19. Nas / King's Disease

 

There were timelier (Run the Jewels) or more aesthetic (Ka) hip-hop albums this year, but none slid their way into late summer listening like Nas’ nostalgic trip through New York City.  King’s Disease, the legendary MC’s 13th studio album, chronicles his fly coming-of-age (“All Bad”), halcyon nightspots (“Blue Benz”), and hustling vibes from yesteryear (“Car #85”).  He asks: Is there love for a Queens dude in Supreme shoes?  Longtime fans know the answer, especially if they’ve settled the Nas versus Jay-Z debate.  Where his beat-making and production prowess has sometimes lagged behind Beyonce's husband, it is his supreme flow, high-brow subjects, and use of vivid imagery that has made him one of the Big Apple's finest.

Not every track runs through his heyday.  He addresses topical issues like black empowerment on “Ultra Black” and gender dynamics on “’Til the War is Won.”  He skewers the recently-defeated to finish up the record’s best vocal run on “The Definition”: Stupid words from the President’s mouth, where are his editors? Every rapper knows it’s a fatal flaw when nothing hits the cutting room floor.

But Nas is less concerned with picking fights and more about finding the right bars to accompany the record’s relaxed and soulful production (helmed by Grammy-winning Hit-Boy).  After Nas' disappointing collaboration with Kanye on 2018's NASIR, he usually finds the pocket here, while he not-so-subtly seeks to establish himself as an old head still fully in the game.  King's Disease is a welcome return to form.  

20. Haim / Women in Music Pt. III

Haim’s Women in Music Pt. III is undeniably enjoyable.  It rolls out across Los Angeles streets, sun worn and hopeful, as Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim work their way through country, R&B, and jazz-inflected tracks on their best album to date.  Though the songs depict depression, grief, and relationship troubles, a saxophone appears here and there, and the sisters’ quirky fun roams across the marvelous production, a credit to Danielle, Rostam, and Ariel Rechtshaid.

It is now hard to separate the record from the iconic music videos directed by auteur and friend Paul Thomas Anderson.  He directed “Summer Girl,” “Hallelujah,” “Now I’m In It,” and “The Steps” (with Danielle) and photographed the album’s cover art.  The videos capture their sisterly essence, authentic and endearing, as they glide through the City of Angels and invite us to discover their trials, their neighborhoods, their friends, and their effervescent music right along their side.

The D Man's Top Twenty Albums of 2020

Music kept me sane in 2020.  During the initial stages of quarantine in March, April, and May, I deep dived into New Order, The Radio Dept., Elbow, and American Football.  Those incredibly giving bands carried me through some discouraging moments and accompanied me as I often sought refuge: aimless drives around the lake, sprints at the track, bike rides up the trail, and long walks with the dogs.

I wore headphones through long stretches of my work day at home.  I listened to everything, hoping to drown out some endless summer noise from the kids, but mostly to bury the unnerving and low-grade sense of unease from long and isolated days.  It worked more often than not.

I sorely missed the personal release and community uplift of live music.  The crop of record releases looked like it might be skimpy for a while, but it ended up much better than expected in quantity and quality.  Thank goodness.  The Killers, The 1975, and Tame Impala dropped large-scale records.  Taylor Swift released her surprise "indie" record.  Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes arrived later in the year, sound tracking our discord and uplift, respectively.  Doves returned with a #1 U.K. record.  And small but powerful records abounded from the likes of Innocence Mission, Adrianne Lenker, and Denison Witmer.

Music is a balm.  Enjoy the The D Man's Top Twenty Albums of 2020.