Top 20 Tracks 2021

20. I Don’t Live Here Anymore – The War On Drugs

The War On Drugs employ their classic stadium rock sound, fusing elements of americana, rock, and dream pop, to create a luscious and epic landscape. On “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”, a punchy 80’s rhythm pushes the track forward, joined by a chorus of backup vocals that elevate the track to exciting heights. Although the track is a reflection of the past and looking back, it sounds like The War On Drugs keeps moving forward.

19. That Funny Feeling – Bo Burnham

It might seem odd to include a comedian on an end of year music list, but Bo Burnham is right at home here, with a track that is a showcase in capturing post-modern dread through songwriting that feels simple, but has an abundance of witty depth. Against the backdrop of only his acoustic guitar, he delivers a montage of environmental concerns, sociopolitical oddities, and capitalist nightmares, building a picture that is equal parts comedic and horrifying. Centered in the omen “twenty-thousand years of this, seven more to go”, this track shows Bo’s lyrical knack, and exemplifies the best aspects of his artistic work.

18. Beating – Tirzah

With a pulsing synth reminiscent of an ultrasound, experimental R&B songwriter Tirzah sings to her partner about the power of creating life. The song is understated and intimate, with Tirzah’s vocals delivered in bursts of soulful reflection. The track is largely unchanging, and the instrumental cycles in a hypnotic fashion, unwavering, like the love professed in the lyrics. As the centerpiece to her latest album Colourgrade, it is an ode to the growth that comes with life changes.

17. Prester John – Animal Collective

The legendary experimental band return with a new style, showcasing groovy rhythms and very Beach Boys-esque harmonized vocals. Full of little instrumental embellishments, the track glitters with synthesizers and a catchy and dominant bass line. The track is unlike any of the work that established Animal Collective as essential musicians, but it finds them catching a comfortable stride in a way fans have not heard in quite some time.

16. Kill Me – Indigo De Souza

The closer to Indigo De Souza’s fantastic Any Shape You Take really captures the up and coming indie rocker’s energetic performance abilities. The song focuses on a feeling of being overwhelmed and over it, simply offering the solution to “kill me”, in a nonchalant way that is humorously indifferent. The song builds into a cathartic climax, with De Souza belting her heart out, telling the world that she is “not having much fun.” I think on this track she’s actually having a blast.

15. Candle – Buck Meek

With the warm tone of twangy slide guitar and americana, Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek writes a welcoming song of nostalgia and reencounters. Co-written by bandmate Adrianne Lenker, the lyrics of this track tap into a familiar feeling of uncertainty, with the chorus refrain “Did your eyes change? I remember them blue, or were they always hazel?” The verses are cryptic, but manage to convey a sense of an old connection, one that you might not remember, but can feel in your heart.

14. Superstar – Beach House

The reliable dream pop duo return with a lush and floaty track. With their classic use of layered synthesizers and guitar, “Superstar” is a steady rise into an epic dreamscape, driven by an upbeat bass and drumbeat, gaining steam as the track progresses. Layers of strings, backing vocals, and synths are inconspicuously added into the mix, until almost without a trace, the track has entered a euphoric haze, full of wonder and joy. The music shines like the very night sky it evokes in its lyrics.

13. Sit Around The Fire – Jon Hopkins

Here is a track that encapsulates true peace. With the distant sound of falling water, ambient synths, and a slow reverberating piano, Jon Hopkins sets the stage for a meditative experience. At the crux of this meditation is a vocal excerpt from the venerable Ram Dass, which plays throughout most of the recording, edited to fall in pace with Hopkins’ sublime ambience. Dass explores the nature of turning within, of meditating, and finding peace with yourself, speaking in a way that feels grounded and descriptive. Throughout the track the sound of embers crackle in the background, and you would swear you could almost feel the warmth, and see the low, flickering light.

12. The Only Heartbreaker – Mitski

Mitski’s newest single doubles down on the 80’s-inspired sound explored on Be The Cowboy, and the end result is an absolute banger. With a punchy 80’s beat, chorus-laden guitar, and bold synthesizers, the track does not try to hide its retro style, but rather jumps in head first from the top of the diving board. The unbelievably fun music is led by Mitski’s powerful vocals, lamenting over her role as “the only heartbreaker” in a relationship, causing one-sided pain to her partner. The juxtaposition of the emotionally wrought lyrics and the positively delightful music is a Mitski classic, and she demonstrates yet again why she can make it work so well.

