The Top 15 EPs of 2021
Presenting the Osmosis Tones Top 15 EPs of 2021, ranging from the hip house of Haich Ber Na to the soothing shoegaze of Bored at My Grandma's House, and everything in between.
I did that half-year hiatus thing again, everyone.
While I took my NOW EXPECTED/STILL INEXCUSABLE HALF YEAR HIATUS from posting on Osmosis Tones because I (a) got caught up in my work life and (b) lost inspiration to write because, damnit, it's hard… I’ve been keeping it on the other blogs I contribute to, Post-Trash and HighClouds. I feel honored to have my writing published there, and to be able to bring recognition to the artists that I do on their platforms.
Any who, its time to get back to sharing my favorite releases of the year on my own platform, dammit! Without further ado, here are the TOP 15 EPs of 2021. Thanks for reading.
- Zach Zollo
As Leon Michels’ soul collective has transitioned from instrumental covers of hip hop classics (see: Enter the 37th Chamber) to original material, the range of influences incorporated into the group’s sound has increased tenfold. This year’s Yeti Season marked a shift towards fusing Turkish funk and Mumbai soul, prominently employing harmonic minor through raga-spiced melodies and moods. While that album is easily one of the year’s best (hint hint), The Abominable EP of tracks left on the cutting room floor is just as hypnotic. Whether it be Piya Malik’s lush, diaphanous vocals sung in Hindi, the cinematic recording quality, or the crispness of those damn snares, every groove El Michels Affair gives us is gold.
Haich Ber Na’s latest EP, From Then ‘til Now, is the result of a decade-long artistic evolution. Having started by making hip hop and grime, he now employs an innovative approach to electronica that mixes the structures of indie pop with the passion of R&B. As a testament to this approach, the four songs on From Then ‘til Now dazzle not only dazzle with their sonic textures, but with their emotional ones. “0594 Help” may be the best example - with brittle bass hits panning left and right to open the song, the endearing falsetto ushers in a lustful connection with the listener, creating a compelling matrimony. This same sense of intertwining will be heard in the new jack swing-esque “87 Days,” and especially in the kaleidoscopic closer “Think About It.”
English post-punk musician Billy Nomates released her debut album in 2020, but rose to prominence with her feature on Sleaford Mods’ “Mork n Mindy” off this year’s Spare Ribs LP. It was an excellent showcase for her swag-drenched, swingin’ vocals, which sound like Joan as Police Woman with an edge of Bonnie Tyler. Nomates continues to mesmerize with her vocals on Emergency Telephone, but she brings central attention to her thundering lyricism and songwriting capabilities. The structures of these songs leave plenty of room for her voice atop the pulsating textures, allowing her to become one with the instrumental as she so chooses. This is most impactful when she delivers lines like “well nothing’s ever gonna be the same after this” over the uplifting notes of “Petrol Fumes,” or the line “no, we don’t have to talk about it” in the driving chorus of “Right Behind You.”
12. OMG I MADE IT - PRONOUN
Alyse Vellturo, mastermind behind the Brooklyn-based emo-pop of PRONOUN, continues to perfect the sound of hope in the face of fear with OMG I MADE IT, as if her music cherishes the moral of Pandora’s box above all. The mood of this EP carries an air of victory lap, but also commits to furthering the vision that PRONOUN has trail-blazed thus far. Vellturo's smoky and impassioned vocals continue to embody empathy in every note, especially when an Oh Sees’ styled “WOO!” is employed in the background to take the track to the heavens. Coupled with the instrumental prowess of the music - falling into a lineage of Jimmy Eat World and Oso Oso rather than twinklecore - the uplifting pathos of this EP is impossible to escape.
11. Scout - Samia
Samia released one of the best albums of 2020 with The Baby (#3 according to this here music blog), thanks in large part to her diaristic lyricism, accessible indie-rock sound and just flat-out wonderful voice. Scout, her latest EP, continues to build on what made that album great, while bringing forth new ambitions and willingness to get grandiose. Whether that be through the arena-ready production of “Elephant” and “The Promise,” or the universal tropes of breakups, contemplation and new beginnings in “As You Are” and “Show Up,” these songs are aimed for crossover success without forgetting to be foremost genuine. Depending on where you place yourself on the Bridgers-Del Rey Continuum, these songs may not impress to the same degree as they do myself. To which I say: give it another go, for me?
