By Tilly Mason
30. Mister Goblin – Four People in an Elevator and One of Them Is the Devil
From Washington DC, indie singer-songwriter Sam Goblin’s latest release is reminiscent of a classic American rom-com: at times a bit corny, but overall addictively satisfying. Goblin’s talent at writing complex but catchy guitar riffs and vocal melodies is what makes the album so captivating, culminating in one of the most underrated albums of the year.
29. White Flowers – Day by Day
The debut album from the Preston-based duo is reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins’ dream-like waves of sound, with its reverb-heavy guitar and blooming synth. It aptly comes from the industrial North of England, with distorted guitar resembling a kind of melodic machinery. The album is softened by singer Katie Drew’s catchy vocal lines, battling with the darkness of their backing.
28. Mewn – Landscapes Unchanged
The Mancunian dream pop band’s debut album flows effortlessly through different moods, tempos and timbres. From dark washes of synth to uplifting guitar riffs, ‘Landscapes Unchanged’ is a comforting collection of well-crafted songs: a perfect debut for an exciting new band.
27. Swim Camp – Fishing in a Small Boat
The lo-fi pop songs forming Swim Camp (aka Tom Morris)’s second album are equally as charming as they are intricate. ‘Fishing in a Small Boat’ sounds exactly like its title, swaying and flowing effortlessly. It’s a sweet, endearing and enjoyable album.
26. Editrix – Tell Me I’m Bad
Debut album from Massachusetts-based trio showcases their unorthodox approach to songwriting: each instrument independently riffing and coming together every so often in harmonious chaos. The album sometimes feels more like a symphony than one of avant garde math rock, creating one of the most unique albums of the year.
25. JPEGMAFIA – LP!
JPEGMAFIA’s sense of humour and chaos are written all over his latest release. His uniquely harsh verses amidst glitchy synth washes and moreish beats, while less flowing than his other albums, set JPEG apart from other rappers. ‘LP!’ is a good listen, satisfyingly setting the expected tone for a JPEG album.
24. William Doyle – Great Spans of Muddy Time
Manchester-based singer-songwriter William Doyle’s second album is named after a quote from the mundane BBC TV show ‘Gardeners’ World’. Doyle became obsessed with the show during lockdown, encapsulating the deranged serenity flowing through the album. Built from the remnants of Doyle’s broken cassette tape, which left his original songs completely distorted, this vocal melody-led album reimagines the songwriting process and unearths musical maximalism.
23. LICE – WASTELAND: What Ails Our People is Clear
The first full length album by Bristolian post-punk band LICE is a cathartic, avant garde noise-filled album telling a dystopian story about reconciling with the breakdown of humanity. Its dissonant but catchy guitar riffs, sprawling basslines and relentless drums bring grit to the album, and are brought together by Alastair Shuttleworth’s emphatic vocals.
22. Semiratruth – MiRA
Chicago rapper Semiratruth’s debut album is a collection of short but sweet songs about change, anger and self care. The beats on MiRA are laid-back, and scattered with samples that perfectly match the fun while profound lyrics. It’s an endearing debut, highlighting Semiratruth’s rhythmic flows and artistic lyricism.
21. Fake fruit – Fake Fruit
Californian trio Fake Fruit’s debut album blends art pop and raw punk, with main songwriter and singer Hannah D’Amato’s unique voice overlaying the album’s rhythmic riffs and garage-style tone, singing in anguish at themes of modern conventions, food waste and bad sex.
20. Lewsberg – In Your Hands
The third album by Rotterdam’s post-punk quartet Lewsberg is a sparse but addictive collection of songs. Repetitive bass, guitar and violin lines underpin the sincere vocals of Arie van Vliet, lamenting on everyday sights and sounds. It’s a relaxing but captivating album, demanding attention but leaving plenty of breathing space.
19. Armand Hammer and the Alchemist – Haram
The dark humour and intense themes of lyrics from rappers billy woods and ELUCID, performing under the moniker of Armand Hammer, blends perfectly with the smooth, melodic beats from Californian producer the Alchemist. The album is a poetic, funny and overall enjoyable listen.
18. BABii – MiiRROR
Margate-based hyperpop artist BABii (aka Daisy Warne)’s third album is a musing on childhood and growing up amongst a chaotic family life. Sculpted using severe recordings like scraping metal and smashing glass, the album provides hypnotic beats topped by Warne’s dreamy vocal melodies.
17. Spirit of the Beehive – ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
The Philadelphia electro-psych trio’s fourth album is more hallucinatory than its predecessors: melding psychedelia, shoegaze and indie with electronic washes. Spirit of the Beehive are experts in making already intricate pop songs into an engrossing spectacle of noise and havoc.
16. The Weather Station – Ignorance
Canadian singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman’s fourth album is the best yet from her project as The Weather Station. Ignorance contains full blown pop anthems as well as softer folk songs, bringing Lindeman’s ear for catchy melodies to the fore. Focusing on the fate of human connection on a quickly deteriorating planet, it is an expressive album which effortlessly melds hope and hopelessness in both lyric and style.
15. Tirzah – Colourgrade
The second album by London-based singer-songwriter Tirzah is a vulnerable collection of love songs, holding onto the wonder of the everyday. Recorded just after the birth of her first child, ‘Colourgrade’ contains sparse lullabies as well as harsh guitar tracks, blurring intensity and intimacy into one.
14. Loraine James – Reflection
The third album by London-based producer Loraine James blends grime, dance and floating synth sounds in a soothing but intense release. The album exudes the feeling of lockdown, with lyrics reflecting on isolation, relationships and perseverance. It is an effortless album, seamlessly melding genres and styles.
