2021 Albums • Page 5

No time like the present I guess

Bold - in contention for EOTY

JANUARY
Weezer - Ok Human ++
Beach Bunny - Blame Game EP +

FEBRUARY
Julien Baker - Little Oblivions +++
Hayley Williams - flowers for vases/descansos +

MARCH
Selena Gomez - Revelación EP ++

APRIL
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God ++

MAY
Mach-hommy - Pray For Haiti ++
Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR ++
Weezer - Van Weezer ++
Bachelor - Doomin Sun ++
CZARFACE/MF DOOM - Super What? ++
J. Cole - The Off Season +

JUNE
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee +++
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend +
Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness ++
Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost +++
Lucy Dacus - Home Video +++
Polo G - Hall of Fame +
Bo Burnham - Inside (the songs) ++
Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader +
The Mountain Goats - Dark In Here +
MARINA - Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land +
Lloyd Banks - The Course of the Inevitable ++

JULY
Vince Staples - Vince Staples ++
Clairo - Sling +

AUGUST
Lorde - Solar Power +
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite +
Foxing - Draw Down The Moon ++
Turnstile - Glow On +
Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power ++
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence ++

SEPTEMBER
Kacey Musgraves - Starcrossed ++
illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More +++

 

Just swinging by to recommend one of my most relistened to records of the last little while - metallic power-pop by a veteran UK act. Very much a "rock record for and by people who've heard too many rock records," loaded up with tricky little modulations, bonus bridges, middle eights, gang vocals, and - why not? - viciously funny and gloriously left-wing lyrics. You'll know by the end of the opener/title track if they're up yer alley.

 

Did my best to catch up on filling in three months of my 2021 list. Life got so crazy with my wedding, happy to have our time back!

Honestly I don't know what my EOTY list is going to look like. I feel more scatter-brained about music than ever. Truly need to give more albums my life and time. Not sure I could sing along to the full lyrics from almost any of the ++ albums I'm scoring above.

 

Well…it’s begun…

Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2021

 

Before mid-November! Criminal.

 

Absolutely ridiculous list too

 

Will take a lot of heat for this, but surprisingly ICP's new album Yum Yum Bedlam is possibly in my top 3 for 2021. Obviously its not most people's cup of tea, but have always enjoyed their stuff for the past 2 decades. This latest album destroys anything they have done in the last 15 years. Yes, magnets; how do they work...

 

lol I still have running list of like 30 records I still have to check out from this year. Couldn't imagine having my EOTY list ready to go until like Christmas.

 

Normalise EOTY lists in January.

 

Loved the latest music video “Famous Last Words” from James Blake's Album- Friends That Break Your Heart.

 

Copying and editing my earlier post to see if it wakes some of you up. : )

+++ = love
++ = like
+ = decent
= = neutral
- = dislike

Winter

the Dirty Nil - Fuck Art +++
Passenger - Songs For the Drunk and Broken Hearted =
Modern Hut - I Don't Want To Get Adjusted To This World -
You Me At Six - SUCKAPUNCH +

Spring

Citizen - Life In Your Glass World ++
Dayglow - Harmony House ++
Grouplove - This Is This +
Manchester Orchestra - the Million Masks of God +++
Middle Kids - Today We're the Greatest +++
Run River North - Creatures In Your Head ++
Tigers Jaw - I Won't Care How You Remember Me +++
the Offspring - Let the Bad Times Roll -
the Spill Canvas - Conduit +++
Wallows - Remote +
Weezer - Ok Human =

Summer

A Great Big Pile of Leaves - Pono +++
Beach Bunny - Blame Game +
Bleachers - Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night +
Born Ruffians - Pulp +
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence +
Clairo - Sing -
Foxing - Draw Down the Moon +++
Hippo Campus - Good Dog, Bad Dream ++
Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson =
Lucy Dacus - Home Video =
the Killers - Pressure Machine -

