Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 by JamesMowbray

• Chart updated: 12/20/2021 19:45
• (Created: 01/16/2021 17:43).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 2 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 5 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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1. (=)

Pluperfect Mind 

 Dear Laika

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In a year with so many great records Pluperfect Mind stands out as my favourite, it has to be the most exciting album I've heard in any years. This stands out in the first few seconds of the opener, 'Lilac Moon, Reflected Sun' where a burst of violins(?) create a sound like nothing I've heard. It reminds me of the first couple of seconds of Julia Holter's aviary which also kicks off with the loudest moments you'll hear on the whole album. Just a few minutes later I was astonished again when the backing instrumental, starting as a minimalist piano explodes into life in the time it takes Isabelle Thorn to sing one note. As incredible as a track like this is, it's some of the tracks that (comparatively) calm things down that stand out as some of my favourites. 'Guinefort's Grave' is one of the most stunning track I've heard and works in a similar way to it's louder predecessor by paying really close attention to the backing instruments that accompany the stunning vocals. This becomes a running theme through the album and creates a restlessness amongst every track here as the sound can go from tiny to huge at a moment's notice. It makes every moment wonderfully unpredictable without thing coming even close to going off the rails. To pull all this off and still hold on to an emotional core is remarkable. While I can barely make out what's being said most of the time there's so many moments here that manage to move me, with the sense of peace on 'Black Moon, Lilith' really standing out on this point. I really hope that this album gets the attention it deserves in time and I can't wait to get through the rest of the Dear Laika discography. [First added to this chart: 11/03/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

7 charts

Rank Score:

131

Rank in 2021:

123

Rank in 2020s:

433

Overall Rank:

9,197

Average Rating:

 71 (8 votes)

Comments:

1

2. (=)

We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That 

 Sewerslvt

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[First added to this chart: 11/14/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

8 charts

Rank Score:

144

Rank in 2021:

110

Rank in 2020s:

390

Overall Rank:

8,508

Average Rating:

 73 (7 votes)

Comments:

2

3. (=)

Home Video 

 Lucy Dacus

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After enjoying Historian I was still surprised by how much I got on with follow up Home Video. I've struggled with a lot of Lucy Dacus' contemporaries like Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail and Julien Baker and have had to accept that while I don't hate their music I don't really get it either. I think what works so well for me on Home Video is just how well it's constructed as an album with each track having it's own clear narrative but also having each of these tracks make up an important part of the record as a whole. I really appreciate how regret is approached constructively with a track like 'VBS' not just looking back and telling a story but bringing a greater understanding to the past events it describes to inform Dacus' present. It gets across the idea that even if we're formed by our pasts we can still influence how our past shapes us to try and be better for it. The varying sounds between the tracks also help individual songs to stand out and match the varying tones and emotions across the tracks. 'Triple Dog Dare' is a perfect closer, creating a queer, childlike fantasy to escape the problems of an unjust world. It has such a bittersweet feel by creating a beautiful solution that the listener knows is impossible. [First added to this chart: 06/29/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

331

Rank in 2021:

46

Rank in 2020s:

156

Overall Rank:

4,263

Average Rating:

 74 (92 votes)

Comments:

4

4. (=)

Forever In Your Heart 

 Black Dresses

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Forever in Your Heart sees Black Dresses continue to make emotionally resonant music in their own unique way. The first few tracks here are heavy, even by their standards, and show a real evolution in the duo's vocals, especially for Rook who incorporates some of the vocals she'd worked with in Crisis Sigil into a track like 'Concrete Bubble'. These early tracks give way to a softening in sound that makes up the middle section of the record. As good as the tracks here are, some do feel less essential than others and make me think that Forever in Your Heart doesn't justify it's longer tracklist in the same way that last year's Peaceful As Hell Did. That doesn't take away how good some of these tracks are though. 'Tiny Ball' starts from nothing to build into one of the most soaring ends to a track here and 'Waiting42moro' is one of the duo's best tracks. I also really appreciate the message of 'Understanding' which makes the point that it's less important to try and understand painful events than it is to try and understand people as they are. It's a really valuable attitude in general but particularly relates to how listeners can best approach art that tackles the difficult subject matters that this record does. The final 4 tracks make up the strongest portion of the album, kicking off with the nightmarish 'Perfect Teeth'. It's a track that really resonates with me because of the idea of being bitten down on by 'Perfect Teeth', I've always found myself in the most danger from the kinds of powerful people that are looked up to in society, whether that's politicians who could make my life impossible or medical professionals who have complete control over my medical gender transition. Black Dresses have a habit of ending records with more reflective tracks and '(Can't) Keep it Together' is the best of these closers. It builds tremendously through its four minutes and like Injury Reserve's 'Bye Storm' manages to end in a slightly more upbeat way without betraying the themes of the record. All pretty good work for a band that I think is still considered broken up. [First added to this chart: 02/20/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

24 charts

Rank Score:

