2017 has been one of the weirdest and most shocking years we can remember, but it’s also been an incredible year for music. This is clearly the only end of year list you’ll need to read, so sit back, relax and enjoy our definitive list of the top 50 albums of the year. Check out the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the list to hear all the tracks in one place.
50. Morrissey – Low in High School
It’s fair to say, Morrissey has been a bit of a dick this year. Nevertheless, The Smiths legend delivered an album full of his signature lyrics and wonderfully distinct vocal melodies. Musically ‘Low in High School’ is a welcome return to form, if only he’d just keep his mouth shut in interviews.
49. Kirin J Callinan – Bravado
Australian born Kirin J Callinan gifted us with the synth-heavy pop oddity, ‘Bravado’. Bringing mates Conna Mockasin and Weyes Blood along for the ride, Callinan created one of the funniest, wittiest and downright banging pop records of the year. The majestic ‘S.A.D.’ is a highlight filled with about thirty-seven cheesy key changes and a chorus perfect for singing as loud as possible.
48. Benjamin Booker – Witness
American singer-songwriter Benjamin Booker blends punk and soul in the brilliant ‘Witness’. His husky vocals marry perfectly with the dense production of a sweeping, thirty-two-minute thrill of a record. Released on Rough Trade, the swirling string arrangements compliment Booker’s vocal to create a sound with a little more grit and attitude than a run of the mill soul record.
47. Aldous Harding – Party
Self-described ‘gothic-folk’ artist Aldous Harding arrived with her debut release through 4AD. ‘Party’ (produced with the award-winning John Parish; PJ Harvey, Sparklehorse) introduces a new personality and drama to the realm where the likes of Kate Bush and Scott Walker reside. The intimacy of the recordings and delicate nature of Harding’s vocal make this record a beautiful listen, especially on frosty winter nights.
46. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
‘A Deeper Understanding’ is The War on Drugs’ follow up to 2014’s critically acclaimed ‘Lost in the Dream’. Front man Adam Granduciel’s guitar riffs and solos are worthy of an entire album on their own and this is one of epic proportions; not one track comes in under the four-minute mark. For their first record released on a major record label (Atlantic), The War on Drugs returned with blistering results.
45. Converge – The Dusk in Us
Legendary metalcore outfit Converge returned with their ninth studio album ‘The Dusk in Us’, packed with heavy riffs, booming drums and vocalist Jacob Bannon’s signature high-pitched screaming. Melodically, the record is brilliant. The way the songs change from dark and brooding instrumentations to bright, melodic passages keeping you gripped. Metalcore isn’t dead and Converge are holding the flame.
44. METZ – Strange Peace
Three-piece Canadian punk outfit METZ released their third album ‘Strange Peace’ on the iconic Sub Pop label. Recorded by the legendary Steve Albini (The Cribs, Iggy & The Stooges, Manic Street Preachers), ‘Strange Peace’ is a hard-hitting, raw and characterful record full of tunes that pack attitude and menace.
43. Slowdive – Slowdive
Shoegaze pioneers Slowdive re-emerged with their self-titled fourth album after a twenty-two-year hiatus. ‘Slowdive’ is a welcome return to form for the English band, with the album utilizing vast, atmospheric soundscapes. The album closer ‘Falling Ashes’ is a beautifully drawn out, eight-minute, piano-led epic that really takes your breath away. This is the album fans had been dreaming about for all those years.
42. Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
Everything Everything have been very busy. Since the release of their Mercury Music nominated debut ‘Man Alive’ in 2010, the Manchester band have released three more albums in the short space of seven years. ‘A Fever Dream’ is by far their most pop influenced record, really pushing them into the mainstream. With tracks like ‘Good Shot, Good Soldier’ and pop banger ‘Can’t Do’, it’s impossible not to fall in love with their quirky, experimental indie-pop.
41. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
‘Big Fish Theory’ is American rapper Vince Staples’ second album after 2015’s ‘Summertime 06’. Clocking in at just over half an hour, the record is packed full of short bursts of electronic infused, rap brilliance. Containing production work from Justin Vernon, SOPHIE and Flume, with added guest musical contributions from Kendrick Lamar, Damon Albarn and A$AP Rocky, Staples has crafted an album of truly progressive, forward-thinking hip hop.
