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In March @Chicago_Reader flipped our concert previews to album reviews for what we hoped would be a short time covering artists sidelined by the pandemic. But art is always a reflection of its time, and as 2020 raged on the section truly became proof of that... 1/
..in the music and in our writers' approaches. I'm proud of our work and grateful our editors gave us the chance to do it. So, inspired by @imLeor's killer roundup of Reader music features ( https://mailchi.mp/chicagoreader/highlighting-music-features-in-2020), I'm sharing a few of many pieces that to me embody 2020. 2/
While G Herbo's April album 'PTSD' (reviewed by @imLeor) was written before the pandemic it opens up a dialog around trauma and mental health, and I have to believe it's helped some listeners through some dark times this year. 3/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-rapper-g-herbo-gives-his-reflective-raps-new-shapes-on-ptsd/Content?oid=78984993
Also in April, Ono confronted centuries of race-based violence on their 'Red Summer' LP (reviewed by Steve Krakow). If everyone took a cue from these Chicago legends the world would be a better place. 4/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/legendary-chicago-experimentalists-ono-confront-centuries-of-race-based-violence-on-the-transformative-red-summer/Content?oid=79145257
Run the Jewels' 'RTJ4' (reviewed by Scott Morrow) also felt especially prescient when it was released in June as the Black Lives Matter movement inspired global solidarity and action. 5/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/run-the-jewels-reflect-2020s-unrest-with-the-sociopolitical-molotov-cocktail-of-rtj4/Content?oid=80762586
As authoritarianism and hate grew stronger in many counties, it brought the rest of us closer together in resistance. Indian death metal band Heathen Beast's latest album (reviewed by Noah Berlatsky) is one ferocious example. 6/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/indian-death-metal-band-heathen-beast-tell-fascists-to-fuck-off/Content?oid=80761053
And speaking of global solidarity, @Borisheavyrocks's 'No' was the first album I reviewed that was made in lockdown. This "extreme healing music" (their term, which I wish I thought of) speaks to loss, bad leadership, and other crises at hand. 7/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/boris-rage-against-a-world-turned-upside-down-on-the-urgent-hardcore-driven-no/Content?oid=81227995
Imperial Triumphant have never shied away from critiquing power structures and greed, but perhaps in 2020 their message resonated a little stronger. @pmontoro wrote this excellent review of their new 'Alphaville.' 8/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/imperial-triumphants-alphaville-soundtracks-our-civilizational-suicide-by-capitalism/Content?oid=82065445
Whatever your political views, most everyone had an increasingly intense love/hate relationship with technology as it's become more of a porthole from isolation. @imLeor talks about how @Ganserband taps into their on 'Just Look at the Sky.' 9/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ganser-lift-the-spirits-of-the-extremely-online-with-just-look-at-that-sky/Content?oid=82222530
Despite isolation and hardship, the music community really stepped up throughout 2020. In records that meant benefit compilations, including the massive 'Shut it Down' comp (reviewed by Monica Kendrick) which benefits the Movement for Black Lives. 10/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/hardcore-metal-and-punk-bands-unite-for-shut-it-down-benefit-for-the-movment-for-black-lives/Content?oid=82881606
It also meant providing hope for a better world, which (true to form) Sun Ra Arkestra does masterfully on 'Swirling' (reviewed by @2ndFiddle). 11/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/with-swirling-the-sun-ra-arkestra-wills-a-better-world-into-existence/Content?oid=83399852
... And someone to relate to. @LauraJaneGrace articulated some of the feelings and anxieties many of us have grappled with in isolation this year on 'Stay Alive.' (reviewed by Monica Kendrick). 12/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/laura-jane-grace-grapples-with-modern-times-on-the-urgent-stripped-down-stay-alive/Content?oid=83560392
Chicago's Growing Concerns Poetry Collective took an intersectional approach toward defeating white supremacy on 'Big Dark Bright Futures' (once again reviewed by @imLeor). 13/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicagos-growing-concerns-poetry-collective-use-kindness-to-unite-people-against-bigotry/Content?oid=83561863
Most people either missed family members or were literally stuck in a pod with them in 2020. The Tweedy family made the most of it on 'Love Is The King' (reviewed by @hollo). 14/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/jeff-tweedy-and-sons-play-through-the-crisis-on-love-is-the-king/Content?oid=83563663
To me, few albums encapsulated feelings of loss and loneliness of the moment, as well as the urgency and resilience necessary to push forward as much as Crippled Black Phoenix's Ellengæst 15/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/crippled-black-phoenix-make-an-urgent-plea-for-humanity-on-ellengaest/Content?oid=83730610
A lot of the beauty of 2020 happened on a local level, which @senmorimoto tapped into on his self-titled album on @sooperrecords (reviewed by @imLeor). 16/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-art-pop-wonder-sen-morimoto-captures-the-magic-of-his-community/Content?oid=83733141
Adrianne Lenker showed the power of music as a tool for self-healing on Songs and Instrumentals (reviewed with great care by @misterminsoo). 17/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/adrianne-lenker-makes-time-for-healing-on-songs-and-instrumentals/Content?oid=83897175
In a year of unfathomable loss, it often felt like we couldn't do enough to pay our respects to artists who had passed or support our community. @imLeor shined a light on King Von's 3rd album, which dropped just before the rapper's untimely death. RIP 18/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-drill-star-in-the-making-king-von-dropped-his-third-album-a-week-before-his-untimely-death/Content?oid=84228879
Meanwhile, some artists found ways to honor the dead through music, such as Puerto Rico based IFE (reviewed by Catalina Maria Johnson) 19/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/puerto-ricos-ife-honor-the-dead-with-percussive-electronic-prayers/Content?oid=84563495
The year also highlighted ways our city has changed before our eyes. @DBAnthony touched on that in his review of Joan of Arc's farewell album. 20/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/joan-of-arc-say-goodbye-with-the-touchingly-esoteric-tim-melina-theo-bobby/Content?oid=84564709
And in the least fond of farewells, @LucaCimarusti covered Boris and Merzbow's collaborative 'sayonara' to 2020. 21/ https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/prolific-japanese-artists-boris-and-merzbow-bid-farewell-to-2020-together/Content?oid=85161485
That's just a snapshot of our coverage from some of our many talented writers. In the midst of multiple crises, music has often been treated like an afterthought (thanks, Congress!), but for many people it's a reason to keep going—and I have no doubt it saved many lives in 2020.
Oh! And I would be remiss if I didn't mention, to support the Chicago Reader (music coverage or otherwise) you can donate here: https://store.chicagoreader.com/product/sustaining-support/ Thanks for reading, and happy new year! 
