Dan#2's Top Ten Albums of 2020

This year has been a bit of a slug fest for myself with lockdown taking a huge impact on concentration levels and motivation, which might explain my lack for creative output in terms of these reviews for CPRW but I couldn't leave 2020 without giving credit to a few of my favourite releases from this year. These records, at times, have provided inspiration to get up off my ass or the emotional support that I needed to keep myself together… So on that positive introduction let’s get into it!

10. Attention Economy by Launch Control

This was the best political punk rock release this year for me hands down. Launch Control continue to paint a perfect picture of our political discourse. The whole EP strikes a haunting tone, talking about the consumerist society which we have become who are quick to pick up narratives or a product without questioning why we’re being sold, who suffers as a result and the long term conditions it creates. It is suggested these things are not done by accident but by corporations and frankly evil political figures for their benefits. In each of the songs we go into detail into some of those created conditions or into ways we have been monetized. These themes crafted carefully with hand stitched detail is exactly why I love Lee's lyrics. The production also creates a fresh feeling punk rock record that almost feels like an electric dream which fits the haunting atmosphere. Each song is a tightly packed package with riffs and drum fills galore that never overstay their welcome. The most interesting song for me is "Marketing For Martyrs" which is the first longer song from the band and really demands attention with some of the best lyrics from this year. The only reason this EP is not higher on the list is I might be super bias towards them as they are my friends but more importantly their refusal to release a full length always feels to me like they hold back showing their full potential.

9. This Land Is Your Landfill by The Homeless Gospel Choir

In February I managed to see Derek Homeless Gospel Choir playing a tiny club in London after seeing him with Anti-Flag the previous night. I was blown away by the pure honesty in his set, it made everything special and on this night he played a few of the best songs I had ever heard. Those songs then ended up on this record. It's political, personal and the most honest thing you will hear this year. "Don't Compare" is the best reminder to be yourself and to stop measuring yourself against social media and "Young And In Love" might be the song that every young person needs to hear. I can't wait to support them coming over to the UK as a full band because this record really felt like a ray of happiness this year.

8. Dream Nails by Dream Nails

For the past 2 years every time dipped my toe into listening to a Dream Nails song, I thought ‘I need to really get my teeth into this band’ but never progressed further than a quick listen! But this year I'm glad to report I took the plunge and bought their self-titled record! I'm super stoked and shocked about how blown away I was by it! As a band they have defined an unique sound which is hard hitting without being overpowering with an abundance of amazing hooks, fun subject matters and hard hitting truth that you won't be able to stop listening to. "Text Me Back" and "Corporate Realness" being my personal favorites, I honestly can't wait to see these guys live and I will be looking to book them for show in Reading the first chance I get!

7. Dancing With The Curse by Get Dead

When "Pepperspray" dropped with its video I thought it was the perfect song released at the perfect time with everything happening in America but it also kept us in the dark to what this Get Dead record was going to sound like! So when it turned out to be a punk rock record with lighting fast rap vocals in a few songs I was sold. This might be some of the most interesting songwriting of this year, that you can really get your teeth into and keeps you guessing with lighter acoustic songs like "Glitch", slow swanky punk songs like "Disruption" or full rapid pace punk in "Fire Sale". With all of them sounding tight, this gives the band a really wide but solid sound that sets them apart from the other Fat Wreck bands.

6. The Ride by Bad Cop/Bad Cop

The three-part harmony machine that is Bad Cop/Bad Cop hit the ground running with their third LP The Ride which strikes a perfect balance between the sounds of the last two albums by being a punk rock as all hell while still retaining their unique style. It contains the best harmonies across the board this year, with some themes not normally covered in the genre. For example, songs like "Breast Less" talk about Stacy fighting breast cancer and maybe losing part of her identity after having to have part of her chest removed. While songs like "Pursuit Of Liberty" discuss the disgusting way refugees are treated now vs how they were treated in the past. Getting to see some of these songs live was the icing on the cake in February and just made me more hyped for when we finally got them. This record solidifies BC/BC as one of the biggest bands for me in punk rock.

5. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Do I really need to talk about why this is going to be on almost every pop punk fan’s top 10? This perfect follow up from Spanish Love Songs is a hard hitting real deep dive into mental and social issues that leave you feeling full despair with a little bit of hope. The stand out song for me being "Optimism (As a Radical Life Choice)" which talks about catastrophizing over everything going wrong in the world and it preventing you from functioning as a normal human being – just describing that gives me shivers. Super stoked that they lived up to the hype when I saw them live. This record is every bit as perfect as everyone is making out it out to be!

4. Death In Venice Beach by The Bombpops

This one kicks so much ass. It has been the soundtrack every time I put my foot down in my little Clio but it might as well be a super car with The Bombpops blasting through the speakers. Every track is a simple hard hitting punk rock song that is catchy, upbeat and rad as they come! My personal favorites have been "Blood Pact" and "13 Stories Down", the latter being one of the best songs this year – about addiction with a pop hook. I think this record deserves a lot more attention than it got and I can't wait to hear these songs live.

3. Placement by Watsky 

Another year, another Watsky record breaking up my all punk list by being the only rap album on it! When he announced that Complaint was one of three connected records I got immediately excited by the idea of this project. Placement delivers a fantastic follow up to its predecessor, adding further context to it and adding speculation to what's coming next to fill in the gaps. I think "Dreams And Boxes" might be the best core of a record that I have heard with its seamless sticking two songs together with a spoken work piece in the middle resulting in 8 minutes of pure perfection. The emotional cuts dealt by the lyrics have only grown on me as the year progressed, songs like "Savage" and "Black Hole Eyes" really connect with me now on a personal level that I can see bleeding into all my playlist from years to come. Those strong feeling are only toppled by the next two bands on this list.

2. Triceratops / Stegosaurus by Me Rex

When I grow up I want to be Me Rex. Their songs are perfect dissections of emotional issues and events that manage to touch my soul. Normally emotional slow indie pop punk isn't my thing but every single thing they write is nothing less than perfect, bringing me to tears of joy. I have bundled both of these EPs together as they are both equally deserving of attention, one being their first release as a full band with none of their energy or emotion being lost in the bigger sound. They are going to be one of the UK's best bands in the near future and I'm sad I didn't get to see them at MPF this year but I'm going to see them at the first opportunity, even if I have to drive a few hours for it. They are worth it, go and listen to them.

1. Show Me The Blueprints. by Days N Daze

I had only ever heard good things about Days N Daze but it took their record to be released on Fat Wreck for me to pick it up and, honest to god, it is perfect! Infectiously catchy, lighting fast, amazing lyrics, the whole thing fits around its theme and sounds like a complete package. Its song form depiction and framing of addiction, anxiety and depression is some of the best music I have heard. "Show Me The Blueprints." is so well written with its tempo changes and heavy sections. Most importantly this record feels real and authentic, I couldn't help but connect with it. So peace out, farewell to Days N Daze, thanks for the record, I'll catch ya down the line!

This top ten was written by Dan #2.

Top Tens: Dan#2's Top Ten Releases Of 2019

10. III by Masked Intruder
If you don't know Masked Intruder, they take the idea of making fun of how creepy most love songs are to the extreme: they are stalking you and are known criminals singing you sweet love songs about breaking into your house! This album is a continuation of the style of rock-and-roll-super-poppy-punk their last EP put them on the path towards. I love the guitar licks and singing these hooks on this record to myself (not too loudly though – the other people on the train wouldn't get the joke!)

9. Operation Exodus by Adrenalized
In the summer at a Hit The Switch show in London, I was chatting to another person enjoying the show who recommended this album by Adrenalized as the best skate punk record to come out so far this year. I took his recommendation and he was damn right about this record being a delight to listen to. It contains so many face melting riffs that leave your jaw well and truly dropped, and it's impossible not to be blown away by the last 50 seconds of "Decide". All this is topped by tight-knit production that brings out every little lick. Put simply, this record is awesome.

8. Flash Gordon Ramsay Street by The Decline
This is another banging skate punk record! I went into this one with the same expectation as I did for Adrenalized, what I got was a little more personal – it's full of takes on certain mental health topics with a touch of humour to keep it from getting too miserable. It's still full of great skate punk riffs but the songs’ lyrics connect deep: "Get Hyrule, Save Zelda" alludes to bad depression spells – skipping out of work to just escape into video games. The record is full of really deep takes like this. I'm a massive Decline fan after this record and can't wait to see them when they're next in the UK!

