I thought I might start writing this earlier today, but instead, I spent the day at the ER with my daughter's boyfriend, who was suffering from a very painful ear infection. But it was a day well spent, as he's doing better now. So this seems like a good time to post my Top 10 Albums of 2021 list.
As I mentioned yesterday, this is the first time ever that there's absolutely no overlap between this list and my Top 10 Local Albums of 2021 list (which I posted last night). I have a theory as to why that might be, and my theory is a simple one -- since joining the Sputnik Music website more than five years ago, I've not only become less focused on the local music scene but also way more focused on the international music scene. Where most of my music consumption used to take place from American and British artists, you're going to notice that this year's Top 10 list has much more of an international flavor to it. However, I do still make sure I listen to a certain percentage of New York and (where possible) Long Island artists each year, so I'll be surprised if next year makes it two years in a row with no New York artists on my Top 10 Overall list.
Just a few rules - as to what constitutes an "album" for the purposes of this list, nothing has changed here. To be considered, an album has to be a full-lengther that has either 7 or more songs, or runs at least 30 minutes. It also has to be all by one artist -- no multi-artist compilations allowed. Once again, digital-only releases certainly qualify, and the majority of music I listened to this year was in a digital file format. And once again, I really only consider studio albums for this list -- no live or best-of comp albums.
Just one other thing to highlight here. Remember when the numbnuts politicians used to refer to one year or another as "The Year of the Woman"? Well they've got nothing on me. I've always (or at least since the 1980's) had a special love for female vocalists, and female-fronted bands and artists have always been over-represented on my Best Of lists. But in the past, the guys have usually sneaked in for close to 50% at least. (How is that "over-represented" you ask? Simple. Fair or not, there are just way, way, way more bands out there with male singers, so for my list to be 50% female-fronted is an over-representation of the ladies' presence in the music scene in general). This year, both on this list and my Top 20 Songs list, the ladies have just taken over and are out of control. It's not any kind of a political statement or virtue signalling on my part. It's just what I like.
Without further ado, here, in reverse order, are this year's picks.
Top 10 Albums of 2021
10. Piana - Raula
Piana is the creative name for Naoko Sasaki from Morioka, Japan. Her music is light as a feather, and very exquisite. I think I found her this year when somebody rec'd one of her tracks for the Sputnik Music Song of the Day thingy. Raula (as best I can tell) is her fifth full-length album.
9. Submotile - Sonic Day Codas
Continuing with an international theme, Submotile is an Italian-Irish two-piece band from Dublin, Ireland that mixes elements of noise-rock, shoegaze, ambient and post-rock. Again as far as I'm able to tell, this is their second full-length LP. The band is made up of Michael Farren and Daniela Angione Farren.
8. Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
North London alternative rock band Wolf Alice first made my Top 10 Albums list in 2017 with their sophomore effort, Visions of a Life. Well guess what? They'reeeee baaaaack! And I guess it's gonna be a habit. Nice job, guys.
7. Solarus - A Dance With Tragedy
This was a December release and a very late addition to my Top 10. Solarus is a Canadian symphonic metal band from London, Ontario. A Dance With Tragedy is their third full-length effort. I don't know a whole lot more about them, except that they knocked a pretty nice album by San Francisco's Sweet Trip off of this list. So good on them.
6. Aimee Mann - Queens of the Summer Hotel
Oh yeah. You guys know I love Aimee Mann, and I have since her 'Til Tuesday days. This one took a little longer to grow on me than some of her others - the music sounds kind of simple at first. It's the concept that's a bit more complicated. This is a series of songs that Mann wrote for a stage adaptation of Susanna Keysen's 1993 memoir Girl Interrupted (which was previously turned into a Hollywood film starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie). I expect to see this on Broadway someday.
5. Teenage Wrist - Earth Is a Black Hole
Teenage Wrist is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Although there have been other members in the past, it's currently a 2-person collaboration between Marshall Gallagher and Anthony Salazar. This is their fourth full-length LP.
4. Sirenia - Riddles Ruins and Revelations
Sirenia is a gothic/symphonic metal band from Stavenger, Norway. This is their tenth full-length album. And yeah, I know the track I'm rec'ing below as my favorite is actually a cover of a song by the French singer Desireless. But I don't care, OK? Because that's just how I roll! (And because it kind of sounds like a metal song that could have been written by ABBA.)
3. Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
Arab Strap are a veteran Scottish indie-rock band who formed in 1995, broke up in 2006 and reunited in 2016. As Days Get Dark is their first original studio album in 16 years. The band features mostly-spoken lyrics, a strange sense of humor and a wickedly dark view of the world. The band's core members are Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton.
2. Mostly Autumn - Graveyard Star
This is the second appearance on my Top 10 Albums list for this British progressive rock band. The first was 2017's Sight of Day. Mostly Autumn is a 7-piece ensemble that features both male and female lead vocals, courtesy of the husband and wife team of Bryan Josh and Olivia Sparnenn. The band mixes the classic prog rock sounds of bands like Genesis, Jethro Tull and Renaissance with Josh's Gilmouresque lead guitar, hard rock and Celtic folk sounds.
1. Epica - Omega
This is actually the first appearance on this list for Dutch symphonic rock band Epica, although lead singer Simone Simons scored highly on last year's Top 20 Songs list for singing the lead on the Ayreon song "This Human Equation." Omega is Epica's eighth full-length album, and their first in five years. It's packed with heavy rock anthems and beautiful ballads as well.
So there we have it - another year, another Top 10 Albums list. If you'd like to listen to the ten songs recommended above, here's a link for a playlist with all ten of them:
Top 10 Albums of 2021
Coming up next: The Top 20 Songs of 2021, Part One.
