Loren's Top 5 of 2021 So Far
1
Hanalei
Black Snow (A-F Records)
My top records of the year are often fast and catchy: the stuff that bodes well for different moods and heavy repetition. But Black Snow is something else. It’s dense indie rock with moody movements, introspection and storytelling. It’s also just soothing and powerful. While it’s far from upbeat, it captures a mood befitting of the past year but without woeful indulgence.
- Loren
2
Needles//Pins
Needles//Pins (Dirt Cult Records)
Midtempo punk: when it works, it works wonders. This is thoughtful punk that balances melody and grit but without the aggression. That’s not to say it isn’t angry, it’s just a lot more subtle.
- Loren
3
Neighborhood Brats
Confines Of Life (Dirt Cult Records)
This feels like a copout, but at this point you know what you’re going to get with Neighborhood Brats. And it’s going to be good. The band play classic punk with sociopolitical lyrics that balance the political with the personal. It’s angry first, but thoughtful and with more depth. And this one might be their best; except I think I say that each time around.
- Loren
4
The Mimes
Plastic Pompeii (Let's Pretend Records)
First off, I enjoy Vacation and Mixtapes quite a bit. And The Mimes has some of the same members, and more. And they reached out and maybe I’m playing favorites that way but I don’t think so. I liked this record on first listen, but in putting together an interview, I had it on repeat for quite a while and I picked up the depth beyond the playful-punk sound. It’s shiny and fun on the surface, but scuffed and thoughtful underneath.
- Loren
5
Mikey Erg
Mikey Erg (Rad Girlfriend Records)
With a Clash-inspired cover, this is sort of a mission statement record that’s intentionally “punk.” Mikey Erg has done a lot of acoustic stuff in recent years (solo), but this record is loud and fast. While it’s definitely connected to his work with The Ergs!, it’s more dynamic and varied throughout, before ending in what feels like a segue to his next record which (I predict) will push genre boundaries rather than play to them as this one does.
- Loren
