Best Albums of 2017

I know this list is incredibly late to party, but here it goes.

Without question, 2017 was a strenuous year characterized by a seemingly nonstop cultural tug of war. On the musical front, upcoming and established voices alike highlighted their own personal struggles while venturing into new genre defying territories. Whether it was Tyler the Creator laying down bars about sexual ambiguity and depression over jazz instrumentals, Kendrick Lamar’s ubiquitous and empowering lyrics, or the triumphant return of folk titans Fleet Foxes after a six year hiatus, this year offered music lovers endless options to soundtrack nearly any moment. These are what viewed to be the best albums of 2017.

#23- Dirty Projectors, Dirty Projectors (self-titled)

The self titled release of Dave Longstreth’s solo project turned full-on band hones in on the tender emotions following his breakup with ex-bandmate Amber Coffman. Ditching the guitar and favoring a bevy of synthesizers and drum loops, Longstreth gives you a view of his head space, something that is rather bleak compared to the jittery and bright atmosphere of the group’s previous work. If there is one downfall of of Longstreth’s solo efforts, it’s that it is incredibly mood-specific and hard to jump into on a whim. But on the other hand this record should be worthy of popping up in the top search results for “breakup albums” in the coming years.

#22-Julie Byrne, Not Even Happiness

With a second album under her belt, Julie Byrne continues to hone her tranquil songwriting by refusing to be shaken no matter what life throws at her. The soft-picked melodies convey a very meek tone, but within that intimate and gentle space is a strength that stems from Byrnes confidence. From start to finish, Not Even Happiness feels like a warm embrace of a songwriter who has found blissful reassurance and wishes to share that with anyone who listens.

#21-Big K.R.I.T., 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time

Since day one, K.R.I.T. has set out to astonish with his lyrical abilities and rapidfire delivery, wasting no time to burn down the joint and let you know he’s the best pound for pound with a mic in his hands. Perhaps that’s why his third studio album provides such a different experience compared to the rest of his discography. Broken down into two parts, 4eva perfectly showcases the bravado and energy that Big K.R.I.T. has mastered for the last decade and change, before shifting to a soulful backend that contains the most subtle cuts of his career.

#20-Amber Coffman, City of No Reply

Amber Coffman’s debut album carries all the warmth and melody that proved to be such a focal point during her time as a member of the Dirty Projectors. Ranging from sleek and dreamy production to stripped down and honest, Coffman’s vocals glide with ease. City of No reply is the perfect balance of excellent songwriting and uplifting melodious vocal work.

#19-Kehlani, SweetSexySavage

The genre of trap-influenced R&B has become quite over-saturated within the last few years and it takes a full arsenal like the one Kehlani possesses to standout from the crowd. Sweet Sexy Savage, her follow-up to 2015’s You Should Be Here, pervades the dreaded sophomore slump thanks to a wide contrast of moods. Kehlani’s voice takes many forms that range from vulnerable — much like the approach she takes on “Hold Me By The Heart” — to bombastic and full of swagger — something she projects heavily on “CRZY”. Not getting stuck in one mode is what keeps Sweet Sexy Savage fresh and what will surely allow Kehlani to keep breathing life into what can at times be a stagnant genre.

#18-Chari XCX, Pop 2

Having already released an incredibly forward thinking mixtape — Number 1 Angel — Charli XCX continued to push the envelope with a last minute 2017 release that relies heavily on a bubblegum bass sound made possible by UK producer SOPHIE. Singing over a foundation of blown out and over driven glitchy electronics, XCX gives the listener a glimpse of where pop might be headed in the future, while adding in a few guest features from the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, and Caroline Polachek. Although Pop 2 may not be wreaking havoc on the Billboard charts, it’s certainly fresher and more vibrant than any of XCX’s top-40 contemporaries.

