Top 50 Albums of 2021
Every year, I always think that picking my favourite albums will be a cinch. I mean, how hard can counting to 50 possibly be?
Naturally, I never take into account the records that I’ve almost forgotten about or late add-ons that flew under my radar until I started to sit down an collect the year’s best. Needless to say, this year’s Best Of list is a labour of love, and definitely took some tough decision making. I’ve shared my 50 favourites below, and opened up a bit more about the Top 10 picks.
And if you’re subscribe to my Patreon, I’m an overachiever and put together my Top 100 lists, so if you’d like to see that, check it out here.
For you stat nerds out there, 40% of my Top 10 picks are debut releases. I guess that means the future of music is in good hands.
Lastly, before we jump into the picks, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all my supporters this past year. Dusty Organ is continuing to grow at an exponential rate and it is all thanks to my regular readers. I’ve taken off the metaphorical training wheels and am 100% an independent curator, so every ounce of support helps to keep the lights on and the music playing.
I’m excited to present to you my Top 50 Albums of 2021:
#10
McKinley Dixon – For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her
Onto his third and final instalment of his trilogy: Spanning the course of five years, McKinley Dixon’s introductory albums tie in his experiences as a Black man in the United States. Building off his 2018 releases Who Taught You To Hate Yourself? and The Importance of Self-Belief, For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her connects Dixon to his community through his poetic lyrics and articulate instrumentation, with a seemingly unbroken flow of rap and spoken word verses. Blending together powerful gospel, jazz-infused arrangements, his relentless flow and the occasional collaborative feature, Dixon channels the likes of Kendrick Lamar and The Roots for a beast of a record. Topics such as grief, community, mortality, and the healing powers of time scatter across the track list, as the Richmond, Virginia native demands your attention track after track.
He escapes coming off as preachy, instead roping in listeners into a personal space that can perhaps be applied to a wider mass. The stories the shares is directly tied to his life, talking about people within his immediate circle – strengthening the intensity rather than diluting it with a mass appeal.
Favourite track: “Chain Sooo Heavy”
#9
Porter Robinson – Nurture
After releasing his sensational debut Worlds back in 2014, North Carolina producer and songwriter Porter Robinson met a wall of creative uncertainty, along with some difficult personal issues that lead to a seven year drought of music under his own name. The pressure to fit within the moulds of the EDM world didn’t align with his complex and video game-inspired electronic music. Nevertheless, he found his footing once again and delivered a sensational follow-up record that showcases his growth and expansive skills as a producer. Packed with plenty of twists and turns, and cinematic electronica, Nurture lets his abilities as a songwriting take over, pushing the songs into pools of giant and lush future house choruses that pulsate with an indescribable optimism. His desire to push the genre and create striking melodies with complex fills that are more than just gateways to huge, pyrotechnic drops creates a new universe within his music, as the heavily altered vocals and airy production qualities evokes a sense of nostalgia while also venturing into the future.
Favourite track: “Look At The Sky”
#8
Dijon – Absolutely
This album found its way into the runnings a bit late into the year, but still managed to strike a chord immediately through Dijon’s commanding and raw performance. Not held down by genre labels, Dijon spent the last few years dabbling in different musical directions, all of which come through magically on his debut solo release. R&B, Americana, blues, soul, rock, and pop all come together for a feverish and barrelling wave of emotion and musicality, and his rugged, yet soft vocals have an edgy, unpolished feel to it that brings out the album’s passion, as he sings about heartbreak, loss, and love. With a revolving door of collaborators that could come and go as they pleased, Absolutely captured the free-spirited and organic methods, producing a resulting feel as if the listeners was a fly on the wall in an intimate living room recording experience.
It’s bold, vibrant, and wonderfully expressive courtesy of Dijon’s signature vocals.
Favourite track: “Many Times”
#7
For Those I Love – For Those I Love
As far as debut albums go, few manage to create such a unique and strong first impression as David Balfe’s For Those I Love. The Dublin-born and raised artist combines his visual and sonic artistic abilities for a compelling and downright spiritual journey into his psyche and experiences. Following the tragic death of his best friend and former bandmate Paul Curran, Balfe locked himself away to compose more than 76 songs. His signature style of accent-heavy spoken word narratives thrown against a wall of underground beats is strangely captivating and alluring, in both texture and structure. ’90s UK icon The Streets (Mike Skinner) is a clear influence, with his honest and personal lyricism shining overtop UK garage-inspired beats, but Balfe manages to stay in the future with his production. His songs speak for themselves, with his clear-cut words painting vivid pictures into his past and tragedy-ridden introspection.
Favourite track: “I Have A Love”
#6
Squid – Bright Green Field
40 something years later and UK post-punk continues to dominate over any other demographic. As a new generation takes over the revivalist scene, leading the pack are British millennial bands coming from the suburban upbringing. Being caught in between the exponentially changing world of the past and the future has lead to a healthy amount of jaded cynicism, carried forward from the ’70s tradition. On their debut full-length, UK five-piece Squid have settled into their sound as they rip into right-wing propaganda, 24-hour news watch, government corruption, and capitalism (just to name a few).
