Music written for an artist’s kid always gets a special power to it. R&B/soul with acoustic jazzy singer/songwriter arrangements. A hug of an album. Instant gentle power on first listen that grew with each relisten. My AOTY.

Art pop? Sophisti-pop touches? Delicious ear-candy production with an indulgent sense of fun and inventiveness, and the melodies to back it up.

Earthy organic music in a nexus of acoustic jazz, ambience, and field recordings, freely flowing and blending styles to its own natural pace. Audio equivalent of mountain air. (Note: “Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroshi” renamed as “Fuubutsushi” for this box set compiling their 4-album cycle, only the last 3 were released this year.)

I’m a fiendish hype contrarian and went into this hesitantly, but one listen smashed my dark heart. Every modern synthpop trend laser-focused into making one of the best pop albums in years.

Wand’s Laughing Matter was my AOTY of 2019, and the frontman’s solo follow-up lived up. The mix of vaguely apocalyptic, despair-grappling lyrics with the warmth of the Americana backing band creates an atmosphere that’s perversely haunting, comforting, and beautiful at once. Reviewed for BPM.

Maybe best known for his guitar-playing and collaborations, damn good at singing and songwriting too. Impressive display of jazzy, proggy intricacy without crowding out his songs’ directness. Reviewed for BPM.

1h43m of Skee Mask flexing how good he is at apparently every electronic subgenre. IDM, house, ambience, ambient techno, breakcore—not only sounds comfortable, but brings an extra sound design sauce to everything too. Shouldn’t stay this good and energetic for this long of an album, but it does.

Kyary and legendary producer Yasutaka Nakata (slightly) scale back their usual sugary maximalist tendencies, while introducing a surprise new element of club bangers. Bold a choice as it is, even the straight pop here is some of Kyary’s best. Dodonpa!

Folk song cycle from another god of the Live from Here extended universe (I’m With Her, Punch Brothers, etc.). Finely-sculpted to feel like a single half-hour composition to stunning effect. Her best work yet.

While it makes sense, it’s funny to see an extremely straightforward bluegrass songwriter blow up in the jam band world. There’s no gimmicks or shtick here: a double-album of bluegrass at its rousing, soulful best.

First notable for regularly backing Neil Young and being helmed by Willie Nelson’s son (you’ll hear it), this is an absolute charmer of a country album. The kind of earnestly sweet and uplifting spirit that ends up eye-misting. Repeated listens confirm: every song is just that good.

Mongolian jazz singer. Light accompaniment leaves her voice far upfront, alternatingly tender and commanding. An unexpected gem I’m thankful I was pointed to.

TWICE is my favorite at their most indulgently sunny and happy, which is why this six-song mini-album remains my favorite even with two full-lengths also released this year. Summery poolside pop magic.

23min of pure ’90s throwback fuzzy dream pop. I’d be down for that no matter what, but the strength of songs made this one of my most-played albums this year.

Initially famous for their live act, they’ve mastered how to bring their jammy, lo-fi psychedelic rock to the studio. Earnest, grooving, and hypnotic, and a great intro to the band.

Don’t let Miranda Lambert’s celebrity status throw you off, this is a lo-fi, non-overdubbed recording. Beautiful affecting country songwriting lifted by its intimate presentation.

Best known for her ’80s albums and work with Yellow Magic Orchestra, her full discography is a best-kept-secret, inexplicably failing to dip in quality. This album breaks her habit of alternating synthpop and solo piano albums to feature a cozy and refreshingly direct singer-songwriter backing she thrives in.

I love the novelty factor of writing sunny, ’70s Brazilian-style pop with Welsh lyrics, but the music lives up to its inspirations. This second 2021 album enlists the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to add that true touch of big-budget ’70s grandeur.

Excellent debut with a unique blend of indie songwriting chillness with tranquil ’90s new age.

Lush deep house made on ’90s hardware, luxuriating in the nostalgic vibes of old new age and video game soundtracks.

R&B/pop. Great open production but the strong, simply pretty melodies are what caused my head-turn, particularly shining on the ballads. (Better than its artwork, I swear.)

Synthpop, disco, dub, dance? Bouncy production, good fun.

