Artists adapted doing live online shows or recording remotely. With fewer distractions and more time on hand, songs and albums were released. Pre-pandemic, it was the Laguna hardcore band Barred that opened 2020 with the scathing "Bloodstained Existence" that rages against the never-ending litany of sins of society and government. I can only imagine how they would interpret everything that has happened since.
Dub musician Red-I has been prolific if not well-traveled. His second full-length album , finds Red-I adding jazz, Middle Eastern and Asian rhythms to his take on this branch of Jamaican music. And it is his best effort to date. A solid album.One of the best of the year. It’s a soundtrack to your unfettered imagination. Deserves to be out on wax.