Gothtober- the Top 10 Post Punk Albums of 2021

It's that time of year again.  It might seem early to start these now, but record labels have pretty much sent me most of what this year has to offer already, by the time I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will use them, to compile the top 10 albums of the year. As I predicted last year 2021 was not much better than 2020, as things continue on a downward spiral ug dark music more important as a soundtrack for this.   As far as 2021 goes for post- punk, musically I think these albums are better than last year. Some faces that appeared on last year's list reoccur, and three new bands on this year's list.  The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 post-punk albums of 2021 

10- Flood Twin - 'S/T" 

They have the tension part right and are dark enough to make it work, vocals are their weak spot , but they make up for it with the aggression in the guitar that keeps an unsettling tone going that works for me. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Flood Twin : "S/T"

9-Fotocrime - "Heart of Crime"

Uber-retro synths and more spoken vocals caught me off guard, guitars and more actual instruments come in on the second song things begin to feel more familiar. There is a touch of Sisters of Mercy, though at time the guitars make me think of Bruce Springsteen. Often early80s moods creep in and get dancey seeing a progression from post-punk into this

Abysmal Hymns: Fotocrime : "Heart of Crime"

 8- Pink Turns Blue - "Tainted"  

Here is a comeback album I did not expect. Less creepy than their early years, they are less dark wave and starker post -punk. The album sounds great, alongside bands like the Cure and Joy Division these guys have been doing this since the 80s so it is pretty much like riding a bike. Much like riding a bike they allow themselves to coast along on songs that are really easy on the ears.

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Pink Turns Blue : "Tainted"

7-Liars - "the Apple Drop" 

The 10th album from this experimental project whose only consistent member is the founder Angus Andrew. They continue to throw electronic music against post-punk and see what happenings. Each album has a different result, this one is no different in that regard. Perhaps equal parts moodier and darker. At times conforming more to conventional song writing than previously expected. His melodies range in shades of depression and unhinged tension. 

Abysmal Hymns: Liars : " the Apple Drop"

6- Spectres - "Hindsight"

This is not a return to the kind of goth infused sound they gave us on "Nothing to Nowhere", but it is their best album since then, even if some of the punk moments, keep it being just shy of perfect there are enough almost Smiths like moments to compensate for it and put it at the number 8 spot here.  

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Spectres : "Hindsight"

5-Johnny Marr- "Fever Dreams pt 1 "

"I Can't Stand Morrissey but Johnny Marr is a great guitarist. While it is true Marr is great this is a common phrase uttered by many a poseur to afraid of what people think of think them to admit to listening to the Smiths. Funny enough the press release by BMG does not mention the Smiths but calls him a legend, which is funny because The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and the Cribs did not make him a legend. What he did in the Smiths works here. 

 Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Johnny Marr : "Fever Dreams pt 1 "

4-Rope Sect-  "Proskynesis"

The German lords of gloom are back. This time we only get 6 songs, but I will take whatever I can get. This album finds them going down the dark road. Less aggressive than their previous offering in terms of the guitar attack, the mull on the melodies more and give the vocals room to breathe. This album is odd as the first three songs are three parts of the title track. 
 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober - Rope Sect :" Proskynesis"

 3-Old Moon- "Altars"  

This album beat out Rope Sect for the number three spot which says a lot. While Rope Sect continued to be themselves, this project carved its way into the world with modest ambition and roughhewn charm in their sound that is familiar enough to still be different. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Old Moon : "Altars"

2- Viagra Boys - "Trailer Park Jazz"

This is another band that makes solid argument for Scandinavian post-punk. This album is also a stylistic shift for the band in many ways. Punchy yet still manages to be very danceable. The horns that crop up bring the Stooges to mind  at times even though the groove has a more electronic feel.

Abysmal Hymns: Viagra Boys : " Welfare Jazz"

1- Black Country New Road- "For the First Time" 

This album reminds us post-punk can span from many things. It emerged in the 1970s as a more artful way to add thought from a somewhat cruder punk rock movement. It is thinking man's punk in many ways. Not content with being a Joy Division cover band, This band is an example of how the best of the genre seems to be now comings from England. This group embraces the tension and inner darkness and explore how to convey starkness with more sonic colors

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Black Country, New Road : "For the first time"

Liars : " the Apple Drop"

 The 10th album from this experimental  project whose only consistent member is the founder Angus Andrew . They continue to throw electronic music against post-punk and see what happenings. Each album has a different result , this one is no different in that regard. Perhaps equal parts moodier and darker. The vocals of the second song "Slow and Turn Inward"  find them conforming more to conventional song writing than previously expected. His melodies range in shades of depression and unhinged tension. "Sekwar' drones into some hypnotic and beautiful places. I have always thought of this band as being torchbearers for the kinds of moods Swans brooded from in the 90s. 

