Let's establish up front that there were some incredibly strong releases this year. It was a challenging task to narrow this list down to just 10 albums. In fact, this list hovered at 11 selections for a couple weeks before I finally made a decision—but it was sooo close.

The sounds that were clicking for me this year definitely fit squarely in the post-punk, post-hardcore mold. Whether it was artists that have been around for a while that have continued to evolve their sound (Quicksand, Psychic Graveyard, DFA 1979), or newcomers that are rediscovering and mining the past for gold (Old Moon, Snapped Ankles, NOV3L). Their releases felt both nostalgic and fresh, often a tough line to walk. I can't help but think about how large bands like Public Image Limite, Delta 5, and The Slits loom over many of these artists.

While not necessarily my most adventurous year of listening, I quite enjoyed the stoner metal riffs from Spelljammer (points for old-school D ’n’ D reference). Similarly Ty Segall's Harmonizer delivered satisfying heavy tunes that recall some of his earlier releases or his work with Fuzz.

If there's a singular theme that ties a lot of these releases together, it might be nostalgia. Always a source of some comfort, it's hard not to feel a connection to music that relates to an earlier time—in my life or just to a previous era. And lets face it, it's been a difficult few years. Maybe that's why artists, and myself as a listener, are drawn to some of these sounds of times past. While some might look at nostalgia as a crutch or weakness, I feel that there is so much to be gained from looking backwards. Whether it's sharing long-defunct bands with a new audience or having a sort of conversation with our predecessors, it all helps to keep the world of music interesting.

Aside: I've linked to the artists' releases on Bandcamp where I could. Please consider listening to tracks there, and if you like them, purchasing them on Bandcamp. The artists get a massively larger cut that way, rather than streaming services.

My Top 10 Albums of 2021

1. Crocodiles - The Complete Shitty Times bandcamp

2. Death from Above 1979 - Is 4 Lovers

3. NOV3L - NON-FICTION bandcamp

4. Old Moon - Altars bandcamp

5. Psychic Graveyard - Veins Feel Strange bandcamp

6. Quicksand - Distant Populations bandcamp

7. Snapped Ankles - Forest of Your Problems bandcamp

8. Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip bandcamp

9. Tune-Yards - sketchy. bandcamp

10. Ty Segall - Harmonizer bandcamp

Other noteworthy acquisitions

I really couldn't restrict myself to ten releases this year. There was just too much quality, so here's my list of other albums that may have come out this year and that I loved, but didn't quite make the cut. Many of them were solid in their own right, but just not quite different enough to stand out. Or—as is the case with the IDLES release—I just didn't have enought time to listen to them yet. I've even included a few from 2020 that I didn't have a chance to listen to until 2021.

1. Black Keys - Delta Kream

2. Royal Blood - Typhoons

3. Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness

4. Here Lies Man - Ritual Divination

5. CZARFACE & MF Doom - Super What?

6. IDLES - Crawler

7. Automatic - Signal

8. Cloud Nothings - The Black Hole Understands

9. Fuzz - III

10. Mother's Cake - Cyberfunk!

11. Shopping - Why Choose

12. Sweeping Promises - Hunder for a Way Out

Final Thoughts

Did you enjoy any of these releases as well? Any stand-outs that I missed? Definitely drop me a line. I'm always up for talking about great music.