2021 Wrap-Up: Album of the Year

Can you believe it's been a whole year?? We've been writing asinine articles for an entire 365 days, and you have been reading all of them (maybe!). We'd like to take this moment to appreciate your commitment to our little blog here and thank you for sticking by us. There's lots to come from us this year.

With that out of the way, we'd like to take some time to bid adieu to last year. It had lots of ups and downs (mostly downs), but it seemed like music was fun again, and most importantly, it was present. Here are some of the releases that stuck out to us here at channel.WAV!

Botts

Here are the best albums of 2021. Thank your god someone made something out of this hectic year. As usual, in no particular order.

1. Kaleo - Surface Sounds:

Did you think you could escape my Spotify wrapped? Well, you’re wrong. Surface Sounds does nothing short but dazzle, razzle, and hit you with solid blues rock razmataz. The band’s follow-up to the highly successful A/B builds upon the rock that can shake a stadium and adds a closeness that can draw you in with poetic charm. “My Fair Lady,” could be sung at your local dive bar and you would think there couldn’t be a more intimate moment. “I Walk on Water” practically has me running to my nearest mega-church making me want to believe. And “I Want More” sincerely brings a strange inner peace to me. Let yourself experience an all-around good rock album. Who knows, one of its best singles could be the next sincere or chaotic moments in Grey’s Anatomy.

 

2. Adele - 30:

Hop on the bandwagon much? Well, go ahead and do it because this album deserves it. If 25 taught us how to heal from inner wounds by highlighting early heartbreak¸ 30 breathes life and strength into the negativity of 2022 illustrating inner resilience is something we find and are not born with. A powerful message for all in 2021 and head into the longest winter on record. “I Drink Wine” is a sobering take on finding oneself and our preconceived notions on who we once were. Overall, I enjoy the R&B turn the album takes. And, if you’re a fan of classical Motown, (cue the Men’s Warehouse guy) you’re going to like what you hear, I guarantee it.

3.  Fleet Foxes - Shore (deluxe):

Fleet Foxes are back, baby. Who else is excited? They harken back to the harmony which made them who they are and build upon their hiatus with a catchy sound designed to grab the gen z youths. What I love about the album is how open it is. You can imagine catching up with a lost friend over coffee and driving away and having this album play in your mind over Kentucky sunset. When I drive home my job on a late night, this keeps me company.

4. Bo Burnham - Inside (the Songs):

One of the funniest reviews I saw about this album/film is that it is a VHS you would find in a serial killer’s basement. But, that is where 2021 brought us. And, this album will delightfully take you on a journey of wit, charm, paranoia, and madness. What I like about this album is how lighthearted and carefree absurdity can be. Moreover, the fact that Burnham captures what it is like to go down a Wikipedia hole.

5. Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR:  

The only sober take where you will hear the true me sans dark pessimistic wit is reviewing this album. This album is what influencers wish they could record on their Sound Cloud. “Driver’s License” is beguiling. And the rest of the album serenades like a good guitarist on a fall night. As a lifelong Cats fan, I am prone to believing curses. Let’s just hope the haunting of Best New Artist doesn’t fall upon Rodrigo. Though, it would be rightfully earned.

Like many, I’m sure you’re wondering, “Where have all the good albums gone?” I myself wonder. Yet, did you give your best work in 2021? Did you wish you could have given more? Are you wanting to do more as 2022 grows roots? Did you actually have a good year and are looking to release something this 2022? If you answered yes to any of these questions, expect a really good 2022…

Ritter

I look like a try hard, but I swear to god I didn't know the others were only doing five. I had a hard time just picking ten albums! Oh well.

10. Isaiah Rashad - The House is Burning:

It'd been five very long years between Rashad's stellar The Sun's Tirade in 2016 and his follow-up from this year. The break did him lots of good and not just musically -- he sobered up completely after almost losing his spot on the TDE roster. Personal growth is reflected in his best lyricism yet on THIB.

9. Wet - Letter Blue:

The third LP from the phenomenal group Wet sees the trio (newly reformed) visiting similar ground -- heartache, loyalty in relationships, and expectations -- while treading new sonic territory. Their collaborations outside of the group are reigned in here, inviting stellar guest Devonte Hynes to lend his incredible strength on two songs.

8. Sault - NINE:

Mystery is the name of the game, and Sault does it impeccably. Their formation and early releases were as sudden as the announcement of NINE, which was advertised as a free album available for 99 days. Now, they're nearing household-name level perfection on this LP, tackling behemoths of social issues in the process.

7. Mach-Hommy - Pray for Haiti & Balens Cho:

This might be a bit of a cop-out, listing two albums as one number, but these two Mach-Hommy releases from 2021 are too similarly linked in their producers, content, and overall tone. These are outstanding underground-rap albums, and they don't lose the mystery behind Hommy, either. His intertwining of English and Haitian-Creole makes his lyrics just as inaccessible as his persona.

