Year in Rock 2021

 

Consider this a tentative, possibly temporary, return.

After sending this blog off into the sunset (read: kicking it into a flaming pit Sparta-style) just over a year ago, I really believed it to be the last post Sound Bites would ever see. My drive was gone, I couldn't keep up with what was coming out, and I was completely okay with that.

Now, as we near 2021's end, I must admit it was nice to be free of the deadlines I imposed upon myself, as loose as they were; a lot of music hit the proverbial shelves this year, and if I were trying to maintain this place with proper reviews of everything that came out in a timely fashion while balancing my home and professional lives I'd have probably lost it.

That said, 2021 did eventually bring me more stability in my home life and a little more free time, which I filled with mostly non-music related things (video games, books, general chillin', etc.). I considered resurrecting Sound Bites this fall, but relented once I thought about the massive backlog of releases I told myself I'd have to acknowledge.

So instead, we have this: a relatively small, relatively quick post to encapsulate an entire year. Rather than going through the hellish process of creating retroactive posts for the dozens of albums I at least half listened to in 2021, a simple one-shot Top 20 will have to do. However, there is at least a ghost of a chance that I'll get back to a semi-regular posting schedule in the new year and beyond. I appreciated my time away from the keyboard, but I don't think I'm ready to stop for good. Of course, this may be the last post for real, but let's just play it by ear, okay?

So anyway, here's very quick writeups for my Top 20 Albums of 2021:

20

BIFFY CLYRO

The Myth of the Happily Ever After

October 22, 2021 • Warner Music UK

Highlights

A Hunger In Your Haunt • Denier • Unknown Male 01

The "sister album" to 2020's A Celebration of Endings, on paper The Myth of the Happily Ever After is just more of the same or, worse, leftovers. That's only partially true; while by times this record feels a bit scattershot or unfocused, the moments that hit are arguably more potent. It shares similar themes to what came before, but this nastier, weirder companion piece most definitely completes the package.

19

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE

Illusory Walls

October 8, 2021 • Epitaph

Highlights

Queen Sophie for President • Died in the Prison of the Holy Office • Fewer Afraid

I wish I'd spent more time with the staggering, atmospheric fourth record from this Connecticut crew, which is impressive enough before it gets to its mammoth two-song, 35-minute conclusion. Given a few more spins and more time to process, this would likely have ranked much higher.

18

LIARS

The Apple Drop

August 6, 2021 • Mute

Highlights

Big Appetite • From What the Never Was • My Pulse to Ponder

There aren't many groups/artists that have transformed more in the past 20 years than Liars; the two decades and ten albums since their debut have seen Liars morph into several sonic identities, and this restlessness just might be the key to the enduring appeal of Angus Andrew and (also transforming) company's music. The Apple Drop's got a lot of ideas in its DNA, and the explorations undertaken here make it another worthwhile addition to Liars' stellar discography.

17

REMEMBER SPORTS
Like a Stone

April 23, 2021 • Father/Daughter

Highlights

Pinky Ring • Easy • Materialistic

While Carmen Perry's singing may be an acquired taste, the sharp hooks and cutting lyrical imagery on display throughout Remember Sports' fourth record taste like beautiful, beautiful '90s nostalgia to this guy, and that's a theme we'll be picking up on again further down the list.

16

WOLF ALICE
Blue Weekend

June 4, 2021 • RCA

Highlights

Delicious Things • Feeling Myself • The Last Man on Earth

At certain points on their first pair of records, you got the sense that Wolf Alice were torn between being the hit-making rock band they were being sold as and the shapeshifting, exploratory band they wanted to be. On Blue Weekend, the former is present sparingly with a pair of songs that sound like concessions. The rest of the album is spent building emotional behemoths and/or getting lost in a groove, and the result feels like a band cutting the cord of their past glories and setting up a long and exciting career.

15

FOXING
Draw Down the Moon

August 6, 2021 • Grand Paradise/Hopeless

Highlights

Go Down Together • At Least We Found the Floor • Cold Blooded

Dulling a few edges is always a tricky proposition, and some critics lamented the more accessible slant present on Foxing's third record. This type of negative reaction to a band crawling out of a niche and flirting with wider appeal has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way, especially when the results are as easy to enjoy as Draw Down the Moon. Things are hard enough for us in the world as it is; just let a band make songs people like, you petty dicks!