170

Rank in 2021:

91

Rank in 2020s:

329

Overall Rank:

7,419

Average Rating:

 68 (44 votes)

Comments:

1

5. (=)

Sinner Get Ready 

 Lingua Ignota

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When I first heard Sinner Get Ready I was a bit disappointed in the shift away from the extreme vocals that had dominated her previous releases. Uboa would probably be the only artist I've heard who could match Kristen's performances for sheer intensity. However, as time's gone on I've come to appreciate the shift in style. Sinner Get Ready can still manage to build oppressive atmospheres in tracks like 'I Who Bend the Tall Grasses' but the gentlest tracks here consistently stand out, building a narrative of at least partially healing from traumatic past experiences. It's not an upbeat record by any means but the change in tone not only makes it stand out in Kristen's discography but also sees it continue and develop on her previous work. I also think that the religious elements work better on this album than on any other Lingua Ignota project, going beyond a sense of divine vengeance. Two tracks where this works particularly well are 'Many Hands' and 'The Solitary Brethren of Ephrata'. The former creates an image of a judgemental God which is complicated by a sense of remorse over judgement that needs to be carried out with the line "I wish things could be different he wept". The closer creates a sense of almost total peace that had been building through the record, it's a peace I hope Kristen finds after all she's been through. [First added to this chart: 08/08/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

156 charts

Rank Score:

863

Rank in 2021:

13

Rank in 2020s:

47

Overall Rank:

1,939

Average Rating:

 77 (156 votes)

Comments:

13

6. (=)

For The First Time 

 Black Country, New Road

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Probably my favourite post-punk album in a good year for the genre, For the First Time manages to mix a really tight sound from their drum, guitar and bass, with a massive sound from the jazzier elements of the band. This is used to amazing record across the whole record, with tracks like 'Sunglasses' and 'Instrumental' feeling like they've been completely blown open when the climax of each track comes in. Isaac Wood's vocals can really add to the chaos across the tracks here and aside from the opener, it feels like every track is built around his contribution. This also works well on the more tender 'Track X'. While the lyrics can sometimes be a bit indecipherable there's always enough to cling on to and some of the albums best moments come when the instrumental matches the intent of a lyric without the exact meaning of the lyric being obvious (leave Kanye out of this?). It's great to hear a band with such a complex sound get things right straight away and I'm really interested in seeing where they go next. [First added to this chart: 02/09/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

436 charts

Rank Score:

2,748

Rank in 2021:

2

Rank in 2020s:

6

Overall Rank:

653

Average Rating:

 81 (497 votes)

Comments:

43

7. (=)

Cavalcade 

 Black Midi

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Cavalcade is a big left turn from an already leftfield debut and its overall weirdness makes it totally unique in post punk. Opener 'John L' pushes the boundaries way beyond anything on Schlagenheim, with an instrumental that sounds like it could fall apart at any moment backing unsettling vocals with bizarre lyrics. The overall effect is pretty mesmerising with every part of the track pulling you along at its frenzied pace. It also might be the weirdest track I can think of that has over a million spotify streams, let me know if anything one ups it (O Superman might be in with a shout). At the other end of the record 'Ascending Forth' is far gentler but is almost as astonishing as the opener. Both tracks mark a big shift from anything black midi have done before and push the boundaries of post punk as a whole. On the basis of the tracks here it really feels like I ought to rate this higher, but as much as the quality holds up through the middle of the album, the path from 'John L' to 'Ascending Forth' isn't a very clear one. If I played the record on shuffle I'm not sure I'd have a very different experience with it. The key problem is that the harsher and softer tracks don't mix all that well, with no clear tone carrying through the record. The Velvet Underground and Nico would be my go to example of getting this right, where tracks like 'Sunday Morning' and 'Femme Fatale' sit comfortably next to tracks like 'Heroine' and 'The Black Angel's Death Song'. It might be a bit much to compare a new album to one of the greatest ever made but the tracks on display here show that black midi can really go on to make something special and with an album like this out of their system they might go on to make a pretty much perfect follow up. [First added to this chart: 05/30/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

273 charts

Rank Score:

1,216

Rank in 2021:

8

Rank in 2020s:

25

Overall Rank:

1,427

Average Rating:

 79 (316 votes)

Comments:

19

8. (=)

