One way of describing 2017 is it was a remarkable year in the barest sense – meaning that despite all of the darkness, bigotry, abuse, and scandal, it was nonetheless still a year worth many remarks. Hey, that’s better than saying it was an unremarkable year not worth mentioning. Popular culture was galvanized by the sweeping hand of the #MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter to such a large degree that it engulfed the public consciousness. The power of the political and cultural movements in the country were powerful and they proliferated, spreading into many realms, including the realm of popular music, and consequently, the most talked about, reviewed, and praised music of 2017.
For me, the music of 2017 wasn’t revelatory or composed of a bunch of new genres or newfangled sounds, yet the music was full of stark contrasts and glaring trends. In some ways it was a year of getting back to the basics. It was also a remarkable year in the sense that the most prominent and urgently absorbed music was broad in genre and source, yet could be seen as having a collective identity considering much of it came from minority groups, minority voices, female voices, and from unique and unexpected origins. To put it bluntly, bands of three to five white guys playing popular music didn’t have that great of a year, or weren’t as prominently displayed as in the past. Others were surging up to the surface to have their creativity recognized and to be respected as deserving a spot in the fold.
We saw the further eminence of R&B, Rap, Soul, and Electronica in 2017 – a continuation of the displacement of Rock n’ Roll as the most popular and groundbreaking form of music – something we have seen for most of this decade (a point I remarked upon in my last post). We also saw the majority of music critics, pop culture outlets, and tastemaking bloggers come to the same conclusion as 2015 and 2016, which is that the most original and intriguing music of modern times is coming from R&B and Rap Artists (last year the top album consensus came down to artists like Anderson.Paak, The Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper, this year Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Vince Staples). Also, not surprisingly, the Grammy’s stayed irrelevant, maintaining their stubborn preference to be both tone-deaf and oblivious (Bruno Mars, really??). I think the forms of popular music that have been emerging from the late 00’s through the middle of this decade, such as Electronica (dance and ambient), Dub, Trap, and modern Hip-Hop have continued to grow, expand, and absorb genres of the past like Rock n’ Roll, Motown, and Jazz to make new intriguing musical concoctions.
(above) Image from Kendrick Lamar’s acclaimed music video for the track “Humble.” off of this year’s album DAMN.
In many respects, 2017 stayed true to the path of 2016, and yet this year really stood out, and I think it stood out for three big reasons. These three reasons can be thought of more as calling cards, or trademarks of the year due to many sharing a common thread or having common traits. It will be the three calling cards that I continually come back to for 2017, and those three are ………
1. WOMEN. Lots and lots of insanely talented and creative women. Either as solo acts, duos, one in a duo, a group of ladies, or as the front/lead vocals of a group. It was a year where most of the prominent music and critically-acclaimed albums can be traced back to the fairer sex. Although many may believe it was a sort of identity foisted on the faintly glimmering music industry with the rise of the #MeToo movement and the continued push for parity in pop culture, I think it’s just a case of the right place at the right time. To think that all of a sudden, in 2016, a whole bunch of women began to craft the albums that would become the best of 2017 is pretty ridiculous. It’s more likely that many of the most talented and intriguing musicians of our time are being incited by the spirit of the times, and this spirit happens to be encouraging the oppressed, disenfranchised, and taken-for-granted to come to the table with greater voice and purpose (many women can check all of these boxes).
It was incredibly difficult to make a Top 20 that wasn’t just all of the best albums by female artists released this year, but I tried my best to make a list with some balance. I really made a concerted effort to gather a list of artists representing many genres, many backgrounds, and many identities, while also filtering down the amount of best albums by female artists to five or six of the best, but it was nearly impossible. I mean, consider all the women involved in the conversation, which includes Alvvays, The Courtneys, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Big Thief, St. Vincent, Girlpool, Sylvan Esso, Kehlani, Kelela, Waxahatchee, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Syd, SZA, Jay Som, Laura Marling, Fever Ray, Jlin, Paramore, Courtney Barnett, Priests, Julie Byrne, Japanese Breakfast, Kesha, Bjork, Sandy (Alex G), Laurel Halo, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Vagabon, Zola Jesus, Kelly Lee Owens, Ibeyi, Julien Baker, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Jessie Ware. That’s probably 65% of the best albums of the year field right there, and the sad part is I’m leaving some off and had to choose just a small fraction for the Top 20.
