Favorite Non-Local Albums of the Year
Pom Pom Squad, Death of a Cheerleader
I was looking forward to seeing Pom Pom Squad live in April 2020 at Great Scott, and that… obviously never happened. With an EP and various singles out, Mia Berrin’s song crafting was the epitome of all of my favorite music from the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack as a child to discovering bands like That Dog and Swearin’ in my adulthood: that mix of pop and crunchy guitars, beautiful vocals over noisy and pulsating guitars and drums. Pom Pom Squad released Death of a Cheerleader in June 2021 to some critical acclaim. Everything about the album is perfect from the intro ballad to the fast paced whirlwind of “Lux” to the catchy af single “Head Cheerleader.” It’s fun to imagine Berrin singing about Eliza Dushku’s character in Bring it On when listening to “Head Cheerleader.” The top tier song for me is “Drunk Voicemail,” which tells a tale of wanting to love someone but not being able to or not knowing how. The heartbreak! I can’t bear it! I’ve had this album on repeat since its release, and I will continue to listen to it on repeat for forever most likely.
–Christine Varriale
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
Spirit Of The Beehive make bad trip music. Real nightmare shit, like an animatronic theme park band that someone poured battery acid all over and now they sound like that. Which is to say the album cover (painted by bassist Rivka Ravede) that depicts people walking into what looks like a haunted house approximation of the devil is an apt depiction of the music within. Although never shy with samples and auxiliary instrumentation, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH sees Spirit go further out than ever before. Drum machines and acoustic drums slam into each other seemingly at random. Synths and guitars that sound like synths and guitars that sound nearly borderline amusical. Vocals completely washed out or distorted to the point of unintelligibility and pitched up and down like an elevator on every single song. Wistful pop songs exploding into metallic nightmares on a moment’s notice. A couple of these songs sound like fucked up carnival music. There’s one that I swear sounds like they scooped all the low end out (?) but I’m not even sure if that’s true. This record should be a mess, and it kind of is, but with patience comes the realization there’s a wicked sort of method to their madness. Within their willful disorientation is perhaps a lesson about the world we now live in. Surrounded by sensory overload (24 hour news cycles, social media, intrusive AI, our world leaders’ insatiable thirst for blood) it can be hard to find some inner peace. Supposed lyrical narrative cycle aside, that’s what this record is really about to me, finding pleasure within ever-shifting platforms. Sounds that jump out at you during one listen sound completely foreign on another, and vice versa. It’s exciting listening to something that feels different with each pass, and it’s brave of this band to challenge themselves to make something like this. With all these tools at their disposal, Spirit Of The Beehive does the honorable thing by wading out into the deep. If you’re willing to meet them halfway, this band could change your life.
–Dillon Riley
Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
“Do everything, feel nothing.” The anthemic refrain from New Long Leg opener “Scratchcard Lanyard,” is the introvert’s retort to FOMO. “What’s the point of being so busy?” is no doubt a question many of us have asked ourselves, regardless of where we fall on the Myers-Briggs continuum.
Living a life with intention is indicative in the focus that’s given to the vocal delivery through NLL. Florence Shaw’s talk-sing bone-dry one-liners that sit atop perfectly under-produced post-punk riffs. The words cannot be not understood – The directness of the voice cannot be understated. And in the indie landscape: that’s saying something. The Achilles heel of indie rock, or garage rock, has always been a laziness and obliqueness to the lyrics that render them unmemorable, as well as the accepted mixing standard that allow for reverb and delay drenched vocals to be buried beneath loud guitars. The opposite would be hip-hop, where on average artists spend so much more time and effort into articulating the words that they’re communicating. I hope that this kind of lyrics-first indie trend (Dry Cleaning, Wet Leg, Cheekface) continues into 2022. And it looks like it will.
–Dan Moffat
Loraine James, Reflection
I love house. I love to dance. To groove. But at this point in life, I’ve heard enough cut/paste house loops, nonstop four-to-the-floor kicks, predictable drops. The more I interact with dance music, the more I crave uniqueness, eclecticism, weird friggin’ beats. That’s why LoJam’s album – which might best be described as “outsider house” – felt like such a breath of fresh air (albeit laced with some psychoactive gas). You can hear that it was designed by a framework of groovy house and danceable R&B, but it warbles that framework by eschewing the predictable tropes of streamlined pop house. It manages to achieve an inspiring balance that helped define 2021 for me: unabashedly weird and undeniably sexy.
–Harry Gustafson
Cheekface, Emphatically No.
