Mark’s Halftime Highlights
My top 5 favourite albums of the year so far
I don’t know about anybody else, but so far 2021 feels like an expansion of last year. while places around the world are starting to slowly open up, and vaccinations are rolling out (A friendly reminder to please get vaccinated if you haven’t already!) Things have felt relatively the same. One upside though is the music we’ve received so far. These past 6 months have been filled with a plethora of new releases. I feel like artists are aware that concerts might not happen for another year or so, (at least here in Toronto) which might explain why so many albums came out this far. If we can’t perform live, let’s just give them more music to keep them busy, it’s an idea that I think worked out well.
The albums I picked for my highlights all stay in my usual rotation of hip-hop, alt-rock, and heavy metal. It’s evident that most artists were all inspired by the pandemic, using their time in lockdown to hunker down and create some great music. It took me a while to come up with 5 picks, firstly, these past few weeks have been quite busy on a personal level, life can throw some unexpected curveballs at you that require your attention. Secondly, more albums were coming out when I initially pitched this idea. So I wanted to wait a bit and reconfigure my list if I needed to.
Before I get into the list, I’d like to give a shout-out to some honorable mentions, these are projects that came out this year/last year that didn’t quite make the cut, but I highly recommend you check them out when you get the chance.
- Royal Blood|Typhoons
- Playboi Carti|Whole Lotta Red
- Code Orange|Underneath
- Architects|For Those That Wish To Exist
- KennyHoopla|How Will I Rest in Peace if I’m Buried by a Highway?
5.) Brockhampton | ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
I have to admit, I did not like ROADRUNNER the first few times I listened to it. Personally, Brockhampton fell off for me following their Saturation trilogy, their last few albums all felt like monotonous pop-rap. Completely forgoing the vibes and energy they started off with. So initially, I passed on this new album and forgot about it, however recently I decided to give it another listen, and surprisingly, I actually ended up liking it!
It might have been my mood going into ROADRUNNER at first, considering I wasn’t a fan of Ginger and Iridescence, but over time this new project grew on me. It sort of brings you back to their earlier days when they became the internet’s favourite boyband, with a lot of hyphy rap songs, tapping into the element that drew me to their music back in 2017. It’s also the group’s most feature-heavy project with appearances from JPEGMAFIA, A$AP FERG/Rocky, and Danny Brown (who might have my fave rap verse of the year so far)
While there are a ton of songs I enjoyed, some standouts include the rowdy “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY”, the R&B-tinged “COUNT ON ME” and “THE LIGHT PT 1 & 2”. The emotional two-parter track, in particular, illustrates the album’s overall theme of trying to find hope during dark times. Helmed by member JOBA as he illustrates his own feelings following his father’s death. ROADRUNNER felt like a return to form for Brockhampton, and as they’re supposed second last album, they might be leaving fans with some of their best music in a long time. They also released the album as a deluxe version with a few extra songs so check those out too!
Fave Tracks: BUZZCUT, DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY, COUNT ON ME, THE LIGHT PT 1, THE LIGHT PT 2
4.) Death from Above 1979 | Is 4 Lovers
The fourth album from Toronto’s dance-punk titans takes listeners back to the early days of their 2004 debut. Is 4 Lovers is packed with distorted basslines and breakbeat drumming that is presented with this rough edge, thanks in part to being entirely self-produced by the duo themselves. If anything, it sounds like a sequel to their first album.
Lyrically, the band has grown and sets its sights on topics such as making a family (“1+1”), hipster culture (“N.Y.C. Power Elite Pt 1&2”), the influence of social media draining our minds (“Totally Wiped Out”), and the plight of being a modern man (“Modern Guy”). I cannot stop commending just how psyched out and energetic this album sounds. From start to finish it’ll keep you grooving until your legs get tired.
I’m still baffled at the fact that all of this music is being helmed by just two guys. Not a full-blown band or a plethora of in-house producers, just a duo that knows what fans will like and what direction they want to go in. This is easily my favourite rock album of the year so far for sure, and one I’d honestly recommend to first-time listeners of Death From Above 1979.
Fave Tracks: Modern Guy, 1+1, Free Animal, N.Y.C. Power Elite Parts 1 & 2, Totally Wiped Out, No War.
3.) J.Cole| The Off-Season
“Jermaine? Cole?” are two words I echo every time J.Cole surprises us with a new album. Forgoing the third eye-opening concept of KOD, Cole dials it back with an album full of expertly produced bangers and somber streams of consciousness. At this point in his career, Cole is expected to start falling off. He’s already reached insane heights with albums such as 2014 Forest Hills Drive, he won’t light that spark back ever again and he’s aware, however that won’t stop him from trying to outdo himself.
Seemingly named after the period in which NBA players train and practice before the next season, The Off-Season Is J.Cole’s practice run. His proof that he’s still in his prime and isn’t giving up anytime soon. This is, in my personal opinion, J.Cole’s best album. When he stops the high concept stories and focuses on solely catchy bars and equally catchy beats, Cole’s at his best.
