ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2020

https://i.imgur.com/y5CLPq6.jpg
#56: K-LONE - Cape Cira - 247 points - 8 votes - 1 Nº1 vote

Bobbins 2020
this is a thread for the BALEARIC REVIVAL

https://wisdomteethuk.bandcamp.com/album/k-lone-cape-cira-lp

“In a year where the simple act of staring out a window or ambling amongst some trees could lift the mood, any album which whisked us away to a private tropical island was a necessary balm. "Cape Cira" did exactly that.”
https://bleep.com/Top-10-Albums-of-the-Year-2020-Cape-Cira

Finally something I voted for

I know it's not really in the same category as Kairon Irse or Pharoah Overlord, but those of you who like psychedelic Finnish sounds should check out Avaruuskaipuu by Veera Neva, which is an excellent album of old school space music. I nommed it, but there's little chance of it making this high in the poll.

<3 beautiful record

ty Tuomas, always stoked for psychedelic Finnish sounds. maybe we'll get some more later who knows

One final thing re: PO - it wasn't an instant hit with me - something called on me to keep relistening but it wasn't until about the 3rd play that its majesty fully dawned on me

K-LONE sounding v intriguing sound-design wise, will give this a full listen

the same sweet spot that something like Domenique Dumont did for me in previous year

I never heard of K-Lone but this is a great way to get me to listen to it!

ditto

not sure how I missed this one, tbh

oooh yeah this is up my current alley for sure

I think 'honey' was my most listened track on that if anyone wants a recommendation

Love that the K-LONE ended up getting so much traction. Seriously embedded luscious sunshine hooks throughout the year - actively lovely

So glad Annie made it after getting so unlucky on the tracks list. It took me a few plays for Dark Hearts to open up to me, but it ended up being one of my favourites of the year. The lyrics about the loss of Tore are so devastating at times and really hit me hard after such a terrible year. Also, I love that it's kind of like a Chromatics album that's good all the way through.

The Falls EP is fantastic as well if you need more of this by K-LONE

it ticks the same sweet spot that something like Domenique Dumont did for me in previous years

There was also a delightful new Domenique Dumont album this year! which, um, tumbled off the end of my ballot

I really like the K-Lone album, although for some reason I really think of it as a pandemic album, even more so than other records I listened to a lot while at home and/or working (like Blake Mills, Alabaster dePlume, and others sure to show up later).

Maybe because it's really a headphones album for me, similar to the Ana Roxanne.

Haven't heard 'the falls' evan, thanks for the tip. All the other k-lone I've heard has been more UK garage type stuff iirc

I went back and forth on the Domenique Dumont record. I was excited about it when it was released on Soundcloud early in the year as one long continuous track, but kind of forgot about it after that. When it got an official album release I was initially disappointed that it was identical to the earlier Soundcloud release, but soon found it coming up over and over as my go to chill out record. I ultimately put it on my ballot and would love to see it show up on here, but it's a bit slight compared to the previous two albums.

It’s totally a pandemic album for me too. Alabaster Deplume was also one of my favorite records of the year for the reasons you expose.

I might need to get into Blake Mills I hear it namedropped a lot.

I went to Hawaii last year RIGHT before the pandemic fully hit (got back to NJ in early March) so the aesthetic of K-LONE like most of that style of music has been the perfect soundtrack to the memories of that very very treasured extremely clutch trip.

https://i.imgur.com/0lmwWt1.jpg
#55: Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders - 248 points - 11 votes

Mary Lattimore
https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com/album/silver-ladders

“With Slowdive’s Neil Halstead in the producer’s chair, the Los Angeles harpist swells her gentle ambience with a more strident sound but remains as transporting as ever.”
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mary-lattimore-silver-ladders/

The K-Lone album seems much closer to Mark Barrott on an initial listen

ok pretty much everything everyone has said about K-Lone sounds like I'll love it

Totally agree re K-LONE as pandemic album - I think it was vaguely 'designed' as tropical escapism from sodden British winter of 2019 and ended up serving as tropical escapism from grisly global hellscape of 2020

I went back and forth on the Domenique Dumont record. I was excited about it when it was released on Soundcloud early in the year as one long continuous track, but kind of forgot about it after that. When it got an official album release I was initially disappointed that it was identical to the earlier Soundcloud release, but soon found it coming up over and over as my go to chill out record. I ultimately put it on my ballot and would love to see it show up on here, but it's a bit slight compared to the previous two albums.

― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Tuesday, February 2, 2021 11:25 AM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

I love the People On Sunday film and have been meaning to dust it off and try to sync it up with that album. Might be a fun way to revisit.

I found the Mary Lattimore much moodier and chillier than her previous albums and loved it more. It feels like it has way more presence

didn't we have a weird mary lattimore struggle session at some point

yeah, reread her thread for fun

yeah, that was ogmor going off on one xp

the k-lone sounds lovely from the first track, can't wait to get more into it later

while it's cool she got to work with the slowdive guy and it assuredly sounds lovely, i am kinda with ogmor regarding her songwriting. i guess it ought to be viewed more as ambient idk

whole thing is gorgeous! guy has got a good feel for rhythm too, beats never stop moving in a really playful way xp

K-LONE feels like all the quiet bits of balearic stitched together. This isn't a bad thing

lol for a sec I thought NickB was talking about Neil Halstead

he K-Lone album seems much closer to Mark Barrott on an initial listen

― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles)

Yeah! sorry for misleading a bit with the Domenique Dumont comparison, it's not really that I think they share a similar sound, it's rather a similar vibe in my head. They're both balearic influenced but Domenique comes from a dream-pop/sophistipop angle and K-lone is more influenced by house music.

Ha rob!

I think this album is Mary Lattimore's best work to date. "Til A Mermaid Drags You Under" is fantastic

The Domenique Dumont album from 2020 is supposed to be soundtracking "People On Sunday" which is a silent film from the 30's. I'm not sure if this approach left me a bit lukewarm about the album. It's still good but I got nowhere near the same enjoyment I got from the previous two.

https://i.imgur.com/8MDaRxa.jpg
#54: Ichiko Aoba - Windswept Adan - 249 points - 8 votes

Ichiko Aoba: C/D?
https://ichikoaoba.bandcamp.com/album/windswept-adan

“While remaining delicate throughout. Windswept Adan is a landscape, an aquatic world to be lost within, and one from which you’ll scarcely want to emerge.”
https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-ichiko-aoba-windswept-adan/

another very interesting slate of releases, i've heard much fewer of these.

"Til A Mermaid Drags You Under" is fantastic

some outstanding production here yeah, like i say not my thing melodically but it is certainly a bath of echoes

oh now speaking of echoey oceanic pablum

the only real bummer for me with the Domenique Dumont album was the inclusion of a five-year-old track that was previously released (Le château de corail)

I'm not opposed to echoey oceanic pablum--though I found the Lattimore dull--but it does feel like I have a lot of it to catch up on post-poll

Mary Lattimore is an interesting one for me because her 2018 album was very important to me but in the context of listening to it on repeat in the course of processing the death of a close family member.

I listened to her 2020 album about three times, but it always felt like I was placing myself back in 2018, in slightly unpleasant ways - obviously, an issue with me not the record. I like to think I’ll be able to return to it at some point and form an independent relationship with this album.

For current purposes, I resolved the impasse by listening to Nailah Hunter instead.

Yessss Mary Lattimore, harpist to the (indie) stars. Truly one of my faves of the year, and my favorite record from her.

I've tried multiple times with Lattimore, but it always feels a bit too noodley for my taste

the only real bummer for me with the Domenique Dumont album was the inclusion of a five-year-old track that was previously released (Le château de corail)

― real muthaphuckkin jeez (crüt), Tuesday, February 2, 2021 11:53 AM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I mean, the intention was to score a film. Not exactly a regular new LP.

no noodles for moodles

lol

I'm very picky about my noodles

I want to be able to hear the Mary Lattimore record the way you guys do but it's just nice sounds to me, maybe it needs either many repeats or one-shot closely focused listening?