And more impressively so, the group have strayed away from indie pop rock tendencies and instead opted for a more sophisticated and cerebral musicality, bringing in touches of jazz, avant-garde, experimental rock, and post-hardcore to create the sensation of delusion and chaos. The majority of the track list clocks in at at least five minutes, as they stretch out their tracks with grandiose guitar and bass solo and arrangements, meshed in with hypnotic percussion, Splint-era effects for 50 something minutes, and Viagra Boys micro-aggressions in the vocals. Which is a slight show of distancing from their debut singles, considering none of which made the final track list, as if to push forward into a more mature display of musicianship.
Favourite track: “Narrator”
#5
So Hideous – None But A Pure Heart Can Sing
Not only was this a late contender, with its December 3rd release date, but So Hideous’ None But A Pure Heart Can Sing it is the sole black metal release to make the list. Combining their feverish blend of post-metal, shoegaze, and orchestral arrangements, the New York group really hit their stride on the colossal release. Broken down into five tracks, the opus-like collection is brimming with shape, virtuosic musicality, and soul-touching tenacity for just over 30 minutes. Relentless in its power and passion, None But A Pure Heart Can Sing finds a theatrical melancholy from within its blackened style, and is nothing short of utterly commanding. Not for the faint of heart, None But A Pure Heart Can Sing is a recording that holds your attention from start to finish – not a surprise, considering members of The Number Twelve Looks Like You and The Dillinger Escape Plan were involved.
Favourite track: “Souvenir (Echo)”
#4
Turnstile – GLOW ON
As far as perfect punk albums go, GLOW ON is a pretty close candidate. Exhilarating vocals, melodic guitars, speedy percussion, and critical lyricism all come together for a riff-heavy release. It’s right up there with Refused’s The Shape Of Punk To Come in terms of being a genre-defying release thanks to its modern charm and timeless aggression. Turnstile infuse the genre with pop, alt-rock, and even hints of Latin rock for a punk album that is aimed to entertain and not take itself too seriously (naturally). For just over a half-hour, the Baltimore hardcore five-piece make it clear that they’ve come to make some noise, and dance around while they do it.
Favourite track: “Holiday”
#3
Fiddlehead – Between the Richness
In the most pure way, Between The Richness is a perfect blend of post-hardcore and emo. The aggressive, progressive punk instrumentation and raspy vocals are elevated by the raw, personal lyricism courtesy of Fiddlehead frontman Brian Flynn. Acting as a sequel of sorts to their debut album Springtime & Blind which was written as a cathartic release for Flynn who was grieving the loss of his father, Between The Richness reworks the perspective after Flynn became a father himself. The writing process started two weeks after the birth of his son, and so the cycle of life and death became much clearer.
Opening and closing with a reading of E.E. Cummings “I Carry Your Heart”, the album ties together grief, family, and growth with an anthemic and colossal intensity, bringing together the aggression from pain and punk with the heartfelt lyrics. The masculine vulnerability that is often left out of pop culture finds a new home on Between the Richness, giving it a visceral edge.
Favourite track: “A Million Times”
#2
Black Country, New Road – For the first time
I originally gave this album a perfect score at the beginning of the year, and ironically enough, in my opinion, a perfect record doesn’t truly exist – but for the sake of argument, British art rock group Black Country, New Road have come extremely close to accomplishing that feat with their debut album For the first time. As a seven-piece, the group’s size can be a slight risk, especially considering how dense and layered their music is, but their chemistry manages to keep things well above expectations. The album is only 6 songs, but with each hitting at least the five minute mark, it’s more of a modern day symphony. Guitars, bass, drums, saxophone, violin, and keyboards make up the front row of sound over the course of the record, breaking down pillars of alternative, post-punk, jazz, art-rock, and post-rock for a wildly exciting and unpredictable record. Aside from the rhythmically-charged opener (and aptly-named) “Instrumental”, the lyrical verses are used almost as bookmarks within the songs, setting the stage with striking questions and thoughts driven by nostalgia, curiosity, and reflection, before a full-out onslaught of instrumentation, playful improvisation, and varying dynamics. For the first time is ferocious and articulate, and manages to be impressive without being in your face or unnecessarily pretentious.
Favourite track: “Track X”
#1
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert will undoubtedly be a career-defining release for UK rapper Little Simz. Its cinematic and profound themes on family, social injustice, and personal growth are laid out through her commanding and ear-pleasing flow and timbre, rooted in her Nigerian-British hip-hop style. As the UK rap scene continues to dominate with its captivating and progressive mix of grime, drill, and Afro rhythms, Little Simz does it best, bringing out the power of poetic lyricism when used in tandem with star-studded production. And while the staples of a strong performance and production are a must-have on any year-end-best contender, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert surpasses the expectations with its personal narrative and societal relevance as a record released in 2021.
Despite its synonym with shyness, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is a dominating release that commands your attention.
