| Microphones in 2020 | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 7, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | May 2019 – May 2020 | |||
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| Length | 44:44 | |||
| Label | P. W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. | |||
| The Microphones chronology | ||||
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Microphones in 2020 is the fifth and final[1] studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. It is a concept album consisting of one 44-minute song about frontman Phil Elverum's life and musical career. Elverum began the Microphones in 1996, releasing four studio albums before retiring the moniker in 2003. He instead opted to release his music under Mount Eerie as he felt the themes had changed. After performing a show under the Microphones name in 2019, the attention it received motivated Elverum to return to the project.
Microphones in 2020 was recorded between May 2019 and May 2020, and released on August 7, 2020, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. Solely written and performed by Elverum, it is the Microphones' first release in 17 years. Critics described the album as indie folk, indie rock, and avant-folk, and prominent lyrical themes include nostalgia, meaning, and change. Its release was accompanied by a short film consisting of 761 printed photos taken by Elverum, which he described as "lyric video...a slideshow, a PowerPoint presentation, a flip book and a documentary".
The album received widespread critical acclaim, and was given a score of 87/100 from review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critic reviews. The album reached #88 on the Top 100 Australian Albums (ARIA) chart and was placed on many year-end lists from music publications.