The Head Scratcher's 20 Favourite Albums and EPs of 2021

Grant and Snedds, the hosts of The Scratch Cast podcast, list some of their favourite releases of 2021

January 2022

2021 was an insane year for music. We were treated to some seriously impressive releases over the course of an absolutely packed 12 months but there were a few albums and EPs in particular that really stood out and remained with us throughout the year.

In no particular order, here are our favourite albums and EPs of last year, some we covered on The Scratch Cast podcast and a few we missed along the way.

If you haven’t checked any of these releases out yet, make sure that you do; they’re all excellent. Don’t forget to let us know your own favourites in the comments.

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MAN ON MAN - “MAN ON MAN”

MAN ON MAN is the artistic coming together of real-life couple Roddy Bottum (Faith No More) and Joey Holman (Cool Hand Luke). As a self-proclaimed “gay lover band” they’re not afraid to wear their sexuality on their sleeves and are actively pushing the boundaries of gay identity in music and culture, not least by posing for promotional material as manly men in nothing but tighty whitey’s.

Their eponymous debut mixes shoegaze, drone, rock and roll and alt. rock with lyrics openly depicting their sexual relationships particularly on songs like “1983” and “Daddy” (a contender for best song of the year). Elements of pageantry on the likes of “Two at a Time” dial up the fun factor and with songs like “It’s So Fun (To Be Gay)” it’s an album that always feels warm and welcoming.

MAN ON MAN have created a record that feels both nostalgic and contemporary, channelling bands as sonically diverse as The Beach Boys, Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals while delivering catchy songs with humour, wit and plenty of heart. /Snedds

The Lasso, Jordan Hamilton & The Saxsquatch - “Tri Magi”

What do you get when you combine a prolific beatmaker (The Lasso), an emotionally charged cellist (Jordan Hamilton) and a caged beast of a saxophonst (The Saxquatch)? You end up with something like nothing else you’ve ever heard before. Something like “Tri Magi”, a record that’s not so much an album but a jazz infused odyssey, an incredible voyage sprinkled with adventure, fantasy, wonder and science fiction. Mere words cannot describe the sound of this album.

“Tri Magi” really is something else. It’s an album that draws you in, gets you involved and despite being almost completely instrumental, tells vivid, emotive stories through the musical landscapes it creates. “Born Tempo” feels like a wide-eyed adventure across a vast desert, “Voyager Too” conjures up images of a frightening journey across time and space and “New Equalydian” evokes the smokey mystery of film noir.

“Tri Magi” is danceable but off-kilter, catchy yet bewildering but always supremely rewarding, earning it a deserved place in our hall of fame. /Snedds

The Dirty Nil - “Fuck Art”

Since the release of their sophomore album “Master Volume” in 2018, Hamilton, Ontario’s The Dirty Nil have been taking the world by storm. Their patented brand of metal-infused rock and roll has cemented their place as one of the most exciting rock bands in recent years and with the release of “Fuck Art” on 1st January 2021, they’ve perfected their craft.

The fact that we’re still talking about an album released on the very first day of the year after so many other great albums came and went in 2021, is a true testament to its quality and that’s largely down to the fact that it’s full of absolute bangers. There’s “Doom Boy”, “Blunt Force Concussion”, “Elvis ‘77”, “Done with Drugs”, “Ride or Die”… and that’s just the opening run of songs, all filled with riffs, hooks and harmonies for days.

The Dirty Nil are a band at the top of their game, they’re incredible live and this is their best album to date. “Fuck Art” is an ironclad 10/10 rock album. /Snedds

R.A.P. Ferreira & Scallops Hotel - “Bob’s Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the garden level of the scallops hotel”

“Bob’s Son” is the seventh studio album from American rap and hip hop artist, R.A.P Ferreira (aka Milo aka Scallops Hotel) and was one of the albums to feature on the first episode of the podcast in 2021! Coincidentally it was also one of the first albums of the year to enter the Scratch Cast Hall of Fame, and with good reason!

