B&C Best of 2017 - Discussion Thread
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cobl04
45:33
This is pretty disappointing to read. Surely for an artist that you liked as much as LCD Soundsystem all that stuff should fade into the background. It’s been so fucking strange to me reading takes on LCD that are effectively “I’m mad that one of my favourite bands is making new music because they said it was over”. I just don’t get it. I also call bullshit on there being an “endless promotional run” full of “self-pity and defiance”. He tackled the complaints from loser fans head on and with a lot of empathy - I can’t think of a single other artist who’ve returned from a hiatus or retirement who has even acknowledged those sorts of reactions - and I’d love to see examples of this endless run and defiance. From where I sit Murphy has just done a range of interviews that any artist putting out new work would do and he’s always been honest and thoughtful in his replies. Very very glad you were able to get past all that, but I just do not get that starting point (not just you, I’ve seen it in a lot of places).
Agree on Oczy Mlody though.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Only you can turn a positive review in some kind of all-out attack. And iYup didn't even mention anything about being mad that new music was made at all because of previous statements.
And besides, it isn't the reunion that should bother people, it's the "I knew David Bowie personally and oh god look how hard I'm taking it I had his phone number and everything". Fuck off. Most overrated track of the year.
And besides, it isn't the reunion that should bother people, it's the "I knew David Bowie personally and oh god look how hard I'm taking it I had his phone number and everything". Fuck off. Most overrated track of the year.
cobl04
45:33
It's pissed me off ever since they announced their return. Mofo put it best - why are people upset that a band they like are active again?
That's bothering you. Haven't seen anyone else bothered by that. And I haven't seen him make a big deal out of that at all. You're probably only saying it because I make a big deal out of how much I like the song.
That's bothering you. Haven't seen anyone else bothered by that. And I haven't seen him make a big deal out of that at all. You're probably only saying it because I make a big deal out of how much I like the song.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Because they stole money out of your pocket and then expected a heroes welcome in return.
cobl04
45:33
I think that's a very dramatic way of looking at it. Even if I had flown to the States to see that final show I don't think I would be pissed off that they returned five years later. I can understand why some would be upset, but again, I thought James' response to that was very considered and empathetic. Any other artist would have ignored it completely.And I can bullshit on expecting a heroes welcome. I don't know where this narrative has come from. From what I recall they simply announced they'd be coming back and left it at that. People (again, not talking to specific people here, there were hundreds, thousands in this position) then chose to have a sook about that, which is their prerogative, but I don't think LCD themselves ever were like "hey we're back! Love us!" Correct me if I'm wrong.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
I'm not mad/upset/pissed whatever else about it. I just find the guy a bit tiring in that he wants to come off as so incredibly knowing but then act like there was no prior intentionality with the reunion. I guess I don't see what you find so baffling about someone liking an artist but not liking every single decision they make.
cobl04
45:33
I certainly don't have an issue with that - ask me about Flaming Lips!!! - where I have an issue is people almost inventing things that were never said. Honestly I think they were pretty open about it all.
Now, perhaps I am I am naive, and if this is the point we’re all disagreeing on then fair enough. But I absolutely believe his story. Are you (and many, many others) suggesting that they announced a huge farewell fanfare, knowing at the time, that they would definitely return five years later? Because I don’t think that’s true at all. I totally believe him, that for all intents and purposes LCD were done. I then also believe that, after five years of doing other stuff like coffee, wine, production and remixing, that he felt like he should bring LCD back. I don’t think there was any premeditation about it at all. He’s been pretty open in interviews.
If that’s where we are disagreeing then I don’t think we’re on the same page. Personally I think that view is very, very cynical, but to each their own.
I hardly think there was some master plan to do a huge goodbye MSG blowout knowing all along that he’d return five years later. If that was the case, then sure, it’s would obviously be a huge dick move, and I’d call it out, but I think that’s REALLY cynical.
Now, perhaps I am I am naive, and if this is the point we’re all disagreeing on then fair enough. But I absolutely believe his story. Are you (and many, many others) suggesting that they announced a huge farewell fanfare, knowing at the time, that they would definitely return five years later? Because I don’t think that’s true at all. I totally believe him, that for all intents and purposes LCD were done. I then also believe that, after five years of doing other stuff like coffee, wine, production and remixing, that he felt like he should bring LCD back. I don’t think there was any premeditation about it at all. He’s been pretty open in interviews.
If that’s where we are disagreeing then I don’t think we’re on the same page. Personally I think that view is very, very cynical, but to each their own.
I hardly think there was some master plan to do a huge goodbye MSG blowout knowing all along that he’d return five years later. If that was the case, then sure, it’s would obviously be a huge dick move, and I’d call it out, but I think that’s REALLY cynical.
That's why bands should just say they're taking a hiatus. I mean, it's pretty obvious that after a few years things might be different and you might want to start making music again.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Stole? If they hadn't done the final leg at all that would be a fair statement. They didn't MF DOOM their audience or anything.
The sellout claims are self righteous nonsense, especially coming from people who didn't even go to the MSG show. Honestly, I'd take the reunion money in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity to play great music every night and entertain people who loved me. Sure beats almost any other job on the planet.
And the best part? After all that time, they delivered a fucking great album, and no second guessing of their motivations can erase that.
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cobl04
45:33
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
I saw LCD a few months before they announced the MSG show as their last. The room was maybe half full. After announcing their retirement, they become the hottest ticket around and then double-down on the finality of it all with what has to be the most melodramatic concert film ever produced. After playing coy for a while, they announce a return just in time to headline a lucrative festival circuit.
If you buy everything he said about the reunion and think all his intentions are pure, fine. None of us are inside his head. But don't go telling me people are "self-righteous" for raising an eyebrow at how all of this went down.
If you buy everything he said about the reunion and think all his intentions are pure, fine. None of us are inside his head. But don't go telling me people are "self-righteous" for raising an eyebrow at how all of this went down.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Obviously I was being melodramatic for the sake of the point. But people seem to forget about the movie, as well. There was more than just one concert to this.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Yeah, you bring up a good point. I think the issue isn’t so much the reunion, but the overinflation of the farewell concert, and the shift of focus is needed to get why one would be suspect of all of it.
Great band, obviously (and This Is Happening was my #1 of that year), but the whole event was treated as if they were some legendary act, instead of indie darlings who had been around less than 10 years and only put out 3 albums. If you were a big fan it may have just seemed appropriate but it’s hard to step back and be objective and not see it as overwrought.
And because of this, it taints the reunion, even if it wasn’t something pre-mediated in advance. I’m not that cynical either. But it’s still a little lame.
cobl04
45:33
I get that I'm biased, sure, but I still don't sympathise with these complaints.
