For the first time since 2014 there is going to be no album getting that first among equals status. Maybe this is a tilt towards the trend of art not being a competition or that a suitable candidate did not soar to that spot of towering over others in the personal appreciation stakes. Although merit is seen in the first statement, when it comes to a purely personal perspective there is nothing wrong in evaluating music on an objective basis and ranking preference. A proclamation of the best has always been a ludicrous concept here with the term favourite deemed the most appropriate way of defining a certain album of any given period. Therefore it transpires that 2021 is the first year where one doesn't jump out from a shortlist curated by perusing the lengthy parade of releases accruing plenty of listening time. So there is no successor to Brandy Clark's Your Life is a Record. There was a strong contender but in the final shake up it didn't meet the criteria that elevated each of the previous year's number ones in terms of daylight between the others.
So to wrap up the listening year of 2021 here is the shortlist of releases most enjoyed over the last twelve months. Each album has either a review or access link, where applicable.
Afterlight//Thea Gilmore - Afterlight
Amy Speace - There Used to be Horses Here
Annie Keating - Bristol County Tides
Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days
Fine Lines - Deadbeat Lullabies
Ingram, Randall and Lambert - The Marfa Tapes
Jenny Colquitt - Something Beautiful
Katherine Priddy - The Eternal Rocks Beneath
Mark Germino - Midnight Carnival
Natalie Hemby - Pins and Needles