2. MAINSTAYS DON’T DELIVER. In some regards, many of the music critics showed their true colors this year, and it was disappointing. I’ve harped on this for many years, however, it must be said that the critics from sources like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and NPR fall into the trap of picking darlings that apparently never do wrong. True love is blind when it comes to music too, and when the websites/magazines/blogs and others fall in love with an artist, they rarely remain critical. I might be wrong, but I feel I’ve avoided this problem, or at least, have remained relatively unscathed by this troublesome flaw. I saw far too many music critics heaping the praise on albums from the likes of Run the Jewels, The xx, St. Vincent, The National, and most especially LCD Soundsystem, and yet the albums from these mainstays were actually pretty unremarkable. It isn’t a crime to just say, “you know what, not everything these artists create is the best”. Nor do these music critic folks have to feel like their opinions won’t be given credence if they don’t include certain well-established artists in a list, or automatically give them the benefit of the doubt. These musicians are humans capable of making bland music that doesn’t stack up with the music created by other less established artists out there, and I think the albums by Run the Jewels, LCD Soundsystem, and The xx in particular were big flops. The mainstays releasing fourth, fifth, sixth albums in illustrious careers don’t always deliver, and most didn’t last year.
3. R&B AND RAP CONTINUE TO RULE. See my previous post for more on this. However, this opinion isn’t earth-shattering. Just google search the “Best Albums of 2017” and while you are at it, do the same search starting in 2012 or 2013 and you’ll see what I mean. Yet the reason it’s a calling card this year is the nearly unanimous belief that Kendrick Lamar dropped the most amazing album of last year.
And now, just one man’s opinion on the “Best Of” the year that was 2017.
the top 20 albums of 2017
#20 sampha, process (february 2017)
Sampha made a name for himself a long time before his debut LP Process. It’s hard to believe that it was over seven years ago that most of us started hearing about him when he was featured on a few tracks from SBTRKT’s amazing self-titled debut LP. He seemed to make a pretty good career out of being featured on other artists’ albums (like the fantastic Drake song “Too Much”) and making the rounds on the music scene in his hometown of London. Process is an important album as it marks the first full-length from one of the most important emerging voices of R&B, yet I must say that a debut album by Sampha should be up higher on the list. In fact, I think this album is slightly disappointing knowing his potential. He’s one of the few artists I wish would’ve made a less ambitious record. I wanted a more straightforward R&B/Soul album, with all the Electronic/DJ production I had come to love from his collaborations with SBTRKT. Instead, he went too eccentric with the beats/music and production. I wish it had a simpler construct and cohesive style. Still pretty fantastic.
#19 DAN AUERBACH, WAITING ON A SONG (JUNE 2017)
The song “Livin’ In Sin” from Waiting on A Song:
Here’s another gripe I have with music critics: they rarely give any recognition to the revivalist artists. I will never dismiss an album by a revivalist, a revisionist, a re-creationist, whatever you want to call it. If the music is well crafted and the album works as a complete vision and sharply produced piece of work, I will never discount it – even if it sounds something reminiscent of the past or appears to be following in the footsteps of well-worn tradition. Sometimes it boils down to the essence of an album, maybe some sort of ineffable quality that makes it feel like an exceptional piece of work. Dan Auerbach released the ultimate summer record this year, and it was far brighter and brimming with energy than any of his solo work to date or his work with The Black Keys. It feels like he’s in a different place, perhaps a place of optimism. Regardless, this album is shimmering with sterling production and great hooks throughout. I think it’s a refreshing entry from one of the most iconic modern blues rock musicians of our time and revivalist or not, it’s a well-composed album.
#18 MOUNT KIMBIE, LOVE WHAT SURVIVES (SEPTEMBER 2017)
Compared to past years, this wasn’t the strongest year in the world of Electronic music. There wasn’t that big album from Caribou or Grimes or DJ/Producers like Kaytranada or Daft Punk to really represent in the Top 10. There was the odd intrigue of the artist Jlin, who released the uncanny album Black Origami last year, yet I found that one to be a novelty that I might not be revisiting again and again in the future. There were also albums from seasoned artists like Bjork, Four Tet, and Actress, but they lacked the same earnest energy captured in Mount Kimbie’s third LP Love What Survives. After the mixed reception that came with their last album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth (2013), I didn’t come in with much anticipation or expectation. I just sort of stumbled back into Mount Kimbie when I turned on the first track “Four Years and One Day”, and was hooked. The hypnotic atmosphere of the opening track leads you in by the hand like some strange yet alluring figure in a dark cloak leading you past the doorstep. As far as second tracks go, the track above really sets things off. It’s a bristling and manic and forceful track, sung by King Krule, Mount Kimbie’s frequent collaborator and fellow Londoner. Archy Marshall had a great year.
