Clash's Albums of the Year 2020

Garcia allows these songs to ebb and flow without a clear end point in mind, allowing the interplay between her band-members to become this album’s primary draw. She has proven herself to be just as formidable a composer as she is a performer.

A must-listen for those who like their metal with depth and mystery.

This rhythmically expansive body of work could pass as a mixtape, traversing through a medley of sounds, eras and genres. The one thing consistent throughout are the standout vocals of Minsky-Sergeant.

One of the UK’s most exciting drummers, Yussef Dayes, has collaborated with forward-thinking multi-instrumentalist and composer Tom Misch to release a pulsating new project.

Their new project ‘Every Bad’ is full of the catchy songs that are overflowing with lo-fi ramshackle post-punk guitars and uplifting vocals.

‘Saint Cloud’ is the refreshed, reformed and matured Waxahatchee – and it’s glorious.

A solar system held in place by its own revolutions, ‘The Slow Rush’ is testament to the patient productivity and unrelenting creativity of Kevin Parker.

The music is engaging, yet thought provoking. It sounds unlike his previous three releases, but there is a continuation of ideas throughout. It’s an album from an artist who doesn’t pander to trends and goes his own path.

HAIM have given us the world on a silver platter, and in times like these, it’s the perfect antidote to normality.

Its 10 tracks are tied together by pop structures and familiar, forceful bass drums, but inflected by jazz and footwork, they retain a capacity for surprise beyond a few days’ listening.

‘RTJ4’ is a must listen. It is diverse enough to appeal to even the hardest crowds.

It’s clear from the first listen that this album serves as Teyana’s most personal steady project yet. Teyana has been marching to the beat of her drum since her introduction to the world back in 2006, and she’s kept her foot on our necks ever since.

‘Song For Our Daughter’ is a powerful and resounding success, and re-affirms Marling’s position as one of our most important feminist songwriters.

It’s so heart-rending you could keep yourself wrapped inside its comfort for hours and not come out. To all those troubled minds and torn hearts clinging to the past, this is utterly heavenly.

Simply put, folklore is a speed bump. It is a small sliver of familiarity and nostalgia that broadcasts openness without resentment, mockery or one-sided representations, and finds Swift finally committing to shedding the brash, poppy sound in favor of the soft, tonal glow of reverb and contemplation.

Raw artistry paired with rich heritage makes for a magnificent, spine-tingling first album for Rina Sawayama.

‘Punisher’ is an immense album tackling the ugly and absurd sides to life with beauty, humour and self-awareness. It’s a unique reporting style and a key statement.

It represents a broadening and deepening of J Hus’ artistry, while sacrificing a tiny aspect of the immediacy that turned his Top 10 debut album ‘Common Sense’ into a modern British classic.

The Ungodly Hour is a soothing salve for a world on fire. It’s an avowal of sisterhood and sorority, a projection of a generation of young black women galvanized by a collective willingness to enact efficacious change in the face of adversity.