ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2021

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

The thing I admire about what Bicep do is that they make me nostalgic for a time and scene I wasn't ever a part of. I think that's kind of impressive, tbh.

https://i.imgur.com/CVPxDt3.jpg
51. Nite Jewel - No Sun
169 points / 6 votes
Video from the album: “This Time”
NITE JEWEL thread

Oh, I love this record! Also there's an RA podcast interview with her which is super fascinating, all about the history of professional mourners and her musicological studies of divas, totally recommended if your ears have a spare hour

https://i.imgur.com/MVUPalR.jpg
50. Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses
170 points / 6 votes
Video from the album: “Price of Blue”
Wye Oak

Love that Nite Jewel record. The album didn't make my ballot, but the Sun Ra cover was my only vote in the tracks poll.

Head of Roses is one of those deceptively simple, outrageously good albums. An artist executing exactly what she does well to perfection.

god i love this album. too low!

Nite Jewel is TOO LOW. One of the most pristine, beautiful and expressive records of the year.

honestly, this flock of dimes album and the last wye oak album (louder i get, etc.) are probably my two fav-ever wasner-involved projects to dae

Flock of Dimes sound like somewhat Low-ish in that video. Never heard of them.

I meant to spend more time with the yu su album

I'd say FOD sound more like next year's winner than this one's

this/last's even lol

I was going to say, what do you know that we don't?

no no, that was a prediction!

A double one in fact

I was told ILM is legally required to feature an album by this artist in the top 50 each year:

https://i.imgur.com/hlow6rS.jpg
49. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club
174 points / 5 votes
Video from the album: “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”
Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club (2021)

Huh I'd hoped my #1 might squeak in when all the mood/vibe stuff was dropped earlier. Don't expect it in the top 50 though, so I'll pour one out for Mabe Fratti here 😢

You don't need to be Nostradamus to know with about 90% confidence who's going to win both this poll and the 2022 one, lol

I'm with you on this year, but what's the 2022 one?

Wait 3 days and you can even hear it

Oh yeah, I figured we're all assuming Low are winning this one, but I'm also stumped on 2022.

To be fair, the only album from this year that has permeated my brain so far is Beast Nest, and I'm pretty sure it's not that.

xp what was that you were saying about irksomely coy? :)

Lol I mean Big Thief obviously right let's move on