#17 white reaper, the world’s best american band (APRIL 2017)
https://youtu.be/B09kpkZyDtg
I just had to include a real Rock n’ Roll band to know I still live and breathe. This album is just about as straightforward and workmanlike as one could expect from one called “The World’s Best American Band”. It was between this one and Ron Gallo’s “Heavy Meta” which is a great album featuring a unique and powerful voice, that being Gallo’s, and the undeniable swagger he projects. However, I had to give the slight edge to this album because “Heavy Meta” does seem to have a few fillers in there, whereas this one is, from cover to cover, all balls to the wall menacing Rock. Also a shout out to the San Francisco band King Woman, for another amazing Rock album from 2017, Created in the Image of Suffering.
#16 FLEET FOXES, CRACK-UP (JUNE 2017)
Out of all those aforementioned “mainstays”, Fleet Foxes made an album that feels like it had the most to say. It’s beautifully crafted and haunting in a way that stays with you hours after a full listen to the album. The sound is nothing revelatory when it comes to a Fleet Foxes record, yet enough time has passed since their last full-length Helplessness Blues in 2011 that this one was really needed just to remind us of how effective a good indie folk record can be in feeding the soul. The imagery is powerful with this album, and perhaps more poignant than any of their previous work.
#15 MOSES SUMNEY, AROMANTICISM (SEPTEMBER 2017)
This is a perfect 2017 record in that it combines all the prevalent and pervasive genres adored by the indie stalwart this day and age: Ambient, Soul, R&B, and Electronica. This album is moody, mellow, and certainly impactful when you are in a certain mindset. And when you are in a particular mood, it’s more powerful than most albums. I appreciate this album for delivering a cohesive style and sound, a single vision, and for being crucially relevant at this time. I thought he was British, but was surprised to see the Los Angeles area pop up on the web search.
#14 japanese breakfast, soft sounds from another planet (JULY 2017)
“Diving Woman”, Opening Cut from Soft Sounds from Another Planet
I included Pyschopomp on my list of favorite albums from 2016, so Michelle Zauner’s music was definitely on my radar. This sophomore album is even better than the first, because it showcases how quickly she has harnessed her talent and made a visionary and flawlessly produced album. It’s got Shoegaze, Lo-Fi Rock, and Electronica mixed in there, but one thing is for sure, as the title of the album suggests, it does feel like it’s from “Another Planet”. There were plenty of innovative female artists out there, yet the genre-splicing showcased in this album, the flow, and the dynamic shifts in songwriting style make this one stand out over the releases of many of her peers.
#13 migos, culture (JANUARY 2017)
I don’t know how exactly to describe the aspect of Migos that intrigues me the most. I don’t think it’s the look, or the lyrics- I think it’s something about the production and beats. It feels almost restrained and sparse, to the point that I find myself getting lost in the backing track. It’s got elements of Trap, especially of the southern variety, yet the rest is uncanny and unique to Migos. It’s a sound that will inspire others to come, and signals new directions in Rap music for the future. It’s an intoxicating sound, one that feels disciplined to the point that it belies the image of these guys. It was an important and memorable release for 2017.
#12 H.E.R., H.E.R. (OCTOBER 2017)
The sultry track “Losing” off of the album H.E.R.
H.E.R. wasn’t mentioned in many of the “Best Albums of the Year” conversations. Yet I will insist that this mystery woman is making the best R&B of 2016 and 2017. Comprised of tracks collected from two EPs, one released in 2016 and another earlier in 2017, this full-length LP was released digitally in October and was recognized solely by those folks checking the genre page “Soul/R&B” on iTunes. When you hear songs like “Every Kind of Way”, “Lights On”, and “Say It Again”, it’s hard to deny that these are some of the most casually amazing Soul/R&B tracks being released. The lyrics are intimate, and personal, and underappreciated. The composition of the songs and production, most of it D.I.Y. by “H.E.R.”, which is the personal project of California girl Gabi Wilson, is also underappreciated. The songs are immediate and full of gorgeous downplayed melodies. The voice is something akin to crushed velvet. I’m not sure why H.E.R. isn’t getting the praise deserved, but it must be said again, she is underappreciated.
