She sounds entirely like herself in a bigger and more potent way than ever before, yet one is left with the sense that she's still climbing. Glenn is "someone that I talk about any chance that I can and somebody who had a huge influence not only on [Suddenly], but also just in my life over the last five or six years," Caribou's Dan Snaith told NPR. While SAULT's identity is bit murky -- for sure producer and Michael Kiwanuka collaborator Inflo (Dean Josiah Cover) and probably Cleo Sol (Cleopatra Nikolic) and Melisa "Kid Sister" Young -- there is no doubt to the power of music that seamlessly weaves '70s funk and soul, dub, afrobeat, jazz, gospel and other styles with direct, no-nonsense lyrics that express the anger and sadness many are feeling, along with some positive affirmations sprinkled in to keep heads up. [R.S.F. It's both a victory lap and a fine introduction. 04 January 2021 The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2020 Albums from Lewis Capaldi, Dua Lipa, Pop Smoke, Taylor Swift and AC/DC are among the biggest of the year. Shop BESTOF2020, BROOKLYN VEGAN, Country and more BEST OF 2020 at BrooklynVegan A selection of albums for sale, from the BrooklynVegan 'Best of 2020' lists. There's the groovy, shoulder-shaking rat-a-tat of "God Is Perfect," the driving, queasy bassline-as-gun-to-the-head boom-bap of "Frank Lucas," the laconic, loungey smoothness of "Something to Rap About." The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far Including Bob Dylan, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa, and more. Deftones — Ohms#17. For example: Steer and violinist Emma Smith provide response vocals on most songs that offer a second vantage point for Cocker's typically witty tales of love, death and the occasional badger. The otherworldly vibes reach fever pitch on their fifth album, Mestarin Kynsi, or "Master's Nail," which spins together Krautrock, prog, acid house, jazz and more. The industrial "Kuulen Aania Maan Alta" is like an evil club song (it's reminiscent of Trent Reznor and Karen O's cover of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"), built around an unctuous synth-bass and stuttering, grimey drums before going full death metal. The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list. More than any of his records with the 400 Unit, this feels like an album of adulthood; a steady, subtle suite of songs that grows with each listen. The instrumentation is genuinely breathtaking, and Boldy supplied Manger On McNichols with some of his most remarkable verses. "We present our first ‘Untitled’ album to mark a moment in time where we as Black People, and of Black Origin are fighting for our lives," they wrote, announcing the album. These things were inseparable from the music world, which looked drastically different this year. On their ninth LP, the band sticks to their trademark sound, which blends heavy metal aggression with elements of dream pop and shoegaze, while managing to remain just as refreshing all these years later. The top 10 sites for you to download full albums free have been provided in this article. The 1975 have long been a band where anything goes, but this is their most anything-goes album yet. DISCOGS - BEST ALBUMS OF 2020#25. The crackling, psychedelic production (courtesy of The Alchemist, DJ Premier, Camoflauge Monk, Beat Butcha, Daringer, Jay Versace, and others) is hypnotic throughout, the guest verses are perfectly placed -- from usual suspects like Conway, Benny, Keisha Plum, Boldy James, Roc Marciano, and Freddie Gibbs to bigger names like Tyler, the Creator and Joey Bada$$ -- and both WSG and his guests filled the album with hooks and lyricism that keep you coming back for more. Emerging from the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, this sudden inspiration is evident upon listening to Shore, perhaps the band's most vibrant and accessible work yet. Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher#5. Once part of the "new wave of post-hardcore," Touche are now elder statesmen themselves and influential on a ton of the younger post-hardcore bands that have emerged in recent years. The hot takes like New Bermuda over Sunbather and Trouble Will Find Me over High Violet (and in the top ten no less) are great She's eschewed obvious commercial pop (and left Calvin Harris collabs on the cutting room floor) in favor more eccentric fare, such as chopped up jazzy funk with Matthew Herbert and Italo disco in Italian. This is still the lanky, bespeckled Brit we remember but Beyond the Pale finds him especially energized and evolved for his best album since Pulp's This is Hardcore. [A.S.]