Top 10 Albums of 2017

Top 10 albums of 2017

Right, here we go. First of all, I just want to apologise for not posting anything on this blog for a few months, I’ve just begun my 2^nd year of uni and I have had barely any time to do this, so sorry for that. Anyway, I wanted to do something special and worthwhile to make up for my absence so let’s go, my top 10 albums of this past year ranked in order. There’s some albums that I’ve reviewed before on this list and some that I haven’t, I like to think that it’s a fairly varied and eclectic mix but you can be the judge of that

10

Wolf Alice - ‘Visions of a Life’

London’s youthful indie rockers Wolf Alice’s 2^nd record ‘Visions of a Life’ is an exploration of

teenage angst, a voyage that allows the band to refine their chaotic mix of grunge and dream pop that was so effective on their debut album ‘My Love is Cool’. The album itself revolves around the typically adolescent themes of anxiety, freefall, dreams and death, yet the group somehow manage to present these notions in a variety of ways, a skill that is far beyond a band of this age and experience. Take ‘Beautifully Unconventional’ for instance, this song presents these themes in a relatively carefree, light-hearted manner, whereas ‘Yuk Foo’ and ‘Sky Musings’ represents the darkness and the eeriness that surrounds these emotions. On ‘Visions of a Life’, Wolf Alice have certainly cemented themselves as the current Brit-rock flag-bearers via their brutal lyricism and their pleasing, enticing sound. Ellie Rowsell and co can only go higher from here.

9

Stormzy – ‘Gang Signs and Prayer’

Way back in January of this year, one of the most popular MC’s in the grime scene finally released his long-awaited, eagerly anticipated debut album. Michael Omari’s, aka Stormzy, debut studio album was a hugely ambitious, heterogeneously sounding composition that fully displayed the immense talent bestowed on the young man from South London. On ‘Gang Signs and Prayer’ Stormzy utilised his immense musical ability to create a grime album like no other. It incorporated the stern-faced, hard aspects of grime that we are all familiar with whilst also incorporating a variety of different genres including gospel, R & B and pop which overall culminated into an epic sounding record. Stormzy’s debut record is sure to be recognized throughout the grime scene for a long time as a game-changing album and it is therefore an extremely credible member of this list.

8

SZA – ‘CTRL’

SZA’s debut album ‘CTRL’ is another long-awaited album that has made this list, originally supposed to be released in the summer of 2016, the record finally dropped in June of this year to critical acclaim. ‘CTRL’ represents the voice of a young lady who is embracing her sexual freedom in a highly intimate style yet it is presented in such a gorgeous, lustful, dream-like manner that the doubtful feelings of this record being overtly cringe worthy are thrown out of the window and you are transported to some idyllic realm where love is endless. SZA cleverly walks the tightrope on ‘CTRL’ of utilising special guests on tracks whilst also ensuring that she remains fully in the limelight throughout. Kendrick, Travis Scott and Isaiah Rashad all feature on this debut album and these guest slots just excel SZA’s talent to incorporate neo-soul and rap together in a truly beautiful package for all to see. ‘CTRl’ is an R & B epic that certifies SZA as one of the hottest new talents out there at the minute and with 5 Grammy nominations, it is clear that she is getting the critical acclaim she deserves.

7

Sampha – ‘Process’

Sampha’s debut record ‘Process’ is an intricately detailed, emotionally-fuelled rollercoaster ride that delves deep into the human soul. Sampha’s immersed vocals paired with the gorgeousness of his gentle piano playing, along with the rare but exceptional electorinica vibes and the powerfulness of his lyricism allows him to generate a superb record filled with depth and care. In September of this year ‘Process’ was awarded the Mercury Prize, one of the most prestigious recognitions to be bestowed upon a UK artist and it was to little surprise that the critics chose it. Sampha’s soulful mix of alternative R & B and neo-soul is spread blissfully along the 10 tracks that fill ‘Process’ and after listening you are drained, drained of the emotion that you have immersed yourself in, yet, at the same time you remain in awe of this man’s talent. The talent to transport you to a place where emotion is rife yet content. Much of Sampha’s debut album focuses on his personal losses and you can therefore begin to comprehend the pain he is feeling just by listening to this record, and it is this important fact that makes ‘Process’ so gorgeous and epic.

6

Tyler, the Creator – ‘Flower Boy’

Californian rapper Tyler, the Creator’s fourth studio album ‘Flower Boy’ truly feels like the making of the mid 20’s slack-rapper. Gone are the gay slurs, the youthful exuberance and despair that once filled his records. Now, in its place, is an extremely self-aware young man who has the profound ability to produce majestic love songs that cleverly navigate the themes of unrequited love, the pain that love can bring, understanding the confusion of love and the angst of a missed connection whilst still incorporating the joyous rap vibes that we have all become familiar with Tyler’s music.    On previous Tyler records there has also been a tendency to overcomplicate things, whether it be with confusing beats or with sudden shifts in sounds within songs, however, on ‘Flower Boy’, Tyler has stuck to what he does best, intoxicating rap songs that are filled with a cacophony of various genres and sounds that draw the listener in. ‘Flower Boy’ is Tyler, the Creator’s transitional album. A transition from a youthfully innocent, occasionally idiotic individual to an emotionally complex human being that has finally found his place in this chaotic world we inhabit.