Two years after Casal’s passing, a 3CD charity tribute cover album from the most incredible lineup of Americana, indie folk, and jam band circuit artists since the 2016 Day of the Dead tribute. A loving showcase of the man’s songbook, and a great 3 hours of music.

Lush, spare ambience, with surprising variety of sound and texture. Reminiscent of ambient dub sound design, only missing the beats.

After their cutesy light-hearted beginnings and a swerve into experimental dream pop, Kero Kero Bonito have found a new focus in this driven high-concept synthpop. Cruelly short EP at 14min, but an exciting forecast for more.

An unabashed love-letter to Mort Garson and other classic synth and new age artists. Delightful.

As the title promises, these 33min build and swell in intensity around a single musical theme with an entrancing quality. Somewhere between Floating Points and a jazzy take on Boredoms’ long drum-heavy pieces. Very different from his (also great) Sam Gendel collaborations.

Continuing right where her excellent 2019 debut Essentials left off—smooth, smoooth nocturnal ’90s-evoking R&B with intimate, hushed vocals.

Richard mixes R&B, pop, hip hop, introspective slowburns, even intermissions with phone calls with her mother with the breathless flow of an unbroken dance mix. She approved of my blurb for BPM too!

Bonnie “Prince” Billy, one of my favorite working songwriters, has his dependable folk invigorated by his fruitful collaborator Matt Sweeney—and even Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar on a few tracks.

Former dream pop band cleans up their sound and adds a touch of post-rock (I pick up an overt Talk Talk nod). Sublime climaxes (“I Lie Awake”, my god!). Wye Oak fans, check this out.

My mellow queen. Songs for a COVID-botched stage musical of Girl, Interrupted, leading to mixed narrators and some blips of intermission songs, but still slots cleanly into her impressive studio run. Mann’s wry, unflinching, but oddly comforting handle on melancholy makes her a perfect fit for this material—and one of the best working songwriters period.

After years diving into conceptual political themes, Herbert unexpectedly returns to his 1998 Around the House-style house with a cadre of guest vocalists. His big-band jazz love gloriously bursts out in closer “Gold Dust”, one of my favorite tracks of the year.

A purposefully slick, collaborative, stylistically varied studio album. Inevitably still very IU, because she’s one of the best singer-songwriters in K-pop.

I ignored their last few feeling like I got their “thing,” until a promise of a sound change allured me. I’ll be: there’s a reviving jolt of spiky new wave and danceable grooves here. I’m back aboard.

High-energy clubby techno with delicious production and pop flirtations.

The unexpected miracle follow-up to their legendary 2003 and 2009 albums, this stuffed album is a sampler for every disparate style they’ve dipped into, from glitchy IDM to pop to shoegaze, often in the same song—somehow all working together.

Big bold triumphant soul/R&B. While a bit sad to not see her build on the Americana sounds of her debut, she’s so damn good at this style too I can’t complain.

Longtime backing-band member makes solo debut sounding like Young Americans-era Bowie meets David Byrne. I don’t say that lightly! “Shoes Too Tight” in the running for best song I’ve heard all year.

In just 26min, we have: Steve Reich-esque modern classical? Old-timey exotica/lounge music? Tender songwriting? A 16-piece orchestra, and a choir including Feist and Moses Sumney? What is this?

Super Furry Animals frontman makes ’60s psych pop-infused concept album about a volcano. Why not?

Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo guitarist Ripley Johnson asks the question: what if a country-rock-tinged jam band just stayed mellow and pretty the whole album long?

This seven-piece jazz group made by far the warmest, most melodic album on ECM Records this year. More jazz groups should have a pedal steel player!

Jazz guitarist and saxophonist explore every possible mood you can make with those two instruments. Engaging, surprising listen.

Folky singer-songwriter with one foot in modern indie folk and another in Nick Drake (just hear “Fate’s Ghost”!) with a politically charged lyrical focus.

The near beatlessness make me list “ambient”, but the textures suggest the bones of ambient dub and early-Oval. The also-excellent “Bonus” features remixes adding beats tethering these textures back down to the recognizable shapes of ambient dub and techno.

