“Christmas songs shouldn’t only be this performative optimism. They should contain a grain of melancholy. Especially in 2020, it’s tone deaf to say, ‘Oh Christmas is all going to be ‘happy happy’. I try to live in the real world” - Chilly Gonzales told The Independent about his "sad" holiday album 'A Very Chilly Christmas'. There are others from the indie-rock world that felt the urge to add some sadness to Christmas - Mark Lanegan, Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Calexico...

A ripping metal song sung by a Louisiana alligator, Bernie Sanders impersonator rapping about Vermont, an ode to the mythical "Florida Man" - make up, among 500 other songs, 'Our 500 States Project', a sort-of finish of Sufjan Stevens' 50 states project. It was helmed by Joey Clift, a 36-year-old comedian and television writer, who, in the midst od lockdown in the US, rounded-up 200 contributors. These creatives made an album for each of the 50 states, including new ones for Michigan and Illinois, plus one for the U.S. territories and one for the moon - “there’s a flag up there, so I figured I gotta do it” Clift told Pitchfork. The whole project is on Soundcloud.

Pitchfork says the new Fleet Foxes album 'Shore' is "staring into a darkness and responding with beauty, acceptance, and light", gives it its Best new music tag. Stereogum calls it "the oldest and wisest Fleet Foxes album". MusicOMH says it is "a glorious, life-affirming collection of songs". Similar in the atmosphere, and critics' reaction, is Sufjan Stevens' new album 'Ascension': Independent found "whole galaxies of nuance in a universal context", The Quietus says Stevens is "unflinchingly honest in its assessment of the United States as well as a very personal and raw portrait of Steven’s own humanity and fallibility". "Stevens' music delivers the jolt of encountering this life force in its raw, factory-unprocessed form and realizing there is not all that much difference between its seemingly competing varieties" - NPR.

Sufjan Stevens says 'Sugar' is "about the desire for goodness and purity", and the hypnotics quality of the song makes a case for it; Amanda Ong is a singer-songwriter on the rise, her beautiful voice promises a lot - 'Leave Me Alone'; it's hardly a new song, but Brandi Carlile's version on 'Mad World' sang from the bottom of her lungs ads a new dimension to it; Slowthai's 'Feel Away' is, well, different - it's gentle and mellow, with a video of James Blake singing from rapper's uterus!; Death Valley Girls sing for love and joy on 'Under the Spell of Joy'; Small Bills is a new project, made of rapper Elucid and producer the Lasso, their first single 'Safehouse' goes from afro-beat to funk, from discomfort and uncertainty.

'Expected to Fly' by Eddy Lee Rider is a big-rock song about losing a friend; Illuminati Hotties' awesome titled 'Will I Get Canceled If I Write a Song Called, 'If You Were a Man You'd Be So Cancelled' is a minute-and-something noise-rock and punk attitude blast; Michael Kiwanuka's dance song? - yes, when remixed by Bonobo; Mexico City's Mint Field go shoegaze psychedelia on 'Contingencia'; an average Kid Cudi and an awesome Eminem on their collaboration 'The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady'; it's more of the old stuff, but it's still great celebratory & happy Sufjan Stevens in 'My Rajneesh'; Kaytranada doesn't go wrong with his dance-pop - 'Look Easy'; Calabashed is a sort-of jazz-supergroup delivering smooth soul-jazz in 'Ode To Jazzman John Clarke'; Bettye LaVette remade songs by mighty women, one of these is timeless and powerful 'One More Song'; Avenue Beat don't appreciate this year particularly, but 'F2020' is huge on TikTok; Pallbearer go trad-doom on 'Forgotten Days'; 'Midnight Watch' by Burt Bacharach and Daniel Tashian is, well, just lovely; Greg Puciato formerly of Dilling Escape Plan is back with post-hardcore sludge combo - 'Do You Need Me To Remind You'.

Deradoorian's 'Monk’s Robes' is just a beautiful and just slightly strange song by the singer-songwriter; 'No-One' is a psychedelic stadium-rock song by the everlasting Psychedelic Furs; Deerhoof demonstrate chaos control on 'Farewell Symphony', with a good video; Sex Swing share their new psychedelic noise track 'Skimmington Ride'; Moore Jewelry demonstrate noise-industrial rap on 'Look Alive'; Skullcrusher's 'Places/Plans' is a delicate piano and guitar ballad; the beautifully named Angelo De Augustine shared a new single, 'Santa Barbara' which he worked on with the beautifully voiced Sufjan Stevens; Chelsea Wolfe and members of Dillinger Escape Plan covered Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train' - it's different, and it's great, especially with her voice; 'Halogen Eye' by the O'Brother is a big alt-rock song designed for stadiums