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Albums Of The Year 2021

My top releases of 2021

By Connie MatthewsPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
Top Story - December 2021
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It's that time of year again. Spotify Wrapped has been released, and people are collating their top albums, EPs or singles of the year.

Despite the dreaded Coronavirus still being at large, live music is pretty much back to normal in the UK, and bands all over the world have been busy releasing new music to keep us all feeling happy.

Putting this list together has proven rather difficult, due to the large quantity of incredible albums released throughout 2021. I'm not going to even attempt to put them into an order from 'loved' to 'literally my favourite album ever' because that will take me until this time next year, and also, each of my picks are all so incredibly different.

So, let's get into it.

Prioritise Pleasure

Self Esteem

This album was an absolute joy to be introduced to. Somehow I had never heard of Self Esteem before this, so being chucked into the world of Rebecca Lucy Taylor via 45 minutes of pure pop pleasure was a great way to start. Lots of my friends went to see her at The Fleece in Bristol, and the videos were amazing. Definitely on my must-see live list for 2022.

Nocturnal Manoeuvres

JOHN

I did a whole album review of this monster, so check that out here if you fancy reading more on this one. After touring with them in October, and witnessing these songs live every night, there was no way this album wasn't going to be on my list - still not sick of hearing them, so says a lot, really.

HEY WHAT

Low

Again, another artist I was introduced to for the first time this year, which is weird considering HEY WHAT is the band's 13th bloody album. But alas, better late than never, right? This album is breathtaking, and one of the most interesting and exciting records I've ever heard. One day I will attempt to scour Low's back-catalogue, but right now, this album is all that I need.

The Romance Of Affliction

SeeYouSpaceCowboy

My lovely partner first introduced me to this band, and they have been one of my favourites ever since. Their short and urgent songs are heavy, loud, and QUEER AF. Having LGBTQIA+ representation in the metalcore scene is long overdue, and SeeYouSpaceCowboy are paving the way.

Love Drips and Gathers

Piroshka

Any band that is made up of Britpop legends is immediately going to peak my interest, especially if one of those legends is Miki Berenyi (Lush) or Justin Welch (Elastica). Piroshka have taken the talents of each member and really developed an exciting and interesting sound.

The Live Long After

Sugar Horse

A beautiful debut album from my pals in Sugar Horse. I feel as though I will adore anything that Sugar Horse release, so maybe that means I'm biased. Or maybe they're just that good. Who knows.

CRAWLER

IDLES

I knew that this was going to be my favourite IDLES album after listening to the first single. IDLES have created an absolute masterpiece with this record. Mature, experimental, brutally honest - a truly phenomenal album, from a truly phenomenal band.

Honorable Mentions

Sour - Olivia Rodrigo (beautiful vocals, catchy hooks, pure pop bangers)

Planet Her - Doja Cat (again, catchy hooks, pure pop bangers, love)

Oxidized - Frontierer (heavy as hell, great record)

Anyway, those are my top picks of the year. I know for a fact that I will publish this piece and then remember another album that I wanted to add to this list, but there we go.

What have been your favourite releases this year? If it's not my band wych elm's latest EP, then don't bother telling me... Kidding, promise...

album reviews
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About the Creator

Connie Matthews

Hi friends, my name is Connie and I play bass in a band called wych elm. This blog is for me to write down my inner ramblings, talk about music, being in a band and just whatever the heck I want.

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