Best Albums of 2017
Well here we are again at the end of another year! How time flies. This year was the year that I rekindled my love of going to gigs. Some of the bands that I have seen live have completely blown my musical mind. There have also been quite a few musical disappointments for me this year but i'm not here to name and shame...I'm here to give you my list...it's all about the lists at this time of year! Fingers crossed you find something that you might not have heard before...if you do and like it...let me know.
No.20
Las Cobras - Temporal
The most striking thing about this band if you give the album a listen is that they only comprise of two people, Sofía Aguerre and Leandro Rebellato. They come from Uruguay and only formed in 2016. Temporal takes you on a psychedelic journey through indie rock whilst still keeping you immersed within their latin roots. Moody bass-lead songs that are sometimes flooded with swirling guitar reverb that seem to pulse and evolve throughout the album.
They feel to me like you've walked into The Dandy Warhols half way through a magic mushroom sesh, especially on 'Nothing Agains You' that has a similar sound of 'We Used To Be Friends' . As you near the end of the album the acid trip takes a darker turn with 'So Much Love' where the baseline growls as the synth squidges and swirls around menacing dual vocals. 'Same and Again' harks back to early 90s shoegaze and then the album is finished with the quite haunting 'Temporal' with its shamanic baseline and guitars that chime and sing.
No.19
Novella – Change of State
Having enjoyed their first offering Land I was looking forward to see if this so-called tricky second album would be up to much. They have not wandered far from their hazy psych/indie rock blueprint which I sometimes find quite refreshing in an age where bands think that they need to reinvent themselves on every album. The only subtle move on Change of State is that it seems as if they have focused in on Hollie Warren’s vocals more than their previous release...which in her case it isn’t a bad thing as she adds quite a deep emotional impact to their sound.
It’s perfectly made for late nights and quiet moments with songs that build slowly with the occasional burst of melancholy. 'Does The Island Know' and 'Side By Side' are the only songs that muster any kind of energy and they are needed to keep the album from floating too much. 'Elements' has the distinct sound of Novella plays Pentangle with a bit of Norwegian Wood thrown in but it still sounds weirdly ok. It is the krautrock epic 'Thun' that I liked the most that builds over a couple of minutes into an atmospheric and quite gripping song. This is not a step forward from their last album...it is more like someone has polished it a bit.
No.18
The Proper Ornaments - Foxhole
This album is like being sat next to a log fire, cuddled into a soft blanket with a glass of fine wine. James Hoare and Max Oscarnold are the main songwriting brains behind this London quartet and their passion for 60s vinyl seems to rub off quite effortlessly on this release. There is such a warm and uplifting feel about this album and weirdly it’s because of that fact that I think that I have not listened to it as much as I should have. I like albums to change pace a bit and this one sadly keeps you very horizontal.
There are some quite beautiful nostalgic harmonies on it though with songs like album opener 'Back Pages' and 'Memories' being the stand out ones for me. Many reviews liken their sound to The Velvet Underground which is something that I just don’t get. I hear Beach Boys, Neil Young, The Beatles and late Pink Floyd more than anything else. They don’t stick to 60s influences though...'Bridge by a Tunnel' is definitely 'Married With Children' by Oasis! I can see why people like it...I'm not purring over it but it is a decent "safe" album.
No.17
Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life
This album had passed me by this year apart from a little quick preview I did when it was released that didn’t really do much for me. I didn’t mind My Love Is Cool at all...there were some really good songs on it which was then backed up with a few really good live performances...the main one being at Glastonbury. So as time crept towards December I thought I would give it a proper listen. The media darlings seem to be falling all over themselves for it but I’m yet to be totally convinced. On its own it is a decent album...but having known what they were capable of on My Love Is Cool this one isn’t as good...in my opinion.
They have taken the elements that won them genuine praise from their debut and amplified them...for example, songs that were classed as dream-pop have now been drugged to such a point that they are about to fall head first into the rabbit hole. Songs with an aggressive bite are now that dog with rabies that’s had his tail stood on and the down-tempo melodies are now pretentious poetry that just seems so put on. There are still some gems on the album though that show that there is something special about them. 'Visions Of A Life' is slow brooding behemoth with all the swagger that I expected from Wolf Alice. 'Yuk Foo' is in your face brilliance that pushes Ellie Rowsell’s voice to its limits and 'Heavenward' is a nostalgic nod of the head to Slowdive. Not as good as their debut...overrated by media experts...but a good album.