Fall

Angus and Julia Stone - Life is Strange +
Better Off - Better Off +++
Coldplay - Music of the Spheres -
Circa Survive - A Dram About Love ++
the Dear Hunter - the Indigo Child =
Drake - Certified Lover Boy =
Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More +
Free Throw - Piecing It Together +
Joey Cape - A Good Year To Forget =
Kanye West - Dona =
Noah Gunderson - A Pillar Of Salt +
Porches - All Day Gentle Hold! ++
the Vaccines - Back in Love City ++
Thrice - Horizons East =
We Are Scientists - Huffy =
Wet - Letter Blue +++
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Enjoy the View ++

Winter (Early winter)

Beach House - One Twice Melody Chapter 1 =
Blanks - Nothing Lasts Forever and That's Ok =
Can't Swim - Change Of Plans =
Death Cab For Cutie - the Photo Album -
Geographer - Down and Out In the Garden of Earthly Delights +++
Mansions - Old Best Friends ++
Porches - All Day Gentle Hold! +
Smallpools - Life In A Simulation =
Snail Mail - Valentine ++
Snarls - What About Flowers +
the War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore +

 

Another one…
For all you metal heads.

SPOILER: Here Are Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2021 - Decibel Magazine


Pretty good list overall.

 

Maaan, I did such a good job this year but I definitely did not keep track of when I heard stuff.

Edit - I also didn't differentiate between artists/albums that are new to me vs. actually new haha. My lists will come later.

But also this!

 

Another one:

https://www.revolvermag.com/music/25-best-albums-2021

 

Knew Gojira would be top before I clicked. Revolver don't exactly surprise with their lists.

I feel slightly odd about that record, being a Gojira fan and seeing such widespread praise for it, while I haven't gone back to it much at all. I think it's good but I don't love it.

 

I agree on all points. It’s good but it’s not that good. I think the glaring issue for me is the inclusion of Iron Maiden on so many heavy lists. It’s not a good album compared to the rest of their discography.

 

Lol yeah definitely. I guess they make it in by virtue of being big enough to make enough individual lists.

Have you listened to that Spiritbox record? I've heard lots of hype but I haven't checked it out yet.

 

I think it makes lists out of respect. But who knows.

I have listened to the Spiritbox record a few times and it is good but doesn’t really change the narrative of metalcore. It’s well performed and the production is very good. Like Iron Maiden, I can predict it will make a lot of publication lists.

 

the gojira album is pretty easily their worst and any list putting them at #1 is just doing it for clickbait for one of the biggest bands in metal

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Depends how they create their rankings. Metal Hammer tally up all their individual writers lists and then publish them all online so there's no argument about them wanting to keep bands onside or getting paid off or something.

Half wondered that. Seems to happen quite a lot; hype being created around a metalcore band as soon as they add just a modicum of creativity into the mix. I'll check it out though, I might like it.

 

I don't know - people really did go nuts about that album. It's why I've found it weird that it hasn't clicked with me on that level.

 

I said that somewhere else jokingly that maybe Maiden is paying publishers.

I think a lot of the hype stemmed from Limp Bizkit taking them out on tour even before their album was out. But there is definitely something there and I am interested to see where they go from here. Sort of bridge between Octane and Liquid Metal listeners.

 

right. it’s continuing along their path from the last one of being more accessible. it’s going to draw more fans in. i haven’t seen anyone who has been around with them for a while that’s enjoyed it

 

This might interest everyone. This RYM user has been doing this for years and it always blows my mind. He essentially takes the artwork and goes from one to the next using similar covers, colors and features. It looks like it takes a ton of time but it is really unique.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/RamonRDuarte/best-album-covers-of-2021/

 

If I had to listen to five albums that came out from this year, only five, what would you recommend?

I think the only one I've heard this year was Gami Gang.

 

Turnstile, Foxing, Porter Robinson, Silk Sonic, The Dirty Nil