Taking inspiration from the late, great, beat poet, Bob Kauffman, the album pushes the boundaries of the hip hop genre, infusing spoken word poetry with elements of jazz and innovative laid back, ethereal soundscapes. The album nevertheless packs a punch and is full of surprises, messing with time signatures, direction and pace, making it a truly engaging listen! The album also incorporates voice clips from Kaufman’s contemporaries as literary devices to explore larger themes and ideas that we’re still trying to wrap our heads around!

“Bob’s Son” really bowled us over and it’s safe to say our heads are still very much in a spin over this one; it’s a really surprising and thought-provoking piece of art and one that is well-deserving of its 10/10 rating! /Grant

Turnstile - “GLOW ON”

Since the release of their debut full-length “Nonstop Feeling” in 2015, Turnstile have been a band on an unstoppable upward trajectory. Their 2018 follow-up “Time & Space” saw the Baltimore hardcore punks revolutionise their scene, further ramping up the alt. rock elements of their sound while experimenting with electronic interludes without compromising on the aggression and intensity that hardcore demands.

With “GLOW ON” Turnstile push their sound even further out of the shadows of the hardcore punk scene, broadening their appeal to a wider audience but without alienating their existing fanbase. Songs like “MYSTERY”, “BLACKOUT” and “HOLIDAY” deliver poppy hooks amid frenzied riffs and EDM drops while the likes of “UNDERWATER BOI” and “NEW HEART DESIGN” add shimmering, bending, emotional guitars into the mix to dazzling effect.

This is an album that just begs to be thrown on at a party and turned up to eleven. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’s danceable, it’s surprising and above all, it’s still full of absolute ragers. Turnstile are the coolest band on the planet right now. /Snedds

Viagra Boys - “Welfare Jazz”

We’re big fans of Viagra Boys here at The Head Scratcher, having been completely hooked in by the deluxe version of their raucous and hilarious 2018 debut album “Street Worms”. Their follow up, the 2020 “Common Sense” EP, whilst maintaining the jazz and humour infused post-punk mayhem, hinted at a band capable of broadening and experimenting with their sound without losing that core identity that made them stand out in the first place.

“Welfare Jazz” feels like that promise coming to fruition. There are plenty of callbacks to the debut with classic bangers like “Ain’t Nice”, driving instrumentals like “6 Shooter” and bizarre spoken word moments and interludes. But it’s the dalliances with shimmering alt. rock guitars on “Into The Sun”, disco beats on “Girls & Boys” and country ballads on “In Spite of Ourselves” (featuring the wonderful Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers fame) that make this album its own beast.

Yes, there are a few lower points here and there, but “Welfare Jazz” succeeds in capturing the Viagra Boys magic we all know and love without just resorting to churning out more of the same. /Snedds

Cheekface - “Emphatically No.”

Sophomore album “Emphatically No.” was our first introduction to the music of Los Angeles trio Cheekface and from the moment we heard opener ““Listen to Your Heart, “No.”” we were hooked. The alt. rock bass grunt, bouncy indie guitar lines and genuinely funny lyrics delivered with a deadpan, monotonous precision proved to be an irresistible combination, and luckily, the rest of the album didn’t disappoint.

At times the vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to the likes of Eels, Talking Heads or even Bloodhound Gang but crucially, with respect to the latter, the lyrics avoid relying on puerile humour, instead delivering relatable observations of modern life with a sardonic, self-assured wit. Highlights include the breezy and sarcastic “Best Life”, the trundling jam “Crying Back”, the Brian Wilson esque “Emotional Rent Control” and the life-affirming “Don’t Get Hit by a Car”… to name just a few.

“Emphatically No.” is a fun, joyous, catchy record, full of great moments both musically and lyrically and comes highly recommended. /Snedds

Arlo Parks - “Collapsed in Sunbeams”

Arlo Parks is an indie singer songwriter who blends elements of spoken word poetry with hip-hop, R&B and pop to create a uniquely appealing and engrossing sound. She’s a fantastic singer and deft lyricist, painting vivid, colourful pictures and telling relatable stories with her songs. It’s no surprise then that her debut album “Collapsed in Sunbeams” earned critical acclaim on release, reaching number 3 in the UK album charts.

