The Top 20 Albums of 2025 (Part Two 10-1)

 

Last year, I expanded what was once the Top 10 Albums of the Year to the Top 20. The Top 10  was limiting, considering there are now 20 best-of-genre lists.  a Top 10 often left off ten albums that captured the top spot for their respective genres.  So we are continuing the countdown here in this second part to the top 10 albums. These are the albums I listened to most. When you take into consideration the fact that I listened to over 900 albums this year, it's impressive for these albums to have endured the influx of new music that hit my inbox every morning and made me want to hear them again and again. Yes, this is the culmination of all the other lists done up to this point for other blogs and was refined down to this master list of all genres.; So here ya go...

10-HAIM- "I quit" 

The Haim sisters came back after five years, which in pop music is an eternity, given how attention spans and trends cycle out. In being generous and taking things like touring into consideration, we can say they had 3 years to follow "Women in Music pt 3" which was a career-defining album, that elevated the band's status. This time the focus was on playing their instruments and busting out guitar solos rather than pop hooks, but they packed a few of those as well. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

 

9-Patriarchy -"Manual for Dying." 

The steamiest batch of bumping grinders since the golden years of Lords of Acid, certainly, is enough to give this duo the number one spot. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/patriarchy-forcefully-rearranged.html

8-Sanguisugabogg -"Hideous Divinity." 

 This is an album I have been looking forward to, so expectations were high. Halfway into the first song, I  heard the needed tweaks I wanted from these guys in terms of production have been made, and it is rocking fucking hard. There is more attention to detail in songwriting as riffs have purpose and are not just shifting into the next heaviest chug possible. Songwriting is storytelling, telling, and the message is coming through with a more mature and perfected vision. Devin still does what he does, though his phrasing is refined and more articulate without sacrificing brutality. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/sanguisugabogg-hideous-divntiy.html

7- Coroner - "Dissonance Theory."

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah. This album grew on me with each listen, and it's clear they are more vital now than ever. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

 

6-Heartworms - "Glutton For Punishment."

Why is this album taking the top spot, you ask?  There are organic qualities blended with a chamber-pop sound that brings Dresden Dolls to mind in equal doses as Rasputina .. Helmed by Jojo Orme, this project is mroe organic and capable of rocking out than your average darkwave band, with songs like "Jacked' falling on the more post-punk side of the equation. The guitars are capable of delivering the needed jagged tension. The album spends a great deal of time juggling the more electronic elements against a jangle of guitar that leans left of center into a moodier indie rock. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-heartworms-glutton-for.html

 

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5-Freeze the Fall - "The Red Garden." 

Big radio rock that hits with an infectious bite. Their anthemic choruses are balanced by the brooding atmosphere that is dark enough to keep me interested, despite the more hopeful mood they build. This young Canadian trio is great songwriters who sometimes find their overall sound following a 90s formula, which proves highly effective as it puts them in the number one spot, beating out veteran acts, so the future clearly holds big things for them. If you have not heard this album yet, do yourself a favor and give it a listen.    

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/freeze-fall-red-garden.html

 

4-Taylor Swift- "the Life of a Showgirl" 

At the end of the day, she can whip out songs that sit effortlessly next to the other classics in her discography with no effort. Even Tay Tay dialing it in is better than what most can do with two dozen producers and co-writers. This album grew on me, and makes it clear she is the dominant force in not just pop music, but songwriting. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/taylor-swift-life-of-showgirl.html

 

3-Hangman's Chair- "Saddiction" 

The modern kings of gloom bring a sonic pounding counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals, and things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best appreciated when played loudly through headphones. It's a band whose songwriting continues to exceed expectations and put them at the top of the heap, not just when it comes to doom or metal, but all artists making music today. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/hangmans-chair-saddiction.html

 

2-Spiritbox- "Tsunami Sea." 

It's the band's pop lean that helps separate them from their peers, as Courtney is better at vocal hooks than the singer for Jinger or Infected Rain, who work in similar sonic circles. She has continued to grow as a singer to further distance herself from her peers. Even with the pop hooks in play, the dynamics pack a heavy enough punch to have the metallic impact to take the top spot here. Their drummer has really stepped up on this album as he fills the spaces with interesting playing that they build off of. At the end of the day, it's the top-tier songwriting that wins out.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritbox-tsunami-sea.html

1-Ethel Cain-  "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You."

