Best Albums Of 2020
We have reached our final year-end list, Best Albums of 2020.
While looking back on 2020 to create this list, it’s hard to not reflect on the fact that we spent the better part of the year living through a pandemic. Pause on that for a second… A real life Global Pandemic! I think we’ve been in this so long now that it’s tough to realize its significance. We watched Canadian musicians forced to adapt on the fly. Tours cancelled. Festivals cancelled. Albums released with no album cycles. How?
I chalk up successful releases this year to you… you out there paying attention. Supporting your local music scenes. Spending money on Bandcamp Fridays. Tuning into livestream concerts. Spreading word among your peers. You are the true hero’s of Canada’s community. For that, we thank you.
While this year was hard on everyone, the Cups N Cakes Network was an outlier. Our little Canadian music publication grew in leaps and bounds. We essentially doubled our output this year and for the first time in our history, we are starting to feel like we might be becoming something real… By that I mean, a trusted source for new Canadian music.
Our team grew substantially and because of this, our year-end lists have never been more dynamic. Everyone on the team gets a say and everyone contributed to make our year-end coverage possible. If you missed any of our Best of 2020 lists, take some to check out our:
- Releases that “Slipped Through The Cracks”
- Best EPs (*Or Mini Albums) Of 2020
- Best Tracks Of 2020 Part One & Part Two
- Best Albums Of 2020 - Honourable Mention
Since this final list is our true “wrap-up” of 2020, I feel a need to mention our successes at the Cups N Cakes Network. In 2020, our team of incredible volunteers nearly doubled in size and between them, they published nearly 200 “Pick Of The Week” album reviews and over 200 short-form “Quick Pick” reviews. We did over 100 premieres, highlighted over 50 music videos, conducted multiple interviews, and even churned out some special articles. Tally it all up and the Cups N Cakes Network helped well over 500 independent Canadian artists with some type of coverage.
We are pretty darn proud of that and we are darn proud of the year-end coverage that is culminating right now with our “Best Albums of 2020.”
Enjoy!
#25 - Black Thunder
La Fine Creata // Transistor 66
Black Thunder have slowly trudged their way to becoming one of the Canadian prairies’ most beloved bands. If you’ve ever seen them take the stage you’ll know why. Their intricate masterpieces come together for an extremely impressive performance. Made up of tracks that have featured in their set for several years, La Fine Creata is a total sonic expedition. Like puzzle masters, Black Thunder piece together elaborate rhythms, odd time signatures and maximum riffage as they guide you through psychedelic headbanging euphoria. La Fine Creata satisfies every aspect Black Thunder have become loved for, which makes it an obvious choice for Cups N Cakes best albums of the year list.
- Kennedy Pawluk
#24 - JEEN
JEEN // Independent
JEEN’s self-titled release this year hit hard on the first listen. It was clean, it was unique, and it had layers that I’m still trying to peel back. Fast forward to listen number 375, and it’s still hitting just as hard as it did the first time. It’s been a tough year, but I’ll give you $10.00* if JEEN doesn’t help you get through it.
(*oh, did you think there was a catch? I'm too confident in that statement to need one)
- Carly Weiler
#23 - Bad Buddy
Bad Buddy // Independent
Ever since I moved to Calgary from Edmonton, people often ask me if I miss my old stomping grounds. My answer is always the same; while Calgary is cool, it lacks the grunge and spark that our northern neighbour has. Local punk band Bad Buddy perfectly encompasses the essence of their home city in their self-titled release. Fast, fun, and most importantly funny – Bad Buddy is Edmonton, and Edmonton is cool.
- Carly Weiler
#22 - WAKE
Devouring Ruin // Translation Loss
In late March of 2020, Calgary crushers WAKE put out their third full length album Devouring Ruin, leaving no extreme metal thirst unquenched! Doomy death-metal riffs, blistering blast beats, and ghoulish howls. This album, along with WAKE’s discography, is top shelf metal! The fact that the band put out another killer release later in the year (Confluence, see Best EPs of 2020) shows that there is no end to WAKE’s brutal creativity!
