Despite most of the world coming to a halt in 2020, the music industry hasn’t exactly shut down. It has simply, as the kids say, pivoted. Rather than touring, musicians have used their time release an abundance on new material and left it in our inbox.
Through thorough research and the often uncomfortable use of democracy, The East’s staff have meticulously sorted through each song sent our way until we arrived at our list of The Best Music of 2020 (So Far). Please enjoy responsibly.
Lawrence Maxwell – We Were the Water
Kicking off this list is Lawrence Maxwell’s “We Were the Water” and whether you want to call this country or folk-rock, it is definitely a psychedlic journey of self-discovery through outer space.
HÄG – Summon the Earth to Lay Claim Back the Soil
Fans of Mastodon, Clutch, Coheed and Cambria, Black Sabbath and Rush might find themselves enjoying this female-fronted doom metal band from Newfoundland and their track about humankind’s unfortunate habit of laying waste to anything we can get our hands on.
Sound Drown – Your Princess is in Another Castle
In a super-charged, Super-Mario-meets-pop-punk power track, Sound Drown are showing their nerdy side while letting us know they won’t be playing our silly love games.
Jenn Grant – Happy Birthday, Baby
Touching on the intense moments leading up to and after childbirth, Jenn Grant’s “Happy Birthday, Baby” encompasses the pure and undying love a parent feels for their new child. Filled with raw emotion, the track is like a lyrical version of Robert Munsch’s book Love You Forever.
Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom – Never Work
As their subsidiary project to The Burning Hell, band members Ariel Sharratt and Mathias Kom have debuted with their single “Never Work.” The song captures the spirit of an innocent age that blindly expects to maintain debt-free bliss while summing up what happened to all of their 2020 tour plans.
Partner – Good Place to Hide (At the Time)
Combining Plato’s Allegory of the Cave with the soaring rock-‘n’-roll sounds of Rush and perhaps even a potential Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Partner’s “Good Place to Hide – At the Time” is all about hiding and hidden truths.
David Myles – Leave Tonight
As the titled track off his latest, love song-filled album, David Myles’ “Leave Tonight” is a soft and sweet serenade straight from the heart.
Little Cities – Can I Come Over
A song about being young and in love with your best friend, Little Cities’ “Can I Come Over” is an energized pop-punk track that epitomizes the highly charged emotions involved in young love.
Melonvine – Confessions
Covering the feeling of having someone in your life who brings you all the happiness you could need, Melonvine’s “Confessions” serves up confessions of the best type: love. Carrying a fast-paced rock-‘n’-roll sound that could have been recorded during the 90s, the track carries a certain uplifting nostalgia.
Izra Fitch – The Hollywood Kids
Izra Fitch reminisces on her youth in the sentimental and highly nostalgic “The Hollywood Kids.” Sometimes the pull of our memories and emotions from our teenage years is so strong we would do anything to go back and relive it.