Not only the best shoegaze/post-rock album of the year,  the best album of the year. I don't think she set out to make a shoegaze album, which is what makes it so effective; the ethereal atmosphere just organically came about thanks to the hypnotic drones that also incorporate pop and country music into the mix. Unlike Wednesday, who takes a jarring turn between the two genres, on this album, you can't tell where one ends and the other begins as they are woven with such sonic beauty. As stated, these albums are ranked according to how much I actually listened to them, and I listened to this album more than any other this year.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/ethel-cain-willoughby-tucker-ill-always.html

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The Top 40 Songs of 2025 (Part 3 : 20-11)

 

This is part three of the Top 40 songs of 2025. It's a list of the 40 catchiest songs that got the most airplay from me this year. These are the songs that I kept on repeat and got stuck in my head, which certainly factored in when ranking these albums in the big picture, only one artist on this list delivered an album that was underwhelming with the single as one of the only memorable songs on the album, but a great deal lies in how that was hyped leading up to the album's release. 

I have split this up into four more digestable play lists of 10 songs, each I think these songs all speak for themselves, so there is no need for me to wax poetic about what makes them great as their hooks will do that for them so take a listen and maybe these will be the melodies that haunt you when you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night so lets continue into the top 20 songs of 2025.

20-Scorpion Milk- 'Will to Live.'

19-Noah Cyrus - "What's it all For." 

18-Taylor- Swift- "Eldest Daughter."

 

17-Lord Huron- "Bag of Bones."

16-Pixel Grip-"Stamina." 

 

 

 

15- Ethel Cain- "Fuck Me Eyes." 

14-Bush - "I Beat Loneliness." 

13-Viagra Boys- 'Bog Body

12-Street Sex- "Turn Blue." 

1-HAIM- "All Over Me." 

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The Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2025

If you do not know what Indie rock means in 2025, then why did you click on this article in the first place? The bands that made the top ten list are of the more experimental variety, many times bordering on post-punk, but not as fully immersed in the bleakness, though more albums lean into a darker mood than not here, though given the website you are reading this on, that should not be a surprise. While indie rock lends itself to hipster culture, these are not intended to be the coolest albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say,

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2025. The very fact that these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album; there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 indie rock albums of 2025

10-SWOLL- "Avoid Attach" 

This Baltimore-based band has an interesting atmosphere setting them apart from their peers. They mix post-hardcore with an ambient form of indie that dabbles in electronics like Minus the Bear. There is less math rock going on than minus the bear, with the bass players keeping a creeping tension flowing through the songs. The vocals are shouted in a more punk fashion, but the aggression is more passive than overt. Sometimes they are more dynamic and sung in a way that would not be out of place on a shoegaze album.

tps://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/swoll-avoid-attach.html

9-Activity-"A Thousand Years in Another Way." 

This one starts off with a tenser, more brooding vibe. The fragile vocals still bring Radiohead to mind. They employ swathes of sonic noise to create the atmosphere here. At times, they feature female vocals in an almost whimsical manner. They also veer into the experimental post- "Ok Computer" era of Radiohead. Their sounds are well-layered, but the beat brings this comparison further to mind. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/activity-thousand-years-in-another-way.html

8-Cult Therapy -"Get Fucked Sinner." 

These zany Michigan punks, have made a scathing album that gives religion the middle finger. There are elements of slacker '90s indie rock in the disjointed slink it takes on at times. There is also a noise rock sloppiness to what is going on here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/12/cult-therapy-get-fucked-sinner.html

 

7-Smoking Popes - "Lovely Stuff." 

