Top 29 Music Albums of 2021
by 
DommeDamian 
Note: some of the joints may be given writing credits to Mercury, since I'm too busy trying to come up with exact wording, as well as giving props to the job Mercury has done. So if you find statements here and there that's related if not directly pasted from Mercury, U NO Y!
These write-up are more like comments than actual reviews/descriptions, and all of them have the same structure; taking about its correlation to other 2021 albums of its kind, its weaknesses, and its worst- and best songs....but I'm a combination of busy and lazy atm so...
- Chart updated: 02/11/2026 23:15
- (Created: 07/13/2021 21:02).
- Chart size: 29 albums.
There is 1 comment for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 3 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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80/100
First comment when it made the chart at a 55/100: "This is one of my least favorite Mayer albums. The melodies are far from his golden moments, and the inspired 80's sound is too fancy (meaning the 2020/2021 pop-trend has been a big pile of cringe). The best song was the major hit single New Light (one of the fewer hits from these years where it actually harmoniously works!). The rest reads either kind of forgettable, or skippable. But it's not bad, it's just decent, and a disappointment for Mayer's discog."
Skip to May 2022, and I wanted to see a very funny yet great commercial-tease for the album on Mayer's IG where he is in a expensive car, saying 'welcome to Sob Rock' as he takes on his sunglasses, disposing with irony. Then he puts in a cassette tape and rides through the WC-landscape. Some people in the comments saying that that was the 'most John Mayer thing ever' and I honestly cannot blame them. Around the same posts, here was a promoting statement on Sob Rock that made me want to relisten and reconsider the album:
"When's the last time a new record became one of your all-time favorites? It's probably been a while. Hey, growing up happens. You cannot keep up with everything new that comes your way. That's why still listen to those trusty old classics.
John Mayer listened to them too, until one day he had an idea: why not make a record that feels like those unforgettable albums we grew up loving? It's not easy to do. You'd basically have to be John Mayer to pull it off. But he is. And he did.
The result is Sob Rock, a collection of instantly catchy and satisfying tunes, played by world-class musicians and painstakingly produced to make every note count. Just like they used to.
So whether you're mending a broken heart or hitting an open road, make John Mayer's new album the soundtrack to a new set of glory years: the ones that lay ahead"
And then I relistened and...well yeah. Now it has grown on me absolutely, because I really like 80s yacht-rock (get the album title?), and the no-bs just straight viiiiiiiibes from this album.
It's funny, it's kitsch, it's retrospective and reassuring at the same time and feels like a counter-reaction to the ravages of our Covid-era the album was released in.
John Mayer, together with the experienced producer Don Was, has created a fully-fledged album whose length and common thread are eminently adapted. Although the record is unmistakably John Mayer, the 1980s wrap gives a surprisingly fresh breath to the songs, and Mayer has actually succeeded in what he wanted: to create something new out of something old and not just a "reprint".
The songs complement each other perfectly and the Last Train Home is a killer for an opener. All the carefully placed synths gets the momentum and bright focus going. The catchy everything in New Light (now, one of my FAVORITE John Mayer song ever, and favorite songs released both in the 2010s and released on a 2020s album) should be highlighted with the Clapton-inspired guitar riff and the song that has grown on me the most, Wild Blue, features dizzy guitar solos and references some of Mayer's coolest blues moments. Shot In The Dark is also powerful in simple melodiousness and has the hilarious line "I've loved seven other women and they all were you"; typical ironic and loving Mayer. Else, on All I Want Is To Be With You and principally I Guess I Just Feel Like, John rarely has been as blunt about his emotions and it suits him too.
The album continues to grow and fits perfectly into a lazy summer, with its laid-back attitude, its understated profits and the good craftsmanship that shines through on all the songs. Mayer does not need big arm movements and wins on his understated and almost superior approach - both when it comes to voice acting, guitar playing and songwriting. All the songs have grown though, even Why You No Love Me which I thought was actually kind of racist yanno, but it's meant in a child-y manner. Pretty much every last track is relatable lyrically too.
The subtle melancholy and the 80s atmosphere dances shoulder to shoulder and lightens an album in Sob Rock, that takes you to hot summers, sunsets, Jesus' wind in your hair in a elly-vetty whizzing down wherever you like. Overall I respect what Mayer went for on this album. of all the painfully mediocre pop-rock celebrities, he is undoubtedly a treasure and a breath of fresh air, by primarily focusing clearly on the music. Surrender and you can not avoid being seduced.
Edit Feb 23: Wow, top 5 of 2021. Cannot complain, this and Continuum are my two favorite Mayer LPs
Edit Feb 26: Mogwai just got dethroned by the guitar player pushing 40 in the friend zoOne. This has become one of the most consistent pop/singer-songwriter records in my life. Every track rocks. [First added to this chart: 08/19/2021]
First comment when it made the chart at a 55/100: "This is one of my least favorite Mayer albums. The melodies are far from his golden moments, and the inspired 80's sound is too fancy (meaning the 2020/2021 pop-trend has been a big pile of cringe). The best song was the major hit single New Light (one of the fewer hits from these years where it actually harmoniously works!). The rest reads either kind of forgettable, or skippable. But it's not bad, it's just decent, and a disappointment for Mayer's discog."
Skip to May 2022, and I wanted to see a very funny yet great commercial-tease for the album on Mayer's IG where he is in a expensive car, saying 'welcome to Sob Rock' as he takes on his sunglasses, disposing with irony. Then he puts in a cassette tape and rides through the WC-landscape. Some people in the comments saying that that was the 'most John Mayer thing ever' and I honestly cannot blame them. Around the same posts, here was a promoting statement on Sob Rock that made me want to relisten and reconsider the album:
"When's the last time a new record became one of your all-time favorites? It's probably been a while. Hey, growing up happens. You cannot keep up with everything new that comes your way. That's why still listen to those trusty old classics.
