My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2021

 As mentioned in yesterdays Top 10 Albums Of 2021 post, I've been in a rut! There is however a rather nice list of artists here, even if the short list was just as small. Three of these are a regular features on my Twitch streams too! So on that front I'd say its a success. I have decided however to be far more fussy when it comes to listening to the same bands still pedaling out the same old music. Its time to give a little more focus on whats fresh and new! I say this often but this time I have a plan of action that starts with reduction.


(10) Secret Stairways

The exploration of Dungeon Synth continues to be an interesting one. Its roots before the online explosion of Bandcamp records a decade ago seems to have fans unearthing lost relics. These newly surfaced cassettes have us enjoying a deceased musicians work from a time before there was much of an audience to enjoy it. An interesting sentiment but the music is good too!

(9) Tetrarch

Initially I wrote this band off for its formulaic creation of era inspired Nu-Metal. A lack of originality doesn't necessarily mean bad music. It can be a tough thing to look past but with time passing from my initial assessment, I've found myself really enjoying this record and getting those nostalgic youthful chills too!

(8) Chevelle

Very much of the Tool inspired camp, the reference point has helped me find a way in! Its a new breed of metal for me and with little else of familiarity, I've really enjoyed this bands take on the Progressive and Alternative Metal sound. Originality is not a strength but the whole approach is fun and exciting for me right now.

(7) Arcanist

Another Dungeon Synth record but this one is way more inline with what I'd like to hear. A new taken on the genre that infuses "Berlin School" synth ideals and paints an exciting soundscape with its progressive songs that move together on a journey. It was a short but sweet journey and is now very much one to look out for future releases.


(6) Cocteau Twins

Not a new discovery but an intentional deep dive into an artist I knew of two records already. Sadly, the plunge into both an extensive amount of EPs and albums went a bit sideways as fatigue quickly set in. I will pick up the journey again at some point. It was however a really nice experience to get a bigger picture of a band with timely influences felt in the decades that followed them. Treasure is still an all time favorite of mine but now I got to add a few more songs to the list.


(5) Pop Will Eat Itself

As a huge fan of Metal and Hip Hop it is practically an embarrassment to have never stumbled on this British act before. There 80s crossover of the two opposed sounds is just wonderful! A true moment in time capturing the energy, spirit and culture of that era like a musical time capsule. Its dated in the very best of ways!


(4) Gelure

Having had permissions to stream this artist, my love of the music really settled in as its relaxing ambience and warmness creates a wonderful relaxed state that comes along with waffling about whatever is on your chest for hours on end. It suited the experience so well my worry now is that I might listen too it too much. A good problem to have!

(3) Jim Kirkwood

Another from the streaming list, Jim has been on a "Dungeon Synth origins" list of mine for years. Finally pulling that trigger, I have now discovered wondrous world building music that has an ancient nostalgic charm, built on those classic keyboard tones without the steering into darkness that is all to common now. The Tolkien themes and general vibes of the music is very Dungeons and Dragons and that stream of imagination is my cup of tea!

(2) Lena Raine

To extend the simply enigmatic music of C418 and his Minecraft soundtracks would of once sounded like an impossible task yet Lena has stepped into that space wonderfully well. Reflecting many of the old ideals and injecting some of her own personality, it seemed likely her genius would extend beyond contributions to the soundtrack. That has certainly turned out to be true and I am now deadly excited to check out her debut album!

(1) The Alan Parsons Project

For all the Progressive Rock I was raised with, The Alan Parsons Project was not a part of that picture. It is however a perfect fit for that era and thus I've had the odd nostalgic experience of discovering new songs that remind me so fondly of my childhood music. Its as if I knew these songs already. A novel and rare experience that I've treasured working my way through the three records considered to be his best. I think I'll has a couple more to the playlist at some point next year!