. All the websites are safe and reliable. Early 2000s Rap - 25 Essential Songs. The similarities exist for one reason or another, but Gulch sound so fresh because they weren't trying to emulate their heroes, they were trying to recreate the music they were hearing in their heads. (The Mods show up here, too.) The album swings between ethereal mood pieces and serious club music, with wonderful side trips to Wales (the woozy, psychedelic "The Corner of My Sky" with John Cale) and an instrumental cover of Radiohead's "Arpeggi," all with KLO's signature pinging synth leads and gossamer voice holding it together like delicate, silken web. And it feels like Andersson hasn't missed a beat as we're plunged once again into this lush sonic landscape. (The data is made up of mostly serious record collectors of all shapes and sizes.) Her lyrics -- which are sung mostly in Spanish -- range from songs about self-love and loss to songs about Indigenous inequality and racism, and the music mixes cumbia and porro with synth-fueled art pop and what Lido calls "industrial reggaeton." [A.S.], A lot's changed since Touche Amore first hit the scene just over a decade ago. Few albums in 2020 broke down boundaries this seamlessly and felt this powerful and inspiring in the process. The Weeknd — After Hours#13. The lyrics balance stream-of-consciousness absurdity and everything-in-its-right-place grand design with a grace and humor worthy of the greatest living American songwriter. A lot of music that was born out of the pandemic sounds directly inspired by the pandemic, but songs and its accompanying instrumental album instrumentals sound like they came from another world, one Adrianne was able to transport herself to amidst this tumultuous year. It fully embraces the screamo direction that Record Setter began going in on 2017's Purge without fully abandoning their more melodic emo roots, and it's a towering, intense album where almost every song segues directly into the next, making for an ambitious piece of art that needs to be listened to from start to finish. "No, I won't fit in your pocket," Tor snarls over a punky bassline on "No," her fantastic debut single as Billy which plays like a manifesto to not conform to anyone's preconceived notions. This exclusive vinyl variant is 140g on “flume.” Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, the fifth studio album by Perfume Genius, boasts the best album title of 2020. BrooklynVegan: 7 Best Rap Albums of April 2021. It's yet another record of finely wrought Americana from Isbell, one of our most consistently great songwriters, filled with memorable hooks and images that will stay with you long after you're done listening. [Jeremy Nifras], Morbus Chron's Sweven, released in 2014, is one of the very best metal records of the decade, one of the very best death metal records of all time, and any other superlative you want to throw at it. Taylor Swift — Folklore#10. Opener "Ilmestys" exemplifies this approach as minor-key guitar figures and and stuttering synths swirl around an ominous bassline, only to erupt into a swaggering, head-bobbing doom groove. At various points, the album finds Infant Island at their most metallic ("Here We Are"), their catchiest ("Stare Spells"), and their most avant-garde ("Signed In Blood"), really scratching every itch you could've thought of this band scratching, and a few you'd never expect them to. (R.I.P. STREET DATE 7/2/21 Gothenburg melodic death metal pioneers (who are also celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band) At the Gates will release their seventh studio album The Nightmare of Being this summer. Pop was distinctly New York without sounding like anyone who came before him, and he packed Meet The Woo 2 -- the last release of his lifetime -- with a barrage of songs that begged to be played again and again. They've moved away from black metal (the album-closer "Taivaan Porti" is the only thing here that recognizably falls into that category), which used to be a much bigger part of their sound. They began the year with a highly-publicized Fallon appearance, all three core members (Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher) went on to release landmark solo albums, they recruited crucial new members, and they now regularly collaborate with some of the biggest rappers and producers around. ], Sometimes your best music comes when you aren't trying as hard to impress anyone, and that was very much the case for The 1975, who -- as one of the most popular critically acclaimed rock bands of the last decade -- felt like they had nothing to lose when they wrote Notes on a Conditional Form. Despite the major setbacks, artists have released some incredible blues, rock and roots albums. The musicians, including harpist Serafina Steer and his Relaxed Muscle/All Seeing I collaborator Jason Buckle, took the songs in directions Jarvis hadn't imagined. Following the success of her self-titled album three years prior (which