I'm not someone who especially pines for alternative rock bands to 'matter' like they used to, but it's kind of nice to know the rock hype machine is still pretty strong in England and can support a band like Wolf Alice, who just topped the UK charts after two albums that hit #2 on the charts. Over here in America, I heard Wolf Alice on the radio a few times in 2015 and the the new album didn't even chart on the Billboard 200. But Blue Weekend feels like a big creative step forward that has been noticed, and it's currently the 2nd highest non-reissue album of 2021 on Metacritic. I love the way the first 3 songs slowly build this tension, feeling like there's a climactic explosion always lurking around the corner, before they finally crank up the amps on "Smile," and then go straight into an acoustic track. Like their Dirty Hit labelmates The 1975 and Beabadoobee, Wolf Alice are well versed in big '90s guitar tones and quiet-loud dynamics, but there's an intimate bedroom pop sensibility in there too. All these records are in my 2021 Spotify albums playlist. 

Leisure Sport are a Baltimore band that I share a practice space with, I've been excited to hear more of their music since their 2-song demo a couple years ago, and their debut EP produced by Chris Freeland is a big step up from that. Michael's a really inventive drummer, love the patterns he plays on "Lost And Found," and I really dig the songs where the singer/guitarists Dana and Kyle share lead vocals and harmonize like "Stones" and "Zero Sum." 

Making my Crowded House and Split Enz playlists recently gave me a renewed appreciation for just what an amazing songwriter Neil Finn is, and even in his 60s his voice has held up remarkably well, I love when he first hits that little bit of falsetto in "Playing With Fire." And it's cool that his son Liam and Elroy Finn are now members of Crowded House, as is longtime producer Mitchell Froom. It was very entertaining to listen to this album for the first time, and get to track 11 and suddenly hear the familiar melody of the Tetris theme song in "Love Isn't Hard At All," which seems to cleverly tie into the song's poignant lyrics ("A man works hard to find his shape, knowing where he stands and how much of this he can take"). 

I'm amused that Lil Durk is "the voice" here because I've long regarded him as having one of the worst voices in mainstream rap, one of these guys who uses AutoTune constantly even though it doesn't flatter him and he doesn't seem to know what to do with it. Durk has inarguably worked his way to the top, though, that Drake feature helped put him over but it feels like the past year he just figured out how to really make national hits and great features. Still, Baby is one of the best rappers in the world right now and he easily carries this album, even if the chemistry isn't quite as natural a fit as it was with Gunna on Drip Harder. "Still Runnin'" with Meek Mill is definitely my favorite, glad to finally get the full song after the snippets a few months ago. "That's Facts" is good, too, Durk snapped on that one. 

Foushee's debut album isn't quite what I expected. It runs under 30 minutes, a quarter of which is a long jammy duet with Steve Lacy, and it doesn't include some of her best post-"Deep End' singles, "Single AF" and "Gold Fronts," but does include interpretations of Depeche Mode and Carole King classics. But it's a cool record, the left turns work and keep her difficult to pigeonhole. 

I never thought much of Tyler as a rap, and rolled my eyes at his 'return to rap' coming complete with DJ Drama ad libs (especially considering that Childish Gambino already did the 'artisinal blog rap album with DJ Drama shoutouts' thing, to say nothing of Kid Capri on the Kendrick album working better than either of those). But I'll give him credit, this is a solid album, "Wilshire" and "Massa" are really compelling pieces of writing.

I don't know if I would rate Big Mess over any Oingo Boingo album, but they left behind a great catalog, and I'm still really glad Danny Elfman came back and did a singer/songwriter album for the first time since the band broke up 25 years ago. But it's a cool record, I think "Serious Ground" is my favorite. 

Banks was always by far the best rapper in G-Unit and I always hoped he'd grow into a nice consistent mid-level career after the 50 Cent hype died down and become a dependable Jadakiss type. It felt like that was starting to happen a decade ago after "Beamer, Benz Or Bentley" and the Kanye collaborations, but then he went quiet again. So I'm happy to see Lloyd Banks back in action, doing an album of no-nonsense boom bap with guests like Roc Marci and Benny The Butcher and Freddie Gibbs, it's a great look for him. 

I have mixed feelings about Doja Cat, she's so clearly one of the most talented pop stars out right now, but it always feels like she's holding her own music at arm's length, and I don't think it's just her internet troll background. Planet Her has some pretty excellent tracks, but I think 2018's Amala, the barely noticed debut she released before "MOOO!" went viral and helped launch her towards the top of the charts, is still her best album, it had a little more of an earnest alt-pop vibe and she wasn't shrieking her rap verses in the Carol Kane voice she does now. 

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