NIGHTFLY BROADCAST #13 - ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2020

It’s nearing the end of year and time to take a look at the albums that have been spinning on the Nightfly turntables this year. These are just favourites that have got repeated plays and ones you may want to give a listen to, recommendations if you will.

 NIGHTFLY RECORDS ALBUMS OF THE YEAR – 2020

 10. Blanck Mass – Calm With Horses OST
The soundtrack from one of my favourite films of the year, dark brooding electronica, melancholic and uplifting. An emotional stirring journey.

9. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy
Poppy, jangly, melodic indie rock from Melbourne Australia that sounds like a modern take on The Go Betweens sound which is a super good thing.

 8. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II
Long awaited and a return to form for Jim James and crew, considerably better than Waterfall I even though they are songs taken from those sessions, curious. Hooky grown up rock music.

 7. Washed Out – Purple Noon
Sun drenched Mediterranean dreamy synth vibes from Ernest Greene, his best since his debut. ‘Yacht Rock’ for the chillwave generation or just gorgeous 2020 pop music?

6. Ólafur Arnalds – Some Kind Of Peace
A beautiful quiet album from the Icelandic composer and producer, meditative and intimate, this may be his best work, an exceptional work of neoclassicism.

 5. GoGo Penguin – GoGo Penguin
This is modern jazz for 2020 and beyond, sounds like it has absorbed influences from electronic music to art rock and has consequently propelled jazz into the future. Close to rolling Drum ‘n’ Bass in parts and pastoral Talk Talk in others.

 4. Gidge – New Light
Atmospheric electronica from the Swedish duo, this a road trip soundtrack of ethereal vocals, broken beats and glacial synths wrapped into propulsive melody, a triumph.

 3. The Midnight – Monsters
I am a sucker for retro 80’s sounds but had grown rather tired of the post ‘Drive’ copycats and sub-par opportunists however this LP grabbed me with its poppy hooks and ‘Breakfast Club’ charm, like a less self-conscious M83.

 2. Mildlife – Automatic
Kraut rock meets Balearic at a Lucky Cloud Soundsystem party with Cosmo swaying behind the decks, ‘all smiles, all easy’, sounds good? It is.

 1. Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
2020, a year in which a 79-year-old man shows the young pretenders how to write a masterpiece of lyrical beauty and drop dead cool, we are truly blessed.

I have included a playlist below for your discovery.

Stay safe

David – Nightfly Records