14

'68

Give One Take One

March 26, 2021 • Cooking Vinyl

Highlights

Bad Bite • What You Feed • Nervous Passenger

Serving up thick grooves and tasty riffs is what '68 do best, and they do it on spades on third album Give One Take One; there's also an adventurous streak running through the record, through creative song structures and a sense that anything can happen next whether it's a sudden noise, a shift in tone or a drum fill boiling over. Duos don't pack much more bite than this.

13

WEBBED WING

What's So Fucking Funny?

November 5, 2021 • Memory Music

Highlights

Jesus's Age • Make a Dime • For Real

A record seemingly designed for my younger self, What's So Fucking Funny? sees Webbed Wing crafting the kind of meaty power pop that ruled my heart in the mid-to-late '90s. Channeling the spirits of Superchunk, Gin Blossoms, Toadies and Treble Charger into a slice of pure nostalgia, Webbed Wing have made 18 year old me very happy with this one.

12

THE ARMED
ULTRAPOP

April 16, 2021 • Sargent House

Highlights

ALL FUTURES • A LIFE SO WONDERFUL • AVERAGE DEATH

From perhaps the most nostalgic entry on my Top 20 to the most futuristic. The Armed created a lot of buzz in 2021 for the smoke and mirrors surrounding the identities of its members, but even more so for the dizzying, near-indescribable fluidity of their music. Fusing hardcore, industrial, shoegaze and all manner of other musical indulgences, ULTRAPOP is a frenzied and shapeshifting album that bears a kind of danger and unpredictability I haven't had the pleasure to experience since Dillinger Escape Plan.

11

VIAGRA BOYS
Welfare Jazz

January 8, 2021 • YEAR0001

Highlights

Ain't Nice • I Feel Alive • Girls & Boys

You might not expect so many callbacks to cowboys, the blues and dogs in a Swedish band's music. You also might not expect spoken word samples, the occasional dance break or a John Prine cover. Mostly, you might not expect all of this and more to coalesce into an enjoyable album listening experience. And yet, here we are.

10

JULIEN BAKER
Little Oblivions

February 26, 2021 • Matador

Highlights

Hardline • Faith Healer • Favor

Building upon the haunted acoustic folk of previous releases with a full band bombast has transformed Julien Baker's music into something more transcendent than it already was; the writing is as sharp as ever, and the performances have punch, power and heart, marking Little Oblivions as a major forward step in Baker's still early career.

9

AMYL & THE SNIFFERS

Comfort to Me

September 10, 2021 • ATO

Highlights

Guided By Angels • Freaks to the Front • Hertz

Aussie punks Amyl & The Sniffers' sophomore record is constantly threatening to become unhinged but never does, a delicate balancing act of chaos and order that's difficult for any band to pull off as masterfully as this, let alone one that's only on their second record. Amy Taylor's feral performance is packed with attitude and energy, and is just as potent on record as it is on stage during one of their already legendary live shows; let's hope we get back to those again soon.

8

BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
For the First Time

February 5, 2021 • Ninja Tune

Highlights

Athens, France • Science Fair • Track X

Talk about not wasting any time; formed in 2018, Black Country, New Road released their first single in January 2019 and soon found themselves playing with fellow UK buzz band Black Midi, dropping a few more singles over the following two years before finally releasing their debut album in February 2021. Despite half of the album having been heard through prior singles, the full LP was nonetheless exciting and brilliant. And they're still not wasting time; their second album has already been announced for February 2022.

7

SHAME

Drunk Tank Pink

January 15, 2021 • Dead Oceans

Highlights

Alphabet • Nigel Hitter • Human, for a Minute

Speaking of exciting new British bands, Shame's second record saw them build upon the promise of their debut with the confidence in writing and performance that comes with cutting your teeth on the road. Drunk Tank Pink has tighter grooves, a wider sonic palette and sharper songs while leaving plenty of room for further growth and success going forward.

6

ILLUMINATI HOTTIES
Let Me Do One More

October 1, 2021 • Snack Shack/Hopeless

Highlights

MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA • Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism • Joni: LA's No. 1 Health Goth

Sarah Tudzin's songs have gotten steadily smarter, bigger and more assured in their potency since debut record Kiss Yr Frenemies in 2018. Illuminati Hotties' third record is brimming with hooks, clever wordplay and, most importantly in yet another shit year for the world, fun. This record is a blast to listen to even in its most sullen moments, which is a testament to the kind of sonic witchcraft that's happening here.

