The Three Best Albums of 2017 (So Far)
At close to the halfway point, here are my favorite picks from 2017
When I make my semi-yearly top albums list at the end of each year, I invariably scramble to find all the music that I listened to and wish that I had catalogued some of my favorite albums earlier. I wrote down some of my favorite songs of the year earlier, and I’m going to continue that motif with a list of my three favorite albums. I’m planning on making a halfway point post too, but this is a smaller, more digestible take on some of the highlights from this year’s musical scene.
I also want to note at the beginning of this that these albums are listed in no particular order, and my opinions of them aren’t final by any means. It’s quite possible for me to switch albums around on the year-end list, or to completely rearrange everything. Practically speaking, this means that an album’s presence or absence on this list isn’t a guarantee its status in rgards to my final, top-10 albums list.
Finally, without further ado, my three favorite albums so far:
Deaf Havana — All These Countless Nights
Earlier, I wrote down some of my thoughts on this album, and they all stand. You can read the review here, if you’re so inclined, and I can report now that my opinion of this album hasn’t dropped off much since I wrote my first impressions of it. I can also report that this album still has the best artwork of anything I’ve listened to. That fact says nothing about the quality of the music, but the juxtaposition of color and scenery here serves as another reason to check this band and artist out.
I think it’s worth noting that this album is probably my third favorite out of the three on this list, though. That’s still high praise in my mind, but I’m stuck between the other two choices in terms of a frontrunner for the best album in 2017. The reason for that is that Deaf Havana relies on their formula perhaps a little too much. Everything from the lyrics to the instrumentals is excellent, but there’s just a little more experimentation on growth on the other two albums than I found here.
It’s odd to devote an entire paragraph explaining why I didn’t like an album more. Ultimately, All These Countless Nights is an excellent listen from start to finish, and I’d give it a high recommendation to anyone looking for new music. It’s just a half-step below the next two releases:
The Classic Crime — How to be Human
I’ve linked to my review of the album above, but Human is another great exploration of a band that has grown up, matured, and continued to make fantastic music. It earns a spot in my premature top three because of this maturity and excellence — this is a band that I feel like I’ve grown up with because of their continued explorations and growing maturity. Coupled with fantastic lyrics (that feel as genuine now as they have throughout The Classic Crime’s existence), there’s plenty to love here.
I also greatly enjoy the way that this band has continued to simply exist. In an age of online streaming and decreasing artist revenues, this band’s turn to crowd-sourcing the funds for new albums is a brilliant idea. It’s also not one that works for everyone, since bands need a significant (and more importantly, loyal) fanbase to fund the cost of a new album. But The Classic Crime have funded two full-length albums from their fans now, and the creative liberties that this model provides have resulted in their best music to date.
Many bands have grown up, and thrown off the responsibilities and time that a musical career have created. Given how hard it is for bands to exist in 2017, that’s completely understandable. And that makes it even more impressive that The Classic Crime have found a funding source and revenue stream that allows them to keep making phenomenal music.
I wrote above that this list isn’t complete or definitive. That’s true, but I’d be quite surprised if How to be Human lands outside of the top five when I type up my final thoughts on 2017’s music. This album is that good, and I enjoy it every time I turn it on.
The Menzingers — After the Party
Another album that I’ve already written some thoughts about, and another album that still easily lives up to my earlier impressions. The Menzingers approach the same issues of growing on that The Classic Crime do, even if the tonal difference between these two bands is somewhat jarring. There seems to be more contentment and peace with The Class Crime, compared with a feeling of resignation and even a little anguish on After the Party.
But however they approach the idea of growing up, both bands deserve high praise, and The Menzingers impressed me greatly with their latest effort. I had listened to them before 2017, and my overall impression was that of a talented band that had perhaps already written its best songs. After the Party blew that perception away, both from the quality of the music and the depth of the lyrics. There’s an incredible amount of maturity and introspection here, and the end result is truly something special.
The title track is easily the best this album has to offer, and may be my favorite individual song of the year so far:
These lyrics jump out at me every time:
Everybody wants to get famous
But you just want to dance in a basement
You don’t care if anyone is watching
Just as long as you stay in motion
We put miles on these old jean jackets
Got caught up in the drunk conversations
But after the party, it’s me and you
After the party, it’s me and you
There’s more to get into with this release, and my initial review covers some of the more in-depth issues. But essentially, this album and How to be Human are my two favorite albums of 2017 so far. I haven’t been able to pick between them so far, but right now I don’t feel any need to. They’re both fantastic, and I’d highly recommend each one.
This is part of my attempt to write more about music in 2017. If you have any opinions on these albums, or recommendations for more music I should here, let me know below!
