OUR 40 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2021
Thank you all for reading along with us this past year. We are eternally grateful for your support and for the art of the incredible musicians we interact with every day. Here are 40 of our favorite albums of 2021, listed in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
A Constant Condensation by Amani
A Constant Condensation feels like a story whispered to you by a friend. The album is full of secrets we are meant to keep and personal exploration that we are there to observe. Amani has been a figure in the New York underground hip-hop scene since his early teens, but in the last few years, he has truly found his voice. On A Constant Condensation, Amani experiments with his delivery, layering his vocals, recording them in lower quality, and drenching them with reverb. But, even through all of this manipulation, his voice still shines through.
This album is the type of project that will have you staring at the ceiling for hours after it ends. Songs like “Come Through (I Already Did)” and “Loose Ends” address deep topics in such a gentle way. Bars like, “I was born to stray - heavily, leveling out what my demons failed to orchestrate,” reinforce the intimacy of the project and create the feeling that Amani is bearing his heart directly to you. A Constant Condensation is a unique project with a propulsive energy that takes over a room and leaves it in a different state when it finishes. If you are looking for some true experimentation, A Constant Condensation is for you.
– Sam
Haram by Armand Hammer
It’s easy to use hyperbole when describing billy woods and ELUCID’s work – the two best rappers making the best music – but that sentiment fails to capture what makes their sound transformational. When people asked me in the past, “Where do I start with Armand Hammer?” I always paused because no matter where you jump into their discography, you’re in for some heavy shit.
On Haram, woods and ELUCID manage to maintain their lyrical heft while crafting a more immediately accessible sound. Guided by production from The Alchemist, they sink into a groove, spitting verses with liberating energy. The true standouts are the rap-Odysseys like “Indian Summer.” The line “I swore vengeance in the seventh grade / not on one man, the whole human race,” followed up later with, “Sky face wistful, I had a fistful of fucks ground to the gristle,” shows you exactly why they have reached such an esteemed place in rap. Haram is yet another masterclass from Armand Hammer and their streak of greatness continues.
– Sam
Under the Lilac Sky by Arushi Jain
Under the Lilac Sky is like listening in on a private jam session. Throughout the project, Arushi Jain crafts dense worlds with interlocking harmonies on a variety of different synthesizers, but the album truly opens up when we hear her voice. “The Sun Swirls Within You” is one of the most transcendent moments of the year. Jain’s high-pitched vocals overlap rumbling bass notes, reminiscent of Alice Coltrane’s later records.
Jain has a way of extending phrases far past their logical conclusion, bringing us into her experimentation as we await each turn the album takes. Under the Lilac Sky is much more of a singular experience than a collection of tracks, but even on their own, each song sounds like a unique statement. It’s best to just let the sound wash over you as Arushi Jain moves through her progressions, crafting entire worlds with her synthesizer.
– Sam
Face The Darkness II by B L A C K I E
B L A C K I E is an originator, and even decades after his early work he finds ways to push his sound further into oblivion. Face the Darkness II, a sequel to his 2020 offering, is built of parts that sound beat-to-shit. The guitars are clipping, the drum machine is compressed, and a lonely-sounding saxophone wails in and out of many of the tracks. These elements create an atmosphere so chaotic that it’s nearly impossible to track B L A C K I E’s vocals.
Most of the album sounds like death, until we hear B L A C K I E rise above the fray to say, “they will pay for everything they took” before sinking again beneath the chaos. There are a few breaks from the auditory darkness, like the track, “My Own Reasons” but even with the guitars turned down, B L A C K I E brings us bleak lyrics. Face the Darkness II is a sequel better than its predecessor, and if you dare to listen, it’ll darken up your day.
– Sam
Thank God! Giant From the X by Big Up Menace X
The final chapter of Big Up Menace X’s, five-part series titled Telepathic GOTHICA, came out early this year and has found its way into my life every week since. The project is difficult to describe because it’s almost designed to evade categorization. The Telepathic GOTHICA series is inspired by a collection of dreams, and like most dreams, the music is often indecipherable. Big Up Menace blends sound collage, drum and bass, and some hard-rock-inspired guitars to create a monolith of a project.
