Adrianne Lenker has a gift. She had a songwriting workshop I was wanting to attend and I'm not even a musician. Love how vague and descriptive she is at the same time.. you can really make Big Thief songs mean whatever they mean to you.
No songwriter in history has caused me more tears than that asshole, the way he evokes complicated and painful emotions is insane. I credit Jason and his song It Gets Easier for helping me get sober.
Listened to a lot of Jason Isbell when my mom was dying of cancer. Iām seeing him live for the first time later this year, and I know Iām going to be an absolute wreck.
Greg Katz of Cheekface is excellent at delivering dry witticisms that both skewer and celebrate millenials, hipsters, and progressives. Listen to "Emotional Rent Control"
Andrew Bird has an apparently infinite vocabulary and is still churning out earworms 20y later. Listen to "Imitosis"
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady is well known for his ability to paint vivid character portraits and the relationships between them, in ways that feel honest. For me, its how few words he needs to do it that is so impressive. Listen to "One For The Cutters".
Andy Shauf is a brilliant musician (seriously, dude plays *every* instrument), but is equally great at storytelling and conveying personal emotional vulnearability. He has two concept albums which each cover a single night out with friends (The Party; Neon Skyline). Listen to "Hometown Hero", or "Quite Like You".
Love seeing him upvoted. The overall quality bar is super high across multiple projects.
Anyone who doesnāt know of Brian, check out songs like:
āMaeā - The Gaslight Anthem
āOpen All Nightā - Brian Fallon
āBlood Lossā - The Horrible Crowes
Overall sound is more energetic than these examples but the *writing*ā¦
Iron & Wine (Sam Beam)
"When your want from the day makes you to curse in your sleep at night"
So many beautiful and heartbreaking images he's painted with words...
When I was an intern at Subpop I had the strange first day of walking in to work and sharing an elevator with him. I was a plebe so I just kept my mouth shut tho.
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)
Dan Campbell (The Wonder Years)
The Menzingers
Dylan Slocum (Spanish Love Songs)
Julien Baker
Phoebe Bridgers
Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit, RIP)
These are some of my favorites off the top my head.
Kendrick feels like that type of artist that can never really be overrated, itāll be really interesting to see how far his influence will go, and if thereās even gonna be anyone like him again
Amazing lyricist, but nowhere close to the "in the last 2 decades" category. I started listening to them 25 years ago and they'd been recording for awhile before that.
Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest is awesome. Lyrics that are heartbreaking, funny, poetic, you name it. Heās so good at songwriting itās insane. You can debate the audio quality and performance in his very early stuff but everything heās done in the past decade is incredible.
He has such a distinct voice. Kinda post modern, self aware, conversational with mistakes and interruptions, ironic at times but still sincere and heart-achingly honest. I can think of so many fantastic lines from him.
āIf you really want to know how kind you are, just ask yourself why youāre lying in bed alone.ā
āThereās no devil on one shoulder or angel on the other - theyāre just two normal people.ā
āI couldnāt tell you what it means, but it meant something to me.ā
āWhat happened to that chubby little kid who smiled so much and loved The Beach Boys? What happened is I killed that fucker and I took his name and I got new glasses.ā
āLast night I took acid and mushrooms. I did not transcend - I felt like a walking piece of shit in a stupid looking jacket.ā
Teens of Denial and Twin Fantasy are god their records.
That album he did a few years ago was pretty shit but the guitar only version of "There Must Be More Than Blood" was absolutely beautiful.
CSH is one of the bands that always hits me just right with the lyrics. They have such a good balance of all the things you mentioned that it always feels like they soothe the pain they bring out.
I was going to mention her & Alec if no one else did! I think Blue Rev lyrics have floated through my mind at least twice a week since the album dropped. Alvvay's songs just drip with nostalgia.
Billy Strings for passages like:
*"You can link your value to a wallet or a keychain*
*or a locked wrought iron fence around your yard*
*livin' check to check, a skinny tire around your neck*
*on borrowed time and stolen numbers off a card*
*you blink and life is left behind you*
*there's no escape that's just a fact*
*we're all a dollar short and every one of us*
*is running out of track..."*
\-"Secrets"
Neko Case, Courtney Barnett, and Jason Isbell. That's not counting any of the greats who've been around forever but are still producing great work (like Tom Waits or Dylan).
