Hi, 

I love music. Almost as much as I love sharing music with people. Here is a very casual piece looking at my favourite albums of the last year that we will call 2021. I’ve chucked on some links to the albums for Apple Music and Spotify. Click on individual tracks and you will find a YouTube link because that is what I did. Links open in new tabs. Genres are sourced from the very handy website AOTY. 

Have a scan through and see if anything takes your fancy! I think you should also try tracks from genres you don’t often listen to. Who knows, you might find something you love! Ironic coming from me because as you can see, half of these are Singer-Songwriters. 

Please reach out if you want to talk more about anything here, talking about music and movies and other art things is my favourite thing to do. Hearing what other people think of music that I like makes me unreasonably happy.

Jubilee – Japanese Breakfast 

Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Synthpop – Apple – Spotify

This list is in no particular order. However, Jubilee is my album of the year. The day I found this was one of the best days of 2021. One of those rare days when you are blown away by something. This album had everything I wanted and needed at the time. It is such a positive album and was the perfect antidote to a pretty gloomy year humanity wise. And I have a signed copy! A signed copy! By Michelle herself! Signed!

Try: Be Sweet, Paprika, Posing in Bondage, Posing for cars (two songs have “Posing” in the title, that is wild).

Little Oblivions – Julien Baker

Singer-Songwriter, Indie Rock, Indie Folk, Indie Pop – Apple – Spotify

I’ve started on a longer piece about Julien Baker, so I won’t say much here. This album is incredible, and Julien Baker might be my favourite artist period. If you trust me you’ll give some of these a try. Hardline!

Try: Hardline, Faith Healer, Song in E, Ziptie.

N O  D R E A M / S K A  D R E A M – Jeff Rosenstock 

Pop Punk, Power Pop, Punk Rock, Ska Punk – Apple – Spotify

Where to start with Jeff. Lovely Jeff. In 2020 he released the outstanding N O  D R E A M (I will happily write it like that every time), an incredibly powerful record commenting on society, people in power, housing, mental health, and other funny things. In 2021, on the 20th of April, Jeff released a new version of N O  D R E A M called S K A  D R E A M. It’s N O  D R E A M, but ska. And I tell you what, it is incredible. While the concept may have started as a joke, the execution is anything but. What a killer album. N O  D R E A M and S K A  D R E A M, check them out if you like music. Not into “Pop Punk?” Give tracks like N O  D R E A M and ***BNB a try and have lyrics up as you do! Maybe you’ll think “hmm, I still don’t like this, but I can appreciate the songwriting talent here.”

Try (ska versions): N O  D R E A M (S K A  D R E A M), Nikes (alt) (Airwalks (Alt)), Scram! (SKrAm!), f a m e (p i c k i t u p), Old Crap (Old SKrAp), ***BNB (***SKA). 

I Know I’m Funny haha – Faye Webster 

Alt-Country, Singer-Songwriter – Apple – Spotify

I got my record player in October, this has had the most spins. It’s such a record type record, you know? Every track here is a vibe. Faye’s voice is unnaturally soothing and vibey. The blue and red colour scheme is a vibe. Overslept has an amazing feature by mei ehara and vibe. I have no idea what they are saying but I love it. In a Good Way is my second most listened to track of the year and it makes me want to cry, in a good way. 

Try: Better Distractions, In a Good Way, A Dream With a Baseball Player, Overslept, I Know I’m Funny haha. 

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – Little Simz

UK Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Neo-Soul – Apple – Spotify

Wow. I mean, probably the best album of the year. Scratch that, it’s the best album of the year. 

It’s actually unreal. This record is 19 tracks, an hour and five minutes, and Simbi literally doesn’t miss, even for a second. Not only are the beats perfect, but the verses, the verses!. It’s like. It’s just. It’s. How. You know? I’m still speechless. If you think it sounds too good to be true, listen to Introvert, the opening track. Right now! I don’t know how to write about this record. 

Try: Introvert, Woman, I Love You I Hate You, Standing Ovation, Protect My Energy, Point and Kill, How Did You Get Here

Home Video – Lucy Dacus 

Singer-Songwriter, Indie Rock – Apple – Spotify

Home Video is everything you would want out of an album called Home Video. It is a stunning reflection on youth, relationships, religion, sexuality, and bible school camps. I’ve been big into music that tackles Christianity this year. Not by dismissing or berating it, but acknowledging the issues that you would be ignorant to say aren’t there. Both Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker are experts in reflecting on the emotions involved in drifting away from a religion that you grew up with. It’s not edgy, it’s honest, and I love it. They’re both still somewhat religious, and so am I, I think? But, it isn’t what you would call Christianity. Or maybe it is? That is a piece for another day (I’m working on it right now probably). Home Video is awesome. My copy got cancelled on me.