7. Interrobang by Bayside
So many people sleep on Bayside, they dwell in the emo scene but have a habit of writing some of the best minor chord punk rock songs. Interrobang is another perfectly produced record dripping in misery. The heavy guitar and beautiful vocals are a combo that my ears just can't get enough of.

6. Complaint by Watsky
The only rap record to make my list this year. Everything this guy makes I love and when he announced a 9 track album, I was a little disappointed that it would be too short for me to get my full Watsky fix. However, I'm glad to report that everything on this record hits hard and feels deeply personal. "Welcome To The Family" makes me cry on every late night train ride; "Mean Ass Drunk" is a party piece I love rapping along to; and "Limo 4 Emos" reminds me of friends helping me out of bad head spaces. The lyrics are poetry as usual and he has really improved his singing voice while trying new styles of songs with different production, which leaves the whole thing sounding fresh and which stands out from his last release. I can't wait for the next Watsky record, 'cause every single one seems to make my top 10 lists.

5. Morbid Stuff by PUP
Morbid Stuff is a perfect follow up to a record that I already thought was perfect! It expands PUP's sound wonderfully, adding more chorus-y pop-punk to their set list. My personal favourites are: "See You At Your Funeral" the lyrics for this made me burst out laughing on my commute to work (rhyming "produce section" with "healthy selection" is silly but inspired); "Scorpion Hill" blends a clean country hook with a punk rock song, broaching a beautifully depressing subject; "Sibling Rivalry", with one of those super shouty choruses, hit close to home when I think how I fight with my brother; and finally, "Full Blown Meltdown" is the angry jam that I needed to get me through my year. To reiterate: this record is perfect. Each song feels different, but still contains the PUP sound. Like their previous record, this one is a tough act to follow – but I bet they will.

4. Glow by Triple Sundae
Although I may have heard all these songs live before hearing this EP, it still hit me harder emotionally than anything else on this list. Triple Sundae have a way of writing really meaningful, personal lyrics, plus their songs are catchy while standing out from the other stuff I have heard this year. The melodies are so good. "Swisher" and "Safe" still sometimes make me have a cry and I always shout the bridge to "Everything's Cool" when it comes on in the car. It's great watching people I know making amazing music, and I will repeat what I have already said to them: "Please keep making more music!"

3. Never Better by Burnt Tapes
Speaking of watching friends’ bands flourish, when the first single "Yuzi" was released I knew we were in for something special from Burnt Tapes. The production was perfect and the song had dropped right after the end of a long term relationship, so the lyrics really hit me at the right time. When the full record rolled around, there were so many stand out tracks that weren't singles. To me, its amazing blend of punk-pop instrumentation with rough-round-the-edges punk rock vocals hits all the sweet spots – creating the ultimate sing-along regret punk! This record has made many people's end-of-year lists for all the right reasons. If you haven't yet, go pick it up!

2. Passenger by Fabled Mind
This is exactly how I like my punk rock: fast, political and unpredictable. My first listen to Passenger by Fabled Mind turned into multiple back-to-back listens, as I played it through front to back, then again, then again, I honestly love to listen to this record on loop, the vibe it gives off reminds me of early Rise Against. The writing is great: every song is single-worthy and I also love how the vocals perfectly match with the riffs. Also, this is some of the best drumming I've heard this year – not a drum beat out of place. I can't wait to see what these boys do next if this is only their first record. It left me craving more!

1. Maximum Effort by Just Say Nay
So I stuck this on on the day it came out, on the way to the dentist. Then on the way back. Then I found myself then going to Just Say Nay’s album launch show the same day. I had started the day having no intention of going to a gig. That's how much draw these songs have to me: I just had to see them played live, especially "Kuromouri" which is a ska Decline-esque (the NOFX track, not the band that also made this list!) song clocking in over 8 minutes. To me, it's the best song to come out this year. I love everything about this record: the song structures are clever, the riffs are banging, the basslines are killer, the harmonies are awesome and the lyrics are theatrical but still connect deeply. There isn't a boring moment on the record. When I listen to Maximum Effort, I want to see it all played live again. I will definitely be seeing Just Say Nay at every opportunity!

This top ten was written by Dan Kilvert of Tape It Shut.