Ashcrash's 2021 List
The last two years when I've tried submitting my year-end list the site broke and I didn't have the motivation to re-try 'em. Fingers crossed this one works - nothing better to do this morning while I'm ice storm'd in. 250-ish releases total this year, top 100 here; first half unranked, top 50 sorta ranked. |
100 | | Adjy The Idyll Opus (I-VI)
Folk rock/emo. Initially dazzled but its bloat increasingly didn't hold up and the word-for-word deliveries of its prosaic liner notes can feel pretty clunky. Astounding highlights though. |
99 | | Amenra De Doorn
Post-metal. Cool tones. |
98 | | Backxwash I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES
Horrorcore/hip-hop. Expanding in some neat directions but I prefer God Has Nothing Do With This. |
97 | | Be'lakor Coherence
Prog metal/death metal. Super solid musicianship and momentum in the songwriting but I didn't end up revisiting it much. |
96 | | Brockhampton Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine
Hip-hop/pop. Their best in some time but the hype machine ain't what it used to be. |
95 | | Bruno Pernadas Private Reasons
Psych jazz. Eclectic mix of influences on here tempered by some dull patches. |
94 | | Cold Collective Weathervane
Emo/alt rock. Posthumous vocals render it sadder. Why you don't publish Best of Year lists before December [1]. |
93 | | Deafheaven Infinite Granite
Shoegaze/post-rock. Shit on the removal of their black metal elements as I have and will, this still does its thing really well. |
92 | | Delta Sleep Spring Island
Math rock. Super tight musicianship. Songwriting took a little step back compared to their previous work though imo. |
91 | | Emma Ruth Rundle Engine of Hell
Gothic/acoustic singer-songwriter. Deep-endy and downcast and kinda monotonous but cool. |
90 | | For Those I Love For Those I Love
Hip-hop. B R I T I S H P O E T R Y B R U V |
89 | | Frontierer Oxidized
Mathcore. One of the more rewarding headaches I've induced on myself this year. |
88 | | Godspeed You! Black Emperor G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!
Post-rock/drone. Rendered almost irrelevant by this list's #1 pick (write down your guess now!) |
87 | | Hiatus Kaiyote Mood Valiant
Neo-soul/jazz. Discombobulating and sexy and by the end I'm a little tired. |
86 | | James Blake Friends That Break Your Heart
Soul/pop. More singer-y than producer-y but I prefer that side of Blake so whatever. |
85 | | Jim Ward Daggers
Rock. Half of this is cheesy and half of this slaps and it's so short I sat through it all on the regular. |
84 | | Jon Hopkins Music for Psychedelic Therapy
Ambient. Floaty and soothing and thoroughly fine. |
83 | | Ka A Martyr's Reward
Hip-hop. Introspection and life lessons. |
82 | | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard Butterfly 3000
Gizzcore/synthpop. The general vibe is nice, wish they expanded some of the ideas with more depth though. |
81 | | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard L. W.
Gizzcore. Not as fulfilling on its own as K. G. |
80 | | Kishi Bashi Emigrant
Indie folk/Americana. EP Honorable Mention. |
79 | | Knocked Loose A Tear in the Fabric of Life
Metalcore. B R U T A L but leaves me wanting more. EP Honorable Mention. |
78 | | Kowloon Walled City Piecework
Spacious, slow-burning post-hardcore. Samey overall but good stuff. |
77 | | Lil Nas X Montero
Pop/hip-hop. Better track-for-track than most of us anticipated probably, but still not quite there as a highlight in and of itself. |
76 | | Lil Ugly Mane Volcanic Bird Enemy...
Psych trip-hop + anything else he felt like, apparently. Lopsided and spotty but incredible when it hits. |
75 | | Mare Cognitum Solar Paroxysm
Black metal. So consistent it's hard to tell the songs apart, honestly. |
74 | | Maybeshewill No Feeling Is Final
Post-rock. Obviously nothing new here but I'm a sucker for the formula. |
73 | | Mogwai As the Love Continues
Post-rock. Obviously nothing new here but I'm a sucker for the formula. |
72 | | Mono Pilgrimage Of The Soul
Post-rock. Obviously nothing new here but I'm a sucker for the formula. |
71 | | o'summer vacation Wicked Heart
Punk. Short and sweet and loud. |
70 | | Olhava (RU) Frozen Bloom
Atmospheric black metal. What'd you expect with that name and album art? |
69 | | Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp We're OK. But We're lost anyway.
