In a nutshell: Eilish surprises us on album two with a fascinating blend of vintage influences and uneasy contemporary touches Words: Elizabeth Aubrey, Jordan Bassett, Mark Beaumont, Rhys Buchanan, Patrick Clarke, Rhian Daly, Alex Flood, El Hunt, Ben Jolley, Ella Kemp, Will Lavin, Dannii Leivers, Nick Levine, Sam Moore, Hannah Mylrea, Will Richards, Ali Shutler, Thomas Smith, Andrew Trendell, Jake Tucker, Jenessa Williams, Kyann-Siann Williams and Sophie Williams. Jordan Bassett, Commissioning Editor (Music) So, now that we’ve taken stock of taking stock, and agree that this was a year of being understanding and thoughtful, let’s all argue on the internet about NME’s 50 best albums of 2021, shall we? It’s a record about regret, mistakes, legacy, family and self-realisation, a statement borne of lockdown-induced reflection that also pushes its author into uncharted territory. Our number one record, too, is the sound of an artist who’s crafted a second album that’s deeply nuanced and personal, where its predecessor was made up of broader brushstrokes. Similarly, Brit-rockers IDLES swiftly followed up last year’s confrontational ‘Ultra Mono’ with the much more introspective ‘Crawler’, an odyssey into hardship that saw the band conclude: “In spite of it all, life is beautiful.” And what could be more 2021 than that?
When Lana Del Rey released not one but two legend-sealing records, March’s ‘Chemtrails Over The Country Club’ and October’s ‘Blue Banisters’, the second – and better – collection found her excavating older, previously unreleased material in order to chart her decade-long rise to the top. Phew! Take a close look at this year’s truly brilliant album releases and you might just conclude that the last 12 months have been all about pushing things forward while taking stock of the past. If you’re reading this, give yourself a hearty pat on the back – you made it to December with your faith in music still devout.