We now have a brilliantly produced film as well as a high-quality box set featuring nearly every single song they ever wrote.
Sure, it was melodramatic, but at the end of the day I'm not complaining about the fact that I spent four hours dancing around my lounge room at home, then seeing the film twice, then buying it on bluray and getting the immaculate vinyl boxset, and then a few years later I've got a completely new album from them that is to my ears, pound-for-pound, the best they've put out.
I'm a happy fan and I would think there's more happy fans than unhappy ones.
We now have a brilliantly produced film as well as a high-quality box set featuring nearly every single song they ever wrote.
Sure, it was melodramatic, but at the end of the day I'm not complaining about the fact that I spent four hours dancing around my lounge room at home, then seeing the film twice, then buying it on bluray and getting the immaculate vinyl boxset, and then a few years later I've got a completely new album from them that is to my ears, pound-for-pound, the best they've put out.
I'm a happy fan and I would think there's more happy fans than unhappy ones.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Alright, here's my list, with write-ups and points for each.
1. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (15 points)
The music industry's blockbuster of the year, a masterwork of incredible scope and emotional intimacy. It's a rare and beautiful thing for one of the world's biggest stars to open up about his greatest fears and failings to such a degree, but here we all. A thoroughly engaging and entertaining album with top of the line beats and excellent features, it's the kind of monumental, personality-packed record that Kanye would make at his best. Kendrick really is at the top of not only hip hop but all of music right now.
Recommended: DNA, FEEL, XXX
2. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me (12 points)
It's sad. It's really sad. It hurts to listen to and aches long after its over. But more than that, everything here meshes perfectly. The music is lovely and could certainly stand on its own, but it stays out of the way of the lyrics, which actually read more like prose. A Mark Kozelek influence is prevalent throughout, but the personal touch that Elverum puts on this album is astonishing in its specificity and detail. This could be an album of blunt force impact, but there's impressive finesse here; the album wraps with its 2nd person subject switching from his deceased wife to his living daughter, a telling sign of personal growth. If nothing else, it's the most singular album of the year.
Recommended: Real Death, Ravens, Crow
3. Jay Som - Everybody Works (12 points)
My choice for breakout artist of the year. Jay Som is a one-person project that sounds like a four-piece band and this album has very, very impressive range. If you like noise pop, there's something for you here. If you like shoegaze, you're good. If you like dream pop, it could be one of your favorites of the year. The songwriting is excellent throughout, anchoring the album as it jumps from style to style. I played this and DAMN more than anything else in 2017.
Recommended: The Bus Song, Baybee, Everybody Works
4. Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson (9 points)
Ariel is a goofball on every release, though it's a matter of degrees. This one is on the darker end of the spectrum. Inspired by the titular struggling musician who was rumored to suffer from mental breakdowns, there's a melancholy air of hopelessness and doubt that clouds this album even in its brightest moments. The songcraft is impeccable; this is perhaps Ariel's most consistent album to date, much more so than Pom Pom, and there's a run of tracks in the middle that is absolutely mindblowing in its quality and range. A must-listen, even for those new to his music.
Recommended: Feels Like Heaven, Time to Live, Another Weekend
5. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (9 points)
One of the most mature and thoughtful recordings I've heard in a long time, this is a comeback album weighed down emotionally by the time it took to create it. It starts with a warm hug and gradually descends into a slow, decadent malaise punctuated with moments of impressive clarity. The primary musical touchstone is Talking Heads, but it expands musically to the funereal lows of Joy Division and the heart-racing highs of U2. Not the funkiest LCD Soundsystem album, though it has a brisk run in the early going. This is instead an album dedicated to the morning after, a period that Murphy has grown intimately familiar with since his band's breakup.
Recommended: Oh Baby, How Do You Sleep?, Call the Police
6. (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket (8 points)
Before Alex G tacked an unnecessary parenthetical onto his name, lo-fi power pop was his stock in trade, so nearly everything that happens on this record comes as a surprise. If it were just a series of wistful alternative country jams, that would be one very good thing, but it's the way this album splinters off into post-hardcore, indie rock and R&B that makes it something special. The heart-rending storytelling and aching melodies throughout makes it one of the best albums of the year. There's something here for everyone.
Recommended: Proud, Bobby, Powerful Man
7. Kelela - Take Me Apart (7 points)
There are any number of moody, sensual R&B albums that come out during any given year, but this one is absolutely at the top of the pile. The production is so smooth and Kelela's voice is pure as glass. The best part is the way the album is sequenced, placing more expansive tracks aside brief vignettes, which makes the album's excellent hour evaporate quickly. If you listen to any R&B album from 2017, make it this one.
Recommended: Frontline, Altadena
8. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (6 points)
In 2017, there was a trend of indie rock staples coming back with expansive albums that challenged their classic sound. Fleet Foxes sound very much like themselves on this album, but more. The album sounds fantastic, like any of their previous work, but what sets it apart are its progressive song structures, which branch out in exciting but not always melodically satisfying ways. It's not their self-titled, but in many ways it's what I hoped the sequel would be.
Recommended: I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumbprint Scar, Third of May/Ōdaigahara
9. Sampha - Process (5 points)
This is a very simple album, but an undeniably effective one. Sampha's sumptuous vocals carry this thing, but I also love it for its austere production and economy — 10 tracks, 40 minutes and not a second of it wasted. I've gone back to this album more than any other when I need a fix of nocturnal R&B because of its short duration and consistent quality. I can't wait to see what Sampha has next for us, but if this album's recording sessions are anything to go by, I think he'll take his time to bring us his best material.
Recommended: Blood on Me, Timmy's Prayer
10. St. Vincent - Masseduction (5 points)
Annie's last album was self-titled, but I honestly believe Masseduction best encompasses all aspects of her sound. The album has an early run of tracks that's as thrilling, twitchy and synthetic as the best moments of the self-titled, but the aching ballads that make up the second half of the record give the album its soul. I never thought I would hear songs like Happy Birthday, Johnny and New York come from Annie and that lean into emotional intimacy proves to be every bit as surprising as Kamasi Washington's left field appearance on Pills. This album is a careful balancing act that tests artistic boundaries, ultimately proving its brilliance over many listens.
Recommended: Pills, Los Ageless, New York
11. tricot - 3 (4 points)
Providing us one of the year's best pure rock albums, this trio from Japan has all the power of the most potent post-hardcore bands and all of the melody of our brightest pop stars. This is a thrilling, brisk listen fueled by top shelf instrumentation, gripping production and charming vocals.