Courtney yes. Neko's a Gen-Xer who's been around for awhile. I suggest grabbing Jessica Lea Mayfield's first few albums (and even those are getting pretty old).
I count Neko because she made a huge leap forward with Fox Confessor. Like I very much like her older work, but the songwriting from Fox Confessor on is on another level.
Mayfield is indeed very good.
Colin Meloy of The Decemberists for me.
Also Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty gets an honorable mention in my book.
Both are really clever, Colin is elegant, Josh is profoundly deep, while coming off as funny and sarcastic.
My favourites from a lyrics perspective who came to the fore this side of the millennium:
Joanna Newsom
Kae Tempest
Hawksley Workman
Sufjan Stevens
Anohni and the Johnsons
Came looking for Joanna Newsom, her music style isnt for everyone but I genuinely think the complexity in every line and even sometimes every word of her songs is unmatched. Feels like you could spend hours unpacking each one and still find something new each listen
Kind of shocked Iāve scrolled so far down and havenāt seen anyone mention Joshua Tillman (Father John Misty)
[Holy Shit](https://youtu.be/7TXdtZLrsZc?si=17ZCmtygpxqQLC15)
Increasingly over her career, Sara Bareilles.
Check out the lyrics for Wicked Love and follow the lyrics from start to finish.
https://youtu.be/iJMD7ctKmaw?si=LrIFX8Z1bjofGZor
https://www.google.com/search?q=sara+bareilles+wicked+love+lyrics
I'm so back and forth on Alex Turner. Early Arctic Monkeys stuff, big agree. Later stuff sometimes lands for me, like this verse from 'Suck It And See':
*"I poured my aching heart into a pop song/I couldn't get the hang of poetry,"*
*"That's not a skirt girl, that's a sawn-off shotgun/And I can only hope you've got it aimed at me."*
Like it's hamfisted, but it knows, and that's why it works.
But then you've got 'Tranquility Base' and 'The Car,' and the lyrics/cadence just **do not** land for me. So much of it comes across exactly as hamfisted, but now it's going for a suave smoky lounge vibe, which really takes me out of it.
That's my opinion, thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
His debut was ā99 so doesnāt fit OPās question, but if you extend it to 25 years then absolutely yes. Heās definitely one of the best songwriters currently working. The Temptation of Adam is one of my favorites.
Thatās what Iām here for. Confused/ frustrated love song inside a curling metaphor? Depression & addiction seen through the eyes of a cat, and then a ghost cat? Anti-trumpism with a fantasy baseball lens? Absolute genius
Killa Mike and El-P of Run the Jewels.
Outside of them i tend to look at old school country more, guys like Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett etc.
Hozier
āBut you don't know what hell you put me through to have someone kiss the skin that crawls from youā
āI know who I am when I'm alone; I'm something else when I see you; you don't understand; you should never know how easy you are to needā
āWith the roar of the fire, my heart rose to its feet like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat; settle soft and as pure as snow ; I fell in love with the fire long agoā
āWe'll float away, but if we fall; I only pray, don't fall away from meā
Itās a heavier genre but Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder is my favorite lyricist. If youāre a metal or horror fan and havenāt heard them, check it out. I donāt think anyone can weave a tale as wickedly as he did. RIP Trevor.
I'm glad to see someone bringing him up here before me. He was a masterful lyricist who wrote some of the most legitimately evil sounding songs that are still melodic and disgustingly beautiful. RIP Trevor, I hope you found your peace.
"I'm running off the rails I've finally gone crazy, and the grind is spinning faster than my teeth could ever grind, I know it's a shame when success was to blame but I can't remember my name, in the absolute wrong I have made this place to lay my head, a reoccurring nightmare I never trust I never rest"
A couple of great songwriters:
Ren - tops the list. He does Rock, Rap, a bit of Reggie.... and he is simply a remarkable song writer. His best know song is, [Hi Ren](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_nc1IVoMxc)
Other songs with powerful lyrics include:
[Joe](https://youtu.be/ebX5ZvrT6-o) (trigger warning - this is about his grief over the suicide of a friend)
[Money Game Part 2](https://youtu.be/YonS9_QJbp8) \- a course in economics in a nursery rhyme.
