I'll be honest, this is the least enthused I've been about a musical year at the halfway mark since I started running this blog in the summer of 2010. Half baked, career low marks for veteran acts (Gojira, Foo Fighters, A Day to Remember) have emerged as a disturbingly prevalent trend while truly memorable releases that demand to be regularly revisited have been scarce (only 6 releases I've heard this year have earned a B+ or higher).
On the plus side, this significant cluster of underwhelming/not overly special releases does set a very clearable bar for the July-December slate and with a slew of heavy-hitter artists including Between the Buried and Me, Lorde and Travis Scott set to release projects over the next 6 months, a swift shift in fortune could prove to be on the horizon. Below, you'll find album rankings, awards and assorted other pieces of 1st half of 2021 music-related silliness galore. Enjoy!
EP Rankings:
4.SeeYouSpaceCowboy.../If I Die First-A Sure Disaster (B)
3.21 Savage and Slaughter Gang-Spiral: From the Book of Saw Soundtrack (B)
2.Drake-Scary Hours 2 (B)
1.Gulch/Sunami-Split (B)
LP Rankings:
40.Trippie Redd and Travis Barker-NEON SHARK vs. Pegasus (D+)
39.black midi-Cavalcade (D+)
38.A Day to Remember-You're Welcome (C-)
37.Wolf Alice-Blue Weekend (C-)
36.SG Lewis-Times (C)
35.Dropkick Murphys-Turn Up That Dial (C)
34.Foo Fighters-Medicine at Midnight (C)
33.The Armed-Ultrapop (C)
32.Olivia Rodrigo-Sour (C)
31.God's Hate-God's Hate (C+)
30.24kGoldn-El Dorado (C+)
29.Gojria-Fortitude (B-)
28.Yautja-The Lurch (B-)
27.Weezer-OK Human (B-)
26.Depths of Hatred-Inheritance (B-)
25.Migos-Culture III (B-)
24.Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee (B-)
23.Abiotic-Ikigai (B-)
22.Pi'erre Bourne-The Life of Pi'erre 5 (B-)
21.Chevelle-Niratias (B-)
20.ERRA-ERRA (B)
19.Hail the Sun-New Age Filth (B)
18.Rob Zombie-The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (B)
17.Royal Blood-Typhoons (B)
16.King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-Butterfly 3000 (B)
15.BROCKHAMPTON-ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE (B)
14.slowthai-tyron (B)
13.Anna Pest-Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers (B)
12.Genesis Owusu-Smiling with No Teeth (B)
11.Cannibal Corpse-Violence Unimagined (B)
10.St. Vincent-Daddy's Home (B)
9.RXK Nephew-Slitherman Activated (B)
8.Doja Cat-Planet Her (B)
7.While She Sleeps-Sleeps Society (B)
6.Pupil Slicer-Mirrors (B+)
5.Steel Bearing Hand-Slay in Hell (B+)
4.King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-L.W. (B+)
3.Tyler, the Creator-CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (B+)
2.Lana Del Rey-Chemtrails over the Country Club (A-)
1.Brand of Sacrifice-Lifeblood (A)
Top 25 Songs (In Alphabetical Order by Artist):
21 Savage-Spiral
Between the Buried and Me-Fix the Error
Brand of Sacrifice-Altered Eyes
Brand of Sacrifice-Animal
Brand of Sacrifice-Foe of the Inhuman (feat. Eric Vanlerberghe)
Brand of Sacrifice-Lifeblood
BROCKHAMPTON-Buzzcut (feat. Danny Brown)
Doja Cat-Kiss Me More (feat. SZA)
Doja Cat-Payday (feat. Young Thug)
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-Ataraxia
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-O.N.E.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-Supreme Ascendency
Lana Del Rey-Chemtrails over the Country Club
Land Del Rey-Dark but Just a Game
Lana Del Rey-Wild at Heart
Lil Nas X-Call Me by Your Name (Montero)
Pupil Slicer-Martyrs
slowthai-Mazza (feat. A$AP Rocky)
St. Vincent-Down
St. Vincent-The Melting of the Sun
Trippie Redd-Miss the Rage (feat. Playboi Carti)
Tyler, the Creator-Hot Wind Blows (feat. Lil Wayne)
Tyler, the Creator-Lemonhead (feat. 42 Dugg)
Tyler, the Creator-Manifesto (feat. Domo Genesis)
While She Sleeps-Enlightenment (?)
Mid-Year Awards:
Top Song: Doja Cat-"Kiss Me More" (feat. SZA)
Top Discovery: Brand of Sacrifice
Top Comeback: Tyler, the Creator
Top Debut: Pupil Slicer-Mirrors
Biggest Surprise: Tyler, the Creator-CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Biggest Letdown: A Day to Remember-You're Welcome
Biggest Step Up from Past Album: Tyler, the Creator-CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Biggest Regression from Past Album: A Day to Remember-You're Welcome
Album Most Likely to Rise Upon Subsequent Listens: Genesis Owusu-Smiling with No Teeth
Album Most Likely to Fall Upon Subsequent Listens: ERRA-ERRA
Biggest Grower After Initial Listen: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-L.W.
Biggest Slide After Initial Listen: Abiotic-Ikigai
2nd Half Release I'm Most Excited For: Between the Buried and Me-Colors II
Potentially Not Real Album That Could Kill Me If It's Actually Released by the End of the Year: SZA's 2nd LP
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