Cheekface is what happens if you gave Parquet Courts a Twitter account, or if a clone of David Byrne had gifted kid burnout. On the band’s second full-length, anxieties big and small are filtered through tweet-like couplets that are part profundity and part punchline. Lines like “Sometimes I wonder if a single good thing exists on earth, and then I eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch” are delivered in Greg Katz’s dry sing-talk, buoyed by Amanda Tannen’s colorful bass lines. To call Emphatically No. a comedy album would be incorrect, and a disservice to the beating heart that the record is self-consciously wearing on its sleeve. (Fans of Ween know what I’m talking about). Look a little deeper and you’ll find real fears: Does the waiter think I’m an asshole? Is this salad overdressed? Will a giant pretzel make me feel better? No album this year felt more like the strange and hilarious hell of life in 2021 than Emphatically No.
–Ben Bonadies
Adult Mom, Driver
I knew I was going to pick this album after its single “Berlin” stayed stuck in my head for the entire month until the rest of Adult Mom’s third LP, Driver, dropped in March 2021. As it turns out, frontperson and driving force behind Adult Mom, Stevie Knipe, created a perfect lil indie pop album this year. Seriously, every song on Driver is neat, tight (half clock in under 3 minutes) and they’re all sweetly sing-along-able (if you don’t mind stumbling over your syllables trying to keep up with Knipe). In comparison to previous works, Driver definitely feels more polished — but not detached. Instead, they’re warm, relatable, and best of all, still extremely queer. In the age of unironic earnestness, Adult Mom offers an album filled with glimpses of trauma, intimate storytelling, and nostalgia under a pop-driven veil. For example “Adam” is a song that makes me want to (regrettably) rewatch Garden State — or rather, feel all the hormone-fueled hopeful-for-romance feelings I experienced as a teenager watching Garden State for the first time — and I love that! Similarly, “Berlin” gives impeccable mid ’00s Rilo Kiley vibes. “Sober” exudes confidence, but of only someone who’s separated themselves from a toxic relationship and still sometimes feels sad about it. In short, am I reading way too far into these songs? Absolutely. Would I ride shotgun to Driver? Anytime.
–Jackie Swisshelm
Indigo De Souza, Any Shape You Take
Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album surprised me. Not just because I hadn’t heard of the artist before, but because of how immediately incredible this album is. Any Shape You Take is gorgeous and breathtaking, but above all, its raw emotion is what kept me listening since its release. Whether it was bopping along in the car to the sheer bliss of “17” or screaming until there were tears in my eyes to “Real Pain” or “Kill Me.” This album has taken me through the full spectrum of human emotion in an already emotional year. It’s the kind of album that remains exciting long after your first listen and practically demands to be experienced live.
–Andrew Bourque
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
I’ll be honest and say that for the most part “British rap” is a particular kryptonite for me; for every Stormzy there’s a dozen guys rapping off-beat in indistinguishable Cockney. But Little Simz does something extremely different on this album, concocting a whole array of contradictory ideas and sounds into one coherent whole. For some of the album’s nineteen songs, she’s downplaying everything to a barebones minimalism, as she unleashes in no unspecific terms on past traumas surrounding her family, relationships and even the music industry. It’s an honesty that is often sought but rarely achieved, and some of the time she lays it all on the line for us with little music to distract us. Other times, however, she goes full theatrical. For some songs she’s forced to hide her vulnerability behind string sections and swooping scores that sound digested from an adventure movie. It’s not an accompaniment – it’s a shield, to keep the worst things hidden. It’s never clear song-to-song where the album is going, and the parts shouldn’t coexist half as well as they actually do. The more bombastic elements of this album do give it some needed pleasantness, and whether you choose to listen to this album as an engaging and fun one or a personal and heartbreaking one, it will be rewarding.
–Andrew McNally
Favorite Songs of the Year
Slayyyter, “Over This!”
Honestly 2021 has been a hell of year, and I kept returning to Slayyter’s “Over This!” because it helped me escape that hell. It’s a perfect pop song for dancing to forget your pain and air guitar to the breakdowns. We just need something fun like this song to keep our spirits up.
–Christine Varriale
MJ Lenderman, “Someone Get the Grill Out of the Rain”
My favorite country songs are full of universal truths, the kind of things people from all walks of life can relate to. Suffice to say, a lot of people like grilling. “Food on the grill just tastes better.” I’m always saying this. Asheville’s MJ Lenderman posits this, then: if you care so much about your grill, why would you leave it out in the rain to rust? Never before has a song that’s just about a minute long moved me to such tears. Working off the assumption that Lenderman’s supposed grill is actually a metaphor for taking care of the bigger things in your life (I dunno, mental health, relationships, etc.) before they become damaged I think it’s actually a very deep little song that disguises its wisdom in silliness, like a fable. And even if it is just about a rusty grill, Lenderman (who also plays guitar in Wednesday, that band rips listen to Twin Plagues) has such a cool understated way of playing and singing and recording that lends “Someone Get The Grill Out Of The Rain” a certain irresistibly scruffy southern charm. Lo-fi country done right.