#11 kurt vile and courtney barnett, lotta sea lice (OCTOBER 2017)
Just look at those faces in the video and tell me this isn’t a breath of fresh air. This album, a collaboration between two giants in the indie folk and indie rock genres, is a welcomed respite from the dense, overly serious, and often morose entries from many other indie rockers this year. These two make for an unlikely, yet very welcomed tag team when you consider that Courtney Barnett, a girl from down-under (that’s Australia), linked up with a kind of grungy and downtrodden fellow from the gritty city of Philadelphia. Lotta Sea Lice isn’t all breeze however. Take a listen to the lyrics and some of the tracks on the back half of the album and you’ll hear some bite, but it’s delivered in a “back to basics” way that appeals to the soul looking for some sparkling optimism and charming collaboration in a world that at times this year seemed quite hostile.
#10 syd, fin (FEBRUARY 2017)
Too many good tracks to pick from, but I landed on “Nothin to Somethin”
The album cover tells a lot about the mood of the album. It’s sultry and blue, elegant and dark, full of swagger but also a bit of mystery and uncertainty. All I’ve got to say is, thank goodness we have The Internet and all of its offshoots this day and age. And when I say The Internet, I mean the band hailing from Los Angeles that has provided us with some of the best Soul/R&B music of this decade. It’s also stunning to hear such delicate and polished sounds from a group that is an offshoot itself – from the Odd Future collective that also houses Frank Ocean and Tyler the Creator. The best part about this group is it’s an ensemble cast – a band full of talented individuals that is truly a sum of its parts. Not only did Syd release her debut solo album this year, but so did Matt Martians. Steve Lacy, the guitarist, also released some really interesting demo tracks this year as well, so we hopefully have a whole lot more to hear from them as a collective, and as individuals.
#9 TYLER THE CREATOR, FLOWER (JULY 2017)
As I laid out in a previous post, Tyler the Creator surprised many of us with an album this year that defied expectations and made us rethink what we assumed about him. He’s still vulgar, divisive, and abrasive, yet it doesn’t really define him as an artist. The music is, dare I say it, quite beautiful and winsome, although it’s also got a fair mix of the Alternative Rap we have come to know him for. He peppered in the coarse, dashed in some sweet, and made a transcendent album. This is visionary stuff, showing us what a future mash of R&B, Soul, and Rap can sound like at its finest.
#8 WAXAHATCHEE, OUT IN THE STORM (JULY 2017)
Just listen to how this album blasts out of the gate with the song “Never Been Wrong” (up above). Staying on the theme of refreshing, this is another one of those releases last year that was nice to hear because it was another good “back to basics” Alternative Rock album from a supreme lyricist and song crafter (Katie Crutchfield). She made the sounds familiar, but the composition confidently new. Compared to most of the other female artists that made albums in 2017, this one was put together from beginning to end with more confidence and swagger than all the rest. This being her fourth album, she’s hitting her stride and telling us about it. Interesting note: Katie’s entire band is female, with the exception of a supplemental percussionist.
#7 KING KRULE, THE OOZ (OCTOBER 2017)
“Dum Surfer” off of The OOZ
There’s been a lot of buzz about King Krule for a few years now. People heard the voice, looked up the face, and were intrigued by a guy who seems idiosyncratic in almost every way. Archy Marshall (who goes by the stage name King Krule) gave us a taste of what this album would sound like with 2015’s A New Place 2 Drown, which had the same bleak and gritty mood as this album. The OOZ is definitely a long player, but has no fillers. From beginning to end it’s a fantastic album that holds the same unique style and atmosphere throughout, while also adding a back half of curious balladry I didn’t expect. “Dum Surfer” is my favorite song on the album purely because the guitars give me that nostalgic Incubus feel I have longed to hear again for many a year.
#6 JAY SOM, EVERYBODY WORKS (MARCH 2017)
Every single song on this album is great. I had to go with “Everybody Works”
Her name isn’t Jay Som, it’s actually Melina Duterte, a daughter of Filipino immigrants. Jay Som, in fact, is Filipino for “Victory Moon”. However, that is beside the point. The point is that out of all those female Rock artists I mentioned as having a lauded 2017, this was my favorite, AND all of the songs on this one are catchy as all hell. Every single track is fantastic, and it’s mostly propelled along by her brilliant songwriting and the fusion of genres. It’s a bit of Dream Pop, some Indie Lo-Fi Garage Rock, and just a bit crunchy from the Alt Rock guitars. I also noticed a smidge of the guitar tuning we have come to associate with artists like Real Estate and Mac DeMarco, which adds a nice beach theme to some of the tracks. I could’ve put Big Thief’s album Capacity on the list, but I honestly thought her debut Masterpiece was so much better that I ended up feeling more sour than I ought to feel about the sophomore entry. I could’ve also went with Alvvays’ Antisocialites or Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Navigator, but then I listened to this album a couple more times and realized the songwriting just made this one so much more compelling. The album also has that quality only the best ones have, in which every time I listened to it I fell in love with a different song.