#17-Wolf Alice, Visions of a Life

Wolf Alice’s second studio album takes their formula on 2015’s My Love is Cool and elevates it to another stratosphere. Visions of a Life sucks you in with spacey guitar riffs and steady drums before hitting the throttle and engulfing you in explosive distortion. But just when it appears that Wolf Alice’s only has two gears they gently slide into a tearjerker like “After the Zero Hour”. The spontaneity of Wolf Alice keeps evolving into something greater and if Visions of a Life is any indication, their best work still lies ahead.

#16-Superfood, Bambino

It may have taken Superfood a couple years to find an ideal sound, shuffle around band members until only two were left, and finally put out a second full-length debut, but boy are the fruits of their labor ever so funky. On Bambino, the indie rock duo implements an eclectic pallette that draws from psych-rock, soul, and funk to form the infectious rhythms and electrifying highs that make the album so enjoyable and primed for numerous listens.

#15-Freddie Gibbs, You Only Live 2wice

The latest release from Gibbs is no doubt the musical embodiment of triumph and fearlessness. After having two members of his crew shot outside one of his shows in 2014 and being acquitted of sexual assault in 2016, Gibbs’ lyrics and demeanor are not one of a man who cowers or expects pity. Instead, Freddie Gibbs confronts his tribulations on tape over hard-hitting beats and much like the Christ-figure that he is portrayed as on the album’s artwork, comes out victorious

#14-Lana Del Rey, Lust for Life

At this point in Lana Del Rey’s career, fans and critics alike have come to expect a signature sound that consists of smoky vocals, atmospheric strings and guitar, as well as lyrics that bathe in a sense of doomed love or nostalgic romanticism. Lust for Life throws a curve ball to anyone expecting more of the same by adding in splashes of hope and optimism for the future, something Del Rey’s nihilistic music has never made a priority. Between the sudden uplifting turn her music has taken and the choice to include a few rare features like Stevie Nicks, The Weeknd, and A$AP Rocky — Del Rey’s previous studio albums have never featured guest vocalists — Lust for Life is not only a testament to a seasoned vet at the top of her game, but proof that Lana Del Rey is more than capable of evolving her niche sound that many have come to love while avoiding the classic pitfall of a straying too far away from a consistent sound.

#13-The National, Sleep Well Beast

If there were a “sad-dude” rock Mount Rushmore, The National would surely being carved into the center of the mountain’s face. It’s baffling to think this was the group’s eighth album and yet somehow the sounds on it are not at all dated or tiresome. Sleep Well Beast builds upon the indie rock group’s subdued emotions that have always been present, while newly incorporated electronica elements are fleshed out and sprinkled throughout the album. From a lyrical standpoint, The National tend to break away from the introspective themes of flawed relationships and shift to a macro scale that tackles the general broken and downtrodden spirit of the average person in today’s world. This new evolution for the band is especially bold given that most groups more than a decade into their career would prefer the familiar or choose to coast into a “greatest hits” phase.

#12-Alvvays, Antisocialites

Back in 2014, indie pop band Alvvays’ debut self-titled record, although not an entirely fresh concept, was teeming with new ideas that also felt nostalgic and familiar. The mixture of melancholy and giddiness, sometimes within a single song, felt pure and ingenuous. On their follow-up LP, the Toronto quintet avoid a sophomore slump by carrying over what they did best — writing catchy, hazy guitar melodies and making the overall mix sound lo-fi and somewhat distant — while adding in some backing synthesizers and even breaking away from a tighter song structure by getting creative with a few breakdowns and outros. Antisocialites is the perfect update to Alvvays’ angst-filled, 60s pop-inspired sound that they have worked hard to cultivate.

#11-St. Vincent, Masseduction

Not one to shy away from social commentary, Annie Clark delivers another bizarro pop classic that presents itself like a modern 80s throwback. Masseduction may not be as guitar heavy or packed with moving parts like Clark’s previous work, but the songwriting has never been sharper. Nimble piano driven ballads like “New York” form the backbone of this album and prove to be the most honest moments that it has to offer. The term art-pop can often carry negative connotations or be associated with the obnoxious and pretentious. Clark turns that notion on its head by creating music that can be appreciated on the surface as inventive pop music and as a work of art upon deeper inspection.

#10-Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.