Honest title award: if you liked 2020’s ‌Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar, here are 28min of More Songs. An odd, swaggering, immediately distinct take on jazz. That “Caroline, No” cover, mmm.

Unbroken blast of upbeat modern funk.

Though hailing from punk circles, Lay’s made a folk album that captures the inquisitive mystical sounds not heard in folk often since the ’70s.

Moody country-inflected folk sung with a striking deep vibrato, almost Fiona Apple-like voice.

Electronic ambient jazz with an autobiographical concept, some sounding peaceful like his work on Philadelphia (my AOTY of 2020), while others more tense, experimental territory, following the course of his upbringing that the album chronicles.

Nocturnal piano jazz with electronic/ambient textures and processing.

Former electronic artist turned anime composer (Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast) continues his series of uplifting home piano recordings, only adorned by the ambient sounds of surrounding cicadas and birdsong. (A Vol. IV was released this year as well.)

Indie folk, 32min. Clear vocals over airy, atmospheric arrangement (even a 7min ambient closing track). Mesmerizing standout “Hard Drive” sounding like Laurie Anderson-esque spoken word with a backing plucked from Destroyer — Kaputt.

Energetic six-song victory lap for Machinedrum’s fluorescent, punchy electronic music, featuring three guest vocalists.

Even at his most abstract and goofily playful, there’s something unexplainably satisfying to Foodman’s staccato plastic electronic music. But this shows his normal musical strengths too, including the captivating “Sanbashi” with vocals, a proper song and one of the best tracks he’s made.

Sunny upbeat Japanese rock songwriting. They haven’t changed their sound for a good 25 years, but their consistency refuses to drop!

Smooth soft rockers add in electronic beats and soul touches. Woozy and playful.

Simpson cooled down from whatever Sound & Fury was with two albums of self-covers with a bluegrass backing band, who he’s now made a 28min concept album with. This feels like an effort to make a classic cornball Western TV special in album form (jaw harp and all), proving Simpson is not done being a weird guy.

Debut 19-minute mixtape. A very specific comparison: imagine Kero Kero Bonito’s Sarah singing sped-up Erika de Casier songs.

Japanese songwriter and multi-instrumentalist brings a tight blend of pop, funk, R&B, and soul. To my ear, a smartly modernized take on the city pop sound.

Prolific ambient drone artist Chihei Hatakeyama collaborates with two American musicians for his best 2021 release, their guitar and electronic textures a harmonious addition to Hatakeyama’s trademark sound.

Folk debut with a classic, out-of-time style. Joined in with chamber strings and pedal steel, but the focus stays on Le Ren’s vocals and acoustic guitar.

Dap-Kings member makes very percussion-centered jazz. Like a Latin/indigenous take on a Moondog album.

Liked Benny Sings’ 2020 album? Here’s some more of it. ’70s soft rock smoothness with his distinct high-register singing perched on top of jazzy grooves.

Smoky nocturnal closing-bar vibes. Haunted lonely vocals, bluesy jazz guitar.

Under-the-radar Bandcamp find, lovely bluegrass/folk duo.

Dependable Japanese indie rockers give more of their smooth, dreamy, floating, unflashily-intricate style.

A Japanese rapper and tabla player (yes) create an unexpected take on hip hop. With a surprisingly minimal components, the basic sound is attention-getting enough to sustain the runtime. Akiko Yano appears!

Ambient dub pushed to its most formless and bubbling. Hints of human music and voices filtered through an autonomous alien lifeform. In a good way!

Japanese singer-songwriter. Soulful, emotional vocals and jazzy arrangements. Truly no album this year is safe from Sam Gendel showing up.

Swedish psych pop with a good dollop of Khruangbin.

Ego-Wrappin’ singer makes an adventurous, surprising songwriting album over piano-heavy jazzy and electronic backing. “真ん中” is a journey, another favorite track of the year.

His second 2021 album (after a tribute album), Crockett plays the hits with another album of his very classic blues-y country. If your only luck with country has been the 50+ year old Cash/Robbins classics, Crockett is exactly the modern country artist for you. (And, also, everyone else!)

Although covering the songbook of a different artist, these songs fit right in with Krgovich’s gentle style and silky singing voice (coming hot after his collaboration on Philadelphia, my AOTY of 2020).