The Alan Parsons Project "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination" (1976)

 

Having sat with this debut album for some time now, Its easy to see why I Robot, Pyr△mid & Eve were recommended as Alan Parsons best work. Tales Of Mystery And Imagination would of been impressive for the times but experienced from its predecessors shadows, the classy songwriting pulling on a broad range of 70s styles sadly fumbles out of the gates. Its hallowed poetry recital intro leading onto dated robotic voices feels a little awkward in its infancy however flashes of genius are heard often too, The Raven, The Cask Of Amontillado and To One In Paradise, all are fantastic songs. In fact much of the record has the Alan Parsons sound intact but its fumbling moments seem to exacerbate the difference between it and the following.

Where the cracks appear is on its lengthy The Fall Of The House Usher. Its five parts represent many ideas that Alan would go on to compose again. Stitched together as one unified thing, it lumps along awkwardly from tense and brash Classical orchestrations of terror and tragedy, into psychedelic thunderstorms led by hypnotic synths. The music passes through a string of Pink Floyd akin guitar inflections back into distressing string sections promoting unease and brittle tensions. It then sways back into a Progressive styling with exotic instruments and colorful melodic arrangements, only to be dissipated back into a nightmare cacophony of claustrophobic strings and demonic drum strikes that ends all too abruptly.

The two sounds contrast each other and break up half the record with a sense of confusion. It does however skimmer with brilliance but in attempting to meld such bold ideas, the consequences are vast. Tthe musics spell feels so disrupted by this rude awakening of hellish Classical instrumentation. It had become a large focus that diminished the album experience and illuminated its other blemishes. That being said, at the core Alan's brilliant songwriting delivers similar ideas heard later. They however have a less vibrant production to bolster the beautiful compositions and thus the whole record just feels inferior. Had I started here, my opinion may be all too different.

Rating: 6/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Eve" (1979)

As the third of three Alan Parsons records labeled his best, I've had a familial experience again. Diving deep and finding the same fond web of timely influences, I still can't escape these songs! In the months between I Robot, Pyr△mid & Eve, I have been on a binge, one that can't end here. These numbers are the soundtrack of a childhood I never had, the missing sleeves of Progressive Rock vinyls I was raised on! Eve is no exception, Its feminine empowerment theme a strong and bold overtone that leads to timely singing with strength and gusto on one track, flipping to tender expressions on the next. Its broadness is a perfect compliment for the range of temperaments and meandering journey that Eve goes on. It may have even been an edgy, progressive statement for the times, however with age any sharpness has been dulled by current norms of western societies progressive direction.

Looking past the lyrical landscape to the instrumentals we have the usual suspects. 70s electronic tones weave through opening track Lucifer with exotic bells, haunting chorals and rigid percussive grooves, Its quite the mash up that works wonderfully. From the intro we pivot into the regular songs, kicking off with echos of Pink Floyd underpinned by a strong Funk influenced groove to cruise off. On I'd Rather Be A Man the mood turns dark with its rapturous nightly bass synth line pounding through the song. Then comes the big pivot as the vibes soften with tenderness and calm ushered in before the rest of the record becomes an amalgamation of all above!

Don't Hold Back has quite the charm as it hook sings, "Touch the sky with your minds eye, Don't be afraid to reach out!" lovely stuff. The guest singer reminds me of Dusty Springfield on this one. The following Secret Garden embellishes us with a glorious and fantastical composition, a signatures track style. Cinematic and symphonic, Alan lets the music lead itself without word and a web of charming sounds, something each record seems to have a song or two for. From here the record bows out on a sombre note as tempos slow and pianos usher in a final ballad to close on. Overall, its pretty fantastic, oddly feeling short yet being the lengthiest of the three! From here I will venture to the debut record.