5

The War On Drugs – ‘A Deeper Understanding’

US indie rock band The War On Drugs’, frontman Adam Granduciel’s child, latest effort ‘A Deeper Understanding’ slots into the 5^th place on this top 10 list. ‘A Deeper Understanding’ leads from where the group’s previous record ‘Lost in the Dream’ left off with grainy 70’s styled rock ballads beating at the heart of this album. However, Granduciel has successfully managed to develop the band’s style of music to new expansiveness with psychedelic vibes and droning synths seamlessly weaving their way through ‘A Deeper Understanding’. This record is The War On Drugs first album with a major label and it is clear to see that the band have successfully utilised this influence to their advantage as from first listen this seems like their most immersive, dense and ambitious record to date. ‘A Deeper Understanding’ offers so much for the listener to take in, whether it’s the exceedingly clever beat change on ‘Up All Night’, the crushing riff of ‘Strangest Thing’ or the epic climax on ‘You Don’t Have To Go’. It’s a superbly well-structured record that ultimately excites the listener in a way that is extremely rare on the vast majority of modern rock records and it therefore has a rightful place on this list.

4

King Krule – ‘The Ooz’

Archy Marshall’s second album under the guise of King Krule is, well to put it bluntly, fucking dark. It’s a record full of puss, slime, cum, snot, coke, blood, smoke and sludge, a variety of complex textures designed to make you feel uncomfortable when listening. Yet, the tracks on ‘The Ooz’ also have the incredible talent of drawing you in at the same time, despite their horrific nature, the darkness appeals with its rich and real nature and a terrifyingly depressive and lonely world shrouded by gloom is created in its wake. Throughout the 19 tracks that fill ‘The Ooz’, Marshall’s subtle changes in tempo enable the listener to remain both interested and immersed. The poppy, heavy rock almost aspects of tracks like ‘Emergency Blimp’ and the jazzy vibed ‘Midnight 01’ make way for the glowingly disturbing stuff like ‘Czech One’ and ‘Logos’. Marshall’s somewhat drunken drawl that scours this record with an intoxicating variety of pitch and timbre enables it to become something truly special and meticulously thought out. ‘The Ooz’ is a disconcerting mix of truthfully endearing highs and lows that subtly intertwine their way through a shocking, grotesque dimly lit abyss.

3

Idles – ‘Brutalism’

The Oxford dictionary offers two definition for the term ‘Brutalism’:

1      

        Cruelty and savageness

2.       

           A stark style of functionalist architecture, especially of the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by the use of steel and concrete in massive blocks.

Never has a dictionary definition ever fit an album term more in terms of Bristol punk band Idles’ debut record. ‘Brutalism’ is a record filled with rage, angst and adrenaline, but it’s not pointless anger, its anger pointing its radar directly at the establishment, a failing system provided by the Tories and, believe it or not, Mary Berry. Idles broadcast their disgust for all to see throughout the 13 songs that fill this record. The rhythmic guitar, the deep droning bass and the pounding, flat drum beat all pair superbly with the yelling of lead singer Joe Talbot in order to create a dissonant sound that ultimately enables the listener to clean their system of all the pent-up rage they have. Rage, fury, wrath, ire and madness all beat at the heart of ‘Brutalism’ and it ends up feeling like an extremely important record for the current misguided climate.

2

Kendrick Lamar – ‘DAMN’

There’s no doubt about it. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is at the top of his game, this era’s 2pac, the modern rap prophet, and at just 29, his 4th studio album ‘Damn’ is one of his most assured, confident, retrospective and bold projects to date. ‘Damn’ cemented Lamar’s position as the main man in the rap game at the minute. ‘Damn’ is less about finding a solution to the ongoing problems, much like his earlier records, but instead finding a justifiable cause to reason with these problems. ‘Damn’ finds Lamar at his most reflective state ever with the majority of the tracks delving far deeper into the human soul than you could imagine whilst still incorporating an accessible level of musical ability that some critics found was lacking on his previous, much more jazz focused record ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’. Tracks like ‘Humble’ and ‘DNA’ get straight to the point with their hard beats and sour-faced lyrics, whilst ‘Loyalty’, ‘Love’ and ‘Lust’ find Lamar in a rarely seen emotional mess. ‘Damn’ is filled with ego-boosting songs that bang without having to dig deep. The groove can be witnessed easily and this therefore makes ‘Damn’ effortlessly epic and a worthy album for the number 2 spot on this list.

1

Loyle Carner – ‘Yesterday’s Gone’

South London rapper Benjamin Carner-Loyle, better known as Loyle Carner, released his debut album ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ way back in January of this year and you can therefore be excused for maybe not remembering it for all it’s worth. This record truly is insanely good, it’s an infectious concoction of London rap, jazz, Latin-styled guitar riffs, old school hip hop and funk-driven bass lines that enable it to become a definite diamond in the rough. Much of the album is driven by mournful, melancholic bars which gently intersperse with the low-lying beat provided and yet there’s also plenty of joy to be had on this record. It is this exceptionally astute mix which allows ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ to become a listening pleasure when listened to in its entirety. Carner’s immense lyrical dexterity makes him extremely diverse compared to other modern MC’s, his verses are not brags about fast cars and beautiful women, they are very down-to-earth words that are closer to Benjamin Zephaniah than Drake. And this aspect of his music therefore enables this album to resonate more with the domestics, the people who understand the emotions Carner is describing; love, loss, pain, guilt, fear, family and the listeners can comprehend and appreciate these. Overall, Loyle Carner and ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ are extremely worthy of the top spot on this list.

Other honourable mentions:

Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Villains’

Vince Staples – ‘Big Fish Theory’

The xx – ‘I See You’

Wiley – ‘Godfather’

J Hus – ‘Common Sense’

Mac Demarco – ‘This Old Dog’

The National – ‘Sleep Well Beast’

Thundercat – ‘Drunk’

Mura Masa – ‘Mura Masa’

Alvvays – ‘Antisocialites’

Brockhampton – ‘Saturation II’

Future Islands – ‘The Far Field’

Joey Bada$$ - ‘All Amerikkkan Bada$$’