Music to Look Forward to in 2021
As we move past the disaster movie of 2020, we can look to the future with some hopeful optimism. Even when everything else is a mess, we still have good music, and that’s not about to change in 2021. Here are some of the biggest albums we have to enjoy in the year to come, and everything we know about them so far.
The Pretty Reckless — Death By Rock and Roll
12thFebruary 2021 (Goin’ Down, Inc. / Century Media Records)
Taylor Momsen and Co. are back in February with their first new album since 2016’s Who You Selling For. We’ve heard a couple of tracks so far, with the titular single and ‘25’ promising an atmospheric grandeur to their grungy alt rock sound. This album will also see them collaborate with other alternative icons, with latest single ‘And So It Went’ featuring guitar legend Tom Morello. Expect hard-as-nails rock music with Momsen’s heavy-hitting, intoxicating voice and big guitars at the heart of the album.
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The Fratellis — Half Drunk Under a Full Moon
9thApril 2021 (The Fratellis / Cooking Vinyl Limited.)
I stand by the statement that The Fratellis have never released a bad album. With each one comes a tweaked sound and new ideas, but they are always, unmistakeably, The Fratellis. Half Drunk Under A Full Moon has been postponed a couple of times now, finally due for release almost a year after the initial announcement. But singles ‘6 Days in June’ and ‘Action Replay’ reassures fans that Half Drunk Under A Full Moon will be worth the wait, with a brand-new brass element and the same gorgeous lyrics that we’ve always loved. Their collaboration with PP Arnold on ‘Strangers in The Street’ shows off a new side of the band we’ve never seen before, opting for soulful ballads as well as roaring indie anthems.
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Greta Van Fleet — The Battle at Garden’s Gate
16thApril 2021 (Republic Records / UMG Recordings Inc / Lava Music LLC)
Whether you think they’ve been inspired by the greats or they stolen the sound of bands that came before them, you can’t deny that there aren’t many bands like Greta Van Fleet around today. They’ve brought back classic rock in a big way and their third full-length album is likely to be just as acclaimed as the first two. The Battle at Garden’s Gate promises to be elegant and introspective, reflecting on their journey as a band.
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Weezer — Van Weezer
May 7th2021 (Crish Music / Atlantic Recording Corporation)
This is another record with a big delay. It was originally set to be released last May alongside Weezer’s Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy — the new release date will (hopefully, all fingers crossed) coincide with the postponed triple headliner extravaganza. Named for and dedicated to the late Eddie Van Halen, Weezer have promised their fourteenth album will be a return to big guitars, following on from their pop-rock leaning past few endeavours.
The Killers — TBA
TBA
This is where things start to get a little hazier. We don’t have an exact date for the Killers’ upcoming record, but we do have a time frame. Almost immediately after last year’s Imploding the Mirage, Brandon Flowers announced that the band were back in the recording studio, and that they were planning to release their next album within ten months. They’ve been teasing song titles on social media since then, so they don’t seem to be backing down from their promise. Of course, it could be a victim of Covid delays, but this seems to be an album that you can count on this year.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — Carnage
TBA
This announcement is hot off the press. Through his Red Hand Files newsletter, Nick Cave announced just this week that he had spent a part of lockdown in the studio with Warren Ellis working on another Bad Seeds album. With only a title to go with, Carnage, the rest is up to our imaginations. But if it’s anything like 2019’s Ghosteen, then it’s going to be big.
The Distillers — TBA
TBA
I’m pretty sure that a Distillers album was on the 2020 edition of this article, but I think we can forgive them for not releasing anything last year. The Distillers have spent the last few years on a comeback tour of live shows and festivals as they gear up to make some new music. Recent interviews with Brody Dalle indicate that a new album might not be too far away, although we have no title or release date just yet.
The Cure — TBA
TBA
Okay, this is definitely one that I put on last year’s list — hopefully this year isn’t just wishful thinking. The Cure have been promising a new album for a long time. Like, a really long time. They haven’t given in to constant demands for a release date, but we do have the tentative title of Live form the Moon. Robert Smith has said in recent interviews that he was able to get a lot of work done during lockdown last year which has given fans new hope that an album is on the horizon. Nothing is for sure.
Originally published at http://musicmalady.com on January 13, 2021.