No.16
Pixx – Age Of Anxiety
This is an album that I would not usually go for, or even bother giving a 30 second preview...so it was quite a shock that I liked this one. Pixx aka Hannah Rodgers is the indie pop artist that joins the queue for many behind the likes of Lorde and Grimes...but sadly I’m not a fan of the last two so that is why this album surprised me. I am a big fan of Stealing Sheep however, and there are certain musical similarities between them and Pixx after you have thrown in what sounds like a dose of Aphex Twin and even UNKLE production.
It is probably very lazy of me to say that there is a touch of the sound of Kate Bush in her delivery at times especially on 'Everything is weird in America' which is also a song that I could hear Alex Turner singing in a slowed down South Yorkshire accent. 'I Bow Down' is probably my standout song on the album as 'Waterslides' is very much a chart topping dancer in a similar guise to something like Goldfrapp. As a complete album it is far from being one that I would listen to over and over again...but there are enough elements throughout for it to be a decent listen.
No.15
Ulrika Spacek – Modern English Decoration
The first of the list that I have seen live this year...albeit a stripped back concentrated set list that was cut short because of festival timing issues. These guys are very ear-piercingly loud...I like them. For anyone who doesn’t know that much about them they were an idea that was conceived by two Rhys’s...Edwards and Williams as they were travelling in Berlin. On their return to East London they quickly set about completing the band that makes you feel as if you are being submerged under a layer of anything from guitar distortion and feedback to alarm bells ringing down the road. This album was actually produced in their own shared house which is quite an amazing feat. Fans of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth to Television will lap this album up and still be asking for more.
This album isn’t a massive progression from their debut The Album Paranoia it is more like an expansion...building on the last one and at the same time adding bits and bobs. It is the songs 'Mimi Pretend', 'Silvertonic' and 'Victorian Acid' that have me going back for more. The sound of their guitars playing 'Victorian Acid' live are still ringing in my ears...and that was 5 months ago! The exciting thing about this band is that I think they can get better which means they could have one hell of an album heading our way.
No.14
Melkbelly – Nothing Valley
There is always a band throughout the year that will sneak up on me and hit me on the back of my head so to speak...Chicago’s Melkbelly are that band. Even before listening to their music the amazing comic strip cover art jumps out at you that is usually the norm on cans of American-styled IPA. As soon as I started to listen to them though they sounded like an early form of The Breeders...especially from their debut album Pod...which I love...so it was a plus from the start. Kurt Cobain always stated that he pinched so many ideas for Bleach from Pod and there are similarities with Melkbelly. They kick up a hell of a gnarly racket with Miranda Winters experimenting with abrasive, but not antisocial indie rock.
They are made up of a married couple, a pair of brothers and a drummer that learnt his trade through the medium of Jazz...so the band is firmly a family affair with a smidge of chaos thrown in. From the opening surge of 'Off the Lot' you know if you are going to like them or not. 'Petrified' closely followed by 'R.O.R.O.B' would be the ones that I got people to listen to. They are both packed to the brim with furious noise with a nice dose of 90s indie thrown in. The perfect song to showcase the long lost Deal sister is 'Cawthra' that sounds like some evil version of The Who’s 'Boris The Spider'. At times the noise can be uncompromising but I like that now and again.
No.13
Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
It has been fifteen years since Jane Weaver’s debut album Like An Aspen Leaf was released and this is the first time I have heard of her...It’s funny how music behaves sometimes. Modern Kosmology feels like a single unbroken series of shifting melodies in constant motion...it is electronic and organic all at once and is layered within an old English folk heart. 'Loops In The Secret Society' is by far the standout track for me. It sounds like Richard Thompson is jamming with Lou Reed...it’s brilliant. I was a big fan of Gwenno’s album Y Dydd Olaf a few years ago that really got me back into the indie syth-pop following the demise of Stereolab, Ladytron and dare I say it...Dubstar.
She parades her voice effortlessly over a plethora of space aged sounds whether it be the pounding 'H>A>K', the modulating euro-trancer 'The Architect' or the hypnotic percussion and vocals from another planet on 'Ravenspoint'. I have spoken to people who have seen her live who tell me that she is even better live so all in all it has been a good year for Jane Weaver...plus she has produced a remarkable piece of music that is probably her best work to date.
No.12
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy
The Jesus and Mary Chain have always been a bit of a funny one for me, I liked 4 or 5 of theirs from Psychocandy...nothing really ever grabbed me that much...I know this will probably have the Indie Rocker brigade cursing me but I’ve liked JAMC inspired bands better to be honest. Damage and Joy though is really good and has been quite a refreshing in an old fashioned way. You’ll find the songs ebb and flow, lyrics are drenched with jangling guitars that then revert to sonic type.