Thank God! is expansive. Big Up Menace welcomes you into his dreamscape offering hope of light at the end of the tunnel, which always seems to get ripped away at the last second. The track “MONKSHOOD (THE CONCUSSION FROM BULLMOOSE WHO WAS ONCE MY HERO AS A YOUNG MAN WHILE MY EYES WERE BURNT FROM MASE, NO LOVE LOST)” wraps up all of the best aspects of Menace X’s work. We hear passages of noise, heavy sample work, and a few soaring melodies interspersed throughout the track that leave you with an unsettled feeling. The entire album is designed to make you wonder what exactly you just experienced, and how a single mind could possibly craft such a terrifying soundscape.
– Sam
Black Rave Culture by Black Rave Culture
In 2020, a year without much clubbing, the Black underground techno scene in New York blew up into the mainstream. In 2021, we saw many of these artists begin to shape their own narratives. Black Rave Culture, released on the HAUS of ALTR label, features three incredibly distinct artists working together seamlessly to create an album that reaches the highest highs of any dance album this year.
You might think that an album featuring three producers could be a bit of a mixed bag, but Black Rave Culture sidesteps this problem by giving each producer their own lane to shine. Amal, Nativesun, and JamesBangura push each other in different directions on this project, centering on the diverse sounds of Black rave from drill to techno. The early standout track, “Africa 808” features both deep dub influences and light piano synths. Their styles continually blend in new ways all across the project, making this album a wonderfully collaborative experience. Most importantly, the ten tracks on the album are bangers and have made people dance wherever I’ve played them. Black Rave Culture is an impeccably produced and incredibly fun record that will leave you wanting more.
– Sam
4NEM by Chief Keef
The prince of Chicago returns with his best album in nearly a decade. 4NEM acts as both Chief Keef’s reintroduction to the mainstream and a gift to fans who have waited years for this moment. On 4NEM, Keef mixes elements of the drill that made him famous back in 2012, with a more contemporary trap sound, creating a style that is completely his own.
4NEM is the first Chief Keef project in years that feels complete and intentional. The way the opening track “Bitch Where” perfectly blends into “Tuxedo” is transcendent, and tracks like “Picking Big Sean Up” remind us of why we fell in love with Keef’s sense of humor in the first place. Almost ten years after Keef’s debut album, he continues to be one of the most innovative artists in rap, subtly tweaking his sound and pushing towards evolution when his fans would likely be content with him sticking to one sound. On 4NEM, Keef shows his bravery as an artist and the importance of adapting your art to the times.
– Sam
Drug Opera by Chynna
Chynna’s flow and style leaves you wanting more and more. Drug Opera is a posthumous album showcasing the authentic and dark sounds of the artist. “burnout,” "centerfold," and "runthatback" are some personal favorites, showcasing her versatility and strong sound. Chynna’s voice and words leave you tranced. The mysterious yet charming appeal of the artist keeps you wanting more. Songs like “way up” and “s&m” also encapsulate her talents and strong collaborations with other artists. The songs are full of temptation and fervor. The intensity she carries is woven into every song. As the album closes with “curly” I can’t help but think how much Chynna had to offer as such a young artist. The song itself frames the album so well but also her overall sound. She brought a unique perspective to rap music and can teach you how to appreciate the genre much more. She definitely continues to shine through and this album only goes to show the immense talent she had.
– Elina
The Crashing Sound of How It Goes by Cities Aviv
Cities Aviv gave one of my favorite interviews of the year last month to Dash Lewis for the site “Post-Trash.” In the interview he described producing The Crashing Sound of How It Goes, saying “Man, it was just total obsession.” You can hear that obsession in this record and the care that he put into each beat and lyric.
The Crashing Sound of How It Goes is a solitary record. Cities Aviv produced, wrote, and mastered all the songs himself, with Hollow Sol handling the mixing. The 24 tracks address a variety of topics, from love to death and greed. It’s no small feat that the album feels so well put together. Over the course of The Crashing Sound of How It Goes, we dig deep into Aviv’s feelings for the world and ride along with him through his joy and pain.