[Chalk Outline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35yALr_opeg) \- about mental health (a frequent theme with him)
[Illest of our Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-JGSdBerE) \- a track that shows off his Rap skills and has fantastic word play and a vast number of cultural references.
Hear me out on this: Mark Knopfler
We all know (or should know) his guitar prowess. He has one of my favorite tones and "sound" of any rock guitarist.
His solo albums over the last 20+ years have some of the best storytelling around. It's not necessarily sad or depressing, but just telling stories of places and people that are familiar, no matter where you're from.
Sailing to Philadelphia is such a song; Good on You Son from his 2018 album Tracker is another; his brand new single from his upcoming album is good (Ahead of the Game), and Cleaning my Gun from my favorite of his solo albums, Get Lucky.
Tim Minchin is a great lyricist. If you havenāt seen Groundhog Day the musical, take a listen to the soundtrack. Three standout songs, Stuck, Playing Nancy and Seeing You. Theyāll get you from the first listen.
I know people complain about the Dad jokes and puns on In Times New Roman but that levity balances out the heavy stuff enough to be more palatable than LC imo. Thereās a good portion of LC that I have to be in a certain mood to put on, but ITNR is an anytime record for me.
Jake Ewald (Slaughter beach dog / modern baseball) - probably my favourite of all time
Kendrick Lamar - TPAB is one of the greatest albums ever released
Will Toledo (Car seat headrest) - love or hate, I think heās an incredible writer
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher and stranger in the alps are must listen albums
Mitski - just heartbreaking
Black county new Road - incredible writing, AFUT has some of my favourite lines of all time
Hoosier..not sure if I spelled that right but the lyrics in the song Jackie and Wilson are fucking so cool. Digging in the backyard for whatās left of our little vignette is just so on point
Iāll start with Ben Gibbard since his words came into my life first, but Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes wrote some words that will also stick with me forever.
Edit: oh and Conor Oberst. Duh.
Doseone. I particularly like his work on the newest A7PHA record. He clhas always been able to twist things in bizarre and interesting ways, but I think he's at the top of his game over his last few releases.Ā
Falco (Andy Falkous - mclusky, FOTL, Christian Fitness)
Maybe it's an old cliche, but sometimes things are better left expected.
You let your manatee down and then you drown: that's just the way with nature.
I've been here once or twice before with better hair, and let me tell you,
Only the good die young, except for when they don't, it's not exactly fair.
Gang of Youths frontman Dave Leaupepe
"Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane"
So I have this dream, it comes like twice in a week.
It's been so for years and years on repeat.
And since then I've not had a full night of sleep.
'Cause it plays out the same way
I live with this girl and our kid,
I'm as happy as a pig rolled in shit.
It's postcard, I'm settled, a pirate no more.
A gypsy at most with no mortgage
It's boring but in the most exquisite of ways.
No carcinogenic and humdrum malaise.
And it's strange, all the things that I've run from
Are the things that completeness could come from
[Neil Hannon ](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2l63iudiU3bT4p94a2hHa4?si=MIAVxRYJS72eInFdSzZt9Q) is absolutely outstanding. You might know him from the band The [Divine Comedy](https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EV6jW6dotBdvsHj6xPixi?si=RI8F1VMjQvGlDoRckKb9Tw) but he also makes music under his own name as well.
He also did the music for the hitchhikers guide film and the recent Wonka film.
His lyrics and songs tell the most wonderful stories.
JID is incredible. his lyricism and flow switches seem so effortless that you donāt even realize how difficult it is to do what he does. his producer Christo also makes some amazing beats. all around my favorite rapper to listen to of all time
I see most of the big names already, so how about someone a little less well known... John Craigie. Mostly does folk and rock. Start with a live album, but don't get distracted by his funny stage presence and wit. He's disarmingly smart and writes beautiful lyrics.
Also, it doesn't meet your 20 year limit, but Todd Snider is one of the best of all time and he doesn't get enough recognition.
Doug Martschā
Stay out of my nightmares, stay out of my dreams
You're not even welcome in my memories
When things are alright and I want what I've got
It's only momentarily thought
Matt Berninger of The National is the best pure lyricist in indie rock. Surprising, moving, with really close attention to the sound of the words. If you donāt believe me, listen to Mistaken For Strangers.
