Photo Courtesy of Brad Mehldau
Finn O’Rourke and Matt Reinstein
Arts Reporters
The following albums are albums that we enjoyed this year, but unfortunately, did not make the cut for our top ten.
We admittedly know that there were some great albums we missed this year. Also, we struggled a lot with this list and dedicated many days thinking about the order of this list.
Finn’s Honorable Mentions:
Flying Microtonal Banana by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Melodrama by Lorde
Mr. Finish Line by Vulfpeck
Soft Sounds From Another Planet by Japanese Breakfast
This Old Dog by Mac Demarco
Matt’s Honorable Mentions:
American Teen by Khalid
Is This the Life We Really Want? by Roger Waters
NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES by N.E.R.D
SATURATION II by BROCKHAMPTON
Young Martha – EP by Young Thug & Carnage
Top Ten Albums of 2017:
- 10. (Finn) Stranger Things 2 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Original Series) by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
- (Matt) Mercury Fountain by The Physics House Band
This group, from Brighton, UK, hits a wave of proggy, psychedelic songs that are very cohesive creating the record with the tightest instrumentation. While some of the songs may be hard to follow, the unity that all of these songs have with each other makes up for what can be viewed as a negative part of the record. However, due to the great chemistry between the fellow musicians and the excellent representations of the art-rock genre, this album lands in my tenth spot.
- (Finn) Runs the Jewels 3 by Run The Jewels
Run the Jewels 3 is a collection of fourteen hard hitting bangers from the Brooklyn duo Killer Mike and El-P. Their bars give listeners the desire to protest and change injustices in society.
- (Matt) Drive it Like it’s Stolen-Ep by Injury Reserve
Here, in the Arizona rap trio’s latest project, we are given some songs with a more nuanced, controlled setting. However, fans will still receive the unhinged, crazy performances from Groggsy and Ritchie in songs such as “See You Sweat.”
Producer Parker Corey allows the songs to be different to a point that showcases his range, but can extend the range too far with songs such as “North Pole.” Despite me not loving some of the songs on the album, the songs that work are excellent.
- (Finn) A Crow Looked at Me by Mount Eerie
A Crow Looked at Me follows the real life story of Phil Elverum’s wife dying of cancer and his life afterwards with their one year old daughter. This is most definitely a hard album to sit through, but it vividly demonstrates what real death feels like.
- (Matt) 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time by Big K.R.I.T.
What I like most about this album is the message of the difference between artist’s onstage personas versus their personal lives. For example Big K.R.I.T stands tall like a lean mean fighting machine, but Justin Scott stands small, slouches back, and is much more vulnerable.
This mixture of confidence and insecurity provides lots of complexity that is not seen often in trap music today. It is an ambitious album, reeling in 22 tracks, making for a satisfying exploration of fame and stardom.
- (Finn) DAMN by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar follows up his 2015 experimental, jazz rap masterpiece, To Pimp A Butterfly, with a more accessible, pop rap project.
- (Matt) Salutations by Conor Oberst
I have heard negative reviews about this album, whether it lacked ambition, or because it was too similar to his prior album, Ruminations. But to me, none of what I heard takes away from Oberst’s tranquil description of friendship. If anything, hearing the two projects side by side, I like this one more because not only does it add original songs to the mix, but it also gives a country twang, which adds to the calmness of this LP.
- (Finn) Ctrl by SZA
On her full-length debut, SZA creates a melancholy, neo-soul environment that is just as unique as it is memorable. On the song “The Weekend,” she discusses what it is like to be over sexualized in a relationship, specifically one where she is not the only woman involved. The avant-garde sounds throughout this project stay with listeners in a dream-like fashion.
- (Matt) From a Rooms Vols. 1 and 2 by Chris Stapleton
Former Steeldrivers frontman, Chris Stapleton took over the country scene after 2015’s Traveller, which earned him a grammy and numerous CMA awards. With this project, Stapleton is much more traditional with his melodies, but still maintains a mix of soul, blues, honky-tonk, and folk.
- (Finn) Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
Josh Tillman’s, otherwise known as Father John Misty’s, reputation as a celebrity can only be compared to the likes of Kanye West and the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, as he has been known to cut live sets short to rant about society’s lies, only for personal and satirical gain.
Unsurprisingly, he released an 1,850-word essay explaining the symbolism and themes in his upcoming album, Pure Comedy, which is possibly the most polarizing album to be released in 2017. For one hour and fourteen minutes, Tilman sings about the empty values of society accompanied by beautiful piano chords. Love him or hate him, Josh Tillman knows how to stir up controversy.