Much like some of the other songwriting geniuses on this list — Vince Staples, Annie Clark, Lorde — Kendrick Lamar’s songs, whether they are deeper cuts or #1 hits, are never limited to one setting of appreciation and have the ability to energize a football stadium-sized crowd as well as swiftly deliver truths like a poet. On DAMN., Lamar blends aspects of his own past with that of the struggle which he sees to be common in the lives of African Americans. The greatest triumph of Lamar’s fourth studio album is that upon first listen, it makes you believe the two vastly different types of songwriting styles — those tailored for radio and those meant to be listened in context of the whole record — do not feed off each other. As Lamar has pointed out numerous times, the tale that is spun on DAMN. works in regular sequence and in reverse sequence as well. Lamar’s vision does not subscribe to the idea that radio singles need to be crafted or written differently than the deeper tracks on a concept album, and his refusal to water down the behemoth record-breaking tracks is what makes DAMN. more than just a collection of singles.

#9-Brockhampton, Saturation I, II, and III

In case you haven’t kept a finger on the skyrocketing pulse that is self-proclaimed “boy band” Brockhampton, here’s the first thing you need to know: This group is undoubtedly going to be a revolutionizing staple in hip-hop for the foreseeable future, barring a breakup. Drawing upon a very punk rock aesthetic, Brockhampton fuse hip-hop and electronic characteristics with groovy and sticky pop choruses that are surprisingly rough around the edges but still polished in terms of production. Saturation I was the group’s unceremonious introduction to the world. By no means was the album perfect, but what stood out was the defined roles for each of Brockhampton’s and their chemistry which channeled a long dead group mentality that hearkened back to 90s hip hop. Without stepping on each other’s toes, Saturation II dropped a matter of months after its predecessor, showcasing stronger lyrics and an even wider range which included a soft folk ballad. As the year closed out and the group made it known that the final part of the trilogy would in fact drop before 2017’s end, there was no doubt that Brockhampton’s trilogy was going to leave an indelible mark and that they had arguably created three of the year’s most exciting releases in hip-hop. The comparison to Odd Future has been brought up a fair number of times, and sure, the case can be made and will not be disputed that without the establishment of Odd Future there is no Brockhampton. But where Odd Future had shortcomings in terms of cohesion and diverse songwriting, Brockhampton seems to have hit the mark time and time again without faltering.

On a side note, Odd Future unofficially disbanded in 2012 after two mixtapes and one studio album, which allowed members like Tyler the Creator and Earlsweatshirt to pursue solo careers. It’s unclear how long Brockhampton can keep up this workhorse-like pace, or if the group format is simply a platform which will lead to solo records, but we should all enjoy the ride while it lasts.

#8-Mount Eerie, A Crow Looked At Me

Before I dive into the gem that is Mount Eerie’s A Crow Looked At Me, Id’d to preface it with the fact that for whatever strange reason, Phil Elverum’s sound has never managed to really stick with me. For various reasons — either too noisy or too abstract — I’ve always mentally cataloged Mount Eerie releases under “it’s not for me”, or “I don’t GET it”. A Crow Looked At Me defied my previous expectations, not with a dynamic sound change, but with one of the most heartfelt and crushing stories put into an album format. Laid down on top of bare acoustic and piano chords, and the occasional drum click, Elverum details his wife Geneviève Castrée’s passing due to pancreatic cancer, and the void that remains for him and his children. As the album progresses, Elverum revisits old places and experiences that were shared, only to find they’re now merely a haunting, a faded memory never to return. Perhaps the only reason A Crow Looked At Me doesn’t rank #1 on this list is due to the fact that at times it feels uncomfortably voyeuristic to have Elverum relay the contents of his pain without the slightest filter. On the track, “Real Death”, Elverum somberly croons, “Death is real, Someone’s there and then they’re not, And it’s not for singing about, It’s not for making into art/When real death enters the house, all poetry is dumb”. Due to the subject matter and stark reality that is reiterated time and time again, A Crow Looked At Me isn’t going to be easily digestible for the masses. It’s not an album that can be played on loop, nor it is an album you would recommend to a friend on a whim. But it is the most moving and powerful musical experience 2017 had to offer.