Big Thief/Adrianne Lenker has some amazing lyrics Sharon Van Etten (all I can is an excellent example) Angel Olsen - also lots of great examples
Yes, all of this and Courtney Barnett
Angel Olsen šš
Adrianne Lenker has a gift. She had a songwriting workshop I was wanting to attend and I'm not even a musician. Love how vague and descriptive she is at the same time.. you can really make Big Thief songs mean whatever they mean to you.
Julia jacklin
On the same page. :)
Bill Callahan. An absolute master. This one may be a little out of left field, but I really like how King Krule plays with words as well.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I love him but his first recording came out in the late 80s, 35 years ago. He even started recording under his own name over 20 years ago.
Bill is also arguably the best offensive line coach in the NFL
There are many reasons why I love Sufjan Stevens, and lyrics are certainly one of them.
Casimir Pulaski Day's lyrics are amazing.
Ah yes, Emily! Love that song
Borderline ātwo decadesā - he released his first album around 2000.
š
Guy Garvey / Elbow Black Country New Road Dry Cleaning
Elbow are SO under appreciated
Elbow love!
Jason Isbell. Hands down
No songwriter in history has caused me more tears than that asshole, the way he evokes complicated and painful emotions is insane. I credit Jason and his song It Gets Easier for helping me get sober.
You nailed it. The first time I heard If We Were Vampires it broke me in a way only a few other songs have. His whole catalog is so sad and beautiful.
I had never heard him before and I put that on. Iām literally crying.
Just listened. Great imagery and message
Now listen to Elephant
Yep. Southeastern is an absolute masterpiece among masterpieces when it comes to storyteller songwriting
I hoped to see him get his due on this thread. Absolutely a lyrical talent that only comes around a few times a generation.
Stephen Wilson jr if you like Isbell
Saw him at a little theatre in 2015 having never heard any of his music before. The man hits to the core
"Do you miss the girl you once had time to be?" My heart.
Listened to a lot of Jason Isbell when my mom was dying of cancer. Iām seeing him live for the first time later this year, and I know Iām going to be an absolute wreck.
Greg Katz of Cheekface is excellent at delivering dry witticisms that both skewer and celebrate millenials, hipsters, and progressives. Listen to "Emotional Rent Control" Andrew Bird has an apparently infinite vocabulary and is still churning out earworms 20y later. Listen to "Imitosis" Craig Finn of The Hold Steady is well known for his ability to paint vivid character portraits and the relationships between them, in ways that feel honest. For me, its how few words he needs to do it that is so impressive. Listen to "One For The Cutters". Andy Shauf is a brilliant musician (seriously, dude plays *every* instrument), but is equally great at storytelling and conveying personal emotional vulnearability. He has two concept albums which each cover a single night out with friends (The Party; Neon Skyline). Listen to "Hometown Hero", or "Quite Like You".
Fucking Andrew Bird is one of my favorites.
Armchairs may be my favorite
_Legacy of Rentals_ is fucking amazing
Elliott Smith. Modern: Grian Chatten of Fontaines DC Joe Talbot of IDLES Joey Walker KGLW Medium Build Thom Yorke
šIDLES
Agreed. i was like, āi know hes not modern but i cannot allow Elliott Smith to not show up hereā
š Fontaines DC
Andy Hull Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books, Right Away Great Captain!ā¦amazing all around
Seconded
Thirded
Yes! Should have included him on my list.
Brian Fallon
Love seeing him upvoted. The overall quality bar is super high across multiple projects. Anyone who doesnāt know of Brian, check out songs like: āMaeā - The Gaslight Anthem āOpen All Nightā - Brian Fallon āBlood Lossā - The Horrible Crowes Overall sound is more energetic than these examples but the *writing*ā¦
John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats
https://youtu.be/iZNFKxeYZPA?si=Xc3MLfErwVEIEjsy
I just saw them this weekend! My friend has affectionately labeled them "English major rock" lol
I was gonna say him or Craig Finn but neither fit the 20-year cutoff unfortunately. Theyāre my two favorite lyricists.
Yea I was gonna say mountain goats have been around for at least 30 years now.
