2021 Real Music Review
Indigo De Souza
Any Shape you Take
You ever discover a strange, and slightly haunting forest that you really want to explore even though you’re certain it’s going to be spooky? This album! But not only scary and sad, it’s beautiful and new in the sense that the vocals really wrap you up in this melodic warmth. The lyrics are heavy yet thoughtful. Indigo seems to really love her friends and is trying desperately to love herself in the process. I think this album was a favorite for me this year, mostly because the album had so much depth. Each time I listened, it seemed to reveal more. It’s complex in that the genre seems hard to pin down; is it rock, pop, indie, alt, maybe a pinch of grunge? It has just about everything you need, making this a fantastic spin, cover to cover.
Check out: Late Night Crawler, Way Out, Hold U
Spirit of the Beehive
ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
Crazy. Insane. Experimental. This Philly-based band really knows how to expand the scope of music. Listening to Spirit of the Beehive feels manic yet…comforting? It’s hard to explain, but the layers of complexity that they are able to weave in really present themselves in such a new and exciting way. I still think that Hypnic Jerks is their best work, but ENTERTAINMENT DEATH delivers. It’s creepier and stranger, which feels appropriate given the current word we are in. I recall listening to this for the first time when was in Santa Fe, NM this year. Something about the time and place just felt right, too. Maybe that’s why it worked so well for me. “Worked” is an interesting word because this album really works against any thoughts or ideas you may be having. It’ll shake you up and spit you out. Much like Death Grips or the Osees does to me too, it just feels even more original.
Check out: BAD SON, RAPID AND COMPLETE RECOVERY, THE SERVER IS IMMERSED
Shannon and the Clams
Year of the Spider
Honestly, 2021 really was the year of the spider. Oakland-based Shannon and the Clams nailed that. I think it’s the sorrowful yet carefree lyrics that do it for me. Along with the fact that this is the perfect road trip album, every time I played it I was instantly in a better mood. It’s also an album that’s easy to listen to, so I had it playing often. It’s not as dooo-wop-ee as their older albums. Instead, it feels more evolved and more restrained but still as good as ever. Western-style guitars, the swell of Shannon’s voice, this album does not feel like a Bay Area album at all, and more of a southern California desert drawl which I love. It feels old-school, but the new-age lyrics bring it right down to earth. Bravo Shannon!
Check out: Midnight Wine, In The Hills, In the Pines, Flowers Will Return
Turnstile
GLOW ON
Hell yeah Turnstile! I mean, always a fan, always down for their high-energy, absolute great time of a show. Personally, though, I never really considered them as a top-tier production band, the energy is what always worked really well for me and the live setting. GLOW ON changed that. It makes me “feel alive,” like the lyrics go in Blackout. Turnstile really understands their fans. They understand that they are entertainers, but goes beyond that in GLOW ON to commemorate how with COVID, hardcore shows had to take a big pause. So many missed it. So many still do. I love how Turnstile is so positive, not only listening at home, but I know if I were to see this album performed live, it would feel the same way. Accessible, Inclusive, and just really freaking good.
Check out: MYSTERY, BLACKOUT, DON’T PLAY
Ratboys
Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Happy Birthday to me! So a friend of mine recommended this album while on a road trip headed back from Joshua Tree, all the way back to Berkeley. I have to give a shout-out because it was the sweetest end to a long trip back home. So I’m a big fan of Ratboys. Not only are they the perfect band name, but they also are consistently writing some of the most interesting lyrics that really sit with me. Stiener’s voice will always be so intriguing, it’s hard to pin it down, but it’s special. I’ve heard Ratboys described as post-country, and that works for me. It has story, it has some twang, but it still feels new and indie in its own regard. Basically, it’s perfect. This album is a collection of some of their older work along with new songs that didn’t get released on their 2020 release, the Printer’s Devil (also a great spin.) This album also commemorates 10 years of Rayboys, so I can only hope for at least 10 more.
