Best Of
Best of Albums 2021: So Far
Kramzer, Joe and Jason share their favorite albums and songs (from those albums) of 2021… so far!
The year 2021 is now over halfway over.
There have been hundreds of records released this year and no one’s listened to them all (except maybe Jason).
What has tickled the fancy of the Listographers so far in 2021? You’ll find our top 10 albums (in no particular order) and our favorite songs from those albums, which you can listen to in a Spotify playlist at the bottom of the article.
Read on and find out.
KRAMZER
Alright. So we are just a little over halfway through the year. It has been…good. Not great.
This roughly puts it on the same trajectory as last year. I’ve listened to 61 albums, and have given 33 at least 3 stars. 3 star is the bare minimum rating of an album I seek out, even if it’s just a little bit.
At the top, I got a couple 5 stars. One by a tried and true favorite of mine, and the other a popular band that I’ve never gotten into, until now. Overall, I have eleven albums at 4 stars and up so far. Four stars and up are the things I really really like. These are my favorite albums. The year has mostly been a year of surprises and disappointments. It’s forcing me to check out EVERYTHING that gets announced, because I don’t know what to expect.
Artists I can usually rely on, like Dinosaur Jr, Teenage Fanclub, and Sleater-Kinney, put out enjoyable records, but nothing that blew me away. Bands like Weezer and Kings Of Leon continued their downward trajectory and Alice Cooper carries the mantle of boring rock n roll hanging on by a thread.
Ten favorite albums from 2021, so far
Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey
For the first time by Black Country New Road
An Overview of Phenomenal Nature by Cassandra Jenkins
Build a Problem by Dodie
Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
Seek Shelter by Iceage
Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
Ignorance by The Weather Station
if i could make it go quiet by girl in red
Open Door Policy by The Hold Steady
Here are some of my favorite song selections from my top ten favorite albums so far (subject to change).
Note the order doesn’t indicate the album ranking, but rather what I think is the best flow of the actual playlist.
Honorable mention to the album that is currently outside my top ten: Green in Gold by the Antlers.
2021 best of playlist
1. “Heavy Covenant” from Open Door Policy by The Hold Steady
2. “You Stupid Bitch” from if i could make it go quiet by girl in red
3. “Atlantic” from Ignorance by The Weather Station
4. “The Last Man” on Earth from Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
5. “Vendetta” from Seek Shelter by Iceage
6. “Be Sweet” from Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
7. “Before the Line” from Build a Problem by Dodie
8. “Crosshairs” from An Overview of Phenomenal Nature by Cassandra Jenkins
9. “Sunglasses” from For the first time by Black Country New Road
10. “White Dress” from Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey
JOE
2021 is definitely the worst in the history of music history. Maybe. I say that about every new year, though.
I haven’t enjoyed very many albums from 2021, but no one should be expecting anything different from me. So far I have listened to 83 albums, 17 have earned 4 stars, one has earned 4.5 stars, none have earned 5 stars. For the record, 45 have earned 3.5 stars, because almost everything is fine, but nothing I’ll ever listen to again. At least not for pleasure.
Lots of big names like Weezer, AFI, Alice Cooper, Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Wallflowers, 21 Pilots have put out middling albums.
The biggest surprise for me was that I really liked Greta Van Fleet’s album, The Battle at Garden Gate. I’m powerless against those sweet faux-70s riffs.
Ten favorite albums from 2021, so far
Long Lost by Lord Huron
Flock by Jane Weaver
I Know I’m Funny haha by Faye Webster
JT by Steve Earle and the Dukes
Typhoons by Royal Blood
Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
12 Songs About Loneliness by Bantug
Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey
The Battle at Garden’s Gate by Greta Van Fleet
Open Door Policy by The Hold Steady
2021 best of playlist
1. “Silence” from 12 Songs About Loneliness by Bantug
2. “Heartlow” from Flock by Jane Weaver
3. “Safe From Heartbreak (if you never fall in love)” from Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
4. “Heat Above” from The Battle at Garden’s Gate by Greta Van Fleet
5. “Either You Want It” from Typhoons by Royal Blood
8. “Me & Magdalena” from Open Door Policy by The Hold Steady
6. “Maria” from J.T. by Steve Earle
7. “Mine Forever” from Long Lost by Lord Huron
9. “Kind Of” from I Know I’m Funny by Faye Webster
10. “For Free” from Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey
JASON
You know me – I love listening to new music. As much as I enjoy listening to full discographies and ranking them, there’s really nothing quite like discovering something new and exciting. For that reason, Albums of the Year 2020, is probably my favorite video that we’ve made on the channel to date. I love the entire process of listening, re-listening, ranking, & re-ranking for an entire year.
We’re now a little past the halfway point of 2021, so it’s time to stop and take a look at how the year has been so far.