40. Thundercat – Drunk
Bass-master and multi-instrumentalist wonder musician Stephen Bruner, better known as Thundercat, released his third full length LP in the February of 2017. After blowing us away with singles ‘Show You the Way’ (featuring Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald) and ‘Walk on By’ (featuring Kendrick Lamar), ‘Drunk’ duly delivered. The twenty-three-track record displays a fantastic knack for groove and, with added jazz influence, ‘Drunk’ is by far the coolest album of the year.
39. The Horrors – V
Faris Badwan and co. released their fifth album this year, aptly titled ‘V’. It is also their fifth album to chart in the UK top forty, which is pretty good going. ‘V’ is probably The Horrors’ most commercial sounding record but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to digest. Another record on this list that clocks in at just under an hour, the album challenges and surprises throughout. ‘Something to Remember Me By’, the albums closer, is a moment of absolute pop magic from a band at the top of their game.
38. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?
The coolest fifty-year-old in music arrived with his third album under the High Flying Birds moniker in late 2017. ‘Who Built the Moon’ is an album of cosmic-pop infused psychedelic beats that swell and progress throughout. Noel’s vocal has never sounded better; the heights he hits on ‘Keep on Reaching’ are great, showing serious vocal control throughout. Massive respect to Noel for writing the album he’s always wanted to release. It pays of massively.
37. The Cribs – 24/7 Rock Star Shit
Wakefield brothers The Cribs have become an indie music institution and with their seventh album ‘24/7 Rock Star Shit’, it’s not hard to see why. Following on from 2015’s ‘For All My Sisters’, the band took it back to basics and recorded much of the album in three days with Steve Albini at the helm. The results are fantastic. The album is powerful, energetic and raw, giving the production a perfect DIY feel to it. The Jarman brothers have blossomed to become one of Yorkshire’s most beloved bands and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
36. Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
After garnering attention on the UK underground music scene via his Wicked Skengman series of freestyles over classic grime beats, Stormzy took the UK by storm with the release of his debut album. By achieving a well-deserved UK number one with ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’, the twenty-four-year-old shined a light on the grime scene. Gospel influenced ‘Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2‘ and ‘Cigarette’s and Cush’ counteract sharp cuts like ‘Big for Your Boots’ and ‘Cold’. Even with all these different influences, Stormzy delivered an album of well-focused tracks propelling him up the UK charts.
35. Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet
Japanese Breakfast is the solo musical project of Michelle Zauner of Pennsylvanian indie-rock outfit Little Big League. ‘Soft Sounds from Another Planet’ is a dream-pop influenced record where Zauner’s vocals shine over melancholic instrumentations. The sound design throughout the track listing is perfectly sculpted with beautiful shimmering synth pads and reverberated guitar sections to give a spacious and expansive sound.
34. This Is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
‘Moonshine Freeze’ is the fourth album from British musician Kate Stables under the This Is The Kit alias. Based in Paris, Stables returned to her hometown of Bristol to record this wistful, warm and smart folk record. After Mumford & Sons ruined the banjo for pretty much everyone, Stables utilizes the much-despised instrument in ways to create gorgeous textures under her intimate and simple vocal melodies.
33. Algiers – The Underside of Power
With ‘The Underside of Power’, Algiers created one of the most underrated albums of 2017. By using intense, brilliantly noisy, overblown and jarring production, the trio from Atlanta, Georgia coupled gospel and punk to significant effect. The atonal textures used in the instrumentation means that the album can be sometimes be challenging, but it’s these risks that make Algiers stand out from the crowd.
32. Pissed Jeans – Why Love Now
Hardcore-punk band Pissed Jeans released their fifth record (fourth with label Sub Pop) at the beginning of 2017. The premise behind the album is gender relations and explores concepts such as masculinity and femininity, garnering loud and raw results. Front man Matt Korvette’s husky screamed vocal tones exude a passion and energy that is nothing but infectious. ‘Why Love Now’ is a raging torrent of an album.
31. Rocks FOE – Fight the Good? Fight
A powerful lyricist and complex story-teller, Rocks’ sound combines hyper-fierce rapping with his own, abstract beats. The production on ‘Fight The Good? Fight’ is unique and hard-hitting, allowing Rocks to stand out on his own. Grime influenced, industrial beats coupled with fast-flows and guitar leads lead to an album of complete originality. A highly recommended album from a young and exciting artist.
30. Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives
Electronic music duo Mount Kimbie released their third full length LP in 2017. Packed with features from UK greats including King Krule and James Blake, the record is a masterclass in melodic, experimental electronic music. The sound design and synth work on each track is expertly crafted and when coupled with the vocal features, the album really takes on new life.