John Mayer listened to them too, until one day he had an idea: why not make a record that feels like those unforgettable albums we grew up loving? It's not easy to do. You'd basically have to be John Mayer to pull it off. But he is. And he did.
The result is Sob Rock, a collection of instantly catchy and satisfying tunes, played by world-class musicians and painstakingly produced to make every note count. Just like they used to.
So whether you're mending a broken heart or hitting an open road, make John Mayer's new album the soundtrack to a new set of glory years: the ones that lay ahead"
And then I relistened and...well yeah. Now it has grown on me absolutely, because I really like 80s yacht-rock (get the album title?), and the no-bs just straight viiiiiiiibes from this album.
It's funny, it's kitsch, it's retrospective and reassuring at the same time and feels like a counter-reaction to the ravages of our Covid-era the album was released in.
John Mayer, together with the experienced producer Don Was, has created a fully-fledged album whose length and common thread are eminently adapted. Although the record is unmistakably John Mayer, the 1980s wrap gives a surprisingly fresh breath to the songs, and Mayer has actually succeeded in what he wanted: to create something new out of something old and not just a "reprint".
The songs complement each other perfectly and the Last Train Home is a killer for an opener. All the carefully placed synths gets the momentum and bright focus going. The catchy everything in New Light (now, one of my FAVORITE John Mayer song ever, and favorite songs released both in the 2010s and released on a 2020s album) should be highlighted with the Clapton-inspired guitar riff and the song that has grown on me the most, Wild Blue, features dizzy guitar solos and references some of Mayer's coolest blues moments. Shot In The Dark is also powerful in simple melodiousness and has the hilarious line "I've loved seven other women and they all were you"; typical ironic and loving Mayer. Else, on All I Want Is To Be With You and principally I Guess I Just Feel Like, John rarely has been as blunt about his emotions and it suits him too.
The album continues to grow and fits perfectly into a lazy summer, with its laid-back attitude, its understated profits and the good craftsmanship that shines through on all the songs. Mayer does not need big arm movements and wins on his understated and almost superior approach - both when it comes to voice acting, guitar playing and songwriting. All the songs have grown though, even Why You No Love Me which I thought was actually kind of racist yanno, but it's meant in a child-y manner. Pretty much every last track is relatable lyrically too.
The subtle melancholy and the 80s atmosphere dances shoulder to shoulder and lightens an album in Sob Rock, that takes you to hot summers, sunsets, Jesus' wind in your hair in a elly-vetty whizzing down wherever you like. Overall I respect what Mayer went for on this album. of all the painfully mediocre pop-rock celebrities, he is undoubtedly a treasure and a breath of fresh air, by primarily focusing clearly on the music. Surrender and you can not avoid being seduced.
Edit Feb 23: Wow, top 5 of 2021. Cannot complain, this and Continuum are my two favorite Mayer LPs
Edit Feb 26: Mogwai just got dethroned by the guitar player pushing 40 in the friend zoOne. This has become one of the most consistent pop/singer-songwriter records in my life. Every track rocks. [First added to this chart: 08/19/2021]
80/100
Man I was wrong about Pale Horse Rider the first times I heard it. I said it was "lacking direction and overall identity" and that the songs were "pale and half-baked in technique and melody". And I am glad I was wrong, because this album is truly one of the greatest things of the year. In the beginning I thought Paper Fog was amateurish and the worst song on the album, though not particularly terrible just mediocre. Well now I looove Paper Fog's attention to detail in atmosphere as well as floaty instrumentation, and it's now my favorite. Both on that, and on the entirety of Pale Horse Rider [sometimes I end up saying Male Horse Driver], Cory Hanson embraces 3 of my favorite genres of music; psychedelia, folk and dream (pop/rock), adding a country-rhythm hear and there to make it all his. So yeah, the identity is actually exceedingly clear and likable. Though I'm still not as batshoot crazy about his voice as many others, I still really like his flare of sincerity and Thom Yorke-esque chest voice but more humane. The catchy country rock jam that is the title track sounds like Thom Yorke writing the greatest Neil Young song in decades, and right after the eerie interlude Necklace, the eccentric Bird of Paradise evokes ditto singing a Tim Buckley ballad.
Still, even when I clearly love the album now, not everything has maximum emotional effect. Limited Hangout, though a really good song, could've used a little more umpf to it. Vegas Knights sounds unfinished in the way it ends, which is a little disappointing consider how dope the song is. On that note, the penultimate Another Story From The Center of The Earth is more fleshed out, with a satisfying electric guitar at the backend (THAT's how you make noisy sounds on top of wonderful music; if it fits like it does here, then it actually has gotten a purpose), before the spacey country ballad Pigs nicely closes it out. I also used to not really love Angeles, but that song is seriously wanna the greatest mixtures of childlike purity and spacey feels. The song titles all are in between stream-of-consciousness and confused stories, while the instrumentation is carefully and thoughtfully played with a technical smirk on its face. Cory Hanson, thank you for making me come back to your album that is clear-as-day a year highlight. Also, this is arguably album cover of the year.
During the Roskilde Festival of 2022, when my final concert was done and I had said goodbye to the festival site and my friends, I hopped on my bike and to start off my nearly-two hour bike ride home at sunset, I picked Pale Horse Rider as the soundtrack. And yeah it was pretty much perfect timing for a record like that, a sort of moment you know where a memorable time has now officially passed and you have to get back to regular day-by-day life, it conveyed that feeling and also turned it into something positive.
