Jawbox frontman J. Robbins released a new solo song earlier this week, and today we bring you Jawbox drummer Zach Barocas' ten favorite albums of 2021. If you're expecting post-hardcore albums in the vein of Jawbox, think again; Zach's list leans primarily on jazz and modern classical, and a few of these come from drummer/composers like Zach himself. Earlier this year, his Zach Barocas New Freedom Sound project released the new album Four Freedoms (featuring J. Robbins, Gordon Withers, and Mark Cisneros), which is in that same realm. Here's Zach's list, in no particular order:
Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part - Caroline Shaw + Sō Percussion
Promises - Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and The London Symphony Orchestra
Path of Seven Colors - Ches Smith and We All Break
For George Lewis | Autoschediasms - Alarm Will Sound & Tyshawn Sorey
Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine - Wild Up
Now - Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble
Let It Shine - Jeff Coffin and Helen Gillet
Kirtan: Turiya Sings - Alice Coltrane
Susie Ibarra: Talking Gong - Susie Ibarra, Claire Chase, Alex Peh
Uneasy - Vijay Iyer Trio