Hi guys first of all MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you've all had a lovely time and that Santa has been good to you 💓.
I'm excited to publish one of my favourite blogs of the year where I get to waffle and give my entirely uneducated and uncalled for opinions of music I've loved during 2021 😂 (for those of you interested you can check out my review of 2020's music here, I've also been posting occasional blogs about a music challenge that you can see here). As always I'd really like to know what you guys have enjoyed this year and any recommendations you have for me. As always click on the blue writing for links to the albums and songs.
As a disclaimer some of these songs might have been released prior to 2021 and I've only discovered them this year but loved them so much I had to include them. So without further ado (and in no particular order) let's jump in .......
I'd been looking forward to the release of this album ever since Trouble's Coming was released last year and it was worth the wait. I'd describe it as 'rock you can dance to', it has the heaviness of their previous albums but with an added groove. My favourite songs on it are Typhoons (not just because there's a plane the same name honest!) and Boilermaker (Co-written by Queens Of The Stoneage's Josh Homme). Royal Blood are actually still the last band I saw live back in 2019 as although gigs I have tickets for have gone ahead unfortunately my mental health has not played ball at all and I've missed gigs by Royal Blood, Yungblud and Amyl & The Sniffers 😓
I love this album, it takes me back to the pop punk of my teenage years. However don't be fooled by the upbeat tunes, it's not all sunshine and unicorns and does cover some darker elements. I first heard about MGK when a music commentary channel I follow on YouTube The Punk Rock MBA mentioned that MGK had worked with Blink 182's Travis Barker on his latest album. Not only had he released a new album but he'd actually released a short film to accompany it Downfalls High, whilst the acting is so wooden it could be considered a fire hazard I still enjoyed it. Releasing a film to accompany an album harks back to the creativity of bands like The Who, Pink Floyd etc and in the age of streaming (no I still can't work Spotify) having a visual reference for the songs really appeals to me. My favourite songs on the album are Jawbreaker and Bodybag. I also need to mention the single MGK released a couple of months ago Papercuts - hopefully some more new music will follow.
Speaking of a pop punk revival leads me to another album I've enjoyed this year by Olivia Rodrigo. When I heard the first single from the album Driver's Licence I wasn't that into it, I thought she had a good voice but it was all a bit overwrought and teenage for me. I kept seeing people raving over her so I decided to listen to some of the other songs on the album and I'm so glad I did, I really like Brutal, Hope U R Ok and of course the Paramore-esque Good For You. The best thing is that Olivia is only 18 and hopefully has many more years in the industry ahead of her, I can't wait to see what she produces!
My final favourite album of the year is The Pretty Reckless' Death By Rock & Roll. I've been a fan of them for 10 years now and the latest album hasn't disappointed. It's the perfect example of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' and stays perfectly on brand for them. Taylor Momsen has a fantastic voice perfectly framed by the heavy band behind her. My favourite songs on the album are Death By Rock & Roll, Only Love Can Save Me Now, Rock & Roll Heaven and the collaboration with Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello And So It Went.
And now for some songs I've enjoyed this year -
That's all for me for this year. Hopefully my mental health will allow me to actually attend some gigs next year. Let me know which artists you're looking foward to seeing or hearing new music from in 2022!
Love Jen
XxxX
