2021 in Music: Revisited

In early January when I was working on my year-end retrospective pieces, I felt that 2021 was a pretty mundane year for music that didn't have very many positive or negative standouts. 8 months later, that take hasn't really changed much. My top 10 is exactly the same as it was at the end of the year and only 1 release jumped or slide more than 4 spots. Below, are my updated album and EP rankings for 2021 (with grades) that serve as a tremendous illustration for how little movement there has been in my feelings towards these releases as well how few additional 2021 records I felt compelled to check out this year. Hope you enjoy and check back in a couple weeks for the film edition of revisited. 

()=Year-End Ranking 

EP's:

9.(9) If I Die First-They Drew Blood (C+)

8.(8) Yves Tumor-The Asymmetrical World EP (C+)

7.(7) Benny the Butcher-Pyrex Picasso (B-)

6.(6) SeeYouSpaceCowboy.../If I Die First-A Sure Disaster (B-)

5.(5) Drake-Scary Hours 2 (B)

4.(4) Slaughter Gang & 21 Savage-Spiral: From the Book of Saw Soundtrack (B)

3.(3) Sunami/Gulch-Sunami/Gulch (split) (B)

2.(2) Thank You Scientist-Plague Accommodations (B)  

1.(1) Knocked Loose-A Tear in the Fabric of Life (B+)

LP's:

110.(107) Trippie Redd and Travis Barker-Neon Shark vs. Pegasus (D+)

109.(106) black midi-Cavalcade (D+)

108.(105) Wolf Alice-Blue Weekend (D+)

107.(104) Drake-Certified Lover Boy (D+)

106.(103) A Day to Remember-You're Welcome (C-)

105.(102) Pink Sifu-Gumbo'! (C-)

104.(101) SG Lewis-Times (C)

103.(100) BabyTron-Bin Reaper 2 (C)

102.(99) Dropkick Murphys-Turn Up That Dial (C)

101.(98) Architects-For That Wish to Exist (C) 

100.(97) Foo Fighters-Medicine at Midnight

99.(96) The Armed-Ultrapop (C)

98.(95) Young Thug-Punk (C)

97.(94) Nas-King's Disease II (C)

96.(93) Injury Reserve-By the Time I Get to Phoenix (C)

95.(92) Times of Grace-Songs of Loss and Separation (C)

94.(91) Olivia Rodrigo-Sour (C)

93.(90) God's Hate-God's Hate (C+)

92.(89) 24kGoldn-El Dorado (C+)

91.(88) Yaujta-The Lurch (C+)

90.(87) Gojira-Fortitude (C+)

89.(86) Migos-Culture III (C+)

88.(85) Don Broco-Amazing Things (C+)

87.(84) Andrew W.K.-God is Partying (C+)

86.(83) City Morgue-Vol 3: Bottom of the Barrel (C+)

85.(82) Pi'erre Bourne-The Life of Pi'erre 5 (C+)

84.(81) Gustaf-Audio Drag for Ego Slobs (B-)

83.(80) Weezer-OK Human (B-)

82.(79) Hayley Williams-Flowers for Vases/Descanos (B-)

81.(78) John Mayer-Sob Rock (B-)

80.(77) Baby Keem-The Melodic Blue (B-)

79.(76) Origami Angel-Gami Gang (B-)

78.(75) Demi Lovato-Dance with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over (B-)

77.(74) Trivium-In the Court of the Dragon (B-)

76.(72) Magdalena Bay-Mercurial World (B-)

75.(71) Obsolete-Animate//Isolate (B-)

74.(70) Depths of Hatred-Inheritance (B-)

73.(69) Abiotic-Ikigai (B-)

72.(68) Signs of the Swarm-Absolvere (B-)

71.(67) Vola-Witness (B-)

70.(73) Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee (B-)

69.(66) Trippie Redd-Trip at Knight (B-)

68.(65) Slaughter to Prevail-Kostolom (B-)

