It can be nearly impossible to keep track of all of the music released in a year, especially in a year filled with so many great releases like 2021. It is inevitable that some EPs and LPs will get more attention than others and some you might’ve missed entirely. But not to worry! The Punknews writers are here and they have rounded up some killer releases that they felt didn’t get enough attention this year. There are albums that will take you on a journey, albums that will make you want to dance, albums that will make you feel like you can take on the universe and that’s just a start.
As always this is by no means a definitive list of overlooked albums, this is a list of EPs and LPs that Punknews contributors think rock. Feel free to post albums that you felt didn’t get enough love this year in the comment section. So without further ado check out the list below!
Needles//Pins
Needles//Pins
One of the stand-out labels of 2021 has to be Dirt Cult Records. Between releasing the awesome Confines Of Life by Neighborhood Brats, Postage’s self-titled album, and others, there’s no doubt that the label has had a great year. One Dirt Cult release that I think did not get enough attention is the self-titled record by Needle//Pins. This is the Vancouver band’s fourth full-length and it is a great change of pace from all that aggressive hardcore that you’ve been listening to. The gruff, melodic vocals mixed with (relatively) gentler instrumentation make it one of the more unique albums to get released this year. It’s a pretty dymic record. Need an anthemic track? There’s “Gleamer.” Want more of a straight-up melodic punk song? There’s “Of Things Best Left To Chance.” Looking for someone a little more abstract? There’s the closer, “The Tyranny Of Comforts.” I could go on and on, but listen to Needles//Pins for yourself. You should definitely give it a shot before 2021 comes to a close. -Ricky Frankel
Visibly Choked
Visibly Choked
The self-titled EP from Montreal based punks Visibly Choked will knock your socks off. It will blast you across the room. It will envelop you in a sonic tornado full of raw energy, passionate poetic lyrics, and sweet, sweet, chaos. The band’s experimental blend of hardcore punk, no-wave, noise, and post-punk ensure that no two songs sound alike and each one has its own unique stamp. Whether they are tackling the loss of cultural identity (“Mother Tongue”), ripping into a toxic person (“Shitlord”), or dealing with broken trust (“Uneven Keel”), Visibly Choked play as if their lives depend on releasing this music into the world. Visibly Choked is hands down one of the most exciting and promising debut EPs of the year. If you haven’t yet experienced it, remedy that immediately.-Em Moore
Stupid Music for Stupid People
Hawkbaby
Hawkbaby are the chaotic collision of Geza X, Dead Kennedys, and early Devo. Their debut album is fast, frantic, and freaky. There are songs about how punk rock saved one’s life and also songs about having bathroom problems. The album follows the initial spark of first wave of cranked out California punk and shoots that line straight through to the present. This record isn’t stupid, but it is stupid good. -John Gentile
Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-Entry
Underdark
Underdark make what could maybe be described as blackened post-screamo. That's the best I can put it I think, as you have the incredibly raw emotion of screamo, the song structures of post-metal and the vocal style (intermittently) and the tremolo picking/blastbeats of black metal. This isn't necessarily something brand new, but there is a melancholic beating human heart within Underdark that some of their peers often veer away from. It makes for a far more engaging and affecting listen than one might expect given the sonics of it. But those sonics mean you still get the sensation of having your face mercilessly dragged across rough ice when the band want to do so. -Sam Houlden