Here we are with the last list of the December month, and it's the big one - my favourite records of the year. I attempted to keep it trimmed to a meagre 20, but I did throw in some honourable mentions just to make sure I don't leave out any deserving records (although I'm certain this will still be the case). 2017 has been a pretty fantastic year for music overall, with lots and lots of really enjoyable records, and this first year of writing reviews has been a good one thanks to all the musicians who have given me reasons to type away at my keyboard.
The way I'm going to do this is like this; the first half will be simply listed, and as we get deeper and closer to the pointy end of the list I'll comment in a bit more depth about each pick. Bear in mind that there were upwards of 500 albums that I heard this year for me to choose from, so if there is something I've missed that you think should be up here somewhere please leave a comment and let me know! So without any further delay, here are some honourable mentions:
There we go, we got them out of the way. The honourable mentions section could easily have been twice as long as my top 20, so best to just move on while we have the chance. Although, before I do, I have actually released another slightly different Top 20 list for KillYourStereo that you can read over here. You'll notice that there is one difference in particular, but I'll save discussing that for another blog. First on my list of my favourite albums of the year is...
20) Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
"Introspective" and "thoughtful" aren't words that instantly spring to mind when you think of Tyler, but he manages to achieve just that on Flower Boy, and it was one of the most surprising records of the year.
19) The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
It hasn't proved to be fruitful on the repeated listens front, and so hasn't featured higher on my list, but Clairvoyant is damn good.
18) August Burns Red - Phantom Anthem
August Burns Red proving once again not only that they are firmly at the forefront of modern metalcore, but also that the genre still has plenty to give.
17) Perspectives - Stay For Those Who Care
Emotionally draining melodic hardcore at its best, and a testament to the talent and unique voice the band had. A real shame that we won't be hearing from them in the foreseeable future.
16) Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Even when he's producing work significantly lesser to his past releases Kendrick gives us a set of deadset bangers front to back - the sign of a truly special artist.
15) Belle Haven - You, Me & Everything In Between
An awesome sophomore effort from a band that deserves all the praise they receive.
14) Ecca Vandal - Ecca Vandal
Ecca vandal's debut album is some of the most unpredictable, energetic fun you'll have all year.
13) Polaris - The Mortal Coil
I wasn't as completely taken by this album as everyone else seemed to be (I was surprised to see that it came out at number one in the AOTY poll over at killyourstereo.com), but I'll be the first to say that Polaris are one of the most exciting young bands in heavy music.
12) Knuckle Puck - Shapeshifter
I won't say that Knuckle Puck are the Silent Planet of pop-punk, because they're not. But if I had to pick a band for that spot...
11) Make Them Suffer - Worlds Apart
A change in sound for Perth band Make Them Suffer in correlation with a dramatic thematic shift gave us one of my favourite heavy albums of the year. Seriously, that voice.
10) Lorde - Melodrama
Melodrama has continued to grow on me as the year has meandered on; catchy and danceable but deeply melancholic at its core, it's immensely listenable on two completely different levels, and that's something you rarely hear on a pop record.
9) Romancer - Honeybee (EP)
The surprise hit of the year for me, this band and this EP came out of absolutely nowhere for me with an awesome mixture of 2000s emo, post-rock and punk. Being the only EP on this list, that gives you an idea of the impact Honeybee had on me. It's catchy, it sounds great and it sticks with you in between listens.
8) Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
My favourite hip-hop album of the year by a long way. Seriously, if you let this one slip by you, you need to go back and give it a go. Vince Staples bears many resemblances with Kendrick, but doesn't seem to get the same widespread acclaim - give it time and a bit of luck, and if he keeps putting out material like Big Fish Theory, Staples will be absolutely huge.
7) Northlane - Mesmer
I got pretty excited back in March when Northlane surprise released Mesmer (case in point), and the quality here is evident in the fact that I still get excited listening to Mesmer.
6) Julien Baker - Turn The Lights Off
I didn't get to write a review for this one, but seriously, what an album. With only her second full length Julien Baker made me cry and feel incredibly small but also profoundly hopeful. Just go and listen to it.
For my top five I'm gonna put links to the reviews I wrote at the time of release.
5) Movements - Feel Something
https://killyourstereo.com/reviews/1098634/movements-feel-something
4) The Ongoing Concept - Places
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/10/album-review-places-by-ongoing-concept.html
3) Ocean Grove - The Rhapsody Tapes
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/02/album-review-rhapsody-tapes-by-ocean.html
2) Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/06/album-review-crack-up-by-fleet-foxes.html
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/08/album-review-science-fiction-by-brand.html
Thanks for tuning in this year, and feel free to let me know what your favourites of the year were. Have a good one!