Try: VBS, Thumbs, Please Stay, Triple Dog Dare, First Time

Always in Motion – Mini Trees

Indie Pop – Apple – Spotify

I love this record! Funky, fresh, flippin’ cool. Mini Trees is Lexi Vega, this is her debut record, and she is gonna be big one day. I love a crisp instrumental, and every track here is as crisp as a very crisp, crisp thing (crisp). Looking forward to ten years from now when she has millions of monthly listeners, then I can sell this limited purple edition for millions and buy a shed in Auckland (cutting political commentary). 

Try: Doomsday, Moments In Between, Underwater, Otherwise

FLOWERS for VASES / descansos – Hayley Williams

Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk – Apple – Spotify

I’m really glad Hayley Williams got a whole bunch of praise when Olivia Rodrigo released good 4 u (I hate how I was forced to write it like that). It seemed like everyone, in my circles at least, enjoyed Olivia’s track, but were right in saying that Hayley Williams will forever be the greatest in pop punk. This record isn’t pop punk. It was a surprise drop at the beginning of 2021, and of course, I loved it. It sounds very different to Paramore, and I appreciate that. Just an all-round great record and a great physical colour. Look at it!

But with all that said and done, please give us Paramore Six in 2022. After Laughter is my favourite album of all time, make it half as good and I will be stoked. 

Try: My Limb, First Thing To Go, KYRH, Just a Lover

Waiting/Kill Something – PUP

Pop Punk – Apple – Spotify

These are two tracks by my favourite Canadian boys, PUP. They are good enough to go on this list of albums. Kill Something sounds like an album closer to me, and I can only hope the album that it closes comes out soon because I need more of these. PUP are loud and there is a super high chance you’ll hate these tracks. Kill Something is written from the perspective of one of their dogs, and it is just great. I hope I don’t have to keep Waiting for more PUP, haha. 

Try: Waiting, Kill Something

Inside – Bo Burnham

Comedy, Synthpop – Apple – Spotify – Maybe just watch the Netflix special

I’ve listened to these tracks more than I’d like to admit. I don’t use tiktok but I imagine many of these tracks are absolutely ruined there. Don’t let that take you away from what is the comedy special of the year. Actually, it was the only 2021 film that I rated five stars on my Letterboxd. Last year sucked for movies. Phoebe Bridgers did a cover of That Funny Feeling and it was an emotional day for me to say the least. 

Try: Content, How the World Works, Unpaid Intern, Look Who’s Inside Again, 30, Don’t Wanna Know, Welcome to the Internet, All Eyes On Me, and finally, That Funny Feeling (and Phoebe Bridgers version)

By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Injury Reserve

Experimental Hip Hop, Glitch Hop, Abstract Hip Hop, Experimental – Apple – Spotify

This record is a lot. Brutal stuff. After the passing of Groggs in 2020, a third of the group, the record was destined to be drenched in grief. I came across the first single, Knees, unaware of the groups story. But, even without that context, it was such an emotional, haunting, and beautiful experience, that I was instantly on board with whatever they did next. I then dove into the group’s history, and it only hit harder. This album is unlike everything else on this list, in that I’ve only managed about five listens from front to back. It is incredibly heavy listening. 

I’ve wanted to write a piece on my Grandad Keith, who recently passed away. But for whatever reason, everything I have written has sucked. While I will eventually write that, the track Top Picks for You hits the nail on the head. It is how I am feeling right now, and I want to plagiarize every word of it. 

Look across the table, I see a lot more than what appears to be a shadow

He walks across the room, I see a lot more than seem to be patterns

I scan the room, I see bits and pieces of you scattered

It’s those same patterns that gon’ get us through the next chapter

Your blood runs through this home

And your habits through much after

Grab the remote, pops up something you would’ve watched, I’m like “Classic”

This some shit I would’a seen you watch and then just laughed at

Your patterns are still in place and your algorithm is still in action

It’s not easy to describe emotions that come after losing someone. Living in that period where it doesn’t quite feel real. Injury Reserve manages it beautifully here. This whole record, while not always being about it, perfectly encapsulates grief. It sounds like nothing else, it feels like nothing else, it’s truly an experience. 

Try: Top Picks for You, Knees, Wild Wild West, Superman That, Postpostpartum

Really small honourable mentions

• Lil Nas X for Montero and Industry Baby, I have really enjoyed listening to them in Mitchell’s car. 
• twenty one pilots for Redecorate, it’s a shame the rest of the album is not like that track.
• Most of the stuff on the new Billie Eilish record is awesome, the rest is great at worst. 
• Zach Farro of Paramore for Motif under the Half Noise project, I have had a great time with this. 
• Luna Li for the amazing Jams ep. 
• Japanese Breakfast again for her Sable soundtrack and the track Glider. 
• Lorde for the Te Ao Mārama EP. Way better than the full album. Although I am coming around to it. 
• black midi and their album Cavalcade. It was too scary for me to listen to on a regular basis. But when I did, I loved it 
• Japanese Breakfast again for her book, Crying in H Mart. This isn’t music but she wrote a book this year as well as composed a game soundtrack and released Jubilee. A pretty incredible human being. 

The records are back in their plastic covers. See you next year.