Happy new year!
A celebration of the music that defined 2021
And so another year begins. I hope you all had a safe and lovely Christmas and New Year’s Eve. If you had to spend special occasions with Covid, I sincerely wish you had the mildest case imaginable, and you’re feeling better now. Happy new year!
2021 was weird, huh? I can’t say that it was worse than 2020, considering that in 2020, hundreds of thousands then millions of people were dying from Covid-19. There was no relief from the terrible news every day. While 2021 was hard — if you lived in Australia’s most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, you spent the better part of the year under strict lockdown rules — we witnessed the incredible momentum of science and the beauty of community in what will be the most extensive vaccination campaign in history. Of course, the pandemic won’t end just because the privileged people lucky enough to live in rich countries are sick of it. We aren’t safe until the entire globe is vaccinated.
I spent the majority of the year at home. No complaints here; I was a homebody pre-Covid anyway. Once the lockdowns ended, hope for the things we love returned. I somehow attended some gigs during the craziest times of our lives. Music definitely got us through another year in a pandemic. Here are my favourite albums of 2021 in descending order and a few words about all of them:
Sleaford Mods - Spare Ribs
The beats are fun, it’s quippy, and the features are wild.
Recommended Track: “Mork & Mindy”
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
It’s no A Black Mile to the Surface, but it’s still good. Andy Hull remains one of my favourite singer/songwriters in the “scene,” so despite my gripes with The Million Masks of God — you can read all about them in my album review — there’s still something to love.
Recommended Tracks: “Angel of Death,” “Bed Head,” “Dinosaur”
Black Country, New Road - For the first time
Upon hearing this album, I was sure that there was nothing like it. I still haven’t heard anything similar, but Melbourne band EXEK sure gave me the same vibes at The Croxton Bandroom a few weeks ago. For the first time is a super exciting album and proves that BC, NR’s seven members are full of potential. Intimidating, jazzy, confident and perhaps a tad pretentious, you’re in for quite a ride if you haven’t heard it yet.
Recommended Tracks: “Athens, France,” “Sunglasses”
Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
We can all agree that Olivia Rodrigo is a pure songwriting talent, right? I knew it when the chorus of “driver’s license” bowled me over, and she confirmed it with the “punkier” tracks.
Recommended Tracks: her entire Tiny Desk (home) Concert.
The Sonder Bombs - Clothbound
Clothbound isn’t as raw as The Sonder Bombs’ debut album, Modern Female Rockstar, but we can’t expect Willow Hawks to relive emotional trauma for the sake of art continually. While the production lets Clothbound down in places, the melodies are strong and, dare I say it: EPIC.
Recommended Tracks: “Papillon,” “Vegas, BABYYY!!!”
One Step Closer - This Place You Know
This Place You Know resembles emotional hardcore music in which La Dispute and Defeater have always excelled. So, it’s a bit nostalgic but entirely refreshing.
Recommended Track: “Lead to Grey”
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
I would have never expected this sophomore album from a star such as Billie Eilish, and I love her for that.
Recommended Tracks: “I Didn’t Change My Number,” “Your Power”
Spiritbox - Eternal Blue
Some of my friends have talked about Eternal Blue being pretty derivative as far as metalcore goes. Metalcore isn’t very original, whatever! I get it, even agree, but that doesn’t take away from how fun the songs are. Courtney is an incredible vocalist.
Recommended Tracks: “Sun Killer,” “Circle With Me”
The Armed - ULTRAPOP
I had no clue about The Armed before listening to ULTRAPOP — no idea who the band members were, didn’t know what their music sounded like — and honestly, I still don’t.
Recommended Tracks: “An Iteration,” “Big Shell”
Hayley Williams - Flowers for Vases/descansos
Here’s a snippet of my blurb from the Chorus.fm Best of 2021 feature:
Flowers for Vases/descansos (in Spanish, descansos means rest) finds a woman at the depression and acceptance stages of grief. The music mirrors the lyrics – Flowers is primarily based on the acoustic guitar and piano, featuring some Spanish licks ("Asystole") and delicate folk music, with some surprises thrown in between. Electric and bass guitars are perfectly placed, transforming "My Limb" into a gothic horror picture. Hayley Williams might have found her resting place to let go of her grief and loss, of her divorce and the pain of losing people, but Flowers for Vases/descansos isn’t for the faint of heart.