spawned the omnipresent hit "New Rules"), Future Nostalgia is a complete sonic shift from often-generic pop towards tasteful homages to both '70s disco/funk and early 2000s synthpop, while not sounding out of place within the 2020 radio pop landscape. Change is happening…We are focused." The album's a seamless fusion of heartland rock, folk punk, emo, and skate punk, and it finds time for everything from classic rock solos to triumphant horns, all while singer/guitarist Luke Henderiks tells real-life tales of growing up queer in the New Jersey suburbs. "St. Peter's Autograph" is a heartbreaking missive to a friend who went too soon, and Isbell's knack for finding beauty in tragedy aligns him with some of the country greats on whose shoulders his career stands. Even the album's most wildly ambitious moments succeed; not that we'd expect anything less from an artist who spent the past 15 years constantly reinventing herself. But like manna from heaven, The Eternal Resonance appeared this year from a new band, fronted by the same guy (Robert Andersson, convincingly making the case that he was the principal creative force all along), named after that already-canonized classic. ], A double album really needs to earn its length, and Moses Sumney does this on græ, stuffing the album with a wider variety of ideas than some artists ever display. Part of what makes Gulch so refreshing, though, is that when so many other bands turn music into homework, Cole will be the first to tell you he doesn't actually listen to the bands people think Gulch sound like. It's hypnotizing from start to finish, and Boldy sounds calm but menacing as his voice casually cuts through the mix, making for a deadly counterpart to The Alchemist's beats. While the album's influences are often clear, Future Nostalgia rarely relies on them too heavily, and instead strives towards a comfortable middle ground between the new and familiar. And the second half, as is their custom, is where things get real, with Killer Mike's verses on "Walking in the Snow" hitting with particular force as he cooly diagnoses and then brutally excoriates the fucked-up totality of American life that leads to a tragedy like the George Floyd murder. The transition is breathtaking, which is as good a word as any to describe this whole album if you had to settle on just one. This exclusive vinyl variant is 140g on “flume.” "I kind of twist [those influences], make it more abrasive," Barney says. He sounds as hungry on NO DREAM -- his fourth proper solo album -- as a young band who's vying for the world's attention, and the songs are as thrilling and fired-up as any good punk record should be. Freddie has always been great at adapting his style to different producers, and here the Alchemist feels like the perfect match for his old-school ethos and new-school power, resulting in that rare producer-rapper union where, when you're listening, you can't imagine one without the other. Concerts disappeared and livestreams became the new normal. It's the most ambitious Perfume Genius album, and quite possibly the best, which is saying a lot for an artist with a back catalog as stunning as Perfume Genius'. The 25 Best Americana Albums of 2020 In 2020, Americana artists empathetically dealt with the things that bind us together and keep us apart. She has a knack for all of it, and she uses the genre-defying backdrop to deliver some of her most personal songs yet. [A.S.], On her sophomore album, Colombian-born, Toronto-based musician Lido Pimienta combines the electronic with the acoustic, the pop with the traditional, and the personal with the political. But even with the somewhat lighter mood, SAULT remain focused -- joyous dancefloor track "I Just Want to Dance" asks "why do my people always die?" It's an absolute blast. Ulcerate executes with proficiency and in service of the song– dazzling throughout the duration of the offering but making sure technicality never takes priority. Longtime fans will revel in Elverum's self-referential humor, and the compelling (at least for existing fans) story he weaves across the album's 44 minutes creates an aura of peace and calm. Irish alt-rock trio Bitch Falcon have just released their debut album Staring At Clocks – and it's one of the strongest debuts of 2020. Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [2020] Slant Magazine's 100 Best Albums of the 1980s; Slant Magazine's 100 Best Albums of the Aughts; Spin's 125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years (1985-2009) SPIN's 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014) Stereogum's Best Album Of The '00s; The 100 Best Albums of The Complex Decade Each individual song is so different -- throughout the record, Infant Island touch on screamo, black metal, sludge metal, post-rock, noise, ambience, and more -- and they make the most sense when you hear them in succession. 