29. Marika Hackman – I’m Not Your Man
‘I’m Not Your Man’ is Marika Hackman’s second album and her first released through Sub Pop. This year the English singer-songwriter delivered a darker, more melancholic record than her previous efforts. I’m Not You Man’ is an alternative folk album that boasts variety and a strong use of dynamics to create interesting tones and textures throughout.
28. Remo Drive – Greatest Hits
After exploding onto the emo scene with their debut single and fantastic music video ‘Yer Killin’ Me’, Remo Drive released their first full length album titled ‘Greatest Hits’ to much hype. Hailing from Minnesota, the trio delivered an album full of fun, raw and punchy tunes that show why the young lads in Remo Drive are at the forefront of the emo and post-punk revival.
27. Hoops – Routines
If you love jangly, heavily reverberated dream-pop then Hoops are the band for you. Recorded straight on to tape, the vibe of the record is one of warmth and depth. The album is relatively short in length but jam packed full of psychedelic guitar riffs and deceptively complex drum parts. The band consists of three singers, who together bring us a heavy use of layered vocal melodies that sit perfectly over the dream-like instrumentation.
26. Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins
New Yorkers and indie-rock legends Grizzly Bear returned with their fifth studio album ‘Painted Ruins’ after a five-year hiatus. Swelling with vocal harmonies, rich electronic textures and unconventional chord progressions, ‘Painted Ruins’ is an album perfect for someone who has a little more adventure about them than the average indie or rock fan.
25. Feist – Pleasure
In 2017 Canadian singer-songwriter and all-round legend Feist released her fifth album. Pleasure by name, pleasure by nature. See what we did there ey? Thematically, the album is said to explore emotional limits including loneliness, secrets, shame, mounting pressures, disconnect, tenderness, and the lack thereof. Musically, the record is adventurous and intimate with elements of avant-garde folk thrown in for good measure.
24. Real Estate – In Mind
‘In Mind’ is Real Estate’s fourth album and first without the disgraced [link to article] Matt Mondanile, of current Ducktails fame. With their fourth effort, Real Estate sound more mature and focused than on previous work. The dream-like pacing, signature jangly guitars, and luscious vocal harmonies make this record one to drift away to.
23. Mura Masa – Mura Masa
Alexander Crossan is Guernsey based producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa. His self-titled debut is a perfect slice of electronic pop magic. Including features from greats such as Damon Albarn and Christine and the Queens, and upcoming artists like Tom Tripp and NAO; Crossan built an album worthy of his ‘Best Dance/Electronic’ nod at 2018s GRAMMYs. Here’s hoping the twenty-one-year-old takes home the prize.
22. St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION
With ‘MASSEDUCTION’, the weird and wonderful St. Vincent produced yet another challenging body of work. The incredible production and sound design throughout threw up unexpected surprises listen after listen. There were minor hints with her fifth studio album that she may have been aiming for a more mainstream pop record, but with such innovation throughout, it never detracted from the experience as a whole.
21. Nick Mulvey – Wake Up Now
Potentially the nicest man in folk music, Mr. Mulvey returned in 2017 with an album of fantastic quality. After the critical success of his Mercury Music nominated debut ‘First Mind’, Nick Mulvey continued his success with the more adventurous and socially minded ‘Wake Up Now’. Taking on topics like the migrant situation in Calais, Mulvey showed that he isn’t just your average troubadour with an acoustic guitar.
20. Wesley Gonzalez – Excellent Musician
As the album title suggest, Wesley Gonzalez is truly an excellent musician. The record harks back to mid 70s singer-songwriters such as Todd Rundgren and Emmitt Rhodes but with added elements of soul and funk – drawing upon influences like Sly And The Family Stone and Donny Hathaway. There are elements of brilliant experimentation here that breaths modern life into each track in unconventional and interesting ways.
19. BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION
‘SATURATION’ is the first of three BROCKHAMPTON albums slated for release in 2017. BROCKHAMPTON are California-based, American hip-hop collective fronted by Kevin Abstract. Put together in just three weeks and using vintage samples and contrasting production techniques, ‘SATURATION’ is an album of incredible variation and musical styles making this one of the most adventurous hip-hop records to be released this year.
18. Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex
Potentially the most melancholic album released this year, Greg Gonzalez’s passion project was released to much critical acclaim. Cigarettes After Sex gained their following through YouTube recommendations, garnering millions of views. The hazy, ambient and romantic instrumentals under Gonzalez’s high-pitched, reverberated vocals are enough to sweetly rock any listener into a listless stupor.
17. Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent
‘Relatives in Descent’ is Detroit punk-rock band Protomartyr’s fourth studio album and first with legendary English record label Domino. ‘Relatives in Descent’ is at times fantastically dark but there are moments of real melodic beauty that creep into most of the tracks. The albums closer ‘Half Sister’ is a dense, brooding track that sprawls to an end with a beautiful guitar riff. It’s these moments of intimacy cutting through the noise that make Protomartyr stand out from the rest.
16. Phoebe Bridgers – Strangers in the Alps
Endorsed by
Not Another Music Blog favourite S. Carey, Phoebe Bridgers is LAs answer to Sharon van Etten. ‘Strangers in the Alps’ is Bridgers’ debut album and has arguably one of the best singles of the year with the brilliant indie-folk track ‘Motion Sickness’. The album itself is a blissfully smart and melodic body of work that’s impossible to ignore.
15. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
King Kenny infused expansive beats with ferocious rhymes to create one of the most hyped and critically acclaimed records of the year. Following on from 2015s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’, ‘DAMN.’ is a more straightforward listen; this doesn’t mean it is any worse. Virtuosic beats take influence from the modern and the old whilst Kendrick’s supple singing complements a variety of rap tones and textures.
14. The National – Sleep Well Beast
Legendary indie pioneers The National released their seventh studio album in 2017. The record is instrumentally subtle and Matt Berninger’s distinct baritone vocals are as intimate and intriguing as usual. Tracks such as ‘Day I Die’ and ‘The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness’ are welcomingly upbeat and contrast well with the brooding ballads that The National are most well known for.
13. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland
Probably the hardest working band in rock music today, King Gizzard released their twelfth album since their debut in 2012 and Polygondwanaland is their fourth album released in 2017 alone. Polygondwanaland is an album full of crazy time signatures, atonal melodies and lyrics that are near on impossible to decipher. The album feels like one big track but there are phases of incredible groove amounting to some fantastic standalone moments.
12. Big K.R.I.T. – 4eva is a Mighty Long Time
Justin Scott aka Big K.R.I.T. released an incredible double album this year. It is an album of substantial length where Scott raps as both personas. The first disk is bumping and heavy playing off the aggressive nature of Big K.R.I.T. whereas the second disk mellows out beautifully to show Justin Scott’s personal nature. Scott clearly has a lot to say, and he expresses it with vigor and passion on one of the most ambitious records of the year.
11. Fleet Foxes – Crack-Up
‘Crack-Up’ is by far the most challenging and adventurous album that folk legends Fleet Foxes have ever released. With some tracks totaling up to six and eight minutes, it’s a long album, but it is very much worth the effort. The signature vocal harmonies are back but it is the experimental musical direction that Fleet Foxes take on this record that make it rank so highly on this list. It really is a listen worth challenging yourself for and well worth the six-year wait.
10. Future Islands – The Far Field
Synthpop favourites Future Islands arrived with their brilliant album The Far Field. With their second album released through legendary label 4AD, Future Islands honed in the signature sound that made them rise to mainstream prominence in 2014. Samuel T. Herring’s raspy, unique vocals coupled with dreamlike synth sounds and walking bass-lines amount to an album of songs perfect for dancing to.
9. Moses Sumney – Aromanticism
Moses Sumney has an incredible voice. It’s a gentle grainy tenor that often ascends into an immaculate falsetto. For his debut album Sumney uses all manor of instruments and techniques to build textures and moods. Layered vocals, organic acoustics and intimate electronics all create an album of soulful cosmic songs that allow the listener to get lost within the vast soundscapes Sumney conjures.
8. JAY-Z – 4:44
JAY-Z returned with a bang this year with his thirteenth solo studio album. On the album, JAY-Z touches on a wide array of topics, such as the ongoing hip-hop culture, his family life, his relationships, stereotypes and racism. He also touches on many of the topics from his wife Beyoncé's 2016 album ‘Lemonade’. ‘4:44’ is a relatively short record, especially when comparing to other hip-hop and rap albums released this year. Nevertheless, the album packs an incredible, highly important punch and JAY-Z’s vocal and rap style is back on blistering form.