There are moment of sonic beauty on songs like "Big Appetite" . It flows more than grooves and the mesmerizes with the shimmer from the shadows. If you are wanting this project at it's weirdest and most dissonant, then this album might not be for you as more often than not it has coherent songs. Songs that hit you with a narcotic pulse and a sardonic scowl, but very textured and melodic none the less. In fact five songs in and I was convinced this is the best I have heard from these guys in a while. Perhaps more emotive there are moments where it feels like they are cut from a similar cloth as post -"Daydream Nation" Sonic Youth. There is plenty of eerie atmosphere coloring the sounds they wove into songs here. This is more accessible as in it is easy on the ears, but far from selling out or any appeal for radio play .I mean is there such a thing as alternative radio to play this sort of thing on in the first place.  

They reach for the heavens with the chilling "Star Search" . His baritone proves flexible in it's moan. His croon leans more towards a ritualistic sing song chant at time. His falsetto is more like a a voice cracking in a very creepy manner.  "My Pulse to Ponder" is the first song to have a more tangible punk in it's veins and by punk we are talking the Stooges here. Production wise this album is perfect as it is raw enough to get the point across, yet mixed in  manner that balances all of the lush sounds being gathered . The buzz of analog synths dominates "Leisure War".  One of the album's more angular songs. It is the interesting drum mix that keeps the song on it's feet. In some ways "King of Crooks' feels like a continuation of the mood established on the previous song, just smoothed out with a dreamier vibe. The hypnotic flavor of weird comes together with a glaze of psyche on "Acid Crop".  The last song is more of an outro as the experimentation gets dialed up to focus on ambiance more than song, regardless his songwriting was at the top of his game this time so I will round this up to a 9.5     

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Report to the Dance Floor? Liars : Mess

I did not expect these guys to ever be part of this column but here we are. This was not what I electronic elements have always been a part of their sound , but not the totality of it. They have played real instruments . This is more like a darker version of the Faint, which I am not opposed to I just wish their were more real instruments involved here. I seriously doubted this was even the same band after the first few listens.The fuzzed out beats to the first two songs seem to bleed together to me making it seem like one song.They have captured some well made sounds, but the songwriting which has always been quirky is now a slave to the beat.

"I'm No Gold" digs them further into this dark edm style. Some of the synth passages serve almost as riffs and the vocal chants gets the job done , but this is not as experimental as their other work even with the Aphex Twin pitch shifted sampled elements that help to bring the noise."Pro Anti Anti" is the first song that really kicks in on first listen and works for me.It has an almost industrial drive to it. The fragil drone of "Can't Hear Well" is a boring laze that doesn't work as well. There is a more Faint vibe on "Mess on a Mission". The angular quirk of the melody is almost catchy. This might not be the album's best song , but it does retain large doses of their former sound, even without organic instruments.

The bubbling digital murk of the simmering "Darkslide" is reluctant to build above the percolating bleeps.It grooves like a piece of filler from the Tron Soundtrack."Boyzone" has a harsher robotic coldness. Minimal and brooding, these guys have gotten darker after abandoning their guitars for this , but even over half way through the album I am reluctant to think this is a good thing. Midway through the song the narcotic sluggishness of the vocals moans to the forefront. It almost doesn't feel like a song."Dress Walker" continues on with the robot orgy. The effected vocals are more defined and give this one the semblance of being a song. At one point the laze of the phrasing remind me of some of Becks more drugged out moments.

Their are moment that flirt with the ambient moon drone of kraut rock one of those being "Perpetual Village" . Which is really well sung and an improvement in the vocal department for these guys.The song is not grounded enough and floats away with it self. It's not until the beat around the four minute mark comes into to anchor it even as the haze of the drugs weighs the momentum down. At that point the song begins to drag.

Some real instruments seem to creep into the closer "Left Speaker Blown" this hovers in a space drone, with the vocals carrying the majority of the song.I like the mood of this one , it's like the last man on earth is gazing into  the cosmos. It's a shame after hearing a song that this that the album is so hit or miss for me. I will give it a 6 and eagerly await for them to step away from the computer and  bring back real instruments