01) Caspian, On Circles (Triple Crown)

This year, more so than any other year, I sought out music that allowed me to just take a minute, music that allowed me to turn my commute to and from work into a moment of solace. While there was a lot of good music this year, there were also times where I just couldn’t get into anything new because I was too wrapped up in my own head. At those times, I turned to Caspian’s On Circles for comfort, and the catharsis it provided is why I’ve selected it as my top album of 2020. Every strand of sound on this album sounds like it was put perfectly in place, offering up atmospheric passages that cascade across my mind’s eye like the night sky as exemplified on “Wildblood.” Other songs bloom with rich color like “Flowers of Light.” The only two songs to feature vocals (“Nostalgist” and “Circles on Circles”) come in at the exact right time. The latter track makes for an especially fitting and gentle closer for this fantastic album.

Key Track: “Flowers of Light”

Honorable Mentions:

My Dying Bride, The Ghost of Orion

Thou & Emma Ruth Rundle, May Our Chambers Be Full

Run The Jewels, RTJ4

Escoctrilihum, Eternity of Shaog