- (Matt) Still Striving by A$AP Ferg
Call it a guilty pleasure, but this album is non-stop head-bobbing. And while I can acknowledge some of the lyrics are not the most intelligent, I feel as though I have a soft spot for mindless trap, and that is exactly what this Still Striving is.
It does not require listeners to seriously focus on the deeper meaning of the tracks as some of the other albums on this list; all listeners need to do is trust Ferg to deliver with catchy beats and bars. I think my attraction towards the album is derived from the fact that it is just a good break from all the try-hard rap that people crave.
- (Finn) Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator
I have been following Tyler, The Creator for a couple of years and have always found him to be an interesting person. He designs his own clothing line and has an edgy, punk attitude towards fame that he showcases in interviews.
However, his actual music, whether it be his work in the hip-hop collective Odd Future or his solo albums, has always been lackluster to me. I knew he could do more and that hypothesis was proven by Flower Boy. Tyler proves that he can produce, rap, and create a consistent, quality album that any modern rap fan should enjoy.
- (Matt) Flicker by Niall Horan
I had no predictions that this album was going to be this high on my list, but Flicker is what a strong debut looks like. Niall Horan’s album is probably the biggest surprise of the past few years for me.
During the whole One Direction phenomenon, to me, Niall always felt like the odd member of the group, never finding an identity. But, I do not know how else to explain how happy I was after hearing these songs. Niall still has room to improve upon, but it is the maturity of the songs, which is way beyond any of the other members’ singles, that surprised me as Niall goes straight to the heart of balladry.
- (Finn) American Dream by LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy’s decision to reform his legendary New York indie-electronic collective seven years after their “retirement” may have angered some hardcore fans, but in my opinion, the world was blessed with one more LCD Soundsystem. While it is not as magical as some of their past classics including 2010’s This Is Happening and 2007’s Sounds Of Silver, American Dream is extra personal and feels like any LCD record should.
3.(Matt) Green Twins by Nick Hakim
There remains no question that Green Twins is the smoothest cutting album of the year. It has John Legend-like vocals with groovy, jazzy edits that can be compared to groups such as Tame Impala and Beach House. Through this album, Hakim has mastered the psychedelic performance. Songs to look out for are “Bet She Looks Like You,” “Needy Bees,” and “The Want.” All are soft, dreary, ominous songs, which are complemented by touchy, whispery singing performances. It ranks as one of the stranger, but best albums of the year.
- (Finn) Greatest Hits by Remo Drive
A Midwest Emo band from Bloomington, Minnesota, Remo Drive, broke onto the emo-revival music scene when Anthony Fantano gave Greatest Hits a positive review and a shout out on his Youtube channel. Do not be misled by the title, for this is the groups debut album.
While much of the current emo scene is dominated by mindless moaning, Remo Drive makes actual songs with an angsty flair. Their sudden popularity may have sparked from a lucky shout out, but Remo Drive may have composed the best emo album of the decade.
- (Matt) The Get-Together by Polyprop
Polyprop’s debut album is one of the most bubbly, lively, and plasticky albums I have ever heard. This concept album, with abnormally large song titles, explores friendship and the struggles that can ensue like no other songs that have come out this year.
It is an every mood album, making it the most accessible on the list, meaning listeners can listen to it when they are sad, happy, angry, or stressed. All the more I can say about it, without spoiling the album, is that it is really well executed.
- (Finn) SATURATION I, II, and III by BROCKHAMPTON
At the end of the year when Spotify tells users their most played songs and artist, my charts were dominated by BROCKHAMPTON. Over the span of six months, the self proclaimed “American Boy Band,” based out of California, have dropped a stellar trilogy of albums: SATURATION I, II, and III.
Comprised of fifteen members, each raps, produces, or does various work behind the scenes. Through the trilogy, listeners are greeted with catchy hooks, politely charged lyrics, beautiful melodies, and unique sounds. I cannot praise BROCKHAMPTON enough for creating so much amazing music in such a short period of time.
- (Matt) Self-Titled by Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau
This album is delicate. Maybe it is the carefully strummed mandolin from bluegrass veteran Chris Thile, but there remains some aspect of this album that seems so intricately constructed, that listeners realize that albums like this are rarely released.
Thile and jazz pianist Brad Mehldau make for such a cohesive duo, that despite my restraints on walking into a jazz-bluegrass fusion project, I still listen to this album, and am reassured that deserves to be the top album of the year.
It is the experimentation, it is the high and nasal voice of Thile, it is the stories that are formed through instrumentation, it is the amazing cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” and most importantly, it is the humbleness that oozes out of every track that makes this album so unique. Self-Titled remains an idea that came from not two musicians, but two people. Two friends that wanted a breath of fresh air into highly under-appreciated genres. As a result, out comes the year’s very best.