#5 NICK HAKIM, GREEN TWINS (MAY 2017)
The opening track, and the self-titled track from Green Twins
I am Nick Hakim’s biggest fan. When I first listened to this album, I knew I was going to listen to it more than any other this year. I’ve already got my fanboy post up on the site earlier this year, and you can roll your eyes at me while you read it here. Pitchfork had it as one of the “Overlooked Albums of 2017”, which I couldn’t agree with more. It is an overlooked gem, neigh, an overlooked classic. The style is very unique- some sort of alien combination of Lo-Fi Garage Soul and Basement Acid Jazz. The best part of the album is how much imagery and atmosphere it contains, almost to the point of enveloping me in an eternal night. I tried listening to it during the day, and it’s just not the same. I listened to this one dozens of times, dozens of nights, and let it take me away in it’s cosmic beauty.
#4 THE WAR ON DRUGS, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING (AUGUST 2017)
The opening cut, the epic “Up All Night”
Much like the Waxahatchee album at #8, this album just drops you into the thick of it with the opening track (click play above). The Grammy’s got one thing right for 2017 when it made this the Best Rock Album of the Year. It’s immaculately produced, and has this fantastic flow from track to track, all the way to the last, as if it was written as some sort of thematic novel. This one also wins, in my opinion, best album name of 2017. I don’t know what it is about the cover art combined with the album title, but it just intrigues the hell out of me. It’s sufficiently vague while also being meaningful. It made me want to know more, and now I’m glad I listened.
#3 VINCE STAPLES, BIG FISH THEORY (JUNE 2017)
I had to go with the groovalicious track “Big Fish”
The album with the best cohesion is Big Fish Theory from the rapidly emerging Rap artist Vince Staples. It’s hard to believe he has matured to the point of releasing an album like this after just one LP, yet he has. It’s a tight album, no fluff, no filler, which is very surprising in the genre of Rap. One of these days I’ll write a post about how most Rap albums are just too long. They have silly interludes, a lot of intros that puff their chests out at you or twelve minute outros that lecture to you. The worst ones are those interludes that attempt to establish street credibility with some lines of bravado laced around gun shots and car tires shrieking. I’ve heard it all before and am pretty tired of the 23-track album. Vince Staples gives us 12 songs, perfectly coordinated, perfectly mixed, all proving to us that he’s got one of the most original and purposeful voices in music today.
#2 SZA, CTRL (JUNE 2017)
“Normal Girl” says it all
I think I like this lady for the reasons almost everybody else does, and if that doesn’t say unity and bringing this country together with music, than I don’t know what unity means. So I’ll just explain why I love this album like this: never has somebody made frailty and insecurity seem so worth appreciating. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and sings about it with reckless abandon. I hear all the vulnerability and uncertainty in the voice, but also the confidence in her belief that it’s all okay. The interludes I just lambasted above actually work on this album. I love all the song transitions with her mom, grandma, whomever it is, and love the way she was willing to bring unorthodox sounds to a Pop/R&B album. Although she might not have considered this a Pop album, I’ve got to say that songs like “Drew Barrymore”, “Go Gina”, and “Normal Girl” (featured above) are so catchy I can’t help but think they would work on Pop radio. Yet I still feel this is an R&B album at the core, one with amazing production and a truly original lyrical format that kept me on my toes every listen. Basically, it’s a brave album that took so many chances both lyrically and musically, that if it hadn’t been executed perfectly, would’ve failed.
#1 KENDRICK LAMAR, DAMN. (APRIL 2017)
The second “Love.”
I really don’t need to explain, or waste a lot of time praising this album. All I want to say is his first album is amazing, his second is a brilliant detour, and just when you think he’ll slump on a junior record, he elevates his game even more. I just have to stand up and clap when considering the trajectory. He didn’t falter for even a single track, a single second.
