ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2021

Cleo Sol was definitely better received here than those two, as it should have been (it was in my top 10).

Wolf Alice album was a major let down imo. Very generic without anywhere near the highs of the last two albums. Making the poll wouldn't have surprised me but Top 10?

announce Biffy Clyro u cowards

justice for DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ

so thrilled the best chvrches record got this far without my help

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Friday, February 11, 2022 11:41 AM (eleven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Wait, did you forget to vote too?

People have been sleeping on the Arlo Parks. Better than Sault, Little Simz and Cleo Sol imo.

ehhhh sounds like Starbucks music to my ears

I'm fine with Starbucks music tbh

I totally thought Arlo Parks would be lower down in the list. Wouldn't mind seeing her this high at all.

Yeah, could not get in to the Arlo Parks album at all xps

xpost I feel like people really liked the Wolf Alice album overall. Didn't it win the Mercury poll on here a few months ago?

I only know one Arlo Parks song but it's very nice

https://www.premiosfronterasdelconocimiento.es/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/03/Arvo-Part-456x520-2.jpg

starbucks mater

I know a bunch of Arvo Part, rules

Wait, did you forget to vote too?

― peace, man, Friday, February 11, 2022 9:54 AM (twenty-five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

did not want to make a year-end list at all

Wolf Alice's Restaurant music

while Moka tortures us, I will disclose that I was underrating the Dawn album, I sincerely apologize and hope to do better in future

Arlo Parks is good and there's stuff way more boring to me here.

(Although much less than there used to be in previous years tbf)

Revisited the GYBE album. I sometimes just forget to listen more to things that I know I will enjoy in familiar ways vs things that may be new or complex or challenging but it's completely solid and all holds together really well and satisfyingly.

Was looking at the 2019 poll just now -- forgot that Weyes Blood somehow beat out LDR, Purple Mountains, and Big Thief! Maybe another upset year but Low does feel like the frontrunner.

Aw, I was really hoping L'Rain would break the top 10. If we're taking apologies for underrating albums right now I think he could give one, too :P

Sorry I was on a meeting! Torture over

https://i.imgur.com/3RsXijU.jpg
10. Tinashe - 333
441 points / 18 votes / 1 #1 vote
Video from the album: “X”
Tinashe - Aquarius (out October 7 2014)

worth the wait, thank you Moka

Nice. I voted for the last 3, all good. I agree that Second Line is not my favorite of hers, but it works on its own terms. The L'Rain album I may be slightly overrating because it's the album that introduced me to L'Rain overall, so my vote is probably really for both albums. But she's pretty awesome. And 333 always seems over too soon, even though it's like 47 minutes.

tinashes best album

"X" is p good.

https://i.imgur.com/6heZbPP.jpg
9. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
464 points / 17 votes / 2 #1 votes
Video from the album: “Savage Good Boy”
Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet

Tinashe my #1

I didn't vote.

Japanese Breakfast was number one. As I mentioned in the tracks list, this band meant everything to me last year. Really happy and surprised to see them so high.

Tinashe is great. This and her last album are the best things she's done.

https://i.imgur.com/bkhRfLf.jpg
8. Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
465 points / 14 votes / 3 #1 votes
Video from the album: “The Beach”
Wolf Alice

this was my favorite album of the year for about two months, delivered completely on the promise of their first two records by submerging itself in a form of alt rock that's closer to a melancholic dreamspace than pure rock fury (tho it has some of that too)

My favorite Tinashe album, too!

Agree with kp that it's great to see Jubilee this high. Feel like she was always underrated here. Did her first two albums place at all?

always find myself connecting really hard to about 3-4 songs on every wolf alice album and this one was no exception. "how can i make it ok" was a very much deserving placer in the traxx poll

The previous Wolf Alice album grew on me a lot, but it was always overshadowed by Don't Delete The Kisses. This one was brilliant all the way through and made me kind of understand why the NME kept calling them the best British band going.

Soft Sounds From Another Planet did place in our 2017 list Indexed, but much lower down. In the 40s I think?

https://i.imgur.com/eH1Wi30.jpg
7. CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
502 points / 16 votes / 3 #1 votes
Video from the album: “He Said She Said”
Chvrches

Tinashe my #1
I did vote

yes!!!! my aoty

Great album. I never knew they had an album this good in them.

not sure i voted for any of these but the tinashe record really is outstanding

https://i.imgur.com/AnANJIl.jpg
6. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
509 points / 16 votes / 1 #1 vote
Song from the album: “I Didn’t Change My Number”
billie eilish

Tinashe's journey from brief fling with chart-topping super stardom to this phase of her career is pretty wild

Didn't find an in to this Eilish album but may not have tried hard enough

Feel like the 11-30 range is always my sweet spot in these polls, then we get into the kind of music that I hear (and appreciate!) while trying to decide if I'm too old to pull off these dusty rose-colored slim fit chinos (I am).

I've said this elsewhere but:

- the CHVRCHES album singlehandedly revived my interest in them in a band after years of going "well they're all right I guess but ultimately *yawn*", every single song is fire
- I would argue that few, if any, songs on Happier Than Ever reach the heights of Billie's previous singles but the album is way greater than the sum of its parts and much, much better than the debut

Think I voted for everything in the top ten so far.

After lowering my expectations for the Billie album based on the singles, I ended up loving it more than the debut.

God today's rollout is making me depressed

yep