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Reviewing 2017

I never understood why publications release their end-of-the-year lists in early December. There’s still a whole month left of the year for things to make your list or, at least, there’s some time left to soak up the year and reflect on it. Okay, well, maybe I do get it — they want to get ahead of others and get those clicks, but that’s besides the point. Anyways, here’s my year in music — appropriately, at the end of the year (I won’t confirm or deny that it just simply took me this long to make the list). You’ll go through my top ten albums (delicately determined after listening to over sixty albums — most of which was trash), some honorable mentions, my favorite EPs, a few great songs, and my favorite concerts of the year.

Let’s get started.

Flor create some smooth textures and lush sounds on their debut album. The lead single, “hold on”, does a great job of representing the rest of the songs. Laden with soothing vocals, reverb-y guitars, and hypnotizing synths, I became obsessed with the song from the moment of its release, so it’s safe to say I enjoyed the rest of the cuts on this album. That being said, most of the album is quite same-y, but if you enjoy calming indie pop with a relaxing atmosphere — this is a decent effort.

8.3/10

8.4/10

On Cigarettes After Sex’s self-titled debut album, the band creates an adequate soundtrack to your night drives on lonely winding roads or a romantic intimate evening in with your significant other. Although, if you find yourself in neither of these scenarios, ten songs of lovely, yet undemanding ambiance and dreamy pop music may not be what the doctor prescribed. Nevertheless, at least a handful of these cuts are well-crafted enough to be listened to at any moment.

8.5/10

8.7/10

8.7/10

I was disappointed with this Alt-J album, their third coming after the perfect An Awesome Wave and the even more perfect, This Is All Yours (yes, I know that is an unpopular opinion), but that’s because they were perfect, and it’s hard to top perfection. RELAXER is still a respectable effort, coming in at number four, with eight tracks of their always evolving, unique, and experimental sound. Although, noticeably different here, it seems like they toned down the volume, with many tracks taking their sweet time to develop, and sometimes, not approaching the expected musical climax. That’s okay though, Alt-J haven’t lost their quirky selves just yet.

8.8/10

Lorde had one of the most anticipated albums of the year after coming off the success of her one and only album. With this new one, she expanded her musical arsenal with some new elements that exposed her to even more commercial success this time around. A major difference has been the more filled sound on Melodrama when compared to Pure Heroine. The first album was very skeletal and bare bones, minimalist pop. Nothing wrong with that at all, it helped establish her and differentiate her. With Melodrama, she filled that sound in more with vocal quirks, less silence, backing vocals, and just more sounds in general. Her fans responded to that, it worked for her. Lorde has a unique enough persona that even though I think her two albums are pretty different from each other, there’s still some classic Lorde there that can be picked up.

8.9/10

Here we are again Daughter. Coming in at number three again two years in a row *claps*. Last year, it was with their second album, Not To Disappear, which I’ve grown to love so much more. This time it’s with the soundtrack to the video game, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. On this release, the band trade in heart-wrenching lyrics and lead singer Elena’s chilling vocals for a more instrumental album. Although, those strong emotional moments are not lost with the absence of lyrics and vocals, they are picked up by the haunting, yet beautiful instrumentation throughout.

9.2/10

The xx recaptured the hearts of hipsters once again after a few years’ absence with a sightly reinvented sound. It took me a while to get into the band, but I kept seeing something in them that had me coming back. Now I’m in love and their album here solidified it. Coming through with the continued charming chemistry between vocalists Romy and Oliver, shinier production, and more club-approved grooves — which come to the credit of their own Jamie xx — I See You sees the band evolve from their staple spacey, introverted indietronic sound. Not that it was asked for, (I love the preceding album Coexist which is not an opinion shared by many), but I welcome it with open arms.

9.3/10

here we go…(again) #ifyouknowyouknow

9.6/10

I fell in love with this song at first listen. In fact, I played it more than two-hundred times on release day. I love it. From the marimba in the beginning, to the jam-and-a-half that is the chorus, to the Daft Punk inspired vocoder ending, it is perfect. I cannot praise this track enough. It also sits at my most played song of the year at 653 plays, give or take. Why did this song not blow up? What’s wrong with you all? Make it blow up now, this is a command. Fake fans. Don’t even get me started on the music video. Grammy people, WTF. Ugh.

infinity/5

I never get tired of the minute-and-a-half acoustic intro, that melody is just great. The song continues on for several more minutes, introducing female vocals, swelling instrumentation, and a lovely country-side folk-y melody. These “three worn words” go out to this song, “I love you”.

If you’ve looked at the ratings, this Coldplay EP is the highest rated release, even among the top ten albums. I love this EP, it is, forgive me here, a kaleidoscopic representation of all of the band’s sounds — and I love all of Coldplay’s discography, so if you’re a fan of any stage of the band’s career, there’s a song here for you. From the epic alt rock track, “All I Can Think About Is You” recalling young Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood to the Head, to the pop rock jam with ear-worming melodies, “Miracles (Someone Special)”, reminiscent of recent efforts like Mylo Xyloto and A Head Full of Dreams, this EP is quite the fun ride.

9.8/10

I will always have a special place in my heart for Halfnoise’s first self-titled EP. It was the only release by then, ex-Paramore drummer Zac Farro, to fully realize a beautiful ambient, dreamy, and lush atmosphere. Since then, Zac has rejoined Paramore, released two albums under Halfnoise, and did a 180-degree turn with the project’s sound. On this EP, the band is having a jam session and riffing on Beatles-influenced pop rock. It’s a fun collection of songs that I imagine was born out of an equally fun recording session which the EP just exudes.

9.2/10

I absolutely adore Milo Greene’s two albums. Their more folk-y self-titled debut and their more poppy Control. This EP has them at some more indie rock inspired sounds, which at first, I did not appreciate as much as I do now. It is a decent effort and I look forward to their next full length.

8.7/10

I cut down on shows this year from forty-six in 2016 allllllllll the way down to forty in 2017! I’m proud of myself. Thanks to all the friends that went to a show with me this year. Here are the ten best shows I attended this year:

P.S. special shout-out to the best film of the year, Call Me By Your Name.

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