2021 was a year of many conflicting emotions. The big “you-know-what” is still around, but in terms of the music world, some things definitely improved: widespread vaccinations meant the resumption of touring, the effects of quarantine gave an unexpected boost to the industry of physical media such as vinyl, and many new artists had their breakout moments, while other veteran artists were able to build atop their successful discographies.
As far as my own relationship to music this year, the lifting of lockdowns meant I had much more time to listen to albums on the go, resulting in a far more diverse personal listening palette compared to last year. Narrowing my favorite albums of the year down to twenty is never an easy task, but like most music fans, it’s impossible to decline an opportunity to dive deep into a good ranking. Below are my favorite records of 2021, along with reasons why they felt so vital in a year like this.
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Deep Fried, Certified. 