One of the magnificent things about January releases, is the fact that a lot of artist get more traction than if they would release them later in the year and OG Keemo falls into that and has arguably gained a lot of fans due to it. Mann beisst Hund is the sophomore album by the German Hip Hop artist and an overall experience it is very good, with great production, good bars and and an interesting story line but often gets bogged down to it being 17 tracks long and many tracks not leaving much ... read more
40 Watt Sun's 3rd studio album, Perfect Light follows their slowcore indie folk sound and is another very good album to their discography with emotional powerful lyrics and soft instrumentals allowing Patrick Walker to take center stage. With a sparse soundscape encapsulating the feelings of loneliness and melancholic and although it does nothing new with the genre it manages to create a meaningful listen and shows the power of lyrics can be in songs.
Track Review
Reveal 8/10
Behind My ... read more
Another great album by Sweet Trip and although not as good as their previous 2 albums, was definitely worth the long wait for. A Tiny House is a dreamy psychedelic fueled indietronica album filled with some many interesting sounds and ideas for a dense ethereal listen filled with so much wonder.
Track Review
Tiny Houses 9/10
Surviving a Smile 9/10
The Weight of Comfort, This Rain is Comfort, This Rain is You 8/10
In Sound, We Found Each Other 8.5/10.
Chapters 9.5/10
Eave Foolery Mill Five ... read more
A beauty display of Chamber Music and Minimalism to create such a hypnotic and lush atmosphere which slowly pulls you into it's beauty and to weave someone's work who didn't get much renegotiation at the time is a marvel. A stunning piece of music which gives more of an experience than anything else.
Track Review
Prime 10/10
Unison 9.5/10
Create New Pattern 9/10
Hold and Return 9.5/10
All Changing 9/10
Increase 9/10
Eb 8.5/10.
Be Thou My Vision / Mao Melodies 8/10
Can Melt 9/10
Pianist ... read more
DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ makes antoher great Outsider Hosue album and although it is way too long and loses some steam in the second half there are so many highlights to be found in this 150 minute long album such as Lose Myself, Be Ready and Being Alone. With a strong focus on quite bittersweet topics such as loneliness the album makes it more sentimental with its soundscape for although tough topics makes the user more uplifted by them.
Track Review
Spirit 8.5/10.
Be Ready 9.5/10
Don't ... read more
Not even a year after the release of King's Disease II, Nas is back in 2021 with Magic, and what a magical album it is, a consistent 30 minutes of some amazing production by Hit Boy and Nas bringing strong lyricism, for a well thought out and put together album and although there's not many tracks which i consider to be rivals to any of his classic songs, i can't deny how much fun and how there is never a dull moment on this record.
Track Review
Speechless 8.5/10.
Meet Joe Black ... read more
A great release by DDS and thankfully is getting the artist some more exposure, with a beautifully mix of vaporwave with glitch pop and utilization of vocals for a more dance pop focus album makes for a catchy listen and shows the strengths of vaporwave to create a dense and surreal atmosphere and although vaporwave is a meme genre, I would argue this album proves how great it can be whilst not being a niche listen.
Track Review
Tear in Abyss 9.5/10
See Me 8.5/10.
Faith in Persona ... read more
Low returns after 3 years in 2021 with HEY WHAT, and what an explosive return it is seeing the band go into a more post-industrial sound for a noisy more abstract listen and it pays off well. With the strong lyrics and themes still present which are matched with the more heavy and mechanical soundscape which has some brilliant production HEY WHAT stands as one of their best for me and rivals some of their older projects.
Track Review
White Horses 9.5/10
I Can Wait 8.5/10.
All Night ... read more
Squidward goes hard on this record.
In all serious BlackBoishevik is the most overlooked rap album of 2021, and is such a strong debut LP by Ghais Guevara showing his amazing lyrically abilities, his amazing but left field production for such an enegertic listen and knows not to over stay it's welcome at all and with strong themes, it is potent and catchy and just straight 22 minutes of fun.
Track Review
Honky's Sleep Paralysis Demon 9.5/10
One Meal A Day Type Beat 8.5/10.
