Here Are My 50 Favorite Albums of 2021, Part 2: Numbers 40-31

Featuring King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Mogwai, Mini Trees, and more.

This portion of the favorites list is full of “growers.” These albums serve as great reminders that some of the best music doesn’t always hit immediately, and picking up a record again after some time away may allow you to see it in a different light.

Don’t forget! You can hear all of these albums along with other playlists by following me on Spotify and Apple Music. Love something? Support ’em through the Bandcamp links below! ✌️🕶️

40. Steve Gunn - Other You

I absolutely love Steve Gunn’s debut, Way Out Weather, and follow-up Eyes on the Lines, but The Unseen In Between didn’t fully click. This year’s Other You finds Gunn taking his songwriting to another level with a huge payoff.

What I said in my review: “After starting in Kurt Vile’s supporting band The Violators, the Brooklyn-based Gunn has had a steady solo career, full of psychedelic jazz rooted in folk. His six-string work has always been his strong suit, but on his newest, Other You, Gunn has put it all together to craft his best effort as a singer-songwriter. Recorded in Los Angeles with veteran producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Cass McCombs, Beck, among many others) staffing the boards, Gunn sounds completely reinvigorated after taking a pandemic break from his usual torrid touring schedule. Songs like ‘Fulton,’ ‘Circuit Rider,’ and ‘Protection’ take what Gunn has always been best at and infuses these traits with warmth behind a hazy lens.”

Other You is available on Matador.

39. Hotel Pools - Palmscapes

Between this refreshing take on chillwave and Baked landing on my top EPs list, Hotel Pools defined some of the best times of the year… just go listen to “Waves” already.

What I said in my review: Some tropical chillwave is not the genre you’d typically associate with the Portland, Oregon music scene, but Hotel Pools offers a break from the heat with bar cart vibes… With escape and relaxation on the mind, ‘Vacation’ is a woozy opener that leaves the crowd behind in favor of a gentle melody surfing the wall of synth waves. Palmscapes goes in a little harder on the beats from other Hotel Pools sets, and the second track, ‘Oceanside,’ demonstrates this shift brilliantly - it’s punchy but still smooth sailing.”

Palmscapes is available on Stratford Ct.

38. Strand of Oaks - In Heaven

Tim Showalter sounds reinvigorated on In Heaven while adding dazzling full-bodied textures to his well-crafted formula.

What I said in my review: “From the grand opener, ‘Galacticana,’ where Showalter recalls memories while growing up in Indiana, to the quick but delicate closer, ‘Under Heaven,’ it’s a gorgeous outing. The best of these moments is the curiously beautiful ‘Jimi & Stan,’ a song about Jimi Hendrix and Showalter’s cat going to shows and hanging in the sun while avoiding the anxiety and big issues back on earth. It also includes one of my favorite lines of 2021 when Showalter recalls, ‘back in life I wonder / why do we hang around so long / for me, it’s all the songs I haven’t found.’”

In Heaven is available on Galacticana Records.

37. Mint Julep - In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep

In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep has been an excellent reminder that my journey with an album doesn’t finish with the review. Mint Julep has put so many layers into this euphoric dream-pop gem that demands your attention to get thoroughly lost in and offers something new with each listen. If you are into the more ambient parts of the record, be sure to listen to singer Hollie Kenniff’s solo outing, The Quiet Drift, which saw a July release.

What I said in my review: “Though familiar with Helios, I wasn’t drawn to Mint Julep in the past. The bold choice to compose this album of improvisational movements will pay off for anyone that takes the time to allow Mint Julep to paint their gentle strokes.”

In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep is available on Western Vinyl.

36. Foxing - Draw Down the Moon

This summer, there was a short period where Pitchfork’s negative reviews of Lorde’s Solar Power and Foxing’s Draw Down the Moon drew some insane reactions from fans on Twitter. As a music writer who tries to keep things positive by usually reviewing albums I enjoy, there is absolutely room for a differing opinion, especially when it comes to commercial behemoths like Weezer and The Killers (both of which got me some “less than friendly” comments). As long as you’re not threatening, I enjoy these comments - it means you give a shit about what I’m writing.

Also, Pitchfork has rarely been right about anything for ten years now. Relax.

What I said in my review: “More often than not, a poppy outing can turn away a band’s fanbase. Foxing seems to have no interest in that as this album toes the line of their earlier work while also opening them up to new listeners who might not have considered or heard of them in the past. Foxing considered calling it quits during the process of this record, but after listening to Draw Down the Moon multiple times, I’m relieved they didn’t. Often a band’s best work comes from working through their darkest times, and Foxing proves they are no exception with this masterpiece.”

