Several Uninspired Ways of Re-listing My Year in Music
by Rob Hakimian
I listen to a lot of albums. This year has been no different. In fact I think itโs been the best year for music in a while.
Iโve attempted to rank 200 of the albums / EPs / mini albums I enjoyed this year, but we all know thatโs a pretty facile action. Thatโs especially true after about 80 or so.
Anyway, if you want to see my Top 200 albums of 2021, you can do so here.
I thought for this piece I would look at my favourite music of the year in other ways. But itโs been a long year and I wasnโt feeling too inspired, so this is what I got.
My most played tracks of 2021
Even though Iโve ranked my favourite albums in the order that I say I enjoyed them the most, thereโs no denying the cold hard stats. These are my top 10 most played tracks of 2021, as recorded by my last.fm (fuck you Sp*tify Cr*pped).
10=. Spirit of the Beehive – โThe Server is Immersedโ
Entertainment, Death as a whole is one of my pinnacles of the year, but it kind of hangs together as an album much than the songs do individually. Though if youโre gonna pick out any one track to persuade someone to listen to it, itโs definitely this dreamy little oddball.
10=. Self Esteem – โPrioritise Pleasureโ
Iโve been caning this song since it came out as a single, and then even moreso once Prioritise Pleasure landed. The sheer musical and lyrical force behind this one makes it hair-raising in the right circumstances.
9. Mannequin Pussy – โControlโ
A rugged pop punk banger in the mold that Mannequin Pussy perfected on Patience. โControlโ is pretty much just as epic and catchy as any of those songs, and definitely kept me sated as we wait for the next proper album.
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
Something’s in your eyes
8. Iceage – โVendettaโ
Iceage have always had attitude and more recently theyโve been maturing that into swagger. โVendettaโ is probably their suavest moment yet, I just love the muscular guitar earworm and the way Elias snarls lines like โthis ainโt no place for a sightseerโ.
7. Famous – โNice While It Lastedโ
To me, this song is amazing in the verisimilitude between the lyrics about driving around at night and the way the guitar and drum chug sounds like an engine in overdrive. Add to that Jack Merrett singing about being โking of the dark timesโ and I just canโt get enough.
6. Deafheaven – โThe Gnashingโ
I remember when Deafheaven released this one as a single, Andy Johnston made the quip around the BPM watercooler that it should be called โThe Ganachingโ because itโs so sickly compared to their previous music. I 100% endorse that point of view, and I also 100% love this song.
5. Cassandra Jenkins – โHard Driveโ
I wrote my pretentious blurb about this song for our overall Top 50 Songs of 2021 list, so I wonโt say much – except that it definitely deserves to be BPM’s number 1. It’s simply such a delightful song in a multitude of ways.
And Cassandra was one of the most lovely people to talk to – I remember seeing the snow-laden branches of a tree on an NYC street through the windows in the background while we chatted, and it felt like being right there in the room with her.
4. Self Esteem – โI Do This All The Timeโ
If you counted all the times I heard this song on the radio or overheard my girlfriend listening to it, Iโm sure it would be my most played song of the year by far – and thatโs absolutely fine with me, as this is my favourite song of the year. Anything that earnestly borrows from Baz Luhrmannโs wonderful cultural oddity โSunscreenโ and updates it to make a much more powerful, pertinent and modern song is never going to become tiresome to me.
3. Snail Mail – โValentineโ
I was absolutely obsessed with Snail Mailโs Lush so of course I got hyped up on the lead single for her follow-up. Especially as it took me a few listens to even click – the way she accelerates from the sombre verse to the lashing-out chorus seemed awkward at first but now I think itโs fucking genius. Incredible video too.
2. Self Esteem – โHow Can I Help Youโ
When I first heard this song I didnโt like it. I thought the obvious โBlack Skinheadโ rip off was kind of cool but the โI donโt know shitโ repetition was a bit grating. Then I kept listening to it and also learned more about Rebecca Taylorโs personality and suddenly a flip switched and I suddenly started pumping my fist in anger with it. The video, with Taylorโs excellent explanation, definitely helped too.
