musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2020

Letter To You provides both a moving thematic adjunct to Springsteen On Broadway and a timely and welcome burst of the sheer euphoria that only the E Street Band can inject.

The sound is largely fresh and pays genuine homage to carefree nights at the disco with gusto, charm and flair, all qualities that Minogue has in spades.

Planet’s Mad is an intense listen, a runaway train devouring everything in its path. It’s also an absolute tour de force from an extremely talented producer who is only going from strength to strength.

The result is something that should please fans of The National as it’s not exactly a million miles away from his main band’s output, although there is a more laid back feel to the collection as less of the limelight is shared with others.

As Long As You Are is an endlessly rewarding listen, and it’s certainly worth the wait, but did you really expect anything else?

What makes Shortly After Take Off work is the attention to detail, both musically and lyrically.

It all adds up to a very enjoyable record, one that fits in well with the current pop landscape while also working beyond it.

At its core, it’s Lopatin distorting the mechanisms of listening to and researching sound, in order to facilitate retroactive analysis.

As a writer of quasi-autobiographical songs that offer uniquely considered observations on human relationships and general life detail, Gold Record proves he’s moving into a realm of his own.

Data Lords dissects the impact of big data and the corporate internet on our creative lives, and contrasts it with the wonder and beauty of the natural world. This proves to be a rich and multifaceted theme for exploration in large scale orchestral jazz arrangements, and Schneider’s music and the improvised contributions of her band members perfectly express her ideas and feelings.

Big Conspiracy showcases both of these sides well, while exploring a darker side of his sound palette and confirming his place in the new generation of post-grime British artists.

Home is a groovy, infectious and deeply listenable record, recommended for all fans of repetitive electronic beats.

At 16 songs and a mere 43 minutes, Chromatica can feel a tad frenzied, but in the round marks a deft return to Lady Gaga’s club-pop roots, resplendent with much ’90s influence.

Night Network may not be the 12 tracks which would shake the person who doesn’t like The Cribs out of their most curious position. But it is 12 more assertions of greatness from a band who you really should like.

Across the 12 songs here, we experience some of the finest moments of his career to date.

His new album, Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, is the next in a long line of superb albums. Like No Shape, it retains rockist sensibilities, and the ear for radio play. Like Too Bright, it alternates violently between tenderness and alienation. Like all the great albums, it feels like it was written directly to, for, or about you – the listener.

Healing Is A Miracle is the sound of an artist gently and creatively exploring new ways to progress her music without sacrificing any of the crystalline, deceptively powerful identity she’s built up over the years.

Song For Our Daughter is a return to what made her so widely admired. These are songs of undoubted depth and longevity that can provide moments of relief and solace to those in need.

Thomas’s music endears unhindered by tunnel vision perspectives, and is engendered with a sense of inclusivity ... The underlying message of Fun City is that everyone should feel welcome in the place chosen as home and that those who seek to exclude need to leave themselves at the door.

It Is What It Is sparkles with inventive songwriting, chunky production and pervasive good vibes, a worthwhile addition to any R&B or jazz fan’s collection.

Shore is a glorious, life-affirming collection of songs, a move to the centreground that shows his absorbing of musical influences is paying rich dividends. It has ‘future classic’ written all over it.

Suddenly finds Snaith in his element, writing beautifully endearing tunes and setting them to multi-layered production in a way only he can, and the results are spectacular.

With this album they add several more tunes to a rich canon of protest music that will galvanise an oppositional movement.

The result is surely one of the best pop albums of 2020, and is possibly Ware’s finest to date. A sensual delight, What’s Your Pleasure? is the ultimate in post-disco gratification.

Both music and subject matter are sometimes claustrophobic, but the whole of Kitchen Sink is infused with a humour and empathy that opens the album out. It might be on point, but it never feels overly worthy; it’s a truthful account told in engrossing style.

Shunning a tried-and-tested formula to focus on evolution and experimentation is always a massive risk. But by choosing to embrace their calmer, and often much darker side, the Dubliners could well have given us their masterpiece.

Put on your legwarmers and some neon, for it’s time to dance away our fears while nobody’s watching. This vibrant, audacious collection of pop bangers signposts the way.

Folklore is sad, beautiful, somewhat tragic, a little bit off the wall, but most of all it feels free.