6. Iceage - Seek Shelter:

On their first single for Seek Shelter, the Copenhagen-based rockers addressed a lot of intimate nuances, seemingly inspired by the pandemic era. In only nine songs, they cover even more ground while expanding their sound to a whole new frontier. It's not often I cry while punk rock is on, but this album strikes a whole different chord.

5. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee:

What a year Michelle Zauner has had: a new studio album, a best-selling memoir (soon to be picked up for a biopic), and soundtrack to one of the best video games of the year. The lead singer's choice to resolve her grief from the first two albums and embrace feeling led to one of the best outings from the group yet.

4. The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore:

In the words of the band, this album brings "resilience in the face of despair," which is a grandiose statement that many would dismiss as a delusion. Past albums of the War on Drugs are always ambitious -- it's hard making a Bob Dylan album when you're not Bob Dylan -- but never to this level. The final product is my favorite album to date of the group, and it matches up to the high praises.

3. Kacey Musgraves - star-crossed:

I've already said a lot about this beautiful album, but I can't speak enough about how important this release is to so many. Creating an honest body of work about a deeply personal experience like divorce (and then self-acceptance) is no easy feat. Kacey continues to prove why she's an artist for the here and now.

2. Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST:

It wasn't too long ago that everyone had written off Tyler as a one-trick pony, focused on shock value rather than creating endearing and meaningful art. As he states on "MASSA," all of that changed around his release of Cherry Bomb. Since then, Tyler has been topping year-end lists and Billboard charts alike. His evolution is unparalleled.

1. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert:

As an introvert myself, I always find myself in awe of writers, performers, etc. that claim to be introverts. It seems antithetical to pursue a life of stardom while subjecting yourself to the public sphere and desiring a semblance of privacy. In this album, however, Simz finds power in her introversion. Power in truth, in anxiety, and in fear while still bringing awareness around social issues. It is a thing of beauty, it is a letter of self-love, and it is women's empowerment at its best.

Honorable Mentions

Best Debut Albums: It was a year of a lot of up-and-coming star power -- Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X provided two incredible new bodies of work. But also, a lot of new artists pushing boundaries, and my favorite of them by Black Country, New Road.

Best Rappers: I'd be a fool not to mention the rappers making the most of their moment this year (while so many others fumbled). J. Cole continues to prove he's an elite; the team of Boldy James and the Alchemist are frighteningly impervious; Nas gave us two incredible releases and promises one more for next year.

Hey, Brandon has a birthday this week, you should wish him "happy birthday" in the comments section!

Slone

Dude, I barely listened to any music at all this year, so I made a top 5 instead of 10. Impressively, while I don’t think I listened to 10 full albums before sitting down to come up with a list, Donda and Certified Lover Boy are tied for 93rd. 

5. Morgan Wade - Reckless:

While radio country continues its seemingly endless descent into the depths of self-parodying hell, incredible country music continues to be recorded in the background. Enter Reckless, Morgan Wade’s first non-self-released album. In a fair and just world, this would be the country sound in 2022. But instead we get the meme song about Applebee’s. We don’t live in a fair and just world.

4. Madlib - Sound Ancestors:

Madlib’s in that class where he can put out whatever he wants and it’s called a classic by a certain subset of people, but you can’t say he’s ever gotten complacent as a result. This is probably my favorite solo work he’s ever done. Do you ever like things but struggle to talk about them without sounding dumb? Is that a me thing?

3. St. Vincent - Daddy's Home:

One of the most interesting inspirations for a concept album of which I am aware: songs inspired by the record collection of the artist’s father, who was recently released from prison, where he had served 9 years for some white collar nonsense. Those influences are on full display, chiefly Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Steely Dan, resulting in an album that sounds like a transplant from 1977. For extra listening, checkout the “Daddy’s Home Inspiration” playlist posted on Spotify.

2. Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST:

16-year-old Brandon thought Goblin was the greatest. Then he listened to it as an adult and recognized the blatant attempts at shock value for what they were; anyway, the post-2017 Tyler resurgence has been amazing, as he has been on the strongest run of his career, showing vulnerability without that pervasive layer of irony. This isn’t as strong as Flower Boy, but most things aren’t.

1. Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs):

This is probably a left-field pick for most, but I was also not at all surprised when Bo Burnham showed up on my Spotify Wrapped. This shit affected me. While the special itself was/is essential viewing, arriving just as the darkest days of COVID had passed us by and serving as a sobering reflection of just how awful things had been for all us, the songs can stand on their own. Anyway, I heard Dane has a big birthday coming up this week, so wish him well in the comment section.

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We've got a lot in store for the coming year, make sure you hit that "subscribe" button at the top! What album are you anticipating the most this coming year? Let us know below in the comment section!

- channel.WAV staff