TWENEEK17: Top 25 Albums
Well, here we go. I could've done a hundred, but I had to limit myself because it would only delay this longer. But I'm super happy with the amount of albums I've heard this year and I'm content this more of less accurately represents my year-round thoughts! |
| 25 |  | Foo Fighters
Concrete and Gold
The Foo Fighters came off triumphant off of the lackluster “Sonic Highways” to deliver one of their best, one far more different and adventurous than usual. It’s fitting then that even when they falter here, it’s still doing something different from the norm. As far as they can get from their own norm, that is. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” |
| 24 |  | Pile
A Hairshirt of Purpose
With the little background on the band that I actually have, I never would’ve been able to tell these guys’ post-hardcore roots. The sound they’ve built here is hugely engaging, alternatingly acoustic and aggressive, and often both at once. It’s one of those 2017 albums that I’m glad didn’t go past my radar. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “Dogs” |
| 23 |  | Brockhampton
SATURATION III
The only hip-hop record to make this list managed to do so by hammering together bad-ass bangers and a multitude of tracks that mix fun music and great lyrics, keeping far more variety and eclecticism than their previous releases. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: BOOGIE |
| 22 |  | The National
Sleep Well Beast
While this didn’t make a massive impression on me musically (that’s not to say it wasn’t great, it just didn’t stand out as much as others), it certainly did emotionally. Just looking at the album cover makes me feel something deep, and even if I can’t remember a note from this off the top of my head, that’s more than enough to land it here. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “Guilty Party” |
| 21 |  | Elder (USA-MA)
Reflections of a Floating World
Elder graced us this year with an ethereal monolith of an album, seemingly carved out of a slab of concrete with an equal amount of muscle and grace. The ever-evolving song structures seem to coalesce and fuse into stark landscapes of apocalyptic ruin, and yet seem just as interested in the hopeful chirp of wildlife and branching foliage that naturally springs from the wreckage. And while this may have been my first experience with the band, it most certainly won’t be the last. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “The Falling Veil” |
| 20 |  | Kirin J. Callinan
Bravado
Absolutely ridiculous but refreshingly straight-faced, Bravado was a hilarious and fun album that seemed to have more on its mind than, say, a Weird “Al” album, and Kirin managed to have plenty of musical and vocal tricks up his sleeve to back it up in style. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “Big Enough” |
| 19 |  | Roger Waters
Is This The Life We Really Want?
The sound of a bitter old man sneering at a world that hasn’t changed one bit despite all his groaning and moaning, and realizing that all he can really do about it is sit and sing. And surprisingly enough, for someone not a massive fan of his share of Pink Floyd’s work, it’s goddamn excellent. The title track is worth everyone’s ear. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “Is This the Life We Really Want?” |
| 18 |  | PVRIS
All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell
While it’s a bit more pop over rock than I might like, it’s got a fantastic trio of opening songs, and it’s got more than enough energy and power to go around. As long as there’s new bands like this willing to put a new spin on a tried and true sound, there’ll be a reason to listen to new music. Sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to have a great time. 4.1/5
Favorite Track: “Half” |
| 17 |  | Woman
Happy Freedom
Infusing hints of world, funk, and pop music, Woman managed to create a recreation of the past and a characature of the present in a fun and just damn cool sounding record that’s just as disposable as it is engaging. Do with that what you will. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Money” |
| 16 |  | Phoebe Bridgers
Stranger In The Alps
Both bleak and lush, crushing and hopeful, beautiful and eerie, I went from having no idea who this girl was to feeling like we were living the same life at points. And even without the ridiculously relatable time this album dropped into my lap, musically it’s just magnificent. While it hits some of the same notes a few more times than I’d like, this thing has been growing on me for a long time now, and it’s crawling it’s way slowly up this list. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Scott Street” |
| 15 |  | glaswegians
severance
For all of its faults (i.e. overlong songs, even for post rock), severance did a wonderful job of blending several genres together often to the point of ridiculousness. While one might try to juggle them all and dissect it, it’s easier and more satisfying to just let it happen. If you’re not willing to have fun with this record, you won’t. It’s truly one of a kind. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “orwellian” |
| 14 |  | The War on Drugs
A Deeper Understanding
A Deeper Understanding creates something blissful in its music, a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that doesn’t hold itself back, but one that uses our past as a lens to look forward. Even if at times it might sound like Bob Dylan singing Springsteen songs over 90s dream pop, its layered and thoughtful instrumentation is deceptively modern, taking the listener to unexpected emotional heights. Give it a chance to sit with you a bit. You won’t regret it. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Strangest Thing” |