Everyone on the internet who talks/has talked about this album really likes it. Let's keep it that way, shall we! [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Man I was wrong about Pale Horse Rider the first times I heard it. I said it was "lacking direction and overall identity" and that the songs were "pale and half-baked in technique and melody". And I am glad I was wrong, because this album is truly one of the greatest things of the year. In the beginning I thought Paper Fog was amateurish and the worst song on the album, though not particularly terrible just mediocre. Well now I looove Paper Fog's attention to detail in atmosphere as well as floaty instrumentation, and it's now my favorite. Both on that, and on the entirety of Pale Horse Rider [sometimes I end up saying Male Horse Driver], Cory Hanson embraces 3 of my favorite genres of music; psychedelia, folk and dream (pop/rock), adding a country-rhythm hear and there to make it all his. So yeah, the identity is actually exceedingly clear and likable. Though I'm still not as batshoot crazy about his voice as many others, I still really like his flare of sincerity and Thom Yorke-esque chest voice but more humane. The catchy country rock jam that is the title track sounds like Thom Yorke writing the greatest Neil Young song in decades, and right after the eerie interlude Necklace, the eccentric Bird of Paradise evokes ditto singing a Tim Buckley ballad.
Still, even when I clearly love the album now, not everything has maximum emotional effect. Limited Hangout, though a really good song, could've used a little more umpf to it. Vegas Knights sounds unfinished in the way it ends, which is a little disappointing consider how dope the song is. On that note, the penultimate Another Story From The Center of The Earth is more fleshed out, with a satisfying electric guitar at the backend (THAT's how you make noisy sounds on top of wonderful music; if it fits like it does here, then it actually has gotten a purpose), before the spacey country ballad Pigs nicely closes it out. I also used to not really love Angeles, but that song is seriously wanna the greatest mixtures of childlike purity and spacey feels. The song titles all are in between stream-of-consciousness and confused stories, while the instrumentation is carefully and thoughtfully played with a technical smirk on its face. Cory Hanson, thank you for making me come back to your album that is clear-as-day a year highlight. Also, this is arguably album cover of the year.
During the Roskilde Festival of 2022, when my final concert was done and I had said goodbye to the festival site and my friends, I hopped on my bike and to start off my nearly-two hour bike ride home at sunset, I picked Pale Horse Rider as the soundtrack. And yeah it was pretty much perfect timing for a record like that, a sort of moment you know where a memorable time has now officially passed and you have to get back to regular day-by-day life, it conveyed that feeling and also turned it into something positive.
Everyone on the internet who talks/has talked about this album really likes it. Let's keep it that way, shall we! [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
80/100
Never would have thought that an instrumental "electronic" album from a decades old post-rock band, would be the untouchable favorite of the year (edit feb 26: well, still top 5). Not only that, but in comparison with the year prior 2020, - as of right now - it barely reaches top 10 of the decade. Man oh man what a wack and very cold year this has been for music. It did produce a few highlights, this is the brightest. In the cold landscape, because yes this is very much a(n instrumental) winter album - and typical of cold breeze, this is 2021's most refreshing album to my ears. In someways reminds me of The Mantle by Agalloch. Definitely not as creatively intense or memorable, but generally more varied and adventurous and.....strange. Even as the most daring moments on As The Love Continues hits you right in the face, it's still a mystery of what it's trying to tell you. Positive or negative, the crescendos all around this album is absolutely satisfying. Which is to its benefit, no cap.
The best type of experimental albums (especially these days) is the ones where the atmospheric aesthetic doesn't hint at musicians trying to do something unique, as much as unique musicians doing something they emotionally feel is authentic. Well, the former describes a lot of the absolute awful-by-any-standard albums released in 2021, and it helps to Mogwai's credibility/awareness of being around since the 90s to just come out and do something more thrilling with an attitude of "that's nothin'". Or music that goes back to basic but is so sure of substance it drowns out its more modern contemporaries; it's like a bunch of Bryan Mills' versus John Wick.
Let's go through the songs on this one, though it'll be hard not to repeat something from above:
01 # To The Bin My Friend, Today We Vacate Earth: Song of the year. There I said it, with pride. This is in the top 10 best post rock composition I've ever heard.
Starting with someone saying the title like a movie sample, the music begins moving in a lost universe, and slowly finding its way, with the crawling drums and waterfloating piano. Midway through, the distortion of a guitar tornadoes itself into the mix, and it's one of the most (if not the most) overwhelming I've heard all decade. It's like being torn around by a snowy wind, or surfing an avalanche.
When I hear this song, I feel either numbed or everything, but I somewhat love both. Nothing less than supreme.
02 # Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever: starting with playful electro-drums and moony synth sounds, it's a little left turn after that thematic opener. When the musicianship gets its rhythm, it sounds like Daft Punk's Discovery anno post-rock 2021. And before the synth spins out of control as the lead instrument, a piano and set of strings takes over, and it ends in a place unlike where it started; the electro-drums gone, and the atmosphere changed.
03 # Dry Fantasy: definitely one of the weaker. The mixing is pretty pretty, but somewhat round-headed, and spiritually it just has less to say compared to the first two; it's pleasant, and has a melody towards the backend, but it's not enough.
04 # Ritchie Sacramento: this song has a vocalist included, and he sounds....very lonely yet confident in his words.
Musically, this song is like burying yourself in the snow, and later be founded by the blood hungry wolf on the cover. But it's simultaneously the album's most accessible or tradition-sounding tune. Not that it is in any way bad, Mogwai surely delivers what this song beholds. It's as lonely as walking alone in the snow for weeks, but as atmospheric as having the stars taking you away afterwards. Almost Microphones-esque if it were more pop-explosive. Clearly a highlight.
05 # Drive The Nail: well, this feels like indie rock without vocals. But on the great side of it; those drums are mixed perfectly, next to the guitars that stabs the listener with snow of euphoria. It's a cold breezer, but in the best lane (this song feels like the snow falling down the sky is sharpened), as well as a quintessential track that is mysterious in what it says to you.
06 # Fuck Off Money: alright, back to the post-rock stuff. The first minute (before the - again - masterly drums) is driven by robotic vocals, very eerie. Sounds like an autotuned alien, but it gives a solid result, especially with the wall of synth-sounds that rides on top of it, later. Usually, these kind of "tricks" are played out and a little dumb, but Mogwai professionally seals the deal here; this, in truth, sounds heavy and fulfilling.