– Sam
Mother by Cleo Sol
Cleo Sol’s music is hypnotic. She crafts 8-minute odysseys that feel like they end in the blink of an eye. Her voice is enchanting and reassuring and she structures her tracks meticulously to reach luxurious climaxes. Her 2021 album, Mother, is like a comforting, tender hug. It leaves you with a warm feeling that seeps deep into your bones.
Many of the sounds on here you have probably heard before, but Cleo Sol continually subverts listener expectations and stretches the familiar to new lengths. On Mother, Celo Sol executes at an extremely high level. Even shorter tracks like, “Know That You Are Loved” capture the essence of what makes her music so captivating. She sings, “Know that you are loved Even if you don't love yourself” over and over and over until eventually, you have no choice but to believe it.
– Sam
Bigger Than Life or Death by Est Gee
Most great albums feature an artist navigating a diversity of styles, creating beautiful, cohesive work. Bigger than Life or Death breaks this formula. If you’re looking for an album filled with variety, look somewhere else. On Est Gee’s newest offering, he’s focused on giving us consistent greatness and subtle refinements on a well-defined formula.
Two early standouts from the album, “Capitol 1” and “5500 Degrees,” offer a look at Est Gee at his best, but look past these and the album is filled with gems and unique flows that show Gee running laps around his rap contemporaries. Gee has a way of shoving whatever he is thinking in your face and forcing you to see the world through his eyes. So many lines like, “Guccis on me, semi spit like a run-on sentence, it ain't no comma” are goofy as hell, but because of his delivery, he manages to make them sound incredibly hard. If you’re looking for one of the best mainstream releases of the year this is for you.
– Sam
I Know I’m Funny Haha by Faye Webster
Faye Webster has been writing music for a long time, with Atlanta Millionaires Club being a fan favorite, but I know I’m Funny Haha is truly her greatest and most personable work, providing deeply relatable songs and musicality that’s precise and exquisite. The opening track “Better Distractions” came out as a single during the beginning of the pandemic and really captured a collective feeling of needing a distraction from the world being on fire, despite being isolated from our preferred escapist tools. This sets the mood for a painstakingly relatable album with songs detailing awkward family socials, giving too much of ourselves into our partners, and not knowing how to properly deal with healthy and reciprocal love. Webster challenges herself to create a body of work that captures raw human emotion while expanding on her Americana style of music. The organ keys layered over what’s reminiscent of cowboy guitars give this album a mood that makes you feel held.
– Alan
Smiling With No Teeth by Genesis Owusu
Smiling With No Teeth is fun beyond words and showcases the singer’s versatility in songwriting as well as composition. Songs vary from being perfect for telling off your ex-girlfriend to finding the strength to get out of bed. Another contender for the best debut of the new decade, Australian singer and lyricist Genesis Owusu blends genres beyond comprehension creating an album deeply beautiful and yearning to be understood. The beats on this album are insane, taking inspiration from dancehall to hip-house to Americana, the album refuses to be boxed into competent labels. The album is wildly introspective, going from haunting to deeply beautiful, it provides moments that explore Owusu’s talent as a wordsmith and his ability to create hypnotic hooks with deeper meanings.
– Alan
By the Time I Get to Phoenix by Injury Reserve
Serving as their album release without late member Stepa J. Grogs, By The Time I Get to Phoenix is not only a demonstration of the group’s commitment to challenge themselves and push the boundaries of experimental hip hop; it’s a beloved dedication to the trios dear friend. Without a doubt their most eccentric album, By The Time I Get to Phoenix is an incredibly different listen not meant for all ears. The production is noisy, gritty, experimental beyond anything the group has done before. It’s raw in the most uncomfortable yet consoling way. Though there’s no clear concept, the album follows a deeper narrative exploring the realms of the group’s grip with fame, artistic challenges, and grief. A narrative that only was accentuated with the passing of beloved member Grogs. The track “Bye Storm” acts as a send-off to the group’s member while also looking to the future, a message any listener can deeply connect with.
