Our Favourite Albums of 2017 (so far…)
With things heating up in London, we’ve compiled the best of the best so you don’t have to.
Syd - Fin
Having been the go-to producer and DJ for much of Odd Future’s early work, a collective whose alumni include Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt, Syd seemed pretty happy to sit comfortably in the background. That all changed when she began work as the charismatic front-woman for LA 5-piece ‘The Internet’, and again this year with the release of ‘Fin’.
On her debut album , Syd packages together a masterful mix of velvet RnB beats, a voice reminiscent of the late and great Aaliyah, and promiscuous lyrics to create what is our favourite album of the year thus far.
Kendrick Lamar — Damn
With two chart-topping albums in as many years, one of which was literally the ‘scraps’ he couldn’t fit on To Pimp a Butterfly, the pressure is always on when Kendrick announces a new project.
Unsurprisingly, Kendrick handles this with style, racing past his peers and knocking Drake off the top spot in the album charts with the politically-charged and high-octane DAMN.
The xx — I See You
Bold but introspective, it feels like The xx have come full-circle since their 2009 self-titled debut album. Peppered with unexpected but fitting samples and the raw, honest lyricism that put them on the map, it seems like an absolute statement of intent from the trio — they’re here to stay.
Bonobo — Migration
Bonobo, a.k.a Simon Green, hit an absolute home run with 2013’s ‘The North Borders’. With almost 4 years between releases, it was always going to be interesting to see where he took this album and whether he could deliver, but deliver he did.
Even though Bonobo has been DJing since the very beginning of his career, he is far better known for his live multi-instrumental performances and use of a full band when recording. The last 4 years however have seen him take up a residency at New York’s Output, so it’s unsurprising that many of the tracks on Migration feel like they could make their way to the dance floor. Having said that, there are a few tracks that feel like they could do with just a little more depth; in fact, Output’s own motto is wholly appropriate — ‘Open for anyone, not for everyone’.
Loyle Carner — Yesterday’s Gone
Smooth melodies, intricate lyrics and a silky-smooth flow all aim to push the themes of love, loss, family, friendship and pain. In a rap-world populated by Lil Yachty’s and French Montana’s, Carner has put out what could quite possibly be one of the most authentic and honest British debut albums of this century.