10. Suporma - (T-T)b
The Boston-based (T-T)b have been fusing slackgaze emo with punchy chiptune since 2016, but remained relatively silent from 2017 onward. But now, with the release of Suporma, the Tiny Telephone Boys come back swinging with some of their most enduring songs yet, a true synthesis of Dikembe and Donkey Kong. Joey Dussault fleshes out the balance between guitar and digital programming this time around, creating space for the vocals to be more prominent and compelling. Featuring the sublimely silly single “Daisy” (it's about a possum), the Dismemberment Plan-esque “I Don’t Wanna Die,” and the 5 minute opus “The Riptide,” this EP rips with its riffs, humor and sentiment.
9. Blueberry Jams - Chloe Berry
Spirit Goth is one of my favorite labels, as they provide the perfect platform for bedroom artists to share their sensational offerings of DIY dream pop. Chloe Berry’s Blueberry Jams is another excellent release on the label, but more importantly, the establishment of Berry’s voice and perspective. What I love most about her sound is how rooted in sunshine pop it is - heck, there’s a cute ol’ sun on the cover of this thing. These rays of sunshine break through the dream clouds of every song here, particularly on the glistening “On My Own,” the galloping “Sweeter Honey,” and the baroque “Fed Up With You.” Chloe’s voice is typically deadpan, but she knows how to reach splendid notes when a shot of serotonin would be just right. When basking in the glow of a warm summer’s day, this EP truly brings forth a sense of nostalgia the Lovin’ Spoonful would appreciate.
8. Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too - Bored at my Grandma’s House
When listening to Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too, I’m brought to a snow-covered beach. There’s some windchill from the ocean breeze, but I’m content in feeling lost in the beauty of what I’m witnessing. Amber Strawbridge, a Leeds-based/Cumbrian born bedroom pop songwriter, has one heck of a guitar tone. It doesn’t blanket the listener in a haze as much as it rings in their ears with surfy jangle, much to the benefit of her own gentle vocal delivery and deftly crafted pop tunes. There’s a wide-ranging humanism in her lyricism that also makes this release particularly comforting, such as on standout singles “Showers” and “Skin.” Think of a fusion of the dream pop of Old Man Canyon and the indie pop of Alvvays, but with a more dedicated sense of searching for emotional connection.
7. Title Card - Leisure Sport
The more I’ve listened to Leisure Sport’s debut EP Title Card, the more impressed I’ve become with how dynamic their riffs are. They’re not quite emo, not quite country, and not quite power pop - and, wouldn’t you know it, this just so happens to be the right amount of “not quites” to be exceptional! But I’ll be honest, Dana DiGennaro’s soaring vocals and point-blank lyrics are what truly steal the show. Take for instance “Tennessee,” with one of the year’s best opening lines, or “Stones,” the crown jewel of this five-song collection. Yet it would also be remiss to forget the drumming of Michael Habif and the second vocals of Kyle Balkin, which round out this release as one tight package of promise. [Post-Trash Review]
6. More Than Anything - Pet Fox
Pet Fox’s latest batch of three tracks are some of the tightest of their career, and some of Theo Hartlett’s most mature songs to date. Carrying the same spirit as Ovlov (who also dropped an LP this year), but with a leaner sound and soul-searching perspective, the songs on More Than Anything please the masses while trending towards the same scene they thrived in. “Imagine Why” - one of the year’s best indie rock jams - opens this release with fervor as the band never looks back, hopping from the simmering heat of “Take Care” to the classic cooldown of “Limited Me.” [Post-Trash Review]
5. Is it fine - Dim Sum
More so than any recent release, Dim Sum’s Is it fine felt the most out of place in my standard listening rotation. There’s something that feels relatively anonymous about this kind of electronic music as a genre. Coupled with the cover - a nonexistent face replaced by tropical vibes - I thought I was insane for liking it. But the more I listened, the more I fell in love with how the Paris-based artist’s shimmer-heavy, dance-floor ready vibes disguised the dejected, depressive lyricism. These lyrics render themselves quite catchy on “Kids Don’t Care,” a little bit goofy on “Little Boy,” but there’s always a magnetism to these tracks that make themselves nice and cozy in your head.