– Alan
Open the Gates by Irreversible Entanglements
How is Moor Mother not exhausted? She seems to always be everywhere, doing everything, coaxing everyone to be a little bit better at what they do. Her band, Irreversible Entanglements, has always stood out as a kind of revival: bridging jazz and poetry in search of answers. On Open the Gates they certainly find the answer to something.
The project feels electric at all times, even the opening proclamation, “It’s energy time,” doesn’t prepare you for the experience. Up-and-down, the lineup of the band is filled with incredible musicians: Keir Neuringer on saxophone, synth, and percussion, Aquiles Navarro on trumpet, and synth, Luke Stewart on double bass, and bass guitar, and finally Tcheser Holmes on percussion. But, Moor Mother’s voice is front-and-center when she speaks. On tracks like, “Six Sounds” her voice is so forward in the mix it almost makes you jump. Irreversible Entanglements’ newest project takes you on a ride through space and time. If you’re looking for somewhere to start with jazz, this might be the project for you.
– Sam
The House is Burning by Isaiah Rashad
After a near 5 year hiatus, Isaiah Rashad delivers with an album that culminates the laid-back southern soul that raised Rashad with themes of loss, wins, and honesty with the mortal self, all while riding some of the best beats in the rapper’s discography. Filled with banger after banger and beats that bring nothing but bounce, The House Is Burning manages to keep the vibe while bringing Rashad back to his roots and simultaneously taking accountability for a handful of present mistakes. The album brings the same attributes that have always made Rashad so popular, turning each up to ten.
The versatility of Rashad is unique. One moment I’m riding along to a deeply anthemic song, the next I’m breaking my car’s speakers to a Three Six Mafia sample. Every hook on this album has stayed on repeat in the back of my head for the last half of the year.
– Alan
Painful Enlightenment by Jana Rush
Footwork and a good saxophone loop are one of the best combinations in music. Chicago producer Jana Rush perfectly blends traditional footwork elements with novel song structures and unusual samples to create her sprawling new album Painful Enlightenment. The album spends the majority of the time on experimental journeys, like the track “Suicidal Ideation” which is essentially a 9-minute-long breakdown. But, Jana throws tracks like these, back-to-back with absolute bangers like the title track Painful Enlightenment, creating a mish-mash of sounds and melodies.
The album borrows from everywhere but prevents itself from ever being stuck in a single place for too long. Thematically, the project documents Rush’s struggles with depression, and she truly shows us the highs and lows of her experience. We get moments of beauty, joy, emptiness, and confusion, and Jana presents each of these emotions with incredible clarity. Painful Enlightenment is a beautiful appropriation of footwork to capture a complex array of feelings.
– Sam
Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
In Japanese Breakfast's Jubilee, the Korean-American musician and author commits herself to the celebration of joy — a promise she made after feeling defined by the long stretches of grief following her mother's death in 2014. However, Jubilee is not an album that triumphantly screams joy at the top of its lungs. Instead, its exploration of joy stands at the intersection of being happy and desperately wanting to feel and be joyful. Japanese Breakfast assures the listener that happiness is not a constant, no matter how thinly we attempt to stretch it. Japanese Breakfast's third record is just as striking as it is devastating; it is pierced by the artist's guitar-driven melodies and swooning vocals.
– Teresa
Lp! by JPEGMAFIA
If you told me back in 2016 that JPEGMAFIA, fresh off the release of his album Black Ben Carson which featured the track “I Just Killed a Cop and Now I’m Horny,” would release one of the most relaxing and affirming projects of 2021, I would have laughed you out of the building. No artist has built more on their craft than JPEG in the past several years, and Lp! feels like a culmination of all this work.
Across this self-produced project, he delivers soul-sampling bangers like “HAZARD DUTY PAY,” auto-tune ballads like “THOTS PRAYER,” and tracks designed to highlight his genius production like the track “NICE!”. The album is close to flawless, it just has everything you could possibly want. Featuring very few other artists, it’s clear that Lp! was a labor of love for Peggy. For now, this is JPEG’s magnum opus and his statement of purpose: a truly powerful album with enough catchy songs to keep it in rotation in 2022.