There is a warm fuzzy glow to the album that hides the darkness and distain within Jim Reid’s lyrics. One minute he’s in "think I’m always gonna be sad" mode on 'Also Sad', convinced he will be fine on 'Mood Rider' and finally reconciled to the emotional ride on 'Can’t Stop The Rock'. Laidback duets featuring Isobel Campbell ('Song for a Secret' and 'The Two of Us') and Sky Ferreira ('Black and Blues') are something a bit different and are supported in JAMC fashion with a wall of noise whilst offering a mirror feminine perspective. Reinvented they certainly are not...but re-engaged they certainly are.
No.11
Menace Beach - Lemon Memory
Having really enjoyed their debut Ratworld...I kind of knew what to expect from this release, so to be fair I wasn’t surprised by what I heard...which is a good thing...for a second album. The blueprint for this Leeds based band of Ryan Needham’s dark 90s indie rock guitars laced with Liza Violet’s glorious vocal remains and to really good effect. The result though is a slightly different creature from their debut. From the off 'Give Blood' and lead single 'Maybe We’ll Drown' have riffs that hook and stick along with their trademark wobbly organ sound.
Violet-lead song 'Owl' has her pushing her voice into ethereal and heavenly places where as 'Suck It Out' is a filthy baggy effort that has a dark undercurrent and a similar bass lead opening that The New FADs used for 'Beatlemania'. If you close your eyes you can imagine 'Can’t Get a Haircut' featuring on Beavis and Butthead in the 90s with them both head banging to the chorus...it’s a bit cheesy but it’s good cheese...if there is such a thing. It is an album that I recently revisited having seen them live in Leeds a few month ago and it is one that I will continue to go back to now and again.
No.10
Madonnatron – Madonnatron
If you have ever been waiting for a post punk band that has been well and truly dipped in a vat of psychedelic goo then Madonnatron are the band for you. From the off they grip you in their hands and they don't look like they are wanting to let go. Their album has been described as a "cauldren of sinister excellence" and I really can't beat that analogy. Even their producer calls them "psychedelic witch prog".
They seem to have more about them than just that though and the album contains a good mix of punk, rock n' roll and even disco. 'Headless Chicken' is my personal favourite with its Joy Division-like bass, droning organ and really dark and sometimes unsettling lyrics. It's not often you hear the lyrics "take them to the river, maybe to drown" but that is what you get, and you'd better be ready for more.
No.9
Ghostpoet – Dark Days + Canapés
Obaro Ejimiwe aka Ghostpoet over the space of three albums has developed a cynical narrative style that is entirely his own. I can hear similarities between him and Roots Manuva now and again but that’s probably down to my untrained UK HipHop ears. This album is definitely all about seeing the modern world through his eyes...so you’d better open your eyes to what he’s showing you. The topics that he has chosen such as the horrors experienced during the ongoing refugee crisis have been approached by other artists but Ghostpoet is the only one for me that hammers his point across by describing a small percentage of the feeling that they are going through instead of preaching it. My better half interviewed Ghostpoet at a festival in London a couple of years ago and he came across as being a really intelligent guy but I wasn’t too into his music.
Then earlier in the year he brought out the lead single to Dark Days + Canapés which was 'Immigrant Boogie'. The song features Charlie Steen from soon to be global superstars Shame. He tweeted when the song was released and I picked it up from there. Ghostpoet’s vocal takes on the guise of the despondant, despairing and coldblooded misery and all the while the music adds the emotion, humanity and unease of its modern surroundings. 'Dopamine If I Do' has echoes of the haunting piano from 'Pyramid' by Radiohead and it is the female singer-songwriter EERA who takes on the Thom Yorke-esque vocal on this drifting song. Radiohead influences..from OK Computer this time stream through the chorus of the poppiest song on the album 'Freakshow'. Like the Pixx album earlier in the list this isn’t usually my kind of music but I’ve really taken to this album.
No.8
Cabbage – Young, Dumb and Full of...
I’ve liked this album...hated it...and now like it again. It is home to one of my favourite songs of the year “Uber Capitalist Death Trade” but because of its use of very heavily political agendas I was put off it for a while. I’ve never been a massively political person so having it rammed down my through every two minutes didn’t really appeal. What does come across well though is the clever satirical lyrics that have feeling and passion that goes well with their explosive post-punk anthemic music. I managed to catch them live at The Brudenell Social Club during the Gold Sounds festival which kind of revived my interest in them into giving the album a proper listen.