11. More – Low

Among the many abrasive moments of Hey What, none stands out quite as much as the raw power of “More”, a track that will almost certainly have you recoil the first time you hear it. The track is driven by a crushing distorted riff that loops for the full two-minute duration, never letting up, never giving any breathing room. And yet, for all its harshness, this track is catchy to the core, thanks to Mimi Parker’s angelic melody that is the perfect companion to the fiery music, ending with an almost joyous chorus of la-la-las that anyone could hum along to. Mimi sings a song of disillusion, listing the many ways in which she wanted, needed, or deserved more. The power of her plea is augmented by the charged instrumental, perhaps the breaking point of the frustration of never getting enough.

10. Tried To Tell You – The Weather Station

When you match a band that is operating in sync with quality songwriting, what you end up with is inevitably a memorable hit. For The Weather Station, this rings true on the standout track “Tried To Tell You”, which uses a wide array of instruments and performers to create a richly layered sound that does not overwhelm, but instead locks together to make it stronger. Groovy and cool, the track does not overreach in its scope, especially with the elegantly understated vocal performance of Tamara Lindeman, who flexes her lyrical ability with the story of receiving a phone call from a friend who cannot get over a love interest. Her tough love is best summarized in the line “I will not help you not to feel, to tell yourself it wasn’t real. And only fools believe this is what songs are for.” If only our friends’ advice could always come packaged in such catchy music.

9. Sacude – Xenia Rubinos

On Una Rosa, Xenia Rubinos creates a wonderfully unique blend of sounds from pop, electronica, and latin music, that manages to be attention grabbing, bold, and incredibly fun. On “Sacude” these elements reach their peak, with bombastic beats that will make you want to crank up the volume. Opening with English vocals and then fully transitioning to Spanish, the track finds Xenia feeling out of sorts, with pain, feeling overwhelmed, but ultimately attempting to “shake it out”. As she repeats this adage to herself throughout the second half the song, the music hits a fever pitch, becoming lost in an irresistible dance rhythm. Sometimes there’s no better remedy than shaking your body to the music.

8. Little Things – Big Thief

In the last few years, Big Thief have demonstrated that they can do no wrong. Since their 2016 debut Masterpiece, their musical output has been as prolific as it has been impressive. For their first singles since their 2019 double album release, they prove they are still at the top of their game. On this track, a high energy is maintained throughout, with the strumming of a 12-string guitar as the backbone to an upbeat jam. In the forefront, Adrianne Lenker employs her unique voice and songwriting to explore a relationship that is imbalanced, where she finds herself fully absorbed by romanticism, even if her partner does not quite reciprocate. Choosing instead to focus on the “little things I like about you”, Adrianne reminds us that sometimes the heart trumps the mind.

7. I Lie Awake – Lightning Bug

The time spent laying in bed unable to sleep and consumed by thoughts can be full of visceral emotion. Tossing and turning thinking about something or someone, about the past and future, it is often deeply overwhelming. Both through Audrey Kang’s mesmerizing vocals and lyrics, and through Lightning Bug’s bursting instrumentation, these late-night moments come to life in song. With an ethereal vocal delivery, Audrey sings like a siren about seeing “people I used to be”, “love I used to hold”, and “friends I failed or lost”. Reverb soaks every instrument on the track, sounding like a dream, and adding weight to the track’s insomnia. Ultimately, the song collapses in on itself in a distorted haze, ending with a classic shoegaze sound and embodying the feeling of wanting to escape our waking thoughts to no avail.

6. Paprika – Japanese Breakfast

No track on this list encapsulates the feeling of pure joy quite like “Paprika”, the opener on Japanese Breakfast’s Jubilee. The slow hum of synthesizer chords warms the air as Michelle Zauner quickly takes center stage on the track. As she describes waking from a dream and the beautiful imagery from it, the song bursts magnificently into a golden celebration. With delightful snares and a vocal melody that inspires a smile, the track quickly wraps you up in happiness. Like icing on the cake, a beautiful horn section erupts into existence, bringing the track to its peak, which it rides until the very end. My only wish is that this track and its joy would never end.

5. Days Like These – Low

On “Days Like These”, Low demonstrate their uncanny ability to navigate through both the ferocious and beautiful sounds of Hey What. Opening with just harmonized vocals and low mixed keys, Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker reflect on living in moments we could not have imagined, finding yourself feeling at odds with the world around you. This feeling turns to a deep anxiety in the second verse, as an electrifying distortion is channeled through and around their voices. Rather than expressed through a clear narrative, this feeling is delivered through simple, yet powerful statements, each one a small vignette of dread. “Days Like These” are a result of these thoughts and feelings, of chasing dreams, of “looking for that one sure thing you wanted so desperately”, of never feeling complete. As these thoughts settle, so does the music, fading into a low ambience as the duo simply repeat the word “again.” Their voices are haunting well after the song ends.

