WTJU Best of 2021 – Michael Pillow
By Folk Department
Michael Pillow has alternated on Something New (Wednesdays from 4-7 pm eastern).
2021 produced a lot of great new music, from both well-known and lesser-known artists. As listeners may have gleaned, I lean toward a sound that I can’t necessarily characterize beyond “melodic and perhaps also harmonic.” Here are what I believe are my favorites,. These are not necessarily in order, although I have a pretty clear number 1 based on that album’s diversity and virtuosity.
Artist(s)/Album/Label
1. Forest Sun/Stubborn Breathing Heart/Forest Sun Music
2. The Burnt Pines/The Burnt Pines/The Burnt Pines
3. The Steel Wheels/Everyone a Song Vol. 2/Big Ring Records
4. Anders Osborne/Orpheus and the Mermaids/5th Ward Records
5. Anya Hinkle/Eden & Her Borderlands/Crossroads Entertainment & Marketing, Inc./Organic Records
6. Tim O’Brien/He Walked On/Howdy Skies Records
7. Jackson Grimm/Sober Again/Jackson Grimm
8. The Accidentals/Time Out Session #1 (EP)/The Accidentals
9. The Brother Brothers/Calla Lilly/Brother Brothers, under license to Compass Records
10. John Hiatt/Leftover Feelings/New West Records, LLC
11. Robin & Linda Williams/A Better Day A-Coming/Robin and Linda Wiliams
12. Hiss Golden Messenger/Quietly Blowing It/Merge Records
13. Dar Williams/I’ll Meet You Here/Dar Williams under excl. license to Renew Records a BMG Company