There was plenty about them to keep the mosh pit happy for the majority of the gig...but I got a bit bored half way through...which is the same feeling I have about this album. Each track tastily saunters into the next, 'Dissonance', 'Terrorist Synthesizer' and 'The Road To Wigan Pier' emitting off the chart energy that beckons sweaty bodies, calamity and chaos. They are a pretty full on marmite band though and I don’t think that anyone could have put it better than Norman Records who stated that “Maybe you’ll like the music. Maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll be able to look past what they’ve done. Maybe you won’t.”
No.7
Sorry - Home Demo/ns Vol.1
I feel a bit sneaky about slipping this one in as it isn’t an album that has been set in stone or vinyl so to speak...but as We Dig Music podcast discussed a few weeks ago “How many songs constitutes an album...mini album or EP?” and this is my blog so I say it’s going in. I managed to catch them playing live at the Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough...and although I must admit that my excitement of seeing Shame who headlined that night distracted me slightly from taking them in fully at the time. We then bumped into them at the Live at Leeds festival a week or so later and managed to have a good chat with Lincoln (Drummer) and Louis (Singer/Guitarist) before going into see their mates The Dead Pretties (who have sadly now packed in).
Early Sorry (then known as FISH) revolved around the co-singers and songwriters who were secondary school mates; Asha Lorenz and Louis O’Bryen. Since then they have added a solid driving percussion with the addition of the aforementioned Lincoln Barrett and Campbell Baum (Bass). Like touring mates Shame and Goat Girl there is a refreshing DIY style to them with Asha attacking their videos as she probably would for a collage art project...it all seems to fit perfectly. Their songs drift between darkness and beauty with very little effort with Asha and Louis creating an eerie and quite haunting vocal that merges into one. They have a sound like no-one else out there at the moment and that what makes them an interesting band. The layered sounds that undulate gracefully on songs like 'Lace' change to bouncing clattering beats on 'Prickz' then on to waves of pent up angst on 'Drag King'. 'Snakes' is probably my personal favourite song by them so far...it is full of things that I loved when I was discovering indie music as a kid. Having signed up to Domino Records fingers crossed an album will be out soon as singles 'Wished' and 'Lies' have recently been released.
No.6
Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent
It is the second time in two years that Detroit’s Protomartyr find themselves in my best of list...and with good reason. They excel at combining an unflattering view of both public and personal life with archaic pictures and scenes of ancient philosophy, biblical figures, and even modern writers and thinkers. They are quickly establishing a name for themselves as one of the most literarily adept bands of note. They combine the old and complex with the everyday to create a listening experience filled with dark wonderment of its own existence...one that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Relatives in Descent sees them working as hard and efficiently with their unique craft as ever, yet at the same time it sees them crafting a much more passionately dark, hateful vision than their previous effort The Agent Intellect. The album hits you hard from the very beginning and certainly doesn't let up as it goes along but there are far more examples to be found here of more melodic guitar riffs and chords to add balance to the band's noisier, more chaotic segments. Songs like 'My Children' and 'Here Is The Thing' are songs that are still perfectly capable of emitting power on their own without the rest of the album to back them up.
No.5
This Is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
This Is The Kit aka Kate Stables has produced a quite a stunning indie folk album in a year of beautiful noise this year. Her at times uniquely bone-chilling voice is at once forced and in control then warbles which feels unsettling and quite haunting. It is atmospheric, steady, and slow-moving with something of an accompanying coolness. Songs like 'Hotter Colder', 'All Written Out In Numbers' and title track 'Moonshine Freeze' are real highlights on the album.
Even when stripped back to just her banjo she still manages to make it sound magical which is evident on 'Easy On The Thieves'. There is an underlying feeling of mystery and wonder about Moonshine Freeze that is probably what has made me like it so much. It’s probably not the best album to listen to if you really need to get things done in a hurry to be honest...but if you are in a state of relaxation or even contemplation then this is the perfect one for you. It also works quite well on autumnal evenings when travelling on a quiet train or coach with the lights off and an open road.
No.4
Ride – Lannoy Point
The band often talk about reaching a crossroads after Going Blank Again with them nearly all in agreement that they chose the wrong path. I asked the question at the end of my epic Ride blog that I did before Weather Diaries was released “I wonder if Weather Diaries turns out to be the path that they should have gone down instead?” In my opinion, it certainly should have been. Weather Diaries is a fine example of a band that are not necessarily trying to change the world anymore, but rather saying “Hello, remember us? We’re still good you know!!!”. There is a grace and a calculation to these songs that gives away the middle aged blokes behind their instruments. 'Rocket Silver Symphony' is a bit of a new experience for dyed in the wool Ride fan with a song that bordered on an intro that could be found on a Chemical Brothers album.
