Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass, Volume. 2: The Cowboy Arms Sessions

Country-rock favorite Sturgill Simpson drops his second surprise album of the year, another set of bluegrass covers featuring a band being referred to as the Hillbilly Avengers. The final song was unreleased until today, and co-written with Merle Haggard, who Simpson befriended in the final years of his life. The remainder is largely taken from 2016’s A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, in addition to a song from his old band, Sunday Valley. As with Volume 1, it’s an incredible set of performances from an incredibly talented band backing an incredibly skilled songwriter.

The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You

Australian electronic duo The Avalanches return with their third album, We Will Always Love You. The band, which reunited 16 years after their debut for 2016’s acclaimed Wildflower, keeps their music rooted in sampling, but has become increasingly dependent on adding their own instrumentation and using guest vocalists. Regardless of process, We Will Always Love You finds The Avalanches continuing to create hook-filled dance music, packed to the brim with creativity, color and ideas. Featuring collaborations with MGMT, Blood Orange, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Leon Bridges, Johnny Marr, Karen O, Kurt Vile and more, the result attests to the band’s legacy as well their growth.

M. Ward – Think of Spring

Veteran songwriter and guitar virtuoso M. Ward recorded a collection of Billie Holiday covers, treating the classic songs with the utmost respect while still adding his own spin to them, the performances featuring warm, acoustic takes that often incorporate nontraditional tunings. The simplicity of the recordings balance the singer’s soothing voice and distinctive guitar style while keeping the focus on Holiday’s timeless lyrics. Relaxing and stripped down, Think of Spring is another worthy addition to M. Ward’s constantly growing catalog of music, and comes off as much more than simply a set of cover songs. 

Chris Cornell – No One Sings Like You Anymore

A posthumous release surprised fans of the late Soundgarden singer today. Cornell’s estate officially released No One Sings Like You Anymore, a compilation of covers recorded by the singer in 2016, including songs by John Lennon, Prince, Harry Nilsson, Guns ‘n Roses and more. However eclectic the set of songs may seem, they showcase the singer’s one-of-a-kind vocal abilities, and was recorded in full by Cornell with the intention to eventually release it, making the album a truly special offering for fans.

James Blake – Covers

Beloved electronic songwriter James Blake recently won fans over with a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed,” and has since taken to Instagram to respond to requests for other covers. Finding the process therapeutic while quarantining at his home, Blake has officially released an EP titled Covers, featuring a wide array of songs, only some of which were previously performed online. 

Cory Henry – Christmas With You

Pianist, songwriter, bandleader and previous Snarky Puppy member Cory Henry releases his first holiday album, Christmas With You, featuring gospel-inspired renditions of traditional holiday classics. Following October’s wonderfully funky Something To Say, Christmas With You features a number of collaborators including Jay White, Lenny Smith, Carlin White, and Anaysha Figueroa-Cooper, all of whom help Henry drive home the gospel, church-centered performances. 

Osees – Panther Rotate

Thee Oh Sees released two albums in September (though under the name Oh Sees), and now return with a third of the year under the moniker Osees. Panther Rotate is a remix album, featuring band leader John Dwyer recreating the tracks from September’s Protean Threat, and contains “remixes, field recordings, and sonic experiments.” An interesting and unprecedented move for the prolific psych-rock band, fans will enjoy the sheer creativity of the project.

Taylor Swift – evermore

Following the surprise release of Swift’s folk-themed folklore, the pop star follows with a surprise companion album, evermore, released Friday night on the songwriter’s 31st birthday. The album again features The National’s Aaron Dessner, Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, but also features the remaining members of The National and HAIM. According to Swift, she “couldn’t stop writing songs,” so she travelled “further in the forest of this music,” leading to the 15-song release. 

Belle & Sebastian – What To Look For In Summer

Scottish indie-rock veterans Belle & Sebastian release a live album, What To Look For In Summer, featuring performances from their 2019 tour. The double-album’s tracklist is heavy on fan favorites from the band’s earlier albums, but still spans their prolific and ever-shifting 25 year career.

Guided By Voices – Styles We Paid For

Perhaps the most prolific band in the history of indie-rock, Guided By Voices aren’t letting a global pandemic slow them down in 2020. Styles We Paid For follows February’s Surrender Your Poppy Field, and marks the band’s 32nd album. Recorded by members collaborating from their respective homes in quarantine, the 15-song album doesn’t stray far from GBV’s well-established loose rock sound, but why should it? 

Kacy & Clayton and Marlan Williams – Plastic Bouquet

Canadian folk-duo Kacy & Clayton team up with New Zealand songwriter Marlan Williams for Plastic Bouquet. The collaboration occurred shortly after Williams heard the pair’s “Springtime of the Year” on the radio. Featuring the group’s distinct-yet-classic country and folk-rock sound, Plastic Bouquet adds a touch of psychedelic tones, soulful influences and 50’s rock ‘n roll, creating a sound both unique and timeless. 

Peter Bjorn & John – Endless Play EP

Infectious indie-pop trio Peter Bjorn & John are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a new, three-song EP titled Endless Play. In a truly communal act, each band member contributed a song to the release, with the resulting music remaining rooted in the band’s well-established playful, melodic indie sound. 

The Mountain Goats – The Jordan Lake Sessions

Indie-folk act The Mountain Goats remain as prolific as ever with this year’s release of Getting Into Knives, followed by live compilation The Jordan Lake Sessions. Recorded live in August, the 36-song set explores the band’s massive and ever-changing discography and features songs from their recent albums as well as older fan favorites. Capturing the power and intensity of their acclaimed live shows, The Jordan Lake Sessions should be enough to hold fans over until live shows return again.

Neil Young – After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary Edition)

Iconic songwriter Neil Young has remained busy during 2020, releasing “lost” 70s album Homegrown, live album and concert film Return to Greendale, iPad-recorded EP The Times and sprawling boxset The Archives Vol. II: 1972-1976. On top of it all, Young is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of After The Gold Rush, widely regarded as one of the singer’s best works, with a new edition that features an alternative version of “Wonderin’.” 

Ryan Adams – Wednesdays

This is a tough one. Following extremely serious allegations outlining patterns of sexual misconduct in February of 2019, prolific songwriter Ryan Adams spent a year putting questionable messages on social media and generally refusing to apologize for his actions, which were substantiated by multiple women, until July of this year, at which point he announced newfound sobriety and issued a public apology. (Of note: no personal apologies to the women affected had been offered at that point.) Anyways, he’s released a new album.