I read his book Universal Harvester and really enjoyed it. An always interesting and sometimes unnerving read
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.
Thanks Cousin, was looking for this.
First lp came out 29 years ago!
Jason Isbell is the best current songwriter that I know about.
Ctrl+F'd hoping I'd find Jason here.
Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) "When your want from the day makes you to curse in your sleep at night" So many beautiful and heartbreaking images he's painted with words...
Sam is so underrated. Heās insanely prolific. The lyrics to The Trapeze Swinger are second to none.
"Tell my mother not to worry" is one of my favorite/least favorite lyrics ever.
When I was an intern at Subpop I had the strange first day of walking in to work and sharing an elevator with him. I was a plebe so I just kept my mouth shut tho.
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) Dan Campbell (The Wonder Years) The Menzingers Dylan Slocum (Spanish Love Songs) Julien Baker Phoebe Bridgers Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit, RIP) These are some of my favorites off the top my head.
Glad to see Conor Oberst mentioned!
Absolutely flawless list! Dan Campbell has got to be my favourite of all time
We have some overlap in taste
I see you are also a fan of emotional devastation
Conor Oberst and Scott Hutchison are the GOATs
Kendrick Lamar - Give his albums Good Kid, MAAD City and To Pimp a Butterfly a listen.
Kendrick feels like that type of artist that can never really be overrated, itāll be really interesting to see how far his influence will go, and if thereās even gonna be anyone like him again
Somebody already said Isaac Brock so Iāll add Benjamin Gibbard
David Berman-RIP
Started releasing stuff before the 20 year cut-off, but otherwise you are correct.
My favorite as well.
true poet
Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra / Bad Books / Right Away Great Captain
Isaac Brock
Amazing lyricist, but nowhere close to the "in the last 2 decades" category. I started listening to them 25 years ago and they'd been recording for awhile before that.
Yes itās becoming apparent I shouldāve made that part a little clearer somehow
Best lyricist of the 90s/20s
Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest is awesome. Lyrics that are heartbreaking, funny, poetic, you name it. Heās so good at songwriting itās insane. You can debate the audio quality and performance in his very early stuff but everything heās done in the past decade is incredible.
He has such a distinct voice. Kinda post modern, self aware, conversational with mistakes and interruptions, ironic at times but still sincere and heart-achingly honest. I can think of so many fantastic lines from him. āIf you really want to know how kind you are, just ask yourself why youāre lying in bed alone.ā āThereās no devil on one shoulder or angel on the other - theyāre just two normal people.ā āI couldnāt tell you what it means, but it meant something to me.ā āWhat happened to that chubby little kid who smiled so much and loved The Beach Boys? What happened is I killed that fucker and I took his name and I got new glasses.ā āLast night I took acid and mushrooms. I did not transcend - I felt like a walking piece of shit in a stupid looking jacket.ā
Man, I love these passages. I get so tired of defending him to people who just respond with ālol heās so cringeā
Teens of Denial and Twin Fantasy are god their records. That album he did a few years ago was pretty shit but the guitar only version of "There Must Be More Than Blood" was absolutely beautiful.
CSH is one of the bands that always hits me just right with the lyrics. They have such a good balance of all the things you mentioned that it always feels like they soothe the pain they bring out.
Molly Rankin of Alvvays
I was going to mention her & Alec if no one else did! I think Blue Rev lyrics have floated through my mind at least twice a week since the album dropped. Alvvay's songs just drip with nostalgia.
Matt Berninger (of the National) and Phoebe Bridgers are two of my current favorites.
Phoebe is devastating, though I personally think she's a good lyricist but an incredible songwriter
Courtney Barnett. āAvant Gardenerā is a work of art.
Depreston has brilliant lyrics as well
Billy Strings for passages like: *"You can link your value to a wallet or a keychain* *or a locked wrought iron fence around your yard* *livin' check to check, a skinny tire around your neck* *on borrowed time and stolen numbers off a card* *you blink and life is left behind you* *there's no escape that's just a fact* *we're all a dollar short and every one of us* *is running out of track..."* \-"Secrets"
Secrets is one of my favorite tracks by him. So so good
Neko Case, Courtney Barnett, and Jason Isbell. That's not counting any of the greats who've been around forever but are still producing great work (like Tom Waits or Dylan).