Songs such as “amari”, “applying pressure”, “interlude” and “the climb back” are just a few examples of Cole’s excellent flow and wordplay. He contemplates his legacy (“let go my hand”), the pressures of pride considering his status (“pride is the devil”) among other subjects. It also breaks the “double platinum with no features trope” attributed to Cole. Hitmakers such as 21 Savage and Lil Baby make a surprise appearance, as well as Dreamville’s Bas, 6LACK, and recent XXL Freshman Morray. These welcome features help make The Off-Season better than the sum of its parts.
This is a great album, and as a start to the Fall-Off Era that Cole has been teasing since 2018, The Off-Season is evidence that J.Cole won’t be falling off anytime soon.
Fave Tracks: amari, applying pressure, punchin’ the clock, pride is the devil, let go my hand, interlude, the climb back.
2.) Slowthai| TYRON
I honestly forgot this came out this year, as February felt so long ago. The second studio album by England’s most enigmatic rapper, TYRON is an excellent study of two warring sides that represent the artist we know as Slowthai. 2 years ago he was the poster child of the angst and fear of a post-Brexit Britain with the excellent and politically charged Nothing Great About Britain. TYRON is less focused on politics and more interested in Slowthai’s psyche.
The first half of the album is full of hard-hitting, grime influence bangers that Slowthai has perfected, their energy evident by the all-caps titles. Songs like “CANCELLED” “MAZZA” (one of my favourite singles of the year!) “VEX” and “WOT” see Tyron fightback against cancel culture, yuppies trying to appeal to him, and being his most charismatic and loud-mouthed self. However, things take a dramatic turn, both lyrically and sonically.
The second half of TYRON is juxtaposed with lush production and dark, concerning lyrics that make you feel for Slowthai. This is easily my favourite run of songs on an album this year, period. Dealing with suicidal ideation over Kanye-Esque beats on “i tried”. Admitting that he’s come to terms that some won’t forgive/like him for his behaviour on “terms”, and trying to find the energy in himself to keep going throughout “focus” and “push”. The album ends with the powerful “adhd” where Slowthai illustrates his depressive thoughts and ADHD. It’s an ending that makes me hope that Slowthai is handling himself well and is in a good place both mentally and emotionally (which thankfully, he is).
TYRON made me reconsider what I thought I knew about Slowthai, the second half in particular echoed feelings that I personally came across during this pandemic which is why I feel so strongly about that section. It’s an album that showcases the duality of an artist, focusing on what we already know and revealing a harsh truth that was hidden away. All told in a beautiful manner over 14 tracks.
Fave Tracks: 45 SMOKE, CANCELLED, MAZZA, VEX, WOT, PLAY WITH FIRE, i tried, focus, terms, push, adhd.
1.) CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST| Tyler, The Creator
If you know me personally, then you know how much I’ve been gushing about this album since it dropped over a week ago. I still can’t fathom how Tyler managed to outdo himself for the third time. He killed it with Flower Boy, he dropped jaws with IGOR and he’s outdone himself yet again on CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. This might be a reach but I’ll say it anyway, this is Tyler, The Creator’s best album.
It’s clear that he missed rapping after 2019’s pop-heavy IGOR (evident by his guest verses on projects by Goldlink, Westside Gunn and Freddie Gibbs) so he makes up for that throughout this new album. CMIYGL is chockful of clever bars that see Tyler flexing his ego through a new persona called Tyler Baudelaire. This new alter ego is obsessed with spending money on lavish things, traveling, and taking your girlfriend as the album explores these topics in an excellently produced way.
Speaking of production, this is hands down my favourite produced album of any genre. Tyler goes from heavy boom-bap (“CORSO”, “LUMBERJACK”, “MANIFESTO”), flowery R&B (“WUSYANAME”) Griselda like instrumentals (“SIR BAUDELAIRE, “HOT WIND BLOWS”, “SAFARI”), and even reggae (“SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE”). Thankfully he gets some help with verses from Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and some of hip-hop’s newest poster boys like Lil Uzi Vert and Youngboy NBA.
The album truly took me for a loop with songs such as “MASSA”, where Tyler illustrates his desire to always be in his own league over an MF DOOM minimalist beat, and the Domo Genesis assisted “MANIFESTO”, where Tyler confronts the virtue signallers who want him to speak up on social issues as well as addressing his edgy past of the early 2010’s. They both show Tyler’s evolution into the rapper we know of today, who wants to create his own path and not conform to the ideologies that people want him to subscribe to.
Fave Tracks: SIR BAUDELAIRE, CORSO, WUSYANAME, LUMBERJACK, HOT WIND BLOWS, MASSA, MANIFESTO, SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE, RISE!, JUGGERNAUT, WILSHIRE, SAFARI.
So there you have it! these are my top 5 favourite albums of the year so far. All of these albums are excellent to me in their own right. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of 2021 will play out music-wise, considering the exceptional projects we’ve been treated to so far. what about you? what are your halftime highlights for the year?
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