The 2021 List
Another year goes by and once again—we’ve listened to a lot of music. Here are some of our favorites from 2021 (non-ranked!):
ALPHA Charlotte Day Wilson
After ten years in the music industry as a songwriter and producer, Charlotte Day Wilson shines through as an solo artist with ALPHA, her debut full-length album. Wilson perfects the signature sound we heard from her viral 2016 single ‘Work’: neo-soul with strong gospel influences. Every track in this album feels like a hymn, a spiritual journey with its blended harmonies and heartfelt, soulful melodies; every note feels intentionally, yet naturally placed. What I love about Wilson’s artistry is how effortless, yet powerful her instrumentals always are. Tracks usually feature an unassuming drum beat with a simple guitar/bass line, leaving much room for silence, but the silence itself brings more depth to her music, allowing us to appreciate Wilson’s deep, velvety vocals. No stranger to collaboration, she also brings in BADBADNOTGOOD, Daniel Caesar, and Syd, to complement her musicality, and “Take Care of You,” featuring Syd, is one such standout track, as Syd’s quiet vocals work so well with Charlotte’s in a sweet song about sacrifice and love. Another highlight is “Keep Moving”, a track that proves that Wilson’s hymnal style can translate perfectly to faster tempos and groovier rhythms. All in all, ALPHA is a refreshing album jam-packed with soul, and undoubtedly solidifies Charlotte Day Wilson’s spot within the contemporary R&B space.
ALPHA album cover. Stone Woman Music 2021
An Evening with Silk Sonic Silk Sonic
Sexy, smooth, classy, glitzy, glamorous—just a few of the words I’d use to describe An Evening With Silk Sonic. The R&B super-duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak deliver an experience like no other. The “Evening” part of the album’s title is apt, this album should be listened to in one sitting. The duo deliver a 31-minute cabaret of delights, with songs touching on all corners of romance, from the sensual R&B cruise of “Leave the Door Open” to the bitter yet wistful “Smokin Out The Window,” to the upbeat, flirtatious funk of “Fly as Me,” and “Skate.” Mars and .Paak are perfect together, with both showing their vocal capabilities in a variety of moods and formats. Together as Silk Sonic, they marry the style and pizzaz of 70s funk with the attitude of the 90s rap and R&B that often sampled it. The songs all have a live-band feel to them that’s so often missing from modern pop. I don’t often say this, but if Silk Sonic is in your area, I recommend spending at least one evening with them, if not possibly more.
An Evening with Silk Sonic album cover. Aftermath Entertainment 2021
Any Shape You Take Indigo De Souza
Indigo de Souza branches out on her second studio album Any Shape You Take. While maintaining a lot of the grunge pop-rock sounds and achingly-honest lyricism from I Love My Mom, this album sprinkles in exciting new elements, including audio effects and synth-y electronic beats, especially prevalent on the opening track “17”. The instruments and de Souza’s voice have incredible range; climatic shifts between slow-paced, stripped-down guitar and full-blown, high-intensity graininess are matched by de Souza’s jumps from wavering whispers to guttural screams, making this album feel like an utter whirlwind. One of the album’s most impactful tracks, that really encapsulates this range, is “Real Pain”. De Souza put out an invitation for people to anonymously send her voice memos of screams; the track builds up to an almost-painful cacophony of these recordings, and then seamlessly dips back down into de Souza’s classic grunge sound. Other great tracks include “Light Night Crawler,” which features a phenomenal guitar riff, and “Way Out,” an eclectic song that really encapsulates the album’s themes of self-reckoning and transformation.
Any Shape You Take album cover. Saddle Creek Records 2021
Blue Weekend Wolf Alice
Blue Weekend is stunning. This third studio album by British rock outfit Wolf Alice feels, at times, that Ellie Rowsell is gazing straight into the soul. It’s a study of the human condition, of friendships, romances, and relationships with ourselves and all the people and places around us. The lyrics are vulnerable and take us to experiences that are so eerily familiar, from drifting in and out of friendships in “The Beach,” to the bitter surrender and acceptance of heartbreak in “No Hard Feelings.” The band also explores several genres, including folk, pop, and garage rock, to tell these stories, and in doing so, they showcase just how much range they have: the musicianship is consistently dazzling and confident, full of different colors, moods, and gorgeous melodies. Rowsell herself says this when describing the album concept, “I remember feeling blue about something, and thinking, ‘I wonder what songs I can listen to that will be about what I’m feeling right now’”. In this ethereal, 40-minute masterpiece, Blue Weekend does that flawlessly.
Blue Weekend album cover. Dirty Hit 2021
Daddy’s Home St. Vincent
Daddy’s Home may have been inspired by Clark’s fathers release after twelve years in prison, but spoiler alert: Annie Clark is actually calling herself Daddy. St. Vincent’s sixth studio album is a raw and honest look into Clark’s relationship with her father, but also her relationship with herself. It’s the perfect medley of 70s inspired rock, indie pop, and psychedelia, and it’s funky, groovy, and totally gritty. The album’s opening track, “Pay Your Way in Pain,” one highlight of many, kicks us off with these funky synths and theatrical vocal performances, as Clark howls on about dignity, survival, and just trying to get by. As the album goes on, we’re fully immersed into Clark’s world: difficult themes of abuse, romances, her relationship with her father, and being a woman in entertainment. All of these stories pair beautifully with Clark’s musicianship: ranging from wild and punchy, to woozy and acoustic. Daddy’s Home is a 2021 essential, and an exhilarating experience from start to finish.
