Songs of the year – 2020

Here’s a list of 60 of our favorite songs from this year, some of them from our favorite albums, some not, all fantastic. We wrote about fifteen of them, too, because we usually look at albums holistically and don’t get to spend a lot of time normally examining a song at a time. It was fun! Talking about music is fun. Music is great, you should buy it!

On a City Night – Brigid Mae Power
I sadly only came to know Brigid Mae Power just this year… Dan from Adeline Hotel put “Wedding of a Friend” on the playlist he made for us and my jaw just dropped open. I haven’t stopped listening since… I bought the CD for my parents, too. Freshness and authenticity with classical folk roots.

Ocean City – Gunn-Truscinski Duo
In this day and age with our social media and Spotify-limited attention spans, the double-LP has fallen out of favor. But with each listen to this album, I still never want it to end. Hard to pick a favorite track from this beaut but “Ocean City” cruises and coasts in such a gratifying way after the cataclysmic preceding tracks, it’s like coming up for air.

Buzzin’ Fly – Bonny Light Horseman
I’ve been getting really big into Tim Buckley over the last few years year and so to hear this newcomer supergroup cover it so flawlessly and with a healthy dose of fun was amazing. Eric D. Johnson’s voice is probably the only one that can meet Tim’s near slide-whistle range.

Studio Walk – Pacific Range
One of the best bands to see live, this is such a great studio song (obviously) that gets to the point. That opening riff is such a fantastic earworm, the lyrics so easy and breezy. The entire record rules but this was the one that got me right away.

I Woke Up in July – The Hanging Stars
Hearing this song performed on a livestream with all band members playing simultaneously from their respective homes was the first thing that made me sit up and pay attention. The Hanging Stars amalgamate the best pieces of my favorite genres and have come up with something truly classic and gorgeous.

Desert Stars – Ac Sapphire
A desert star herself, Ac put out a great EP this year co-produced by Matt Adams of the Blank Tapes. Ac has a resplendent, soulful voice and writes songs of ethereal subject matter, completed by wall-of-sound-style instrumentation.

Strange Sometimes – Adeline Hotel
It’s such a dream to get a submission, listen to it, and think, “holy fucking shit.” Brigid Mae Power offers backup vocals, and the entire album is really warm and close-sounding, no part ever out of turn or undue. Fantastic playing and singing by Dan Knishkowy and co.

Wildflowers – Rose City Band
Ripley Johnson is one of the most interesting guitarists out there, and he could’ve comfortably lived in the modern psych world, but no, he had to go and make a “country” record. I don’t know if he’ll be joining the CMA anytime soon, but if this is the future of the genre, it suits me just fine. This whole album is a robust work of art end to end.

Life On Fire – Mapache
A perfect pop song. I’ll never forget being jammed into a champagne room at TAIX with 200 kids before the album was even released and every single one of them was singing along.

Wave Goodbye – Sam Burton
Above I said that EDJ’s the only one whose vocal range can touch Tim Buckley’s. That was a long-held truth until I heard Sam Burton’s voice earlier this year. Sam is from Salt Lake, like me, and boy am I glad he got out and met such talented musicians as Kacey Johansing and Tim Ramsey to make the music that accompanies his stunning voice and lyrics.

Wild Mountain Thyme – Steve Gunn, Cass McCombs
Last year my most-listened to records were Steve Gunn’s The Unseen in Between and Cass McCombs’s Tip of the Sphere, so when I heard they were joining forces for a tour and recorded this 7″ as a souvenir, I was stoked. Of all the cancelled plans from the last year, that one hurts the most.

Late Arriver – Trummors
The best compliment I could give a band, which I noted in my review of Dropout City earlier this year, is that they sound like Relatively Clean Rivers. Somehow Annie and Dave handpicked the exact right session talent to make this amazing country-psych-jam-steel album.

Among the Trees – Steve Gunn
Oh whoops, another Steve Gunn track made the list. Recorded for an Aquarium Drunkard session, I love hearing Steve covering this timeless Michael Chapman song IRL so I was glad to have a neat recording.

Breakin’ Up – Lee Gallagher and the Hallelujah
Very difficult to pick a favorite track off of this excellent album recorded at Palomino Sound in LA. I just love the softness of the verses in between Lee’s wail ringing out through the chorus. All the playing on this record is fantastic.

Zephaniah OHora – Listening to the Music
This entire record is fantastic but this song for some reason is just otherworldly. Great playing, gorgeous harmonies, an absolutely perfect classic country song. The way I feel about this album is that it’s like a movie version of a country album. Flawlessly executed.