#7-Fleet Foxes, Crack Up

It feels like an eternity since the last Fleet Foxes album, Helplessness Blues, was released in 2011. The band’s lineup may have changed — drummer J. Tillman left to group to pursue a solo career as Father John Misty — but they have never sounded more confident or capable of writing ethereal music. Crack Up is a case of example of “if it broke, don’t fix it”. The harmonized vocals of Robin Peckhold’s and company ring out beautifully and true over hollowed out, but densely layered soundscapes built upon numerous guitars, string arrangements, and various percussion items. Fleet Foxes music could be considered to be synonymous with a tranquil meditative experience out in the wilderness, the idea of being lost and shutting off the outside world to find a moment of peace. During the group’s 6 year hiatus there were questions raised bout their return and if they could follow-up Helplessess Blues with another instant classic. Crack-up puts all those questions to rest with an emphatic “hell yes!”

#6-SZA, Ctrl

On her critically acclaimed debut, singer-songwriter SZA flourishes as she touches on topics of maturity, heartbreak, and finding time to accept and embrace self-identity. Although some might misidentify Ctrl as a record that falls under the general top 40 contemporary R&B umbrella, SZA defies genre norms and refuses to adhere to strict labels. Two of the most beautiful and graceful moments, “Drew Barrymore” and “Prom”, are perfect examples of SZA channeling various genres through her unique lens. “Drew Barrymore”, a heartfelt reflection of a past relationship and SZA’s way of sarcastically apologizing about being imperfect, uses a reverb heavy, psychedelic guitar hook that wouldn’t be out of place on a MGMT or Tame Impala album, while “Prom” sounds like an 80s throwback with its light balance of drum loops and synth. No moment feels too big for SZA and it never feels as though any of the impressive feature artists — Kendrick, Travis Scott, Isaiah Rashad — steal the spotlight or make her sound like a feature on her own song. Flexibility and confidence despite the tone of the track is SZA’s greatest asset. Ctrl can exude confidence one moment and insecurity or vulnerability the next; It can be an album that builds up a hot and heavy atmosphere before deconstructing it and reflecting on the pieces of the wreckage on the very next song.

#5-Paramore, After Laughter

After Laughter is one of those albums that – if you believe recent interviews the band has given about potentially disbanding after their 2013 self-titled — could just as easily been a massive “what if?” left on the cutting room floor. Paramore’s previous self-titled release seemed to have it all: a balance between shiny pop sensibilities and rough post-rock noise, chart topping hits, and the honor of calling itself a #1 album, which also happened to be a critical darling amongst bloggers. But as Hayley Williams stated in an interview with Fader, it seemed as if there was nothing left to achieve and that Paramore had seemingly seen its best days. What followed was Williams flushing out depressive feelings concerning her separation from New Found Glory lead singer Chad Gilbert as well as the everyday anxiety and depression that plagued her — the fuel for the band’s most complete release to date. The bizarre contrast of Williams lyrics and guitarist Taylor Yorke’s zany, 80’s (Blondie, Talking Heads) dance rock production propels the album from start to finish. The album as a whole stresses the idea that “its ok to not feel ok”, a sentiment that is perfectly exemplified in a tweet from Williams tweeted out last May after the album’s release— “cry hard, dance harder”.

