16
Scarcity
Aveilut
The Flenser
In recent years the textural quality of black metal has opened up myriad pathways for experimentation. The latest addition to this tradition is the duo of Scarcity, arriving with a debut record of incredible depth in Aveilut. The extreme perspective of traditional black metal is therein deconstructed and projected through lenses of kraut rock and no-wave. The result is a dissonant, all-encompassing work that balances between earthy tradition and cosmic elevation.
17
Chained Bliss
Chained Bliss
Drunken Sailor
While Chained Bliss shares some similarities with British post-punk pioneers, there is a modern urgency that’s somewhere between anarchopunk, The Wipers, and modern DIY like Dirt Cult catalog. It’s thoughtful music with a certain moodiness, but there’s also a forceful, blunt element that challenges the listen to take action. The music sets a mood, then the powerful vocals of Devin Graham contradict and challenge you. I think of the best post-punk as having a dystopian, inhuman element that is offset by nuanced human emotion. Chained Bliss has this down, albeit a little more forcefully. Just look at their name. This record sounds extremely polished for a relatively new band, capturing the right balance of raw emotion with thoughtful composition.
– Loren
18
OFF!
Free LSD
Fat Possum Records
Blistering fast-paced Punk Rock energy proton pills shoved down your esophagus. Morris continues to pulverize in the tradition of early Circle Jerks. Blink and it is over. Hit repeat.
19
Meat Wave
Malign Hex
Swami
I heard people raving about Meat Wave for a while before I finally saw the band a few years ago. But I still hadn’t really checked out their recorded material and I wasn’t sure how the band’s powerful set would translate to the at-home experience. Many bands with a raw concert experience struggle to set that same tone to tape. I’m pleased to say that Malign Hex met my lofty expectations. There’s a lot going on with this record. It’s abrasive, but sometimes catchy. It’s heavy, but sometimes dynamic. It’s arty, but never pretentious. It’s raw, intense, carefully composed noise-punk. The record may not be as sweaty as the live show, but it maintains a powerful flow that hits hard, but also makes it easier to pick up the little details that separate Meat Wave from other groups. It’s hard to miss the hammer-swinging aggression, but this recording also captures those finer nuances that bring it all together.
– Loren
20
Moonraker
The Forest
Bearded Punk Records, Bypolar Records, No Time Records, Tiny Dragon Music
Moonraker seems to have been paying attention to their favorite bands. But I don’t mean that it’s derivative. I mean they’ve studied songcraft and know when and how to make what’s old sound new again -- which is the magic of punk rock which, otherwise, is essentially a three-chord formula that everybody and your parents already beat into the ground.
– Loren
21
Crack Cloud
Tough Baby
Meat Machine
Vancouver collective Crack Cloud’s sophomore release is the result of experience and growing pains. 2020’s Pain Olympics was a tour de force of dark, often depressive imagery, but Tough Baby refocuses as a call to action. The band doesn’t collapse under their vast creative aspirations but the album, jam packed with minute flourishes, does require your attention. Overall the tracks are uprooted from reality, torn apart and put back together in the same way the best Pavement or Bowie songs are. Tough Baby feels like a secret step in a 12 step program that invites you to feel all the rage you want to- justifiable or not. It embraces the messiness and maturity of a complete human experience and coats the whole thing in brass and yell along choruses.
– Delaney
22
Death Cab For Cutie
Asphalt Meadows
Atlantic
Death Cab for Cutie are back with what I believe to be their best album in a decade. The pacing and flow never leave the listener bored or the record feeling disjointed. As the band experiments with new sounds and explores other genres, each member is given their moment to shine and they never lose what makes them sound like Death Cab. Asphalt Meadows puts a little more "rock" into the "Indie-Rock" as opposed to some of their recent efforts, with credit to John Congleton as the producer for making it all work and blend together as well as it does. Death Cab for Cutie were due for a breath of fresh air and this was it.
