2021 Year End Lists Chapter 2: Tyler's Favorite Album Covers Of The Year

Eggnog hangover,

or something like that I'm writing this weeks in advance so who knows what will happen. Assuming the world continues spinning as usual yesterday was Christmas and I dropped my first of 7 year end lists, here is part 2. This one's great because I don't have to do anything but assemble it. If you're not a regular reader I reviewed over 200 projects this year and right at my side was my little baby boy and also professional photographer Tyler Judson, who pens brief reviews of the accompanying album covers for all of them. 

These are Tyler's top 10 album/EP covers of 2021 and in my kingdom, his word is law. Enjoy <3

10. An Evening With Silk Sonic - Silk Sonic

This cover, like the record itself, is smart and effective. Rather than going for photography this illustration has a timeless quality. It sets a theme of for the album and has a classic and easily identifiable feel to it. I love the drawing, it captures the personality of both artists involved and there's no denying exactly who they are. The text compliments the drawing well and it's layout is crisp and well structured. I like the colors used but I think some other versions with a more fun color palette could make for good alternate covers too.

9. Solar Power - Lorde

This cover is super conservative in composition and a brighter side of Lorde from her debut and sophomore albums. She's my favorite artist hands down and has been from her first EP so I had high hopes for this branding. While it is basic, it has personality and shows a new side of her we haven't seen before. It's freeing and airy, something that was needed from the constrained and darker aesthetics of her last work. It's campy and the new logo isn't overdone or gaudy. It also ties in the trends we've seen from artists like Harry Styles and Willow with the use of wide angle and fisheye views. I'm really happy with this cover and excited to see any more visuals that come out of this album.

8. Civilization II - Kero Kero Bonito

This cover is super cool. It's minimal in its composition but the concept is very well thought out and doesn't overcomplicate a good idea. The paper background keeps the red wax as the focal point and the design in the was is striking even in its monochromatic line design. This look like a practical design and actually was a seal that was photographed instead of digitally imposed and that makes me happy. Very successful in my opinion.

7. Beachy Head - Beachy Head

The first thing that strikes me in this cover is the color. The saturated orange is a great contrast to the cool tones in the lower half of the artwork. The hand holding the heart, bird and sparkles add another layer to the otherwise simple composition to make it fun and the text at the bottom gives just enough to make this cover an actual piece of identifiable branding and not just another piece of artwork.

6. The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows - Damon Albarn

I enjoy this cover a lot. It reads more than just an album cover and instead like a piece of fine art. The deep contrast of the image in the back paired with a clean border and minimal text is a crisp combination. I wish I could see a little more detail in the rock but I think this would be a nice addition to anyone's record display as well as one that will draw you in when browsing digitally.

5. Montero - Lil Nas X

This cover is very cool. It's in your face and extravagant. The director behind it is one of my favorite photographers Charlotte Rutherford and she has been working with Lil Nas X since he first blew up. I love her take on 3D worlds mixed with classic imagery and adding it all together to make a great image. The colors and composition are perfect and I think the only downside is that you can't see all of the details in the image because you'll usually view this on a phone screen. Overall this cover is a hit.

4. The Turning Wheel - Spellling

I like this album cover and it's use of high contrast black and white. It's a very confusing and chaotic image and I think the color lends itself to that a lot. I'm really into the composition and how even though it's a simple subject my eye keeps wandering throughout it. The text is placed very well but it's hard to make out on smaller screens and doesn't work well for digital viewing. Overall this cover is really good!

3. Jubilee - Japanese Breakfast

I really enjoy this cover. I think the use of depth and layering is really nice and makes it seem more complicated than it actually is. The composition is simple and to the point and the styling and color scheme is carried out very well. It's soft-spoken much like the vibe of Japanese Breakfast's music and the only thing I would've added is some script branding to make it seem like more than just a good photograph.

2. By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Injury Reserve

I like this cover a lot. It has a quality about it that commands you to study it. The human silhouette on the double exposed image makes the subject seem like it's moving through the composition. The color palette is rich and compliments the center weighted sun really well. I'm very happy with this one and only wish there was some sort of small emblem or branding in the bottom corners.

1. Crawler - Idles

This cover is great. It's so clean and the colors work so effectively to set the mood. The contrast of the warm and cool colors draw you eye into the piece and make it feel comfortable and relatable and the addition of the subject to the right moves your eye through the entire piece and creates a cool and surreal concept. The text on the bottom is small, minimal and effectively compliments the entirety of the piece. I love the contrasting feel it presents from the sound of the music itself. 

Thanks for reading! Show Tyler some love and follow him on Instagram here 

Yesterday I dropped my list of the best production work of the year here

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