THE NICSPERIMENT'S FAVORITE SONGS OF 2020 (NOT FROM ALBUMS ON MY TOP ALBUMS OF 2020 LIST)
Leading up to my favorite albums of 2020 list, here are some of my favorite songs from 2020 that aren't found on those albums. Like most of my thought processes in 2020, they are in no particular order.
Everything in Slow Motion-- "Clementine"
I'm not a huge fan of the emo direction Shane Ochsner's taken Everything in Slow Motion in recent years, but even I can't deny the propulsive, infectious magnetism of the up-tempo "Clementine."
Hayley Williams -- "Why We Ever"
Hayley Williams explores many moods on her solo debut, but my favorite moment comes with the magnificent blend of upbeat and melancholy on "Why We Ever," an ode to fearing that baring your soul to someone has scared them away.
The Ocean -- "Jurassic/Cretaceous"
The Ocean's Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic is a bit front-loaded, but holy cow are those first songs good, particularly the mind-bending 13-minute progressive metal glory of "Jurassic/Cretaceous."
Ambrose Akinmusire -- "An Interlude (that get' more intense)"
Jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Ambrose Akinmusire, creates plenty of builds and wonderful cathartic payoffs on his fifth studio album, On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment. I went for an eight mile run one night with zero chance of rain in the forecast, and proceeded to get hit with a wall of water for a full hour. Just as the rain began to pour the hardest, the climax of Akinmusire's "An Interlude (that get' more intense)" kicked in on my (waterproof) headphones, and I couldn't help but whoop along.
Grandpa Loves Rhinos -- "It's Gotta Be the Gaming"
Grandpa Loves Rhinos continue to hone their pop-punk revival sound on Searching in the Sarchasm, and my favorite moment is the album's most sarcastic of all, "It's Gotta Be the Gaming." The song mocks the scientifically-proven-to-be-false narrative that video games are to blame for mankind's violent nature, which I also did in an editorial in my high school paper 21 years ago...and yet, the song is unfortunately still timely!!
Rival Consoles -- "Sudden Awareness of Now"
After aiming for the fences and hitting the ball way over with 2018's Persona, Rival Consoles goes for something quite smaller on 2020's Articulation, which still has some standouts, particularly the bombastic hope in the building electronics of "Sudden Awareness of Now."
iiah -- "Aphelion"
If you like to get all overly emotional listening to music, and you want to hear the sound of the Earth's heart breaking in two, you should probably listen to iiah's "Aphelion."
REZN -- "Garden Green"
REZN's spacey, psych-doom on Chaotic Divine has its moments, but none click together for me quite as well the lumbering bassline, atmospheric guitar, and otherworldly sax of "Garden Green."
Nine Inch Nails -- "Letting Go While Holding On"
NIN put out two excellent ambient albums this year, though I prefer Together best, particularly its leadoff track, "Letting Go While Holding On."
Will Ferrell/My Marrianne -- "Volcano Man"
The surprisingly heartfelt Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga was one of this year's biggest surprises, a comedic comeback for Will Ferrell, as well as yet another feather in Rachel McAdams' cap. It's helps that the movie's meant-to-be-humorous songs are also as catchy as Icelandic lava. I mean, you know, like "catchy as hell" and lava is hot, like...hell?
Ludwig Goransson -- "Rainy Night in Tallinn"
For Tenet's entire duration, I thought, wow, Hans Zimmer has really outdone himself with the score this time. Turns out the electronic/symphonic monster of a soundtrack was composed by Ludwig Goransson, who between his film work, as well as his work on The Mandalorian, is on one lava of a hot streak. Sorry. Anyway, the soundtrack's highest point has to be its opener, the adrenaline-pumping "Rainy Night in Tallinn."
Everything in Slow Motion-- "Clementine"
I'm not a huge fan of the emo direction Shane Ochsner's taken Everything in Slow Motion in recent years, but even I can't deny the propulsive, infectious magnetism of the up-tempo "Clementine."
Hayley Williams -- "Why We Ever"
Hayley Williams explores many moods on her solo debut, but my favorite moment comes with the magnificent blend of upbeat and melancholy on "Why We Ever," an ode to fearing that baring your soul to someone has scared them away.
The Ocean -- "Jurassic/Cretaceous"
The Ocean's Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic is a bit front-loaded, but holy cow are those first songs good, particularly the mind-bending 13-minute progressive metal glory of "Jurassic/Cretaceous."
Ambrose Akinmusire -- "An Interlude (that get' more intense)"
Jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Ambrose Akinmusire, creates plenty of builds and wonderful cathartic payoffs on his fifth studio album, On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment. I went for an eight mile run one night with zero chance of rain in the forecast, and proceeded to get hit with a wall of water for a full hour. Just as the rain began to pour the hardest, the climax of Akinmusire's "An Interlude (that get' more intense)" kicked in on my (waterproof) headphones, and I couldn't help but whoop along.
Grandpa Loves Rhinos -- "It's Gotta Be the Gaming"
Grandpa Loves Rhinos continue to hone their pop-punk revival sound on Searching in the Sarchasm, and my favorite moment is the album's most sarcastic of all, "It's Gotta Be the Gaming." The song mocks the scientifically-proven-to-be-false narrative that video games are to blame for mankind's violent nature, which I also did in an editorial in my high school paper 21 years ago...and yet, the song is unfortunately still timely!!
Rival Consoles -- "Sudden Awareness of Now"
After aiming for the fences and hitting the ball way over with 2018's Persona, Rival Consoles goes for something quite smaller on 2020's Articulation, which still has some standouts, particularly the bombastic hope in the building electronics of "Sudden Awareness of Now."
iiah -- "Aphelion"
If you like to get all overly emotional listening to music, and you want to hear the sound of the Earth's heart breaking in two, you should probably listen to iiah's "Aphelion."
REZN -- "Garden Green"
REZN's spacey, psych-doom on Chaotic Divine has its moments, but none click together for me quite as well the lumbering bassline, atmospheric guitar, and otherworldly sax of "Garden Green."
Nine Inch Nails -- "Letting Go While Holding On"
NIN put out two excellent ambient albums this year, though I prefer Together best, particularly its leadoff track, "Letting Go While Holding On."
Will Ferrell/My Marrianne -- "Volcano Man"
The surprisingly heartfelt Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga was one of this year's biggest surprises, a comedic comeback for Will Ferrell, as well as yet another feather in Rachel McAdams' cap. It's helps that the movie's meant-to-be-humorous songs are also as catchy as Icelandic lava. I mean, you know, like "catchy as hell" and lava is hot, like...hell?
Ludwig Goransson -- "Rainy Night in Tallinn"
For Tenet's entire duration, I thought, wow, Hans Zimmer has really outdone himself with the score this time. Turns out the electronic/symphonic monster of a soundtrack was composed by Ludwig Goransson, who between his film work, as well as his work on The Mandalorian, is on one lava of a hot streak. Sorry. Anyway, the soundtrack's highest point has to be its opener, the adrenaline-pumping "Rainy Night in Tallinn."
Comments
Looking forward to your album list! I listened to so little music from this year...time to be enlightened!