Fuck the Nordic ... read more
What a beautiful and mind bending showcase and fusion of folk and black metal, transcending into a sound which brings new life and feelings to this fusion, which has been done before many times but with a stronger focus on Brazilian folk music gives Inpariquipe such a unique listen, and with Kattayra bring their all to this project, this has become easily a highlight of 2021.
Track Review
Tiquindê 8.5/10,.
Inpariquipê 9/10
Ãráiãsaiê ... read more
Ethereal Shroud a one man band which no one really knows much about with his last release being in 2015, they release a surprise album late in 2021, Tirsagion which single-handedly may be the best black metal release of 2021. Trisagion, is a powerful record, able to build an immense atmosphere and unleash it all in one go and with 3 track all exceeding the 10 minute mark and 2 doubling that it is a dense record but able to pull you in with impressive progression, vocals and instrumentals for ... read more
A modern jazz classic in the making, Liminal Space is an avant-garde jazz filled with amazing compositions and progression all coming together for an explosive. With it's amazing improvisation which manges to get all the artists playing soe ffortlessly and beautifully together for a dense hour of fantastic jazz.
Track Review
First Light 9.5/10
Sandstorm 8.5/10.
Loosed 10/10
Dust 8/10
Dervish 9.5/10
Pearls 8/10
Light Trailed 8.5/10.
Knuckles 8/10
The Lurch 9/10
Prayer 8/10
Average: 8.7/10
Another great album into the impressive discography of Lil Ugly Mane which seems him enters a Neo-Psychedelia / Hypnagogic Pop direction for some great effect. With he same interesting production and depressive lyrics, volcanic bird... although sees a direction shift in style keeps in line with Lil Ugly Mane's music/ The Psychedelic surreal atmosphere is lovely and although this album is bloated and some tracks don't have much to chew on their are clear highlights within this record and as a ... read more
American Caesar's sees a somewhat return to form by Iggy Pop late into his career, taking the more grungy aspect of Alternative rock mixed with his style and approach to music creating an album with cynical but tongue in cheek humour, good lyrics and sometimes can be catchy, however at 16 tracks it is no suprised that this record is bloated.
Track Review
Character 6/10
Wild America 9/10
Mixin' the Colors 8.5/10.
Jealousy 8/10
Hate 7.5/10.
It's Our Love 7/10
Plastic and Concrete ... read more
Thin Lizzy at their most consistent and at one of their best, Black Rose is a catchy energtic hard rock release filled with emlancholic lyrics but played and sung so passionately that you can't help but listen along, Although, not of the songs here can really challenge The Boys Are Back in Town many are fantastic from Sarah to Do Anything You Want To, Black Rose is both fun and engaging to listen to.
Track Review
Do Anything You Want To 9/10
Toughest Street In Town 8/10
S & M ... read more
Another Fantastic body of work by Mount Eerie which seems Phil Elvrum work with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire for some of the most melancholic indie folk from 2000's mixed with strong, soft and effective acoustic guitar and you have a powerful record full of emotions and sentiment and with songs like Voice in Headphones which is easily one of Mount Eerie's best songs you have a strong project.
Track Review
Lost Wisdom 9/10
Voice In Headphones 10/10
You Swan, Go On 9.5/10
Who? 8/10
Flaming ... read more
A great sludgy crust punk record and some would consider a classic within the genre and i can see why, with its misanthropic and nihilistic lyrics to the heavy and dreading sound filling you with hatred, Dystopia well makes you feel like you are living in one which i like but questions whether or not we are already there.
Track Review
Now and Forever 8.5/10.
Control All Delete 8/10
Leaning with Intent to Fall 8.5/10.
The Growing Minority 7/10
Illusion of Love 8.5/10.
Number One Hypocrite ... read more
![宇多田ヒカル [Hikaru Utada] - BADモード [Bad Mode]](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/445210-bad-mode.jpg)
An absolute fantastic art pop record by the Japanese artist, Hikaru Utada, Bad Mode, is a lush hypnotic release with it's ethereal atmosphere and some of the most impressive production i can recall in recent years, and with some catchy songs and Utada's vocals which are beautifully portraying such emotion and sentimental lyrics, BAD Mode is easily already a highlight of the year.
Track Review
BADモード 8/10
君に夢中 8.5/10.
One Last Kiss 10/10
PINK BLOOD 8.5/10.