2020 was obviously a whirlwind year for tons of reasons. Welche 50 Platten uns 2020 besonders begeistert haben, seht ihr hier. in 2021. There are jagged ragers ("Sweet," "Long"), bright poppy moments ("Give/Take," "Born Confused") and mascara-smeared mope-a-thons Robert Smith would be proud of ("Pop Song," "Homecoming Song"). [A.S.], No matter what mood you're in, as soon as you hear "Flo Milli shit! Guest verses come from Freddie Gibbs, Benny the Butcher, Vince Staples, and Evidence, all of whom sound carefully curated into the mix. With a chunk of the album's instrumentals finished, yet struggling to find lyrics worth putting to tape, Pecknold took several drives to upstate New York, where he suddenly felt a burst of inspiration. The Top 25 includes some of 2020's most acclaimed records (Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Rough and Rowdy Ways, RTJ4, Punisher), and there's maybe a few that you might find surprising. He was putting the Brooklyn drill scene on the map, thanks to a unique, undeniable sound that combined the innovative production of UK drill with the kind of booming delivery that has dominated New York rap since the late '80s. Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [2020] Slant Magazine's 100 Best Albums of the 1980s; Slant Magazine's 100 Best Albums of the Aughts; Spin's 125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years (1985-2009) SPIN's 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014) Stereogum's Best Album Of The '00s; The 100 Best Albums of The Complex Decade; The Guardian's 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century Produced by Solange collaborator Kwes and featuring members of Ezra Collective, KOKOROKO, Nérija, and others, Source has an impressive cast, and Nubya knows when to hand the spotlight over to a guest vocalist or another musician and when to take it for one of her stirring sax solos. Pearl Jam — Gigaton#14. Shrines is the duo's latest album and one of their best. ], Denton, Texas' Record Setter have been gradually rising and expanding their sound since their 2014 debut Dim, and their Topshelf debut I Owe You Nothing is their best and most honest record yet. Joji will release his sophomore full-length album titled Nectar ... Joji’s RIAA-certified Gold debut album made him the first Asian-born artist in history to top Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. New Ska & Ska-Punk Songs (c. 2020) 28 Essential Heavy Shoegaze Songs. With Inner Song, she refines that sound while expanding its horizons. HEALTH Collaborations. As 2020 dragged on and got worse, SAULT seemed to feel a boost was needed and dropped their second Untitled double album of the year in September. It's an album that takes several listens to reveal itself, and it just gets more rewarding each time. They could easily have started plateauing and coasting on past successes, but instead they've pushed the envelope once again. 40. If you want proof that new and exciting things are happening within reggae right now, look no further than this album's opening track "Switch It Up," which sees Protoje teaming up with the genre's brightest new star, Koffee. Surrounded by an army of studio legends (Jim Keltner!) This edition of ‘In Defense of the Genre’ takes a look at some of the most essential classic albums in ska-punk, a genre which -- yes, really -- is having a comeback. Pick up the December 2020 issue to discover the Top 20 reissues/archive albums of the year. Protoje trades lines with dancehall auto-tunester Popcaan on the equally hard-to-pin-down "Like Royalty," he fuses reggae with soul/R&B on "Same So" and the Lila Iké-featuring "In Bloom," he half-raps on songs like "Deliverance" and the Wiz Khalifa-featuring "A Vibe," and he goes full psychedelia on the trippy ode to marijuana, "Weed & Ting." Metallica and The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra — S&M2#20. [A.S.], A lot of people like to say they "listen to everything," but Bartees means it. "RIP George Floyd and all those who have suffered from police brutality and systemic racism. The song's lyrics, in which Lipa aims to blur the lines between the classic and modern, serve as a thesis for the record itself. The songs address domestic abuse, sexual assault, depression, and other real-life issues, and Serena Cherry tackles them with incisiveness and fury. It sums up Phoebe's particular songwriting gifts perfectly, as well as this album's fantastic production that synthesizes disparate modes into something indisputably cohesive. Songs like "Crimson Tide," "It Just Doesn't Happen to Anyone" and "Cue Synthesizer" are gleaming, synthetic creations with Big '80s drums and even bigger '80s guitar soloing, but also modern and alien. Music