10. 21st Century Love Songs by The Wildhearts (2021)
British rockers The Wildhearts remain one of music's under-appreciated gems. They've released two albums in this decade, and both could have been on this list but we're going for the 2021 effort. The more recent record--this year's The Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts--saw frontman and songwriter Ginger completely rejig the band lineup, yet the quality remained sky-high. Still, songs such as the title track and "Sort Your Fucking Shit Out" tip 21st Century Love Songs in our favor.
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9. Alphabetland by X (2020)
27 years between albums, yet L.A. punks X chose the chaos of May 2020 to release Alphabetland. “Like a lot of music that speaks to people, the environment of what’s happening starts changing the interpretation of it,” frontman John Doe told this writer at the time. “Too bad for all of us in the world, but it seems to be speaking to some subjects that have maybe been ignored for a while. The song ‘Water & Wine’ is about access and inequality. That’s something that has been addressed but now it really needs to be addressed. ‘Goodbye Year, Goodbye’ is just frivolous thinking about what it’s like moving from one year to the next. We’re kind of moving from one era to another. Context is everything.”
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8. My 21st Century Blues by Raye (2023)
Raye arrived like a bolt out of the blue with this collection of jazz-inspired dance-pop tunes, complete with honest, heart-breaking lyrics. Obvious references included Amy Winehouse, but Raye's sound is her own and songs like "Flip a Switch" and the devastating "Ice Cream Man" stay with you. As they should.
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7. Vicious Delicious by Luvcat (2025)
The most recent album on this list, Vicious Delicious isn't actually out until October but we've reviewed it in our October issue and we're all in. Liverpool-born British singer, musician, and songwriter Luvcat has released what is absolutely and undeniably one of the albums of the year. Vicious Delicious is a dark, glammy, jazzy, alt-pop masterpiece.
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6. An Evening with Silk Sonic by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (2021)
It’s not just retro revivalism—it’s a vibrant, tight-knit reimagining of live-band soul and funk, executed with such swagger and charm that it stands as a modern classic. The record’s tight rhythm section leans on syncopated hi-hat work, fatback snare placement, and vintage Rhodes voicings, while horn stabs and wah-drenched guitar riffs punctuate its meticulously arranged grooves. Mars’ velvet falsetto and .Paak’s raspy drawl trade lines with a playful theatricality that makes the whole thing feel delightfully saucy.
Raye photo credit: KAPFHAMMER