| 13 |  | Igorrr
Savage Sinusoid
The funniest goddamn album I’ve heard all year (maybe ever?) came as a surprise. Through all the incoherent screaming and genre switches, there aren’t any jokes being told, merely a constant subversion of expectations and playful nature that seemingly can’t be stumped. Obviously this wears off slightly and by the end the songs are less inventive and a bit more straightforward. But with this brilliant album? You won’t catch me complaining. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Houmous” |
| 12 |  | Mount Eerie
A Crow Looked At Me
It feels wrong to rank this album on a list. But, at the same time, it is an album composed of words and music, and I can rank it based on how it sounds and how it made me feel. And that amounts to my 12th favorite album of 2017. I would only really recommend listening to this on your way to therapy. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Ravens” |
| 11 |  | Manchester Orchestra
A Black Mile to the Surface
Always moving, sometimes redundant, often brilliant, occasionally frustrating, this album being my first experience with Manchester Orchestra was more of a revelation. A kind of “wait, these guys have always been around? Time to get on that.” Anyway, about the album. It’s really damn great. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “The Moth” |
| 10 |  | 1476
Our Season Draws Near
A dark horse in my list that came in galloping last minute, I can’t think of any reason why any music listener shouldn’t check this album out. Parts folk, metal, post punk, post hardcore, Our Season Draws Near created a consistently beautiful album from top to bottom, and one that absolutely needs more attention from everyone here. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Solitude (Exterior)” (maybe) |
| 9 |  | alt-J
Relaxer
Carelessly tossed aside by basically everyone on this site, this was a late addition to this list that would’ve just felt empty now without it. An eclectic, invigorating listen whose lesser moments are immediately eclipsed by the constant shining highlights, if you don’t get this, I don’t get you. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “In Cold Blood” |
| 8 |  | Gang of Youths
Go Farther in Lightness
Of all the albums on this list, this is probably one I’ve listened to the least. Still, it’s stuck to my heart incredibly close. Not just from the highlights I listen to bring me up and down (“Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane” and “The Heart Is a Muscle”), but the work as a whole is profoundly affecting. It might even be a weaker album than say Black Mile, but even if its less cohesive sonically, thematically it hits the nail right on the head. And in this case, that’s more than enough. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane” |
| 7 |  | Citizen
As You Please
Perhaps the opposite of Go Farther in Lightness in many ways, As You Please works as a collection of incredible, alternately moving and badass songs that work as well apart as they do together. What makes it all works is that every single song here rules and doesn’t falter from the whole, leaving only highlights and other songs that are also just great. And that’s not a bad problem to have. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Flowerchild” |
| 6 |  | Algiers
The Underside of Power
Perhaps the first great protest album of the Trump era strikes a chord in the heart of trouble times both viscerally and musically, seamlessly blending soul, hip-hop, rock, and electronic music into a surreal and fittingly apocalyptic soup of hope and fear. Basically, it’s just fucking awesome. 4.2/5
Favorite Track: “Walk Like a Panther” |
| 5 |  | Palehorse/Palerider
Burial Songs
I already wrote a whole review on why this is awesome and why you should listen to it, but if you haven’t yet, you should listen to it. 4.3/5
Favorite Track: “Sundowning” |
| 4 |  | The Afghan Whigs
In Spades
A summation of decades of alt rock summed up in one fantastic album, In Spades brings elements from bands and sounds all across the table to create a truly rocking experience. Also, I o enjoy some good Queens of the Stone Age worship here and there. But in all honesty, I could go through this whole thing without wanted to stop or skip a track, and that’s really just the greatest praise I can give these days. 4.3/5
Favorite Track: "Demon in Profile" |
| 3 |  | Queens of the Stone Age
Villains
A strangely dancey and funk-based effort from the Queens really isn’t that surprising at all when you think about it. What’s important is that through it all, they’ve retained the musical drive and energy from previous projects and even some of the emotional honesty from their previous masterpiece. The more I think about it, the more this is one of my favorite albums from them. 4.4/5
Favorite Track: “Villains of Circumstance” |
| 2 |  | Julien Baker
Turn Out The Lights
Though my love for this album waxes and wanes, it will eternally hold a piece of my heart for the time it came into my life. Julien’s work has never really been about the music, but here more often than not it shines, adding in pianos and strings for a dramatic uptick in quality from her already astounding debut. Her newfound confidence and resolve showcased on here only hints at an even brighter for her, and all I can say is that I’ll be there every step of the way. 4.8/5
Favorite Track: “Claws in Your Back” |
| 1 |  | Brand New
Science Fiction
Fuck you. |
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