07 # Ceiling Granny: imagine walking a progressive landscape of snow, and you find an unopened beer or soda (looks like someone dropped it accidentally), and you decide to take it and start drinking it; that's how nicely cold that riff is. The rest of the musical adroitness is the energy that gets going for the next hour. Yeah, this song has one of the record's greatest momentums. A throat cutter!
08 # Midnight Flit: obviously the least well executed track here. Idk, that ain't enough ambition to make it feel satisfying (it crumbles into itself), and compared to its preceding tunes, it's a letdown. But at its worst, it's just kind of average. By no means bad, but it's a zone-outer.
09 # Pat Stains: a well built soul-searcher, featuring a breezy hard rock section - though free of clichés, that is more dense than it is allowed to. That little keyboard lingering around the groove gives it a potency, rarely heard these days, so satisfying. The last minute is openly melancholic, and is a moment on As The Love Continues where the heart can be heard beating. Magniloquent!
10 # Supposedly, We Were Nightmares: (seriously, these title are more dramatic with more personality than most music of 2021 albums) just like Richie Sacramento, this doesn't sound original, yet does not matter in the slightest way, it sounds nostalgic. Those machine voices near the end makes the song muuuuch better and pinpoints what John Robb said about it creating a film that runs in your head.
11 # It's What I Want To Do Mum: typical Mogwai at their best, the nail in the coffin. It's up to the listener to decide if this is optimistic like a planet being saved from a nuclear war just in time, or dystopian like being in the middle of a city gets rioted and damaged to the ground by unknown animals. Either way, it's pleasurable and a rewarding (yet mysterious) closer to ultimately, a colorful album.
And it's an hour long but it feels like the length of an EP. Sometimes. So yeah, this is As The Love Continues; my album of 2021. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Never would have thought that an instrumental "electronic" album from a decades old post-rock band, would be the untouchable favorite of the year (edit feb 26: well, still top 5). Not only that, but in comparison with the year prior 2020, - as of right now - it barely reaches top 10 of the decade. Man oh man what a wack and very cold year this has been for music. It did produce a few highlights, this is the brightest. In the cold landscape, because yes this is very much a(n instrumental) winter album - and typical of cold breeze, this is 2021's most refreshing album to my ears. In someways reminds me of The Mantle by Agalloch. Definitely not as creatively intense or memorable, but generally more varied and adventurous and.....strange. Even as the most daring moments on As The Love Continues hits you right in the face, it's still a mystery of what it's trying to tell you. Positive or negative, the crescendos all around this album is absolutely satisfying. Which is to its benefit, no cap.
The best type of experimental albums (especially these days) is the ones where the atmospheric aesthetic doesn't hint at musicians trying to do something unique, as much as unique musicians doing something they emotionally feel is authentic. Well, the former describes a lot of the absolute awful-by-any-standard albums released in 2021, and it helps to Mogwai's credibility/awareness of being around since the 90s to just come out and do something more thrilling with an attitude of "that's nothin'". Or music that goes back to basic but is so sure of substance it drowns out its more modern contemporaries; it's like a bunch of Bryan Mills' versus John Wick.
Let's go through the songs on this one, though it'll be hard not to repeat something from above:
01 # To The Bin My Friend, Today We Vacate Earth: Song of the year. There I said it, with pride. This is in the top 10 best post rock composition I've ever heard.
Starting with someone saying the title like a movie sample, the music begins moving in a lost universe, and slowly finding its way, with the crawling drums and waterfloating piano. Midway through, the distortion of a guitar tornadoes itself into the mix, and it's one of the most (if not the most) overwhelming I've heard all decade. It's like being torn around by a snowy wind, or surfing an avalanche.
When I hear this song, I feel either numbed or everything, but I somewhat love both. Nothing less than supreme.
02 # Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever: starting with playful electro-drums and moony synth sounds, it's a little left turn after that thematic opener. When the musicianship gets its rhythm, it sounds like Daft Punk's Discovery anno post-rock 2021. And before the synth spins out of control as the lead instrument, a piano and set of strings takes over, and it ends in a place unlike where it started; the electro-drums gone, and the atmosphere changed.
03 # Dry Fantasy: definitely one of the weaker. The mixing is pretty pretty, but somewhat round-headed, and spiritually it just has less to say compared to the first two; it's pleasant, and has a melody towards the backend, but it's not enough.
04 # Ritchie Sacramento: this song has a vocalist included, and he sounds....very lonely yet confident in his words.
Musically, this song is like burying yourself in the snow, and later be founded by the blood hungry wolf on the cover. But it's simultaneously the album's most accessible or tradition-sounding tune. Not that it is in any way bad, Mogwai surely delivers what this song beholds. It's as lonely as walking alone in the snow for weeks, but as atmospheric as having the stars taking you away afterwards. Almost Microphones-esque if it were more pop-explosive. Clearly a highlight.
05 # Drive The Nail: well, this feels like indie rock without vocals. But on the great side of it; those drums are mixed perfectly, next to the guitars that stabs the listener with snow of euphoria. It's a cold breezer, but in the best lane (this song feels like the snow falling down the sky is sharpened), as well as a quintessential track that is mysterious in what it says to you.
06 # Fuck Off Money: alright, back to the post-rock stuff. The first minute (before the - again - masterly drums) is driven by robotic vocals, very eerie. Sounds like an autotuned alien, but it gives a solid result, especially with the wall of synth-sounds that rides on top of it, later. Usually, these kind of "tricks" are played out and a little dumb, but Mogwai professionally seals the deal here; this, in truth, sounds heavy and fulfilling.
07 # Ceiling Granny: imagine walking a progressive landscape of snow, and you find an unopened beer or soda (looks like someone dropped it accidentally), and you decide to take it and start drinking it; that's how nicely cold that riff is. The rest of the musical adroitness is the energy that gets going for the next hour. Yeah, this song has one of the record's greatest momentums. A throat cutter!