Recommended Tracks: “First Thing to Go,” “My Limb”
Wardruna - Kvitravn
White ravens circle the skies, men with long beards carry swords while shieldmaidens show their power. Birds sing in expansive forests as druids sing by the ocean. Wardruna has crafted another rich world that entrances with every listen.
Recommended Tracks: “Kvitravn,” “Ni”
Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket
Here’s what I said about The Golden Casket six months ago with my peers on Chorus.fm:
I feel like Isaac Brock’s overt positivity will click with listeners who have grown up with Modest Mouse – I’m pretty emotional hearing happier, family man Brock and this band has only been in my life for six years. For the fans who are also parents or have faced drug addiction, paranoia, and other mental health issues, seeing Isaac as a loving father is wonderful.
On the other hand, for all the conspiracy theorists out there, “Transmitting Receiving” is suitably creepy. As usual with Modest Mouse, there’s your fair share of light and dark. More often than not, the ultra-catchy melodies are juxtaposed with anxiety-ridden lyrics, and it’s a balance that this band somehow always finds. I never expected Brock to wax sentimental on an album, so that’s a real treat for me.
Recommended Track: “Back to the Middle”
Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana
My favourite thing about Wolves in the Throne Room is that their music is as great as their name. If you like black metal, you will love this album.
Recommended Tracks: “Spirit of Lightning,” “Primal Chasm (Gift of Fire)”
Ruby Fields - Been Doin’ It For a Bit
Here’s some of my album review from a few months ago:
Catchy, singalong-primed pop-punk songs have seen a resurgence of late, thanks to the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Machine Gun Kelly. Mixing ultra-memorable riffs with candid examinations of real-life problems has always made for a great combination; why else would we have latched on to bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance, and maintained those fandoms? If you’re after an Aussie spin on that particular sound, Ruby Fields has you covered – and she’s Been Doin’ It For A Bit.
Recommended Track: “Song About A Boy”
Architects - For Those That Wish to Exist
Metalcore haters and people who think Architects aren’t heavy anymore won’t like this album, so that means it’s good.
Recommended Tracks: “An Ordinary Extinction,” “Animals (Orchestral Version)”
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
Here’s a snippet of my blurb from the Chorus.fm Best of 2021 feature:
In the first single, "He Said She Said," Mayberry twists expectations on women into a powerful banger; when she sings, "he said you need to be fed but keep an eye on your waistline," it hurts because we know how much damage those statements cause. On the epic "California," we're assured of one of the most important lessons, especially for artists: "no one ever tells you there's freedom in failure." The Robert Smith feature on "How Not to Drown" is undoubtedly a dream come true for the synth-pop Scots, despite its explorations of depression and anxiety.
Recommended Tracks: “Violent Delights,” “Final Girl”
Citizen - Life in Your Glass World
Here’s some of my blurb from the Chorus.fm Best of 2021 feature:
Then, As You Please was released in 2017. I don't know if Citizen lost their magic, or I lost interest when some of the intensity was gone. Either way, I wasn't following the band in the lead up to Life in Your Glass World. It wasn’t until Danielle Chelosky reviewed the album for Stereogum that I felt excited about them again. In her review, she describes the dance-punk vibes, how the album could fit beside Bloc Party circa-Silent Alarm and subsequently hooked me in. As always, Mat Kerekes voice is smooth as butter. Eric Hamm pulls dirty bass lines straight from 2015, and I absolutely love it. Nick Hamm's guitar work is excellent; everything works. The ballads are resonant, while the more upbeat songs are catchy as hell. Citizen can now make you dance, as well as mosh and have a cry in your bedroom. With Life in Your Glass World, you will hear a band that has found greatness.
P.S. Can we have more of “Fight Beat” and “Black and Red”?
