2021 Best of | Best albums | Best songs | Irish albums | Irish songs | Podcast episodes | Guest selections
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100.
PrettyHappy
Salami
99.
Kʒːlu
Luciferin
98.
Stella
You Are Here
97.
Cosha
Run The Trrack
96.
Rejjie Snow, Cam O’Bi, grouptherapy
Relax
95.
Bicep, Clara La San
X
94.
A92 Collective
A92 Freestyle
![#A92 🇮🇪 Dbo x KSav x BT x Nikz x Kebz - A9 Freestyle [Music Video] | GRM Daily](https://nialler9.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/3952b220cb5911755deb73b09c729ede.jpg)
The Pakistan-born, New York musician Arooj Aftab’s album Vulture Prince is one of the year’s finest and this is a brittle and beautiful folk traditional song.
Vulture Prince takes inspiration in Arabic poetry known as ghazals, which often express love in the face of grief or pain.
Aftab’s younger brother had passed away prior to the album, prompting the reach for ancient texts, and the album wraps those sentiments up in free-forming folk and jazz textures with harp, viola, cello, double bass, synth and minimal percussion lending the album an expansive air and a deep spiritual resonance beyond the tactile act of plucking strings.
93.
Shadeemus
Butterflies
92.
Lewwab
Come thru
91.
Jordan Nocturne
Gemini Boy
90.
Toygirl
Water
89.
Toké O’Drift (feat. Julia Louise Knifefist)
igot(igot)
88.
Lucy Blue
Snow In Tokyo
87.
Fay’d
Spailpín fánach (Drill Remix)
86.
Joshua Burnside, Laura Quirke
Taking The Wheel
85.
Danny G & The Major 7ths, Jus Me, 0phelia, Breezy Ideygoke, King Koko,
Make Me Feel (Believing)
84.
Paddy Mulcahy
A Dream, A Sequence
83.
Elzzz, Trever
Mileage
82.
T-woc
Crazy Bronco
81.
Loraine Club
Desire
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