08 # Midnight Flit: obviously the least well executed track here. Idk, that ain't enough ambition to make it feel satisfying (it crumbles into itself), and compared to its preceding tunes, it's a letdown. But at its worst, it's just kind of average. By no means bad, but it's a zone-outer.
09 # Pat Stains: a well built soul-searcher, featuring a breezy hard rock section - though free of clichés, that is more dense than it is allowed to. That little keyboard lingering around the groove gives it a potency, rarely heard these days, so satisfying. The last minute is openly melancholic, and is a moment on As The Love Continues where the heart can be heard beating. Magniloquent!
10 # Supposedly, We Were Nightmares: (seriously, these title are more dramatic with more personality than most music of 2021 albums) just like Richie Sacramento, this doesn't sound original, yet does not matter in the slightest way, it sounds nostalgic. Those machine voices near the end makes the song muuuuch better and pinpoints what John Robb said about it creating a film that runs in your head.
11 # It's What I Want To Do Mum: typical Mogwai at their best, the nail in the coffin. It's up to the listener to decide if this is optimistic like a planet being saved from a nuclear war just in time, or dystopian like being in the middle of a city gets rioted and damaged to the ground by unknown animals. Either way, it's pleasurable and a rewarding (yet mysterious) closer to ultimately, a colorful album.
And it's an hour long but it feels like the length of an EP. Sometimes. So yeah, this is As The Love Continues; my album of 2021. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
385
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
80/100
What could I say, Graeme James hits bullseye with this EP. For a fan of emotional singer-songwriterisms, this was the easiest to get into. Maybe he isn't a Damien Rice, but he certainly is up there with his generation that comes closest to capture the same amount of musical introspection that balances the subtle and grandiose. He is a more skilled guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) than he is an expressionist/singer, though he is a really good one at that too. This EP conveys these two qualities immensely, with all killer, with some even supreme jams that have unwrapped and touched my heart.
The title track is a winter song that I have needed for years. Having my few winter albums each year like Ed Sheeran's + is great, but to have more music coming out that reached those highlights is indescribable to me. Every single aspect of this song screams wonderful.
No Memories of Tomorrow is just as mellow but with fewer instruments, except a sax (?) solo at the outro that is out of this world. This song is a bit weaker than the opener, but still great.
The absolute favorite song of the whole year has a new super duper great contender in The Voyager of The James Caird. High drama and intelligent melodiousness have finally found their companion master.
Northern Lights is the weak link of the EP, but it creates a good vibe and features a subtle engrossing verse melody.
The penultimate Orpheus is the song with the highest atmosphere. Like levitating a few hundred meters above your small town in winter-town, whilst going back and forth in time with bitter sweet memories from life. Other than that, although the song expressively doesn't bring anything new, it still is the furthest thing from a skip.
I mentioned Time earlier, which is the closing song. Probably the saddest of the 6 songs, just a starkly honest song about a pervading fear of growing old and never truly living. As someone who has philosophized a lot about death during the entirety of 2024, this song hits close to home. Very. Close to home. "No I am not afraid of death, I am just terrified of time. I can take it day by day. But the days have never stayed that way.", I could quote the whole song. Perfect.
The vibe feels like taking a half an hour's walk completely isolated, with the melancholic brooding thoughts taking over for a moment.
And I know it signifies the winter season, but some of the joints (like Time) could be fittingly played in any other as well. But the cover art for the EP illustrated melancholically where those songs come from, or are born in.
An artist like Graeme James, with his glittering heart and wonderful music the same place and writing all his music himself (and knowing what nuances feed a song's purpose (case in point Orpheus features a great female vocalist)), is someone I support. Every type of critic has someone they look to as a golden standard for its generation, like someone many more people should aspire to, artistically or aesthetically. In my case, Graeme James is that of both. Again, not that he is original, but he does his own thing and expresses it better than nearly anyone else. [First added to this chart: 07/15/2021]
What could I say, Graeme James hits bullseye with this EP. For a fan of emotional singer-songwriterisms, this was the easiest to get into. Maybe he isn't a Damien Rice, but he certainly is up there with his generation that comes closest to capture the same amount of musical introspection that balances the subtle and grandiose. He is a more skilled guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) than he is an expressionist/singer, though he is a really good one at that too. This EP conveys these two qualities immensely, with all killer, with some even supreme jams that have unwrapped and touched my heart.
The title track is a winter song that I have needed for years. Having my few winter albums each year like Ed Sheeran's + is great, but to have more music coming out that reached those highlights is indescribable to me. Every single aspect of this song screams wonderful.
No Memories of Tomorrow is just as mellow but with fewer instruments, except a sax (?) solo at the outro that is out of this world. This song is a bit weaker than the opener, but still great.
The absolute favorite song of the whole year has a new super duper great contender in The Voyager of The James Caird. High drama and intelligent melodiousness have finally found their companion master.
Northern Lights is the weak link of the EP, but it creates a good vibe and features a subtle engrossing verse melody.
The penultimate Orpheus is the song with the highest atmosphere. Like levitating a few hundred meters above your small town in winter-town, whilst going back and forth in time with bitter sweet memories from life. Other than that, although the song expressively doesn't bring anything new, it still is the furthest thing from a skip.
I mentioned Time earlier, which is the closing song. Probably the saddest of the 6 songs, just a starkly honest song about a pervading fear of growing old and never truly living. As someone who has philosophized a lot about death during the entirety of 2024, this song hits close to home. Very. Close to home. "No I am not afraid of death, I am just terrified of time. I can take it day by day. But the days have never stayed that way.", I could quote the whole song. Perfect.
The vibe feels like taking a half an hour's walk completely isolated, with the melancholic brooding thoughts taking over for a moment.
And I know it signifies the winter season, but some of the joints (like Time) could be fittingly played in any other as well. But the cover art for the EP illustrated melancholically where those songs come from, or are born in.