Time ... read more
So I decided to give Billie Eilish a full on dive again after over 2 years since its release, and the explosion of this album and the artist is arguably more interesting than the music, now don't get me wrong i loved so many songs from this album and many songs i still don't find interesting but the production is always good and Billie eilish vocals are fantastic and nothing can take those 2 away but for me sometimes then clash heads like for example xanny, billie eilish soft vocals are ... read more
AURORA returns after 2 years with her 4th studio album, and has some shining amazing art / alt pop with its beautiful soft production and her powerful vocal performance but i wish the album itself was trimmed slightly to 10 or 11 tracks for a more consistent listen especially within the second half and some may complain about a lack of growth and AURORA playing it safe but for me it is still a playful listen whilst having a nice melodic feeling and is another solid album in her ... read more
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On The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
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On Joni Mitchell - Blue
"Probably a mistype it is a 9/10"
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On John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
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On The Saxophones - Eternity Bay
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On alkypink - NUCLEAR OTACON (MINI - MIX VOL.1)
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On alkypink - NUCLEAR OTACON (MINI - MIX VOL.1)
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On Genesis - Foxtrot
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On Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
"I agree. I hate adventurous sounds or interesting sounds. Fuck Experimental music, all my homies hate experimental music"
On Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg
"Kinda, i think it starts very strong but i feel the track doesn't really go away and feels a bit lackluster."
On Katie Pruitt - Expectations
"I find the vocal melodies easily the strongest point of the album and the lyrics are not subtle but i think it works well within the album favor because it not really a subtl record itself in my opinion. From what i remember i found the instrumentals and production rather boring and the overall sound of the album to be dull which meant that the lyrics and the album as a whole didn't really connect with me. I haven't listen to it in a while but i can't remember much about it expect Out Of The Blue that has grow on me a bit."
On Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
"True but RHCP version is on Might Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie"
On David Bowie - David Bowie
"I mean, I prefer to go listen to other 60's psychedelic pop records and i guess that i will always judge this record based on Bowie later which is a shame. But more power to you if you like this album"
On Napalm Death - Scum
"IKR, that song is a literally masterpiece of art. 11/10"
On MGMT - Congratulations
"Yh, it also holds a more special place in my heart"
On The Who - Tommy
"I don't just do my track rating by track by track. I do it by if the track adds to the album has an experience. Tommy is a very good record and if i didn't have the track ratings it would still get the same score mainly due the concept itself doesn't add much to the my overall enjoyment of the album. Every track is based on my enjoy-ability whether that be production, lyrics, melodies, instrumentals, transition into other songs, its involved and importance within the album, and whether it has impacted me personally (which at the end of the day it subjective) etc. I have listened to this album plenty of times but most of the time i feel especially with this album i wouldn't add anything new to the conversation. Maybe i just don't fully grasp that concept and therefore can't appreciated as much as other people but at least not everyone is going to agree with music."
On Linkin Park - Meteora
"My nostalgia is too strong on that track"
On The Clash - The Clash
"is the British one on spotify, if not i will re review when i get a British version"
On Spiritualized - Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space
"Nah, in all honesty we are living in the best generation because how easy it is to find music, new and old. But Will Smith - Men In Black is better than Ok Computer and LaGWaFiS"
On EDEN - no future
"Not much now, but when this album was out in the first couple of weeks it had like a high 70 in rating "
On Polvo - Today's Active Lifestyles
"Nice, both amazing tracks to me and such an underrated album
"
On Eminem - Encore
"I just find it forgettable, sorry"
On Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
"AH okay, that is kinda of interesting might do some more digging in it later tonight"
On BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : 7
"@kareenak yh out of all the K-pop band, BTS is the one with the most freedom but I am taking about the genre as a whole and even Jessica Hyun-ju Ho said they are genuine friends but she even stated that many bands in the genre don't like each other and that is the aspect I am talking about. Also, you are trying to say that just because i have this view point that it is xenophobiac when i stated that I like the band Otoboke beaver, and i also like; Akira Yamaoka, BABYMETAL, Run River North and Yuna, music from the other parts of the world in fact has some great stuff out there which i probably haven't heard i, but i don't like restricting people just because their are musicians "
On BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : 7
"@dumbmoonlight Eh, I just follow people and that is what great about music in general that we all have different opinions about different music"
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