Al's Review of 2021 In Music

Early in 2021 I made it a goal to listen to more music, and to listen more critically. I was successful some of the time, but it wasn't a consistent effort. The good news is that I made time to hear some new albums with a more attentive ear than usual. When it comes to the music of 2021, I find myself generally pleased with what I heard.

Most of these albums were movie scores, if for no other reason than I heard something in the music I liked when watching the films. In some cases, the scores turned out to be a little dull when separated from the content, but most are decent listens in their own right. Of all these, Hans Zimmer's score for Dune floored me the most (the Sketchbook album in particular). I know Zimmer gets a lot of criticism for the amount of artifice and noise his scores entail, but I believe Dune is a special effort that invokes genuine feeling through an exotic variety of sound. It doesn't sound commercial--to me, it sounds like art, and it really does transport me to other worlds.

I have naturally given spins to new work by favorite artists, with particular emphasis on rock and metal. New releases by Rob Zombie, Monster Magnet, The Pretty Reckless, Evanescence, Therion, Sirenia, and Dream Theater have been rock solid. I wish I could say the same for other genres I listen to, but I didn't really explore the latest electronica albums that deeply. I did try out some recent pop releases, and I have to admit that albums by Adele, Billie Eilish, and Doja Cat appealed to me.

From one forum I visit frequently, I decided to give some other types of music a try. Some of it is beyond me--I never knew that doom jazz could be a thing, but Mondo Decay is some unique noise, and I'm not sure I'm a fan of it. One guy couldn't stop gushing over the new album by a band I never heard of before: Eddie Brickell and the New Bohemians. I have to admit, that album was catchy as hell and I listened to it a lot. There's a smattering of other material I dabbled with--some I like, some fall flat.

I probably could have put forth a greater effort, but I'm confident I heard enough to make a fair ranking of the 2021 films I've spun.

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38: Maribeth Solomon - Cultist Simulator Game Score

Rather generic background music for an indie video game. It's harmless and probably goes unnoticed while playing the game—listening to it on its own is a little droll though. While the score offers mood, it lacks structure and passion.

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37: TesseracT - PORTALS

This...this album right here, this demonstrates the indescribable experience I have with some forms of heavy metal. Like it is with Between the Buried and Me, TesseracT's music is the kind in which I hear something I feel like I should enjoy, but I don't. The long-winded progressive structure should worm its way into my ears, but something about the stabby guitars and blaring vocals block my appreciation. With every attempt I've made to get into this album, I find myself unable to discern an appealing form. It really is just noise—not terrible noise, but it's not my noise either.

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36: BT - Metaversal

So, Brian Transeau is into the retrowave racket now. Ehhh...it's fine and all. The album is structurally sound and the style is spot-on. But it's so on-point that it doesn't really break new ground. Nothing about it really hooked me, and after hearing so-many hours of similar bands (whether that be Scandroid, Power Glove, Cassetter, Fury Weekend, Pertrubator, Sunset Neon, and who knows what else), BT's take on the genre just sounds like more of the same.

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35: Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR

Olivia Rodrigo makes a bold debut album, crafted in the isolation of the pandemic, where pungent themes of adolescence and emotional turmoil emerge with a sting. No doubt the music cuts deep for many, but I was personally thrown off by the jarring disparity between the one song I loved (the punkish "Brutal," which goes far to express all the themes in a tight way) and the rest of the album (which just struck me as fluffy). I'm ultimately not a fan of the album's style, which only briefly touches on the hard texture of rock, before succumbing to a slow, saccharine style of pop I find droll.

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34: Émoi - Willy's Wonderland Film Score

If you've seen the movie, you should know what to expect out of half of this. Naturally, the soundtrack boasts a large helping of the cheesiest sing-a-longs ever made for a scary movie. The actual score music has some genuinely cool and moving segments with pulsing beats, edgy guitars, and moody orchestrations to match the madcap blend of horror, style, and insanity. Few tracks are weak, there's one country song I find horrible, but if you can stomach the goofy songs used by the animatronic animals, the album is a good deal.

