The Top 50 albums of 2021 – 40-31
The countdown of the best LPs rolls on
40
Dave Monolith – Welcome (WeMe)
“As a tiresome side effect of Aphex-related hype, there was plenty of speculation about whether this was just another pseudonym for the Cornish wonderboy, but it never seemed in any doubt this was an artist doing their own thing. People were still savouring the flavour of The Tuss, an Aphex side project which offered up body-popping, musical machine funk that hit all the pleasure receptors, but this was a smoother concern which removed some of the errant edges and focused on an almost pop-informed sense of balance.”
39
Suuns – The Witness (Joyful Noise)
“As per, it feels like every element here has been fine-tuned and crafted to perfection, with nothing left to chance…. Think the DNTEL-end of outsider music, a lo-fi electronica triumph married to experimental whispered rock, synthesised emotions that are realer than most feelings.”
38
Amyl & The Sniffers – Comfort To Me (Rough Trade)
“It’s all about accelerants. The moments in tracks that propel things forward and re-engage you just when you thought you knew exactly where things were heading, and at what speed. From the exceptionally engaging opener, ‘Guided By Angels’, which makes it clear be-winged saviours really can be found in the dirtiest dive bars, through to the incredibly shout-y, staccato cacophonies of ‘Choices’, the troupe have clearly mastered the art of gear shifts that guarantee huge impact, whether that’s paring back to power drums or taking intensity up to 11, and beyond.”
37
Sarah Davachi – Antiphonals (Late)
“Eight tracks of quiet, calm, and subtly vast move-ments that span the pared back refrains of ‘First Cadence’ and ‘Border Of Mind’, to the intoxicating late night pianos on ‘Abeyant’ and spine-tinglingly soft melodies the logically named ‘Doubled Flutes’ brings. Not necessarily a record to passively listen to, despite its perfection as an accompaniment to long train jour-neys staring out the window, quiet dinners and meditation sessions, to whittle all this down: Davachi creates a stimulating sensory environment that immerses you in its tones from the very start.”
36
John Glacier- (SHILOH: Lost For Words) (PLZ Lost For Ruins)
“Following his stint as Frank Ocean’s go-to producer, and after several albums and EPs, Vegyn lends his now next-level production hands to Glacier’s subdued flows, not shying away from bitcrushing them to oblivion on ‘Icing’, or burying them in chorus on ‘Platoon’. Stylistically, Vegyn makes ‘Shiloh’ meander, with the lead track ‘If Anything’ potentially standing out in both a hip-hop and a dream pop DJ’s respective playlists.”
35
Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms (Rise)
“The balance between catchy, hook-laden pop and progressive, sci-fi tinted post-grunge, has never felt so blatant yet simultaneously nuanced. The synth lines are crisp and slice with lazer-like definition over unique rhythm sections, equally crafted via reverb drenched guitars and artificial programming… There’s a sense of urgency across these ten tracks, with little room for shoegazing or self-indulgence. Its intent is that of a space opera, but one that doesn’t require two hours to listen to, or a dozen sit throughs to appreciate.”
34
Hiro Kone – Silvercoat The throng (Dais)
“The artistic stamp communicated from Silvercoat the throng is so vivid and nuanced, it leaves your head spinning on the first listen. Nicky Mao, aka Hiro Kone, sounds devastatingly assured in creating a brooding yet expansive work, freewheeling and omnivorous but wholly focused. Their collaborative choices are bold musical spirits in their own right, and the palette sprawls across a panoply of synthesis and instrumentation. By rights it should be a fragmented mess, but instead it bends and stretches with agility without ever losing its form.”
33
Weezer – Van Weezer (Universal)
“First pegged for release ahead of a stadium tour alongside Green Day and Fall Out Boy, dates and record were post-poned for 12 months. Now we have the record, but none of the shows as they’re moved again, this time to 2022. This is a direct tribute to – title and font reference – the late, great Eddie Van Halen will have been gone for some time. Thankfully, then, the album has enough strength not just to stand alone without the huge gigs to showcase it, but also long enough to survive until those gigs can happen.”
32
Valentino Mora – Underwater (Spazio Disponibile)
“Valentino Mora returns to Spazio Disponibile with his first full-length ‘Underwater’. A mesmerizing listening trip over the course of eight tracks taking you into his deep sea world of dark minimalism and eerie drone rhythm structures.”
31
“A combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution of the mid-80s.”