I first gave this band a shot because Morrissey said Smoking Popes was one of his favorite bands. Given the vocal quality of their singing and lyrical depth, I bought their 1995 album 'Born to Quit', for which they are most known.  This album is not produced in a manner that suggests they are trying to take you back to the 90s, but the guitar does have a punk jangle to it. What do accomplish is showing their songwriting chops are still tight as hell. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/smoking-popes-lovely-stuff.html

 6-The Bellair Lip Bombs -"Again" 

This band from Austrailia has flown under the radar for 8 years, and it is now time for them to step into the spotlight. Their new album finds early college rock colliding with the slacker sounds of the '90s. Singer Maisie Everett adds a detached layer of cool girl indifference to the sonic ramble of their sometimes Velvet Underground-like sonic attack. The overall sound is a more historically accurate depiction of where post-punk originated before evolving into what we know as indie rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-bellair-lip-bombs-again.html

5-Reverse YR Curse : " Where Are We Going and When Will We Get There?" 

This trio plays an interesting flavor of indie rock. They are introspective and melodic while their songwriting churns through odd yet organic shifts. There is more surf rock than punk feel to this weird take on pop if we are talking about pop from the '60s Phil Spector era. There is a garage vibe to the guitars at times as the lyrics are as oddly phrased as the music jangling around it.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/reverse-yr-curse-where-are-we-going-and.html

4-The Neighbourhood -" Ultrasound" 

I loved "Wiped Out" but this is the first album to I have listened to by this California band. I am not sure when they decided to stop making emo pop and took this turn to the zip code of the Stone Roses, but I approve, it is not what I expected at all.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-neighborhood-ultrasound.html

3-SMUT - "Tomorrow Comes Crashing" 

This Cincinnati-sourced band plays a raw punk-influenced take on indie rock that pulls from the more emotional side of 90s alternative rock. Tay Roebuck has both sugar and spice to her voice, with a syrupy knack for melodies that spill over the attack of the well-layered and intentionally lo-fi guitars. It's an overproduced album that makes it seem like it's just a mic in the practice room, with guitar running through all kinds of plug-ins, to achieve a wide breadth of tones.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/smut-tomorrow-comes-crashing.html

 

2- Pool Kids- "Easier Said Than Done"

It is funny that I found this band while searching for punk albums that came out this year. There is nothing punk about this but I like this album for what it is. This Tallahassee plays a pop minded version of indie-rock that benefits from some very slick production that lends to the pristine vocal lines and dancey grooves. It feels like if you were hoping the Beaches had made more of a pop album this time around then these kids would be for you. They take a page from Boygenius when it comes to blending hooks with indie rock.

 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/12/pool-kids-easier-said-than-done.html

 

1-HAIM- "I quit" 

The Haim sisters came back after five years, which in pop music is an eternity, given how attention spans and trends cycle out. In being generous and taking things like touring into consideration, we can say they had 3 years to follow "Women in Music pt 3" which was a career-defining album, that elevated the band's status. This time the focus was on playing their instruments and busting out guitar solos rather than pop hooks, but they packed a few of those as well. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

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The Top 10 Pop Albums of 2025... so far

 That time of year again. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they are really going to need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. When it comes to pop what you are not going to see much of are big mainstream radio artists that are part of the music industry machine that spits bullshit out on an assembly line with two dozen producers and even more songwriters making a product for the sheep to consume. Only two artists on this list come from that machine, and both have risen above it, unlike the bulk of their peers. 

What I want from my pop is catchy songs that have actual instruments being played, rather than just empty calories being pumped into my ears. My people refer to this sort of thing as their guilty pleasures, and I do not use that term as anyone on this list is better than vapid shit kids on Tik Tok are dancing to. Hip Hop has pretty much been garbage this year; only two artists have managed to rise from that trash pile to form music with depth.  There are links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 pop albums of 2024 so far. 