reviews, ratings, news and more. Site also contains reviews, ratings & more. Bonny Light Horseman -- the trio of Anais Mitchell, Eric D Johnson (Fruit Bats), and Josh Kaufman -- found their inspiration in traditional folk songs, and these decades- or even centuries-old tunes informed one of the most unique albums of the year. Set My Heart On Fire Immediately finds Mike Hadreas moving forward by reeling it in, resetting, and embarking on a variety of new paths. Standout moments come when UK soul singer Poppy Ajudha and Afropop singers Obongjayar and Nonku Phiri take the mic, and many of the instrumental songs hit just as hard. The beats are less gritty than you're used to hearing Benny rap over, but he has not softened his blow one bit. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. He sounds like a natural throughout the whole album, and as he expertly blurs the lines between genre, he never forgets the importance of a good hook. [R.S.F. It's an album that yearns for the days when MTV played heavy bands, but has its sights set on the future. [Amanda Hatfield], Amanda's Honorable MentionsJonsi - ShiverSufjan Stevens - The AscensionCharli XCX - How I'm Feeling NowBright Eyes - Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once WasTaylor Swift - folklore/evermore, Andrew's Honorable MentionsStrike Anywhere - Nightmares of the WestPa Salieu - Send Them To CoventryKill Lincoln - Can't ComplainJah9 - Note To SelfThe Secret Sisters - Saturn Return, Bill's Honorable MentionsLoma - Don't Shy AwayCindy Lee - What's Tonight to Eternity?Cut Worms - Nobody Lives Here AnymoreSweeping Promises - Hunger for a Way OutCrack Cloud - Pain Olympics, Dave's Honorable MentionsChe' Noir & Apollo Brown - As God IntendedStove God Cooks & Roc Marciano - Reasonable DroughtPallbearer - Forgotten DaysParadise Lost - ObsidianUndergang - Aldrig I livet, Jeremy's Honorable Mentions:Laura Marling - Song For Our DaughterThe Strokes - The New AbnormalOwen - The AvalancheJessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour, * 15 Great Screamo & Post-Hardcore Releases of 2020, * The Year In Ska & Ska-Punk: Albums, EPs & Singles not to miss from 2020, * 5 Essential "Lost" Classic Rock Records of 2020, 15 Great Screamo & Post-Hardcore Releases of 2020, The Year In Ska & Ska-Punk: Albums, EPs & Singles not to miss from 2020, 5 Essential "Lost" Classic Rock Records of 2020, 45 Great Music Documentaries to Stream Right Now, Sons of Kemet announce 2022 North American Tour, Sleigh Bells reschedule ‘Treats’ anniversary show, The Simpsons share full version of Morrissey parody “Everyone Is Horrid Exc…, Wolf Alice premiere new track, “No Hard Feelings” (limited green vinyl on p…, Newport Folk Festival reveals 2021 event details, ticket information. When he opens his mouth to sing, he draws you in immediately. That's a sign of a genuinely great record. The process worked out so well, the bones of Beyond were recorded at those intimate 2018/2019 shows, then spiffed up in the studio. That the band broke up afterwards has only served to deepen its mystique, as has the fact that -- for all the great new death metal bands that have sprung up or continued to release new material in the past few years -- none of them really scratch the same itch that that record did (although Horrendous comes closest). Folk rock bands reworking traditional music is not a new idea, but Bonny Light Horseman reinvent the art, sounding more like the atmospheric folk of Bon Iver (whose Justin Vernon appears on this album) or Fleet Foxes than Fairport Convention. [A.S.], Teenage Halloween may sound like a raw, scrappy punk band on the surface, but the songs on their self-titled debut album are bursting at the seams with ambition, ready to be played at stadiums despite maintaining the aesthetic of a small DIY space. Throes sounds almost nothing like classic ND, and it barely even sounds like their last album, yet you'd never mistake this for the work of any other band. Khruangbin and Leon Bridges — Texas Sun#16. Every Bad is miserablism at its most empathetic, melodic, and memorable. Der Jahreswechsel naht und damit wird es mal wieder Zeit, die besten Alben zu küren. Like many of Adrianne's songs -- both solo and in Big Thief -- the music on these albums is bare-bones and quiet but it never fades into the background. Its futuristic production has more in common with what's currently happening within hip hop and electronic music than with what jazz sounded like half a century ago, and these aren't songs that you need to be a music scholar to appreciate; these are songs you can get up and dance to (as was once commonly the case for jazz). The album graciously walks a fine line between pop sensibilities and the band's usual grandeur; "Sunblind" and "Maestranza" feature some of Fleet Foxes' most memorable