67.(64) Don Toliver-Life of a Don (B-)

66.(63) $uicideboy$-Long Term Effects of Suffering (B-)

65.(62) Chevelle-Niratias (B-)

64.(61) Carnifex-Graveside Confessions (B-)

63.(57) Lorde-Solar Power (B-)

62.(60) Isaiah Rashad-The House is Burning (B-)

61.(58) ERRA-ERRA (B-)

60.(59) Kacey Musgraves-Star-Crossed (B-)

59.(56) Hail the Sun-New Age Filth (B-)

58.(55) Rob Zombie-The Lunar Injection Kool-Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (B)

57.(54) Enforced-Kill Grid (B)

56.(53) Cryptosis-Bionic Swarm (B)

55.(52) Diskord-Degenerations (B)

54.(new) Wristmeetrazor-Replica of a Strange Love (B)

53.(51) Born of Osiris-Angel or Alien (B)

52.(49) King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-Butterfly 3000 (B)

51.(47) Megan Thee Stallion-Something for Thee Hotties (B)

50.(50) Sturgill Simpson-The Ballad of Dood and Juanita (B)

49.(48) Royal Blood-Typhoons

48.(new) Volbeat-Servant of the Mind (B)

47.(46) Anna Pest-Dark Arms Reach Skyward with Bone White Fingers (B)

46.(44) Whitechapel-Kin (B)

45.(45) Remi Wolf-Juno (B)

44.(new) Beartooth-Below (B)

43.(43) Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (B)

42.(42) At the Gates-The Nightmare of Being (B)

41.(41) Dying Wish-Fragments of a Bitter Memory (B)

40.(40) Waking the Cadaver-Authority Through Intimidation (B)

39.(39) JPEGMAFIA-LP! (B)

38.(38) Cannibal Corpse-Violence Unimagined (B)

37.(37) Idles-Crawler (B)

36.(36) slowthai-tyron (B)

35.(35) Vince Staples-Vince Staples (B)

34.(34) Genesis Owusu-Smiling with No Teeth (B)

33.(33) RXK Nephew-Slitherman Activated (B)

32.(32) Limp Bizkit-Still Sucks (B)

31.(31) Atvm-Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless (B)

30.(30) Silk Sonic-An Evening with Silk Sonic (B)

29.(29) Lana Del Rey-Blue Bannisters (B)

28.(28) Wage War-Manic (B)

27.(27) SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-The Romance of Affliction (B)

26.(26) St.Vincent-Daddy's Home (B)

25.(25) Mastodon-Hushed and Grim (B)

24.(24) First Fragment-Gloire eternelle (B)

23.(23) BROCKHAMPTON-ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE (B)

22.(22) While She Sleeps-SLEEPS SOCIETY (B)

21.(21) Inferi-Vile Genesis (B)

20.(20) Lil Nas X-Montero (B)

19.(19) Doja Cat-Planet Her (B)

18.(18) Frontierer-Oxidized (B+)

17.(17) Steel Bearing Hand-Slay in Hell (B+)

16.(15) Pupil Slicer-Mirrors (B+)

15.(16) Spiritbox-Eternal Blue (B+)

14.(14) Archspire-Bleed the Future (B+)

13.(13) Silent Planet-Iridescent (B+)

12.(11) Obscura-A Valediction (B+)

11.(12) Converge and Chelsea Wolfe-Bloodmoon: I (B+)

10.(10) Billie Eilish-Happier Than Ever (B+)

9.(9) King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard-L.W. (B+)

8.(8) Lana Del Rey-Chemtrails Over the Country Club (A-)

7.(7) Rivers of Nihil-The Work (A-)

6.(6) Tyler, the Creator-CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (A-)

5.(5) Halsey-If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (A-)

4.(4) Brand of Sacrifice-Lifeblood (A)

3.(3) Between the Buried and Me-Colors II (A)

2.(2) Every Time I Die-Radical (A)

1.(1) Turnstile-Glow On (A)