>the year has been slow for names i recognize. most of the
>ones ive listened to have been mostly duds.

Yeah, it's been a bit slow for me, too, but I also just haven't been listening as much. My backlog is deep right now. Some favs so far:

Hip hop/R&B:
RAP Ferreira - Bob's Son (this is good but not as memorable, for me, as Purple Moonlight Pages)

Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales (could do without the skits after two or three listens)

Rhye - Home

Kota the Friend - Lyrics to Go vol 2

Ovrkast - Try Again (is this 2021? or is this a re-release?)

Madlib - Sound Ancestors (near the top of my listening so far for the year, easily)

But honestly, of those, only the RAP Ferreira, Ovrkast, and Madlib are getting steady play. Rhye will probably be a slow burn throughout the year, especially when it warms up a bit and can be chilled to outside in the evening.

Some other random releases:
Kacy & Clayton/Marlon Williams - Plastic Bouquet (Americana-ish)

Weather Station - Ignorance (worth the hype - love her voice, new sound for her that really pays off)

Chevalrex - Providence (some french slightly avant chamber pop - really crept up on me)

Buck Meek - Two Saviors (of Big Thief - just a great set of straight-forward tunes with a few really exceptional ones)

Caroline Shaw - Narrow Sea (pop music's favorite contemporary classical-ish composer -- this is a genuinely good release and it has Dawn Upshaw, a favorite singer of mine, on vocals -- highly recommended)

That said, there's a lot on my list that I've barely given an ear to yet. Some I have really liked on first listen or skim:

Femi Kuti/Made Kuti - Legacy + - liked Femi's half more but a good listen all the way through

Dam-Funk - Destination: Known - two-track EP, both long, nothing groundbreaking but I'll be returning

those YOD/Tha God Fahim releases seem really solid, just haven't been in the mood for them

Myka 9 - Nine Clouds (only listened to a few tracks but I liked what I heard a lot)

Black Country, New Road - For the first time - not sure how to describe these folks yet but I really liked the singles they released, looking forward to the full album

Black Nile - The Further Side - jazz but with beats/hip hop inflections -- I really liked this on first listen and am excited to go back. Good write-up from Bandcamp: https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/black-nile-the-further-side-review

A whole lot of jazz that I haven't touched yet but that looks really promising, too.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~