The year in (Wil’s favorite) music: 2020
In a year of brutal twists and turns, I made a bunch of progress on my film, followed the money for social justice, and found escapes in biking, camping, beaching, and sledding with an extroverted-but-isolated toddler. I always felt #moreblessedthanstressed given the absurd extent of loss and devastation happening here on Earth. A big part of that was that I could simply listen.
With disruptions to so many parts of everyday life, and the loss of live music altogether, I was grateful for the simple freedom of being able to hear what artists were making to accompany or alter my own feelings during it all.
“We sang, nearly shouting the lyrics, the wind clipping at our voices. They say a song can be a bridge, Ma. But I say it’s also the ground we stand on. And maybe we sing to keep ourselves from falling. Maybe we sing to keep ourselves.”
— Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
The Mix
Listen to wk20: the swirl, a mixtape featuring 90 minutes of songs I enjoyed in 2020.
The List
Of all my favorite releases from 2020, these gems floated to the top:
Vibes.
The most I’ve ever appreciated their collaboration with each other, along with their clear reverence for other musicians.
My soundtrack to winding down, turning off the phone, and getting some dang sleep. When concerts are a thing again, I’d like to see these songs live.
It’s amazing what getting sober can do for you. He cleaned up his act and made an original statement while paying homage to his native Appalachia.
The ever-tight musician with clear-eyed storytelling filtered through a pint glass. The album felt like a sonic version of Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, but perhaps more real. I played it all of 2020.
Three stellar musicians (and friends) sound like they forgot they hit record while playing their favorite folk traditionals. It’s an album you can get lost in, and feel perfectly OK with that.
Limbo is a victory lap for Portland. Boastful lyrics about the lifestyle he’s been able to afford at a young age are interrupted by quips of modesty and heart. Come back to PDX.
Speaking of Rip City, this album returns to the unmistakable sound of a town committed to inventive feel-good rock. In a dark year, the record made things feel a bit more summery.
If I ever make it to 96, I want ears like Marshall Allen’s. The first Arkestra drop in 20 years, Swirling bounces between accessible variations and free-jazz bursts. Every spin surprises.
Scrappy sound experiments are turned into songs glued together by confessional and scathing lyrics. Percussion instruments now include piano, vocals, and her dog’s bark. Maybe the music blogs don’t always get it wrong?
After hearing the mix, check out 101 tracks from wil’s top releases of 2020 in order.