An artist like Graeme James, with his glittering heart and wonderful music the same place and writing all his music himself (and knowing what nuances feed a song's purpose (case in point Orpheus features a great female vocalist)), is someone I support. Every type of critic has someone they look to as a golden standard for its generation, like someone many more people should aspire to, artistically or aesthetically. In my case, Graeme James is that of both. Again, not that he is original, but he does his own thing and expresses it better than nearly anyone else. [First added to this chart: 07/15/2021]
80/100
I will be busy writing my masters this semester but once I'm finished, I'll get back to this new discovery of mine and see if it truly holds up to the Ambient Americana status that both me, the italian guy, SellMeAGod and RYM do. [First added to this chart: 01/28/2026]
I will be busy writing my masters this semester but once I'm finished, I'll get back to this new discovery of mine and see if it truly holds up to the Ambient Americana status that both me, the italian guy, SellMeAGod and RYM do. [First added to this chart: 01/28/2026]
80/100
Just like the EP itself is keeping it short (17 min) and simple (just double guitar and bass), I'mma do it too. This is gentle atmospheric music for daydreaming. Yeah the tunes may blend into each other, but so do our thoughts. You can play this over a podcast or conversation and see how everything suddenly blossoms, even just a little bit. Fox Tails is my favorite because it has my favorite melody. The weakness here is that I wish the cuts were longer or they don't get you fully invested, but there's also a hidden charm in that they're only fragments of a landscape, if that makes sense. Recommended for people of all ages, from a toddler to the elderly. [First added to this chart: 11/28/2021]
Just like the EP itself is keeping it short (17 min) and simple (just double guitar and bass), I'mma do it too. This is gentle atmospheric music for daydreaming. Yeah the tunes may blend into each other, but so do our thoughts. You can play this over a podcast or conversation and see how everything suddenly blossoms, even just a little bit. Fox Tails is my favorite because it has my favorite melody. The weakness here is that I wish the cuts were longer or they don't get you fully invested, but there's also a hidden charm in that they're only fragments of a landscape, if that makes sense. Recommended for people of all ages, from a toddler to the elderly. [First added to this chart: 11/28/2021]
80/100
So I finished going through 500+ albums, and just stuck with my favorites like Birdy, Mogwai, Bladee, Indigo Sparke etc while went through over 1000 in 2022. This album went over my radar. And after I was done with 2021 music, this kept getting positive reviews from everywhere. In 2023 when I started loving Hypnagogic Pop and such this was the highest ranked album in the genre on RYM, I ended up giving it a go. And wow, this thing is excellent. My mind is a little distracted to fully process why it spoke to me, especially the highlights which are best of the decade material. I think some of it has to do with not only the lo-fi aesthetic, but the paradox in apathetic sad lyrics combined with superbly colorful, borderline nostalgic and child-like mannerisms in the music. The existential tragic mindset intensifies with the mind games that Miller plays with the listener on this album. I don't know if I will remember writing a longer review, but the placement says it all; I am loving the heck outta Volcanic Bird Enemy.
"The 19-song Volcanic Bird Enemy and The Voiced Concern (2021), Travis Miller's first full-length album released under the Lil Ugly Mane name since 2015, is not hip-hop music at all: at best, it is a set of rambling introspective monologues set to lo-fi psych-rock with a touch of synthesize and drum-machine. After the hypnotic sound collage of Bird Enemy Car and the equally surreal With Iron & Bleach & Accidents (a carillon a` la Penguin Cafè Orchestra), the first real song, the Beck-esque Benadryl Submarine, begins the litany of depressing drug stories and sets the tone for the rest of the album. Despite the theme of the lyrics, the musical journey is graceful and even amusing, from the smoothly jazzy Cold in Here to the vaudeville-esque Styrofoam, which simulates a 1920s dixieland dance tune (with even the crackling of a vintage record), from the sci-fi exotica of Hostage Master to the shoegazing-pop of Discard, from the poppy and castrated drum'n'bass of VPN to the cartoonish singalong Cursor (a campfire version of the Tremeloes), from the abrasive psychedelic rave-up of Headboard (originally a Bedwetter song of 2020) to the hard-rocking street fanfare of Porcelain Slightly. And finally there's the album's standout, the frenzied electronic boogie of Broken Ladder (subtly infected by country guitars and orchestral strings). The procession is also blessed with two charming absurdist instrumentals: Beach Harness (circus trip-hop?) and Swell (a meeting of industrial music and Angelo Badalamenti). The arrangements are consistently mind-boggling. A handful of songs are musically uneventful but they serve a purpose too, like the spectral recitation of Clapping Seal that ends in silence, reminding us that this is not meant to be a party. Rarely has such a depressed songwriter made such uplifting music." - Scaruffi, 7.5/10 [First added to this chart: 10/09/2023]
So I finished going through 500+ albums, and just stuck with my favorites like Birdy, Mogwai, Bladee, Indigo Sparke etc while went through over 1000 in 2022. This album went over my radar. And after I was done with 2021 music, this kept getting positive reviews from everywhere. In 2023 when I started loving Hypnagogic Pop and such this was the highest ranked album in the genre on RYM, I ended up giving it a go. And wow, this thing is excellent. My mind is a little distracted to fully process why it spoke to me, especially the highlights which are best of the decade material. I think some of it has to do with not only the lo-fi aesthetic, but the paradox in apathetic sad lyrics combined with superbly colorful, borderline nostalgic and child-like mannerisms in the music. The existential tragic mindset intensifies with the mind games that Miller plays with the listener on this album. I don't know if I will remember writing a longer review, but the placement says it all; I am loving the heck outta Volcanic Bird Enemy.
