My Favorite Music of 2021
Well, well, well. Another year, another round of entirely subjective opinions.
Albums
Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
I liked this album in 2020, but I loved it in 2021. Something about the fact that I kept listening to it and never got sick of it. In fact, every listen makes me appreciate something new. The first few times I listened through, ‘Kyoto’ and ‘Chineses Satellite’ were my favorites. The last time I listened all the way through it was ‘Halloween’, because, well, it was Halloween. The music is kind of beautiful, but also sort of weird sometimes? It’s phenomenal. The lyrics are next level. Wish the album would have won some more Grammys, to be honest.
Harmony House by Dayglow
Stumbled upon this album on YouTube, and it really took me by surprise. I think I’d describe it as an 80’s vibe, but I don’t know. I was born in 1996, so my understanding of the 80’s is inaccurate. All I know is that this very normal dude (who seems ominously similar to me) from Austin, Texas has made some wild music that I could not stop grooving to all summer. ‘Close to You’ is of course the big hit. ‘Woah Man’ and ‘December’ are some personal favorites.
Songs from Home by Jonathan Ogden
The reason this album is so good is that it is kind of its own thing. Simple acoustic and piano, bedroom-pop-ish style, and it doesn’t stray far from there. The melodies are easy to get lost in, and this EP was a consistent pick on long road trips or quiet mornings. The first three songs are the hits, but ‘Sufficient for Me’ was a favorite. The music is nice, but also the lyrics speak to the deepest longings of my soul, which is a bonus.
For Us Alone by Alaskan Tapes
One thing that is clear to me as I reflect on my music habits over the past few years is that I am slowly becoming more of a fan of instrumental music. It started out as background music, but it’s slowly becoming something I really listen to and dream about. Not sure how I feel about that, but it’s true. Alaskan Tapes is consistently my go-to for instrumental music, and this album has it all. A lot of ambient, post-rock vibes, but I think my favorite is the piano-led ‘We’ because it is so simple and beautiful.
Singles
Another weird thing about 2021 is that there were a handful of songs that I couldn’t shake, but that never drew me in to the rest of the album. In my music listening habits, this is pretty rare. I’m a pretty big album-or-nothing listener, but these songs broke that this year, either because the album isn’t out yet or because I was just satisfied with the single alone.
‘Witness Trees’ by Henry Jamison
No other way to say it: I think this song is perfect. The guitars right off the top… the vocals! The lyrics. The simplicity. Dangit.. perfect. I particularly love the lyrical and musical beauty when Jamison sings, “I see a sign in the breeze, in the wind, in the trees, in the skies over Austin.”
‘Atlantis’ by Noah Gunderson and Phoebe Bridgers
Like a lot of the songs on Punisher above, I think I’d describe this song as being a little jacked up. Like an A24 movie equivalent. But also, this song is the Knives Out of mysterious songs… When you make it through the first listen, you immediately want to listen back for clues at what exactly is going on. Catchy, to be sure, along with ominous stories with glimmers of longing that conclude with the listener being set free… ? I think that’s why I love it. It’s catchy, and the lyrics bring me back like a novel.
‘Seconds’ by Alaskan Tapes
There was a week when I listened to this instrumental piano song almost exclusively. And I wasn’t even sad or anything! I literally remember the first time I started this song, heard the first piano notes, and thought, ‘oh shoot, this song is going to be incredible.’ And it is. Bonus: Listen to this song on loop with ‘Hólar’, which it was released alongside. You’ll get lost in it.