– Sam
Donda by Kanye West
As a light piano melody breaks through dark synth tones towards the middle of “Come to Life,” everything feels right for a moment. Almost twenty years after his debut, Ye still has the power to craft moments that reach the sublime. So many moments on Donda, are incredibly beautiful and some of the experimentation on the project rivals the creativity of the underground. While the album isn’t perfect, tracks like “Life of the Party” where Kanye and Andre 3000 trade verses over a laid-back instrumental, and the 12-minute, epoch “Jesus Lord” featuring both Jay Electronica and The Lox, make the project immediately captivating.
There is no sense of logic to Donda: Part twos come before part ones, verses go on too long, the entire project curates a feeling of chaos. This chaotic atmosphere makes any break like “No Child Left Behind” even more wonderful. While there are perfectly good reasons to ignore Kanye altogether, he is still one of the most foreword-thinking artists working and Donda is a breathtaking release.
– Sam
Fatigue by L’Rain
I heard Fatigue for the first time on my headphones in the library, and it caught me so off guard that I left mid-exam to find some speakers. The album is flat-out beautiful. Fatigue has both incredible depth and immediate relatability. It not only borrows from, but also adds to, each genre L’rain is influenced by in order to create a project that sounds incredibly fresh.
The obvious standout track is “Find It,” a track that’s built-in multiple parts over the course of six minutes, but the entire project follows a loose, experimental format. L’rain never feels restricted by typical song structure or genre constraints. This loose feeling allows her to craft a project that feels like a mixtape, each song building upon half-finished ideas and sounds. Thematically, the album is focused on the process of healing and loss, yet L’Rain continually offers us light and hope, keeping us coming back for more.
– Sam
Butter-Fly by Lava La Rue
Nonbinary icon Lava La Rue makes a stunning appearance with Butter-Fly, an album that blurs the realms of trip-hop, bedroom pop, and contemporary R&B. A mere 5 tracks, Butter-Fly is a wonderful, immersive experience. The album highlights insights from La Rue’s challenges and shows them championing through said challenges. Above all, it manages to hold the listener entertained. You are left begging for more as each song passes.
The production is so dreamy. Songs like “G.O.Y.D” have this airy mood that makes listening feel like you’re on a cloud. This layered with La Rue’s soft yet confident voice creates a luscious vibe. Contrary to this, songs like “Angel” have a danceable beat that yearns for movement and La Rue floats over the beat. For my first time listening to a Lava La Rue project, Butter-Fly manages to do so much with so little, and I only pray we get a deluxe version in the future.
– Alan
Reflection by Loraine James
Loraine James' long-awaited Reflection encapsulated everything the London-based artist has been gearing towards in her career thus far. On Reflection, James seamlessly plays with unflinching percussive beats, integrating them with vocals from artists like Xzavier Stone and Baths. Reflection is made to be played and danced to in the early mornings at a club, but even in its absence, the album asserts a pulsing dominance that can be enjoyed anywhere. James has never shied away from experimentation, and her confidence in each step is what consistently puts her ahead of the electronic music game.
– Teresa
Solar Power by Lorde
Many fans have pointed out the stark contrast between Lorde’s old work and her new, lighter album, Solar Power. However, Lorde performs with the same vocal capability and depth of sound just as she did in Melodrama and Pure Heroine on this album. Solar Power takes listeners on a new high (literally). The album embarks lightly and smoothly. “California” rejects everything glamorous and with Lorde’s harmony, opens up a new conversation. “Mood Ring” builds on this new lifestyle and high, transcending sonic boundaries simultaneously.
The songs graciously carry listeners, each unique and contributing to the progression of the album. While different from Lorde’s usual vibe, this album isn’t necessarily more upbeat. Rather, it’s a collection showcasing Lorde’s extensive talent and narrative shift; it shows a new perspective to life and sound.
