Play them loud: 2021鈥檚 best albums so far
During the first half of the year, live music venues have been mostly shuttered. Fortunately, there鈥檚 been no shortage of great recorded music in the interim.听
Among the notable 2021 albums听so far are Nick Cave and Warren Ellis鈥� 鈥淐arnage鈥� (rock), Erika De Casier鈥檚 鈥淪ensational鈥� (R&B/hip-hop), Steve Earle鈥檚 鈥淛.T.鈥� (country), Squid鈥檚 鈥淏right Green Field鈥� (progressive), Mdou Moctar鈥檚 鈥淎frique Victime鈥� (African blues), and Wolf Alice鈥檚 鈥淏lue Weekend鈥� (alternative/indie).
We鈥檝e chosen to highlight here a few on the list听that you probably won鈥檛 come across on the radio or popular streaming playlists. Our subjective selections exemplify excellent craftsmanship and keen artistic vision. They each, in their own way, offer sonic nourishment for the head and heart. For best results, play them loud and with the lights off.
Why We Wrote This
Expressive music from a range of artists is being released this year. Even if live venues are shuttered, these standout albums encourage joy 鈥� and contemplation.
Elation needs no translation听
Most of Arooj Aftab鈥檚 鈥淰ulture Prince鈥� is sung in Urdu. But the sadness and elation in her voice requires no translation. Ms. Aftab left Pakistan to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and now lives in New York City. Her third album 鈥� a requiem for her deceased younger brother 鈥� is rooted in the mournful and spiritual traditions of ghazal and qawwali music. But 鈥淰ulture Prince鈥� also breaks from those Pakistani forms by incorporating jazz and electronic instrumentation. The exultant 鈥淟ast Night鈥� even veers into听reggae. Only two of the songs feature percussion. Mostly, these spacious and atmospheric recordings focus on the harmonic interplay between harp, violin, cello, double bass, and flugelhorn. Ms. Aftab鈥檚 expressive voice is the dominant instrument. She carefully enunciates each syllable with perfect pitch. Like a hummingbird hovering in place, the singer holds fluttering notes before suddenly darting to a higher elevation. 鈥淰ulture Prince鈥� is the sound of someone seeking solace and healing through the grace of music.听
The return of Crowded House
Neil Finn, the New Zealand songwriter for Crowded House 鈥� and a current member of Fleetwood Mac 鈥� has certainly written melodies that velcro themselves to memory, as anyone who鈥檚 heard 鈥淒on鈥檛 Dream It鈥檚 Over鈥� can attest. The new Crowded House release, 鈥淒reamers Are Waiting,鈥� is the group鈥檚 first album in a decade. This time out, Mr. Finn and co-founding member Nick Seymour (bass) have roped in Mr. Finn鈥檚 two sons, Liam (guitar) and Elroy (drums). The multipart vocal harmonies of the four men, best showcased on the ballad 鈥淪how Me the Way,鈥� are a special feature of this new lineup. Keyboardist and producer Mitchell Froom layers these recordings with details that yield fresh discoveries with each listen. The seasoned musicians are producing pop music for adults 鈥撎齱ith lyrics that often reflect that.听The band鈥檚 revival couldn鈥檛 be better timed. Euphoric anthems such as 鈥淏ad Times Good,鈥� 鈥淭o the Island,鈥� and 鈥淧laying With Fire鈥� may lift the weariest spirits laid low by the pandemic.
Focus required for this cosmic experience
On his first new recording in over a decade, Pharoah Sanders on tenor saxophone starts off drowsily, as if waking from a long slumber. The celebrated sax player has teamed up with Floating Points (the moniker adopted by electronic musician Sam Shepherd) and the London Symphony Orchestra. Their album, 鈥淧romises,鈥� is a continuous piece of music divided into nine movements. It constellates around the nucleus of a seven-note ostinato, or repeated musical phrase,听played on piano, harpsichord, and celesta. Roused by the recurring ripple of notes, Mr. Sanders鈥� initially raspy reed smoothes into lengthy, crystalline phrases. Mr. Shepherd, the composer, keeps unfurling new layers. Following a bellowing sax solo during the sixth movement, the symphony鈥檚 brass and strings cascade in lilting rhapsody. It sounds like the birth of a cosmos. 鈥淧romises鈥� demands true immersion and singular focus of the auditory senses 鈥� the sort of listening that is a rare art in an age of social media and multitasking.听
Americana peacemaker
Can an album be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize? Israel Nash鈥檚 鈥淭opaz鈥� preaches that empathy is key to bridging personal, political, and pandemic divisions. The songwriter鈥檚 sixth full-length album has less psychedelic rock than previous outings, but he retains his hippie ideals. 鈥淒own in the Country鈥� describes a Middle America that Mr. Nash believes has been betrayed by cynical politicians. 鈥淪utherland Springs鈥� is an elegy for the 2017 mass shooting in that town.听The Texas-based songwriter鈥檚 joyful anthems draw on country, soul, rock, and folk 鈥� with occasional strong language.听The opener, 鈥淒ividing Lines,鈥� establishes the template. It鈥檚 a melting pot of sound in which the flavors remain distinct. At the very least, 鈥淭opaz鈥� should be nominated for best Americana album at the Grammys.听
John Hiatt鈥檚 classic sound听
John Hiatt is the songwriter鈥檚 songwriter. The Nashville-based artist may never have won a Grammy, but his compositions have been covered by dozens of musicians including Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Keith Urban. Mr. Hiatt is an example of an artist who鈥檚 at his creative peak nearly 50 years since he released his debut album. (Seek out his 2014 masterwork, 鈥淭erms of My Surrender.鈥�) 鈥淟eftover Feelings,鈥� his latest album, a collaboration with the Jerry Douglas Band, opens with the humorous song 鈥淟ong Black Electric Cadillac.鈥� 鈥淪he鈥檒l go a thousand miles on a charge,鈥� sings the veteran troubadour, adding, 鈥淚鈥檓 runnin鈥� subterranean air conditioning / And a full electron photo array in my backyard.鈥� If the lyrics are very 2021, the bluegrass band sounds like it鈥檚 from 1921. A classic sound for a classic storyteller who鈥檚 exploring fresh approaches to his craft.