10-Aesop Rock- "Black Hole Superette" 

The 10th album from New York's best rapper finds the rhymes flowing like malt liquor. Ten albums into your career, you are going to know how to write a song. He is quick to spit a collage of clever metaphors. You noticed we do not cover a great deal of hip-hop here. That's not because it's just not our thing; it's because the bar is held very high due to rappers like this. So, why accept inferior products being rolled off the assembly line of record labels looking to sedate people whose musical tastes reflect their low vibrational state? 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/aesop-rock-black-hole-superette.html

 

9-yeule- "Evangelic Girl is a Gun" 

This weird little singer from Singapore is a new find for me, though this is her fourth album. Asian post-pop is just not a sub-genre I have delved far enough into. It opens with an almost trip-hop sound that features some subtle guitar elements as it progresses. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/yeule-evangelic-girl-is-gun.html

8-Skunk Anansie-"The Painful Truth" 

 One of my favorite bands from the 90s, who in America were always a best-kept British secret. In my mind, they will always have to measure up against their 1999 album 'Post Orgasmic Chill". Skin's vocals are still on point, and things have mellowed into a shimmering pop pulse, with electronic elements becoming hard to decipher from where guitars are plugged into amps, and the end result is a song so good it does not matter much to me how they got here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/skunk-anansie-painful-truth.html

 

7-Sleep Token - "Even in Arcadia" 

This has some slapping beats and hooks that would make Sam Smith jealous. This is the kind of music Justin Timberlake wishes he were making. Justin Bieber, rinse off the baby oil and get these guys to write your next album. At times I am not convince it is not Joji under the mask singing. Great moody pop music. 
 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/sleep-token.html

6-Bon Iver-"SABLE fABLE " 

This double album is really his EP "SABLE' last year, which was only three songs, and then the nine new songs, which are the kind of lush experimental pop songs that made his 4th album such a stellar creative success. His falsetto vocal work there magic, as there is also plenty of evidence that shows his time spent collaborating with Taylor Swift has influenced him. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/bon-iver-sable-fable.html

 

 

5-HAIM- "I quit" 

This album works best when the sisters are focused on their brand of cleverness to engage both the lyrics and the music. There is a more 90s pop rock at times that reminds me of Sheryl Crow, with some Zeppelin punches thrown in here and there. The indie rock jangle that runs through this album seeks to get their footing back into their indie roots, more than trying to follow Taylor Swift's footsteps.

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

 

      

4-Turnstile - "Never Enough"

  

One of the year's most anticipated albums. Even Charli XCX was declaring it would be Turnstile summer at Coachella. They have a hooky chorus and often energetic takes on pop punk, which are not as explosive as their old, more hardcore direction. But the kids at Coachella don't know the difference. They ended up making a pop record that is fun, and their is nothing wrong with that.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/turnstile-never-enough.html

 

3-Pixel Grip -"Perceptide the Death of Reality" 

 This interesting electronic band circle my radar for a minute, their brand of  dark atmospheric pop simmers in introspection. The alluring vocals of Rita Lukea give everything a sex dripping sheen, as they jump into dark 90s techno for the second song. She grinds her hips into the dance floor. 
 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/pixel-grip-perceptide-death-of-reality.html

2-Wu-Tang Clan - "Black Samson the Bastard Swordsman" 

Legendary New York rap collective dropped this album for a more limited vinyl release for Record Store Day, and now it's receiving a wider release. This is the first full-length release since the 2017 compilation "The Saga Continues," which was released as simply Wu-Tang due to the absence of U-God. It's also the first album since 2015's "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" to feature all 9 living members of the group. This album is a collaboration with producer Mathematics, who effectively captures the feel of the group's classic work. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/wu-tang-clan-black-samson-bastard.html

1-Miley Cyrus - "Something Beautiful" 

Miley's 9th album is pretty ambitious. It's framed with preludes and interludes to create a more immersive experience than your average pop. Its ambition is what makes it take the top spot, as she has the production value and execution to back it up. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/miley-cyrus-something-beautiful.html

Thanks for reading, please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast below 

https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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June's Top 10 Albums

It's time for June's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them; I am just linking the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til August, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there tends to be a dominant theme of new wave, pop, and death metal,  so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of June 

10-Bootblacks - "Paradise" 

New-Wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/bootblacks-paradise.html

9-Love is Noise-"To Live a Different Way" 

nu-gaze

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/love-is-noise-to-live-different-way.html

8-Ossuary- "Abhorrent Worship" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-ossuary-abhorrent-worship.html

7-Disembodiment- "Spiral Crypts" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-disembodiment-spiral.html

6-Hollow Leg -"Dust & Echoes"