Recommended: Wabi-Sabi, Pork Ginger
12. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins (3 points)
Much of what I said about Crack-Up applies to this album as well. I wasn't overly excited about it because the singles were a little weaker than I was used to from them (Two Weeks, Sleeping Ute, etc.) but the album as a whole is remarkably inventive and consistent. The band's sound is potent and muscular, with excellent percussion and always great vocals. A much more consistent and likable album from top to bottom than Shields for sure.
Recommended: Wasted Acres, Mourning Sound, Sky Took Hold
13. Slowdive - Slowdive (2 points)
Slowdive was one of the most consistently good bands of the 90s and time has done nothing to wear away their songcraft. This album sounds a little like the band's disciples at times, but they bring some excellent ideas of their own to the table and no shortage of gorgeous melodies. If I have any minor complaint, it's that their production choices dampen the mystery of their sound just a bit in comparison to past offerings.
Recommended: Slo Mo, Star Roving, Sugar for the Pill
14. Beach Fossils - Somersault (2 points)
A huge improvement on their previous work, this one involves elements of pop and R&B that expands on their sonic palette in surprising but complementary ways. Most importantly, it gets their classic sound exactly right, providing us with some of the year's best jangle pop. Excellent production too, shimmering, bright and lush.
Recommended: This Year, Tangerine, Sugar
15. The National - Sleep Well Beast (1 point)
This is the National album I had been waiting for. While I have enjoyed all of their records, the electronic embellishments of this album are a refreshing change of pace and illustrate a willingness to expand their sonic palette. Further, there are some fundamentally interesting arrangements at play here, songs that twist and turn in ways that few National songs had ever gone in the past. Matt hits a particularly vulnerable songwriting vain here as well, wrestling with romance and mortality in always quotable ways.
Recommended: Nobody Else Will Be There, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, I'll Still Destroy You
Honorable mentions:
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
Wednesday Campanella - Superman
Jesca Hoop - Memories Are Now
Thurston Moore - Rock n Roll Consciousness
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
The Clientele - Music for the Age of Miracles
Alex Cameron - Forced Witness
Gang of Youths - Go Farther in Lightness
Makthaverskan - Ill
Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy
Best EP: Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference
If you didn't have 3 hours to listen to his full-length album The Epic, this serves as an excellent entry point into his sound. This is a stirring, beautiful half hour of spiritual jazz and jazz fusion supplemented with potent choral vocals that builds in a very clever way with Truth, a culmination of the EP's best qualities. If I were to include this on my main list, it would probably be somewhere around #11 or #12.
Disappointments:
Lupe Fiasco - Drogas Light
Big Boi - Boomiverse
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
The Flaming Lips - Oczy Mlody
Gorillaz - Humanz
1. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (15 points)
The music industry's blockbuster of the year, a masterwork of incredible scope and emotional intimacy. It's a rare and beautiful thing for one of the world's biggest stars to open up about his greatest fears and failings to such a degree, but here we all. A thoroughly engaging and entertaining album with top of the line beats and excellent features, it's the kind of monumental, personality-packed record that Kanye would make at his best. Kendrick really is at the top of not only hip hop but all of music right now.
Recommended: DNA, FEEL, XXX
2. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me (12 points)
It's sad. It's really sad. It hurts to listen to and aches long after its over. But more than that, everything here meshes perfectly. The music is lovely and could certainly stand on its own, but it stays out of the way of the lyrics, which actually read more like prose. A Mark Kozelek influence is prevalent throughout, but the personal touch that Elverum puts on this album is astonishing in its specificity and detail. This could be an album of blunt force impact, but there's impressive finesse here; the album wraps with its 2nd person subject switching from his deceased wife to his living daughter, a telling sign of personal growth. If nothing else, it's the most singular album of the year.
Recommended: Real Death, Ravens, Crow
3. Jay Som - Everybody Works (12 points)
My choice for breakout artist of the year. Jay Som is a one-person project that sounds like a four-piece band and this album has very, very impressive range. If you like noise pop, there's something for you here. If you like shoegaze, you're good. If you like dream pop, it could be one of your favorites of the year. The songwriting is excellent throughout, anchoring the album as it jumps from style to style. I played this and DAMN more than anything else in 2017.
Recommended: The Bus Song, Baybee, Everybody Works
4. Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson (9 points)
Ariel is a goofball on every release, though it's a matter of degrees. This one is on the darker end of the spectrum. Inspired by the titular struggling musician who was rumored to suffer from mental breakdowns, there's a melancholy air of hopelessness and doubt that clouds this album even in its brightest moments. The songcraft is impeccable; this is perhaps Ariel's most consistent album to date, much more so than Pom Pom, and there's a run of tracks in the middle that is absolutely mindblowing in its quality and range. A must-listen, even for those new to his music.
Recommended: Feels Like Heaven, Time to Live, Another Weekend
5. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (9 points)
One of the most mature and thoughtful recordings I've heard in a long time, this is a comeback album weighed down emotionally by the time it took to create it. It starts with a warm hug and gradually descends into a slow, decadent malaise punctuated with moments of impressive clarity. The primary musical touchstone is Talking Heads, but it expands musically to the funereal lows of Joy Division and the heart-racing highs of U2. Not the funkiest LCD Soundsystem album, though it has a brisk run in the early going. This is instead an album dedicated to the morning after, a period that Murphy has grown intimately familiar with since his band's breakup.
Recommended: Oh Baby, How Do You Sleep?, Call the Police
6. (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket (8 points)
Before Alex G tacked an unnecessary parenthetical onto his name, lo-fi power pop was his stock in trade, so nearly everything that happens on this record comes as a surprise. If it were just a series of wistful alternative country jams, that would be one very good thing, but it's the way this album splinters off into post-hardcore, indie rock and R&B that makes it something special. The heart-rending storytelling and aching melodies throughout makes it one of the best albums of the year. There's something here for everyone.
Recommended: Proud, Bobby, Powerful Man
7. Kelela - Take Me Apart (7 points)
There are any number of moody, sensual R&B albums that come out during any given year, but this one is absolutely at the top of the pile. The production is so smooth and Kelela's voice is pure as glass. The best part is the way the album is sequenced, placing more expansive tracks aside brief vignettes, which makes the album's excellent hour evaporate quickly. If you listen to any R&B album from 2017, make it this one.
Recommended: Frontline, Altadena
8. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (6 points)
In 2017, there was a trend of indie rock staples coming back with expansive albums that challenged their classic sound. Fleet Foxes sound very much like themselves on this album, but more. The album sounds fantastic, like any of their previous work, but what sets it apart are its progressive song structures, which branch out in exciting but not always melodically satisfying ways. It's not their self-titled, but in many ways it's what I hoped the sequel would be.
Recommended: I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumbprint Scar, Third of May/Ōdaigahara
9. Sampha - Process (5 points)
This is a very simple album, but an undeniably effective one. Sampha's sumptuous vocals carry this thing, but I also love it for its austere production and economy — 10 tracks, 40 minutes and not a second of it wasted. I've gone back to this album more than any other when I need a fix of nocturnal R&B because of its short duration and consistent quality. I can't wait to see what Sampha has next for us, but if this album's recording sessions are anything to go by, I think he'll take his time to bring us his best material.
Recommended: Blood on Me, Timmy's Prayer
10. St. Vincent - Masseduction (5 points)
Annie's last album was self-titled, but I honestly believe Masseduction best encompasses all aspects of her sound. The album has an early run of tracks that's as thrilling, twitchy and synthetic as the best moments of the self-titled, but the aching ballads that make up the second half of the record give the album its soul. I never thought I would hear songs like Happy Birthday, Johnny and New York come from Annie and that lean into emotional intimacy proves to be every bit as surprising as Kamasi Washington's left field appearance on Pills. This album is a careful balancing act that tests artistic boundaries, ultimately proving its brilliance over many listens.
Recommended: Pills, Los Ageless, New York
11. tricot - 3 (4 points)
Providing us one of the year's best pure rock albums, this trio from Japan has all the power of the most potent post-hardcore bands and all of the melody of our brightest pop stars. This is a thrilling, brisk listen fueled by top shelf instrumentation, gripping production and charming vocals.
Recommended: Wabi-Sabi, Pork Ginger
12. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins (3 points)
Much of what I said about Crack-Up applies to this album as well. I wasn't overly excited about it because the singles were a little weaker than I was used to from them (Two Weeks, Sleeping Ute, etc.) but the album as a whole is remarkably inventive and consistent. The band's sound is potent and muscular, with excellent percussion and always great vocals. A much more consistent and likable album from top to bottom than Shields for sure.
Recommended: Wasted Acres, Mourning Sound, Sky Took Hold
13. Slowdive - Slowdive (2 points)
Slowdive was one of the most consistently good bands of the 90s and time has done nothing to wear away their songcraft. This album sounds a little like the band's disciples at times, but they bring some excellent ideas of their own to the table and no shortage of gorgeous melodies. If I have any minor complaint, it's that their production choices dampen the mystery of their sound just a bit in comparison to past offerings.
Recommended: Slo Mo, Star Roving, Sugar for the Pill
14. Beach Fossils - Somersault (2 points)
A huge improvement on their previous work, this one involves elements of pop and R&B that expands on their sonic palette in surprising but complementary ways. Most importantly, it gets their classic sound exactly right, providing us with some of the year's best jangle pop. Excellent production too, shimmering, bright and lush.
Recommended: This Year, Tangerine, Sugar
15. The National - Sleep Well Beast (1 point)
This is the National album I had been waiting for. While I have enjoyed all of their records, the electronic embellishments of this album are a refreshing change of pace and illustrate a willingness to expand their sonic palette. Further, there are some fundamentally interesting arrangements at play here, songs that twist and turn in ways that few National songs had ever gone in the past. Matt hits a particularly vulnerable songwriting vain here as well, wrestling with romance and mortality in always quotable ways.
Recommended: Nobody Else Will Be There, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, I'll Still Destroy You
Honorable mentions:
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
Wednesday Campanella - Superman
Jesca Hoop - Memories Are Now
Thurston Moore - Rock n Roll Consciousness
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
The Clientele - Music for the Age of Miracles
Alex Cameron - Forced Witness
Gang of Youths - Go Farther in Lightness
Makthaverskan - Ill
Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy
Best EP: Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference
If you didn't have 3 hours to listen to his full-length album The Epic, this serves as an excellent entry point into his sound. This is a stirring, beautiful half hour of spiritual jazz and jazz fusion supplemented with potent choral vocals that builds in a very clever way with Truth, a culmination of the EP's best qualities. If I were to include this on my main list, it would probably be somewhere around #11 or #12.
Disappointments:
Lupe Fiasco - Drogas Light
Big Boi - Boomiverse
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
The Flaming Lips - Oczy Mlody
Gorillaz - Humanz
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HeartlandGirl
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Whoa, I'm surprised Prisoner didn't make your top 15. Nice write-ups. Going to check out Mount Eerie now.
Joey788
Refugee
So is an official end-of-year list happening for 2017? I can submit my picks this weekend if so.
Mack_Again
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
wait do people still do this shit? music aint competition, y'all
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
Since mack again said it was, that's since when.
Alright, here are my lists. Overall, I feel like in 2017 I gravitated towards the warmth of old friends who put together great new music, more so than discovering new friends who will be with me a few years down the line.
1. St. Vincent - Masseduction (15 points)
2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN (11 points)
3. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (11 points)
4. Lorde - Melodrama (9 points)
5. The National - Sleep Well Beast (9 points)
6. Los Campesinos! - Sick Scenes (7 points)
7. Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder (7 points)
8. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins (7 points)
9. Torres - Three Futures (6 points)
10. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (5 points)
11. Zola Jesus - Okovi (3 points)
12. Spoon - Hot Thoughts (3 points)
13. Feist - Pleasure (3 points)
14. Big Thief - Capacity (2 points)
15. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism (2 points)
Honorable mentions:
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest
Cigarettes After Sex - S/T
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Waxahatchee - Out In The Storm
Phoenix - Ti Amo
Kelela - Take Me Apart
Joan Shelley - S/T
Good album with which I did not spend enough time: SZA - CTRL
Songs of the Year
1. St. Vincent - Los Ageless
2. Lorde - Green Light
3. Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut to the Feeling
4. Big Thief - Mary
5. The War on Drugs - Strangest Thing
6. LCD Soundsystem - Tonite
7. Frank Ocean - Chanel
8. Beck - Dreams (even if it was released earlier, I guess)
9. Torres - Three Futures
10. The National - Guilty Party
Biggest disappointment: Beck - Colors
Biggest dissapointment (total clusterfuck category): Arcade Fire - Everything Now
1. St. Vincent - Masseduction (15 points)
2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN (11 points)
3. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (11 points)
4. Lorde - Melodrama (9 points)
5. The National - Sleep Well Beast (9 points)
6. Los Campesinos! - Sick Scenes (7 points)
7. Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder (7 points)
8. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins (7 points)
9. Torres - Three Futures (6 points)
10. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (5 points)
11. Zola Jesus - Okovi (3 points)
12. Spoon - Hot Thoughts (3 points)
13. Feist - Pleasure (3 points)
14. Big Thief - Capacity (2 points)
15. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism (2 points)
Honorable mentions:
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest
Cigarettes After Sex - S/T
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Waxahatchee - Out In The Storm
Phoenix - Ti Amo
Kelela - Take Me Apart
Joan Shelley - S/T
Good album with which I did not spend enough time: SZA - CTRL
Songs of the Year
1. St. Vincent - Los Ageless
2. Lorde - Green Light
3. Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut to the Feeling
4. Big Thief - Mary
5. The War on Drugs - Strangest Thing
6. LCD Soundsystem - Tonite
7. Frank Ocean - Chanel
8. Beck - Dreams (even if it was released earlier, I guess)
9. Torres - Three Futures
10. The National - Guilty Party
Biggest disappointment: Beck - Colors
Biggest dissapointment (total clusterfuck category): Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Last edited:
Salome
you are what you is
01 Karine Polwart & Pippa Murphy - A Pocket Full of Wind Resistance ( 13)
02 U2 - Songs of Experience (13)
03 The Shins - Heartworms (11)
04 Tri Da Kali & Kronos Quartet - Ladilikan (10)
05 The Secret Sisters - You Don't Own Me Anymore (9)
06 Kacy & Clayton - The Siren's Song (9)
07 Beck - Colors (7)
08 Steve Earle & The Dukes - So You Wanna Be an Outlaw (6)
09 Forest Swords - Compassion (5)
10 Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory (5)
11 Lankum - Between The Earth and Sky (3)
12 Four Tet - New Energy (3)
13 Bitchin Bajas - Bajas Fresh (2)
14 Lizz Wright - Grace (2)
15 Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie - Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie (2)
Honorable mentions:
Deerhoof - Mountain Moves
The Feelies - In Between
Margo Price - All American Made
Idles - Brutalism
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
02 U2 - Songs of Experience (13)
03 The Shins - Heartworms (11)
04 Tri Da Kali & Kronos Quartet - Ladilikan (10)
05 The Secret Sisters - You Don't Own Me Anymore (9)
06 Kacy & Clayton - The Siren's Song (9)
07 Beck - Colors (7)
08 Steve Earle & The Dukes - So You Wanna Be an Outlaw (6)
09 Forest Swords - Compassion (5)
10 Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory (5)
11 Lankum - Between The Earth and Sky (3)
12 Four Tet - New Energy (3)
13 Bitchin Bajas - Bajas Fresh (2)
14 Lizz Wright - Grace (2)
15 Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie - Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie (2)
Honorable mentions:
Deerhoof - Mountain Moves
The Feelies - In Between
Margo Price - All American Made
Idles - Brutalism
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
Me too. I'll post my list soon.
My favorite thing James Mercer has done in a long time. The newly release rework album of all the tracks is really good too.
prbiker15
Blue Crack Addict
B&C Best of 2017 - Discussion Thread
Another solid year of music.
Albums of the Year
01 - U2 - Songs of Experience (14 points)
02 - Ryan Adams - Prisoner (13 points)
03 - LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (13 points)
04 - The xx - I See You (10 points)
05 - Beck - Colors (10 points)
06 - The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (10 points)
07 - The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful (6 points)
08 - Slowdive - Slowdive (6 points)
09 - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Who Built the Moon? (6 points)
10 - Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? (4 points)
11 - Future Islands - The Far Field (4 points)
12 - Arcade Fire - Everything Now (1 point)
13 - Depeche Mode - Spirit (1 point)
14 - Spoon - Hot Thoughts (1 point)
15 - John Mayer - The Search for Everything (1 point)
Favorite Songs
U2 - The Little Things That Give You Away
Ryan Adams - Anything I Say to You Now
The War on Drugs - Holding On
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
LCD Soundsystem - oh baby
Royal Blood - Don’t Tell
Beck - Seventh Heaven
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - If Love is the Law
Paramore - Hard Times
Lorde - Green Light
Coldplay - A L I E N S
Shania Twain - Poor Me
Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie - In My World
The xx - Replica
Blondie - Long Time
Another solid year of music.
Albums of the Year
01 - U2 - Songs of Experience (14 points)
02 - Ryan Adams - Prisoner (13 points)
03 - LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (13 points)
04 - The xx - I See You (10 points)
05 - Beck - Colors (10 points)
06 - The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (10 points)
07 - The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful (6 points)
08 - Slowdive - Slowdive (6 points)
09 - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Who Built the Moon? (6 points)
10 - Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? (4 points)
11 - Future Islands - The Far Field (4 points)
12 - Arcade Fire - Everything Now (1 point)
13 - Depeche Mode - Spirit (1 point)
14 - Spoon - Hot Thoughts (1 point)
15 - John Mayer - The Search for Everything (1 point)
Favorite Songs
U2 - The Little Things That Give You Away
Ryan Adams - Anything I Say to You Now
The War on Drugs - Holding On
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
LCD Soundsystem - oh baby
Royal Blood - Don’t Tell
Beck - Seventh Heaven
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - If Love is the Law
Paramore - Hard Times
Lorde - Green Light
Coldplay - A L I E N S
Shania Twain - Poor Me
Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie - In My World
The xx - Replica
Blondie - Long Time
Joey788
Refugee
Here we go, Best of 2017 mega-post!
Albums of the Year
1. St. Vincent: MASSEDUCTION (14 points)
Annie Clark does it again. She continues her practically flawless career with her most personal album yet, filled with confessional lyrics and corrupted pop. I’ve always been most drawn to her guitar playing, which remains out of this world. But even as she withdraws a bit from the shredding, her overall songwriting is strange and stellar. Plus, her ballads are better than ever, with lyrics ripped from her soul, discarding any camouflage or misdirects of past work. Then there’s “Young Lover,” simply one of the best songs she’s ever done. She’s grown to one of my all-time favorite artists, with MASSEDUCTION further cementing my love for her music.
Fav Tracks: “Masseduction,” “New York,” “Young Lover”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I know you hate my hysterics/I promise this time it's different/I won't cry wolf in the kitchen/Just please, oh, please don't hang up yet” – “Hang on Me”
“We were in Paris, the Eiffel was shining/All that I wanted was lying on tiling/I heard the robins and thought they were sirens/Wake up, young lover, I thought you were dyin'” – “Young Lover”
“And sometimes I go to the edge of my roof/And I think I'll jump just to punish you/And if I should float on the taxis below/No one would notice, no one will know” – “Smoking Section”
2. Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights (14 points)
Turn Out the Lights is an immense record that runs a gamut of emotions, from distress to love, anguish to healing. These are songs that you feel more than listen to. Everyone has encountered some sort of mental illness, addiction or crisis of faith, whether in your life or another’s. Not only does Julien Baker prove that you’re not alone, but she finds a way to make it better. There is no record that made me just feel as much as this one. This is especially true of “Claws In Your Back,” a song where Baker promises to love herself, flaws and all. It’s the best closing track I heard all year.
Fav Tracks: “Appointments,” “Happy to Be Here,” “Claws In Your Back”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I think if I ruin this/That I know I can live with it/Nothing turns out like I pictured it/Maybe the emptiness is just a lesson in canvases” – “Appointments”
“Kiss me goodnight with your sour breath/Breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness/And when I talk just taste regret/You're everything I want and I'm all you dread” – “Sour Breath”
“I think I can love/The sickness you made/'Cause I take it all back/I change my mind/I wanted to stay” – “Claws In Your Back”
3. The National – Sleep Well Beast (12 points)
On one hand, Sleep Well Beast is the most insular, subtle album The National have ever assembled. It’s a record for winter months, of familial connections that can be tense, uncomfortable and life-affirming at the same time. Tinged with electronic anxiety and the open space of silence, the band wonderfully builds a sensation or setting for each track. On the other hand, Sleep Well Beast has some of the strongest and most aggressive rock songs of The National’s career. Yet the aggression and calm sit placidly next to each other. It’s an excellent album of juxtapositions.
Fav Tracks: “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,” “Day I Die,” “I’ll Still Destroy You”
Favorite Lyrics:
“My faith is sick and my skin is thin as ever/I need you alone/Goodbyes always take us half an hour/Can't we just go home?” – “Nobody Else Will Be There”
“I try to save it for a rainy day/It’s raining all the time/Until everything is less insane/I’m mixing weed with wine” – “Walk It Back”
“I say your name/I say I'm sorry/I know it's not working/I'm no holiday/It's nobody's fault/No guilty party/ We just got nothing/Nothing left to say” – “Guilty Party”
4. Los Campesinos! – Sick Scenes (10 points)
Sick Scenes is an emotional melting pot of joy, regret and rage against the passage of time. But as heavy as that sounds, Los Campesinos! has never sounded lighter on its feet. With some of their catchiest songs yet and Gareth's muse in top form, this album stands among their strongest work. While nothing can stop the march of time, Los Campesinos! appears nearly as tenacious. They may be getting older, but they're also better than ever.
Fav Tracks: “Renato Dall’Ara (2008),” “A Slow, Slow Death,” “Got Stendhal’s”
Favorite Lyrics:
“Some days I struggle to move in elephant shoes, unwilling commuter/Anxiety in my chest, heart under duress, taps out of sharpshooter/Preoccupied now for days, by nostalgia waves, I hated the first time/A gambler's fallacy: The more I repeat, I won't be the punchline” – “A Slow, Slow Death”
“Another blister pack pops, but I still feel much the same/Thirty-one, and depression is a young man's game” – “5 Flucloxacillin”
“There is beauty in the world, I've been told by people I've nothing but trust in/Piled up with the cotton buds, among the toothpicks, inside the dark of the dustbin” – “For Whom The Belly Tolls”
5. Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm (10 points)
This is the first Waxahatchee album I’ve listened to and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to get into her music. Out In The Storm simply rocks, filled with snarling guitars and eviscerating lyrics. The mix of heavier songs and powerful ballads works perfectly, and it’s all supported by Katie Crutchfield’s voice and consistently excellent lyrics. Out of all my top records this year, this one has been the most difficult for me to pick favorite tracks. There’s not a weak song on here.
Fav Tracks: “Silver,” “Sparks Fly,” “Brass Beam”
Favorite Lyrics:
“See, I always gravitate toward/Those who are unimpressed/I saw you as a big fish/I saw you as a conquest” – “Recite Remorse”
“You look for me in the broken glass and Styrofoam/Painting yourself as a sufferer, a stepping stone/You work real hard to herd your friends into a gallery/Narcissistic injury disguised as masterpiece” – “Brass Beam”
“First saw you through childish eyes/I was in love with a song/A fleeting glimpse, romanticized/And I hoped you let me hang on” – “Fade”
6. Lorde – Melodrama (10 points)
Melodrama is about growing up and growing out of love, where the excitement of a relationship fades and what's left can't sustain itself. This album explores this segment of adulthood in all its joy, despair, confusion and revelry. And it does it with stunning introspection and musical freshness. Lorde wrote an excellent, expansive album that pushed her boundaries in all directions. This is a wonderful journey of catharsis.
Fav Tracks: “Green Light,” “Supercut,” “Perfect Places”
Favorite Lyrics:
“A couple rebel top gun pilots/Flying with nowhere to be/Don't know you super well/But I think that you might be the same as me/Behave abnormally” – “Homemade Dynamite”
“I am my mother's child, I'll love you 'til my breathing stops/I'll love you 'til you call the cops on me/But in our darkest hours, I stumbled on a secret power/I'll find a way to be without you, babe” – “Writer in the Dark”
“All of our heroes fading/Now I can't stand to be alone/Let's go to perfect places” – “Perfect Places”
7. Priests – Nothing Feels Natural (7 points)
In a year where rock bands were falling over themselves to write about Brexit and Trump, Priests’ debut album was a furious salvo. It’s a battle cry and pushback not just against the systemic flaws of society, but against the cynicism and disbelief that hits us with each day’s infuriating challenges. Nothing Feels Natural perfectly summed up my feelings of living in a world that turned upside down last year.
Fav Tracks: “Nothing Feels Natural,” “Pink White House,” “Suck”
Favorite Lyrics:
“You want some new brutalism?/You want something you can write home about/You want something to move away for/A reason to colonize” – “Appropriate”
“I wrote a bunch of songs for you/But you never knew and you never deserved them/Who ever deserves anything anyway/What a stupid concept” – “JJ”
“Why do I always have to be the police to get you to shut up when I speak/Always want someone to call the cops but I can tell you myself that you just suck/Please don't make me be/Someone with no sympathy” – “Suck”
8. Ninet Tayeb – Paper Parachute (5 points)
I found out about Ninet Tayeb through Steven Wilson, when she contributed guest vocals to a couple of his songs. She has an absolute powerhouse of a voice, the type that could level stadiums. Whether she sings on hard-edged rock tracks, swelling electronic ballads and fragile acoustic tunes, her voice always fits the music behind it. Plus, the songs and melodies are endlessly catchy and just fun to hear. I highly recommend you give this album a try.
Fav Tracks: “Paper Parachute,” “Child,” “Superstar”
Favorite Lyrics:
“Falling down from a tall building/Living your life by the hour every day/The floor is waiting for your head to explode” – “Paper Parachute”
“You're walking as if you own this game/Next to her you can't remember your name/Put your face high, those cobra eyes/Wear your leather shoes and start dancing like a superstar” – “Superstar”
“Your skin has gone stiff/When you try to smile/Open your eyes/And follow the sound” – “Elinor”
9. TORRES – Three Futures (5 points)
TORRES third album is a massive leap forward in her ability as a songwriter. These songs pulse with tension, using drone noises and cold electronica to convey their messages. Mackenzie Scott combines this setting with some filthy, distorted guitar lines that cut right through the atmospherics. But the uneasy sensation is also soothed by some absolutely beautiful ballads. It feels like she’s fully found her voice in a process that’s evolved over three albums.
Fav Tracks: “Skim,” “Three Futures,” “Concrete Ganesha”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I know you never dreamed/I'd become a damn Yankee/If you could only see/It's still the Georgia winds that move me” – “Tongue Slap Your Brains Out”
“I hope that's what you'll remember/Not how I left, but how I entered/You didn't know I saw three futures/One alone, and one with you/And one with the love I knew I'd choose” – “Three Futures”
“You moved like a sunroom/Bracing for Sunday evening/Auburn curls hanging/From a mind made up” – “Concrete Ganesha”
10. EMA - Exile in the Outer Ring (4 points)
On Exile In The Outer Ring, EMA filters her own experience growing up in the dark recesses of America, to give a perspective of where we are today. These are the struggling backroads between major U.S. cities that feel left without a voice. Through the album, EMA never judges or grandstands. She takes snapshots of life outside metropolises, bringing the anger, depression and substance abuse that sadly is all too common.
Fav Tracks: “Breathalyzer,” “I Wanna Destroy,” “Always Bleeds”
Favorite Lyrics:
“For seven years I let this waste me / Seven years before I could face it / All that time of guilt and shame/ I couldn't even say its name” – “7 Years”
“You picked me up in a car/And when I went under the overpass/See skeletons from dinosaurs, oil from bones/Sun-bleached to the point of sun damage” – “Fire Water Air LSD”
“Take a train to San Francisco/Five hundred miles on Halloween/A total eclipse of your setting/I do not think that this will ever end” – “Always Bleeds”
11. LCD Soundsystem: American Dream (3 points)
12. Alex Lahey: I Love You Like A Brother (2 points)
13. Steven Wilson: To The Bone (2 points)
14. Paramore: After Laughter (1 point)
15. Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet (1 point)
Honorable Mentions:
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN
Spoon – Hot Thoughts
Algiers – The Underside of Power
Best EP: Nine Inch Nails – Add Violence
Biggest Disappointment: Tied between Gorillaz and Arcade Fire
Best Debut: Priests – Nothing Feels Natural
Albums of the Year
1. St. Vincent: MASSEDUCTION (14 points)
Annie Clark does it again. She continues her practically flawless career with her most personal album yet, filled with confessional lyrics and corrupted pop. I’ve always been most drawn to her guitar playing, which remains out of this world. But even as she withdraws a bit from the shredding, her overall songwriting is strange and stellar. Plus, her ballads are better than ever, with lyrics ripped from her soul, discarding any camouflage or misdirects of past work. Then there’s “Young Lover,” simply one of the best songs she’s ever done. She’s grown to one of my all-time favorite artists, with MASSEDUCTION further cementing my love for her music.
Fav Tracks: “Masseduction,” “New York,” “Young Lover”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I know you hate my hysterics/I promise this time it's different/I won't cry wolf in the kitchen/Just please, oh, please don't hang up yet” – “Hang on Me”
“We were in Paris, the Eiffel was shining/All that I wanted was lying on tiling/I heard the robins and thought they were sirens/Wake up, young lover, I thought you were dyin'” – “Young Lover”
“And sometimes I go to the edge of my roof/And I think I'll jump just to punish you/And if I should float on the taxis below/No one would notice, no one will know” – “Smoking Section”
2. Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights (14 points)
Turn Out the Lights is an immense record that runs a gamut of emotions, from distress to love, anguish to healing. These are songs that you feel more than listen to. Everyone has encountered some sort of mental illness, addiction or crisis of faith, whether in your life or another’s. Not only does Julien Baker prove that you’re not alone, but she finds a way to make it better. There is no record that made me just feel as much as this one. This is especially true of “Claws In Your Back,” a song where Baker promises to love herself, flaws and all. It’s the best closing track I heard all year.
Fav Tracks: “Appointments,” “Happy to Be Here,” “Claws In Your Back”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I think if I ruin this/That I know I can live with it/Nothing turns out like I pictured it/Maybe the emptiness is just a lesson in canvases” – “Appointments”
“Kiss me goodnight with your sour breath/Breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness/And when I talk just taste regret/You're everything I want and I'm all you dread” – “Sour Breath”
“I think I can love/The sickness you made/'Cause I take it all back/I change my mind/I wanted to stay” – “Claws In Your Back”
3. The National – Sleep Well Beast (12 points)
On one hand, Sleep Well Beast is the most insular, subtle album The National have ever assembled. It’s a record for winter months, of familial connections that can be tense, uncomfortable and life-affirming at the same time. Tinged with electronic anxiety and the open space of silence, the band wonderfully builds a sensation or setting for each track. On the other hand, Sleep Well Beast has some of the strongest and most aggressive rock songs of The National’s career. Yet the aggression and calm sit placidly next to each other. It’s an excellent album of juxtapositions.
Fav Tracks: “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,” “Day I Die,” “I’ll Still Destroy You”
Favorite Lyrics:
“My faith is sick and my skin is thin as ever/I need you alone/Goodbyes always take us half an hour/Can't we just go home?” – “Nobody Else Will Be There”
“I try to save it for a rainy day/It’s raining all the time/Until everything is less insane/I’m mixing weed with wine” – “Walk It Back”
“I say your name/I say I'm sorry/I know it's not working/I'm no holiday/It's nobody's fault/No guilty party/ We just got nothing/Nothing left to say” – “Guilty Party”
4. Los Campesinos! – Sick Scenes (10 points)
Sick Scenes is an emotional melting pot of joy, regret and rage against the passage of time. But as heavy as that sounds, Los Campesinos! has never sounded lighter on its feet. With some of their catchiest songs yet and Gareth's muse in top form, this album stands among their strongest work. While nothing can stop the march of time, Los Campesinos! appears nearly as tenacious. They may be getting older, but they're also better than ever.
Fav Tracks: “Renato Dall’Ara (2008),” “A Slow, Slow Death,” “Got Stendhal’s”
Favorite Lyrics:
“Some days I struggle to move in elephant shoes, unwilling commuter/Anxiety in my chest, heart under duress, taps out of sharpshooter/Preoccupied now for days, by nostalgia waves, I hated the first time/A gambler's fallacy: The more I repeat, I won't be the punchline” – “A Slow, Slow Death”
“Another blister pack pops, but I still feel much the same/Thirty-one, and depression is a young man's game” – “5 Flucloxacillin”
“There is beauty in the world, I've been told by people I've nothing but trust in/Piled up with the cotton buds, among the toothpicks, inside the dark of the dustbin” – “For Whom The Belly Tolls”
5. Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm (10 points)
This is the first Waxahatchee album I’ve listened to and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to get into her music. Out In The Storm simply rocks, filled with snarling guitars and eviscerating lyrics. The mix of heavier songs and powerful ballads works perfectly, and it’s all supported by Katie Crutchfield’s voice and consistently excellent lyrics. Out of all my top records this year, this one has been the most difficult for me to pick favorite tracks. There’s not a weak song on here.
Fav Tracks: “Silver,” “Sparks Fly,” “Brass Beam”
Favorite Lyrics:
“See, I always gravitate toward/Those who are unimpressed/I saw you as a big fish/I saw you as a conquest” – “Recite Remorse”
“You look for me in the broken glass and Styrofoam/Painting yourself as a sufferer, a stepping stone/You work real hard to herd your friends into a gallery/Narcissistic injury disguised as masterpiece” – “Brass Beam”
“First saw you through childish eyes/I was in love with a song/A fleeting glimpse, romanticized/And I hoped you let me hang on” – “Fade”
6. Lorde – Melodrama (10 points)
Melodrama is about growing up and growing out of love, where the excitement of a relationship fades and what's left can't sustain itself. This album explores this segment of adulthood in all its joy, despair, confusion and revelry. And it does it with stunning introspection and musical freshness. Lorde wrote an excellent, expansive album that pushed her boundaries in all directions. This is a wonderful journey of catharsis.
Fav Tracks: “Green Light,” “Supercut,” “Perfect Places”
Favorite Lyrics:
“A couple rebel top gun pilots/Flying with nowhere to be/Don't know you super well/But I think that you might be the same as me/Behave abnormally” – “Homemade Dynamite”
“I am my mother's child, I'll love you 'til my breathing stops/I'll love you 'til you call the cops on me/But in our darkest hours, I stumbled on a secret power/I'll find a way to be without you, babe” – “Writer in the Dark”
“All of our heroes fading/Now I can't stand to be alone/Let's go to perfect places” – “Perfect Places”
7. Priests – Nothing Feels Natural (7 points)
In a year where rock bands were falling over themselves to write about Brexit and Trump, Priests’ debut album was a furious salvo. It’s a battle cry and pushback not just against the systemic flaws of society, but against the cynicism and disbelief that hits us with each day’s infuriating challenges. Nothing Feels Natural perfectly summed up my feelings of living in a world that turned upside down last year.
Fav Tracks: “Nothing Feels Natural,” “Pink White House,” “Suck”
Favorite Lyrics:
“You want some new brutalism?/You want something you can write home about/You want something to move away for/A reason to colonize” – “Appropriate”
“I wrote a bunch of songs for you/But you never knew and you never deserved them/Who ever deserves anything anyway/What a stupid concept” – “JJ”
“Why do I always have to be the police to get you to shut up when I speak/Always want someone to call the cops but I can tell you myself that you just suck/Please don't make me be/Someone with no sympathy” – “Suck”
8. Ninet Tayeb – Paper Parachute (5 points)
I found out about Ninet Tayeb through Steven Wilson, when she contributed guest vocals to a couple of his songs. She has an absolute powerhouse of a voice, the type that could level stadiums. Whether she sings on hard-edged rock tracks, swelling electronic ballads and fragile acoustic tunes, her voice always fits the music behind it. Plus, the songs and melodies are endlessly catchy and just fun to hear. I highly recommend you give this album a try.
Fav Tracks: “Paper Parachute,” “Child,” “Superstar”
Favorite Lyrics:
“Falling down from a tall building/Living your life by the hour every day/The floor is waiting for your head to explode” – “Paper Parachute”
“You're walking as if you own this game/Next to her you can't remember your name/Put your face high, those cobra eyes/Wear your leather shoes and start dancing like a superstar” – “Superstar”
“Your skin has gone stiff/When you try to smile/Open your eyes/And follow the sound” – “Elinor”
9. TORRES – Three Futures (5 points)
TORRES third album is a massive leap forward in her ability as a songwriter. These songs pulse with tension, using drone noises and cold electronica to convey their messages. Mackenzie Scott combines this setting with some filthy, distorted guitar lines that cut right through the atmospherics. But the uneasy sensation is also soothed by some absolutely beautiful ballads. It feels like she’s fully found her voice in a process that’s evolved over three albums.
Fav Tracks: “Skim,” “Three Futures,” “Concrete Ganesha”
Favorite Lyrics:
“I know you never dreamed/I'd become a damn Yankee/If you could only see/It's still the Georgia winds that move me” – “Tongue Slap Your Brains Out”
“I hope that's what you'll remember/Not how I left, but how I entered/You didn't know I saw three futures/One alone, and one with you/And one with the love I knew I'd choose” – “Three Futures”
“You moved like a sunroom/Bracing for Sunday evening/Auburn curls hanging/From a mind made up” – “Concrete Ganesha”
10. EMA - Exile in the Outer Ring (4 points)
On Exile In The Outer Ring, EMA filters her own experience growing up in the dark recesses of America, to give a perspective of where we are today. These are the struggling backroads between major U.S. cities that feel left without a voice. Through the album, EMA never judges or grandstands. She takes snapshots of life outside metropolises, bringing the anger, depression and substance abuse that sadly is all too common.
Fav Tracks: “Breathalyzer,” “I Wanna Destroy,” “Always Bleeds”
Favorite Lyrics:
“For seven years I let this waste me / Seven years before I could face it / All that time of guilt and shame/ I couldn't even say its name” – “7 Years”
“You picked me up in a car/And when I went under the overpass/See skeletons from dinosaurs, oil from bones/Sun-bleached to the point of sun damage” – “Fire Water Air LSD”
“Take a train to San Francisco/Five hundred miles on Halloween/A total eclipse of your setting/I do not think that this will ever end” – “Always Bleeds”
11. LCD Soundsystem: American Dream (3 points)
12. Alex Lahey: I Love You Like A Brother (2 points)
13. Steven Wilson: To The Bone (2 points)
14. Paramore: After Laughter (1 point)
15. Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet (1 point)
Honorable Mentions:
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN
Spoon – Hot Thoughts
Algiers – The Underside of Power
Best EP: Nine Inch Nails – Add Violence
Biggest Disappointment: Tied between Gorillaz and Arcade Fire
Best Debut: Priests – Nothing Feels Natural
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