– Aaron H
23
More Kicks
Punch Drunk
Dirtnap
I was thrown the first time I listened to this. I came in blind, expecting “the Dirtnap sound.” But what matters isn’t the brand, it’s if the music is good, so it’s a silly bias to begin with. More Kicks play power pop with a British indie thing going on. My first impressions were thinking it was kind of a rock ‘n’ roll version of The Shins, though I’m ultimately not convinced that does the band any justice. It’s extremely melodic, peppy and, generally, positive in tone. It feels uplifting, with a few somber moments for balance as the record plays on. As I mentioned, they’ve put this together in an enticing way that builds to a general uplifting vibe with some hardships along the way.
– Loren
24
She/Her/Hers
She/Her/Hers
Don Giovanni
I’ll start by saying I have a love/hate relationship with folk-punk. Done right, it’s one of the most authentic styles out there. But it has a lot of genre tropes that annoy me too. Fortunately, She/Her/Hers plays it right, because the genre is also a great fit for the theme of this record. She/Her/Hers covers serious and personal issues, while taking the listener along on a complex journey. It’s an open book that both enlightens to Emma Grrl’s experiences, while demanding empathy as trans people are increasingly targeted in the wider culture. The reason this record strikes such a chord is because it balances complex issues with real human emotion. It’s not just a message; it’s never preaching to the choir. It’s personal. It’s art.
– Loren
25
Parkway Drive
Darker Still
Epitaph, Resist Records
Parkway Drive instil a passion and emotion in their music that others can only try to imitate. Parkway Drive make you feel like you can do anything, that you can achieve everything you turn your hand to, they are the life coach that will never let you down. They have fine tuned the art of slow release energy and bring up that aggression by use of building gradually and using timing rather than pure brutal relentless energy that can fizzle out quickly. The brutality is there but with some songs it kind of creeps up on you. I believe Parkway Drive have achieved great things with all of their albums so far but Darker Still has topped it off, granting them godlike status in my eyes.
26
Aeviterne
The Ailing Facade
Profound Lore Records
Death metal has always looked outwards, historically towards the progressive and jazz scenes. That was the quality that made the genre visionary, yet along the way this format was rehashed more and more often. New York powerhouse Aeviterne stay true to the original purpose of forward-thinking death metal, infusing their oppressive structures with industrial elements and post-punk motifs. It feels like a disastrous recipe, but Aeviterne manage to bind the different parts together flawlessly, thus recapturing the adventurous attitude of the genre and in the process creating a stunning result with The Ailing Facade.
27
Wire
Not About To Die (Studio Demos-1977-1978)
Pinkflag
Originally leaked demos for EMI were pressed on a shoddy bootleg devoid of the careful attention Wire is known for. This has been corrected by the band having been remastered with relevant recording details. These demos were comprised of songs that eventually ended up on Chairs Missing and 154. For Wire fans, this is an essential purchase. For Wire neophytes, this is a stepping stone into the world of Wire. Blissful repetitive listening experience! Wire continues to produce a quality product
28
40 Watt Sun
Perfect Light
Svart Records
Perfect Light is 40 Watt Sun are their most powerful. Stripped to the basics of their sound yet weighty with emotion and heart, Patrick Walker’s music is a delicate look at relationships (both romantic and platonic), and 40 Watt Sun is the vehicle in which these moments are explored. Oftentimes crushing, Perfect Light is a journey to the core of what it is to love and be loved.
– Cheryl
29
Daniel Rossen
You Belong There
Warp
Former Grizzly Bear co-leader Daniel Rossen released his debut solo full-length to great acclaim this year. Only ten songs in length but perfectly formed, it weaves beautiful layers of complex guitar work over an array of other instruments as Rossen's rarely-penned lyrics take centre stage alongside his warm voice. Sometimes lonesome and introspective, other times emotive and inspiring, this is a beautiful, complex and intriguingly constructed record you should make time to experience.
– Matt
30
Nobro
Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar
Big Scary Monsters
Sometimes I feel so incredibly dumb. I have a soft spot for Spanish punk bands and figured, based on the name, this could be filed as such. Sounded Spanish in my head at least. Until I came to their bandcamp, noticed this is a Canadian band and saw the band photo with four young women. I said the name out loud. Then, slowly it dawned on me, it’s “no bro”. “Oh, I said to myself “I think you just fooled yourself”. The goal of this band? To be the most kick-ass all-female band ever. Well, this EP is a good step in succeeding. Do you need to shred some gnar, find this EP, set the volume to max and blast this as often as needed.
– Dennis