- Justin Olson
#21 - Subterranean Lovers
Subterranean Lovers // Independent
Post-punk and new wave collide splendidly in synth-laced acoustic jams that sway but refuse to dance, sigh but refuse to burst into tears, just keep that perfect bitterness in the back of its throat, singing the primordial caterwaul of the broken hearted punkstress in distress. Subterranean Lovers slinks along the alleyways, lured by the call of duty and danger.
- JD Ormond
#20 - The OBGMs
The Ends // Black Box Music
The OBGMs sophomore record “The Ends” tears out of the gate right from the first track, with a domineering drum kit, driving hand percussion, and a fuzzed out, impassioned vocal. The sonic blitz doesn’t let up much in the reminder of its 10 song and 23 minute runtime. It sounds absolutely enormous, with producer Dave Schiffman (Vampire Weekend, PUP) highlighting the band's boundless energy. The performances and production, coupled with Denz MacFarlane’s ferocious, efficient songwriting, make “The Ends” one of the best records of the year.
- Sean Newton
#19 - Holy Fuck
Deleter // Last Gang
Not trying to be cheeky but holy fuck, Holy Fuck's Deleter was released almost a year ago...like pre-COVID times. HOLY FUCK. I've been listening to this EDM/synth punk album all year, but especially while running fast through the forest with my dogs, pretending I'm being chased by wolves and totally out running them (in my mind).
The progressive evolution of Holy Fuck has been fun to behold, from electronic to synth-punk to house to seedy 90's dance music. Deleter is a mish-mash of these past variations while taking on some new experimental sounds. The album brings you through a bunch of heart pounding emotions. From the tense, bass heavy moments found in “Moment”, to the chiller “Near Mint”, to the neon dancefloor glow of “Free Mint.” Whether you're outrunning wolves or dancing up a sweat to get you through what you need to get through, Holy Fuck's Deleter has got your back.
- Mo Lawrance
#18 - Figure Walking
Vertical/Horizontal // Disintegration Records
From the first notes of the keyboard of Vertical Horizontal I was hooked on the new album by Figure Walking. It’s wide variety of flavours fill my palette with unique tempos, rockabilly grooves, deadly guitar picking, and even deadlier riffs. Lyrical gold like, “I love the wind-I love the smell of late July”, awakens feelings of freedom, and contentment in me. I need nothing. I have it all here... roof over my head, food on my table, my family, and the great music of Figure Walking. Don’t let Vertical Horizontal pass you by, it’s some of the gold that 2020 has brought us.
Love Always,
Green Noreen
#17 - The Garrys
Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Original Score) // Grey Records
Not only is the album Saskatoon band, The Garrys, put out this year a masterpiece, but it is also an original soundtrack to an old witchcraft film. Their surf-rock sound produces eerie tracks that contain chanting, accordion, and trombone. Favourite songs from Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Original Score) include “Apelone’s Dream” and “Maria”, which are full of character and create a haunting atmosphere that seems to be addicting.
- Holly-Anne Gilroy
#16 - Wares
Survival // Mint Records
Edmonton’s Wares had their label debut this year with their sophomore album Survival, and the result is the band’s explosive sound becoming moreso, due in part to the introduction of retro-sounding synthesizers on top of bandleader Cassia Hardy’s already familiar effects pedal work. The result perfectly matches the lyrics’ expressions of the pains (observed and experienced) associated with navigating through capitalist and patriarchal society, ending with the title track’s climactic call to arms.
- Ty Vanden Dool
#15 - Daniel Romano
Spider Bite // You’ve Changed Records
In 2020 Daniel Romano showed that he can produce more great albums in one year than most artists do in their entire careers. Spiderbite, the surprise old-school punk album that Romano made with Constantine’s Steven Lambke, is the fastest, rawest and most unfettered of his ten 2020 releases. Through its break-neck tempos, fevered guitar work, and no-nonsense arrangements it simultaneously reflects the angst and frustration of pandemic life, while providing a satisfying release.