The album also earned her several Brit Awards nominations and a won her the Mercury Prize for best album of 2021. These kinds of accolades don’t always stack up but, refreshingly “Collapsed in Sunbeams” stands up to the scrutiny of our cynical view of the mainstream press. Some of the lyrics cover heavy topics like depression, heartbreak and domestic abuse but overall there’s a sunny, summery vibe that keeps the mood light and fresh.

Arlo Parks is an artist destined for greatness and with songs like “Hope”, “Caroline” and “Eugene” in her repertoire she’s already well on her way. /Snedds

The John Michie Collective - “High Vibrations”

With a name like “High Vibrations” you know it’s going to be a psychedelic trip when you hit play on the record, and In this regard, the debut album from The John Michie Collective doesn’t disappoint Over the course of 48 minutes John Michie touches on influences such as The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Stone Roses and The Prodigy, while playing a dazzling array of instruments along the way.

“The Mothership” is a pulsating, electronic opener, “Wish You Were Dead” captures the grit of Deadwood through a brit-pop lense, “Nothing to Die For” pays homage to Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Escape from San Francisco” merges frantic bluegrass with mad organ flourishes. Even that barely scratches the surface of what is an incredibly varied and surprising release.

John Miche never settles on one idea for too long, and as a result, “Wish You Were Dead” is a consistently entertaining and engrossing listen. /Snedds

Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - “Haram”

In 2018, Armand Hammer released “Paraffin”, and ever since we’ve been obsessed with the NYC art rappers. “Paraffin” is a brooding monster, raised on tense, awkward, jazz beats, bleak lyrics and beat poet flows, enveloped by the shadows of a decaying, urban landscape. It’s an incredibly powerful and affecting record and rightfully earned a place on the list of our favourite albums of the year - as did the excellent follow-up Shrines, released in 2020.

Less than a year later, the duo dropped “Haram”, this time joined by prolific rapper, DJ and producer The Alchemist, and predictably it’s another great record. There’s nothing else predictable about this album though. Each track is just as dense, varied and complex as ever. “Roaches Don’t Fly” mixes 80s synths and guitars with venomous bars, “Black Sunlight” loops schmoozy saxophone over soulful female vocals, “Peppertree” sounds like it’s playing in reverse, and on “Stonefruit”, they even have an awkward go at singing and it’s just the perfect ending to the record.

The sign of a truly great artist is that they continue to consistently surprise, astonish and challenge us, and on “Haram”, Armand Hammer & The Alchemist are up to the task. /Snedds

Post Coal Prom Queen & Friends - “Music for Hypercapitalists”

We were first introduced to the futuristic electronic duo Post Coal Prom Queen when their cover of Chiara Baillie’s “Disappear” appeared on Fiona Liddell’s Cover to Cover compilation. It showed a band with a serious ability for crafting a sparkly, pop banger. However, their PCPQ EP, released in April, had more of a Portishead vibe to it, showing how broadly they could stretch their style. However, nothing really prepared us for what would come next.

In July, the apocalyptic single “Dragons Jaw” landed and guest rapper Conscious Route delivered a stark warning from the future over a background of sci-fi beats. As one of our favourite songs of 2021, it was a tough act to follow, but on “Music for Hypercapitalists”, Post Coal Prom Queen have absolutely nailed it.

The sci-fi concept album is essentially a satirical audio drama, punctuated with an anthology of catchy hip-hop songs that feature incredible guest performances and the sort of astute futuristic satire Charlie Brooker would be proud of.

“Music for Hypercapitalists” is an album that more than lives up to the lofty standards of its lead single and, as a result, is one of the most surprising and essential releases of the year. /Snedds

Fiona Liddell & Friends - “Cover to Cover”

Fiona Liddell is a constant presence in the Scottish music scene. Not only is she an accomplished violinist, singer and songwriter, she also teaches, hosts a radio show promoting Scottish music, hosts a podcast providing helpful tips for other artists, she’s an incredibly prolific collaborator and one half of the electronic duo “Gefahrgeist”.

For Cover to Cover, Fiona rounded up 12 other Scottish artists to cover each other’s songs in support of the charity “Scottish Women Inventing Music” - and it’s a wonderful showcase for the talented women currently working in Scotland. The ordering of each track is notable, with each preceding artist covering the following artist’s song. It works well and gives you a taster of the performer’s own style after you’ve just heard a cover of one of their songs.

