Good afternoon everyone!

I hope you are excited for the Fem Fri albums of 2021. I thought that I didn't listen to a lot of music this year, but it turns out there are easily five albums I have loved and engaged with, and maybe you will as well.

The Weather Station – Ignorance

This is my album of the year. It was out last February and is absolutely one for all of the seasons, through the whole year I've not stopped loving it and getting something new out of it every time I listen. My own personal standout track, Tried to Tell You, I've already featured in Fem Fri, so here's Robber which opens the album and is also fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ9SYLVaIUI

Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend

I had my first away holiday for quite some time in August this year, I went to Glastonbury and camped where the Circus Field would usually be. Something that made me so excited for that was seeing Wolf Alice playing in the stone circle, and it looked… I mean, it didn't look cold, but it didn't look exactly comfortable either, and the whole thing was so Glastonbury and I couldn't wait. I've had a look and I can't see footage of that on youtube so instead here's the video for Lipstick On The Glass:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_QelwuC8I

Eris Drew – Quivering in Time

It's all been very outdoorsy so far, with the Weather Station's video being outside and memories of Wolf Alice on a Somerset hillside, so what better now than an album by a woman who actually lives in the forest, Eris Drew! This is a cracking album for a Friday, you can put it on and just crack through everything you want to finish working on in the week, then it just seamlessly deposits you in the weekend. Such a kind gift:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz4VABsSoZs

Oh and here's more from Eris in case you need this today:

I. Ritual dance music has been here since the beginning, before historical time.

III. We can use the music as a technology to unlock our bodies, dissolve boundaries and models, and find each other.

https://ra.co/dj/erisdrew/biography

Taylor Swift – Folklore

Okay look yes I know that this album came out in 2020 and I'm approximately the eight billionth person to get into it, but it turns out I only listened to party bangers in 2020 and this year I REALLY got into Folklore. I remember listening to this while walking down Charing Cross Road and I had one of those feelings where I was just… totally aware of the intense rightness of the moment. Hard to describe but I hope you've felt that way too at least once this year. Here's The Last Great American Dynasty:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s5xdY6MCeI

And here's the story behind it:

After her husband passed away in 1954, Harkness poured more money into her Watch Hill compound, installing 8 kitchens and 21 baths. She even hosted a ballet workshop there for 20 dancers from the Robert Joffrey Company (now known as the Joffrey Ballet) in 1965.

https://www.vogue.com/article/the-outrageous-life-of-rebekah-harkness-taylor-swifts-high-society-muse

serpentwithfeet – Deacon

What an incredible album Deacon is. Last week I promised you albums to walk around South East London to and this is such a perfect album for that. It's 37 minutes long so definitely doesn't outstay its welcome, it's sweet and sexy and funny and the dude just has an incredible voice. Enjoy getting lost in this over Christmas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Aj2W0nhKm8

Happy Friday!

Alex xxx.