Magic in the circles we don't circulate in

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Albums of 2021

#30 : MAN MADE - Greentea Peng

There’s a wonderful sense of liveness to this record, evoking a dive bar with a fug of weed smoke sitting at shoulder height. On stage is London-born Aria Wells, whose delivery is natural and improvisatory: vowels that bend drowsily downwards, or rap flow that sits on top of the beat without being too fussily precise. Behind her a band shuffle through a selection of grooves – reggae, neo-soul, hip-hop – that add up to a sensual, instinctive album that you could imagine Amy Winehouse making on a different timeline.

Never heard of album or artist (and I'm pretty certain I'd remember that name) - I was quite intrigued by the description above though.  And I quite liked it - although I'd argue it would have to be a very different timeline for Amy to have made this (and that's even ignoring the most obvious difficulty with this).  Miss Dynamite was the closest touchpoint for me - and I think there's a good argument that she could have gone on to make this if she hadn't done whatever it is that she actually has done.  Lizzo was the other thing that sprang to mind - but I think that was only the jazz flute involved in places.  I'd also say an hour was slightly too long, but I think she just about got away with it.

Wikipedia has nothing on the album, but her entry tells us that, at the age of 17 and living in London, she "frequently partied".  Well, I'm shocked, I can tell you.  In further frankly unbelievable news I can report that Greentea Peng is not actually her real name.  I can only apologise if either of these facts has blown your mind.

"Customers also listened to" Sault and Jorja Smith - both of whom I can see the connection to and if you like their stuff then check this out.  I didn't mind this at all, although I suspect I'm unlikely to revisit it.

#30 : Sling - Clairo

A strong self-preservationist streak ran through several highly anticipated albums by pop’s young women this year, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Lorde and Kacey Musgraves opting for lower-key sounds that poured cool water on heightened expectations. Among them was Clairo, whose second album left behind bedroom electro-pop for perfectly turned miniatures of Carole King’s warm classicism. Irrepressibly, sweetly funky, it sounded like music for pushing the furniture back and dancing on the living room rug – and Clairo’s lyrics, about breaking with relationships that no longer served her, underscored that joyful intimacy.

I don't mind a spot of Carole King so, going on the description above, I was looking forward to it.  And well, it's fine but I'm not sure I get the Carole King thing really - it harks back to the past, but I was reminded more of some of Paul McCartney's offensively inoffensive warblings and my suspicion is that I'd prefer her previous bedroom electro-pop.  And I'm sure the lyrics are joyfully intimate, but I struggled to make them out most of the time so couldn't really comment.  It also felt like it went on a lot longer than its stated 44 minutes, but it's always possible I listened to it twice and didn't realise - as I said, it's "fine" but no more than that.  I'd have to say she's looking superbly pre-Raphaelite on the album cover though.

Wikipedia tells me this got to #17 in the US - what?!?  There's other stuff on there as well, but tbh the only thing I've taken away is that I'm amazed it did as well as it did.  Part of me is tempted to revisit the album to find out what I'm missing, but it probably won't surprise you to hear it's a very small part.  

"Customers also listened to" Phoebe Bridgers - who last year I had a very similar reaction to also citing insubstantiality and indistinctive lyrics.  So yeah, if you went wild for Phoebe last year, then check this out because I think you'll like it.  But I won't be rushing back to it, I'm afraid.

#32/31 - A slightly underwhelming pair
#28/27 - An album I've actually already listened to!