melodies, while songs like "Featherweight" and "For A Week or Two" show the band at their most haunting. Detroit rapper Boldy James released four albums in 2020. BrooklynVegan’s Top 55 Albums of 2020. It's arena rock with a psychedelic, art pop twist that you won't hear from almost any contemporary rock band who can actually play stadiums. ], 2020 was Griselda's biggest year yet, and it was also a very big year for group member Conway, who released two very good EPs -- LULU (produced by The Alchemist) and No One Mourns the Wicked (produced by Big Ghost Ltd) -- and the even better full-length From King to a GOD. Indie Basement - Top 30 Albums of 1990. BrooklynVegan’s Top 50 Albums of 2019. Folklore by Taylor Swift was the best-selling album of 2020, and the longest-running number-one album of the year, spending eight weeks atop the chart. Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia#6. It was a peak in Paramore's already-great discography, and it turns out it was just a stop on the road of Hayley Williams' creative progression. The lilt and twang of the backwoods was always there in her delivery of simple, gorgeous pop-punk songs shrunk down to singer-songwriter size, but here it's foregrounded and embraced, resulting in a record that feels like a warm autumn day out by the lake. [B.P. They did three major livestreams, all of which were inventive and concert film-quality, and one of which was an MTV Unplugged-style stream that became the unplugged album Under The Skin. "It’s funny, because some guy will be like, ‘This is total Repulsion worship,’ and I don’t even listen to that fuckin’ band." San Diego rock band Wavves will release their seventh studio album Hideaway this summer.Across its brief but impactful nine tracks, Hideaway is about what happens when you get old enough to take stock of the world around you and realize that no one is going to save you but yourself, and even that might be a tall order. [A.S.], When the pandemic hit, Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker left the big city for a cabin in the woods, and there -- far away from the everyday mania of 2020 -- the songs just started pouring out of her. (Image credit: Small Pond Records) Everything Indie Music related; from the newest releases and news, to discussion on the history of … There are times when it rolls into post-rock or black metal, but it's never fully one thing, morphing unpredictably as soon as we think we have a handle on its sound. If most traditional black-metal bands sound like they've tromped in from wintry, windswept forests, Finland's Oranssi Pazuzu sound beamed in from another planet entirely. [A.S.], Even as our ever-changing technology helps rapidly push music forward, sometimes the best ideas come from looking backwards. It has songs that rival Lido's radio-pop influences like Cardi B and SZA ("Nada"), as well as songs that faithfully honor Colombian folk music ("Quiero Que Me Salves"), and Lido ties it all together in a way that feels stunningly unique. By. It scratches the itch that you want Hum to scratch, but it feels forward-thinking and modern, almost effortlessly surpassing so many of the buzzy punkgaze bands who took after them. and indie-rock royalty, who bathe these songs in an atmosphere of carefully calibrated melancholy, Phoebe delivers catchy melody as gut-punch over and over again. Among other things, Dylan has always been interested in death, and here death hangs like a spectral presence over everything, sometimes an old friend, sometimes a potent nemesis. Top 55 Albums Of 2020 is a chart from BrooklynVegan, created in 2020. [R.S.F. The albums … Rather than succumb to the difficulties of our era, many progressive creators doubled down on their artistry to produce some of their best … They make connections between all of the various eras and subgenres of emo that you can only see with hindsight, and they write undeniable songs in the process. ], While Benny the Butcher's Griselda groupmate Westside Gunn spent 2020 perfecting Griselda's unique take on '90s-style New York rap (more on him in a minute), Benny jumped ahead a few years with his own rap revival. Microphones in 2020 ultimately feels more like a book than a piece of music -- slowly building upon itself, the album maintains its plot throughout its relatively lengthy existence through multidisciplinary ingenuity and a continually creative spirit. ], Nubya Garcia was already a household name within the UK jazz scene thanks to playing on modern classics like Ezra Collective's Juan Pablo: The Philosopher, Makaya McCraven's Universal Beings, and Sons of Kemet's Your Queen Is A Reptile; playing in the bands Maisha and Nérija; and releasing a couple well-liked EPs; but with Source -- her first full-length album as a bandleader -- she's made her grandest statement yet.