The best albums of 2021 include St. Vincent, Dave, Madlib, Floating Points with Pharaoh Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra, The Pretty Reckless, Mogwai, José González, Silk Sonic, Arlo Parks and Royal Blood. Best of 2021 We’re getting into the nitty-gritty now. There are likely some albums here that…

Clockwise from top left: Soft Glas, Arlo Parks, Michael Feuerstack, Night Beats, Juan Wauters and Q. Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but who has…