How Are We at the End of the Year Already?!
Somehow, this year flew by and dragged on at the same time. Was 2021 an improvement over 2020? I think we would say yes, but that was also a very low bar to get over. Anyway, now is they time we start looking back at what we reviewed this year and make lists for you to argue over. As usual, we start with our auxiliary lists like Best Artwork, Most Improved, Worst Albums, and more. Feel free to share your picks in the comments!
Happy Holidays everybody!
The Sideshow Podcast 
It pains me to admit what my most disappointing album of 2021 is, and that’s Mastodon’s Hushed and Grim. It fits the definition of disappointing in that it is not a bad album by any means. But every other Mastodon album is at least a top 3 album of the year for me, and Hushed and Grim doesn’t hold up to their previous efforts. While none of the songs themselves are bad while I’m listening to them, several are forgettable. And even the best songs don’t really inspire me to need to hear them live.
I think there were two reasons I didn’t put it on my disappointed list. One is that I was simply more disappointed with the three I mentioned.
The other is that I wasn’t that impressed with the last album. Emperor of Sand may be better the Grim overall, but it didn’t stand up to ‘Round the Sun, imo. Therefore, I couldn’t wasn’t particularly surprised to find I wasn’t into Grim.
That said, I a guess I’m a bit disappointed in the direction of the album more than the content itself…and the overwhelming amount of it.
– B