'Cali' is a song drenched in memories of days spent on sunny beaches with the girl/boy of your dreams. Add to that the west coast jangly riff and you can hear the confidence oozing out from them. Some songs are just made for summer afternoons and this breezy masterpiece is definitely one of them. 'Charm Assault' brings memories of early 90s indie with added bonus of the quite baggy bouncing 'Lateral Alice'.
Weather Diaries is an ambitious effort from a group that could have easily coasted on the coat tails of 'Vapour Trail' forever, having once been considered shoegaze’s poster boys for their heartthrob looks and chart-friendly tunes.
No.3
Danielle Luppi and Parquet Courts – Milano
Italian composer and arranger Daniele Luppi was trying to find a band to play his compositions and help write the words to songs about 80s alternative lifestyle. He homed in on Parquet Courts as he thought that their arty angle and seedy glamour would help bring his stories to life. Karen O also features now and again and fits in perfectly
It is Karen O’s snappy and forceful delivery that drive songs like 'Tulisa' and 'Flush' so well. 'Mount Napoleon' and 'Memphis Blues Again' take you on a journey into the imagery of restless youth and lost relationships...and then weave them perfectly with the sounds of twangy messy guitars and Andrew Savage’s brilliant thuggish vocals. My mum used to fancy Brian Ferry...much to my Dads’ annoyance...and it is heavily Roxy Music inspired 'Pretty Prizes' that sees Karen O and Andrew Savage have a croon-off that works amazingly well. 'The Golden Ones' provides Karen O with the perfect platform on which to let her do what only Karen O can do "With me and you/the pleasure is all yours" she blasts...her words dripping with attitude and self-satisfaction. It is much less cinematic than Luppi’s last effort Rome...but that is probably why I like it.
No.2
The Moonlandingz – Interplanetary Class Classics
As the story goes the band started out as a purely fictional entity...the subject of the Eccentronic Research Council‘s album that was called Johnny Rocket, Narcissist and Music Machine…I’m Your Biggest Fan. The album told the tale of Johnny Rocket who was the lead singer of The Moonlandingz and his obsessed stalker played by Maxine Peake. Then during a meeting of minds between ERC’s Adrian Flanagan and Fat White Family’s Lias Saoudi their creation became flesh and bone. With the addition of ERC’s Dean Honer and Saul Adamczewski from Fat White Family they also had Slow Club’s Rebecca Taylor and help from Sean Lennon and his studio. Many gigs followed and the tales of Lias’s character antics as Johnny Rocket spread like wildfire.
Glam-rock opener 'Vessels' was quite close to being my favourite song of the year with two drummers bashing out the relentless rhythm and Lias almost howling out his lyrics as the song comes to its furious end. This pace set by the opener isn’t about to stop though and 'Sweet Saturn Mine' continues in a similar vein. 'Black Hanz', 'Neuf Du Pape' and 'The Rabies Are Back' are fun songs with well publicised radio star single 'Strangle Of Anna' in the middle causing a slight come down. There is no doubt that all the members of The Moonlandingz see this as a project and that they will return to their day jobs soon but what a ride they have had in the process. If Interplanetary Class Classics doesn’t make you want to at least throw some shapes, then there really is no hope for you.
No.1
Idles - Brutalism
From an infectious earworm with their single 'Well Done' to a genuine appreciation of their debut album Brutalism...Idles have quickly materialised into a band that I seem to need a daily fix of. If you want something instantaneous...exciting...but at the same time terrifying then you have the right band in the right moment. Front man Joe Talbot looks as though one minute he wants to give you a massive hug and rip your face off the next. Don’t be put off by that statement though there seems to be an underlying playful love thing going on between the band members and with their fans. It’s been a good 22 years since I last ventured willingly into a mosh pit but when you see them live you are drawn in by their enthusiasm. They are not a band who just like a bit of mayhem with their music though...their guitar playing is tight and not unruly as it shows that they can actually play their instruments behind the wall of noise.
They may not be pushing the boundaries of punk music, but it has some of the best written songs and most fiery performances from any punk album in the last few years. Some of the standout songs are the superb 'Well Done'... a sharp sarcastic criticism of conformity in British society '1049 Gotho'... a chilling foray into the subject of mental illness with its excellent verse..."My friend is so depressed/She wanted to have sex/I pissed in the kitchen sink/As she slowly undressed " and 'Stendhal Syndrome' a song about either the pretention of art or the stupidity of those who dismiss art, depending on how you interpret Talbot’s sarcasm. They truly deserve all of the plaudits that they have had from this year.
What is coming in 2018?
Shame’s long awaited debut Songs Of Praise is released in January
Goat Girl and Estrons must be close to releasing an album!!!
Lets hope that it's a good one. To anyone who has got this far.Thank you for reading...I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