Genre: ?????? this is all over and super wacky and a neat time |
68 | | Pearl Charles Magic Mirror
Disco cosmic country or something idk. Opener is an earworm. |
67 | | Rota Fortunae Hinterland
Proper fuckin folk, like, fantasy-soundin stuff. Pretty sure this was a Sput member project but I forget who so I'll just say props and you can identify yourself. |
66 | | Ruby Haunt Watching the Grass Grow
Slowcore. Mumbly, droney, arpeggiated bliss (or heartbreak idk) |
65 | | Shame (UK) Drunk Tank Pink
Post punk. The true neutral of that recent scene. |
64 | | She Said Destroy Succession
Black metal/post-metal/death metal it's metal |
63 | | Sloppy Jane Madison
Chamber rock in a cave. Wanted to give this more time but I got to it super late. |
62 | | Sons of Kemet Black to the Future
Jazz. Toot toot. |
61 | | Spiritbox Eternal Blue
Alt metal/metalcore. Wish this leaned a bit heavier on the...heavy, but it's a solid debut. |
60 | | Split End moratorium
J-pop shoegaze. Kinda squeaky vocalist but the songwriting's great. EP Honorable Mention. |
59 | | Submotile Sonic Day Codas
Shoegaze. Solid as the genre gets. |
58 | | Telethon Swim Out Past The Breakers
Love child of twee indie pop and wordy Americana. |
57 | | Tenue Territorios
Crusty Galician revolutionary screamo. |
56 | | The Mountain Goats Dark In Here
Slow...jazz? Hmmm not sure it totally works but I spun it a ton anyway |
55 | | Trivium In the Court of the Dragon
Power metal. Goofy as fuck ngl. |
54 | | Tropical Fuck Storm Deep States
Psych rock. The weakest of their three, but still. |
53 | | Soundtrack (Anime) Sonny Boy Original Soundtrack
Featuring Toe, Mid-Air Thief, Mitsume, and more. Anime of the Year too, fwiw. |
52 | | Weezer OK Human
Chamber pop. It's Weezer. |
51 | | Lapalux Total Reality, Total Chaos
Ambient. EP of the Year. A cooldown when life gets too (sur)real. |
50 | | Mol Diorama
Blackgaze. Usurping Deafheaven at this point? They might as well be. |
49 | | Blu The Color Blu(e)
Hip-hop. Sublime beats and iconic wordplay. Don't attempt the Blu drinking game here, I don't want you to die. |
48 | | The Felice Brothers From Dreams to Dust
Folk. Distinctly old-fashioned and rustic, but not really in a pretentious way. We shall live again. |
47 | | A Great Big Pile of Leaves Pono
Indie rock. Breezy, summery leftovers that didn't spoil. Dorky music for dorky people. |
46 | | Chevelle NIRATIAS
Hard rock/alt metal. Space travel themes. They actually sound like they're having fun again. |
45 | | Tricot Jodeki
J-math rock. Tricot have kinda oversaturated themselves as of late but I still prefer this over their two from last year. Why you don't publish Best of Year lists before December [2]. |
44 | | A Winged Victory for the Sullen Invisible Cities
Ambient/neo-classical. Concise and oddly momentum-driven, whatever that means in this style. Zone out go-to. |
43 | | Richard Dawson and Circle Henki
Prog rock. Botany. They really did it, the madlads. |
42 | | Panopticon ...And Again into the Light
Black metal/post-rock. [twinkly] [indecipherable] "yeah that's the stuff" |
41 | | Nick Cave and Warren Ellis Carnage
Nick Cave-core. When you get over personal grief and then the world grieves. More of the recent same, fine by me. |
40 | | So Hideous None But a Pure Heart Can Sing
Symphonic blackened hardcore post-rock with jazzy bits. Incomprehensibly works. Why you don't publish Best of Year lists before December [3]. |
39 | | The Killers Pressure Machine
Rock. Where Springsteen cosplay ceases to be cosplay and they come into their own. I know, I'm shocked too. |
38 | | Foxing Draw Down the Moon
Indie pop/rock. They just keep surprising. My least fave to date but still plenty worth revisiting. |
37 | | James McMurtry The Horses and the Hounds
Country/southern rock. Simultaneously literary and accessible. Wise, refined storytelling. |
36 | | Erra Erra
Prog metal/metalcore. Songwriting on here is bonkers. Great mix of chuggy dissonance and soaring melodies. |
35 | | Fawn Limbs Darwin Falls
Spaghetti western mathcore. Still not entirely sure what happens in this narrative but it's morbid and campy and somehow still terrifying. Jumpscares for days. |
34 | | Tigercub As Blue As Indigo
Rock. QOTSA worship meets recent British radio rock revival. Super hooky, riffy dark horse. |
33 | | Holding Absence The Greatest Mistake Of My Life
Alt rock/emo. Immaculate sound on here even if the songs are kinda samey. Lucas Woodland has insane pipes good lord |
32 | | Converge Bloodmoon: I
