The Noise Of July 2021

There is always a guessing game when the summer hole will drop. Sometimes it starts in June, often in July. But after the weirdest 2020 one can possibly imagine, 2021 just doesn’t stop pumping out great albums. They were plenty of noteworthy records in the past month, but I was able to condense them into a rather short list for The Noise Of. Let’s dig into the meat, shall we?

It’s no secret that jazz is in a very good state this year. We’ve already seen plenty of fantastic releases in 2021. One I was particular stoked about was Harbour, the new record by Norwegian tuba player Daniel Herskedal, and he didn’t disappoint. How could he?

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A true gem that I overlooked at first. We’ve run the premiere for one of the videos on this EP, and Elena Steri compelling and powerful art pop made me fall in love with her music instantly. It might be just a handful of songs, but it makes appetite for more!

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A true beauty! Happy Axe‘s introspective ambient pop caught my attention with the first notes when I pressed play, and I found myself discovering the textures and details of Maybe It’ll Be Beautiful quite regularly. The growing nature of this album makes deep-diving into it extremely rewarding, and I highly recommend you to do the same!

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This one needed a little bit time for me to get into. Music around the vein of dark folk doesn’t do much for me in general, but this trio of experienced artists carry an atmosphere with melancholic romance within their compositions, delicately put together and elegantly executed. Even if you’re like me and usually stay away from the aforementioned style of music, don’t be a fool and listen to this record.

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If I had to criticize one thing about Vince Staples, it would be its short runtime. On the other hand, Vince managed to tell everything he need to tell in those 20+ minutes, delivering the arguably best batch of songs of his career. Packed with vulnerability and punching bars, this album makes one of the best hip hop experiences of the year.

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With Stone Woman, Charlotte Day Wilson already managed to put herself on the map of modern r’n’b, creating smooth and catchy tunes with a weirdly cold demeanor, which fit perfectly with Wilson’s artistic persona. ALPHA marks her debut full-length, adding a more vibrant production and great features by BADBADNOTGOOD and Syd to an already great recipe. Fantastic vibe!

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Apparently, LCD Soundsystem‘s Pat Mahoney and Dee Jay‘s Dennis McNany are a match made in heaven. Seven years after their impressive self-titled debut, Museum of Love returns with yet another fantastic and unique album. Life of Mammals is an enchanting art pop offering every music enthusiast should check out!

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Shit hits hard. Back in 2019, Is He Real? made some waves and was definitely a good hip hop record, but didn’t stick with me long after its release. With USEE4YOURSELF, IDK manifest himself as one of the most interesting figures in hip hop, at least in my books. An impressive step forward, narratively and musically.

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Something truly magical. Canyons to Sawdust didn’t grab me instantly, but I always circled back to get into it for weeks. When it finally clicked, Bryan Away unfolded the beauty of his art and captured me as a listener with wonderful textures and compelling songwriting.

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We still don’t deserve Yves Tumor. With every release, Tumor adds a new shade to their art, making it more compelling and intricate than before. Absolutely impressive.

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One of the best records of the year easily dominates this month. As an avid admirer of Rodrigo Amarante, Drama left me in awe. I still don’t know how Amarante managed to capture the magic which made his previous solo album Cavalo such a stunning piece of art, while also adding new and fresh elements to the mixture. I can only bow in the presence of the maestro.

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Super vibrant and just on point. Laid back indie tunes with an extremely charming performance by Eliza Shaddad. A real grower that gets better and better every time you press play. Also very sweet Liz Phair/Alanis Morisette vibes, in the best way possible.

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Very dreamy and likeable indie pop. I’m not sure when I’ll get sick of 90’s vibes, but with records like this, it’s very far away. With her second album, Clairo manifests herself as one of the more compelling artists in her field! Listen to those songs and try to not groove along with them!

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Little Simz‘ new record will drop in September – until then y’all should listen the living shit out of Under Twenty Five. There is so much heart, soul, and cleverness going with those songs. Damn, Enny. What a statement. All the smoothness.

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Uhhhh, what a lovely piece of wrath! Erdve released one of the heaviest records of the year – hard-hitting riffs, elegantly put together with exceptional artistic vision. Another step in the band’s impressvie career. Looking forward for their next endeavour!

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A record you cannot explain, you have to experience it and try to survive. My mate Eeli poured his heart into writing about it. Abrasive, compelling and gripping. I’m still not fully sure if I like this or if it just scares me, but it’s intense nonetheless.

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Remember Tom Misch‘s early days? Add even more smoothness and warmth, and you get a good impression what awaits you with this exceptional EP. This batch of songs displays an incredibly good sense of catchy songwriting, and definitely makes you hunger for more!

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There is definitely something I need to find on Leon Bridges newest offering that jumped on me with his previous records. Nevertheless, the world can’t have enough of Leon, so I’ll keep searching. Some glimpes are already there, and Gold-Diggers Sound convinces to keep listening with intriguing catchiness.

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Jazz is good to me these days. We are graced with fantastic albums on a regular basis, and Yellow is a special one. Definitely on the more challenging side, Emma-Jean Thackray, another South-East London resident (seriously, what’s going in London?), created a maze of hypnotic modern jazz, reflecting on a myriad of genres and styles with ease.

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Pressing play on this beauty closed my eyes and left me slowly grooving in my chair. Hope For Sale‘s modern vibrance and the reminiscence of classic soul is fantastically intertwined, and led by an easy-to-love vocal performance by Yoni Ayal, the artist behind Chiiild.

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You wouldn’t think that there would be a The Noise Of without skramz, right? No worries, papa Inter usually has something for you, because SKRAMZ NEVER DISAPPOINTS! This time, some very sweet Italian screamo/post hardcore. Chivála‘s EP is a true gem, and one of the finest entries into the genre.

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Yeah, the cover is ugly, and the name of the project doesn’t sound that interesting, but trust me: look past that and you get one of the most interesting post-rock records of the year, gritty and black metal-ish in parts, disturbingly noisy and challenging. Great stuff.

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You probably never heard of her, but you need to check this out. It’s phenomenal!

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While I would have wished for a more dynamic, expressive production, A Residency in the Los Angeles Area is easily Naia Izumi‘s best work today. Compellingly arranged and charismatically performed, this record will turn heads.

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There seems to be a pattern with the vibe I’m searching for in July. I pressed play on this record and just fell in love. A whole universe of sound opened up with Low Roar‘s newest album. This is amazing.

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Thanks for scrolling!