– Elina
Looking Back by Los Retros
Los Retros is one of the few young creatives keeping the spirit of golden oldies alive through his music, and Looking Back shines with this older influence and tone. Oxnard native Los Retros is one of the many Latinx youths pushing the boundaries of Latin American soft rock and every release from the multi-instrumentalist is a testament to creating art that’s different yet sonically familiar. Looking Back is a Stones Throw rerelease of an earlier L.R. tape only with higher quality and better mixing. The project captures the sheer loneliness of falling in one-sided love and the optimism of staying true to your love at the same time, all over beautiful instrumentation and vulnerable, relatable choruses. Songs like “Amtrak” and “It’s Got To Be You” can soundtrack a cry-filled car ride home and capture that volatile sensation of loneliness, but lyrics like “this lover boy has found his destiny” are cheesy and give you a sensation of hope at the same time. Not to mention the theremin goes absolutely crazy here.
– Alan
With the Shifts by Maassai
Maassai comes at you like a battle rapper. She spits each line with intensity and emotion like she’s fighting the beat. On her 2021 album, With the Shifts, she has a lot to say and wants to make sure you hear every word. She showcases a variety of styles, as we see Maassai flow over drumless instrumentals, chant over jazz chords, and sing over shakers. The incredible trick of this album is that it never feels disjointed. Maassai has full control over all of these disparate styles which allows her to create a seamless flow in her project.
Even with all of this incredible artistry on display, Maassai’s lyricism shines more than anything else on With the Shifts. She opens the project with the bar, “Y’all know niggas who will put metal in your back like a piggy bank, just for pitty sake?” which is just a wild way to bring you into her world. With the Shifts is by far the most cohesive project that Maassai has released, and she’s making a name for herself as one of the most consistently great rappers out.
– Sam
Pray for Haiti by Mach-Hommy
The multifaceted and talented Mach-Hommy exhibits his extensive artistry in every song on Pray For Haiti. Laden with meaning and literary cleverness, Mach-Hommy creates a surreal feeling through his sense of spiritualism and style. The extended metaphor of the sun in “The Stellar Ray Theory” is reflective of the rapper’s brilliant and boundless talent. The sound of “Marie” brings endless comfort, and while “Kriminel” has a rougher texture to the sound, the words spoken in Haitian Creole are chilling because of the beauty. His bilingual capabilities breathe life and compassion, and your ears will embrace the sound. Pray For Haiti is a beautiful and profound project. From song to song, you will find yourself consumed in the visionary world of Mach-Hommy.
– Elina
Navy’s Reprise by Navy Blue
Each Navy Blue album is a meditation on life. His albums dart all over the place but are held together by a feeling of continual reflection. On Navy’s Reprise, we hear some of his most introspective moments, his feelings on family, God, and peace.
The beats on Navy’s Reprise are orchestral. Sometimes he pulls samples from string sections like on “Don’t Get it Twisted,” but the majority of the time we get chopped-up choir or jazz vocals. This expansive backing makes Navy Blue’s deeply personal lyrics stand out even more. It’s like he’s whispering affirmations to himself and he recorded them to give others the chance to overhear. I saw Navy Blue perform this album live twice and the same spirituality in the music seeps through in the live setting. Navy Blue is an expert at crafting intimacy and this might be his best work yet.
– Sam
Boy Anonymous by Paris Texas
Hailing from Los Angeles California, two misfits came together to create the heaviest hitting rap debut of the year. Paris Texas’ Boy Anonymous is as bold as it is experimental. It doesn’t just walk the fine line between rock and rap, it steps over it.
From the cashmere luscious and ethereal beat of the album opener “CASINO“ to the closer “FORCE OF HABIT,” the songs make me feel like I’m the protagonist in a noir film, sitting in the back seat of a dirty mustang while the credits roll. This album is cool and engaging from beginning to end. The group’s immersive attitude through live instrumentation sleeping underneath braggadocious but personified bars makes this my favorite debut from a duo this year, and I can’t wait to see what the group accomplishes from here.