Skitzofrenia Simulation 

 Sewerslvt

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When an artist is as anonymous as Sewerslvt it's not always obvious how you attach meaning to their work and this get you to think about albums more as they relate to you. For me Skitzofrenia Simulation chimes with my experiences of depression and the forms it can take. The Backxwash track 'Terror Packets' gets this across pretty well with terror packets being these shorter bouts of more intense distress and waves of sadness being these long spaces where you don't feel too much of anything. The tracks on Skitzofrenia Simulation can put these into stark contrast or incorporate both into one song like in 'I Break My Heart and Yours' where gentle synths and vocals are backed by the usual frantic drums that you find on Sewerslvt records. The extremes can be just as effective with 'Looming. Sorrow. Descent.' and 'I Bleed' appearing back to back to up the intensity and I'm not sure I've heard any instrumental music as visceral as 'Slvtcrvsher'. But between these you get a track like 'Car Accident' which manages to feel both dreamy and nightmarish, there's a quite sinister edge to the drawn out synths and bass here. While this record did reflect some of my own more negative emotions there is a real beauty underlying almost every track here, feeling negativity isn't the same as giving in and sometimes having things expressed so clearly is cathartic and I think that's what keeps me coming back to June's music. It's like a virtual reality that reflects what's already there. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

9 charts

Rank Score:

95

Rank in 2021:

168

Rank in 2020s:

636

Overall Rank:

12,175

Average Rating:

 74 (9 votes)

Comments:

0

9. (=)

By The Time I Get To Phoenix 

 Injury Reserve

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When I heard Injury Reserve's self titled from a couple of years back I appreciated the really inventive approach that put them on the most experimental side of experimental hip hop, but I didn't find myself coming back to it very often and a few tracks didn't really click for me first time. By the Time I Get to Phoenix is a different story. While there's still a couple of tracks I can't really get my head around, the majority of what's here is some of the best experimental hip hop I've heard. 'Knees' and 'Superman That' are in a league of their own. The former expertly samples black midi's 'Sweater' to create a mournful atmosphere that matches some of the best lyrics on the record. The latter sounds like the best Kanye West song that he didn't make himself. I think what really brings the project together for me are the depressive lyrical themes that run through the record and I think they really stand out in 'Top Picks For You' which includes the technical themes that had left me a bit cold on previous releases, but repurposes them to describe the eerie way that Groggs lives on in recommendation algorithms. The overall sound here really adds to the unsettling feel but doesn't take away from the emotional core of the track. It doesn't seem clear where Injury Reserve will go from here but 'Bye Storm' would be a fantastic closer if this is it. The track samples 'Here Come the Warm Jets' to add a hopeful undertone to lyrics that really pull together the themes of the album. [First added to this chart: 10/02/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

166 charts

Rank Score:

948

Rank in 2021:

11

Rank in 2020s:

39

Overall Rank:

1,781

Average Rating:

 78 (184 votes)

Comments:

18

10. (=)

I Lie Here Buried With My Rings And My Dresses 

 Backxwash

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For me, horrorcore has always worked best when it reflects an artist's reality. Someone can rap about going on a deranged killing spree but it'll never hit as hard as the mental anguish on I Lie Here Buried With my Rings and Dresses because the former isn't based in any reality (hopefully). The record gets off to a stumbling start with a very weak intro and as good as 'Wail of the Banshee' sounds first time around, it's followed up by the title track which does all the same things but so much better. The intensity of Ashanti's verses go toe to toe with Ada Rook's incredible contribution on the chorus. To top it off the instrumental is basically perfect, creating a really oppressive atmosphere without ever swallowing up the other elements of the track. From here the quality never drops and even for a half hour album the tone is remarkably cohesive without the tracks getting samey. More personally, it really strikes me how the depressive elements of this record are so common to music made by trans artists. Even when compared to music by other minority groups there seems to be an almost overwhelming bleakness and while this kind of music has helped by speaking to very particular or more abstract experiences in my transition, I still hope that things can change for the better at some point. [First added to this chart: 06/25/2021]

Year of Release:

2021

Appears in:

45 charts

Rank Score:

121

Rank in 2021:

133

Rank in 2020s:

473

Overall Rank:

9,758

Average Rating:

 69 (46 votes)

Comments:

3

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Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10

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Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 composition

Artist	Albums	%
Arca	3	3%
DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ	2	2%
Sewerslvt	2	2%
Dltzk	2	2%
Anthony Joseph	1	1%
Black Midi	1	1%
Little Simz	1	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	46	46%
	30	30%
	7	7%
	6	6%
	3	3%
	2	2%
	1	1%
Show all

Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 chart changes

Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 similarity to your chart(s)

Other year charts (from the 2020s) by JamesMowbray

Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 ratings

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	01/07/2022 16:21	LedZep	1,079	84/100
100/100	08/02/2021 16:51	Mercury	256	95/100
90/100	04/25/2021 06:55	Purplepash	1,324	88/100
90/100	03/22/2021 18:47	Jaymantheman	30	86/100
100/100	02/12/2021 20:32	DJENNY	4,408	100/100

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Mercury

Top 100 Music Albums of 2021 comments

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Rating:  

100/100

From Mercury 08/02/2021 16:51

I really like this one. I saw it because you also have LUMP’s new album on your list and yeah what a cool album. Really cool chart. I need to get to listening to several of these.

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Rating:  

90/100

From Jaymantheman 03/22/2021 18:48

Nice list...I'll have to come back to this to know what to check out. Similar tastes...as i am a bit behind listening in 2021!

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