Check out: Down the River, 88 Fingers Edward, Go Outside
Hovvdy
True Love
This one was so sad and so poignant! It makes me miss my friends and my hometown and creates this strange sense of longing. There’s comfort in it too, though, there’s a sense of true love and true loss. I really loved how Hovvdy continued to be more experimental and more of a storyteller. They’re perfect at it. It feels reminiscent of Alex G, but still holds its own. Yet again, this feels like another open-road album. Perfect to spin on a long drive or a slow bike ride. A time to allow yourself to slip into your own thoughts and feelings and disassociate for a moment. The piano puts me in a wonderful place, and I’m glad that Hovvdy is leaning into it even more on True Love. Thank you for the nostalgia I didn’t know I was missing.
Check out: Blindsided, Junior Day League, Lake June
Japanese Breakfast
Jubilee
This album really is a joy. It’s sweet, it’s savory, and it’s one that will stick around with me for a long time. I feel fortunate to have been able to see Michelle Zauner perform this album at her show in November. Her decision to open with Paprika and using a literal gong—it was amazing! “Oh, it’s a rush!” It absolutely was. The whole album feels very layered yet polished. It’s definitely my favorite JB album to date and only makes me more excited for more. Oh, did I mention that it’s nominated for a Grammy for “Best New Music!?” Real fans know, JB is nothing new, but I’m still so happy to see the accolades line up like that, even if in the end it’s just a nominee, that is huge. Beautiful album, beautiful person.
Check out: Paprika, Kokomo, IN, Posting in Bondage
Amyl and the Sniffers
Comfort to Me
Hell yeah Amyl! I don't know why, maybe it’s the Australian accent, but I love the punk and grunge of Amyl. I do think the previous album was still some of the best, but this one is a very close second. I love how honest this band is, I feel at home listening to them and their vulnerability. I’m not cute, I’m not cool, Amyl still loves me. The conflict of emotions in the lyrics on this album were gripping. It’s like someone trying to figure themselves out. Amyl is honest, she doesn’t really know how, we can all relate to that. I would love to see this band live because I just know that the show would be such a good time. The song Knifey as a woman really struck me. I think about it often walking home at night how just because I’m a lady, I’m vulnerable. Amyl gets that. She gets all of us.
Check out: Knifey, Guided by Angels, Snakes
Kississipi
Mood Ring
Pop rock and some glittery synth. It was so nice to have Kississipi to break up the darker and rougher edges of music I got into this year. It’s a heartbreak, it’s a pain, but lead singer Zoe takes it in stride. I think their previous work, Sunset Blush was slightly preferred just because I love the grunge they bring forth, but Mood Ring was a juicy combination of pop and grunge that I was really missing. It’s emotional and fun but the topics sad and dark. It was needed when 2021 felt dim and less connected. It’s kind of emo too, in the best kind of way where you lean into angst with your passion. Starry eyed with its pop hook, I am down. Thanks Kissi.
Check out: Heaven, Around Your Room, Hellbeing
Crumb
Ice Melt
Chill rock with a punch of experimentalism. It’s loungey, it’s clean, it’s new. I keep coming back for more, and could listen to this cover to cover, over and over. One thing about this band is that it’s clear they have a lot of chops. It’s not simple, but it’s still nicely restrained. The range is manageable and never overstated. It kind of allows me to float around like Beach House might, but then grounds me again with a clear chorus. It’s dreamlike and buzzy and also dark and complex. I can’t really put a pin in it all, other than I really enjoy this album, and I am looking forward to more by Crumb. The perfect night drive album, and especially if it’s just a tiny bit foggy. Dark and deep and beautiful.
Check out: Up & Down, BNR, L.A.
Playlist
Here is a playlist of my top 10 albums of 2021 and my favorites from each. Additionally, I added in some other 2021 singles and songs that really sat with me this year. There are just too many to limit to only 10 albums. Enjoy!