Turn your lockdown into a hoedown with these barnstorming records full of positivity and joyfulness
Lockdown is a bummer, isn't it? It's necessary and those flouting the rules are idiots, but it's still not a great time for the old mind palace. And as the skies grow greyer, the nights grow longer and the air grows colder, it's hard to keep those posi vibes going as you contemplate baking another batch of banana bread. Luckily, music is here to help you. 2020 might have been a kingsize shitshow for the most-part, but bands have still been releasing records, some of which are packed to the brim with fist-pumping good-times and unashamed glee.
Here are just ten of the year's albums that we recommend if you're in the need for a little pick-me-up during Lockdown 2: Electric Boogaloo.
We said: "This is wicked. It’s banter. It’s everything you want from music that categorically doesn’t ‘do’ sad. It’s just AC/DC being fucking brilliant. As they sang themselves on Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution, ‘Rock’n’roll ain’t gonna die.’ In the darkest of times, that’s important to know, and even better to hear. Let the good times roll."
We said: "In no hurry to reveal its bounty of secrets, A Celebration Of Endings unfurls like a lotus flower. On a first date, Space is a ballad of such purity that it dislocates the jaw. Cop Syrup kicks off like an explosion in a shouting factory only to pivot into an extended night-and-day instrumental movement that flows and swells into this year’s most beautiful piece of music. But this is a collection that rewards investment, and will likely do so for seasons to come."
Read the full Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings review.
We said: "It wouldn’t work if it wasn’t so natural and real. But it is, and that’s why The Chats are such a laugh, and why their have-a-good-time-all-the-time vibe doesn’t seem like they’re protesting too much to cover inadequacy."
We said: "This is an album to celebrate. There’s life in the old dog yet, and what’s more he’s learned some new tricks, which can only be applauded at this point. Ordinary Man might end up being the full-stop on an extraordinary career. Let’s hope that’s not the case, but if it is, Ozzy is going out with as much fire and passion as he started with 50 years ago."
We said: "From its furious themes to the explosive energy and the livewire sound, you’d be hard pressed to find a band doing anything quite like this right now, and it’s genuinely exciting to think what Nova Twins can achieve with these 10 tracks of pure sonic power in their hands."
We said: "It celebrates everything great about pop-punk without feeling cookie-cutter or third division. It also finds its energy from the knots Kells works through in the lyrics. Most of all, when it’s all fired off as one thing, it doesn’t crash and burn – it bounces off the walls like a rubber ball fired from a cannon. And it feels great when you get hit by it."
Read the full Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall review.
We said: "Admirably aiming high when so many seem content to play it safe and follow the footsteps of their peers, this a wonderful rollercoaster of a record that puts Creeper way out on their own. It wears its palpable love of music and art with a glossy pride and it deserves an audience that’ll cherish and unpack its layers for a long time to come."
Read the full Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void review.
We said: "Written prior to the outbreak, the Chicago pop-punks’ third LP bursts with positivity and an infectious energy, the kind of pick-me-up we could all do with right now. According to vocalist/guitarist Nick Casasanto, Knuckle Puck went into this album “wanting to give people a reason to feel good,” and on that criteria alone they’ve undoubtedly delivered."
We said: "It’s expertly done punk-metal for the caveman bit of your brain. It’s the record you wish Beavis And Butt-Head were still around to hear. Relentless, heart-racing and exhilarating, this is an album that simply rages with burning, cartoonishly evil excitement that’s a dark joy to behold. When Midnight strike, they strike harder than Satan himself."
We said: "The overwhelming feeling you’re left with after hearing the likes of Clumsy, Favorite Place (featuring The Band CAMINO) and Wake Up, Sunshine’s title-track is that All Time Low are on the form of their career here. Not only that, but it’s a feeling that doesn’t wear off, and such is the enthusiasm contained within, this is an album that will bring joy to its listeners time and time again."