Lots of great albums, no doubt. As of writing this, I’ve listened to 131 releases from the year. 28 of those have managed to reach at least 4-stars and only 23 sit at 2.5 or below. I’m still very excited about the eventual albums of the year video in December and can’t wait to see what will be on each of our lists. There are a ton of reasons to be enthusiastic about the year. But, if I’m being honest….
This year has been a bit of a letdown. Maybe my expectations were too high. I expected a monsoon of releases that had been made in lockdown. But right now, the year is on pace to be roughly of the same quality as 2020. Nothing wrong with that. 2020 was a solid year. But there were a lot of weeks this spring (usually a busy time for new releases) that had little to nothing of interest for me. Maybe that wave is still on the horizon. As tour plans are solidified, maybe we’re in for one heck of a second half, but that remains to be seen.
However the second half unfolds, I would have to imagine that most of these albums will be in the mix for my Top 10 at the end of the year.
Ten favorite albums from 2021, so far
Butterfly 3000 by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
Daddy’s Home by St. Vincent
Glow by Alice Phoebe Lou
Two Saviors by Buck Meek
Seeking New Gods by Gruff Rhys
Pale Horse Rider by Cory Hanson
I Know I’m Funny haha by Faye Webster
Superwolves by Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy
Outside Child by Allison Russell
2021 best of playlist
1. “Interior People” from Butterfly 3000 by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
2. “Slide Tackle” from Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
3. “The Melting of the Sun” from Daddy’s Home by St. Vincent
4. “Heavy//Light As Air” from Glow by Alice Phoebe Lou
5. “Candle” from Two Saviors by Buck Meek
6. “Loan Your Loneliness” from Seeking New Gods by Gruff Rhys
7. “Another Story From the Center of the Earth” from Pale Horse Rider by Cory Hanson
8. “A Stranger from I Know I’m Funny haha” by Faye Webster
9. “Good to My Girls” from Superwolves by Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy
10. “Montreal” from Outside Child by Allison Russell
This year has not been great, so far – but it’s not awful. I am not yet going to rank albums, but I will say that my favorites have included David Gray’s SKELLIG, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon’s WAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER, and John Batiste’s WE ARE. There are others that have stood out, too – but deserve further listens…
My Top 10 songs, however, are as follows:
1) David Gray – Accumulates – not just Song of the Year, but song of the past 10 years Timeless & powerful.
2) Lil’ Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – the catchiest song of the year.
3) Paris Jackson & Manchester Orchestra – adagio – the best Radiohead song Radiohead never made
4) Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon – Of Course, I Still Love You – powerful acoustic classic that will still sound great in 40 years
5) The Marias – Hush
6) Emily Blue – 7 Minutes – Emily is the most unsung Pop Star out there. Hooks are undeniable.
7) John Batiste – I Need You
8) Lord Huron – Love Me Like You Used To
9) Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – Like I Used To
10) Aldous Harding – Old Peel
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6orrCnxrpUiFMvQZzdt4rI?si=981614018df5417d
Been trying to listen to more new music this year, haven’t heard as many albums as you guys and I generally lean to more rock/metal/classic rock but some albums I have enjoyed surprised me this year.
Steve Earle and the Dukes – JT
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee (I have surprisingly really enjoyed this albuum, will pick up a physical copy)
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home (I had never heard her b4
Chevelle – Niratias
Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories (I think this is a fun album and another surprise for me as I didn’t realise he was still making music)
Cheap Trick – In Another World
Liquid Tension Experiment – 3
Wode – Burn In Many Mirrors
Crowded House – Dreamers Are Waiting
You Am I – The Lives Of Others (Aussie riock probably unknown outside Australia)
Here is a fourth take on 2021 –
I think it’s been an okay year – not bad, not great. I will refrain from posting the Top Albums until the end of the year, but my Top 5 favorites (so far) include:
David Gray – SKELLIG
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon – WAKE ME UP WHEN IT’S OVER
Jack Savoretti – EUROPIANA
Bo Burnham – INSIDE
Jon Batiste – WE ARE.
My Top 15 songs are:
“Accumulates” – David Gray
“MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
“adagio” – Paris Jackson & Manchester Orchestra
“Of Course, I Still Love You” – Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon
“Hush” – The Marias
“7 Minutes” – Emily Blue
“I Need You” – Jon Batiste
“Love Me Like You Used To” – Lord Huron
“Like I Used To” – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen
“Old Peel” – Aldous Harding
“Half Drunk Under a Full Moon” – The Fratellis
“Astro Pup” – Bendigo Fletcher
“Calling Me Back to You” – Jack Savoretti & Gizmo Varillas
“Welcome to the Internet” – Bo Burnham
“Brando” – Lucy Dacus
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6orrCnxrpUiFMvQZzdt4rI?si=92dee879268d4af9