Staff Picks 2020: Dillon Schwartz

By Dillon Schwartz, Contributor

I tried to keep this limited to the albums I reviewed with the Family this year, as there was a ton of excellent music released in spite of this probably being the worst year in living memory for almost all involved. In no particular order these are my tops for the year. 

It’s almost impossible for me to compare any of these albums, mainly because they feel so different and the reasons I keep returning to them are just as varied. Teenage Halloween hit a fucking home-run on their Don Giovanni debut, and just about every single track on here is an absolute blast. Bartees Strange, who we got serendipitously introduced to way back in the long-ago time of June has earned his spot as possibly one of indie-rock’s biggest breakout stars of the year. What I’ll say about Live Forever is just go listen to it if you haven’t already, all the hype is true, it’s truly that good.

Have a Good Season’s Shapes I’ve Never Seen is like the candy from their single “Lemon Drop” sweet, but also provides a wonderfully cozy and math-y emo-rock album that I just come back to over and over again. 

Though these are very different albums, they all share a kind of warm brilliance that you only really find when an artist’s singular creative vision just screams through. Each of these albums is not only brilliant, but also feels as though it could only come from these artists, for that I can only say, thank you, and please, can we have some more?