โThe physical act of a woman playing a drum means your tits move โ all I ever wanted to do was play but it always came with this fear of being looked at in that way. Now my tits move for me, my song, my videoโ – Rebecca Taylor
1. Snail Mail – โBen Franklinโ
I got heavily addicted to this song. First few times listening to it it seemed like Jordan doing her take on a Kurt Vile song – just cruising along at a loquacious pace on a dominant beat, adding and subtracting sounds as it goes, drawl-singing magnetically. I still believe thereโs truth to that, but after listening more to the words, itโs an inescapably Lindsey Jordan song. My heart goes out to her when she sings about rehab, and I am absolutely enamoured with the way she delivers so many of the other lines on this song, especially the central โsucker for the pain, aw honey.โ Another one with a great video.
My favourite album covers of the year
Presented with no explanation.
(Except that I have several of these on vinyl and it makes me cherish the artwork even more – invest in physical media, friends.)
My favourite song titles of the year
Again, presented without rhyme or reason.
โKebabylonโ by Arab Strap
โHe Called Me Bambiโ by Audiobooks
โthe only solution i have found is to simply jump higherโ by aya
โTimid, Intimidatingโ by BADBADNOTGOOD
โHogwash and Balderdashโ by Black Midi
โPareidoliaโ by Buck Meek
โEmotional Rent Controlโ by Cheekface
โSculpting the Exodusโ by Circuit des Yeux
โThatโs Mr. Bitch To Youโ by Claud
โNo Butterflies, No Nothingโ by Erika de Casier
โJazz (in the Supermarket)โ by Goat Girl
โMonty Donโs Handsetโ by Hen Ogledd
โLong distance conjoined twinsโ by Home Is Where
โThreatening Each Other re: Capitalismโ by illuminati hotties
โMisandrist to Mostโ by Lady Dan
โI Who Bend The Tall Grassesโ by Lingua Ignota
โCarried By Invisible Bodiesโ by Lost Girls
โTo The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earthโ by Mogwai
โBaroque Denialโ by Pom Poko
โBrother Mouzone Library Cardโ by R.A.P. Ferreira
โOnly Seeing God When I Comeโ by Sega Bodega
โFucking Wizardryโ by Self Esteem
โPrelude to the Age of Transhumanismโ by Soccer96
โI Suck The Devilโs Cockโ by Spirit of the Beehive
โOversharers Anonymousโ by Wild Pink
โDon’t Think You Can Escape Your Purposeโ by Yoo Doo Right
โSecrecy Is Incredibly Important To The Both of Themโ by Yves Tumor
Albums I definitely havenโt spent enough time with
This list is definitely much more for my own reference than for anyone elseโs interest.
aya – im hole
Clairo – Sling
Crumb – Ice Melt
Drinking Boys and Girls Choir – Marriage License
Floatie – Voyage Out
Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant
Iglooghost – Lei Line Eon
Irreversible Entanglements – Open The Gates
Izzy True – Our Beautiful Baby World
Joseph Shabason – The Fellowship
Joy Orbison – still slipping vol 1
JPEGMAFIA – LP!
LโRain – Fatigue
Lala Lala – I Want The Door To Open
Leon Vynehall – Rare, Forever
Liars – The Apple Drop
Magdalena Bay – Mercurial World
McKinley Dixon – For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her
Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
Mega Bog – Life, and Another
Nala Sinephro – Space 1.8
Origami Angel – Gami Gang
Rosali – No Medium
Snapped Ankles – Forest Of Your Problems
Sofia Kourtesis – Fresia Magdalena
Succumb – XXI
Theon Cross – Intra-I
Turnstile – Glow On
Water From Your Eyes – Structure
Yves Tumor – The Asymptotical World
Ok that last list has exhausted me by reminding me that even though Iโve listened to a shit ton this year, itโs never enough. Signing off.
