The Top 50 singles of 2021 – 10-1
The final countdown is here – the top layer of our annual Top 50
10
“Early suspicions that Yard Act were the a weird manifestation of an update of Freaky Friday in which the spirit of Mark E Smith had become trapped in the body of Jarvis Cocker seem to have finally been trampled to death by the sheer talent and brute force of Yard Act, whose mixture of jagged post-punk, apocalypse and social observation has felt unstoppable this year. With a new album set to drop very early in 2022, we can only see them leapfrog from badly kept indie secret to household names in the next 12 months.”
9
“German producer Pole is back in action on Mute Records following last year’s release of his first original solo album since 2015, this time delivering two mesmerising tracks on the ‘Tanzboden’ EP. Stefan ‘Pole’ Betke is an artist whose meticulous attention to sonic detail goes a long way to characterising his extensive back catalogue. Title track ‘Tanzboden’ evolves with disorienting intent, with stripped sonics modulating and evolving through sometimes dissonant waves, dramatic stabs, and a determinedly ever-present hiss. The well-formed piece is both hypnotic and discreetly jarring, expertly skirting the line between soothing dream and menacing nightmare. On the reverse, ‘Rost’ adds a touch more in the way of overt rhythmic emphasis, with percussive hits and compelling bass notes providing body to the ethereal synthetic layers. The arrangement unfolds transcendentally, as fascinating harmonics pervade the intoxicating soundscape, creating an overwhelmingly potent and meditative aural haze.”
8
Dry Cleaning – Scratchcard Lanyard (4AD)
“The huge success of Dry Cleaning this year took many by surprise, but the signs were there all along – the involvement of PJ Harvey’s right hand man John Parish for starters, and the confidence shown in them by 4AD, a label that knows a good thing when it hears it. Florence Shaw’s low key stream- of-consciousness vocals are the antithesis of the whole ‘look at me’ ethos of rock ‘n’ roll, and perhaps that’s why they struck such a chord with the social media generation, where inner monologue is constantly monitoring outside expression. “It’ll be okay, I just need to be weird and hide for a bit / And eat an old sandwich from my bag” she declares in their breakthrough single – and opening track from debut album New Long Leg – and let’s face it, who can say they haven’t been there?!”
7
Theo Parrish – Smile (Sound Signature)
“The latest offering from Theo Parrish is sure to trigger an outpouring of happiness among those who missed the boat when the two EP’s from which this magnificent double-pack is derived first saw the light of day. All four of the included tracks on the new Sound Signature release are borrowed from EP’s originally released decades ago via the Music Is… label: ‘Smile’ from 1997 – which was only his second-ever release – and ‘Dreamer’s Blue’s/Lost Angel’ from 2001. While neither record falls into the rare as hen’s teeth category, both are highly desirable and likely to cost a good deal more than the RRP on the resale market, rendering this a very welcome addition to the Detroit maverick’s inventory. Even set against the impeccable standards the supremely talented producer has set for himself, the music is extraordinarily good across the board. All four tracks are epic in terms of duration, so it’s especially pleasing to see each number allocated a full side of wax just as the Gods of sound intended.”
6
Flowered Up – Weatherall’s Weekender (Heavenly)
“It’s been just over a year now since Andrew Weatherall’s untimely passing and much of the global community he touched with his music, words and presence are still reeling from his tragic loss. The re-issue of this 1992-released remix 12” harks back to an uncommonly exciting moment in the history of contemporary music, representing the crest of the first tidal wave of rave. It was a golden era of musical experimentation and cross-pollination, where the proliferation of new technologies – coupled with abundant doses of mood enhancement – allowed for unabated fusions of disparate sounds and sub-cultures. Weatherall’s production journey had begun just a few short years before when he and Paul Oakenfold served the Club Mix of Happy Monday’s ‘Hallelujah’, and the ‘Weekender’ remixes followed his production of Primal Scream’s Mercury Prize-winning ‘Screamadelica’ album.”
5
Blake Baxter – Purple Planet EP (Suspected)
“While his productive peak may have been in the 90s, Baxter’s still active within the scene now, largely via collaborations. It’s not every day we get a fully-fledged new EP from him though, making this surprise release on German label Suspected all the more special. Strangely, the title Purple Planet seems to call back to a one-off promo he released in the early 90s, not to mention the colour chiming with his alignment with Prince. But the six tracks on the release are all previously unreleased, spanning a range of moods and approaches within Baxter’s repertoire. One of the all-time, albeit somewhat overlooked, heroes of Detroit dance music.”
4
Loxy & Ink – Manifested Visions (R&S)
“Loxy & Ink on R&S… This is a major moment right here and the music backs it up in every possible way. ‘Manifested Visions’ brings a bit of old school UK hip-hop flavour as both men touch mic and deliver fire lyrically as well as beat-wise. Deeper into the EP we’re pummelled with turbine jungle on ‘Phoenix Rising’, we’re tripped out by wild beat designs on ‘Give Me A Dubplate’ (with Resound), and soulfully soothed on ‘Embrace The Meaning’. Last but not least ‘Get Back Up’ (with Tha Lion) brings everything back to the source as we close on a rootsical tip. The full spectrum.”
3
Sleaford Mods – Mork N Mindy (Rough Trade)
Britain’s finest working class poets return with a tune named after the 1970s-80s extraterrestrial sitcom starring Robin Williams and Pam Dawber, which frontman Jason Williamson has himself described as “the sound of the central heating and the dying smells of Sunday dinner in a house on an estate in 1982”. Fittingly the same year said TV show was cancelled.
It’s not hard to hear what he means, providing your mind works that way. A sweeping, hypnotic, mechanical hook, the heavy atmosphere that seems to hang in the air long after the very UK, very deprecating rhymes end. Even Billy Nomates’ beautiful, soulful vocals can’t save it from drowning in delightful scuzz. “
2
“One of the interesting things about the Simo Cell approach is that intensity doesn’t always align with speed. Some of his heaviest tracks roll at slow tempos, and that’s absolutely the case on ‘Short Leg’. The bludgeoning bass thrum and feverish, noisy phrase loops feel far removed from the warm-up, and given Aussell’s commitment to broad tempo-range DJ sets and the club-centric theme of the record this feels like a potent point on the fluidity that (ill) defines the contemporary dance music scene. One of the joys of such tempo fluidity from super slow to super speedy is the chance to slide between half and double time measures, and ‘YES.DJ’ does that in extravagant style. The vocal slice gets twisted up artfully, coming on like a frantic footwork trope while the beat seems to lurch at 75 BPM. With Aussell’s preference for slapdash sampling splattered across the mix, it’s the wild style approach to a club wrecker which makes him such a fascinating and individual artist.”
1
Wet Leg – Chaise Longue (Domino)
“Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg have been everywhere this year and the reason for that is at least 50% down to this, debut single. Is it a nihilistic, post-feminist diatribe against the predictability of existence? Is it a gentle poke at the middle class and first world problems – “would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffins?” After numerous well oiled pub debates on the matter, only one true fact has emerged – it’s one of those songs that’s catchier than Omicron.”