- Devon Dozlaw
#14 - Dana Gavanski
Yesterday Is Gone // Flemish Eye
Dana Gavanski’s piercing lyrics and confident vocals are the touchstone of the album. While influences from the 60s and 70s peak through - most notably The Mamas & the Papas and Ziggy Stardust era Bowie - Yesterday Is Gone is a perfect companion for these trying times. If we have trouble accepting that the times are changing, listening to this album will bring us solace, and some welcome sonic surprises for the time being.
- Greg Torwalt
#13 - Florida BC
Salt Breaker Sand // Medicine Records
Clinton St.John (of The Cape May) and friends bring a dark, brooding, lyrical approach to folk rock noir. Interwoven realities and purposeful questioning draw the listener in, creating an sonic experience both real and powerful.
Recorded in Montreal at Scott Munro's (Preoccupations) Jurassic Park Studios, it sounds great. Full of angst, pain, and beauty, Salt Breaker Sand is one of the most unique and captivating releases of the year.
- Drew Cox
#12 - Jennifer Castle
Monarch Season // Idée Fixe Records
Jennifer Castle's 9-track masterpiece, Monarch Season, is the type of awe-inspiring songwriting that seems to unearth some deeper truth about the universe. Pairing simple, home-based production with gentle melodies and indelible poetry, Castle cements herself as one of Canada's finest songwriters. Though simple, Castle's production is breath-taking, with arguably the most striking element of the entire album being the times when the background becomes the foreground, magically allowing the lapping waves of Lake Erie and the chirping of crickets to peek through.
- Lana Winterhalt
#11 - Cindy Lee
What’s Tonight To Eternity // W.25th, Superior Viaduct
This year, Cindy Lee’s Patrick Flegel outdid themself. What’s Tonight To Eternity is a masterpiece. It’s that long distant memory that tugs at your heart. It’s the warmth of said memory that you can’t quite remember but you can feel. You feel it in some way that’s simply unexplainable. Nostalgia smashes into refreshing musical ideas, proving Flegel must have been the member of Women that created the “je ne sais quoi” found within their two albums that enamoured the music world for three years in the late 2000s. I’ll make the bold statement and say that this album is better than either of those two Women records.
- Jeff MacCallum
#10 - Zoon
Bleached Wavves // Paper Bag
There was one album that I felt was going to definitely make some huge waves in 2020, and Bleached Wavves by Zoon certainly has! It’s already received a lot of attention. Holding strong, and steady on many music charts.
In Ojibway, Zoongidéewin means bravery, courage, and the Bear Spirit. A name that Daniel Monkman picked as his moniker. To me it feels as though the name chose him. I really believe it did.
I found Zoon’s story of what brought him to the creation of these songs to be a very inspiring story in itself. From growing up in Selkirk, Manitoba to overcoming addiction. All of the challenges he overcame, and what awesome music was born out of his experiences. Something positive that was transmuted out of the pain. He hopes his music will heal. Heal it certainly will! Awaken and heal your spirit. Guiding you with beautiful traditional Indigenous drumming in tracks “Was and Always Will Be”, “Brokenhead”, and “Help Me Understand”. The whole album helps me to feel connected to Earth… everything, and everyone. It seems to set me right in my heart, in my mind, and in my spirit.
I hope you give yourself a moment to get swept away with the ebb and flow of Bleached Wavves by Zoon. I do... time and time again!
Get zen with Zoon.
Love Always,
Green Noreen
#9 - Yves Jarvis
Sundry Rock Song Stock // Flemish Eye
It is very rare to get such a good glimpse of how someone is wired as you do on Sundry Rock Song Stock. The album, released on September 25th, 2020 puts the inner workings of Yves Jarvis’ heart and mind on display which lends to understanding and confusion. Thoughts flow like a stream of consciousness and repeated wonderings overlap like time stamps from all the time spent dwelling on the same things a multitude of times. This is characterized beautifully by the way Yves Jarvis layered all the vocals on the album. It’s as if every area of his brain has its own voice that chimes in on melodies with its own unique tone and cadence for a harmonious entanglement of coming to terms with the soul.
