the ride one day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UrzgrI1FBo&ab_channel=BeachBunny
Honorable Mentions:
Shamir - Shamir
Lido Pimienta - Miss Colombia
Ganser - Just Look At That Sky
Disclosure - ENERGY
Marie Davidson & L'Œil Nu - Renegade Breakdown
Molchat Doma - Monument
Serengeti - With Greg from Deerhoof
Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma & Divorce
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full
Sen Morimoto - Sen Morimoto
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