Top Albums of 2021 — Twenty One Honourable Mentions
It’s that time children! The yearly lists when I actually get off my butt and write a blog post. There was a lot of good music in 2021, and so I’m giving you my top 41 albums — my top 20 and 21 honourable mentions. Ok…some of the “21” are gonna be multiple entries by an artists so it’s actually 32…but 20+21 is cuter.
So, without further ado, here are twenty one albums I liked a lot this year (in alphabetical order):
Arca — KICK ii/ KicK iii/ kick iiii/ kiCK iiiii
Last week Arca dropped FOUR follow ups to last years’ very good KiCk i. Each album has it’s own tone from brash and incendiary to delicate and reflective. They also boast some of the most striking album artwork I’ve seen in years. She continues to create and explore a musical world of both transgender and trans-human ideas (she also goes by “it/its” pronouns — also just look at the artwork). It’s a lot of music that I’m only starting to digest but I’ve been very impressed by the hours I’ve put into listening to this project already and expect it to continue to grow on me.
Part iii is probably my favourite so far and the one-two punch of “Bruja” and “Incendio” that open the album are a great intro to get started.
Big Brave — Vital / The Body & Big Brave —Leaving Nothing But Small Birds
Big Brave released one of the years prettiest heavy records of the year, and boy is it heavy. Just massive waves of sound washing over you with haunting vocal incantations sung over top (no screams here for those averse to harsh vocals. If you can’t get into the album opener “Abating the Incarnation of Matter” then this record isn’t for you.
They also collaborated with The Body on another good record that embraces more of a more paired-down folk music style. Reminded me of that VVitch movie from a couple years ago.
Black Dresses — Forever In Your Heart
Black Dresses return (after breaking up for a while) with another insane blend of genres. It’s not like every song switches genres or styles, but within each song there are shifts as well. It’s basically the angriest hyperpop album ever. Like if 100 gecs and Poppy joined forces with Death Grips and…Royal Trux? Or something. Total chaos but with great hooks and riffs and never a dull moment. This one you just have to start the rollercoaster and hang on for dear life.
Blu — The Color Blu(e) / Blu & Sirplus — For Sale
Blu has become one of those hip hop artists that constantly floats at the edge of my peripheral vision and occasionally bursts through. This year he released two projects. One where he exclusively samples songs — from the Beatles to ELO — about the colour blue and uses them to talk about his own life. The second is a really tight EP with Sirplus that gets in and gets out and leaves you wanting more. Thoughtful lyrics, great beats, and killer flows. With its very manageable 18-minute run time, I think everyone should at least give For Sale a chance.
BROCKHAMPTON — ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
Hip hop’s biggest boy band returns with another eclectic and energetic collection of tracks, but this time with a healthy dash of spiritual seeking. From the huge opening couple of tracks featuring Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA to the 3 track combo that closes the album with some great gospel arrangements, this one is definitely worth checking out.
Courting — Grand National EP
Courting brings some great jangly riffs and post-punk energy to this tight EP. It gets in, parties hard, and gets out. Oh and “Crass” has one of the funniest one liners of the year: “And I think me and Kanye might still have sex.”
Fucked Up — Year of the Horse
Fucked Up’s Year of the Horse is made up of four 20+ minute acts (which Apple Music annoyingly broke up into 15ish untitled tracks each). It’s a sprawling tale of — I think this is right? — overcoming your circumstances…and an inter-dimensional horse? I dunno. It’s rambling but delicious. From the slightly medieval sounding “act one” to the spaghetti western guitars of “act two” to the orchestral horns and hardcore galloping beats of “act 4," the band really flexes it’s arrangement chops. It never lost my attention at any point and I returned to it quite a bit.
illuminati hotties — Let Me Do One More
A really fun collection of tracks that blends beach vibes with riot grrrl punk attitude and just a whole boatload of energy. “Mmmoooaaaaayaya” is probably my favourite track with it’s no-wave chaotic opening riff that bursts out into a great sing along chorus.
Jaubi — Nafs at Peace
Mind-expanding Pakastani jazz with some really beautiful jams. Check out “Mosty” for a good sample of why I really enjoyed this.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — L.W. / Butterfly 3000
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard released two studio albums, five live albums, and a remix album this year. So…y’know…their typical amount of content. They continue to be one of my favourite bands to follow as you never know what is coming next, or how soon. L.W. continues their explorations of micro-tonal music and rocks pretty hard (especially “Pleura” and “K.G.L.W.”) and Butterfly 3000 is their first big excursion into a more electronic sound. Check out “Catching Smoke” especially off Butterfly 3000. Super good track.
Knocked Loose — A Tear in the Fabric of Life EP
21 minutes of some of the purest aggression I heard this year. Face-ripping riffs and mind-crushing breakdowns. What else do you need to know?
Kyari Pamyu Pamyu — Candy Racer
There is no Kyari Pamyu Pamyu album that isn’t a neon-infused sugar-rush fun-party-time. Candy Racer is no exception. From percussive driving “Dodonpa” to the I-feel-like-I’m-becoming-a-Mario-Cart-level-on-acid spacey jazz of “Kimigaiinekuretara” this is a super fun ride.
Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club / Blue Bannisters
This year Lana Del Rey followed up on 2019’s excellent Norman Fucking Rockwell with two solid albums. Of the two, Chemtrails feels like it has stronger individual songs (“White Dress” and “For Free” are stand outs) and any time Nikki Lane shows up anywhere I’m into it, but I really like overall vibe of Blue Bannisters. Definitely glad to see this particular era of her songwriting more fleshed out but also eager to see if she takes it in a new direction next.
Lil Ugly Mane – Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern
This one caught me completely off guard and if it had some out earlier in the year may have had more time to grow on me and make its way into the top 20 of the year. Gone is the noisy deconstructionist hip hop I associate with Lil Ugly Mane, and in its place there’s a clever collection of short songs with deceptively rich production, slacker melodies, and a bunch of character. Something Mutations- or Sea Change-era Beck might have been proud to put out. “Benadryl Submarine” and the one-melody-three-ways “Cursor” are current stand outs but there are tons of little gems in this album and I fully plan to spend much more time with VBEatVC in the coming months.
Low — Hey What
This album just sounds HUGE. But not like in a Big Brave down-tempo metal way…in a walls-of-highly-sculpted-guitar turned into the most aggressive ambient electronic music way. With beautiful harmonized vocals on top. Kind of like if Tortoise tried to make a LCD Sound System album but didn’t want any one to dance at any point. I DON’T KNOW IT JUST SOUNDS BIG OK. And it’s gorgeous. Album opener “White Horses” is a really solid thesis statement, and “Days Like These” has a huge shouty gang vocals melody that would make any late 00’s indie-band jealous.
Mdou Moctar — Afrique Victime
This album is exactly what I love from African psychedelic rock. Complex jams, amazing guitar shredding, and hypnotic refrains. You don’t need to understand the language to sense the sadness and rebellion that the album combines into a powerful rallying cry. If you aren’t immediately blown away by “Chismiten” check out the eternally faster steam train of the title track with it’s explosive conclusion.
Moor Mother — Black Encyclopedia of the Air / Moor Mother & Billy Woods — Brass (2020) / Irreversible Entanglements — Open the Gates
Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother released 3 incredible and very different projects this year — the noisy hip hop collaboration with Billy Woods on Brass (which technically came out the last week of 2020); the complex minimal beats and spoken word poetry Black Encyclopedia of the Air; and the free-jazz-as-resistance explorations of Irreversible Entanglement’s Open The Gates. In the last two weeks she also released a collaboration with another of her projects BLACK QUANTUM FUTURISM that I haven’t even had a chance to listen to yet and might be snuck onto next year’s list, just like Brass was this year. Everything Moor Mother touches is infused by her deep, powerful voice and boundary ignoring lyrics with a sense of rebellion, revolution, grief, and a sense of prophetic mysticism rooting owning her black heritage in all the fullness of its pain and power. None of it is for the weak of heart. But all of it is rewarding.
I would start with “Rapunzal” on Brass, “Rogue Waves” on BEotA, or “Water Meditation” on Open the Gates.
Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
I mean. It had to be on the list somewhere right? This is full-on teenage angst. Big emotions. Big hooks. Incomprehensibly sad ballads. I love you. I hate you. Fuck you. Come here and kiss me. That kind of thing. And she’s bringing back the pop punk guitars of the early 00s that I am extremely nostalgic for so bonus points for that. Obviously “good 4 u” is a banger but “traitor” sounds like Phoebe Bridgers in the best sort of way and “1 step forward, 3 steps back” is very sweet as well.
Poppy — Flux / EAT (NXT Soundtrack) EP
This marks 4 years in a row where Poppy has made it onto my year end lists. EAT (a professional wrestling soundtrack because she’s now the house band for the WWE or something?) manifested itself as the logical extreme conclusion of the progression from internet pop AI to heavy metal demon queen and has some of the most unhinged vocals she’s ever released. Flux on the otherhand steps back and explores 90’s and 00’s nostalgia with a collection of songs that co-ops the sounds of both Nirvana and Metric in the same breath while bringing them into the present. I definitely spent more time with Flux and the angsty but very singable “So Mean” was easily one of my go to singles of the year. So catchy and delicious.
Sturgill Simpson — The Ballad of Dood & Juanita
Sturgill takes a break from his bluegrass phase and goes full Western with a concept album about a man who gets shot by bandits and has his wife kidnapped from him, so he staunches the wound and goes hunting for the bastards. It has a song about his horse, a song about his dog, and a Willie Nelson guest appearance. So. That’s pretty legit. “Shamrock” and “Juanita” are stand outs for me.
Wizardthrone — Hypercube Necrodimensions
SPACE WIZARD TECHNICAL PROGRESSIVE METAL.
Pure nerdy joy. That is all. Buckle up.
And now a bunch of singles that don’t appear on any of these albums or on my top 20 that I adored:
Avril Lavigne — “Bite Me”
black midi — “John L”
DARKSIDE — “Liberty Bell”
Humanity’s Last Breath — “Tide”
Iceage — “High & Hurt”
Landlady — “Bulldozer”
Natalia Lafourcade — “Alfonsina y El Mar”
Phoebe Bridgers — “Day After Tomorrow”
Rebecca Black — “Friday (Remix)”
Run The Jewels — “ooh la la (Remix feat. Lil Wayne)”
Snail Mail — “Valentine”
St. Vincent — “My Baby Wants A Baby”
The Weather Station — “Atlantic”
All worth your time. Thanks for reading! Top 20 next week!
