2021: Gus's Best Of
by Gus Rocha
In many ways, 2021 can be seen as transitional. The year began at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both the nation and the world battled a new wave of infections that triggered a second round of lockdowns, leaving millions of people feeling less than optimistic about the future. As the winter months wore on, traces of hope in the form of the new vaccines broke through an otherwise pervasive feeling of gloom, so that by the time spring started in the Northern Hemisphere, normalcy, once again, began to feel attainable.
This reigning sense of optimism lingered through the summer months and, by and large, continued through the remainder of the year, as the social norms that once defined “normal life” gradually reclaimed their lost ground. In this context, as we edge closer to the year’s end, it’s safe to say that this world in flux is the one that we currently inhabit. For the first time in almost two years, as 2022 looms on the horizon, a full return to the so-called “old normal” feels like a feasible prospect.
Against this backdrop of uncertainty, the music world didn’t miss a beat when it came to mirroring the anxieties and inner turmoil shared by millions. In this sense, the music industry was integral in both shaping and reinforcing the cultural zeitgeist at the onset of this new decade. Themes of reflection, compassion, self-affirmation, and personal discovery became standard mantras for an industry that seemingly came to take on a quasi-therapeutic role for many listeners and artists alike. The immutable nature of change—both external and personal—likewise became a favorite topic explored by artists across numerous musical, social, and generational divides. And the concept of personal growth became the core principle at the center of a cultural and spiritual milieu that often seemed in the process of dissolving and breaking apart.
In terms of sonic and stylistic development, this obsession with change and penchant for growth showed their face in albums that continued to push the boundaries of sound in ways that could certainly be considered bolder, both in terms of composition and production. Whether through the compelling marriage story of noise, classical, and EDM—one of the year’s most common and exciting motifs—or the reimagining of one’s material as a way to assert one’s agency over one’s work, the winds of change remained constantly ablow as an integral part of the cultural and musical climate.
Understandably, all of these factors made for a fascinating year as a music listener, a fact that made narrowing down my top-ten albums an especially uneasy task. Still, it was a fun process that included a significant amount of self-reflection and self-assessment. As I compiled my list, I turned to two separate notebooks that contained all of the notes I took throughout the year as I worked on reviews for various outlets. I considered all of the albums that for a variety of reasons I’d rated highly. From there, I thought about these albums’ stylistic and aesthetic significance. In other words, can they be said to represent the stylistic pivots heard in popular music both as a response to the COVID pandemic and to the various trends in music consumption that have characterized the start of this new decade?
Ultimately, it is my firm belief that this is, in fact, the case. And so, without further ado, I give you the ten albums that, in my mind, exemplify the humbling, deconstructive, and much-awaited transition into the “after times,” listed in both ascending and chronological order: the 2020s slowly breaking into blossom.
Enjoy.
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 | Courtney Barnett -- Things Take Time, Take Time A record with all the qualities of an instant classic—it’s fresh, warm, and undeniably honest—Courtney Barnett’s third LP finds her at her artistic peak as she regales us with the kind of captivating feel-good music that’s both fortuitously timely and undeniably lasting. |
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