#4-Tyler the Creator, Flower Boy

Flower Boy, to put it simply, is Tyler the Creator as no fan nor critic has ever seen him before. Where there was a constant stream of childish or off the wall rhymes, there is now a vulnerable songwriter attempting to reach out. The brash electronic samples and gritty production replaced by bouncy g-funk bass lines, softly plucked indie rock chords, and jazz flavored hip-hop. Lyrically, Tyler has delivered a masterpiece that let’s you into his lonely world of anesthetizing himself with decadence and luxury. And although there are some incredibly soft and nimble tracks where Tyler has space to ponder about love or being at peace, the bigger picture on Flower Boy is that sustaining these feelings will always be a constant struggle. At times on his previous three albums, Tyler gave his listeners brief glimpses of what lied beneath the exaggerated trollish lyrics and puns, but it always left something to be desired. During the media cycle for Flower Boy, there was an abundance of buzz surrounding Tyler’s sexual preference and whether or not some choice lyrics were his way of owning that. It brought to mind the Prince classic, “Controversy”, where late great Minneapolis legend sang, “I just can’t believe all the things people say, Controversy, Am I black or white, am I straight or gay?” Tyler has always thrown his fans and critics for a loop, consistently playing things close to the chest and never really pinning himself down to be labeled. If this record is indeed Tyler’s outlet for comfortably expressing what he could not in the past, then it’s a great triumph for him, and anyone who claims to be a fan of his music. But being that Flower Boy proved the complexity that is Tyler the Creator, it’s silly to ignore the work as whole and turn what is easily his greatest work into a few lines that he is clearly treading around and leaving open-ended. The bottom line is that regardless of how he chooses to identify, Tyler’s newfound combination of bare bones honesty, lyrical ambiguity, and jazz-fueled compositions make Flower Boy a record that could win over his most stubborn detractors.

#3-Father John Misty, Pure Comedy

On his third solo release since departing from Fleet Foxes, J. Tillman, better known by Father John Misty, really lays into the what he perceives to be a lackadaisical and uninspired time to be alive. Whether it’s the 24/7 media cycle, the general apathy of the times, a dubious attitude towards living through VR technology, or simply trying to find a role in all the madness in between, Tillman has a gripe for everything under the sun. On the surface, it appears he takes the stance of a stilted know-it-all who derives pleasure from telling us what we already know and casting judgment. What lies beneath if you listen closer is a not a laundry list of complaints or shaming, but a portrait that Tillman paints which begins in the present and stares off into a Twilight Zone/Black Mirror-styled future where common sense and love are archaic ideas. The genius of Pure comedy is that Tillman can make his poetic warning clear within the confines of a 3 minute folk rock ballad or a slow burning 8 minute epic. It’s certainly not as comforting or melodic as I Love You, Honeybear or Fear Fun, but Pure Comedy is an addictive listen because as far as Tillman is concerned, these are not caricatures, this is what lies ahead.

#2-Vince Staples, Big Fish Theory

For those who might not know, Vince Staples is not your run of the mill rapper nor does he align himself with label of “rapper”. As Staples has mentioned numerous times on social media and in one-to-one interviews, Big Fish Theory is an electronic album and should be analyzed as such. As a listener, it’s not even so much about trying to enjoy Big Fish Theory the way he sees fit, but about understanding that the number of artists who use hip-hop as their medium and can also flawlessly blend house, glitch sounds, and electronica into one album can be counted on one hand. From a lyrical standpoint, Staples has never been better in tying together topics from the streets of Long Beach where he grew up, his journey to define and embrace love, and the everyday burdens that appear as he ascends to a new rung of public exposure.

#1-Lorde, Melodrama

Delivering a career-defining album in Melodrama, Ella Yellich-O’Connor, aka Lorde, continues to make songwriting that appeals to top 40 listeners as well as the music nerds who obsess over production details, look effortless. It’s not a conscious decision on Yellich-O’Connor’s part to please those who peruse the trending songs on Apple Music or Spotify and the music nerd who looks to the blogosphere to help define their musical taste. Melodrama organically fuses two fan bases together by stressing the importance of telling real stories, whether disheartening or whimsical, and owning that moment even if it hurts. Yellich-O’Connor draws from her recent breakup, fear of social anxiety and isolation, and the pressures of early adulthood to weave a tale that is very much told in the style of an Americana artist like a Joni Mitchell or Paul Simon. Add that level of poignant songwriting to the background production — handled by Yellich-O’Connor and Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff — which ranges from subtle and lo-fi to arena-sized and grandiose, and this has not only the makings of a game changer in pop for years to come, but an influencer in the discussion of balancing mainstream pop and art.