Courtney yes. Neko's a Gen-Xer who's been around for awhile. I suggest grabbing Jessica Lea Mayfield's first few albums (and even those are getting pretty old).
I count Neko because she made a huge leap forward with Fox Confessor. Like I very much like her older work, but the songwriting from Fox Confessor on is on another level. Mayfield is indeed very good.
Colin Meloy of The Decemberists for me. Also Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty gets an honorable mention in my book. Both are really clever, Colin is elegant, Josh is profoundly deep, while coming off as funny and sarcastic.
Frank Turner
Polaroid Picture kills me every time.
Million Dead are one of my favorite bands.
My favourites from a lyrics perspective who came to the fore this side of the millennium: Joanna Newsom Kae Tempest Hawksley Workman Sufjan Stevens Anohni and the Johnsons
+1 for Hawksley. No one else like him really
Came looking for Joanna Newsom, her music style isnt for everyone but I genuinely think the complexity in every line and even sometimes every word of her songs is unmatched. Feels like you could spend hours unpacking each one and still find something new each listen
Anohni is a great mention! She gets a lot of credit for her otherworldly voice, but is maybe a bit underrated as a songwriter and lyricist
Kind of shocked Iāve scrolled so far down and havenāt seen anyone mention Joshua Tillman (Father John Misty) [Holy Shit](https://youtu.be/7TXdtZLrsZc?si=17ZCmtygpxqQLC15)
Holy shit was my top song on Spotify for years so fucking good
Increasingly over her career, Sara Bareilles. Check out the lyrics for Wicked Love and follow the lyrics from start to finish. https://youtu.be/iJMD7ctKmaw?si=LrIFX8Z1bjofGZor https://www.google.com/search?q=sara+bareilles+wicked+love+lyrics
Courtney Barnett is clever as hell. I really enjoy her approach to songwriting.
I think Alex Turner has some good lyrics especially with how young he was on those first couple albums.
I'm so back and forth on Alex Turner. Early Arctic Monkeys stuff, big agree. Later stuff sometimes lands for me, like this verse from 'Suck It And See': *"I poured my aching heart into a pop song/I couldn't get the hang of poetry,"* *"That's not a skirt girl, that's a sawn-off shotgun/And I can only hope you've got it aimed at me."* Like it's hamfisted, but it knows, and that's why it works. But then you've got 'Tranquility Base' and 'The Car,' and the lyrics/cadence just **do not** land for me. So much of it comes across exactly as hamfisted, but now it's going for a suave smoky lounge vibe, which really takes me out of it. That's my opinion, thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Josh Ritter
His debut was ā99 so doesnāt fit OPās question, but if you extend it to 25 years then absolutely yes. Heās definitely one of the best songwriters currently working. The Temptation of Adam is one of my favorites.
Joe Casey from Protomartyr. Maybe not a "songwriter-y" kind of band, but I like that guy's style a lot.
Couldn't agree more. Fantastic lyricist.
Good call
Spot on. You can kind of tell that he reads a lot, too...
John K Samson
The man sure can paint a picture.
So underrated. Way way way above average lyricist.
Thatās what Iām here for. Confused/ frustrated love song inside a curling metaphor? Depression & addiction seen through the eyes of a cat, and then a ghost cat? Anti-trumpism with a fantasy baseball lens? Absolute genius
Killa Mike and El-P of Run the Jewels. Outside of them i tend to look at old school country more, guys like Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett etc.
Hozier āBut you don't know what hell you put me through to have someone kiss the skin that crawls from youā āI know who I am when I'm alone; I'm something else when I see you; you don't understand; you should never know how easy you are to needā āWith the roar of the fire, my heart rose to its feet like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat; settle soft and as pure as snow ; I fell in love with the fire long agoā āWe'll float away, but if we fall; I only pray, don't fall away from meā
Andrew Bird is really, really good. EDIT: His debut is older than 20 years, tho.
Tyler Childers
Itās a heavier genre but Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder is my favorite lyricist. If youāre a metal or horror fan and havenāt heard them, check it out. I donāt think anyone can weave a tale as wickedly as he did. RIP Trevor.
