This list might seem as if it almost wrote itself, if you were around for last week's Top Tracks of 2021 list. Even so, there might be a surprise or two here, I think. But maybe more than in recent years, this was an easy list to compile.
Kenixfan's Top 20 Albums of 2021
20. The Turning Wheel by Spellling
The new album from Spellling, The Turning Wheel, was an extraordinary listen last summer. Blending jazz, ambient, and numerous other textures, Chrystia Cabral here elevated her vision to make this album the soundtrack to a truly immersive experience.
19. Ten Songs Of Worship And Praise For Our Tumultuous Times by St. Lenox
The latest from St. Lenox, Ten Songs of Worship and Praise for Our Tumultuous Times, found Andrew Choi blending indie and his own sort of rap to wonderful effect. It's the rare sort of record that thrills as much on an emotional level as it does on an intellectual one.
18. A Sky Record by Damon & Naomi
If A Sky Record seemed like a quiet blessing in a year of psychic pain, it's one that lots of us long-time fans knew Damon & Naomi were certainly capable of delivering. Additional guitar by Michio Kurihara (Ghost) was another thing to be grateful for.
17. Peripheral Figures by Peakes
Brighton-area trio Peakes finally made good on the promises of their earlier extended-play releases with their full-length debut in 2021. Peripheral Figures served up synth-pop of a spacious kind. The textures here were sometimes reminiscent of Eighties Roxy Music, or O.M.D., but the trio kept things moving with an economy that was impressive.
16. Neither Is, Nor Ever Was by Constant Follower
The legendary Kramer re-surfaced to produce this debut from Constant Follower. The music within Neither Is, Nor Ever Was had some similarities with the tunes produced by Kramer for Damon & Naomi decades ago, but there was a spry, lively folk energy here that rendered this unique.
15. Birling Gap by The Catenary Wires
The latest from The Catenary Wires, Birling Gap, found Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey and their crew crafting some elegantly direct indie that stood out as good as lots of what they crafted in past bands like Heavenly. Some of this, like the fun "Mirrorball", suggests a future as disco mavens, perhaps.
14. NOW by Damon Locks - Black Monument Ensemble
The latest from Damon Locks - Black Monument Ensemble, NOW, was another blast of knowledge, culture, jazz, poetry, and power. Nothing else sounds like this, and nothing else hits quite the same way, in the heart and mind.
13. Reason to Live by Lou Barlow
The new one from Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, The Folk Impolsion) saw the musician continuing the sort of intimate DIY he perfected in a string of Bandcamp releases, and IG performances during lockdown. Reason to Live was simple, direct, and charming.
12. This New Heaven by Fine Place
Frankie Rose offered up one of this year's most surprising records in This New Heaven by Fine Place. The duo (Frankie Rose and Matthew Hord) mined Eighties synth-pop for a darkly entertaining release.
11. The Sound of Yourself by Mac McCaughan
The new one from Mac McCaughan, The Sound of Yourself saw the Superchunk singer take some real chances. Even so, and even in the slightly experimental valleys of this one, Mac found big tunes, hooks, and electronic riffs every bit as infectious as those of his main band.
10. Modern Fiction by Ducks Ltd.
The new record from Ducks Ltd., the band's full-length debut, was superbly realized indie pop. It was also power pop, and lo-fi rock. It was everything you'd want from any of those genres. And Modern Fiction was also wonderfully tuneful.
9. The Umbrellas by The Umbrellas
You could pick any song from The Umbrellas and feel transported back to an era when the C86 tape was inspiring bands on both sides of the Atlantic. Superb, super stuff!
8. Mandatory Enjoyment by Dummy
After a couple of EP's, the full-length debut from Dummy fulfilled promises by delivering what lots of us wanted. Mandatory Enjoyment sounded like Stereolab and Broadcast, sure, but it also took some rare chances, blending art rock and space-y vibes into an intoxicating stew.
7. Uncommon Weather by The Reds, Pinks & Purples
There was a lot to love on Uncommon Weather, the newest album from The Reds, Pinks & Purples, even more so since it was a Slumberland Records release, and one which seemed to advance the genre virtually perfected by the legendary American label.
6. Chime School by Chime School
The debut self-titled full-length from Chime School was yet another classic Slumberland Records release in 2021. Andy Pastalaniec of Seablite revealed his skills at crafting jangle-pop of the very highest order
5. Live At The Rum Puncheon by Swansea Sound
The debut from indie super-group Swansea Sound, Live at the Rum Puncheon, was one of the best records of 2021, hands down. Full of indie of the best sort, this release from members of Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, Thrashing Doves, and The Pooh Sticks was smart, peppy, catchy, and heartfelt. If that makes it a throwback to earlier DIY indie, I'm fine with that.
4. Scatterbrain by The Chills
The Chills put out one of their best records in 2021's Scatterbrain, and on some level, it seemed as if Martin Phillipps was refining his skills even further. This one is just so consistent, and perhaps stands as the best of the band's post-return releases.
3. La Luz by La Luz
The self-titled 2021 album from La Luz found the band refining their own distinctive style even further. No one else sounds like this, and thank goodness for that. Every cut on this record charmed me. I can only imagine where this band will go from here.
2. The Ultra Vivid Lament by Manic Street Preachers
The new one from Manic Street Preachers, The Ultra Vivid Lament, grew on me. It's very mainstream in spots, enough so to earn the band their first number 1 album in the U.K. in two decades, but in others it's oddly slick and heartfelt, like Lifeblood from 2004. It's the record that I might have played the most in 2021, even as some of it sort of confounded me. Still, some of the tracks here, those poetic and nostalgic ones, worked for me in a big way. Having the Manics back in a plague year made a lot of difference to this fan.
1. Which Way To Happy by Penelope Isles
Brighton-based Penelope Isles returned in 2021 with a superb record in Which Way to Happy. This Bella Union release indicated how far this group's sound had progressed, with tracks like "Terrified" and "Sailing Still" skirting multiple genres with ease, and proving just how much juice was left in the dream-pop machine. It's a beautiful record in spots, an exhilirating one in others, but it's also an announcement of one of the best bands working today.
Stan Cierlitsky's Top 10 Albums of 2021
1. The Golden Casket by Modest Mouse
2. Modern Fiction by Ducks Ltd.
3. Enjoy The View by We Were Promised Jetpacks
4. All The Colours Of You by James
5. As The Love Continues by Mogwai
6. How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? by Big Red Machine
7. Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator
8. Vertigo Days by The Notwist
9. Cheap Dreams by Small Black
10. Smash by Caveman
Jay Mukherjee's Top 10 Albums of 2021
1. Hide in View by Black Swan Lane
2. Transmeridian by Departure Lounge
3. We Weren't Here by Film School
4. Still Life by Massage
5. Pedestrian by Max Bloom
6. Golden Doubt by Quivers
7. Spare Ribs by Sleaford Mods
8. Amplificado by Split Single
9. Scatterbrain by The Chills
10. Uncommon Weather by The Reds, Pinks, & Purples
[Photo of Penelope Isles by Parri Thomas]