2021 Mid-Year List

 So recently I did a thread on my twitter of my top 4 albums, EPs and singles from the year so far despite my purists beliefs of the six month mark not being over. I went through a little too much work to pick those twelve releases so I decided to talk about them in a bit more depth here. Albums and EPs are self-explanatory but for singles I should clarify that I did not include remixes, covers, anything to that extent. With that rule in mind, let’s actually start there.

Singles

#4: Stand Atlantic / nothing,nowhere. - deathwish

Last year, StAt was huge for me. They made my number one album (which, if I’m to be honest, I still wonder if I should have switched the one and two slots there) and captivated me to fall back in love with the pop punk genre. Their music is everything the genre should be, fun and bouncy without taking itself too seriously. Even when it did take itself seriously it was with some element of fun and never letting it go. These days Machine Gun Kelly has divided the scene and made certain people believe the only way to be is this new found Barkerism of emo rap calling itself pop punk. Even when paired with the pioneer of the turnover of hip hop into the scene, StAt wrote a song that was unapologetically them. It refused to bow to a genre they don’t feel comfortable with. Honestly? As much as I don’t like n,n.’s music all that much, he’s a great fit in this song. I’ve always said features should equally bring the energy of all projects involved and this fits.

#3: Silverstein - Bankrupt

In my Scene Daddy Awards write up I talked a lot about how Silverstein should have been the artist of 2020. They’re a band going strong after 20 years, continuing to contribute to the scene not just with great music but behind the scenes and in broadcasting other artists. This song is a metalcore titan. It’s heavy in the right places without giving way to the blandness that so many heavy bands find themselves dug into in recent years. That’s not even to mention it’s tackling the state of the world in an angry, inspiring way.

#2: Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Bitter

A lot of bands had returns of sorts in the past year. Attack Attack! came out of retirement albeit as a new band entirely. A Day to Remember released their years delayed album and left us all scratching our heads at it’s complete lack of any substance. Chunk disappeared for five years, then just shows up with the best easycore any of us have heard since they left. Granted, they’ve dropped another single as well. (Which I didn’t feel as strongly about, just felt like a deep cut more than a single) The point is, Chunk has perfected their craft while they were away and I think we’re all in for a treat, both when the album drops in July and when touring is back in full swing.

#1: Spiritbox - Circle with me

What can I say about Spiritbox? They are without a doubt the best band in the scene right now. I’ve seen this point refuted since they haven’t dropped the album yet but let me ask this? If a band has the best content in a community without an album to their name should that really hold them back? I’ve listened to roughly 400 hours of music this year and there aren’t many songs in general that even hold a candle to Circle with Me. It’s that good. Everything this band does is flawless and this album is sure to shake things as we know them.

EPs

#4: Future Teens - Deliberately Alive

I listen to a lot of new music, so I often punish myself by not going backward and exploring the old releases by artists whose current music I love. Future Teens was different in that Deliberately Alive made me push some releases aside and take that backward leap. The band’s self-described “bummer pop” is fun and relatable and even fairly local to where I live. This EP caught me right away because it has it all, jamming rock songs, high school dance ballads, even a Cher cover. I wrote a lot more about this here if you’d like to check it out.

#3: pulses. - Speak Less

Do I really have to explain why this is here, like do I really? Ok I’ll sum it up. The absence of live music has left so many people hungry and made records maybe feel a bit duller now that the full experience is gone. If last year’s Speak it into Existence gave me a feeling of being at a festival, then Speak Less gave me the feeling of being at a venue. The two work so well as companion pieces and I can’t wait to truly see these songs live.

#2: Poppy - EAT

I constantly am going on about how Poppy has evolved throughout the years. From what started as a viral video project to advertise a simple, yet hard to forget, pop EP going all the way to this. Some of the hardest, most impactful metalcore that I’ve heard all year. In just fourteen and a half minutes this thing makes your head spin and takes the ideas on I Disagree from last year to brand new heights that I don’t even think the people involved thought they’d go to.

#1: Beach Bunny - Blame Game

If you spend enough time with me, you know this band is practically everything. This EP is a perfect example as to why. Just four songs that demonstrate all the highlights of what makes them great. Angrier and much more fueled than their full length from last year yet still completely touching and relatable. “Love Sick” may be a top song of this year for me, it goes from indie, to pop punk, to ska and beyond in one track. If you haven’t heard any of their music start with that.

Albums

#4: Origami Angel - GAMI GANG

In an album with post-hardcore inspired riffs, emo song structure and literal lyricism I found a gem by a band I didn’t even know existed prior to the day before release. This is a double album, so it’s quite long, but it’s great for driving, hanging out at home, any mood really. Origami Angel’s instrumentals feel so danceable that anything they could sing about would be a great time and they are yet another band that makes me yearn for the live setting.

#3: Galleons’ self-titled

As a young music fan post-hardcore was where I found my footing. The shows were inviting, the music was moving especially to a young angsty heart, it was so easy to immerse myself in entire discographies and learn the history of things with music I related to. (I mean, most of those bands didn’t have many albums anyway, but still.) Over the years I still checked in, but I discovered new genres and the new releases just weren’t hitting me the same way. Galleons really enamored me last year and this year is no different. Taking those old sounds and making them fresh and new while still hitting you with nostalgia for things you’ve known so long yet only for a short time. While not deep in variety this is an incredible record for it’s type of music and should be held in high regard.

#2: chloe moriondo - Blood Bunny

An album that I had anticipated since last year given the strength of the singles leading up to and EP prior as well as the signing to Fueled by Ramen, this did not disappoint. Sing along able, equal parts fun and depressing, this has it all. My only downsides is sometimes it lacks variety and the lyricism can be a bit immature, but for an artist so young and new that’s bound to happen.

#1: Jetty Bones - Push Back

Genre fluent, fun and catchy to heartbreaker and gut wrenching, how could it be anything else? This album is an experience with nearly every track bringing something totally new to the table yet also somehow remaining totally within theme. This has remained my number one of this year since back in February and while I thought, anticipating some other records, that this would be dethroned it just hasn’t gotten there yet. Honestly? Looking at the coming months? There’s some, but very little chance it will. If you want to hear more about why I love this one, see here.