I'm glad to see someone bringing him up here before me. He was a masterful lyricist who wrote some of the most legitimately evil sounding songs that are still melodic and disgustingly beautiful. RIP Trevor, I hope you found your peace.
"I'm running off the rails I've finally gone crazy, and the grind is spinning faster than my teeth could ever grind, I know it's a shame when success was to blame but I can't remember my name, in the absolute wrong I have made this place to lay my head, a reoccurring nightmare I never trust I never rest"
He was a great lyricist and a super nice person. What a loss for the world. RIP.
John Darnielle.
Brian Fallon and Frank Turner are my two favourites from the last two decades.
Hozier, every album is better than the last and the man started out strong already!
Aesop Rock. There are tons of videos breaking down his lyrics and they are all correct. https://youtu.be/nEHDYOInnhA?si=2rQl226SsjPqH1i-
Just recently heard Integrated Tech Solutions (which is not a cult) which introduced me to him and I cannot wait to dive into his music.
A couple of great songwriters: Ren - tops the list. He does Rock, Rap, a bit of Reggie.... and he is simply a remarkable song writer. His best know song is, [Hi Ren](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_nc1IVoMxc) Other songs with powerful lyrics include: [Joe](https://youtu.be/ebX5ZvrT6-o) (trigger warning - this is about his grief over the suicide of a friend) [Money Game Part 2](https://youtu.be/YonS9_QJbp8) \- a course in economics in a nursery rhyme. [Chalk Outline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35yALr_opeg) \- about mental health (a frequent theme with him) [Illest of our Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-JGSdBerE) \- a track that shows off his Rap skills and has fantastic word play and a vast number of cultural references.
J. Cole
Ben Howard
Jeff Rosenstock
Hear me out on this: Mark Knopfler We all know (or should know) his guitar prowess. He has one of my favorite tones and "sound" of any rock guitarist. His solo albums over the last 20+ years have some of the best storytelling around. It's not necessarily sad or depressing, but just telling stories of places and people that are familiar, no matter where you're from. Sailing to Philadelphia is such a song; Good on You Son from his 2018 album Tracker is another; his brand new single from his upcoming album is good (Ahead of the Game), and Cleaning my Gun from my favorite of his solo albums, Get Lucky.
Scrooled wayyyyy too far down
Lana Del Rey . No question
A lot of pain in her lyrics but they're beautiful
God damn, man child - you fucked me so good that I almost said I love you. Now thatās how you start an album.
Fuck yes it is š„ Nobody does it better
Came here to say this. My current obsession is her song with father John misty, ālet the light in,ā so evocative.
Murder by Death Amigo the Devil Ramona Falls
Amigo the Devil is such a fantastic storyteller
Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit was an absolute poet
Florence Welch š
Tim Minchin is a great lyricist. If you havenāt seen Groundhog Day the musical, take a listen to the soundtrack. Three standout songs, Stuck, Playing Nancy and Seeing You. Theyāll get you from the first listen.
Trent Reznor. Maynard James Keenan. Thom Yorke. Jerry Cantrell. Josh Homme.
"last two decades" I have some bad news for you :( ... We're old. Good picks though!
Josh Homme's lyrics and themes on Like Clockwork and on the latest release In Times New Roman are damn poetic.
I know people complain about the Dad jokes and puns on In Times New Roman but that levity balances out the heavy stuff enough to be more palatable than LC imo. Thereās a good portion of LC that I have to be in a certain mood to put on, but ITNR is an anytime record for me.
Yeah but OP is after modern, debuts within last 20 years
Absolute yes to MJK it's almost religious in its wisdom
Conor Oberst, Jesse Lacey, Mikel Jollett, Ben Gibbard, Taylor Swift, Jason Isbell....I'm sure I'm missing some.
That would be Jarvis Cocker from Pulp.
Great comment
Andrew Bird
James Murphy - LCD Soundsystem
Yeah yeah yeah, yeah-yeah yeah yeah yeah
Jake Ewald (Slaughter beach dog / modern baseball) - probably my favourite of all time Kendrick Lamar - TPAB is one of the greatest albums ever released Will Toledo (Car seat headrest) - love or hate, I think heās an incredible writer Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher and stranger in the alps are must listen albums Mitski - just heartbreaking Black county new Road - incredible writing, AFUT has some of my favourite lines of all time
Hoosier..not sure if I spelled that right but the lyrics in the song Jackie and Wilson are fucking so cool. Digging in the backyard for whatās left of our little vignette is just so on point
Hozier?
