Music: Best Albums of 2021

[WeThreeKings]

going to be a big album ! The fleet foxes one I posted is my favourite of the 4 so far . What about you?

Renegade is still my top; Justin Vernon and Taylor together is just audio chocolate.

 

[frisco]

Although this board might not be his demographic, Jackson Browne "Downhill From Everywhere" is probably the best album I've heard so far this year.

My Best-Carey

 

[Saturated Fats]

It's getting a lot of love because The Needle Drop gave it a 10, but the new Lingua Ignota album Sinner Get Ready really is extraordinary. I am a lover of her last work - CALIGULA - but this one takes it even further. If you've never listened to her stuff, it's tough to describe: Darkwave in the vein of the 80's, but with a lot more anger, and without any of the synth-poppiness. It's mesmerizing, symphonic, but disturbing - and you need to be in the right headspace/physical space to listen to it. Not light-listening fare. But amazing:



Some other stuff I've listened to over the past few months, and enjoyed:

Thy Catafalque - Vadak
Spellling - The Turning Wheel
Darkside - Spiral
LUMP - Animal
Lucy Dacus - Home Video
King Woman - Celestial Blues
Natalia Lafourcade - Un Canto por Mexico vol. 2

 

[Mrgnwllm]

New Jungle and The Killers today . I like both .

 

[WeThreeKings]

New Chvrches 'Screen Violence' is a very solid album. I would probably rank it:
The Bones of What you Believe
Love is Dead
Screen Violence
Every Open Eye.

Despite how good that album is, it was third behind the other two albums released yesterday.

Big Red Machine's "How Long do You Think it's Gonna Last?" is just an incredible album.
The only songs that really don't add anything are The Ghost of Cincinnati and the last track New Auburn. The rest is either gorgeous, trippy and groovy, or pure audio chocolate.

Renegade is just a completely perfect song.. and there's something so gorgeous about 8:22 AM. Justin Vernon really plays well with female voices.

Then Halsey came out with "If I can't have love, I wan't power" which she paired up with Trent Reznor and Atticus. There is an accompanying movie and that plays here when a lot of songs feel like a musical score. You have The Tradition which sounds like a ballad from Sweeney Todd, other songs like a soundtrack to a horror film, some others playing like a classic claymation Tim Burton movie. To break the mood of movie soundtrack done in an accessible way, there are songs that fit in the club in True Blood or at a grungy punk bar in the 90s. The album isn't always dark with songs like Darling and Ya'arburnee which are beautiful emotional songs.

Halsey is one incredibly talented artist who bends genres. If there's one great strength to the pandemic it was Taylor Swift breaking this lane and reaching out and working cross genre with Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver. Giving us Folklore and Evermore, bringing that over to the Big Red Machine album which no doubt played with Halsey's courage to reach out to Trent Reznor to build her latest album.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Joy Formidable's 5th album is somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 out of five. Very good first half on it, Sevier is a great song. Just need more straightforward alt rock albums by good established bands being released today. Not the best of the year so far but will probably end up around my 5th favourite.

 

[Mrgnwllm]

New Turnstile is an excellent 35 minute ride.

 

[Thucydides]

Anyone listen to the new Kanye album ?

I listened to a little bit of Steve Gunn’s new album , “other you” and quite like what I heard .

still haven’t listened to the new big red machine album but I’ll fix that this week. I did listen to the other Taylor track “birch”, it was no renegade.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

I'm not sure if any of you like Garbage/Curve but this is quite similar and excellent, British group. Got it on bandcamp.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Mescaleroman]

What will most likely be the Stranglers swan song is out tomorrow.

 

[GKJ]

Screen Violence from Chvrches - thank goodness.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Thucydides]

I listened to the new Low album twice now. The first time I thought it was alright , and again this morning on my am walk . Maybe it was the setting but the album really grew on me . Slid its way into my top 5 of the year.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I’m on that new Kacey Musgraves

 

[Eisen]

What will most likely be the Stranglers swan song is out tomorrow.

I saw them in 97 and I thought that this might be their last tour. I never suspected them to last that long.

 

[Thucydides]

quite liked her album “lush”.

 

[Thucydides]

wow!

 

[Skip Bayless]

wow!

Sounds amazing as always

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Trying to fit the Manic Street Preachers' new album in and I'd say it's for sure in the top 5, probably 3rd or 4th so far. This song is probably my 2nd or 3rd favourite of the year so far.

 

[Thucydides]

Sounds amazing as always

I think this is the last single we will see before the album drops. Really looking forward to their album. Checked for concert tickets but Toronto is currently sold out.

 

[GKJ]

The War on Drugs are a remarkably consistent band doing not much of anything different but still sounding completely fresh.

 

[Thucydides]

The War on Drugs Find Lightness on the Edge of Town

A great write up and interview with Adam. Kind of bummed there’s no long songs , but have a feeling this album is going to be another great one from them.

 

[plank]

The Felice Brothers - From Dreams to Dust 9/17/21

 

[plank]

The Brother Brothers - Calla Lily