We’re getting into the nitty-gritty now. There are likely some albums here that will make others’ top 10 lists. And that’s great, we invite debate. After all, this year brought major releases, breakthroughs and still a plethora of albums recorded when the artists were in various stages of lockdown. To catch up, check out parts one, two, three, four, five and six.

Part seven includes St. Vincent, the first collaborative project from Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak), The Pretty Reckless, Royal Blood and some amazing indie releases.

40. Royal Blood

Typhoons – Warner Records – Mason Meyers

With their newest effort, Typhoons, Royal Blood is back. With a more complex and synth-led sound, the album is sure to revitalize the energy of fans and attract some newcomers along the way. Starting the album with the huge single “Trouble’s Coming,” the Brighton boys make their stylistic switcheroo apparent instantly. Plucky synthesizers and backing vocals fill the track and work to complement frontman Mike Kerr’s falsetto. The track perfectly encapsulates the overall tone of the album and gives a small taste of what’s coming.

As the tracks progress, Royal Blood proves the duo is more than just a one-trick pony, with “Oblivion” and “Typhoons” showing that they’ve matured and progressed from their youthful sound, into a more sonically diverse vision. Royal Blood’s new sound tingles with the excitement of a new direction the band appears to be turning toward.

39. Silk Sonic (Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars)

An Evening With Silk Sonic – Atlantic Records – Sara London

Harkening back to a luxurious, romantic era, An Evening With Silk Sonic plays on the distinct sounds, call-and-response choruses, twinkling bells and swelling music backed by dramatic strings. Bruno Mars’ remarkable vocals elevate the album from entertaining to masterly, and though his powerful falsetto graces every song in one form another, he also leaves room for Anderson .Paak to show off his own impressive vocal abilities. The album is full of elegant harmonies and and multiple octaves.

38. The Pretty Reckless

Death By Rock and Roll – Fearless Records – Mike DeWald

It’s quite impressive how unassumingly Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless have made their way to the upper echelon of the modern rock world. They’ve done it with steady consistency, growth and solid rock and roll songwriting. Musically, Death By Rock and Roll is a return to form for the modern hard rock and classic grunge sounds of Going to Hell, while infusing the maturity and musical growth of the bluesy Who You Selling For.

Momsen’s growth as a bandleader has been impressive. She and guitarist Ben Phillips have also developed into a tremendous writing tandem. The album rocks, but even more effective are the dynamics and the dramatic rise and fall that make the album a more compelling listen. The opening title track sets an immediate tone. It’s a raucous, over-the-top romp that, well, rocks. “I wanna go with a shotgun blast/ I wanna go with a motorcycle crash/ Out on my own, I don’t need to be saved,” Momsen sings of her rock-induced demise.

37. José González

Local Valley – Mute – Rachel Alm

José González has such a distinctive sound. Even though the first song on Local Valley is in Spanish, which is new for him, the hushed vocals atop the nylon-stringed guitar are unmistakably his. The album finds González in his usual mode: asking the big questions in the most unobjectionable way possible. His beautiful fingerpicking is present throughout the album but shines on “El Invento” in particular.

González sings in all three of his languages for the first time on this album (English, Spanish and Swedish). I suspect González tried to lull listeners with sleepy tunes before hitting them hard with the angry lyrics of “Tjomme,” but he also hedges his bets by singing quietly and in Swedish. If you don’t look up the translation, you won’t know he’s accusing someone of something egregious. The multilingual concept has the potential to make the album a bit less accessible, but González gracefully sidesteps that by singing each song in his usual warm, tranquil tones.

36. Dave

We’re All Alone In This Together – Neighbourhood Recordings – Red Dziri

Dave’s Psychodrama earned him a plethora of accolades, including the prestigious Mercury Prize and a Brit Award for Best Album (for which he beat mighty contenders like Stormzy). We’re All Alone In This Together taps into the same conscious hip-hop energy, refusing the tag as much as it calls it to mind. No subject is taboo. Dave sees his life through that of British society at large, drawing immediate links between the political and the personal.

James Blake helps carry Dave’s vision on three of the 12 tracks, most notably on “Three Rivers,” a song that takes on migration through a human lens–with a form of empathy that’s largely absent in public debates on the question. We’re All Alone In This Together addresses the divide between community and individuality with that same empathy and a flair for writing that explains how such a young artist managed to snatch the crown so early in his career.

35. Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders, London Symphony Orchestra

Promises – Luaka Bop – Red Dziri

Floating Points and Pharaoh Sanders launch into orbit on a new nocturnal opus that centers silence and makes the listener reconsider the value of a well-timed pause. Sam Shepherd (Floating Points) is a true master alchemist when it comes to merging ambient jazz and electronic music. On Promises, he collaborates with iconic sax player Pharaoh Sanders, who takes us by the hand and throws us into the depths of the universe as we imagine it. The album is articulated as one long piece divided into movements that are carried by a minimalistic spirit and refined with backing by the London Symphony Orchestra. Let yourself be immersed in the immensity of Promises. You won’t regret it.

34. Arlo Parks

Collapsed In Sunbeams – Transgressive Records – Red Dziri

Arlo Parks’ first album is entrancing and comforting at the same time. Her intimate poetry is complemented by the neo-soul with trip hop accents style of her compositions throughout. We have had close to a whole year to decant the rich Collapsed in Sunbeams (released back in January) and the music has only become sweeter with time. Parks is clearly adept at cushioning gravity with her feathery vocals and mellow instrumental backing.

As a consequence, every now and then a line slips in and out of a listener’s consciousness and every listening session reveals new sides to Parks’ psyche. The light eventually chases the shadows away on Collapsed in Sunbeams and the opening poem comes to life like incessant sun rays circumventing blinds to announce the beginning of a new day: “Stretched out open to beauty however brief or violent/ I see myself ablaze with joy, sleepy eyed.”

33. St. Vincent

Daddy’s Home – Loma Vista Recordings – Alex Baechle

Americans, we like our heroes, heroines, alive with tragedy. A vicarious struggle pulls out our individualized triumphalism. The blessing is also the gift, as we like to say. Yet in truth, as St. Vincent sings on Daddy’s Home, casualties mount along the way. She’s in glorious mess mode here, calling on love to save the day. Grandly set up for film noir, listeners are left with the femme fatale herself. Annie Clark, as St. Vincent, sings her heart into a gossamer web of cathartic jams and gems, achieving a patchwork landmark.

A difficult listening experience, Daddy’s Home goes to disparate corners in search of depths it can only fathom. But for gratifying bold impulses, Daddy’s Home is as good a playground as any. The latest from St. Vincent attacks the senses, and for this the LP should be praised. Yet, despite her sincerity, this St. Vincent set is a tough sell. Hard-up rags coexist with not-so-comforting reassurances. Still, a worthy one.

32. Madlib

Sound Ancestors – Madlib Invazion – Tim Hoffman

Madlib didn’t wait long between albums. Following a jazz record in November 2020 as Jahari Massamba Unit, he quickly returned with another collaborative venture with electronic musician Four Tet in Sound Ancestors. The album takes a more candidly hip-hop-centric focus that’s sample-heavy amid an array of boom bap instrumentation. However, there’s still the occasional deviation into freeform jazz.

Tracks tend to bounce back and forth between the organic sounds of string instruments, woodwinds and hand drums, to rumbling reverb-laden bass lines and snare-kick punches screaming for someone to start rapping over them. They’re often accompanied with keyboard and electric guitar melodies to further liven up an already vibrant arrangement. The vocal samples come from a wide array of eclectic selections. The lyrics of Ethic’s “Lost In A Lonely World” are laid over the acoustic-guitar-driven arrangement of “Road Of The Lonely Ones,” for example.

31. Mogwai

As the Love Continues – Temporary Residence Ltd – Tony Hicks

Mogwai may have been built for a pandemic, in that so much of what the post-rock band does seems to come from imaginative introspection. The new record, As The Love Continues, comes 25 years after we first heard from the Scottish lads, during a decade ripe for a band like Mogwai to establish a loyal and lasting fan base.

The record brings back a degree of borderline mainstream songwriting from the ’90s, which was a wonderful time for musical exploration, both in theory and actual execution. That Mogwai has forged a career pushing artistic boundaries–while remaining listenable, which is the real trick–should be considered high achievement.

The rules seem to be the same as ever. Listeners should be patient, have a receptive brain palette and welcome the idea that music should show more than it tells. They should also be willing to listen at least three times before even beginning to form an opinion, which shouldn’t be difficult. Patience is key and the payoff is more than worth it.

40. Royal Blood. 39. Silk Sonic. 38. Pretty Reckless. 37. Jose Gonzalez. 36. Dave. 35. Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders with London Symphony Orchestra. 34. Arlo Parks. 33. St. Vincent. 32. Madlib. 31. Mogwai.

The 108 best albums of 2021: 30-21 >>