4. Good Days – SZA

There is good reason why SZA is one of the most noteworthy voices in contemporary R&B. As her first solo single since her incredible 2017 album Ctrl, “Good Days” answers why, highlighting all the best aspects of her musicianship. As the track opens, a fingerpicked acoustic guitar takes the lead, quickly becoming the driver in the track’s main rhythm. With its use of reverb and delay, it sounds like it belongs in a mellow indie rock song, yet paired with the simple drum track, it works perfectly in getting you bobbing to the rhythm. These unorthodox instrumentation decisions distinguish SZA, just as they did on Ctrl. Then of course, there is her unmistakable vocal performance that always manages to be powerful, yet cool and vulnerable. Singing with hope of better days to come in getting over a past relationship, SZA showcases her lovely vibrato with confidence. Supporting male vocals with an airy “always in my mind” come in, a hypnotic sound that matches the feeling of being consumed by the thoughts of what could have been. But SZA doesn’t sound lost, in fact she is as self-assured as ever.

3. Like I Used To – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen

Out of the gate, the indie rock duo, both powerful vocalists and songwriters in their own right, sound unstoppable. Led in by a confident drum fill, “Like I Used To” explodes onto the scene, with guitars and piano triumphantly making way for the pair to sing a classic duet, both showcasing their own vocals, as well as working together seamlessly. Taking turns on lead, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen trade off melodies and harmonies, each bringing their own characteristic flair to the track, both sounding liberated, completely enjoying their moment in a song full of life. Resonant with the changes caused by the pandemic and quarantine, the track reflects on life in isolation, “calling my family just to know they’re there” or sleeping in late and avoiding crowds. Yet the duo shift their tone in the second half, singing with optimism about their attitudes. Saying yes, we are “lighting one up” and” dancing all alone”, but we are opening our hearts and falling in love, just like we used to. The pair inspire a personal hope for our wellbeing in trying times, and sound incredible doing so.

2. Hey – Low

A lot of the discussion surrounding Low’s phenomenal album Hey What speaks to its incredible use of noise, often pushing the limits of abrasiveness and distortion. Certainly, for me, this element of their music is central to my enjoyment of it, but it goes hand in hand with the deep beauty that surrounds their songwriting. On “Hey”, Low decide to showcase this beauty in the most captivating and monumental way. With a spectral vocal delivery, Mimi Parker, supported in harmony by Alan Sparhawk, sings with a restrained intensity, her voice floating among the pulsing synthesizers that fill the track. A deep rumbling bass is added into the mix, sounding enormous in the already massive space of the music. Mimi’s voice is heard throughout the track interjecting with a brief “hey”. Like echoes of the past, it comes back again and again, an ember that refuses to burn out. The song dissolves into an ambient memory of the first half of the track, with Mimi calling our attention back among the haze. Even without words, this final passage is deeply evocative. In this massive ambience, there is a beauty that is as enigmatic as it is powerful.

1. Hard Drive – Cassandra Jenkins

From the first time I heard “Hard Drive”, I knew that there was nothing I had ever heard quite like it. I knew that there was a uniqueness and charm to it that could be felt immediately. At the heart of this track, is the idea of human connection, and how interactions with those around us, strangers or close friends, can shape our experience. Retelling anecdotes about a variety of people, Cassandra Jenkins opts for a simple yet rhythmic spoken word delivery, sounding approachable and relatable. As each spoken word verse ends, her speech transitions effortlessly into soft singing, making for a delightfully varied listen to her stories. All the while, saxophone, guitars, and synthesizers meander in the background, creating a serene backdrop to Cassandra’s soothing voice. Sonically, the track is familiar, but richly teeming with detail. Hearing her anecdotes, a casual conversation with a security guard, a small lecture from a bookkeeper, a friend teaching her how to drive, and running into an old friend, we see how each interaction affects her anxieties. Be it getting forced to discuss politics, or suddenly being confronted with another’s existentialism, the effect of strangers is described as chaotic, well-meaning as they may be. But importantly, Cassandra illustrates how friends who are genuinely concerned for our wellbeing aid in our recovery. Sometimes, this comes in the shape of being directly asked if we’re ok and admitting to ourselves we are not. Other times, it is those who are willing to give us advice and soothe our anxieties, someone who will say “close your eyes, I’ll count to three. Take a deep breath, count with me.” Through this beautiful track, we should all be reminded to be kind and caring to those around us. You never know who is having a hard drive through this life.