"The 19-song Volcanic Bird Enemy and The Voiced Concern (2021), Travis Miller's first full-length album released under the Lil Ugly Mane name since 2015, is not hip-hop music at all: at best, it is a set of rambling introspective monologues set to lo-fi psych-rock with a touch of synthesize and drum-machine. After the hypnotic sound collage of Bird Enemy Car and the equally surreal With Iron & Bleach & Accidents (a carillon a` la Penguin Cafè Orchestra), the first real song, the Beck-esque Benadryl Submarine, begins the litany of depressing drug stories and sets the tone for the rest of the album. Despite the theme of the lyrics, the musical journey is graceful and even amusing, from the smoothly jazzy Cold in Here to the vaudeville-esque Styrofoam, which simulates a 1920s dixieland dance tune (with even the crackling of a vintage record), from the sci-fi exotica of Hostage Master to the shoegazing-pop of Discard, from the poppy and castrated drum'n'bass of VPN to the cartoonish singalong Cursor (a campfire version of the Tremeloes), from the abrasive psychedelic rave-up of Headboard (originally a Bedwetter song of 2020) to the hard-rocking street fanfare of Porcelain Slightly. And finally there's the album's standout, the frenzied electronic boogie of Broken Ladder (subtly infected by country guitars and orchestral strings). The procession is also blessed with two charming absurdist instrumentals: Beach Harness (circus trip-hop?) and Swell (a meeting of industrial music and Angelo Badalamenti). The arrangements are consistently mind-boggling. A handful of songs are musically uneventful but they serve a purpose too, like the spectral recitation of Clapping Seal that ends in silence, reminding us that this is not meant to be a party. Rarely has such a depressed songwriter made such uplifting music." - Scaruffi, 7.5/10 [First added to this chart: 10/09/2023]
75/100
This record isn't just a warm blanket, it is an entire shelter. Very nice executed singer-songwriter stuff, wondrous harmonies, a tender soul, well-written songs. If only the average songs were scrapped. Because the best songs - and they are an album of themselves (they should have been THE album) - has clicked with me, and Birdy is really my type (and I'm talking both as a personality and musician). And, there is a stunningly low amount of mediocre parts (that comes in the attempt at being grandiose without even nearly as much potency as the tenderly composed tunes), and most of it is a wonderful breezy listen.
If it weren't for the middle stretch of songs, this record would, by absolution, have stolen my heart. Matter of fact, the greatest joints here kind of have. Those being the heartbreaking Loneliness, the crisp Evergreen and the intimate Little Blue. On The Other Side, the mountains are singing and the lyrics are complimenting it all gracefully, and the masterfully performed Nobody Knows Me Like You Do is one of 2021's densest communication of longing and sorrow.
Almost all of Young Heart's melodiousness sailing through the river of instrumentation is wonderful, and Jasmine's voice has only aged like wine; she has never sounded more emotionally blooming. By poignant emotional compassion, she controls the dramatic winds and thunders by the light of her breath; she is a transcendental guardian to each and every emotion of the listener who sympathizes.
She has stated she lives around a few lakes, which makes sense listening to Young Heart since the sound (both in composition and the way it's engineered) is in tune with nature - always a plus in my book.
Other critiques: well this ain't Five Leaves Left (delightfully one of the album's principal influences) or Sweet Baby James, or O for that matter, these aren't the greatest [folk] songs ever written, and that goes without saying as those albums are 50 years old (and O now being 20) and this album hasn't been out long enough to see if it stands the test of time, and my money is that it won't to the degree those Nick D, J Taylor, and even early Rice albums have. What I mean to say is these are great songs and most of them I shamelessly say I loove, but they don't set some new high standard of confessional singer-songwriter greatness. This album pays homage to those older masterworks and builds from there, smoothly. The length of the album (59 minutes) can be a little problem and the fact that the collection of songs isn't varied to that extent, or differentiated enough to maintain full 100% laser focus from me as the listener every time, i.e: with the exception of the greatest handful, the songs blend into each other.
But maybe they are okay with it.. Those are minor quibbles. Really, minor quibbles. This is, at the end of the day, an exceptionally sophisticated and tremendous chamber folk/contemporary folk/songwriter showcase-type album, both instrumentally, melodically and chiefly vocally. It is just great hearing Jasmine work through her melancholy with this form of bittersweetness alongside a musical and vocal potency, that has resulted in the most sparkling folk record of the past 365 days. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
This record isn't just a warm blanket, it is an entire shelter. Very nice executed singer-songwriter stuff, wondrous harmonies, a tender soul, well-written songs. If only the average songs were scrapped. Because the best songs - and they are an album of themselves (they should have been THE album) - has clicked with me, and Birdy is really my type (and I'm talking both as a personality and musician). And, there is a stunningly low amount of mediocre parts (that comes in the attempt at being grandiose without even nearly as much potency as the tenderly composed tunes), and most of it is a wonderful breezy listen.
If it weren't for the middle stretch of songs, this record would, by absolution, have stolen my heart. Matter of fact, the greatest joints here kind of have. Those being the heartbreaking Loneliness, the crisp Evergreen and the intimate Little Blue. On The Other Side, the mountains are singing and the lyrics are complimenting it all gracefully, and the masterfully performed Nobody Knows Me Like You Do is one of 2021's densest communication of longing and sorrow.
Almost all of Young Heart's melodiousness sailing through the river of instrumentation is wonderful, and Jasmine's voice has only aged like wine; she has never sounded more emotionally blooming. By poignant emotional compassion, she controls the dramatic winds and thunders by the light of her breath; she is a transcendental guardian to each and every emotion of the listener who sympathizes.
She has stated she lives around a few lakes, which makes sense listening to Young Heart since the sound (both in composition and the way it's engineered) is in tune with nature - always a plus in my book.
Other critiques: well this ain't Five Leaves Left (delightfully one of the album's principal influences) or Sweet Baby James, or O for that matter, these aren't the greatest [folk] songs ever written, and that goes without saying as those albums are 50 years old (and O now being 20) and this album hasn't been out long enough to see if it stands the test of time, and my money is that it won't to the degree those Nick D, J Taylor, and even early Rice albums have. What I mean to say is these are great songs and most of them I shamelessly say I loove, but they don't set some new high standard of confessional singer-songwriter greatness. This album pays homage to those older masterworks and builds from there, smoothly. The length of the album (59 minutes) can be a little problem and the fact that the collection of songs isn't varied to that extent, or differentiated enough to maintain full 100% laser focus from me as the listener every time, i.e: with the exception of the greatest handful, the songs blend into each other.