– Alan
Epic by Pink Navel
Pink Navel’s Epic is a dense project featuring a web of references and shout-outs. Performed and recorded live, it has a certain careless energy that perfectly fits the self-produced, wild, beats that Navel glides over. This album showcases an extraordinary amount of flows and features lyrics both dexterous and invigorating. I found myself continually rewinding lines like, “My 40 acres are a theme park. And even to enter, one must already believe dark,” or “Charging greatness loose leaf member, You are amazed at how I rap the way with fluid gender.” The album is filled with gems that force a smile and make you marvel at the incredible craft that went into this project. Ruby Yacht had an incredible year, and it looks like they have no intention of stopping their dominance any time soon.
– Sam
Gumbo’! by Pink Siifu
Give Pink Siifu any combination of beats, collaborators, and lyrics, and he'll whip up a project with nothing but intense flavor. The 29-year-old rapper and producer's newest album GUMBO'! is a tribute not only to the artists that made him (both past and present), but also a genre-defying exploration into what it means to redefine sounds and contemporary music. With features ranging from Nick Hakim, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and BbyMutha, Siifu brings all corners of the beat-making and songwriting world together — energizing each release and mixing their varying styles into a delicious pot of gumbo.
– Teresa
to hell with it by PinkPantheress
Pinkpanthress’ music sounds like if rocket ships were invented in the early 2000s and high schoolers ran the space program. No song on to hell with it is over three minutes and most tracks are well under two. The album is over before you even realized you got past the intro. But, Pinkpanthress does not waste a second of her time: all 19 minutes of the album are filled with appropriated drum-and-bass bangers and softly sung melodies that are so rhythmic that I’m tempted to call Pinkpanthress a rapper.
I spent a lot of time traveling around the Midwest last summer, and her music had the power to take me away from those cornfields and make me feel like I was standing in the corner of a club crying in London. Nobody cares if you know all the samples, the tunes are great, and to hell with it is such a joyful listen.
– Sam
Nurture by Porter Robinson
Rather than riding the highs of his debut album, Porter Robinson spent the last 6 years culminating all his interests, influences, and every fabric of his being into one of the most prolific and incredible music experiences of the year. In a near-hour run time, Robinson manages to take you on a ride that explores every emotion; soundtracking introspective crying sessions to protagonist moments of absolute optimism for the future. Nurture incorporates the temporal spirit of video games and anime with songs such as “Lifelike” and “Wind Tempos” sounding like the backing track to your absolute worst and best moments in a digital world. It’s ethereal. It’s champion music. It’s music that implores the listener to be their most authentic self, all while exploring Robinson’s own insecurities and fears. Nurture is what every sequel album should strive to be. It builds upon Robinson’s strengths while showcasing his growth in instrumentation and body composition.
– Alan
The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures by Rap Ferreira
“R.A.P. FERREIRA WILL RAP FOREVER” is a mantra that rings through the bones of this album and Ferriera’s core and The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures is a testament to this. As his second project of the year, The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures is R.A.P. Ferreira flexing his visceral vernacular prowess outlining his personal mottos and foundations. Ferreira offers more quotables than one can handle; all of which can be dissected under a larger frame. Stand-out lines demonstrate his versatility and capability to create earwigs in the form of verses. Lines such as “I’ll be gorgeous and homeless rummaging, stealing from your fortress” still keep me up at night weeks later. Floating over dense lyrical paragraphs and ethereal production, Ferreira is a teacher and a master of his craft; a craft that near no one could ever copy.
– Alan
Pool by Skee Mask
Pool is one of the few albums on this list that doesn’t fit any traditional format. The songs on Pool tumble in and out of each other, held together only by a soft bubbling and a techno backbeat. I spent an incredible amount of time with this album over the course of the last few months and still couldn’t tell you a single song title. It’s an album that subtly glides in and out of your life. While it’s on, it provides a thin layer of certainty to everything, and with it off you can still kind of sense its beat backing everything.