Recommended Tracks: “Death Dance Approximately,” “Fight Beat”
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
I was so nervous about Deafheaven going shoegaze; it turns out there was nothing to worry about.
Recommended Track: “Great Mass of Color”
Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime
Stormkeep has warranted the comparisons to legendary extreme metal bands while releasing an album worth buying immediately.
Recommended Track: “The Seer”
Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
I wrestled with leaving this album on my list, but I figured it would be dishonest to leave it out considering the enjoyment it’s given me this year.
However, I will not be giving the album any extra publicity until Amyl and the Sniffers withdraw from the Sydney Festival, knowing that the board members accept the Israeli apartheid regime as a star sponsor. Upon its release, I reviewed Comfort to Me, which you can find easily. Free Palestine.
If you want to know more about the Sydney Festival boycott, please learn from people who are far more knowledgeable about Palestine than I am.
Every Time I Die - Radical
OK, I am obsessed with Every Time I Die now. I can’t get enough of the chaotic energy, Keith Buckley’s guttural rage or the unexpected softer turns. Sixteen tracks aren’t enough for me.
Recommended Tracks: “Dark Distance,” “People Verses”
Squid - Bright Green Field
It isn’t often that you hear such a strong debut album that averts all genres. Bright Green Field is an unapologetically strange album that invites listeners to think deeply and ask questions. Squid can conjure your ultra-right-wing neighbour who’s tired of the pamphlets thrown under his door while freaking you out with some genuinely horrific noises.
Recommended Tracks: “Boy Racers,” “Pamphlets”
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
I can’t get enough of the post-punk riffs on this album. I love to laugh along with Flo’s ridiculous one-liners and groove to memorable bass lines. Honestly, more musicians should try to be funnier.
Recommended Tracks: “Scratchcard Lanyard,” “Unsmart Lady”
Converge, Chelsea Wolfe and Stephen Brodsky - Bloodmoon: I
Bloodmoon: I fits perfectly within the doom metal sphere. While Chelsea calls like a siren, Stephen Brodsky is back with his friends; in the meantime, Jacob Bannon and Kurt Ballou bring the signature Converge aggression and uniqueness to a project that I’m dying to hear more of.
Recommended Tracks: “Lord of Liars,” “Crimson Stone”
Idles - Crawler
A theme of this list is losing touch with a band and their new album winning me over all over again; Crawler is no exception. The first half of the album is probably stronger than the second, but it’s all great, so who cares!
Recommended Tracks: “The Wheel,” “When the Lights Come On”
Home is Where - I became birds
I became birds is the emo release I have been waiting for my whole life (the decade I’ve been into emo music). All I needed from a substantial emo record was six songs that never overstay their welcome and a harmonica.
Recommended Track: “Long Distance Conjoined Twins”
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
From my Chorus.fm album review:
Last week, Wolf Alice returned with Blue Weekend. And, guess what? You still can’t label them as rock, or pop, or grunge, or anything. It’s simply Wolf Alice. The band’s third album is their most consistent effort and vocalist Ellie Rowsell’s songwriting has matured beyond belief. Joff Oddie (lead guitar), Joel Amey (drums), and Theo Ellis (bass) have stretched with her. The growth is evident in “How Can I Make It OK?” – it’s one of many times where the bass is front and center, grooving with Rowsell’s soaring vocal. Complimented by understated synth and guitar work, the track begs the question, “had life before been so slow?” to collective shoulder slumps in quarantine. Honestly, having been a fan for years, I can confidently say that she has never sounded better than the a capella ending of “Safe from Heartbreak (“If You Never Fall in Love).”
Recommended Tracks: “Lipstick on the Glass,” “How Can I Make It OK”
Turnstile - Glow On
Has any band that’s popular online had a better year than Turnstile? Not only has the Baltimore group made waves on multiple charts, but they also performed on late-night television for the first time and played at more extensive, better venues. They’ve earned it. They found success and released an incredible album that will be the hallmark of hardcore for years to come.
