Albums I Liked This Year: 2021

Here is a list of albums I liked this year, and some brief thoughts on them.

Hayley Williams,

Flowers for Vases

Hayley Williams (of Paramore fame) is one of my favorite female voices, and her 2020 solo release, Petals for Armor, was hot garbage (you may feel differently, which is entirely your prerogative). I was disappointed, because I was super psyched about it for a long time as I read that she was working on solo work. To make up for it, she released Flowers for Vases on February 5 of this year, and THIS album is exactly what I would expect a Hayley Williams solo album to sound like. It’s mostly acoustic, raw, and the star is Hayley’s voice, which is all any Hayley Williams solo project ever needs to be.

Kings of Leon,

When You See Yourself

I feel like 2021 needed a Kings of Leon album. I know I say things like that a lot, and I can’t exactly explain what a statement like that means, but if you know, you know. Kings of Leon is just a solid band. They rarely put out hot garbage. This album is just solid. It plays peacefully from front to back. It’s a whole entire mood. I’ve used it numerous times during this tumultuous year to just chill and think about the chaos of the last two years. And I can’t think of anything that 2021 has needed more than an album that can cut through that, and bring calm to my chaotic and anxious little Sarah heart.

Taylor Swift,

Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

I can't let 2021 go without giving some love to Taylor Swift for the absolutely flawless rollout of her album re-recordings. Re-recordings are often just so awful. But Taylor did this right. Every tone, every vocal tick, every guitar riff is just spot on. To boot, the bonus tracks from the vault of the Fearless era are actually GOOD. Fearless contains one of my favorite Taylor Swift deep cuts ("You're Not Sorry"), as well as the strikingly beautiful piano version of "Forever & Always" (from the original deluxe version of Fearless), which is better than the original pop version. Hats off to Ms. Swift for fully owning her work, and for respecting the fans along the way.

girl in red,

If I Could Make it Go Quiet

This is by far one of my favorite albums of the year. It’s the debut full-length studio album of the twenty-one year-old Norwegian singer/songwriter/producer, and it’s just a fantastic collection of pop that transcends anything currently in the ether. The album ebbs and flows appropriately through the exploration of relationships and mental health while still being easy on the ears. I’ve been spinning it (metaphorically, on my phone, in my car) since its April 30 release and don’t plan to put it down any time soon.

Weezer, Van Weezer

I was waiting for Van Weezer for over a year. Delayed by the pandemic, and meant to align with the Hella Mega Tour (which is now scheduled for summer 2022, at least for now), Van Weezer is a rock/metal-heavy album with a more purist sound and the definitive opposite of Ok Human. I don’t want to explain Weezer to everyone yet again, as I’ve posted reviews of many, many Weezer albums in this forum. But suffice it to say, Weezer is a very polarizing band, and if you know, you know. The last time I saw Weezer live was in December of 2001. The song featured here would sound appropriately kickass on a Hella Mega Tour, and I’m hoping live music returns someday, when it’s safe.

Lord Huron, Long Lost

I’ve been slacking on giving Lord Huron some love since 2012. They’re an insanely talented band, from Michigan no less, and I’ve been listening to them since their debut. Admittedly, I’m also a tad biased because I’ve known the drummer (and his whole family) my entire life. Lord Huron’s fourth album, released in May, is equally as fantastic as all of their other work. Ben Schneider’s consistently haunting vocals align evenly with the ambiance with the album, which has the comforting feel of a shelved Tarantino soundtrack. I’m bummed they’ve been cooped up during the pandemic and haven’t been able to tour, but if it produces work like this, I’ll take it.

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real,

A Few Stars Apart

It feels like my boy Lukas Nelson puts out an album every year. That’s fine, but sometimes they all blur together and start to sound the same, especially since Lukas Nelson’s voice sounds more and more like his father Willie every year. Some of his albums in recent years have been mediocre at best, but A Few Stars Apart is the best thing Promise of the Real has done with Lukas Nelson since their 2016 debut. If you have an affinity for outlaw-country-rock-and-roll fusion, you’ll probably like this album, and every album Nelson and Promise of the Real have done. A Few Stars Apart is a bit of a throwback to their earlier days, and it’s a great mix of variety from this group of musicians.