The way I'm going to do this is like this; the first half will be simply listed, and as we get deeper and closer to the pointy end of the list I'll comment in a bit more depth about each pick. Bear in mind that there were upwards of 500 albums that I heard this year for me to choose from, so if there is something I've missed that you think should be up here somewhere please leave a comment and let me know! So without any further delay, here are some honourable mentions:
- Sun Kil Moon - Common As Light And Love Are Red Valleys Of Blood
- Thy Art Is Murder - Dear Desolation
- Justice For The Damned - Dragged Through The Dirt
- Alt-J - RELAXER
- Aldous Harding - Party
- Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
There we go, we got them out of the way. The honourable mentions section could easily have been twice as long as my top 20, so best to just move on while we have the chance. Although, before I do, I have actually released another slightly different Top 20 list for KillYourStereo that you can read over here. You'll notice that there is one difference in particular, but I'll save discussing that for another blog. First on my list of my favourite albums of the year is...
20) Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
"Introspective" and "thoughtful" aren't words that instantly spring to mind when you think of Tyler, but he manages to achieve just that on Flower Boy, and it was one of the most surprising records of the year.
19) The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
It hasn't proved to be fruitful on the repeated listens front, and so hasn't featured higher on my list, but Clairvoyant is damn good.
18) August Burns Red - Phantom Anthem
August Burns Red proving once again not only that they are firmly at the forefront of modern metalcore, but also that the genre still has plenty to give.
17) Perspectives - Stay For Those Who Care
Emotionally draining melodic hardcore at its best, and a testament to the talent and unique voice the band had. A real shame that we won't be hearing from them in the foreseeable future.
16) Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Even when he's producing work significantly lesser to his past releases Kendrick gives us a set of deadset bangers front to back - the sign of a truly special artist.
15) Belle Haven - You, Me & Everything In Between
An awesome sophomore effort from a band that deserves all the praise they receive.
14) Ecca Vandal - Ecca Vandal
Ecca vandal's debut album is some of the most unpredictable, energetic fun you'll have all year.
13) Polaris - The Mortal Coil
I wasn't as completely taken by this album as everyone else seemed to be (I was surprised to see that it came out at number one in the AOTY poll over at killyourstereo.com), but I'll be the first to say that Polaris are one of the most exciting young bands in heavy music.
12) Knuckle Puck - Shapeshifter
I won't say that Knuckle Puck are the Silent Planet of pop-punk, because they're not. But if I had to pick a band for that spot...
11) Make Them Suffer - Worlds Apart
A change in sound for Perth band Make Them Suffer in correlation with a dramatic thematic shift gave us one of my favourite heavy albums of the year. Seriously, that voice.
10) Lorde - Melodrama
Melodrama has continued to grow on me as the year has meandered on; catchy and danceable but deeply melancholic at its core, it's immensely listenable on two completely different levels, and that's something you rarely hear on a pop record.
9) Romancer - Honeybee (EP)
The surprise hit of the year for me, this band and this EP came out of absolutely nowhere for me with an awesome mixture of 2000s emo, post-rock and punk. Being the only EP on this list, that gives you an idea of the impact Honeybee had on me. It's catchy, it sounds great and it sticks with you in between listens.
8) Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
My favourite hip-hop album of the year by a long way. Seriously, if you let this one slip by you, you need to go back and give it a go. Vince Staples bears many resemblances with Kendrick, but doesn't seem to get the same widespread acclaim - give it time and a bit of luck, and if he keeps putting out material like Big Fish Theory, Staples will be absolutely huge.
7) Northlane - Mesmer
I got pretty excited back in March when Northlane surprise released Mesmer (case in point), and the quality here is evident in the fact that I still get excited listening to Mesmer.
6) Julien Baker - Turn The Lights Off
I didn't get to write a review for this one, but seriously, what an album. With only her second full length Julien Baker made me cry and feel incredibly small but also profoundly hopeful. Just go and listen to it.
For my top five I'm gonna put links to the reviews I wrote at the time of release.
5) Movements - Feel Something
https://killyourstereo.com/reviews/1098634/movements-feel-something
4) The Ongoing Concept - Places
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/10/album-review-places-by-ongoing-concept.html
3) Ocean Grove - The Rhapsody Tapes
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/02/album-review-rhapsody-tapes-by-ocean.html
2) Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/06/album-review-crack-up-by-fleet-foxes.html
1) Brand New - Science Fiction
https://thatmusicnerd.blogspot.it/2017/08/album-review-science-fiction-by-brand.html
Thanks for tuning in this year, and feel free to let me know what your favourites of the year were. Have a good one!
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