Best of 2021...so far...
 

Continuing the good MB tradition of not waiting until the end of the year to make lists, let's talk about the best albums of the year so far.

I'll go first:

Nothing. Fuck this year.

How about you? Tell me I've missed some masterpiece.

Acetantina

Porter Robinson

Don Zilla

Wednesday/MJ Lenderman

All 10s all unassailable

The new Stephan Micus is brilliant

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Yeah that was great

I've enjoyed the UK triplets outputs this year (Black Midi, Black Country, Squid) with Black Midi being the standout.

Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders grew on me.

La Femme and Hiatus Kaiyote had very nice records that I enjoyed.

Mdou Moctar, Panopticon, and Darkside were also pretty solid.

Still so much to listen to though. Most of these are the "top of the lists" albums that everybody seems to mention. I've been lazy.

My top is the Madvillainy of the 2020s. Or maybe the Operation Doomsday depending on what Armand Hammer/woods end up releasing.



Nate Wooley's Mutual Aid Music is some top notch experimental big band improv. Haven't spent too much time with the new Lingua Ignota but it hits the high marks she set for herself from what I've heard so far.

Patrick Shiroishi, Fire!, Kurushimi, and Ben Goldberg's new albums are some top jazz releases.

Lorem Ipsum's chamber music screamo was a wild experience even if I'm not returning to it that much.

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Sublime, like all of Fleet Foxes' albums.

Yes I know it was recorded and available digitally in 2020, but physical versions only became available in 2021, hence I regard it as a 2021 album.

I liked:

• Lingua Ignota - SINNER GET READY, reminds me of old nick cave
• Hold Steady - Open Door Policy, not their best but I love them
• Gojira - Fortitude, the album is solid but Another World is the best Deftones song I've heard in forever
• The Killers - Pressure Machine, I know you hated it but I think it's pretty solid
• Backxwash - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES was the sort of artsy mashup that I haven't enjoyed since the college days. Really thought this was a great late-night driving around album
• Counting Crows - Butter Miracle, Suite One - A weird but good deviation from their usual stuff. The first single I can't get into but the other 3 tracks were solid.
• Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space - Not mind blowing but I don't get enough Soul in my diet.

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The Bug - Fire

****ing great, might be his best release to date.



Play it loud.

Low - HEY WHAT may have just saved this year.