–Dillon Riley
Cheekface, “Crying Back”
“I’m bringing crying back, Crying’s the new black, Crying on my snacks, [awkward silence]” is the kind of chorus my two-and-a-half year old daughter and I can both get into. Crying, snacks, SOLD. Also, “Girls and Boys” by Blur. What can I say, the kid has good taste. She also said Oasis was a one-trick pony band. No she didn’t, but she probably will someday.
“Crying Back” channels the zeitgeist of Bo Burnham-era pandemic music. We want to laugh when listening to music, and the music needs to be good on its own. Cheekface’s Greg Katz’ lyrics are chockfull of observational humor draped in slashing guitars, luscious drum pomp, and backing vocal oohs that recall peak Rolling Stones.
–Dan Moffat
Kanye West ft. Kid Cudi & Don Tolliver, “Moon”
I’ve never written about Kanye before, weirdly. I’ve tweeted thoughts, for sure, but never really sat down to go in depth on my complicated feelings for one of my favorite artists. Ye really doesn’t do his fans many favors: for every moment I want to give him boundless good will and support as a fan, so he can live a happy, healthy life, he goes off and does or says something that makes him seem like a silly goose at best and completely unhinged at worst. When I hear that he’ll be dropping new music, I don’t really get excited anymore, but I know I will still listen. Is this Stockholm Syndrome? Or have I developed a strategy where I have allowed myself to be perpetually surprised by the fact that Ye continues to make really good music? Now, not every song on Donda‘s unnecessarily long runtime should have made the cut, but even among a huge batch of superfluity, Donda has more than enough diamonds in the rough where there’s undoubtedly an excellent 10 to 14 track album in there. “Moon” is the cream of the crop for me, maybe more-so for the contributions of its guests than Ye himself. Actually, he’s barely on it, only popping up towards the end to parrot some of the lyrics from the chorus. Don Tolliver’s falsetto, Kid Cudi’s baritone ruminations, the simple guitar line: this track is breathtaking, emotional, heart-wrenching. For a song that was really just meant to serve as an interlude between “Remote Control” and “Heaven and Hell,” “Moon” somehow ended up being one of the best songs Kanye’s put out in years.
–Harry Gustafson
The War on Drugs, “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”
“I Don’t Live Here Anymore” plays like the triumphant walk-off music in an 80s blockbuster without any of the triumph. The drums boom, the guitar solos, the synth pulses, but Our Hero is alone, afraid, a creature void of form. It’s not until the backing vocals from pop group Lucius come in on the chorus that things brighten up. “I’m gonna walk through every doorway, I can’t stop,” is sung as the chorus barrels forward with the force of a locomotive. But there’s still an emptiness at the center of it alll. “We’re all just walking through this darkness on our own.” So yes, pump your fist at the rock and roll majesty of it all. I don’t live here anymore.
–Ben Bonadies
MUNA ft. Phoebe Bridgers, “Silk Chiffon”
If this song of the year choice reveals my true identity as a Phoebe Bridgers simp and basic indie sad girl bitch, I’m okay with that! It’s a hot bop that’s fun and also gay. We collectively needed that in 2021. I love this song. Honorable mention to another gay anthem, “Cold Heart” by Elton John and Dua Lipa.
–Jackie Swisshelm
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, “Like I Used To”
I don’t think anyone was expecting this collaboration to be bad. When two singer-songwriters of such caliber announce plans to collaborate, it’s hard to not build up expectations, but what Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen managed to put out was still beyond my dreams. “Like I Used To” plays like a classic song we’ve already loved for years. The song explodes and kicks you into gear before you even know it. By the time Olsen’s verse takes over, you’re already hooked. The first time I heard this song, I replayed it several times before even noticing. Like Olsen’s piercing gaze in the music video, it’ll stick with you.
–Andrew Bourque
Arlo Parks, “Green Eyes”
Arlo Parks is so cool. Just, so effortlessly cool. Everything about her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams just bleeds a natural coolness reserved for ’50s greasers. From the opening seconds of “Green Eyes,” there’s a smooth rhythm that’s very chill and comfortable. The R&B-influenced alternative sound is both familiar and unexpected. Her vocals are relaxed during the verses, sort of talk-sung, a rhythmic half-heartedness. Everything about the song musically makes it immensely listenable, something true for the entire album. What originally drew me to this song in particular was how much stronger the chorus is – a guitar lick kicks in and Parks ups her vocals as she goes into a very serious mode. As cool as everything may sound, “Eyes” is a very serious song – a letter written to a gay lover after a short romance, one where the addressee wasn’t comfortable being publicly out. It’s written with zero antagonism; the quiet verses are remorseful over the addressee’s treatment by her parents, and the verses are loudly inspirational. A sad tale is told here, even if it sounds like Parks is singing the choruses to more than just one person. Like any effortlessly cool person, there’s a lot of hurt and honesty just beyond the fun.