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33: Junkie XL – Zack Snyder's Justice League Film Score

The new cut of the Justice League movie has many improvements, and one of its best features may be its new score courtesy of Tom Holkenborg (JXL). Hearing it with the movie, it's a sublime marriage that genuinely adds impact and emotion to key scenes. Hearing the score solo, the impact is lost a bit. Even though the score aims for awe and emotion, it is often thrown off by the gloomy tone that permeates most tracks. At times it becomes rather dull, but there are good moments in the score that sound great.

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32: Nun Gun – Mondo Decay

This unique blend of "Doom Jazz" will appeal to somebody. I can't deny that it's an interesting form of music--the beats are strong, guitars and synths are deep, and there's a heavy flow to the songs that sound gloomy as they are badass. What gives me pause are the jazz aspects and the level of noise layered together—it often sounds messy, and I question if it's truly harmonic or just garish. It might sink in on repeat listens, but for now I find it a little...much.

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31: Front Line Assembly – Mechanical Soul

With their consistent industrial style, Mechanical Soul sounds cool enough on the surface. The beats are strong and the style is appropriately dark and mechanical. Enjoyable in the moment, but not particularly memorable.

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30: Epica – Ωmega

I don’t know what it is about the last few Epica albums, they just don’t sink in the way their earlier works do. Ωmega is an album I feel like I should enjoy, but it sounds all samey-same to my ears. That could change in time, I dunno. As it is, it’s on-par with recent symph metal albums, emphasizing powerful vocals over complex arrangements of orchestra and noisy metal guitars. There’s a lot of power to the songs, which underscore grand overarching themes. It's an admirable effort, but it ain't no Divine Conspiracy either.

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29: Garbage – No Gods No Masters

Feels far displaced from their 90s output, but it’s much more palatable than the last modern Garbage album I tried to listen to. The songs are fairly catchy with a modern quality that packs a fair punch—it’s not a bad listen in the end, and some of it straight-up rocks.

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28: Doja Cat – Planet Her

I can’t deny that Planet Her is loaded with hooks that I find addicting, even when the lyrics devolve into garish trash-talking. The language is unbecoming, especially in a song like “Ain’t Sh*t.” And yet, that particular song boasts a vocal quality that I find rather exquisite. “Get Into It (Yuh)” is as catchy as they come, and there are quite a few other songs I enjoy on the basis of rhythm and vocals. These tracks don’t have the smoothness of a song like “Say So,” but it’s still a well-produced album with a good amount of standouts.

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27: Adele – 30

Adele’s latest album hits some hard notes concerning her personal struggles with divorce, motherhood, and fame. It seems cynical at times, but there is an endearing sense of hope and optimism in songs like “Hold On.” “Easy On Me” is the hit single from this album, but it’s not my favorite—most of the other tracks appeal to me more and it’s a solid listen with solid vocal quality and some good hooks.

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26: Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks

Nah, I don't think this band sucks that much. Can't say I enjoy their latest more than their earlier works (Gold Cobra, even, was a consistently rambunctious and fun listen). Still Sucks is short and weirdly uneven, swaying heavily from their usual brand of juvenile rap-metal to straight-up rap and some acoustic. It's rather jarring and the recording quality sounds too polished somehow. But there is merit to the songs—the first couple of tracks show some tongue-in-cheek self-depreciation before the album aims for genuine emotion in songs like "Don't Change" and "You Bring Out The Worst In Me." It's an admirable effort for a band that's supposed to suck.

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25: Liz Phair – Soberish

My first time hearing this artist, and it's generally a positive experience. There are good beats and hooks to be found in many songs--I find that the first few songs fall a little short, in the sense that they string me along with great versus but I'm not a fan of their choruses for some reason. Charm does sink in though, and I am especially smitten by the smoothness of "Soul Sucker" (my favorite of the lot, and something I genuinely find soothing) and the cheekiness of "Bad Kitty."

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24: Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever

This is my first exposure to Billie Eilish beyond the theme song for No Time To Die, and her album leaves a good impression. There are a few overtly catchy songs—“Oxytocin,” for example, is a perfectly danceable tune. But what appeals to me the most is how mellow and smooth many tracks become, and it’s rather relaxing that way. Lyrics cut into heady topics with a sense of purpose and confidence, and it makes for a rather good pop album in an age where pop seems underwhelming. I actually like these songs more than her Bond theme.