7. Phoenix – Ti Amo
French band Phoenix went full-blown disco with their 2017 release ‘Ti Amo’. Filled with catchy hits and infectious melodies, the album is incredibly colourful. The record is about the bands European and Latin roots, and is a fantasized version of disco Italy. Lyrically the album focuses on simple, pure emotions: love, desire, lust, and innocence. The album is short and snappy and truly is a slice of euro pop perfection.
6. Tyler, the Creator – Flower Boy
The highest-ranking hip-hop album on this list is also the most unexpected. Completely self-produced, ‘Flower Boy’ is a record of brilliance. After 2015s unfocussed and messy ‘Cherry Bomb', Tyler’s follow up had to be amazing and he duly delivered. The album is immensely engrossing with jazz influenced beats and highly personal lyrics exploring themes of sexuality and unrequited love. Supported by a cast of R&B superstars like Frank Ocean and Lil Wayne, 'Flower Boy' is the concise and cohesive album Tyler needed to produce.
5. Susanne Sundfør – Music for People in Trouble
Susanne Sundfør’s fifth studio album represented a departure from the electronic-driven sound of her previous records in favor of a return to her roots as a folk singer-songwriter. Throughout the album, Sundfør's stunning vocals are mostly accompanied only by piano or guitar, with the occasional usage of samples and electronic textures, which take the songs into experimental territory, such as trickling water sounds, wiry bleeps and animal peeps. There are elements of Kate Bush’s influence on songs such as ‘Undercover’ and the album closer ‘Mountaineers’, which also features vocals from John Grant. The slight experimentation throughout the album and Sundfør’s vocal performance make ‘Music for People in Trouble’ on of the most captivating releases of the year.
4. Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog
McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer and for his fifth studio album, The Pepperoni Playboy took it back to basics. With ‘This Old Dog’, the king of slacker rock produced his most personal album yet, for example, exploring his rocky relationship with his father on ‘My Old Man’. Mac’s signature guitar tones run through most of the tracks but the album is mainly performed on acoustic guitar giving each tune a level of intimacy the subject matter deserve. There are still moments of goofiness that fans may have come to expect, but with ‘This Old Dog’, Mac has shown that he is a songwriter at the top of his game.
3. IDLES – Brutalism
IDLES are the most exciting band in British music right now. The five piece punk outfit released their debut album in early 2017. Front man Joe Talbot's mother died after a long illness while the band was working on the album, and is pictured on the cover, along with a sculpture by Talbot and his father. Her death gave Talbot and the band a new focus. The album is politically charged, brutally played and relentless listen from a band that have a lot to say. Their sound is of a vintage nature and this adds to the allure and charm. ‘Brutalism’ is breathtakingly aggressive, never coming up for air, just like their incredible live performances. Punk is back, and as long as IDLES are around, it’s bloody well here to stay.
2. Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
‘Pure Comedy’ is the incredibly vast, witty and hilariously brilliant third album from Josh Tillman under the Father John Misty moniker. Clocking in at over an hour, the album touches on themes of progress, technology, fame, the environment, politics, aging, social media, human nature, human connection and his own role in it all. Musically the album is one of epic proportions. The opener ‘Pure Comedy’ is over six minutes long, whilst the brilliant ‘Leaving LA’ clocks in at thirteen minutes. The core of the album was recorded live over one or two takes which just shows the magnificence of Tillman’s musical prowess. With ‘Pure Comedy’, Tillman produced a modern day classic and one that we will undoubtedly be talking about in years to come.
1. Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me
‘A Crow Looked at Me’ is the eighth studio album by Mount Eerie, the solo project of American musician Phil Elverum. The album is a concept album about the death of Elverum's wife, the cartoonist and musician Geneviève Castrée. The record was written during and after Castrée’s tragic death. Eleverum even recorded each track in the room where his wife died. Lyrically the album is an exploration of grief and the songs explore how Elverum deals with the pain. It is the most emotional album we've ever heard and the intimate, dry production coupled with Elverum’s talkative singing voice drives home the desperation felt. To create such a moving and personal album after suffering such tragic loss is an incredible feat. The songs also explore Elverum’s relationship with his daughter and how they are both coping in tough situations. To be able to convey such emotion over eleven songs of beautiful poetry is a true songwriting master class.
So there you have it. Our top 50 albums of the year. Let us know what you think in the comments. Have a top Christmas and Happy New Year. Lots of Love,
Not Another Music Blog xx
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