5

SQUID

Bright Green Field

May 7, 2021 • Warp

Highlights

G.S.K. • Boy Racers • Paddling

If rock music in 2021 is ever looked back upon for anything, surely it's young and adventurous British bands. As you've already seen in this list, there seems to be a surplus of exciting new rock in the UK, and Squid is certainly deserving of their placement here with their warped, unpredictable debut album. First time listeners will have their work cut out for them here, parsing through nearly an hour of hypnotic grooves, sharp poetry and barely organized chaos. Spoiler alert: we still haven't seen the last of this type of band on this list.

4

THE WAR ON DRUGS

I Don't Live Here Anymore

October 29, 2021 • Atlantic

Highlights

I Don't Wanna Wait • I Don't Live Here Anymore • Rings Around My Father's Eyes

Having spent the better part of the last 15 years building his profile as a folk-leaning indie songwriter, Adam Granduciel has blown his band's sound up to a stadium-sized cacophony by comparison on The War on Drugs' fifth album. Using tasteful instrumentation and immaculate production to compliment Granduciel's Americana-infused fare, I Don't Live Here Anymore plays like a thrilling and logical progression, one that doesn't sacrifice the artist's essence while breaking new sonic ground.

3

BLACK MIDI
Cavalcade

May 28, 2021 • Rough Trade

Highlights

John L • Chondromalacia Patella • Hogwash and Balderdash

The raucous and utterly brilliant debut album from Black Midi (Schlagenheim, my personal Album of the Year in 2019) is even more important than I thought; looking at the list of young and hungry British rock bands gaining traction now, I can't help but think of the influence of Black Midi's potentially generation-defining work. Now that those bands are picking up what was put down, thank the gods that Black Midi isn't content to simply sit around and wait for the rest to catch up; Cavalcade is an absolutely wild record, one with no regard for what came before that refuses to crumble under the weight of expectations. Instead, it scatters off in a host of directions and dares anyone to try and follow as they set off in search of even more uncharted sonic territory.

2

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
The Million Masks of God

April 30, 2021 • Loma Vista

Highlights

Angel of Death • Bed Head • Telepath

The trajectory of Manchester Orchestra has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride since their inception about 15 years ago; starting out as an emo-indebted alt-rock band, they made an absolute masterpiece in 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing before tinkering with cinematic soundscapes (2011's Simple Math), delivering a bruising exercise in hard rock (2014's Cope) and settling into Americana-tinged alt/indie (2017's A Black Mile to the Surface). Their sixth album is perhaps the first album since Mean Everything to Nothing that feels like a continuation rather than a deviation, building upon the narrative threads of the previous record with a batch of songs that flow into, reference and sometimes outright copy each other in service of a cohesive album presentation. Thus, The Million Masks of God is best experienced in its entirety, and those who choose to do so will discover a rare album, one which was crafted with great care and the confidence of a band that simply continues to find new ways to present excellence.

1

TURNSTILE

Glow On

August 27, 2021 • Roadrunner

Highlights

Mystery • Holiday • Fly Again

2021 did not make it easy for me; by times leading up to this decision, any of my top three records were Album of the Year in my mind. Even now I almost gave it to Manchester Orchestra based on the fact that I listened to it more often. However, giving Glow On another spin reminded me of the way this album (and this band) make me feel, and that puts it over the top for me. You see, the boundless energy, the crunchy riffs, the whole package just makes me happy; it takes me back to my younger days, throwing myself around in sweaty mosh pits and losing my hearing to a band that's giving their all for my benefit. Combine that with the artistic evolution of Turnstile, who's always been good for a catchy hardcore-influenced rager but here incorporate a host of outside-the-genre influences, and you've got a recipe for greatness. Glow On is a diverse but consistent thrill ride that showcases drive, passion and a willingness to explore, and it's a blast to play loud. I'm smiling with my headphones on as I type this while listening again, so why wouldn't I give Glow On the most glowing compliment I can think of by naming it my Album of the Year for 2021?

***

If you made it this far, congratulations on reading a blog in 2021. Like I said above, I'm not sure if this will lead to more or not. I might be doing reviews again soon (there are already releases planned for '22 that I'm intrigued by), I might see you back here at the end of next year for another one of these, or I might stay quiet for good this time. Either way, thanks for the time it took to get to this sentence, and never stop exploring!