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23: Niels Bye Nielsen – Hitman III Video Game Score

If you play the games, this music will be familiar—some themes have been the same for the past few years and the third game score adds little new to the mix. It remains solid though because of the consistency with previous game music—nothing surprising, but nothing bad either. It still retains a certain Bond-like vibe thanks to the use of strings and a focus on atmosphere. One awesome thing about this album is that it includes the music from the Club Hölle level—even though I’ve heard it over and over from playing the game, it’s still a real banger of a club track.

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22: Scandroid – Dreams of Darkness, Visions of Light

Klayton sure is milking these songs hard over the past few years. The retrowave angle has gotten old for me, so I haven’t really been following the remixes that much—it is nice that this album compiles most of them in one place. Even though there’s a been-there-done-that feeling behind it, I do value Scandroid over other bands of this type and their quality is as solid with this album as it is with others. The beats are strong, the melodies are catchy, and I have no real complaints. Only problem is that a release like this is just mundane at this point.

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21: UNKLE – Rōnin I

Remixes and variations on some of the band's recent songs. There are inherent merits to these songs to begin with, and the new mixes can either be a blessing or a curse. I find the beats and melodies agreeable for most songs. Few tracks sound absolutely stuffed with voices and noise, and I at times I find it a little much. But there are enough good tracks to make it a worthwhile exercise.

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20: Balkan Taksim – Telegraf

I stumbled across this band hailing from Bucharest, and I was quite intrigued and pleased by their brand of East European electronica. There is a definite, palpable texture and style to their music, which channels exotic, folkish influences over layers of club beats and psychedelia. Not all of these tracks work for me, but it is a solid album with a consistent style and tone, and it’s definitely something new and unique to my ears.

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19: John Carroll Kirby – Cryptozoo Film Score

Matching up with the style of the bizarre animated film, John Carroll Kirby’s score emphasizes a New Age aesthetic with a somewhat modern flair. The opening and closing themes for the movie are simple, but memorable and quite soothing. Some of the action music might sound a little clunky and garish, but most of the album is surprisingly pleasant.

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18: Crystal Viper - The Cult

Pretty solid hair metal album with a strong fantasy vibe. Can't say I find all the melodies appealing, but after the first few tracks I found it more palatable. Songs like "Sleeping Giants" are especially awe-inspiring, given the sheer power behind the voices and the awesome guitars.

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17: Morcheeba – Blackest Blue

On par with their other releases, Blackest Blue boasts a few great standout tracks that emphasize rhythm and a very funky groove over soothing downtempo beats. Skye Edwards’ voice is smooth as always, but even instrumental pieces like “Sulphur Soul” exude enough style and soul to stand out. Some filler may be less memorable though.

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16: The Pretty Reckless – Death By Rock And Roll

A good rock album with a few major standouts. Songs like “Witches Burn” and “Only Love Can Save Me Now” are catchy and heavy enough to make you want to head-bang. The album gradually shifts into a softer country influence towards the end, but there’s some sense of gravitas and emotion behind “Harley Darling.” Some filler in between, but still satisfying.

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15: Monster Magnet – A Better Dystopia

Sometimes more of the same is good. Monster Magnet’s albums are rather consistent in their style, tone, and quality, and their latest album is no exception. There’s hardly any bad songs in this bunch—they’re all hard rockin’ bangers with awesome, crunchy guitar riffs and memorable melodies. I wouldn’t call it a major standout compared to their earlier hits either, but it’s still a good listen.

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14: Therion – Leviathan

I was pleased to hear one of my favorite bands return to form. Much like their work prior to Gothic Kabbalah, Leviathan is an epic experience that marries symphony and operatic voices with high-paced metal. The album manages to establish its own unique identity amidst its range of mythology, which covers everything from the Biblical to Scandinavian to Greek to their usual exploration of Kabbalah mysticism. I am quite smitten by Rosalia Sairem's voice, which adds a lot of punch and power to "Eye of Algol" (my favorite of the album) and "The Leaf on the Oak of Far" (which has great verses, lackluster choruses, but is salvaged by the vocals). I find that some songs fall a little flat, but there is still some serious power behind the guitars and melodies that makes the album a fair standout. I wouldn't rank this over their earlier work, but it far surpasses their last few efforts.

