The 3 Most Underrated Albums Released This Year

 

This Fall season has seen a number of highly anticipated music releases, from Kanye West’s bloated mess that was Donda and Drake’s lackluster effort to deliver even an ounce of sincerity and creativity on CLB. With these being the pinnacle music drops of late 2021, many more superior projects got lost in the shuffle and never attained the recognition that they should have received. With the sheer amount of music released this year it was hard to compile this list, but here are 3 records released this year that you should listen to right now and why they have absolutely no reason remaining unknown.

1. By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Injury Reserve

Injury reserve sadly lost member Steppa J. Groggs last year and this project serves as a heartwarming tribute to the late injury reserve MC. The Injury Reserve boys always delved into increasingly experimental sounds and ideas, with By the Time I Get to Phoenix containing their most precious and most innovative artistic concepts yet. Producer Parker Corey sets the stage well with gnarly percussion, glitchy synths, and other unraveling sounds that give direction to an album that otherwise seems to be sporadically mutating and decaying as the listening experience progresses. The existential nature of the album’s name hints at the emotional weight involved in creating this project because even though there are some happier moments on here, by the time they arrive at their destination, what in their lives has drastically changed and what does the future hold for them now? As far as standout moments on the record, the song “Smoke Don’t Clear” emerges as a standout due to its staggered, groveling bass and the hazy microtones. The record is further expounded upon by unorthodox lyrical flows and sharp delivery especially on the cut “Outside” which sees Ritchie With a T utter decrepit lines across a mysterious void of desolate keys, synths and haunting vocal samples. “Knees” provides a softer moment for this abrasive group and echoes the themes of this record with quirky guitar samples and wispy chords that heighten the meaning of the lyrics poured out by the late Steppa J. Groggs and Ritchie. Once the record has concluded, you can't help but wonder what the future holds for Injury Reserve and what they will now do moving forward, especially considering the concepts conveyed on this record.

2. Skin - Joy Crookes

    Nominated for the Rising Star Award in Britain for best new artist of 2020, Joy has been pushing the boundaries of her music for a few years with some stellar EPs and the inclusion of her South-London roots and the identity of her culture. The singer-songwriter finds herself in a euphoric and heartwarming state of mind, catapulted by smooth jazz elements and a heavy R&B persuasion on cuts like “When You Were Mine” and “Wild Jasmine”. The completeness and sonic quality of this record work wonders on the listener and the underlying concept of Joy’s autobiography she presents through the theme of the “Skin” being the strongest organ of the body, while also socially and culturally being used as an external device of division. Crookes uses these tracks to chronicle her relationships of love, casual sex, abuses of power in the world and mental health. Joy sounds like an experienced and refined artist, especially on cuts like “Poison” which sees her fall into a somber groove as the soft percussion carries a sweet and slow-rushing piano section. As far as quality of work goes so far, “To Lose Someone” might just be her magnum opus at the moment. The introduction of colorful vocal samples with the building chorus of string notes inspires some deeply held emotions within Joy. She comes into the track in full stride, echoing mellifluous lyrics about “If I show what I’m not, will I hurt you like they hurt me? What I fear I become, every word will be undone, To love someone is to lose someone.” This lyric alone really encompasses the sphere of influence of this project and in an interview with Sony Music, Joy is quoted saying "The word "skin" massively resonates with me as biologically it is one of the strongest parts of out bodies, however socially and externally it is often used against us. This juxtaposition is grappled with throughout the album." She even mentions that these tracks were all written from when she was aged 15 to 21, so a major component of this record revolves around her transformation over a six year period. With this information we can really appreciate this record and we find the motivation and artistic desires that Joy is able to use greatly to her benefit, delivering a truly gorgeous album in the process.

3. HUES. - Unusual Demont

If you like Artists like Frank Ocean then HUES. is a project that desperately needs your attention. I have been following Demont ever since he went by the moniker of Blu3 Boy, rebranding to Unusual Demont, then releasing “AMBER,” a track that is catchy as all hell and beautifully supported by mellow drums that present an intoxicating rhythm to accompany a crisp piano melody, harmonizing with the rest of the other spacy chords and Demont’s heart wrenching vocals about how “She’ll do so much better without him in her life.” Other highlights off this record are on cuts like “Purple,” a slow jam of smooth guitar chords that relies on the smart and effective vocal patterns, transitioning throughout the track so that the culmination of all these elements lends itself well to the inner feeling of the record overall. All the track names are colors or different “hues” of colors that represent an idea or emotional theme,  eventually tying into Unusual Demont’s character as a whole. “BLUSH” stands out as the highlight of the record, sprawling with dreamy kicks and entangled in a web of ultra nostalgic synth chords that pop up during the apex of the track. The range of exploration taken by Demont is also something to take note of on this project, as the vivid acoustics on tracks like “IVORY” and the chord loops on “Daffodil” greatly benefit his song structure and show his growing confidence as an emerging artist.