i typed this up as a reply to @nicky asking for recs and it's sitting as a comment on their post but figured this was worthwhile to make a post for Me and My Audience as well (praise me). Here are some good albums from the past few years, in my opinion.
False Lankum (2023) by Lankum (confusing, i know) is like. folk doom metal from a band who I am now obsessed with. the album itself is a mix of new original music with a couple cool interpretations of traditional songs. Highly recommend starting with Go Dig My Grave, the opening track, though if you pressed me I think my favorite song on the album is Lord Abore and Mary Flynn.
come into your power (2022) by Blackbird Raum is an album I have yelled about on here before but it's my favorite folk-punk-metal band ever and they put out a new album and it slaps.
Less niche perhaps but Ethel Cain's Preacher's Daughter (2022) is, imo, very much worth the hype. Languid, depressing pop music about christianity and the midwest and just a hint of Gender stuff.
Pigeon Pit's feather river canyon blues (2022) is a folk punk (ish) album about friendship and growing up and stuff like that. good stuff. I recommend starting with Fire Escape, a ballad about being hung over and in love and resisting death.
Black Country New Road's Ants From Up There (2022) is... a very good album, about breaking up and being old and dealing with human relationships. it's very epic in scope is the only way i can describe it. Highly recommend the track The Place Where He Inserted The Blade, a 7 minute song about being with someone who had been hurt by someone else.
Mustafa's When Smoke Rises (2021) is a really beautiful hip hop album. It's only eight tracks and there was a period where I just had it on repeat. Mustafa's voice is just incredible throughout this, soft and crooning and very approachable in a way I haven't felt about a rap album in quite a while. Recommend starting with the opening track, Stay Alive.
