I haven’t been blogging as profusely this year, but I’ve
still found the time to listen to a great number of albums. Here are my
favourites from 2017.
Don’t forget to check out my previous lists from 2016, 2015,
2014, 2013 and 2012 if you’re mad about lists. You can also check out my
favourite tracks and least favourite tracks of 2017.
20 – 11
20. Villains -
Queens Of The Stone Age
These gloomy rock tunes from Josh Homme and crew are creatively
composed and have had me making many return listens, even if I’m still not a
fan of the tinny production.
19. Lust for Life –
Lana Del Rey
Lana’s sound takes a more upbeat and urban turn on her latest
selection of Bond Theme-esque ballads.
18. Emperor of Sand
– Mastodon
The Atlanta metal outfit continue to push out hard-hitting tracks,
offering a mixture of belting hooks and heavy riffs.
17. Run The Jewels 3
– Run The Jewels
The hip hop duo are back with some barbed bars and banging
beats. Technically this is a 2016 album, but it was released so late in the
year it never made last year’s list. I MAKE THE RULES.
The indie r&b songstress delivers a selection of spacey and
smoky slowjams. It’s a futuristic sound that’s entirely hers.
15. Automaton – Jamiroquai
UK 90s funk and acid jazz act deliver some new tunes that
are as lovably groovy and catchy as their classic material.
14. Planetarium – Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner & James McAlister
Themed around the solar system, everything about this breath-taking
album is as vast as space itself from the subject matter to the synth-driven
instrumentals to the musician credits.
13. Neo Wax Bloom – Iglooghost
The Irish producer’s fast-paced and frenetic EDM makes for a
dizzying listen, boldly pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
12. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
Hip hop icon Kendrick Lamar releases some of his most
vulnerable tunes as well as some of his most catchy and poppy material.
Favourite tracks: ‘DNA’, ‘XXX’
11. Everything Now – Arcade Fire
The Canadian indie rockers continue to embrace disco,
releasing an album that’s as catchy as it politically-charged.
10 – 1:
10. 17 – XXXTentacion
The Soundcloud rapper sidesteps distorted bangers for some
intimately raw and lo-fi hip hop tunes that sound like nothing else out there.
9. Mister Mellow – Washed Out
The Chillwave pioneer gives us some new dusty feelgood
tunes, this time with a more jazzy and Latin flavour.
8. Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples
The Long Beach rapper takes on some of his most experimental
and abrasive beats yet, whilst continuing to deliver catchy bars.
7. Drunk – Thundercat
Funky bassist-singer delivers a gauntlet of jazzy tracks
that show off his kooky persona, filled with nerdy gaming and weeabo
references.
6. 4:44 – Jay-Z
The rap veteran’s latest album is his most intimate, taking
a break from his usual hedonistic boasting for some political talk and
introspection.
5.Brutalism – Idles
UK hardcore punks deliver some satisfyingly raucous rock
tunes made up of catchy lyrics that are as infectious as they are intricate.
4.Flower Boy – Tyler, the Creator
Tyler tames down the trolling and crudeness in exchange for
some personal and genuinely sincere lyrics over some gorgeous jazzy self-produced
beats.
3.GT Ultra – Guerilla Toss
Guerilla Toss have previously been a little too noisy and
noodling for my liking, but on GT Ultra
they’ve injected a catchiness into their sound that makes the experimentalism more
enjoyable. Kassie Carlson’s crazed incantations and the instrumental mix of
synths, punky guitars, funky bass and cowbell all defy genre-labelling. I’m
excited to hear how they develop sonically from here.
2.American Dream –
LCD Soundsystem
After several years apart, indie electro-rockers LCD
Soundsystem reformed in 2017 to bring us this new album. James Murphy’s social
commentary is more bitter and beguiling than ever before, whilst the
instrumentals are hypnotic and danceable. It’s synthpop with brains and despite
drawing on retro ideas and being delivered by a middle-aged band, it feels
extremely current.
1.A Crow Looked At Me
– Mount Eerie
I’ve only listened to this album once in its entirety and
will probably never listen to the whole thing again, but it’s the concept and emotional
impact that lends this album my top spot. The eleven songs on this album were
written immediately after the death of Phil Elverum’s wife and played on her
instruments. Stripping away the mythology of death, Phil describes his feelings
in gritty detail. Few artists experiencing such a tragedy would dare to go so
deep. The result is a folk album that approaches death with more rawness than
any record before it. It’s not entertainment, but as a piece of art it’s very
moving (just be prepared for what you’re about to listen to because it’s very
heavy stuff).