The Brighton Film Club's Albums of the Year 2021

Christmas and the end of the year is always a good time to reflect as well as look forward. Once again, the year has been spent swinging like one of those pirate ship theme park rides between optimism and dread and, once again, we can only look forward with some degree of hope yet tinged with worry.

2021 did see some semblance of normal life return and the return of live music will have been a particular highlight for many. Typically, it's been another year stacked with new album releases as well - the artists of the world going above and beyond to, once again, light up our lives with inspired music.

Sadly, no year will pass without being tinged by tragedy and we must think of and honour those who have sadly departed us this year: MF Doom, Sylvain Sylvain, Gerry Marsden, SOPHIE, Bunny Wailer, DMX, Anita Lane, Joey Jordison, Dusty Hill, Don Everly, Charlie Watts and Lee 'Scratch' Perry to name a few, as well as the breakup of Daft Punk.

It's been a fascinating year of new music with huge variety across the top 25 from blockbuster surprise releases and a healthy smattering of quite remarkable debuts. One release not considered (due to not really being a proper 'album') but which could quite easily settle right at the top of the pile is Bo Burnham's songs from Inside, one of the most incredible pieces of art in any form, lockdown-released or otherwise, you're likely to ever have the honour of seeing. The songs are masterful but you really need to see the special first so the album isn't included here. And so, after the customary squabbles and shuffles, is The Brighton Film Club’s Albums of the Year 2021:

25. Kanye West - Donda

24. illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More

23. Idles - Crawler

22. Pale Waves - Who Am I?

21. Royal Blood - Typhoons

20. Ashnikko - Demidevil 19. girl in red - if i could make it go quiet 18. Chloe Moriondo - Blood Bunny 17. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour 16. Tyler, The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost 15. Bleachers - Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night 14. Matt Maltese - Good Morning It's Now Tomorrow 13. Black Honey - Written & Directed 12. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take 11. Sun June - Somewhere 10. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World 9. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Blue Banisters 8. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever 7. Snail Mail - Valentine 6. No Rome - It's All Smiles 5. The War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore 4. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

3. St. Vincent - Daddy's Home 2. Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend 1. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage

A shout out as well to some awesome EP's by beabadoobee, Sorry, K. Flay, Yonaka, Creeper and Gang Of Youths (leading to what will be another masterful album next year for sure) as well as releases from the vaults of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Taylor Swift.

Stay safe everybody and roll on 2022.