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13: André Antunes – The Sound of Victory

For those who aren't in on the joke, Andre Antunes is a dude on Youtube who matches his electric guitar against a number of raw subjects, and his subjects lately have been Karen videos. The Sound of Victory recreates the memes with a professional polish, which is both a blessing and a curse. The curse of it is that the original videos with the original, unstaged freak-outs are often more metal than their recreations. Holy crap, that woman who screams "We're losing our democracy! Wake up!" is loud and raw enough to rival Cradle of Filth. However, this album permits the vocals to match up with the instruments seamlessly, and it is still a hoot to hear these insane freak-outs matched up with the excellent guitars. "Get Out of My Car," "Why Are You Closed?," and the titular "Sound of Victory" are pretty hilarious, especially when taken in context. If "Karen Metal" is a new genre, I hope it expands into new territories in the future (Andre could pump out a new album easily with everything he's mashed up since).

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12: Evanescence – The Bitter Truth

I know, I know, Fallen is better and Evanescence has never topped it and blah blah blah. I'm one of the weirdos who likes everything beyond Fallen, and I was smitten by The Bitter Truth. Far less gothic than their predecessors, the album assumes a rawer and more grounded style, which permits the lyrics and Amy Lee's vocals to shine brighter amidst the dark storm of guitar riffs. The album explores poignant themes concerning disillusionment, and songs like "Yeah Right" exudes a rather sharp sarcastic tone that I think cuts deep. "Wasted On You" is probably my favorite of the lot, which assumes a fairy-tale tone, before tearing the romanticism down with aggressive guitars and cynical lyrics. I suppose the turn towards cynicism is unbecoming, but I appreciate the frank and confrontational way the album rips through the veil of fantasy and romance and literally addresses the bitter truths. It also helps that the album is loaded with catchy melodies.

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11: Iron Maiden – Senjutsu

Iron Maiden has always commanded an impressive output that can be considered classics in the metal genre, and their latest album might go down as one of the best. But it's not an album that immediately hooks me. The song "Senjutsu" doesn't thrill me like it should, and I blame the chorus, which aims for the high notes but seems to flatline. "Stratego" fares better, especially with its kick-ass guitars, but this album really doesn't enthrall me until the third track onwards. "Writing on the Wall," "Lost in a Lost World," and "Days of Future Past" is a fantastic run of songs that redeems the album for me—the melodic quality that gushes out of the guitars and vocals are entrancing from this point onwards. So I might have to skip the first couple of tracks, but it is a solid album worth hearing.

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10: Dream Theater – A View From The Top Of The World

This is an album I enjoy simply because it's on-par with their other works. The quality and sheer power of the drums and guitar are consistently powerful, but the band weaves complex melodies that keep their songs engaging all the way through.

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9: The Seatbelts – The Cowboy Bebop Netflix Series Soundtrack

Oh hell yeah, the Seatbelts are back! The Netflix show might not have fared well, but one thing it got right is the music, thanks in large part to wrangling in Yoko Kanno into the project. While much of the show's score mirrors the older Cowboy Bebop cues (especially rehashing "Tank!" and "NY Rush" among others), it's still a joy to hear familiar tunes mixed in with new variations and pieces that feel right at home in the franchise. The cues are short, but they are plentiful and sweet.

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8: Moby – Reprise

Like it is with Thievery Corporation's Symphonik, Moby offers a stripped-down re-recording of his more famous songs with Reprise. Although I often question how well his work holds up, I have to admit that Reprise oozes emotion and soul, even in the most overplayed of tracks. I am especially smitten by how much raw power is put into his new version of "Everloving," but other tracks like "Natural Blues," "Porcelain," and "Lift Me Up" are equally awe-inspiring. It's like they've all been given the grand cinematic treatment, but with passionate vocals and instrumentation to match. It's especially nice to hear this treatment granted to David Bowie's "Heroes," which is very touching with Mindy Jones' voice. My only complaint is that the album can wear its welcome out quickly, and this approach is probably best taken in bursts.

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7: Brian Tyler and John Carey – Escape Room: Tournament of Champions Film Score

It's albums like this that makes me appreciate and value film scores that emphasize modern instruments over the traditional. It's practically an electronica album in its own right, hinging more on steady beats and the mood of the synths and droning noise more than a stuffy orchestra. It still offers a tone that can be recognized and tied to the film, and the music goes a long way in granting the film mood and gravitas. On its own, it's still a darn good listen thanks to the way it emphasizes tension and style.

