- Dec 16, 2021

My Top 20 songs of 2021

Updated: Dec 19, 2021

Phil Shaw

1 Bloomsday – Samantha Crain Anthem to hope and a glistening beauty from the Choctaw songwriter, taking its title from James Joyce’s Ulysses, its harmonies from heaven

2 Blame – Gabriels Category-defying sonic feast from Los Angeles showcasing the voice of Jacob Lusk, at once both spiritual and mysterious

3 Like I Used To – Angel Olsen & Sharon Van Etten Heartbreaking big ballad with a Sixties sensibility, channelling Jackie DeShannon as well as Spector and Springsteen

4 Heart Attack – Dave

Brutal, harrowing and compelling rap about knife crime and street violence, and how they ensnare young black men

5 I Do This All the Time – Self Esteem Spoken-word gem from the Sheffield singer Rebecca Lucy Taylor, based on bittersweet experience and topped off by irresistible choruses

6 Robber – The Weather Station The Canadian Tamara Lindeman’s cool vocal, framed by jazzy backing and beats, delivers a timely warning about rising populism

7 Canola Fields – James McMurtry Americana at its finest from the Texan storyteller, rich in landscape and characters; a road movie in under five minutes

8 Mohabbat – Arooj Aftab US-based Pakistani singer’s delicate meditation on love and letting go, which made Barack Obama’s summer playlist

9 Dancing Away In Tears – Yola Bristol’s gift to Nashville, produced by Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, is sumptuous soul tinged with country and roots

10 Change Will Come Anyway – Mauv, Pixx Urgent Krautrock-style rhythm plus airy Kirsty MacColl-like vocal add up to an earworm that climbs to a crescendo 11 Blue Heaven – Public Service Broadcasting featuring Andreya Casablanca

12 Brando – Lucy Dacus 13 You Could Have Been A Roosevelt – Aimee Mann

14 Down In The Country – Israel Nash 15 Faceless Angel – The Coral 16 Hold Yourself – Tune-Yards 17 Mine Forever – Lord Huron 18 Brooklyn Bridge – Anaïs Mitchell 19 Call Me A Fool – Valerie June featuring Carla Thomas 20 I Don’t Live Here Anymore – The War On Drugs featuring Lucius