To further help you understand how intertwined the album is with Yves Jarvis’ soul, it is important to note his involvement in its creation. As in his full involvement in the playing of every instrument, recording of every sound, the painting of the albums self-portrait artwork, etc. he did it all. Yves Jarvis is quoted saying about their music that it is “not really song-writing,” but more like “a room that you can walk into and then out of.”
Each room can then be thought of as a song which flows into the next one and is housed by the album which contains them and invites you in from the outside. The eclectic gathering of pop, folk, psych and r&b (to name just a few) can be heard in the gentle swooning sounds of Yves Jarvis and if that isn’t inviting enough, then I will invite you myself to listen to Sundry Rock Song Stock.
- Jeshaiah David
#8 - Andy Shauf
The Neon Skyline // Arts & Crafts
Simply put, Andy Shauf’s Neon Skyline is the musical equivalent of the Netflix series we all needed in 2020. Shauf, as identifiable by his unique vocal delivery as by the incredibly rich and realistic characters that populate his songs, has taken his talent for intertwining narratives between tracks to a new level with his latest record. Many artists in the past have dubbed loosely related batches of songs “concept records” but few focus so intently on telling a single story as holistically as Neon Skyline does.
At a time when the modern attention span and algorithms hungry for what’s new and trending favour singles and quarterly EPs over full length releases, Shauf’s choice to make a concept record is a bold one that pays off. Perhaps part of its success in holding the listeners attention from start to finish is due to the way the songs play out episodically, leading the listener from one scene to another through a truly binge-worthy story arc. The series starts with scene setting and character introduction in “Neon Skyline,” the title track named after a dive bar where friends meet to see where the night takes them. There we meet our protagonist, an awkward bachelor who we realize before long is harbouring a flame for an expat ex-girlfriend, Judy. The natural next question of what happened between these two characters is slowly revealed over the next ten tracks through philosophical encounters with acquaintances at the bar, inside jokes, drinking and dancing, fire, and a side of our protagonist we aren’t privy to when we set out (no spoilers here).
Besides the herculean task of writing songs that stand alone while also melding seamlessly into one another, Neon Skyline is made even more impressive by Shauf’s ability to wed the story arc to melodic and musical choices that mirror the nuanced and awkward drama unfolding. In the end, the Saskatchewan born songwriter’s offering plays out like the best Netflix series you’ve seen this year (sorry Queen’s Gambit) and one of the best Canadian concept records of the past decade.
- Mark Coughlan
#7 - Crack Cloud
PAIN OLYMPICS // Meat Machine
PAIN OLYMPICS by Crack Cloud shows us the raw strength of music in numbers. The debut album from this unique Vancouver-based multimedia collective somehow exceeds and defies all expectations, because no expectations could possibly prepare you for its wildly visionary scope and genre-busting explosiveness. The group tours as a seven-piece, but maintains an open-door policy when it comes to their recordings, allowing a host of multi-disciplinary artists and characters of all kinds to filter through the studio, lending their talent and wisdom to its pulsing heart.
But despite this apparent chaos and the collaborative whirlwind that is the Crack Cloud creative engine, the final recordings themselves are razor-focused and tasteful. The arresting opener, “Post Truth (Birth of a Nation)” sets the bar absurdly high by combining bleating post-punk guitar and rumbling marching band drums with stunning choral and orchestral flourishes, almost as though someone were expertly crossfading between Nine Inch Nails, Insane Clown Posse, and old Disney cartoons. Each song flows into the next seamlessly, somehow keeping this runaway train not only going, but cartwheeling majestically along the tracks as it mutates between funk, hip hop, and the forgotten film score from last night’s dream.
The group’s main vocalist Zach Choy possesses an intoxicating voice that churns up dirt in a multitude of ways. “Somethings Gotta Give” provides the perfect backdrop for his 1970s Clash-like vocals, while “Favour Your Fortune” thumps along with devilishly weird bravado, the words viscerally spat out. This album feels like an exorcism on Halloween night, a brilliant phantasmagoria of sounds and shapes that impresses with its powerful execution and undeniable ambition. PAIN OLYMPICS will stay with you long after its triumphant final track, “Angel Dust (Eternal Peace)” arrives at its rapturous conclusion, serving as a reminder to any that struggle with the creation of art that there is always something out there that can surprise and inspire you, and that it's most assuredly something you could never conceive of yourself. Crack Cloud has shifted the paradigm, and we had all better keep up.
- Nick Maas
#6 - Thanya Iyer
KIND // Topshelf Records
Longtime Montreal musicmaker Thanya Iyer delivers KIND, a beautifully handcrafted album revealing a complex vision of controlled chaos; a vision ushered into existence by Iyer’s prophetic touch and the help of her wildly diverse cast of players. In fact, the instrumentation is so eclectic that the band resembles a symphony more than anything. Trumpet and trombone purr seductively across the record, while a chittering flute alights upon a few choice tracks, gracing us with its fleeting presence as would an autumn cardinal or bluejay. Gorgeous strains of piano and harp, alive with delicate intention, move up and down the atmospheres of these songs, cohabiting the space along with violin, accordion and saxophone. These instruments compete but never conflict, like twins or best friends recounting a lively story together.
The result is nothing short of stunning, an achievement deserving of all the praise it’s been receiving. Iyer’s voice can be a chameleon with its impressive range and tonal variation, showcasing its versatility as this breathing and pulsing forest of an album comes alive while we listen. The first song, “I Woke Up (in the Water),” begins with pizzicato violin playfully intertwining with dreamy vocals in a way reminiscent of Biophilia-era Björk. Iyer’s voice reminds me of the theatrical Icelandic artist sometimes, while other times it conjures more of a haunting, nocturnal jazz evocative of Ani Difranco (as in “I Forget to Drink Water (Balance)”). And “My Mind Keeps Running” sounds a little like Patrick Watson’s Close to Paradise, with its eerie and circus-like arrangement.
KIND possesses an enchanting allure, its ambrosial and robust character brought to life by all the brass, woodwinds, and other ensemble instruments that spin a noisy tale of coffeehouses and crowded sidewalks, of humanity up close, personal, and urgent. This sense of intimate spontaneity makes us feel like we are watching a film with our ears, devouring each song hungrily in a time when human contact has been so painfully limited. The album is both light and dark - otherworldly, like most dreams. Allow it to take you on a journey.
- Nick Maas
#5 - Ghost Woman
Anne, If // Independent
We all have that one friend or acquaintance that's just effortlessly cool. I'm sure you know a person like that. They are universally well liked. When asked, you can't really distil the admiration source to one factor. It could be the way they effortlessly glide through life. Perhaps it's because all genders and sexual orientations are into them. They are skilled at a multitude of things. They are always kind. They treat everyone with identical amounts of respect. They make things look easy.
Ghost Woman has had a string of interesting releases and EP's. For me, those releases, while great, always left me yearning for a bit more. Anne, If is that more. Ghost Woman have released a sweet collection of tracks that showcase their strengths. They bang out tasty licks and sing about disdain for authority on "The End of a Gun". They define Western Canadian Desert Psych on "3 Weeks Straight". They flex their songwriting skills on "Arline" and the title track "Anne,If".
Ghost Woman is tight, use great time, and are never in a rush. All the while, they've managed to make it seem so easy, so effortless.
Music, being that language of emotion, has a way of encapsulating and delivering intangibles. Ghost Woman's Anne, If really hits the mark. It is that effortlessly cool friend, stealing hearts, being cool, being kind, and making it all seem so easy.