13. Klein – Harmattan
The release by composer Klein shows that classical music does not need classical instruments. Melding piano, samples and synth, Klein experiments with the limits of classical music. While some tracks are more captivating than others, Klein’s unique vision and sound make ‘Harmattan’ one of the best albums of the year.
12. N0v3l – Non Fiction
Vancouver-based post-punk band N0V3L’s debut album is an enjoyable listen. Its standout element is the bursts of swelling saxophone and keyboard over melodic guitar riffs and desolate vocals. The album is intense but listenable, with lyrics about addiction and at times descending into distorted chaos.
11. Floatie – Voyage Out
The debut album from Chicago four piece delicately marries math rock, dissonance and catchy melodies. With changing time signatures, technical guitar riffs and intricate drumming patterns, the album’s excitement comes from its unexpected turns, but stays grounded by the gentle vocal melodies and simplistically charming lyrics from singer and guitarist Sam Bern, for example exploring gender identity through the story of a worm seeing its reflection.
10. Iglooghost – Lei Line Eon
The second album from electronic producer Iglooghost (aka Seamus Malliagh) brings much-needed calmness to the music of the year. Underpinned by piano and violin arpeggios played by Vivek Menon, Malliagh translates his influence of folklore and history into blooming electronic sequences and sparse drum tracks. Featuring various styles of vocalists, catchy melodies make the album very listenable despite its complex electro-orchestral backing.
9. Moor Mother – Black Encyclopedia of the Air
Philadelphia-based experimental musician, poet and sound artist Moor Mother (aka Camae Ayewa) is affectionately deemed the ‘poet laureate of the apocalypse’. Leaving more breathing space than her dense, noisier previous albums, ‘Black Encyclopedia of the Air’ hones in on Ayewa’s words: touching on racial justice, class war and the battle against time. While very accessible, the album is scattered with samples of strings and saxophone riffs: it is a masterclass in artistry, lyricism and experimentation.
8. AJA – SLUG
The second album from Nottingham producer AJA (Aja Ireland) blends experimental dance and industrial noise. Obviously influenced by her self-admitted idol SOPHIE, the glitchy pops of distorted synth highlight the playfulness of the album. Ireland’s sound is unrelenting, but free flowing and cathartic – just what was needed for this year.
7. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
The fourth album by Islington-born rapper Little Simz is as equally painful as it is energetic and upbeat. Tackling themes of youth, absent fathers and the boundary between public and private life, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ (an acronym of the rapper’s familial nickname SIMBI) achieves narrative as well as musical quality, providing some of the best hooks of the year.
6. Thirdface – Do it with a Smile
The first album by Nashville-based punk quartet Thirdface is a triumph. The melodic quality and variety of the album makes it very listenable, albeit noisy and chaotic. The political message comes across loud and clear, with vocalist Kathryn Edwards’ lyrics around race, class and community. Bands like Thirdface are reigniting punk, and it’s exciting to see where they’ll go next.
5. Deerhoof – Actually, You Can
The latest album by four-piece experimental rock band Deerhoof continues their legacy of beautifully frenzied music. In typical Deerhoof style, the chaotic noise-pop of sprawling guitar riffs and splashy drumming builds a frenzied but extremely satisfying album.
4. Xiu Xiu – OH NO
The twelfth album by Xiu Xiu, the project of multi-instrumentalist Jamie Stewart, proves that they are not going anywhere. An album of duets with musicians like Sharon Van Etten and Chelsea Wolfe, it is a cacophony of dark, theatrical synth and electro-pop, guided by Stewart’s uniquely vibrato vocal tone. It’s an album with collaboration at its core: showing the value of working together through difficult times.
3. Mabe Fratti – Serà que ahora podremos entendernos
Guatemalan cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti’s second album, translated as ‘Will we be able to understand each other now?’, blends washes of synth with captivating cello riffs, soaring vocal melodies and unexpected harmonies. Fratti’s creativity buzzes through the album, making it a perfect motivator for work or background to a chill night. This dark, stirring tranquillity has brought some much needed clarity to 2021.
2. L’Rain – Fatigue
The debut album from multi-instrumentalist L’Rain (Taja Cheek), ‘Fatigue’ seamlessly blends a variety of genres: from pop to noise to jazz to classical. While Cheek’s songwriting ability exudes into the album, the fun of making it is also clearly audible – the album is painted with outtakes and skits. This unique portrayal of the process behind an already-incredible album makes it one of the best of the year.
1. Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2
Dean Blunt is a London-based electronic musician and guitarist. The sequel to his 2015 album ‘Black Metal’, Blunt’s latest release is a barrage of pretty guitar riffs and melodies, foregrounded by Blunt’s booming vocals and sincere but often laugh-out-loud lyrics. I’ve found that this album, while fairly short, has been the perfect distraction from the mess that was 2021.
Other Honourable mentions : “Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki”, “POiSON ANNA – EXCELSiA”, “SUUNS – The Witness”, “Arca – KicK iii”, “Water from Your Eyes – Structure”, “Bladee – The Fool”, “Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine – A Beginner’s Mind”, “Theoreme – Les Artisans”, “Yautja – The Lurch death’s dynamic shroud – Faith in Persona”
hello! I’m Tilly, a third year geography student. I am mostly interested in (/ obsessed with) music, films and art – my faves include big black, andrei tarkovsky and leonora carrington! If you would like to chat about an article, have any recommendations, or literally anything at all, feel free to find me on instagram (@craggyland), twitter (@tillymasonn), or I’ll probably be at whatever album society event is on!
