ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2021

Surprised to see Saint Etienne make it today. Even though I know we're very good to them usually, I thought this one divided people too much. Based on the singles I was expecting this to be the first album that really disappointed me. Ended up growing on me like most of their more mellow albums do. They're probably the only band who've been going for a long time who haven't let me down. They haven't had their Elysium moment yet.

i had no idea there was a new arab strap album!!!!

maybe SE NEED their Elysium moment so that, duly stung, they can have their Electric moment next

listening to this Howie Lee again and it actually reminds me of Eyvind Kang!

I did listen to the Arab Strap album. Very much sounded like an Arab Strap album.

sounds great

NOW is such an awesome record. Those cicadas should get some kind of special grammy or something

https://i.imgur.com/4BcBf0v.jpg
56. Loraine James - Reflection
160 points / 7 votes
Video from the album: “Running Like That”
hmm, upon reflection... nothing like a Loraine James thread for you and i

Wow wtg Evan Parker

I think this might have to do with when it was released— June of last year— but despite being a fan of James, I totally missed this record. I kept myself from buying records from mid-June to September because of budget stuff.

purchasing now.

I had spent lots of time ignoring Arab Strap until this album; a couple of songs popped up on my Release Radar playlist and I was like "who is this band that sounds like an extremely Scottish Ulver"

lol! honestly sort of otm

The song I got obsessed with was "Fable of the Urban Fox": https://arabstrapband.bandcamp.com/track/fable-of-the-urban-fox

Yay, Loraine James! First one of my votes to appear.

I really need to listen to the Saint Etienne album again. Some of their stuff is some of my favourite ever music but I really didn't feel this.

Voted Natural Information Society and Parker very high.

Yeah, I think the Parker and NIS record was in my top five or ten...

https://i.imgur.com/RScD6Tq.jpg
55. Mogwai - As The Love Continues
163 points / 5 votes
Video from the album: “Ritchie Sacramento”
MOGWAI - Classic or Dud?

Hey Loraine James cool

GYBE, Arab Strap, Mogwai, Low...this poll has become an interesting way of learning which late 90s indie bands have been canonized

Mogwai with their number one album.

Last year was weird.

Yay, Loraine James! First one of my votes to appear.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 17:13 (fourteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

xp
I actually meant this annual poll in general; there were a bunch last year too iirc. This isn't a criticism btw, and I remember wondering back then who was going to end up in this echelon, so it's not at all a dismaying sign of my aging that it's happening, I like it

Not sure what I think of the James, but I enjoyed this youtube comment:

S James
8 months ago
What an absolute beautiful melody and such mesmerising vocals from Eden Samara. My daughter has done it again. Mum is so proud of you ❤️

Mogwai have never been on an ILM EOY have they? It's a really good record and everything Mogwai related last year was very heartwarming.

Aw, that's so sweet. Not all of the album is as dreamy as that track, there are a bunch that hit harder and some nice sketches and bleeps in the mix as well.

xp

Mogwai have absolutely been on ILM EOYs in the past! Pretty sure I pulled teeth to get Music For A Forgotten Future into the 2011 tracks poll (actually I forget if it made it...) but nothing they've done since then (the Hardcore Will Never Die cycle) has gripped me...at all, really

Ah that's good to know emil.y, I was thinking "I don't want to listen to an entire album that is a vaporous as this." I'll add it to my now absurdly lengthy thanks to this poll queue

the Parker is sounding fantastic, will have to lash myself for not checking this out when people were raving about it in the jazz thread (in my defense I think his covidiocy was also being discussed)

Music For A Forgotten Future finished 73 :)

https://i.imgur.com/RurZcIS.jpg
54. Joy Orbison - still slipping, vol 1
164 points / 6 votes
Video from the album: “Sparko”
Joy Orbison

man, Joni Mitchell should give up smoking already

Disappointed that 'Sparko' isn't an electronic cover of 'Smoko'.

would have been a good twist if that was Joy Orbison and that's her birth name

i voted for "running like that" from the james album in the traxx poll, loraine's mom is otm. didn't vote for the album but glad it placed.

Wasn't expecting the Mogwai album to place at all but glad it did! Might be my favourite thing from the band I've heard

Spent all day working outside listening to Heisei No Oto and Howie Lee and Vijay Iyer and enjoyed them all, good job ilm

summoning a vibe switch

More!

https://i.imgur.com/mdFwE9q.jpg
53. yu su - yellow river blue
168 points / 5 votes
Song from the album: “Melaleuca”
yu su

Sorry guys busy morning! I’ll speed it up!

ooh good album that narrowly missed my ballot

Feels like another "vibey" stretch. I guess Mogwai probably isn't that vibey but I can't really see myself getting up the motivation to try a Mogwai album in 2022.

https://i.imgur.com/0rXEeKn.jpg
52. Bicep - Isles
168 points / 7 votes
Video from the album: “Apricots”
Bicep thread

It’s bobbins day

What I instead summoned was a vibe intensification

voted for yu su, lovely album

Yu Su album is super cool with a lot of variation in textures and styles

another ilm fave who i had no idea dropped an album this year. add it to the pile along with saint etienne and vanishing twin

Liked what I heard from this Bicep, but kind of felt that I'd already got what I needed from them with their debut.

yeh another i enjoyed and left without going back to

Soon entering the top 50 and this is a gallery of illustrious unknowns so far for me, with two votes only (Eris Drew, Kabza de Small). I did hear and like Altin Gun and there's maybe 1-2 other things I've checked and that's it. Will give me plenty of listening ideas.

never liked bicep, every time I've tried to listen to them in the past I get this stadium rave vibe that I just can't get with, something a bit nu-big beat about it all. maybe that's just me though. Will give this a listen but i can't say I'm looking forward to it much