Doom metal/gothic/post-metalcore? Occultic, mesmerizing supergroup flexing their chemistry. II in the works? |
31 | | Quicksand Distant Populations
Grungy spacey post-hardcore. Quick length = replay value for days. Gotta check these guys' early stuff. |
30 | | Nas King's Disease II
Hip-hop. Stellar guest features and Nas holds his own super strong. I haven't actually heard the first one lol |
29 | | Kauan Ice Fleet
Post-rock with mere traces of black metal. Totally seamless listen. Still new to these guys but my fave of theirs yet. |
28 | | Viagra Boys Welfare Jazz
Post-punk by way of like 5 other genres. Stay clean, kids. Shrimps: a-blublublublublublublublublub |
27 | | Archspire Bleed the Future
Tech death. MyfirsttasteofArchspireandthevocalistspeakinglikethisissimplywild. DRONE CORPSE AVIATOR [chaos] |
26 | | Feu! Chatterton Palais d'Argile
Nouvelle chanson/art pop. Delicate, gorgeous slow-burners. Hon hon oui oui le baguette |
25 | | Wolf Alice Blue Weekend
Alt rock/grunge/chamber pop. Full course meal of 90s revivalism. Production on this is splendid. |
24 | | Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine A Beginner's Mind
Indie folk. How had these guys not collaborated directly before this? Bring it on again *wink* |
23 | | Iosonouncane IRA
Multilingual chamber singer-songwriter fever dream. A little bloated but still super immersive. "Prison" is the most unnerving thing I've heard all year. |
22 | | Yon order of violence
German screamo. Thanks for the obscure find. This whips. |
21 | | The Armed Ultrapop
The Armed-core. You take the blue pill, you wake up without tinnitus and listen to whatever you want to listen to. You take the red pill, you stay on stage and I show you how deep the Dan hole goes. |
20 | | Parannoul To See the Next Part of the Dream
Lo-fi/shoegaze. An ode to the terminally online. Depression's never sounded so loud. |
19 | | Tyler, the Creator Call Me If You Get Lost
Hip-hop/soul. Mixtape worship meets career synthesis. Cry in the ocean music. |
18 | | Lingua Ignota SINNER GET READY
Classical/experimental idk. Probably the most eviscerating exorcism put to record this year. Alexis Marshall can die a disowned forgotten sack of shit. |
17 | | Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall The Marfa Tapes
Wilderness music workshop country. On point, on location. Texas Texas Texas did I mention Texas? |
16 | | Little Simz Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Hip-hop. Simz' best to date by a huge margin. The skits were kinda corny though. |
15 | | Genesis Owusu Smiling with No Teeth
Hip-hop/soul/psych/literally whatever this dude wants. Staggeringly versatile debut. He's going places. |
14 | | Thrice Horizons/East
Alt rock. Strong return to form after Palms. Thank you Pastor Kensrue. |
13 | | Japanese Breakfast Jubilee
Indie pop. One of the most deserving albums from this whole recent crop of Pitchforkcore singer-songwriters. I wanna belieeeeeeeeve. |
12 | | Black Midi Cavalcade
Freakshow jazz prog post-punk smoothie. Miles ahead of anything else in that British "scene" right now. Anteater crew. |
11 | | Origami Angel Gami Gang
Noodly party emo/pop punk. 90s kid soundbites. Taco Bell romanticism. |
10 | | Jeff Rosenstock SKA DREAM
Ska. Not a dream. Pick it up. |
9 | | Silk Sonic An Evening with Silk Sonic
Throwback R&B/soul. A little slice of facetious theater. DIS- BITCH- |
8 | | Trophy Scars Astral Pariah
Narrative western-y blues hardcore. Vocalist still sounds like a drunken Cookie Monster. That's a compliment, obviously. |
7 | | Low Hey What
Experimental. Gospel music for machines. Part meditative mantra, part creaky contraption. |
6 | | The World Is a Beautiful Place... Illusory Walls
Emo/post-rock. Born to die, world is a fuck. Their best since the debut. |
5 | | Manchester Orchestra The Million Masks of God
Alt rock. Massive production value. Bonus bias points for headlining my first post(?)-COVID concert. |
4 | | Injury Reserve By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Sound collage hip-hop. Apocalyptic anachronistic eulogy. RIP Groggs. |
3 | | Every Time I Die Radical
Post-hardcore/metalcore. Angry zingers galore. YOU WANT MORE? YOU'LL GET MORE |
2 | | Hypnotic Brass Ensemble This is a Mindfulness Drill...
Singer-songwriter by way of horns troupe + Moses Sumney, Perfume Genius, and Sharon Van Etten. Cover album of Richard Youngs' Sapphie. Transcendent stuff. |
1 | | BRUIT The Machine Is Burning...
Climate crisis post-rock. A new generation's GY!BE? We can only hope. |
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