Honourable mentions: Altin Gun, Sasha and the Valentines, Clementine March, God Is An Astronaut, 4 Mars, Juliana Hatfield, Sarah Jarosz.
Didnât realise Jane Weaver suddenly had such authority here.
Hard to narrow down the top albums this year as again working from home and having no social life beyond looking after my kids I have so much time for listening that I would probably be able to make a top 500 by the end of the year - many of which are only getting one or two spins due to the pace of new releases (and the Music League schedule).
Top two are clear favourites from a strong year so far, Bicep I actually felt disappointed with at first but my wife likes it and rarely connects with new music these days so itâs been on a lot and has grown on me. 4 and 5 only came out this week but I think both are brilliant already, they might creep upwards as time goes on.
And then in ever changing positions 2-4:
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments
Black Midi - Cavalcade
And then arguing over 5th place:
Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound
The Armed - Ultrapop
Pupil Slicer - Mirrors
Read the posts. Read them and understand them.
5 Iâve listened to the most:
Yu Su
Beachy Head
Flyying Colours
Bicep
Dry Cleaning
2 that are possibly âbetterâ but I have to be in a particular mood to want to put them on:
Arooj Aftab
Arab Strap
Very surprised none has said Iceage yet so them
Only album Iâve bought this year has been the Floating Points collaboration, which I find so unbelievably beautiful and just perfect. Many other albums that have received a lot of hype on here - Arab strap, Wolf Alice, Dry Cleaning, St Vincent etc - I just havenât connected with or just found underwhelming.
SoâŠ
The Armed - Ultrapop
Viagra Boys - Welfare Jazz
Floating Points - Promises
Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future
Dvne - Etemen Ănka
Really enjoying The Dirty Nilâs album too, sounds like a slightly ballsier All American Rejects. Bang To Rights by Heavy Sentence is also worth a mention for being a joyously silly Motörhead / early Metallica / Turbonegro / Saxon / riff hybrid too.
I should also say that Silly Baby by @Twinkletoes has been on heavy rotation on the kitchen tape player and always makes my wife a bit misty eyed, itâs sweet and a lot of fun, one of my most played full albums this year.
Good to see Dvne turn up on someones list. 
In no order:
The Antlers
Shame
Dry Cleaning
Black Country, New Road
Squid
Then: Viagra Boys, Mogwai, Black MidiâŠ
My year appears set to be dominated by UK bands - would have been inconceivable to me even as recently as a couple of years back.
Been a great year for albums so far imho tbh tbfâŠ
And thenâŠ
But also thisâŠ
Still in the wrapper here - will get to it this weekend hopefully 
Been listening to this new Rostam album pretty solid for past couple of days and it would probably make my top 5 actually.
In no particular order
girl in red - if i could make it go quiet
Middle Kids - Today Weâre The Greatest
Tigers Jaw - I Wonât Care How You Remember Me
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
Citizen - LIYGW
Steve Hadfield - The Silly Baby LP
Teenage Wrist - EIABH
I canât count
Also on my 2021 albums playlist so far
Fightmilk - Contender
Bicep - Isles
honourable mentions -
Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Wolvennest - Temple
Grima - Rotten Garden
Kauan - Ice Fleet
Noctule - Wretched Abyss
Tell me what I should like, ey?
Came up with six off the top of my head, so with Mogwai being the unlucky ones to miss out, Iâll go for (in no particular order) these:
âScatterbrainâ - The Chills
âNew Long Legâ - Dry Cleaning
âSong Of Co-Aklanâ - Cathal Coughlan
âAs Days Get Darkâ - Arab Strap
âEmphatically Noâ - Cheekface
I originally thought Gidgeâs âNew Lightâ came out this year, but was apparently Nov 20.
Well worth a listen if you like electronic though.