- Drew Cox
#4 - Backxwash
God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It // Grimalkin
Within two years, Ashanti Mutinta (best-known under the moniker Backxwash) has become one of the most prolific producers in Canada. With the F.R.E.A.K.S. EP and the notable BLACK SAILOR MOON under her belt, Backxwash went to release the 2020 Polaris award-winning record God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It.
And without a doubt this is a record worth of the acclaim, as it never stops offering something engaging with every track that Backxwash puts forward. And with a reflective, heretical tone, Backxwash confronts a number of subject-matters significant to the immigrant Black trans experience – between navigating a family’s affinities for religious moralism, and the stages of holding up an upside-down cross across doctor’s appointments, casting the spirits of meaningful embodiment, the creeping gaze of the cis and fascist threat to trans life, and the years of ambiguity leading up to becoming aware of what has been going on for so long.
Not only is Backxwash’s own production and composition a shining aspect of most tracks – as some were production features by SKIN, Will Owen Bennett, and father lack – but also the inclusion of samples like Black Sabbath in the titular track really speak to the metal core to Backxwash’s musical orientation. The album also includes features by Will Owen Bennett, Malldate, Ada Rook, and Devi McCallion which speak to the strong spirit of collaboration that brought this record together.
Some of the tracks I personally highlight include: “God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It,” “Black Magic,” “Spells,” “Adolescence,” “Amen,” and “Redemption.” Though frankly, the whole album is worth a listen beginning to end because it is a thoroughly strong album.
- Simone A. Medina Polo
#3 - Jon Mckiel
Bobby Joe Hope // You’ve Changed
What a sweet and cool album. Soothing and joyful as filtered memories of a happy summer at the beach. A faint touch of surreal absurdity here and there just to ground you and remind you that you’re mentally floating away listening to this and that might not be super safe. This is sample driven lofi pop perfection with added mystery and depth in the backstory. Each track guest stars “The Stranger” from “The Royal Sampler”, an unknown person recorded on tapes included with a reel-to-reel tape recorder Mckiel bought back in 2015.
A collaboration between total strangers who never met should probably not sound this divine and timeless. A musical collage like this that somehow feels so genuine and single-origin can only make you question your beliefs about destiny. This has to be a testament to Jon Mckiel’s songwriting and musicianship. Top tier level song and tone mastery in that 60s psychedelic lane that also gives you a little something for your groovy chillout straight vibing needs. It can only feel this natural when it has become effortless because of the commitment to craft.
This record is a rare “winner every time” record. There’s never an occasion you can’t put this on and feel good about your choice. Whether you’re actively listening or not it just brings that extra flavour to the current moment and environment. It simply makes life taste better. It has that universal appeal. It could just as easily have been the record selected in that famous HIgh Fidelity “I will now sell 5 copies” scene, had it existed back then. Listen to it now so you can add it to your own best of 2020 list.
- Joel Klaverkamp
#2 - Helena Deland
Someone New // Luminelle Recordings
At its core, Helena Deland’s Someone New is a singer-songwriter album. Many of the songs form around a centered guitar line and Deland’s delicate vocals. Generally, where the song ends up is far from that. The intricate arrangements surrounding Deland come together in a fully realized way, with each song adding something unique to the album as a whole.
The title track opens the album as Deland’s vocals puncture over top a humming synth. Progressively the track builds, a second guitar compliments the first, light harmonies add colour, while distorted beats and a very low end bass line give the track an electric sheen.
From one end Deland captivates you with very little. On “Seven Hours,” hushed vocals lead a dissonant acoustic guitar, beaconing a low synth swell that grips to the tension of Deland’s performance. “Lylz,” sees Deland at her poppiest. The track calls back to a modern Selma and Louise friendship, as bouncy bass lines and lush synths provide a backdrop for textured vocal melodies.
The highlight of the album is undoubtedly “Truth Nugget.” There’s something so compelling in the mood and emotion of the song. While the core of the song alone captivates, it's all the little extra moments that make the song. They’re like little easter eggs that can be so easily overlooked; the uneasy synth whirring over the intro, the complimentary synth line that segues the verses, and the guitar line that drives the song forward as Deland sings about diving into the mind of a new lover may be my favourite moment in any song all year. Since hearing “Truth Nugget,” it’s become my most played song and was named Cups N Cakes number one song of 2020.
Someone New has the studio sheen and hifi decadence of a mainstream pop record without losing any edge or personality. There’s a breadth of warmth and fullness on the tones giving an added level of purpose to even the most background elements. And on top of it all, Deland’s lyrics and vocal performance are enchanting. Her lyrics are both earnest and cynical. They smirk at subjects of love revealing honest emotion, and often her light delivery on topics of depth contrast in such a way that begs thought. Someone New will be in heavy rotation among Cups N Caker’s for a long time coming, and is well deserving to be included in our Best of 2020 list!.
- Kennedy Pawluk
#1 - Witch Prophet
DNA Activation // Heart Lake Records
DNA Activation has been on our radar since it was first named a springtime “Pick Of The Week” and now it justifiably claims the number one spot on our list of 2020’s Best Albums. Witch Prophet’s sophomore album made its way into a lot of ears this year, especially once it was shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize. On DNA Activation, Witch Prophet delivers a hypnotizing mix of Ethiopian-jazz, hip-hop and R&B; cementing herself as a creative force capable of weaving multiple genres and influences together in an effortless manner.
The Toronto based artist exudes confidence and power yet her musicality is balanced with ease, relatability and intuition. Each of the album’s ten songs are named after one of Witch Prophet’s family members, and inspired by biblical texts, myths, and the music and stories of her Ethiopian and Eritrean roots. Not only are the songs built around connections to her family, but she also uses the meaning of family members’ names to influence her songwriting. For example, “Makda” means Queen of Sheba, and wife/musical partner DJ Sun Sun provides a hard hitting beat to open up the floor for Witch Prophet to drop braggadocious lyrics like: “Bow down to the queen… I’m the one wearing the crown… I am black, black as the sun, obsidian.. I’m the keeper of history...”. On an album that’s about stepping into who you are and reconciling with who you were, it is a joy to hear Witch Prophet claim her power as she speaks through her ancestors.
The track named after her father - “Ghideon” - speaks to their complicated relationship. In an interview with CnC earlier this year, she explained that Ghideon means “feller” - one who cuts down trees. She wisely uses this knowledge to make a connection between their relationship and the album’s family tree concept: “Cut down, you cut down all that’s good around you… ya you f*cked up no turning back, don’t come back here no more…you disappoint me...” A track about her father wasn’t originally planned for the album, but after hearing a beat from Sun Sun, she stepped up to the mic and sang the lyrics off-the-cuff.
DNA Activation was mainly crafted by Witch Prophet and DJ Sun Sun, but contributions from Brandon Valdivia on flute and Karen Ng on saxophone elevate the album to the next level. Valdivia adds flute to “Etmet” and is also the drummer for Witch Prophet’s live band. Ng’s playfully improvised saxophone lines are dispersed skillfully by Sun Sun and shine brightly throughout “Elsabet”, “Tesfay”, and “Etmet”. This mix of jazz and hip-hop honours Witch Prophet’s background, and Ng’s wild saxophone contrasts Witch Prophet’s laid-back, mantra-like vocal stylings. It may seem odd that “Etmet” (the song specifically about herself) includes the most contributions, but these musical friends invite Witch Prophet to reflect on the pressure she felt as a young adult in the music industry: “Lost myself trying to be someone else...Pressure’s trying to take me out, I’m on my knees, feeding my inner doubts, I need peace to find my way back”.
As the album closes with the graceful “Regbu”, it is evident that Witch Prophet is finding inner peace. One can’t help but wonder if she’s speaking to herself with closing lyric: “let your fears go, you’re in my prayers”.
- Greg Torwalt
A huge thanks to everyone that has spent 2020 with us! We will be releasing content until December 23rd then taking a break until January 10th. Please keep coming back during our break to check out old articles you may have missed this past year.