 

Sludge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/hollow-leg-dust-echoes.html

5-HAIM- "I quit" 

Indie-pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

4-Turnstile-"Never Enough" 

Pop punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/turnstile-never-enough.html

3-Deadguy- "Near-Death Travel Services" 

Hard-core

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/deadguy-near-death-travel-services.html

2-Miley Cyrus - "Something Beautiful" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/miley-cyrus-something-beautiful.html

1-Wu-tang Clan- "Black Samson the Bastard Swordsman 

Hip-hop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/wu-tang-clan-black-samson-bastard.html

Thanks for reading, please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast below 

https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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HAIM- " I quit"

 

The Haim sisters are back after five years, which in pop music is an eternity, given how attention spans and trends cycle out. In being generous and taking things like touring into consideration, we can say they had 3 years to follow "Women in Music pt 3" which was a career-defining album, that elevated the band's status. All of this is to say it's reasonable to have high expectations for this album.  They are quick to put the brakes on those with the opening track "Gone," which might have been better served as a deeper cut. I had heard a few of the lead singles going into this album, so I knew this was not their best declaration of their return, these sessions had to offer. 

The two songs that follow would have worked better to open the album, as they are stellar. They are also two of the singles leading up to the album release."All Over Me" and "Relationships," which are pop songs with the sister's brand of clever marking, both the lyrics and the music. There is a more 90s pop rock feel to "Down to Be Wrong' which reminds me of Sheryl Crow, with some Zeppelin punches thrown in here and there. The indie rock jangle of "Take me back" finds the vocals on the verses bringing the Violent Femmes to mind. So this album seeks to get their footing back into their indie roots, more than trying to follow Taylor Swift's footsteps. 

"Love you right" took a couple of listens to grow on me. It's organic enough to give the thoughtful vocals room to work. "The farm" sounds like it should have been on a Waxahatchee album. It's a country-tinged ballad that is strummed plaintively. The vocals sit back into "Lucky stars" but it's a case where experimenting with what normally works for them pays off. The vocal production on this song is great and contrasts with the more lo-fi guitar sound. Bon Iver lent a hand writing 'Million Years".  It finds an electronic beat bubbling under the vocals, and it took a few listens to grow on me.

The more casual pace of "Everybody's trying to figure me out" works, and the arrangement is more unique than what is going on in pop today, which is the sweet spot the girls need to be more focused on. "Try to feel my pain" has a more mellow 70s New York funk vibe. Her subdued vocals coast gracefully over this to work well. There is a more indie dance groove moving "Spinning," which works well enough for what they are going for and is still on brand for them. "Cry" is a more soulful 70s blues-tinged ballad, and there is a more organic, almost country feel to "Blood on the Street". It's "Now it's time" that comes closer to what you want from these gals. Though when this song ended iTunes shuffled over to "Something to Tell You" and started playing "I Want You Back" and none of these songs capture that energy. I will still give this a 9.5, as it is more organic, they are still solid songwriters, and perhaps better musicians now, 8 years later. 

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Bon Iver : "SABLE fABLE"

 

This double album is really his EP "SABLE' last year that was only three songs, which focused more of his folk side, and then the nine new songs, which are the kind of lush experimental pop songs that made his 4th album such a stellar creative success. These songs are going to be the focus of this review. "Short Story" is a brief intro song that still works as it completes its dynamic thoughts, bringing the album shimmering to life, with his falsetto vocals, which were not featured on the EP the spotlight. A more focused pop beat moves "Everything is Peaceful Love," which feels like his time spent collaborating with Taylor Swift has influenced him. 

There is a more 90s pop feel to "Walk Home" . There are hints of country guitar tones haunting the periphery of the song, showing his skills as a songwriter able to blend sounds in a manner that proves pop doesn't have to be a bad word. However he is an elite songwriter. Jennifer Lynn Wasner lends her vocal to the gospel inflected "Day One".  "From" feels like Bruce Hornsby style of 80s pop, with Vernon's falsetto vocals rooting in this project's sound Danielle Haim lent a hand at the songwriting of "I'll Be There" and add her voice to "If Only I Could Wait" which infds his voice blending better with her's than his duets with Taylor Swift. 