4. Real Life - Beauty Queen
Katie Iannitello, aka Beauty Queen, released my favorite EP of 2019 with Out of Touch, the exact shade of bedroom/dream pop I needed that year. With Real Life, she takes her sound in a direction with a higher sonic clarity, groovier atmosphere, and more refined balance in mixing and mastering. It works to great effect, particularly on the effervescent title track, the twangy “I Get It,” and the gleefully trudging “17.” While it doesn’t necessarily have the same impact for me as her debut, it garners the same amount of understanding and appreciation. She continues her progression in leaps and bounds here, advancing her own perspective and hook-writing abilities to a certain echelon among her contemporaries making bops in their bedroom.
3. Parcades - Aldous Baker
Shimmertrap’s Brodie Cole released his debut EP Parcades under the moniker Aldous Baker this year, continuing to prove how he is one of the most crucial voices/instrumentalists working in the underground of electronic music. Every song on Parcades is a natural continuation of Cole’s genre fascinations with barbershop, psych pop, and chillwave, while showing just what exactly he brings when working in tandem with his bandmates. He performs the synthesizer and keys like a maestro here, whether it be with staccato rhythm in the sprite-like twinkling of “Acrobat,” or with pristinely paced clicking of the drums in “Without.” There may be less than 12 minutes of music on this release, including an intro and outro, but it’s all the more a testament to the beauty that Cole can create. In his playful world of candy-coated textures and Mello Yello melody, Aldous Baker continues to build an avid supporter.
2. Blushing - Ghost Piss
In the three tracks and two remixes on Blushing, River Allen - aka the fabulous Ghost Piss - fuses house, electropop, and searing valley girl vocals with hilarious, care-free lyrics on the razor’s edge. Each song possesses its own floral quality, blooming gradually over their runtimes in narrative and musical pulse. Allen guides her voice atop echoing synths and thundering bass hits, never forgetting to offset the sweet with the savory (in this case, savory = a grimy and dark atmosphere). But it is the confidence in which she delivers her lyrics that strike me the most, especially on “Hardcore,” which she doesn’t give a fuck about, and on “Beats In Bed” where she proves without a doubt she can do this shit herself. [HighClouds Interview]
1. Blame Game - Beach Bunny
There’s something fairly ridiculous about the way Beach Bunny has skyrocketed to the stratosphere, but let me be clear in saying that it is fully deserved. Quite frankly, Blame Game proves just how accessible, appealing, empowered, immediate, intelligent, and gosh darn FUNTASTIC the music of Lili Trifilio and co. is. There’s a profoundly blunt and forceful sense of place in the lyricism throughout, calling out toxic bullshit and problematic behavior through inescapable melodies and ferocious hooks. With the cleanest, crispest collection of riffs and rhythms east of Olivia Rodrigo, songs like “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” and “Blame Game” feel just as at home on TikTok as they do in a house basement where belonging reigns supreme. Maybe you’ve had the name “bubblegrunge” forced down your gullet recently because of the Unholy Algorithm GiantTM; if that’s the case, might I claim this is that genre’s best statement of 2021?
OSMOSIS TONES TOP 15 EPs of 2021
Blame Game - Beach Bunny
Blushing - Ghost Piss
Parcades - Aldous Baker
Real Life - Beauty Queen
Is it fine - Dim Sum
More Than Anything - Pet Fox
Title Card - Leisure Sport
Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too - Bored at my Grandma’s House
Blueberry Jams - Chloe Berry
Suporma - (T-T)b
Scout - Samia
OMG I MADE IT - PRONOUN
Emergency Telephone - Billy Nomates
From Then ‘til Now - Haich Ber Na
The Abominable EP - El Michels Affair