–Andrew McNally
Additional Jawn
Best Song to Cure Your Hot Topic Nostalgia: Meet Me @ the Altar, “Now or Never”
I discovered Meet Me @ The Altar last year on a whim tuning into a Zoom emo night. The band instantly caught me. I felt like I was transported back to 2005 when I first discovered Four Year Strong, but this time around, the songs are 0% misogynistic. This song and this band will fill your need for pop punk nostalgia but give you something you don’t need to feel guilty about listening to non-stop.
–Christine Varriale
Most Spine-Tingling Sound of the Year: The chorus of Carol’s “Change to Survive”
I’ve seen Carol play this song at least ten times this year across digital platforms like Twitch and Instagram and in person next to a record store and on an outdoor patio within a brewery. I still have no fucking idea how anyone on Earth can sing this high. Every time I hear the chorus of this beautiful song it short-circuits my brain, my eyes get real big, my heart starts beating fast, and I just sorta mutter “…how” under my breath like some sorta fool. Listen to this damn song once and dare to tell me you don’t wanna quit singing forever. True believers know what I’m talking about!
–Dillon Riley, #1 True Believer
Best Open Mic: Aeronaut Brewery Somerville
For the singer-songwriter community of Camberville, Aeronaut has been a relatively recent phenomenon over the past few years. The impact of the AB Open Mic has only increased since Cambridge’s beloved Lizard Lounge Open Mic Contest shuttered during lockdown and hasn’t returned. Host Mike Morrissey presides over the once-a-month showcase with a deft touch, corralling the evening into a highlight of the performers and not the host, as musicians play a scheduled and generous 15-minute time slot. Also, as opposed to the LLOMC, it’s not pay-to-play. Instead, the artists are compensated with a drink ticket for one of the more adventurous and capable breweries in the area.
–Dan Moffat
Top Four Arca Albums of the Year
I’m not actually going to rank the four albums Arca casually dropped in the span of a few days at the beginning of December. They’re all really good, showcasing the Venezuelan producer’s avant-garde and experimental take on reggaeton, dembow, and other Latin American genres that have gained so much popularity in the past few years. By the last two albums of the cycles, she’s evolved that sound into something more akin to witch house, ambient, modern classical. It’s hard to define what Arca does with genre; it’s like she takes elements that she likes from whatever genre she’s thinking about at the time, puts those elements in the same blender Aphex Twin sometimes plays with live, then pours that mixture directly onto a fax machine. It just makes you go, “Huh, I didn’t even know they still had fax machines.” They’re all part of the same album series – Kick – so it’s safe to assume that these releases are all meant to be grouped together. In that event, what’s the point of ranking them? They all slap. But for the record, I thought Kick iii was the best.
–Harry Gustafson
Best Song that Went TikTok Viral in 2021: “Wet” by Dazey and the Scouts
See you at the reunion show in March 2022 in Brooklyn.
–Jackie Swisshelm
Best Album to Forget the Pain of the Real World to: Mood Ring by Kississippi
We were all looking for some respite in 2021. Hiding from the horrors of the real world became a full time job and also proved impossible for most. Luckily for us bubblegum pop bitches, Philly-based Kississippi revealed their second album Mood Ring and everything seemed to be a little bit brighter. Across ten tracks, singer Zoe Reynolds takes listeners on a glittering journey packed with love and heartache that’s truly hard not to fall in love with. I dare anyone to listen and not feel the overflowing joy crushing down on you like an effervescent snorlax.
–Andrew Bourque
Best Use of a Metal Vocalist on a Ska Cover of a Punk Song: Jeff Rosenstock (& George Clarke), “S K A D R E A M”
Jeff released the best punk album of 2020 in “NO DREAM” and one of the best albums of his career. On April Fool’s Day he announced a full ska rendition of the album, surely just a joke that wouldn’t see the light of day, until he dropped it for real on 4/20. He reworked all the song titles to be about ska. For the title track he even brings in the Deafheaven guy. It’s ludicrous and none of this should work, but it’s the wildest thing I heard all year. Rejoice, grab the checkered shoes, and pick it up.
–Andrew McNally