Top Albums of 2021

Honestly, I’m pretty over lists at this point. They’re arbitrary and don’t really reflect anything but someone’s tastes, except here where they reflect the tastes of three individuals…because that’s how we roll. So, take this list with a grain of salt. These are the records we thought were the best, which mostly just means these are the ones we listened to on repeat throughout the year! Feel free to leave a comment on what you think we missed, or why we’re dumb; we love good comment trolls.

Also, because this list is really about crediting the art that made us happy, we wanted it to make you happy too, so we included purchasing links where we could.

Alexalone – Alexaloneworld – Polyvinyl – BUY — ATX!

American Culture – For My Animals – HHBTM – BUY

Bicep – Isles – Ninja Tune- BUY

Black Marble – Fast Idol – Sacred Bones – BUY

Bleachers – Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night – RCA – BUY

Boys with Perpetual Nervousness — Songs from Another Life – Bobo Integral — BUY

Buffet Lunch – The Power of Rock – Upset the Rhythm — BUY

The Catenary Wires – Birling Gap – Skep Wax/Shelflife – BUY

Chime School – Chime School – Slumberland Records – BUY

Cindy – LP 1:2 – Paisley Shirt Records/Mt. St. Mtn. – BUY

Cold Beat – War Garden – BUY

Cold Cave – Fate in Seven Lessons Heartworm Press – BUY

Courtesy – Check the Milk – BUY

Dag – Pedestrian Life – Bedroom Suck Records – BUY

David Christian and the Pinecone Orchestra – For Those We Met on the Way – Tapete – BUY

The Dead Space – Chlorine Sleep – 12XU – BUY — ATX!

Ducks Ltd. – Modern Fiction – Carpark/Royal Mountain – BUY

Dummy – Mandatory Enjoyment – Trouble in Mind Records – BUY

Elbow – Flying Dream 1 – Polydor – BUY

Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton – Something Is Going to Change Tomorrow, Today. What Will You Do? What Will You Say? – Bobo Integral/Osborne Again – BUY

Flock of Dimes – Head of Roses – Sub Pop – BUY

Hovvdy – True Love – Grand Jury – BUY — ATX!

Japan Review – Kvetch Sounds Reckless Yes – BUY

Jesse Marchant – Antelope Running – BUY

Karen Peris – A Song Is Way Above the Lawn – BUY

Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place – Keeled Scales – BUY — ATX!

The Lodger – Cul de Sac of Love – Pretty Olivia/WWNBB – BUY

Los Esplifs – Estraik Back – BUY

Low – Hey What – Sub Pop – BUY

Makthaverskan – For Allting – RFC Records – BUY

Massage – Still Life – Bobo Integral/Mt. St. Mtn. – BUY

Mope City – Within the Walls – tenth Court – BUY

Motorists – Surrounded – Bobo Integral – BUY

Mt. Misery – Once Home, No Longer – Prefect Records – BUY

Natalie Jane Hill – Solely – BUY — ATX!

Nation of Language – A Way Forward – Pias – BUY

Penelope Isles – Which Way to Happy – Bella Union – BUY

Phantom Handshakes – No More Summer Songs – Z-Tapes – BUY

The Reds, Pinks and Purples – Uncommon Weather – Tough Love/Slumberland – BUY

Robert Sotelo – Celebrant – Upset the Rhythm – BUY

Quivers – Golden Doubt – Ba Da Bing/Bobo Integrak – BUY

Semihelix – Recoil – Mariel Recording Company – BUY — ATX!

Semi Trucks – Vs. California – Meritorio Records – BUY

Slothrust – Parallel Timeline – Dangerbird Records – BUY

Small Black – Cheap Dreams – 100% Electronica – BUY

The Smallgoods – Lost in the Woods – Lost and Lonesome – BUY

Snowy Band – Alternate Endings – Osborne Again/Spunk – BUY

Sun June – Somewhere – Keeled Scales/RFC – BUY — ATX!

Tele Novella – Merlynn Belle – Kill Rock Stars – BUY — ATX!

Ty Segall – Harmonizer – Drag City – BUY

So Cow – Bigsignis – dandy Boy Records – BUY

The Umbrellas – The Umbrellas – Slumberland Records – BUY

Valley Maker – When the Day Leaves – Frenchkiss Records – BUY

Weakened Friends – Quitter – Don Giovanni Records – BUY

Wy – Marriage – Rama Lama Records – BUY