Are These The Best Albums Of 2021 So Far?

It feels like just yesterday that we were bringing The Music readers our 2020 mid-year list and just like that, we're back again! 

While our industry continues to face monumental challenges every day, it's nice to take a moment to celebrate the great work that has been achieved by artists throughout the year. 

Now that we've crossed off half of our 2021 calendars, The Music team have pulled out their notes and put together this list of the 25 albums (and for the first time ever, EPs) that we think you just have to check out before the year is out. 

It's been a stellar year for local albums already (think Odette, Holiday Sidewinder, Genesis Owusu, and more) and there's much to be taken in from international acts (like Squid, Wolf Alice, Mdou Moctar, Olivia Rodrigo and more). 

Check out the list below and click through to read the profile on each.

The Music's Top 25 Albums Of 2021 (So Far)

• Allday - Drinking With My Smoking Friends
  
  

• Babitha - Through The Light
  
  

• Black Midi - Cavalcade

• Cool Sounds - Bystander
  
  

• Drown This City - Colours We Won't Know

• Garbage - No Gods No Masters

• Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth
  
  

• Holiday Sidewinder - Face Of God

• Julia Stone - Sixty Summers

• June Jones - Leafcutter
  
  

• King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000
  
  

• Leslie Jordan - Company's Comin'
  
  

• Luca Brasi - Everything Is Tenuous
  
  

• Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
  
  

• Mere Women - Romantic Notions

• Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
  
  

• Odette - Herald
  
  

• Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
  
  

• Ryan Downey - A Ton Of Colour

• Sly Withers - Gardens
  
  

• Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future

• Squid - Bright Green Field

• St Vincent - Daddy's Home

• Teenage Joans - Taste Of Me
  
  

• Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend