Top 25 Albums 2017
You Know The Drill |
| 25 |  | Algiers
The Underside of Power
Soul/Punk/Gospel: The boys from Atlanta improve from their debut delivering a scathing, urgent, politco-socio message of anger and hope admist a chaotic 2017 in the USA. The musicality is more focused, darker, and urgent in every way. |
| 24 |  | White Moth Black Butterfly
Atone
Pop/Progressive/Trip-Hop: A more focused improvement from One Thousand Wings, Atone is a serene and focused listening experience. Dan and Jordan vocals play off each other effortlessly. Certainly worth a spin or two if you like pop music mature with a touch of proggy-ness. |
| 23 |  | Sleep Token
Two
Progressive Metal/Shoegaze/Indie: The elusive group releases their second EP that is basically a continuation of their Bon-Iver-Meets-Deftones sound. If you like both of these artists then this is a must listen. |
| 22 |  | Otto A Totland
The Lost
Ambient/Classical: If it ain't broke don't fix it, Otto A Totland continues his "playing in the room" vibe that was seen on "Open" and writes another collection of short but sweet and comforting piano pieces. |
| 21 |  | Floating Points
Reflections - Mojave Desert
Jazz/Electronic/Ambient: Follows up the sound of Eleania: From the Reflections is a more driving and darker listening experience. The album hits a sweet peak with the argepegtiated synthwork on Kites leading to and building to the explosive end of Kelso Dunes. |
| 20 |  | Lorde
Melodrama
Pop/Art-Pop: "This is way too low on your list" Part I. What already hasn't been said about this great album, Lorde exceeds expectations and successfully matures her pop sound from her debut, creating a stirring, "melodramatic", borderline conceptual album experience to near perfection. Without question the best pop album this year. |
| 19 |  | Less Art
Strangled Light
Post-Hardcore/Metal: Thrice/Kowloon Walled City/Curl Up And Die supergroup deliver the goods: a band that sounds like from the mid 2000's releasing a record clearly in tribute to the mid-late 90's/early 2000's post-hardcore records. This is not a gimmick act as this veteran-esque group delivers on raw, solidass musicianship and arrangements but the crown jewel is Mike Minnick confrontational and brutally honest lyrics. There is sort of an interesting yang in comparing to Thrice's Kensrue's lyrics: both are rooted in optimism but Minnick takes a much more darker, cynical view of the world. There is no filter to what's being said, which might make it a challenge for some to get into. But if you remotely consider yourself a fan of Thrice or the genre this is certainly worth your time. |
| 18 |  | Grandbrothers
Open
Classical/Electronic/Experimental: Exploring the sonic possibilities of a piano through electronic manipulation. Ranging from the layering of Open, to the latin-esque grooves of White Nights: the German boys deliver the goods on crafting incredible sounds with solid musical writing. |
| 17 |  | Bing and Ruth
No Home of the Mind
Ambient/Classical: Gorgeous Piano arrangements layered into a satisfying abyss. |
| 16 |  | Selffish
He She Them Us
Ambient/Jazz/Trip-Hop: Like watching a a person sprawled out on a beach chair listening to lounge music. |
| 15 |  | 9T Antiope
Isthmus
Electronic/Ambient/Noise/Classical: The "this is too low on your list" part II album. This Iranian duo continue to deliver the goods on beautiful, haunting, and post-apocalyptic music for a world that continues to exposes it's transparency in chaos and madness. |
| 14 |  | Ghosting
Reimagining Miyazaki
Hip-Hop/Soundtrack/Instrumental: Nostalgia and the surrealism of Miyazki's films wrapped up in simple but effective hip-hop/trap beats. |
| 13 |  | Uncommon Nasa
Written at Night
Hip-Hop: Raw moody album for walking the streets of NYC (or your favorite city) late at night. The jungle gets weirder as the hours pass. |
| 12 |  | Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri
La Equidistancia
Ambient/Drone: A peaceful colorfully greyed drone experience that allows you to stare into an endless grand canyon view while your sitting in your sterile classroom setting. |
| 11 |  | Otoboke Beaver
Love Is Short
J-Rock/Punk: A Solid 3 track EP barely kicking thru at 5 minutes. I should probably read into the lyrics that discuss female empowering and feminists issues (which I stand by). But instead I focus on raging out in violent fashion. Also these bass lines, man. |
| 10 |  | James Maloney
Gaslight
Ambient/Classical: The Sound of Summer in photographic memories and peace. |
| 9 |  | Stevens / Dessner / Muhly / McAlister
Planetarium
Alternative/Indie/Electronic: Sufjan and friends take the melancholy aesthetic of Carrie & Lowell and takes it to the stratosphere with added euphoria and experimentation. This album feels more like a guided museum tour than an album, which while some may not enjoy, I do! |
| 8 |  | The Caretaker
Everywhere at the End of Time- Stage 3
Ambient/Drone: Include Part 2, Dementia-core never sounded so depressingly satisfying. |
| 7 |  | Glassjaw
Material Control
Post-Hardcore: NY Post-Hardcore Kings release what is probably their most authentic and rawest record to date. Material Control doesn't have focus on the nuanced musicality that Worship and Tribute and the Coloring Book EP, elements of those albums are present but instead their presented in blunting fashion. Daryl gives some of his weirdest and atonal performances to date, perfectly matching the chaos instrumentally. GJ continues to deliver on a raw level that so many other bands try to and can barely match. |
| 6 |  | PVRIS
All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell
Alt-Rock/Pop: A Continuation from White Noise: PVRIS remove their pop-punk edge for a more matured pop sound that lets their black/white hues turn a bit darker-thus making their best record to date. |
| 5 |  | Moses Sumney
Aromanticism
Folk/Soul/Ambient: All is Fair in Love and War |
| 4 |  | The Spirit Of The Beehive
Pleasure Suck
Indie/Psych Rock: Pleasure does Suck, we sometimes do awful things to get it and the payoff tends to be only temporary. TSOTB capture this feeling perfectly with their drug-infested, trippy, apathetic, and detached sound of all the instruments trying to stay together before collapsing by the end of the each track. |
| 3 |  | Jason van Wyk
Opacity
Ambient: One could start an Ambient Wars on bandcamp with the number of releases coming out-but hands down Jason Van Wyk would be one of the crownachievers with Opacity. The depth of the synths felt throughout and so peaceful and easy to sink into. Like laying in an open field starting at an endless stary sky. Yes we have heard albums like this before but in terms of THAT theme Opacity wins it for 2017. |
| 2 |  | Disperse
Foreword
Progressive Rock/Metal: The Sound Of Euphoria In Aural Form, literally will soar with you. |
| 1 |  | The Contortionist
Clairvoyant
If Foreword is about taking you on the highest of the highs: The Contortionist on Clairvoyant play closer to the ground. The Contortionist more or less have come very close to perfecting their meditative prog metal abyss that they've been working towards for years. Michael Lessard airy and somewhat restraint performance may not be your cup of tea, but his voice seems content at feeling out the music in almost real time, aiming for the matters of the heart rather than thrashing around. Continuing from the themes from Language: Clairvoyant see Lessard come to terms with the darkness that took his friend. It doesn't deny it, but takes it in acceptance and peace. Thus making Clairvoyant an incredible comforting and peaceful record despite it's rather dark nature. |
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