Rebecca Black, Rebecca Black Was Here

This six-track digital download is totally worth your time. With rich vocals and a solid mix of R&B and pop, Rebecca Black delivers as she (admittedly) struggles to find her place in today’s vast musical landscape. This one had me at hello. Do not overlook.

Willow, Lately I Feel Everything

I'm not even going to pretend that I was some huge Willow Smith fan before this album was released. I checked it out because it was getting rave reviews and I heard it was a foray into pop-punk, which intrigued me. It's a great album. The vocal arrangement is the star of the album, and Willow's vocal tone is unique and enticing. It also doesn't hurt that Travis Barker makes several guest appearances, either.

The Wallflowers, Exit Wounds

I was kinda done with The Wallflowers after I saw them live in 1997. Though I was with good company, it was maybe (probably) the worst show I've ever seen. We had lawn seats. It poured rain for approximately 17 minutes and 23 seconds. And they opened for Counting Crows, who proceeded to play the longest acoustic set known to man, after sunset, at what was, I think, supposed to be the peak of the show. [Photo evidence of my attendance at said show is in comments.]

But Spin magazine, gatekeeper for all things obscure in the music industry, was raving about this album, so I opted to check it out. I figured it couldn't hurt. And that's how I ended up listening to a Wallflowers album for the entire second half of 2021.

This album has a bit of a Springsteen/Bruce Hornsby vibe, coupled with the songwriting talents of Jakob Dylan, who has come into his own in his old age. I had a hard time picking a song to share here - that's how good this album is.

The Killers, Pressure Machine

The Killers are one of my favorite bands. They released an album just last year, but churned out Pressure Machine this year, amidst pandemic woes and inability to tour. It has a whole different feel than last year's Imploding the Mirage; it's a concept album about Brandon Flowers' childhood and (like a lot of albums I've encountered this year) also has a bit of a Springsteen vibe. I'm biased because I love The Killers, but I've loved listening to this album this year.

Halsey, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Let me remind you what I said about Halsey last year, just for posterity: "She's insanely talented. Her voice is unique and pure and unadulterated live and it's awesome. But whoever styles her and chooses how she proceeds with public performances should be fired. I've seen her on SNL twice, and been sorely disappointed with the orchestration of all performances. She shouldn't be dancing, wearing ridiculously complicated outfits, or being held up and twirled around by backup dancers. It's just inauthentic and gross."

Well LOOK AT THIS QUEEN NOW, just out there on the stage by herself, singing her heart out and being authentic. Halsey and Nine Inch Nails is the best combination to hit the music scene since Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner, and this album has major Veruca Salt/Velocity Girl/Letters to Cleo vibes. It's just so good. Halsey has reached the point in her career where she can do what she wants, and if this is it, it works.

Kacey Musgraves, Star-Crossed

Hey, so music genres are mostly garbage and awards shows are pungent garbage, but also this isn't a country album. It's a good album, though. Musgraves' voice is soothing as she accepts a percentage of culpability on her divorce album, and invites us into a healing journey (which doesn't happen in a straight line, by the way).

Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift’s tone changed on Red. While she wasn’t ready yet (in 2012) to admit that she was going to move into the pop stratosphere, she was already doing it. She became more assertive, more adult (after all, she’s 22 now), and bolder in a variety of ways. This is why Red was my gateway Taylor album, and why it’s one of her best albums. The vault songs from this era are absolutely amazing, and you can hear her (almost in real time) crossing from country into pop (even though music genres are garbage). Also, what she did with the ten-minute version of “All Too Well” (by exploring the filtered nature of nostalgia) was masterful. This was such a pleasant addition to my 2021 album list.