Designed for therapeutic use, this is an hour of classic ambient drone at its most peaceful and leisurely. Artwork by Zeisig’s father and release date on his mother’s birthday, touchingly sweet.

Not enough people make throwbacks to that specific late ’70s era of prog rock bleeding into AOR (think mid-career Ambrosia). Howlin Rain delivers, and with welcome strains of funk rock and jam bands.

Charmingly straightforward techno that could’ve come out any time in the last 30 years. Infectious fun.

Very classic spare ECM Records jazz from a drummer, pianist, and clarinetist/vocalist trio. Frequently wandering, inquisitive, and exploratory, always working towards a serene melodious payoff.

Lively melodic acoustic guitar-centered album, while also making room for collaborators’ lush accompaniment.

An ode to ’80s art pop through a modern vaporwavey lens. Contains a note-for-note cover of Miharu Koshi’s “Parallélisme”, a bold proclamation of her goals (and good taste).

Places barely review them anymore, but GBV is still pumping ‘em out. Supposedly a loose concept album, my favorite of their fruitful last few years. It’s oddly exciting to hear them dip into a “real” genre sound for a track before clicking back into place.

Jazz duo of a keyboardist and acoustic bassist, song structures of gentle lullabies.

Chilean singer-songwriter takes on a wide spread of Mexican folk styles with a classic, romantic bombast.

In spite of the album name and smiling pinup pose, a mellow, pretty album swathed in smooth synthy ’80s production.

Very classic ’60s psych/garage rock: The Pretty Things, Beach Boys, even an Abbey Road-style song suite.

Taking a (relative) cooldown year after his ridiculous 2020, his second 2021 studio LP has no concept or genre experiments, simply indulging in his tried-and-true ’80s rock love with his excellent new backing band, even sharing the mic for front vocals for multiple songs.

Norwegian jazz. Melodious, intimate take on the ECM Records-style jazz, though it’s shockingly not actually on it.

Suzuki’s Mother (aka EarthBound) soundtracks are how he’s best known to the West, but besides dropping some Mother demos on comps, he rarely revisited them—until this. It’s just as weird as the arranged Mother 1 album from 1989, but in a way more in-line with his band Moonriders. I love Suzuki, I love the Mother OSTs, and I love hearing his (and his collaborators’) takes on it now, even if sometimes goofy. Also: that “Paradise Line” rock cover, mwah!

Even making ambient music, Jon Hopkins gives the same care and sense of a climactic arc and journey like he does his other albums.

This folk/Americana singer-songwriter sound can sometimes amble along, content to be pretty. Carlile does not forget to bring the songs and the emotion—truly belting on rippers like “Sinners, Saints and Fools”.

The most full-band sound the folk singer-songwriter has put to record, while still sounding completely at home.

Taiwanese singer and genre explorer pushes the varied sounds of 2019’s Hidden, Not Forgotten, but with an overall sunnier vibe. (I say, even though the briefest memory of the “奶奶” music video chokes me up.)

Another entry in Hiss Golden Messenger’s warm, soulful Americana/country folk.

What if Mort Garson made medieval-inspired music? This album puts a big dumb smile on my face.

Black Dice’s garbled sampling, grimy electronic effects, and audio shitposts have always been funny, but they’ve always had a groove too, a quality they’ve ramped up over their 9-year absence. The most gleefully dumb fun you can dance to.

Two prolific backing musicians making odd little winding instrumentals together. Jazz? Funk? It’s unconcerned! Sam Gendel appears on sax.

A surprise return to both new music after a long break, and to the evocative, meditative, organic guitar-based drone of their mid-’00s albums like Color Wheel.

Even in a no-frills cover album, Mapache exude such a comfortable warm country-rock/folk chumminess for just two guys on acoustic guitars harmonizing together. Great cover choices too: Beach Boys’ “All I Wanna Do”! Stevie Wonder! Louvin Brothers! Sade!

Though earlier albums are more cohesive, I’m excited to hear Vanishing Twin break from their close hewing to Stereolab and Broadcast and get scrappy and weird. Exotica? Storyteller narrator over synth freakouts? Vocoder vocals? Throw it in!