But maybe they are okay with it.. Those are minor quibbles. Really, minor quibbles. This is, at the end of the day, an exceptionally sophisticated and tremendous chamber folk/contemporary folk/songwriter showcase-type album, both instrumentally, melodically and chiefly vocally. It is just great hearing Jasmine work through her melancholy with this form of bittersweetness alongside a musical and vocal potency, that has resulted in the most sparkling folk record of the past 365 days. [First added to this chart: 07/14/2021]
75/100
American Primitivism in 2021, it's good. This isn't quite Fahey spiritually, but it does its thing tremendously. At worst, you can turn it into decent background music. There's even a handful of catchy moments in Urban Driftwood, which is always a win-win.
Update July 2022: I just went to see her at the (Roskilde) Festival and it was (out of 13 concerts I went to) my favorite of them all. She communicated so well with the audience, she has a great sense of humor, her technique is otherworldly (she even broke it down), the music was soft and dense and just for me, even her outfit was dope. Every piece of music she performed has stellar as an understatement and me having a cup of solid lemonade in my hand was the creaming on top. See her live, you won't regret it. It made me go back to Urban Driftwood after his golden (no, platinum) memory I now have. Before, I liked the album a lot, now I love it. My favorites are Sunshowers (lives up to its title as it feels like you're bathing in the sun), I Wonder (the soundtrack to a new page beautiful day in an afterlife), Swift Breeze (that features her drumming on the guitar edge which is all the more impressive and simultaneously wonderful) and After The Storm (peaceful closer). But Through The Woods is a big climber, I just now the realized the creative leavy-atmosphere behind it. Great album from a precious artist! [First added to this chart: 07/17/2021]
American Primitivism in 2021, it's good. This isn't quite Fahey spiritually, but it does its thing tremendously. At worst, you can turn it into decent background music. There's even a handful of catchy moments in Urban Driftwood, which is always a win-win.
Update July 2022: I just went to see her at the (Roskilde) Festival and it was (out of 13 concerts I went to) my favorite of them all. She communicated so well with the audience, she has a great sense of humor, her technique is otherworldly (she even broke it down), the music was soft and dense and just for me, even her outfit was dope. Every piece of music she performed has stellar as an understatement and me having a cup of solid lemonade in my hand was the creaming on top. See her live, you won't regret it. It made me go back to Urban Driftwood after his golden (no, platinum) memory I now have. Before, I liked the album a lot, now I love it. My favorites are Sunshowers (lives up to its title as it feels like you're bathing in the sun), I Wonder (the soundtrack to a new page beautiful day in an afterlife), Swift Breeze (that features her drumming on the guitar edge which is all the more impressive and simultaneously wonderful) and After The Storm (peaceful closer). But Through The Woods is a big climber, I just now the realized the creative leavy-atmosphere behind it. Great album from a precious artist! [First added to this chart: 07/17/2021]
75/100
This nigga David Gray came out of nowhere with Skellig, an intimate folk album greatly composed with heart, soulful melody, gentle atmosphere, and lyrical passion. Where were the artists' that had this integrity all year huh? [First added to this chart: 01/08/2022]
This nigga David Gray came out of nowhere with Skellig, an intimate folk album greatly composed with heart, soulful melody, gentle atmosphere, and lyrical passion. Where were the artists' that had this integrity all year huh? [First added to this chart: 01/08/2022]
Total albums: 29. Page 1 of 3
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Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| David Gray | 1 | 3% | |
| Quadeca | 1 | 3% | |
| Villagers | 1 | 3% | |
| Lorde | 1 | 3% | |
| John Mayer | 1 | 3% | |
| Indigo Sparke | 1 | 3% | |
| Yes | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
11 | 38% | |
 |
6 | 21% | |
 |
2 | 7% | |
 |
2 | 7% | |
 |
1 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 4 from 6th to 2ndPale Horse Rider by Cory Hanson |
| Up 4 from 5th to 1stSob Rock by John Mayer |
| Up 3 from 7th to 4thThe Weight Of Many Winters by Graeme James |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 4 from 2nd to 6thSlumbering Winter by Black Hill |
| Down 4 from 4th to 8thYoung Heart by Birdy |
| Down 2 from 1st to 3rdAs The Love Continues by Mogwai |
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Other year charts by DommeDamian
DommeDamian has shared 74 more year charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 Music Albums of 2025 | DommeDamian | 2025 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 2024 | DommeDamian | 2024 year chart | 2026 | |
Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 3 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/22/2022 15:09 |  pa | 457 | 91/100 | |
| 10/13/2021 22:25 |  Rhyner | 1,452 | 99/100 | |
| 10/13/2021 17:59 |  Mercury | 257 | 95/100 |
Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 favourites
Top 29 Music Albums of 2021 comments
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From Mercury 10/13/2021 18:04 | #274953
Mercury 10/13/2021 18:04 | #274953
Thanks for shouting me out. This chart is solid so far. Some of the comments (especially the one on Sharecroppers Son and on the best album cover of the year Solar Power) I don’t dig, but it’s great hearing your perspective.
The reason I don’t dig the Sharecropper’s Son comment is I don’t recall any country there. It’s got some country soul but that is very different. And yeah your point stands, most people don’t associate black people with country music. But country soul… well, there are not too many legends of that genre that aren’t black. But alas, I am dwelling. This chart and these comments are solid. I plan on writing something up about the new Mogwai soon. Thanks for the recommendation
. I recommend to you Delta Estácio blues by
Juçara Marçal - have been listening to it a lot lately and it’s awesome. Methinks
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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