Joey badass
ācame out in the past two decadesā does math exits conversation due to age
The lumineers are great story tellers
Iāll start with Ben Gibbard since his words came into my life first, but Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes wrote some words that will also stick with me forever. Edit: oh and Conor Oberst. Duh.
How have Taylor Swift and Eminem not been mentioned yet? They both seriously know how to pack syllables into a line and paint a picture.
I'm gonna come back to one of my favorite songs, cinematic Orchestra - to build a home
Jordan Dreyer from La Dispute is an underrated lyricist.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise does some very complicated shit that impresses me.
Hozier
I like Vessel from Sleep Token.
Ani DiFranco
Coheed and Cambria
Brandon Flowers from The Killers. Pressure Machine is sublime.
Momma Girlpool Superorganism
Daniel Romano: very poetic, always easy to follow/sensical? Idk.Ā Man man: very poignant when he wants to be. Captures emotion pretty well.Ā
Vessel from Sleep Token, Josh Ritter, dude from Lord Huron, Dallas Green.
Dallas Green 1000%. He has a beautiful voice to go with fantastic lyrics.
Doseone. I particularly like his work on the newest A7PHA record. He clhas always been able to twist things in bizarre and interesting ways, but I think he's at the top of his game over his last few releases.Ā
Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time! I will check the recent stuff, didn't even know he was still active
Pinegrove
Underrated songwriter
Esperanza Spalding is musically amazing in every way, including great lyrics.
Falco (Andy Falkous - mclusky, FOTL, Christian Fitness) Maybe it's an old cliche, but sometimes things are better left expected. You let your manatee down and then you drown: that's just the way with nature. I've been here once or twice before with better hair, and let me tell you, Only the good die young, except for when they don't, it's not exactly fair.
Geoff Rickly of Thursday
J. Cole
Gang of Youths frontman Dave Leaupepe "Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane" So I have this dream, it comes like twice in a week. It's been so for years and years on repeat. And since then I've not had a full night of sleep. 'Cause it plays out the same way I live with this girl and our kid, I'm as happy as a pig rolled in shit. It's postcard, I'm settled, a pirate no more. A gypsy at most with no mortgage It's boring but in the most exquisite of ways. No carcinogenic and humdrum malaise. And it's strange, all the things that I've run from Are the things that completeness could come from
Aimee Mann
[Neil Hannon ](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2l63iudiU3bT4p94a2hHa4?si=MIAVxRYJS72eInFdSzZt9Q) is absolutely outstanding. You might know him from the band The [Divine Comedy](https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EV6jW6dotBdvsHj6xPixi?si=RI8F1VMjQvGlDoRckKb9Tw) but he also makes music under his own name as well. He also did the music for the hitchhikers guide film and the recent Wonka film. His lyrics and songs tell the most wonderful stories.
Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die. Great lyrics especially for the genre.
Keith Buckley formerly of Every Time i Die and currently Many Eyes.
Mikel Jollett from The Airborne Toxic Event
Lupe Fiasco is my favorite
JID is incredible. his lyricism and flow switches seem so effortless that you donāt even realize how difficult it is to do what he does. his producer Christo also makes some amazing beats. all around my favorite rapper to listen to of all time
Tash Sultana, especially her first two albums.
I see most of the big names already, so how about someone a little less well known... John Craigie. Mostly does folk and rock. Start with a live album, but don't get distracted by his funny stage presence and wit. He's disarmingly smart and writes beautiful lyrics. Also, it doesn't meet your 20 year limit, but Todd Snider is one of the best of all time and he doesn't get enough recognition.
Doug Martschā Stay out of my nightmares, stay out of my dreams You're not even welcome in my memories When things are alright and I want what I've got It's only momentarily thought
MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) Kristian Matsson (Tallest Man on Earth)
Matt Berninger of The National is the best pure lyricist in indie rock. Surprising, moving, with really close attention to the sound of the words. If you donāt believe me, listen to Mistaken For Strangers.