Rating: 8/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Pyr△mid" (1978)

Following a thematic and dated take on artificial intelligence with I Robot, The Alan Parsons Project return with this concept record based on the pyramids of Giza. Its title may lack subtlety but the lyrics seem mostly disconnected now learning of its conception. It could be some ignorance on my behalf but this record feels more like a continuation of what came before it, Progressive Rock with a charming reach into the adjacent sounds and styles of the time. It too seamlessly weaves between sweet moods and measured temperaments as it sways from a sporadic rump of British patriotic royal trumpets to a heart broken ballad in the flow of just a couple songs.

Classy and keen they triumph a lot of percussive groove and simple melodic pleasures as songs jive with an energetic drive rhythmically. The bass is often driving and it comes to a heard on In The Lap Of The Gods as mighty voices chime in over its dramatic climax, excited by a exuberant string section. I love how the punchy Rock grooves, jiving Funk and R&B influences rub shoulders with these swells of symphonic excellence. Its not until Hyper-Gamma-Spaces that some of the Tangerine Dream inspired sounds of 70s synthesizers return on a whirling psychedelic tangent.

Overall the album feels somewhat brief in its nine tracks with each song tending to stick to its one dimension. Its ending is another stunning track, dazzling with cinematic might in its opening and tailing off into a teary song of regret and loneliness. Its a true ending of a tale, just one I'm not sure where it started. Pyr△mid flows wonderfully but lyrically I didn't feel the connection. As much as I enjoy this project, my retroactive ears pick up on a lot of adjacent style when its comes to originality. Can't Take It With You is the biggest culprit, its wonderful guitar solo sadly to obvious in its imitation of Pink Floyd. Other than that blush, its quite a wonderful album to partake in.

Rating: 8/10

The Alan Parsons Project "I Robot" (1977)

 

British rock duo The Alan Parsons Project have admittedly been on my radar since before I started this music blog. Of the three records I own, any song cropping up on shuffle would grab my attention. How its taken me this long is criminal but for the past month or so Ive gotten deep into I Robot, their sophomore effort. Hailed as Progressive Rock, what is remarkable about the music is how much it reaches into the adjacent sounds of the 70s. With a luscious string section, these compositions often get a graceful lift into the cinematic realm. Its rumbustious baselines hit Funk and Disco grooves with class. The short experimental interlude Nucleus enters the Ambient Soundscape realms akin to Dreamtime Return released eleven years later.

What they touch, turns to gold, but not without echos of others who walked before them. The breezy lullaby of Day After Day reminiscent of Genesis in a vulnerable song and I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You is practically a Stevie Wonder track hands down. As said, its golden. The duo forge timely songs ripe with vivid instrumentation and holding song structures to make it work wonderfully. The variety is plentiful, dipping into emotional ballads, flushes of early Electronica synths, plenty of Progressive Rock cliches and the audacity to experiment boldly. The song Total Eclipse uses a choir of haunted soul voices to cascade with unease through nail biting tensions as it plunges into fiery depths.

Perhaps suggested by its variety, the structure is loose, moving through drastic shifts in tone that seem effortless with the aid of seamless transitions, pivoting the instruments between songs with organic handover passageways. It ends with Boules, a bonus track of sorts rocking a "phat" baseline with a tight reflexive drum loop and accompaniment of strange noise oddities. It always struck me as a Hip Hop beat in ways, further suggesting the duo had a finger on the pulse with the splash of current sounds the record embodies, although Hip Hop might be a bit of a stretch with the New York scene at its absolute infancy in this point in time.

One thing that stains the stunning music is its theme. I Robot attempts to engage with the concept of artificial intelligence from a heavily dated perspective. Compared to the current discussions around AI and its partial implementation through algorithms and machine learning, everything pertaining to the concept just seems out of step, however the vocal efforts of the band it comes through are wonderful. Barely a crease to be found beyond its timely blemish. Lastly, I'll end on a musing note. These two never found commercial success in their home town, shipping most their records in Germany, USA and Canada. Its something I find rather curious given how British acts tend to be well known here but the Alan Parsons Project has sadly faded from focus since their retirement over two decades ago.

Rating: 9/10