"There's a Rythm" is like 80's pop but with more of the subtle country guitar coming up further in the mix to add a more melancholy layer of sound. The last song is more of an outro, but for the songs presented here, they are done so in a flawlwss manner so I am givng this album a 10.

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Song of the Week- HAIM's "Relationships"

A few years have passed and I keep waiting for a new HAIM. That day has come and they have delivered. The sisters write pop music as a band, a novel concept, but they play instruments and such with a team of producers and songwriters helping them. It has lived up to expectations, a little poppier than I thought they might go as none of the Fleetwood Mach influence we heard on the last album was present, but this was just a single so who knows how the entire album will be, but if there is any indication here I think it should be good. Strong vocals and hooks as always with some of pop's more thoughtful lyrics.Sonically closer to "I Want You Back' than their last album. While they are not Taylor Swift' equals when it comes to album sales or ticket sales, they are certainly on her level creatively, as Taylor Swift herself is a big fan, having taken them on tour with her before. 

 

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The Top 10 Albums of 2020

At the end of the day...year these are the albums I listened to the most. The reason that makes these the best is because I listened to over 2000 albums this year and these are the ones that endured the influx of new music that hit my in box every morning and made me want to hear them again and again. Yes this is the culmination of all the other lists done up to this point for other blogs  and was refined down to this master list of all genres.  So here ya go...

10-All Them Witches- "Nothing as the Ideal" 

This album was not what I was expecting. It is a highly polished piece of rock that knows it's way around a bong without forgetting where they parked the car. Hooky song writing that is a rarity in rock today. 

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom -All Them Witches : "Nothing as the Ideal"

9-HAIM- "Women in Music part 3" 

Lots of music came out. This is a spectacular album that stood above most , and demanded me to listen to it repeatedly and I still want to hear it more. These sisters are amazing

Abysmal Hymns: Haim : "Women In Music pt 3 "

8- Morrissey - " I Am Not a Dog on a Chain"

Yeah it is not Moz's best album, but that is a high bar that would have taken the number one spot. Moz is not dialing it in here, so that alone gives it more creative power even if his song writing is not firing off at maximum creativity.  If you are a fan this is a must. He can not be cancelled. If you think he should go kill yourself. The Smiths are great music to do that to. 

Abysmal Hymns: Morrissey : "I am Not a Dog on a Chain"

7- Code Orange- " Underneath"

They continue to grow away from their day as hard core kids, in fact they are now firmly into an industrial metal sound. The trick is they are such killer song writers that they can do what ever the fuck they want and make it work. Growth seems to be a reoccurring theme this year. 

Abysmal Hymns: Code Orange : " Underneath"

6- (16) - "Dream Squasher " 

This former sludge band almost outgrew their genre by dialing up their song writing making this one of the years best heavy albums. It has all the grit and mean spirited snarl needed to capture the feeling of 2020. 

Abysmal Hymns: -(16)- : " Dream Squasher"

5- Charli XCX-"how i'm feeling now" 

The struggle for the number one spot was tough as I really listened to the fuck out of this album, is it everything I might want from a pop album, but She came up number 2 in the Pop Top 10 list on here as well, but nothing for her to be ashamed. 

Abysmal Hymns: Charli XCX : "how i'm feeling now"

4- Katatonia - "City Burials" 

These guys have always been one of my favorites so it is great to hear them come back and remember how to rock out again. Is it the "Great Cold Distance" no, but it works fine for what it is and better than most. 

Abysmal Hymns: Katatonia : " City Burials"

3-Witnesses - "Doom 2" 

You want the year's best metal album ? Then go about it like you are not making a metal album and bring in a pop singer who sings with the same passion. This keeps you from sounding like everything else and makes a great fucking album. 

Abysmal Hymns: Witnesses : "Doom II"

 

2- Sound VVitch-"Becoming" 

Heavy does not mean metal, sometimes it means darkness. This album conveyed that but in a way that made it hard for me to stop listening which is why it is taking one of this year's top spots. 

