![]() I’ve cried more tears to Blue Rev than I have anything else this year, always at the most unexpected of times, when a lyric or a guitar hits just right.Īlvvays songs have a way of sneaking up on you like that. The band blends effervescence and melancholy in a way that is as satisfying as it is true to life. But she also channels the moments when everything seems okay, where you have no choice but to embrace what’s alright and good in the world. Molly Rankin sings about stumbling, succumbing to pressure, feeling unfulfilled and uninspired. The songs on Blue Rev are hooky and heartfelt, a series of powder-keg explosions that burst with emotion. It seemed like fate might have been conspiring against them - a flood, a thief, and a pandemic threatened to derail the band - but they forged ahead and created a marvel. Every time I listen to it, I wonder how Alvvays managed to pull it off. Emma Maddenīlue Rev is a feat of alchemy, an album whose pleasures are simple but whose execution is complex. As disquieting as it is straight up beautiful, A Light For Atttacting Attention makes you feel moth-like unable to do anything but move closer to the music, to be lit up by Yorke’s generative plea. ![]() From there, the trio devilishly shifts between the familiar and the flustering Yorke’s smooth, pellucid vocals make you feel the ease of sleep while Greenwood’s darting riffs and Skinner’s peculiar time signatures force you to feel the terror of falling into nightmarish dreams. “People in the street, PLEASE!” he resolutely moans, not so much grabbing you by the shoulders but gently shaking you awake. ![]() How does Thom Yorke get your attention? How does he get you to feel the beating of your own heart? Does he really need to plead? On the debut album from the Smile - a trio comprising Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and drummer Tom Skinner of the London jazz quartet Sons of Kemet - Yorke presents a simple call to humanity over anxious, digressive, scurrying grooves. Inevitably, you’ll find something to love. There’s also rap and country and metal and arena-pop and hardcore and emo and avant-garde weirdness. There’s plenty of indie rock on this list. The end result is a wild and jagged ride that encompasses a lot of different genres and ideas and approaches. Our writers, both full-timers and freelancers, voted on which albums would make our year-end list, and then we argued and cajoled and debated that list even further once the votes were in. In the end, every album on this list has loud, fervent fans on the Stereogum staff. Some of us thought that certain albums were bulletproof locks for the top spots on this list. But that doesn’t mean that we’re ever going to agree with each other, and it sure as hell doesn’t mean that you’re going to agree with us. The Stereogum writers all love and respect each other, and we all love and respect you, the readers who keep us in business. Instead, this year’s best albums tended to be passion projects - not just for the musicians who made the records but also for the critics who advocated for those records. Sometimes, massive and generation-defining albums announce themselves in obvious fashion. Sometimes, though, a few overwhelming favorites emerge immediately. It’s never easy to put together a list of the year’s best music, especially when you’re dealing with a small crew of passionate writer types. ![]() That statement probably applies more generally, but in this case, we’re talking about the Stereogum staff and the year’s best music.
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