Daddy’s Home album cover. Loma VIsta Recordings 2021
Home Video Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus’ third studio album is a work of art. The tracks narrow in on moments in her youth and teen years, highlighting elements of young and fierce love, a complicated relationship with religion, and rebelliousness in more ways than one. It’s a no-skip album wrought with sincerity. Home Video is also impressively engaging and creative—with the chorus of “Thumbs” spotlighting the eerie calmness by which Dacus details the urge to murder a friend’s deadbeat father and “VBS” showcasing what Guitar.com describes as “10 seconds of blisteringly distorted powerchord ferocity” following the mention of thrash metal band Slayer. “Partner in Crime” is yet another unique standout, utilizing Auto-Tune to noticeably alter Dacus’ voice and reflect the deception in lying about her age to older men. Dacus’ latest musical creation feels overwhelmingly genuine, and with its deeply resonating lyrics and storytelling, it’s an album you keep close to your heart.
Home Video album cover. Matador 2021
I Know I’m Funny haha Faye Webster
Faye Webster is in no rush. Her slow-paced, perfectly-indulgent fourth studio album I Know I’m Funny haha, co-produced with Drew Vanderberg, is a seamless blend of indie country, soft rock, and groovy R&B. Webster’s often minimal lyrics pack a blunt, yet meaningful punch that leaves room for meandering slide guitar and jazzy, warm piano riffs. Standout tracks from the album include its title track, in which Webster’s unabashed honesty and wavering vocals shine through, and “Better Distractions”, a deliciously mellow single in which Webster asks the song’s addressee over and over again “Will you? Will you? Will you? Will you? / Will you? Will you be with me?” An additional standout is “Overslept”, a collaboration with musician mei ehara, sung half in English and half in Japanese, whose stripped-down feeling meshes perfectly with the addition of synths, a feature that was new to this album. All together, I Know I’m Funny haha somehow makes sadness, loneliness, and joy feel meditative and dreamy; it’s the kind of album you can listen to laying down and feel like you’re floating.
I Know I’m Funny haha album cover. Secretly Canadian 2021
Medicine at Midnight Foo Fighters
“Foo Fighters, but make it disco”––that’s the elevator pitch for Medicine at Midnight, Foo Fighters’ 10th studio album, and certainly their most fun. The disco influence is apparent in the lively backing vocals of “Making a Fire” and “Cloudspotter,” (the backing on the latter track being provided by Dave Grohl’s daughter). While those two tracks, as well as the upbeat rocker “Holding Poison” are eminently danceable (seriously, the use of cowbell on this album is magnificent), the album’s introspective moments shine through as well. In particular, the Grammy-nominated ballad “Waiting on a War” stands out for it’s midlife retrospection, lush strings, and Grohl’s full-throttle vocals. “Love Dies Young” feels, more than any other, like a ‘90s Foo Fighters song, while “Cloudspotter” is the album’s requisite headbanger, features a guitar riff ripped straight from Grohl’s younger years, and shows that, despite the years, the band hasn’t lost their edge. The song that stands out above all is “Shame Shame,” a track that prominently features guest percussionist Omar Hakim, and holds off on the electric guitar until near the end. It’s a hypnotic track that’s emblematic of the album’s love of old-school funk and dance music. Medicine at Midnight proves that “going pop” need not be a bad thing.
Medicine at Midnight album cover. Roswell Records 2021
Red (Taylor’s Version) Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is so good that her 2012 album can make a 2021 albums of the year list. Red (Taylor's Version) is her second re-recording, and not only is it nostalgic to superfans and casual listeners alike, but it seriously raises the bar for her future re-recordings to come. Notably, Swift’s “From the Vault” tracks tremendously elevate the album. She presents lighter, catchier songs like “Message in a Bottle” and reveals the blessing that is the long-coveted, 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” Swift also includes the kind of songs you sob to alone in your room. “Nothing New” is one of those songs. The highly anticipated track featuring Phoebe Bridgers exceeded expectations. It’s an achingly emotional ballad, and the combination of acoustic guitar, soft strings, Bridger’s trademark sorrowful vocals, and Swift’s matured voice singing the lyrics she wrote so long ago make for a heavenly listening experience. “Nothing New” embodies the core of Red (Taylor's Version), presenting strong songwriting and the kind of scream-out-loud-feel-it-in-your-soul relatability most Taylor Swift songs are beloved for. From breaking Spotify records to stirring red scarf discourse, Red (Taylor’s Version) was a 2021 force to be reckoned with.
Red (Taylor’s Version) album cover. Taylor Swift 2021
Sling Clairo
Claire Cottrill’s latest album is arguably her best work yet. Through Sling, she marks a clear and impressive departure from the artist who rose to fame from her diary 001 songs and was so closely intertwined with bedroom pop. Cottrill, who performs as Clairo, imbues a soft, classic 70s folk sound throughout Sling, and the album feels deeply comforting—despite, or perhaps because of, the melancholy or despairing themes it explores. As expressed in an email newsletter, she tackles “motherhood, sexualization, mental health, and a lot of [her] own mistakes and regrets.” Cottrill does so with delicate instrumentals, enchanting vocal harmonies, and lyrics like “If touch could make them hear, then touch me now.” Sling is vulnerable and thoughtful, honest and moving. It might come off as too quiet or understated for some, but that may be the beauty of it—the fact that it’s an album you have to really listen to. Overall, it’s admirably reflective of how much the singer-songwriter has matured.
Sling album cover. Republic Records 2021