Abysmal Hymns: Sound VVitch : "Becoming"

1- Taylor Swift - "Folklore" 

2020 did some good things. It made Tay Tay really grow up and prove she should be taken as seriously as the National or Bon Iver. This might not be the best album of her career, but it is the best one this year. 

Abysmal Hymns: Taylor Swift : " Folk Lore"

the Top 10 Pop Albums of 2020

Pop speaks for itself. There is some hip hop woven in because it is basically pop. Experimental hi hop go put on the electronic list as well as some of the more avant garde pop artists. Ok now that that is out of the way, much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes there more new bands on this list than most. 

 The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite artist  not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Pop albums of 2020.

 

10-the Weeknd- "After Hours"

It was not too long ago he would have been taking the top spot. When he finds his footing on this album, he returns to his magic. I could stand for him to be a little more depressed and drugged out. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-weeknd-after-hours.html

9 Shabazz Palaces- "the Don of Diamond Dreams"

Where the Weeknd sounded to be slightly more sober, this album proved that drugs still do some wonderful things. Perhaps not as catchy as it could be , but instead takes you on a more surreal journey than expected . 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/shabazz-palaces-don-of-diamond-dreams.html  

8 Poppy- "I Disagree" 

Granted the novelty of this album wore off after a while for me, but I still think this album was well done for what it is. If you see this on anyone's metal list rest assured they do not know what metal is and let me know so I can shame them to death.  

Abysmal Hymns: Poppy : " I Disagree"

7-Eminem- "Music to Be Murdered By" 

I like how this album almost feels more like a mix tape. He feels like he  has regained some of the edge getting sober took away first. The first album in a minute from him that I have felt compelled to listen to more than a couple time. His flow is almost immaculate. 

Abysmal Hymns: Eminem : "Music to Be Murdered By "

6- Taylor Swift- "evermore" 

A late entry that came out while I was making this list. Songs that are left over from the "Folklore" sessions. Her left overs are better than most can muster normally .  It is still growing on me, more sedate than "Folklore" which was a more introspective album to begin with. Subtle hooks and delicate songwriting.

Abysmal Hymns: Taylor Swift : "Evermore"

5- Run the Jewels- "RTJ4"

Some might expect this to be number one since it was on other lists. While it is obviously a great album as it edged out Taylor Swift's leftovers, if  lyrically it was not so topical given the current climate do you think it would be as big of a deal. Really it is just a matter of these guys know how to read the room.

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/run-jewels-rtj4.html

  4-Joji- "Nectar" 

This highest placing male on this year's pop list is nothing to sneeze at . This album is not dark, but moody, with emotions bared in shades of gray. He has a really interesting take on pop and I am looking forward to hearing where he does from here. He stole 4th place due to me just listening to him more. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/joji-nectar.html

4- Miley Cyrus - " Plastic Hearts" 

 Yeah last year she took the number one spot, but competition is tough this year and this is not as big of a banger, but Miley is only competing with Miley at this point , this album just came out on Black Friday, where the ones that beat her for the top 3 have stood the test of time over the year.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/12/miley-cyrus-plastic-hearts.html

 

3-HAIM- "Women in Music Part 3" 

This could have been the number one album any other year. But it was a real tough call. They certainly belong at the top and number 3 is nothing to be ashamed of this and the other two albums that placed higher will be in the top 10 of the year for sure. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/haim-women-in-music-pt-3.html

2- Charli XCX- "How I'm feeling now" 

How did Charli beat out HAIM? After all they are playing instruments and everything. It came down to the fact I listened to this album more. This album is going down as being under rated, just like Charli herself. I mean she is gaining some steam in the states , but when it comes to hot pop chicks she has Selena Gomez and the like not even coming close. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/charli-xcx-how-im-felling-now.html

1- Taylor Swift- "Folklore" 

Pop was the easiest place to put this album as it was not quite folk , the pop sensibilities of her songwriting are intact, just very matured. She has proven herself a song writer to be taken as seriously as the National or Bon Iver. Not that I have not been taking her that seriously since I came across 1989.But not the rest of the world is catching up with the Swifties . 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-folk-lore.html