Recommended Tracks: “Mystery,” “Holiday”
Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
From my Chorus.fm feature on Lorde, Halsey and the Infuriating Discussion Around Their Producers:
There have been flashes of a more “alternative” sound from Halsey over the years. Starting with their Blink-182 covers during their Tumblr reign, then “Castle,” the dystopian opener to Badlands; the overall aesthetic of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, an Alanis Morrissette feature on Manic, the frantic standalone single, “Nightmare,” and her wild Birds of Prey musical contribution, “Experiment on Me” all hinted at a darker direction Halsey has always been interested in and more than capable of following. Reznor and Ross believed in them and formed a team with undeniable creative chemistry. There are ominous pianos, homages to The Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine, tender odes to their child and partner, and forceful drum and bass all over this album. It’s thrilling to listen to, and contrary to the “Trent and Atticus made her music good” conversation, the album is totally Halsey’s.
Recommended Tracks: “Easier Than Lying,” “Girl is a Gun”
Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
I wrote a huge article about Shame under two months ago; I’m not writing any more. From my newsletter, The power of Shame:
Enter Drunk Tank Pink, Shame's latest album, my album of the year. Shame went from being a band I sort of enjoyed to a band I love with their sophomore album, released in January this year. I have been racking my brain for ages, attempting to explain why I connect with this record so much.
Steen wrote the lyrics for the album in a cupboard in his London flat that’s painted Baker-Miller pink, or drunk tank pink, a colour observed to calm aggressive behaviour and lower heart rates. These songs don’t lower my heart rate. The album cover features black-and-white pictures of Forbes’ grandfather, photographed by artist, photographer, and videographer Tegen Williams. Unlike Songs of Praise, Drunk Tank Pink wasn’t road-tested before recording.
Steen shared that the band recorded songs as they were written with Guitar.com: “In comparison to how we wrote Songs of Praise, which was a pretty straightforward five of us in a room jamming kind of approach, it gave us a bit more scope to be more thoughtful about what we were writing and reflect on individual elements of each song while they were being created. I think that naturally lent itself to a more meticulous process.” The process paid off: Drunk Tank Pink revels in playfulness, uncontainable intensity, and idyllic moments of emotional surrender. It’s an album that reflects a band that’s been on the road for too long and the turbulence — frustration, anger, heartbreak, insomnia — that comes with it.
Drunk Tank Pink opens with one of the most ferocious Shame songs to date, “Alphabet,” a rambunctious number that questions your happiness. "Are you waiting to feel good?" he shrieks over barrelling drums and powerful guitars. On the frenetic “Nigel Hitter,” Shame burn at both ends. “March Day” takes the mundane – Steen’s “consistent unwillingness to wake up on time—my obsession and devotion to my bed and my bedroom” – and dials up the grooves. The spectacular “Human, for a Minute” was the first track written post-Songs of Praise, focusing on the end of a relationship and discovering Steen's identity through the collapse. His spoken-word delivery stunningly suits the dramatic music; it’s my favourite song on the album because of the emotion.
"Great Dog" is a nonsense song that restlessly acknowledges the beauty of all canines. "6/1" contains one of my favourite moments on the album – the music drops before a few keyboard strokes, and Steen belts out, “I pray to no god/I am God/I am every thought your mind has ever held/I prevent nothing, and nothing prevented me.” The chaos is unbelievable.
The six-and-a-half-minute closer, “Station Wagon,” exemplifies how far Shame has come in two years. “Station Wagon” is a grand finale, a final conversation with Steen and an ode to the great Sir Elton John at the end (“won’t somebody please bring me that cloud?!”). Opening as a meandering poem ala The Doors, Shame has learned to give in to ambition and utilise theatrics to their advantage. When the major-key piano-led coda hits, an already great song becomes mind-blowing.
Recommended Tracks: “Human, for a Minute,” “6/1”
Thanks for reading! If you would like to hear some of the recommended tracks, they’re all here:
Some of your best writing, Mary! Love your voice. You’re also solely responsible for me checking out Shame and Home Is Where within the last month or so and I can’t thank you enough for it!