Overall it’s an incredibly ambitious project, undertaken during lockdown no less, and it does exactly what it set out to do. Expose a wider audience to some exceptional musicians they might never have heard of otherwise. This is essential listening. /Snedds

Squid - “Bright Green Field”

The debut album from the Brighton-based quintet quite simply defies explanation. The band have previously described their sound as being like “…The Coronation Street theme tune played on flutes by angry children” and thus, far from clarifying the matter, this description only adds to the confusion and muddies the waters further!

In short, this album is a genre-bending freak of nature that jolts and jostles along for the entirety of its 54 minutes and 46-second duration. Along the way, the band use elements of modular jazz, indie rock and progressive rock to produce atmospheric, nightmarish and avant-garde soundscapes, with the instrumentation and vocal delivery often feeling desperate and frenzied. Both have the potential to be off-putting and opinion dividing, however, “Bright Green Field” is not without its brighter moments and there are plenty of really catchy grooves and hooky segments that will get stuck in your head one way or another!

Listeners will either love or hate this album, but it’s a piece that just begs to be experienced and, if you let it, will really get under your skin! /Grant

ME REX - “Megabear”

Despite its relatively short length, ME REX’s latest offering “Megabear” is an ambitious monster of a record. This 52-track concept album is designed to sync up to form one continuous piece of music with no definitive beginning, middle or end! The London indie-rock outfit intended the album to be played on shuffle so as to produce an almost infinite number of creations inspired by the alchemical symbolism of the 15th century illuminated manuscript “Splendor Solis”.

Fittingly the album’s tracklist boasts some truly weird and wonderful titles and despite the ambitious concept, the band have managed to capture a great sense of cohesion, warmth and sincerity in their melodies, vocal hooks and lyrics while exploring themes of re-birth and overcoming past transgressions. As a listening experience it’ emotive, thoughtful and engaging.

Part of the beauty of this album is that similar to the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books of yesteryear the possibilities are endless and you can mix and match the tracks to make as many different storylines as you want! It is nevertheless a truly thought-provoking piece and well worth a listen! / Grant

Seas, Starry - “Anatomy”

This four-track EP from the self-professed noisy, ambient, kraut-inspired Aberdeen-based quartet is truly a tour de force of alt-rock, shoegaze and prog rock. Seas, Starry expertly breath new life into shrill and stabbing guitar licks that are reminiscent of your favourite grunge bands of yesteryear, pairing them with moody and menacing atmospheric soundscapes that draw you in and keep your attention.

Each song on “Anatomy” has a wealth of quality and depth to it and although many of them are a slow burn, and take a while to build momentum, the result really pays off! “Skull / Tone / Skull” is a mesmerising, psychedelic soundscape that builds to a stomping conclusion, “Stabbed in the Eyes” and “Nun The Wiser” immediately amp up the rock vibes and whilst “New Ruins” will test the patience of most, post-rock aficionados will gel with its overall vibe.

Whether you’re a fan of shoegaze legends “My Bloody Valentine”, drone-rock stalwarts “The Black Angels” or grunge heroes like “Pearl Jam” or “Pixies”, you’re guaranteed to find something on this EP that you’ll enjoy. /Grant

Dvne - “Etemen Ænka”

Just the idea of DVNE, a progressive metal band inspired by the beloved novels of Frank Herbert, gets us excited but it’s a concept that in the wrong hands has the potential to really miss the mark. Thankfully Edinburgh’s DVNE are a very good metal band and “Etemen Ænka” is a very good metal album. They’re getting the recognition they deserve too, recently winning Best Metal Act at the 2021 Scottish Alternative Music Awards.

“Etemen Ænka” has everything you could ever want from a modern progressive metal album. Crushing riffs and irresistible hooks? It’s got them. Grinding bass grooves and gruff vocals. It’s got those too. From the moment the opening track “Enuma Elis” kicks in proper you’ll be hooked and the grinding, descending guitars of “Towers” and the churning riffs of “Si-XIV” will keep you totally invested.

