The Line of Best Fit's Best Albums of 2021

Shannon Lay delivers a profoundly beautiful, perfectly formed masterpiece with Geist.

As carefree as it is frustrated, as playful as it is temperamental, WILLOW’s lately I feel EVERYTHING is a straight up lively hit of jaded emo bangers that will have a new generation of listeners whipping their hair back and forth.

The unique identity in each one of the 13 tracks is what makes it such a terrific and arresting listen.

Once again, the band finds healing and beauty in their own chaotic vortex, and once again they invite everyone listening to do the same, joining them on their most exploratory and cathartic ride yet.

Using cinematic references to divide her latest record into three acts, Musgraves tells the story of this chapter of her life through the exposition, the climax, and the resolution. Often referencing unique personal tragedy while translating her tales through whimsical compositions and poetic lyrics.

One Foot in Front of the Other is joyful and unpretentious – Griff seems to have indeed found her footing in the industry and it doesn’t look like she’ll be leaving anytime soon.

A masterful record that sounds like a full flowering of a remarkable talent. It is true: Ignorance can indeed be bliss.

All in all, Pink Noise is a roaring success for Mvula’s reinvention. It’s a joyous celebration of her past, her present, and all the success that is to come in her future. Laura Mvula is back, and she’s not going anywhere.

Owusu’s debut offering not only manages to deftly balance style with substance, but does so with a jubilance that gives as much reason to curl up your own most toothy grin.

Each element of Fatigue has its importance, distinguishing itself also by the prowess of some great and varied highlights ... One even ends up regretting that Fatigue is so short.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore is The War On Drugs’ most perfect album.

Charistmatically stepping onto the scene with an unmistakable presence in an era of reclaiming confidence is not an easy feat but Remi Wolf has delivered a debut that is powered by a true liveliness to be fun and real.

While the cosy acoustic folk of Sling is indebted to her influences — Joni Mitchell, Carole King, the Carpenters — Cottrill makes it wholly her own; it’s the perfect habitat for her introspection.

If i could make it go quiet cements girl in red as a dynamic and wholly committed force ... It's a strong debut that will in no doubt be held in reverence for its musical deftness as it will its personal exorcism.

Friends That Break Your Heart is a pretty on-the-nose title, even by James Blake’s standards. But this isn’t a return to the early melancholic Blake that the title suggests, nor is it a continuation of the most recent Blake, bowled over by love. His fifth studio album is intriguingly somewhere in the middle.

She didn’t make a record expected of her even by fans of her last LP and, in doing so, has produced something which is strange, chaotic and utterly her own.

Red (Taylor's Version) sees Swift delivered a package that balances fan service alongside an insightful documentation of one of modern pop’s best songwriters at a key juncture in her career.

Any Shape You Take is a record about heartbreak and despair. But it’s also more than that. It encompasses the extremes of human emotion, as De Souza shoots back and forth across the divide like a pendulum in full swing.

Demidevil ... sees Ashnikko revel in her playfully acerbic humour, but also explores friendships and the emotional vulnerability behind her facade.

Truly establishing themselves as the bright possibilites of guitar music, and blurring lines along with setting new ones out, ultimately with Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice continue to be the very essence of what is to be a band while also remaining - more importantly - human.

Mdou Moctar’s energy for revolution is full force experience, as exhilarating as it is inspiring, and it is made more powerful by his sincere love and understanding of the Tuareg tradition.

Even with the online version trimmed to his ex-label's liking, LP! is a riveting display of hip-hop steeped in its future while also embracing all the music Peggy has consumed up until this point. But it is his version that possesses his proper signature, and truthfully, it's the only one worth writing about.

Still Over It plays to the Atlanta singer’s strengths, striking a similar balance between club-ready anthems and delicate acoustic arrangements to that of its predecessor.

Time will tell exactly where this album lands in Tyler, The Creator’s discography, but CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is yet another memorable record from Wolf Haley himself, one that only further cements his status as one of the best artists of his generation.

Little Oblivions leaves questions unanswered and epiphanies freshly discovered and displays the beautiful moments the ugly times keep quietly hidden.

Valentine is a big, ambitious album centered around big, overwhelming feelings, but some of its most resonant moments come when Jordan strips away the layers of drama.

The versatility of Collapsed In Sunbeams is beyond comendable. Parks seemingly effortless lyricism and laidback melodies make her songs cosy in winter, and chilled in summer - always to be uplifting and comforting.

With the album's massive amount of impressionable hooks, occasional moments of dumb-fun raunchiness, and an electric atmosphere conducive to mind-numbing dancing, 박혜진 Park Hye Jin has single-handedly constructed a safe and supportive space for the introverted, sad, and disillusioned.

On his major label debut, Conflict Of Interest, the decorated East London wordsmith refines the winning formula of his past long-players, getting up close and personal while still finding room for a plethora of A-listers including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Skepta.

Olivia Rodrigo cements her success story on the explorative and heartbroken Sour.

Within the chapters of We’re All Alone In This Together, Dave strikes at the core of his identity, vulnerability, and struggle. Merging the different aspects of his personality: bravado, sensitivity, and the gift of expression, the UK rap scene’s most straight-talking son outgrows his peers.

While Shade certainly holds no surprise, it’s an album that brims with substance and Harris’ longtime base won’t skip a beat in welcoming these tracks. Yet we’re reminded more than anything of the quiet strength these songs take on.

The artist who brings out the most conflicting of emotions in people has birthed a true labour of love with MONTERO, and simply, the internet may never be the same again.

With her blessings seemingly endless, Little Simz looks set to enter the Hall of Fame with the cinematic storytelling of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.