Draw Down the Moon is available on Grand Paradise / Hopeless Records.

35. Mini Trees - Always in Motion

Always in Motion continues to be an album that hits the spot when I don’t know what else to listen to. Lexi Vega has provided one of my favorite debuts of the year, and if she’s already this fantastic at penning atmospheric indie pop, there should be plenty more highlights to come.

What I said in my review: “Musically, Always in Motion is less about hooks and more about grooves and melody, which can initially make the album appear sapless if not given the proper attention. But upon repeated listens, Vega rewards with sun-soaked layers of infectious indie pop. The best example of this is ‘Differently,’ in which Vega forgoes repetitious choruses in favor of bending new lyrics to fit into the song’s addictive melody. It’s a refreshing update to a formula that is as old as pop music.”

Always in Motion is available on Run For Cover Records.

34. Jeff Rosenstock - Ska Dream

I wasn’t the only one feeling the ska love this past summer, as my review for Jeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream was one of the most read of the year. May 2022 find you skanking once again.

What I said in my review: “For ska to be considered again by anyone under thirty, there’s no better place to start than what Jeff Rosenstock has done with Ska Dream - its lyrics are sincere and from the heart, with great laughs to lighten the air. It’s unlike the third (ska) wave and beyond, who were mostly just dudes whining about relationships. No Dream tackled the everyday struggle of living in modern America, and the ideas transfer surprisingly well to the ska punk genre.”

Ska Dream is available on Polyvinyl.

33. Mogwai - As the Love Continues

Leave it to these unpredictable times to have Mogwai make an epic return which found the Scottish band topping the UK charts for the first time in their twenty-six-year career. Not only have I enjoyed reconnecting with one of my old favorite bands, but I am thankful for my UK readership and writing community that can be traced back to this review.

What I said in my review: “My album highlight is ‘Ceiling Granny’ (Mogwai rival only Minus the Bear in track titles, with this one named after this scene from Exorcist III). The band strips back all of the layers that have been building towards the song by giving us a Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins track. Not only does the drum part sound like something from Jimmy Chamberlin, but it also has the melodic magic that Billy Corgan and James Iha found in the early 90s. Even better for the listener, we get to enjoy the Big Muff pedal’s sound without hearing Corgan sing.”

Available via Rock Action Records.

32. Sierra Ferrell - Long Time Coming

Another strong debut, Long Time Coming shows the world the country music greatness that Sierra Ferrell has been building towards for the past few years.

What I said in my review: “Now based out of Nashville, Ferrell is ready for the big time on Long Time Coming. As it weaves between throwback country, bluegrass, waltzes, and even some singing hand saw on the New Orleans jazz of ‘The Sea,’ the album is a showcase for the many talents of Ferrell. Immediately noticeable are her vocals, which stand above the music in a Dolly Parton fashion but feature Ferrell’s signature West Virginia drawl.”

Long Time Coming is available on Rounder.

31. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000

As a longtime fan of The Gizz, this year was a fantastic return for them. After some iffy releases the past few years, I was pleased with the L.W. album released in February. These Aussie cult favorites had way more in store, though, and this summer’s Butterfly 3000 is their career-best. There’s only one other run of songs this year that I love as much as “Interior People,” “Catching Smoke,” and “2.02 Killer Year” which begs the question of the year end ranking - there’s just too much great music left to discuss.

What I said in my review: “While most records are frontloaded these days, the mid-album run on Butterfly 3000 is what has solidified it as one of the year’s best. ‘Interior People’ is a surprisingly delicate krautrock track full of juicy 80s era synths and piano jabs and is a real treat. Immediately following is ‘Catching Smoke,’ built around a loop that sounds like a dulcimer having a controlled seizure, before giving way to a chorus that strangely reminds me of The Who’s ‘Eminence Front.’ It’s the record’s best track, with Mackenzie singing cheeky lyrics like ‘I’ve got happiness in my pocket / it cost me 25 dollars / maybe we could go halvies? / So gimme just a couple hours / starting fires with soggy timber / then, I’ll have the magic powers.’ ‘2.02 Killer Year’ closes out this three-song mind melter with a post-lockdown celebration. Throwing away their old concerns, King Gizz has everything ‘coming up Beach Boys’ while grabbing their surfboards.”

Butterfly 3000 is available on KGLW.