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6: Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy

I swear, Mr. Zombie must be aiming to break the world record for the longest and most random of album titles. It's cute, but you'll never beat Fiona Apple.

Still, he remains on-brand with his typical concoction of heavy metal with 70s cultist and hillbilly influences. The songs hit hard and heavy as expected, and there's hardly any stinkers in this bunch. I'm especially enamored by the shorter tracks, which offer very brief instrumental interludes that sound very smooth—some are straight-up chill and pleasant. I'm not sure this album is nearly as memorable as previous ones, but it is enjoyable, catchy, and energetic.

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5: Sirenia – Riddles, Ruins & Revelations

While I still feel that Sirenia loses a little something since their first round of releases, their latest album is at least different and interesting enough to warrant attention. From the first track onward, it seems far more experimental than usual as it emphasizes a stronger electronic element. And yet, the album still adheres to the familiar symph-metal style, complete with orchestras and choruses. They rock some interesting flourishes this time (I swear I hear a theremin in there) that gives the album an eerier, more paranormal vibe. It's a bit more of an elaborate production than usual, reminding me a little of Tarja's albums a few years ago, but it doesn't come off as overdone. It's as fantastic as they come, with perhaps a spooky edge.

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4: Edie Brickell and New Bohemians – Hunter and the Dog Star

This is the first album I've heard from Edie Brickell, so I don't know how to judge this against her other output. On its own merits, I was quite pleased with the sheer catchiness of the songs. So much so that I listened to this album more than most others this year. Despite the bubbly tone and country-inspired flourishes to some songs, I found most songs enticing thanks to their melodies, structure, beats, and smooth vocal quality. It gets rather cheeky at times, but there's gravitas as well. I do believe it loses some steam at the very end, but it's still a solid listen and I enjoyed these songs a lot.

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3: Hans Zimmer – Dune Film Score

Dune is a special film project that warrants a special soundtrack. For this fantastic space opera, Zimmer draws upon multiple influences to assign sounds and themes to the worlds and characters of the film. The result is uncanny in every sense of the word. It is jarring to hear such unusual choruses and instruments slammed together, but themes and melodies emerge out of the sound that makes the experience unified and moving. I admire the score for its range of sound and the unique themes—my only complaint is that it is only a smaller part of a larger universe.

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2: John Carpenter – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death

It's always a pleasure to see a master at work. Carpenter's career in music is almost as formidable as his film output, even though the two are intrinsically linked—his stand-alone albums of late have all oozed atmosphere and style, and his latest round of "Lost Themes" (made in collaboration with Carpenter's son and grandson) comes close to being my favorite of the lot. The ambience is palpably dark, but not without a sense of gothic mysticism and romance thanks to the expert blend of synths, piano, strings, and airy choral voices. Electric guitars strike through many tracks, accentuating the vibes with moving gravitas. There's nothing cheesy about the music—it's every bit as spooky, somber, moving, and awesome as what you might hear in an 80s horror movie.

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1: Hans Zimmer – Dune Sketchbook

Sometimes, more of a good thing is warranted. While Zimmer's Dune score offers a fantastic and moving experience in its own right, it is purposefully cut to conform to movie cues, and I can't help but to consider the soundtrack as an abridged and chopped version of the full musical experience.

The sketchbook is a true piece of art. With pieces that extend upwards of ten minutes each, Zimmer uses the breathing room to ease into each movement, layering them with a rich pallet of sound that coalesces into thundering storms of exotic, otherworldly symphony. It does become noisy, and it may be especially bewildering to hear such things as the stabbing female chorus, throat singing, and bagpipes overlapping the droning synths and rumbling drums. What keeps me in awe are the melodies that emerge from the chaos, which glues all the elements into a cohesive experience. The different instruments have thematic connections to the Dune story, but the themes crafted for the characters and events are memorable and evocative even without the extra flourishes.

It could understandably be dismissed as noise (and I've seen many film fans cast a critical eye on Zimmer for watering down the art behind movie scores with artifice). I believe a good creative effort was put into Dune though, and the textured range of sounds exudes an atmosphere and vibe that truly makes you feel like you're on another world. I'm personally enamored by the experience, and of all the albums I've heard I value this one the most.

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AL'S FAVORITE 2021 SONGS