Pool is Munich producer Skee Mask’s second album, following a series of EPs dropped both last year and in 2019. On his newest project, Skee blends the two styles he’s best known for as he mixes techno with dreamy, ambient landscapes. But don’t be fooled, this is not some album to sit back and ignore as it plays in the background. Tracks like “Breathing Method” introduce such complex rhythms and dark tones, that you’ll always stay engaged. Pool is Skee Mask at his best as he continues on his quest to prove that there is no genre of music he can’t master.
– Sam
The Turning Wheel by Spellling
There’s no way to describe The Turning Wheel as anything other than magical. Spellling immediately draws listeners into the album, like an amusement park with all of its alluring and dazzling lights. Her vocals and instrumentation in “Boys at School” are soulful. Throughout the duration of the song, you can feel the goosebumps on your arms rise as her voice reaches higher notes. There’s no comparison to its originality and form—From start to finish, it is a musical masterpiece.
Although a slower tempo, “Magic Act” is also a hypnotic work of art. The song is intimate in its lyricism and guitar strums. Her voice is mesmerizing— this song will send you floating to the clouds above. Spellling has once again exemplified her uniqueness as an artist, providing delicate surprises on every track. Her unpredictable yet consistent sound keeps each listen fresh and riveting.
– Elina
Glow On by Turnstile
Glow On is one of the most wonderful surprises of the year, being my first introduction to the group as well as many as well as a tentative introduction to modern hardcore punk. Glow On is fun as it is important. The album creates a listening experience that can bring the most intense and raw rifts that make you want to kick a dude in the face in the pit while having songs that just make you feel so soft in-between just two songs. What makes Glow On stand out so much is that it is incredibly diverse with its sounds and implications. The band works in unison. They add beyond their own contributions, and the change in course creates songs that keep the album from getting stale. With moments being so calm and dreamy to the harsh and brash rifts that are capable of starting a riot in a Chili’s, songs successfully blend the two moods sonically and deliver one of the most refreshing listens of the year.
– Alan
Vince Staples by Vince Staples
Vince Staples can be considered a messiah of a modern age, beyond culture and music. Vincent Staples is capable of a lot of things, but no one is better than him at keeping it real. His 2021, self-titled album brings the best out of the Long Beach native while being an easy listen that yearns to be played again and again. It’s a project that highlights Staples’s capability to critique social norms as well as his own identity as a “famous rapper” while being simplistic in nature. It’s keeping it simple while creating a body of work that can be dissected for complex observations. Tracks like “TAKE ME HOME” and “SUNDOWN TOWN” are very easy listens but tell graphic and vulnerable stories of gang violence and the distrust in others that come with it.
Vince Staples creates bodies of art that let the fans learn more about him as well as themselves. You can see his development as an artist with every release, and this self-titled release leaves you with a sense of optimism that things will get better.
– Alan
Una Rosa by Xenia Rubinos
Una Rosa is Xenia Rubinos’ first album in more than five years, and she returns with a completely different yet original sound. On Una Rosa, Xenia pushes her artistry to its limits and welcomes you to explore each of her influences. With both auto-tuned ballads and guitar-heavy bangers, Rubinos uses this album to show us all the ways that she continues to innovate.
It’s also an album deeply rooted in culture. We get to explore Xenia’s Afro-Caribbean musical influences, as we hear renditions of styles from multiple reference points in the Latin world. Una Rosa is a beautiful and enchanting achievement that will fill your dreams with soaring vocals and far-off melodies.
– Sam
Van Gohs Left Ear by Zelooperz
The only thing I could think the first time I heard the opening track of Van Gohs Left Ear was, “who even let him release this shit?” Zelooperz takes familiar sounds and distorts them until they become almost unrecognizable. On the track, “Other Side of The Mirror” he takes a basic Detroit rap instrumental, yells the name of planets on top of it in a high-pitched stutter, goes back to his normal flow, then lets the track end.
The Detroit emcee’s style is nearly impossible to pin down. He’ll go from screaming to muttering under his breath in the span of seconds. The genius of his newest album is that it’s sequenced to continually take you by surprise. By the end of the album, you know both sides of who he is as an artist. He opens the project with bangers, then lets you see his more sentimental side. Zelooperz is a fearless creative and everything he drops is mandatory listening.
– Sam