If you’re on the look for incredibly well written and tightly performed chest-beating metal, there’s no better place to find it than at DVNE’s door right now. /Snedds

The Hell - “Joris (A Hardcore Opera), Pt. 2”

“Joris (A Hardcore Opera), Pt. 2” is the hotly anticipated follow up to the appropriately named predecessor “Joris (A Hardcore Opera), Pt. 1”. Released ceremoniously by mysterious masked hardcore outfit The Hell, right in the middle of 2021, Joris part two continues the story of Joris as he starts a band and goes on the road. Musically, The Hell continue to succeed in merging hardcore punk with musical theatre by performing with authenticity, conviction and tongue firmly placed in cheek. This album oozes charm and slaps like a motherfucker.

The thunderous “Back To It” kicks off the adventure and, along the road, the gang meet a host of colourful characters including used car salesman Uncle Alan, and washed-up rockstar Jeremy Lonsdale (aka Jamie Lenman). There are huge sing-a-long gang vocal sections on the likes on “Start It Up”, galloping razor-edged riffs on “The Open Road” and the closing rager “We’re The Greatest Hardcore Band of All Time” is a satisfyingly heavy conclusion.

It’s rare that a concept album succeeds in telling a truly memorable, cohesive and genuinely laugh out loud story but The Hell have nailed it. If you love heavy music and haven’t heard Joris (A Hardcore Opera), go and listen to both parts right now! /Snedds

Breaths - “Lined In Silver”

We’ve had a lot loads of incredible submissions to the podcast over the last couple of years but “Lined In Silver” from Richmond, VA’s Breaths is one of the best we’ve ever had. One man band Jason Roberts is the mastermind behind the record, deftly merging post-metal, black metal, doom, sludge, prog and post-hardcore in a way that feels both nostalgic and current.

The album is a veritable feast for fans of heavy music, reaching a full hour of surging riffs, pounding drums and ethereal soundscapes. The post-hardcore vocals and black metal screams on the pulsating title track are perfectly balanced, “Like Wires” channels both Deftones and MØL, “In Nightmares” at 12 minutes and 21 seconds is a captivating beast and “The Inherent Emptiness” takes Vheissu-era Thrice and adds brutal, throat-shredding growls to devastating effect.

The quality of the musicianship, the power in the vocals, the expert songcraft and Jason Robert’s obvious love for heavy music, all combine to make “Lined in Silver” a staggering achievement. /Snedds

girl in red - “if i could make it go quiet”

We fell in love with girl in red (aka Marie Ulven RIngheim) on her 2019 EP “chapter 2” - a raw, ethereal, unpolished gem - and it became one of the real highlights of the year for us. Her debut album “if i could make it go quiet” polishes off some of those rougher edges on the production side of things but it does so without diminishing the quintessential girl in red magic that drew us to her music in the first place.

On the album, pop bangers like “Did You Come?”, “Stupid Bitch” and “I’ll Call You Mine” rub shoulders with throwback oddities like “Body And Mind” dainty, ballads like “hornylovesickmess” and ghostly anthems like “Apartment 402”. At every turn, there are thoughtful lyrics, catchy hooks and earworm melodies which is a testament to girl in red’s ability to craft great songs.

On her debut album girl in red has shed her bedroom pop origins and broken into the mainstream. Pop music is all the better for it. /Snedds

Valley Maker - “When the Day Leaves”

Much like the early output of Fleet Foxes, “When The Day Leaves” the third album from South Carolina’s Valley Maker, envelopes you like a cosy blanket. Airy acoustic guitars, warm vocals and sweet harmonies combine in a most satisfying way. It’s gentle, tender, ever so slightly windswept and distinctive enough to hold your attention while still feeling oddly safe and familiar at the same time.

Every song on the album shows off Valley Maker’s knack for memorable vocal hooks and catchy guitar lines particularly on the first five tracks: “Branch I Bend”, “No One Is Missing”, “Pine Trees”, “Instrument” and the achingly beautiful “Mockingbird”, which are all close to perfect. The album’s second half doesn’t stand out quite as much as the first but overall it’s a really strong record.

“When The Day Leaves”, much like Fleet Foxes’ debut or Tunng’s “…and Then We Saw Land” is the perfect record to put on when the days start to get shorter and colder. / Snedds

Thanks for reading, now go listen to some of these albums or check out our playlist below! Peace.