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5 SLEEPER HITS OF 2017

   You don't always get it on the first go, and these are evidence of that. Here are five records I didn't care for much when I heard them this year, but have since grown on me.

5) Savage Sinusoid - Igorrr

   I mean, just put this one on and you'll figure out pretty quickly what put me off from the outset. Black metal, baroque, euro-folk, death metal, industrial music and EDM all get thrown into the mixing pot that is Igorrr, and if I'm honest none of the other Igorrr projects have really done it for me either - certainly not for lack of originality. It's simply that the chaos that this absurd mixture of styles results in has not been palatable for me at all. But I gave Savage Sinusoid a second chance, and weirdly it begun to make more sense to me. I think the biggest thing that Igorrr has going for it is the fact that when I think of comparisons to make I can literally think of no one, no less so on this newest album. Once I made my way past the "wtf" phase I found some really interesting and forward thinking compositions. Not something you'd put on for a party, though.

4) Something To Tell You - HAIM

   I really had the wrong idea about this one. Like, I actually hated this album the first time I heard it. I don't know if it was because I'd just listened to a really dark death metal album or if I just had a colder soul than usual, but everything about Something To Tell You annoyed me, kind of like when you're in a bad mood and happy people just make you even grumpier. I think it was hearing their Like A Version cover of Shania Twain that made me reconsider and go back and give it a second go, and good thing I did because it was like listening to a completely different album.

3) Harry Styles - Harry Styles

   While I wasn't super critical of Harry Styles' debut album when I reviewed it, I certainly didn't heap praise upon it. But since then it has certainly grown on me, to the point that I am now actually somewhat looking forward to any potential future output of his. I'm not really sure how I missed it the first time around but Styles does have the kind of magnetic power that demands attention and is indicative of a frontman in full control of his craft and performance. Hopefully he can capitalise on this promising debut departure from the One Direction days.

2) More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me - The Smith Street Band

   As a dead-set Smith Street fan I was somewhat disappointed when More Scared Of You came out back in April, mainly because the more confessional, very personal side of Wil Wagner's song writing that I wasn't so hot on from their previous albums was much more prominent. After becoming more accustomed to this side of Wagner I've been able to enjoy it a lot more, like I've spent enough time with someone to realise that they're actually a pretty good guy. There is still a little too much "I'm a terrible person" whinging for my taste, but my threshold has increased a lot since when it first dropped.

1) Eternity, In Your Arms - Creeper

   Much to my brother's dismay in particular, I didn't care for Creeper's debut full length at all in March, and while I'm still not huge on it I think I've at least understood what so many people loved about it. It took me a bunch of listens and going back through the previous EPs but I can certainly appreciate such detailed and sprawling narrative in music. To build a narrative like this one across 26 tracks is no mean feat and Creeper definitely deserve kudos for that.
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