Like many of you, I listen to a lot of music. I love to sit down at the end of the year and take a look at the ones that spent the most time in my ears. What you're about to see is my top 10 list of my favorite albums of 2021. I say favorite because they're the ones I listened to the most.
Before we start, I want to remind people this is an all genre list. I'll post another list of just my favorite country albums.
Here we go!
1) Morgan Wade - Reckless - Morgan released this album herself and immediately caught my ear. I came across it through a playlist on Spotify. The first song I heard was 'Matches and Metaphors' and I was hooked. I had to hear more. Morgan's music sounds kind of like if Bruce Springsteen decided he wanted to play country. There's a grit to it and the storytelling is so honest and heartfelt. I spent a lot of time with this record and think you'll love it too. Rolling Stone loved it. They put it at #13 on their top albums of the year list.
2) Origami Angel - Gami Gang - I don't remember how I found this one but I'm so glad I did. These guys are from the D.C. area. The music is hard to describe but I think the closest category I could put them under is pop punk. I get so many different vibes from them. Origami Angel's songwriting is super catchy and totally off the walls. Their metaphors and wordplay are unlike anything I've ever heard.
3) Olivia Rodrigo - Sour - This girl was everywhere in 2021. The year started with Olivia dominating the charts with 'Driver's License' and we watched song after song come out to rave reviews. It's always easy to blow over a pop star like this when looking at top albums of the year. But Olivia's album SOUR is phenomenal. It's filled with pop anthems and reminds me so much of some of the music I used to listen to when I was in high school in the 90's.
4) Turnstile - Glow On - Baltimore's own Turnstile came back in 2021 with a bang. They released 'Glow On' to a ton of critical acclaim. It's not often a hardcore band finds their way into Rolling Stone's top albums of the year list. These guys hit a whole new level on this record and I love that Charm City is being represented in the heavy rock world again.
5) JP Saxe - Dangerous Levels of Introspection - Like most of you, I first came across JP Saxe when he did that hit duet with Julia Michaels 'If The World Was Ending'. I've since found him doing duets with other amazing artists like Maren Morris and Maisie Peters. He released his debut solo album this year and it didn't disappoint. JP Saxe also has a way with words. Somehow there's a song for every emotion I have.
6) Every Time I Die - Radical - I've been a big fan of these guys for a couple decades now. Somehow, even though they're more than 20 years into being a band, they feel like they just hit their stride. Every Time I Die's new album is basically the reason the speakers in my car don't sound so hot anymore. I'm pretty sure I blew one of them out listening to this too loud. It's brutal in the best possible ways.
7) Maisie Peters - You Signed Up For This - I don't know what it is exactly about Maisie Peters but I love her. Her voice is unique, her songwriting is so clever and keeps me on my toes, and her music is just so damn catchy. I've been a fan for the last few years, so I was stoked to finally get a full length album from her. 'You Signed Up For This' definitely lived up to expectations.
8) Niko Moon - Good Time - Niko Moon is the shot in the arm that country music needed in 2021. He takes his country and hip hop influences and fuses them together into what I think is the best party mix around. His upbeat attitude and lyrics are perfect for a rainy day. I don't know about you but his songs always make me smile. No sad songs here.
9) Avenue Beat - The Debut Farewell Album - This album breaks my heart. The three women behind Avenue Beat were on their way up when one decided it was time to leave the group, putting an end to their story. But thankfully they did put out an album with all of the songs that we hadn't had a chance to hear yet. The harmonies these girls put together are unlike anything else around. The last song on the record, 'This Is Goodbye' honestly made me cry the first time I heard it. It's so sad to me that the world won't hear more music from Avenue Beat. At least they gave us this gem.
10) Converge - Blood Moon: I - Converge takes me back to my high school days. I grew up a few miles from where these guys got their start. They were the kings of the local music scene back then and have continued to push the boundaries of heavy music over the last 3 decades. 'Blood Moon: I' is no exception. They teamed up with a few of their friends to put out their most experimental album to date. It's definitely different, but I love it.