My Favorite Albums of 2017
This is a repost of a Facebook Note published on Dec. 27, 2017.
The following are my 10 favorites albums of 2017. Many, though not all, of these albums were released in 2017, but I discovered all of them this year. If they are on this list it is because they mean something to me, and I consider them to be great pieces of music.
Honorable Mentions: Gorillaz — Plastic Beach (2010), Radiohead — OK Computer (1997), Odesza — A Moment Apart (2017), St. Vincent — MASSEDUCATION (2017), RAC — Ego (2017), French Montana — Jungle Rules (2017), alt-J — RELAXER (2017)
10. M83 — Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011)
The electric, galactic, jazzy tune Midnight City has always been a favorite of mine. Almost for sure you’ve heard and loved this tune at some point, but I’d never taken the time to listen to the album around it. Fortunately, I fell into an M83 hole recently and discovered Hurry Up. The lengthy double-album is inspired by the state of California, my home of the last 5.5 years, giving it special meaning. I’m not usually a fan of long albums — I say 10 songs is the perfect number — but the 22-track Hurry Up never leaves you bored or rushing to skip to the next track. It’s an electric pop doozie perfect for late night road trips staring up at the stars.
9. Julian Casablances+The Voidz — Tyranny (2014)
One of my favorite memories of 2017 was getting a flirty text from someone I wasn’t in the mood to talk to. She asked what was my favorite song at the time. Quite happily, I said “Human Sadness,” which both answered the question honestly while simultaneously bringing the conversation to a sudden end. Quick curbs aside, Tyranny is an intense, uncomfortable, experimental rock album. It’s a darker version of The Strokes, and that’s because The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas is the mastermind behind this project. Tyranny is a great and complicated album. The sounds you hear are weird and off putting. You wouldn’t jam this with friends. It’s too different. This album is my soundtrack for when things don’t make sense, and I want to feel that. When you have 10 minutes, listen to “Human Sadness.” You’ll see what I mean.
8. Lil Peep — Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 (2017)
“Sometimes life gets fucked up. That’s why we get fucked up” is the most perfectly emo lyric I’ve heard since the first time I listened to “You’re So Last Summer” by Taking Back Sunday. The line perfectly encapsulates Come Over, which is the first and sadly last studio album by the young emo and hip hop artist Lil Peep, who passed away just months after releasing his short but sweet album. Lil Peep was a complicated rising star whose rage and angst-filled tracks about partying, doing drugs, loving, missing and dealing with depression spoke to a generation of young people who feel these emotions when they look around and see the world their parents left them to deal with. This album also falls in line with other great projects, like Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory, that bring together two distinct genres, in this case emo rock and hip hop, to create something new and wonderful. It’s a tragedy that Lil Peep passed away at just 21, but he left his mark through his music.
7. Wavves — You’re Welcome (2017)
I promise I also listen to happy songs. There’s Wavves, for example, which is a band whose albums are always upbeat and radiate warmth. Wavves is a San Diego band that makes music for hanging at the beach, going down a roller coaster, trying to ride a skateboard, grilling with the homies or simply chilling at the park. Their latest album, You’re Welcome, fits right into that mold and is a blast to listen to. Check it out, and thank me later.
6. SZA — Ctrl (2017)
Ctrl is a great R&B album that’s all about relationships, break ups and those especially awkward times like after you’ve broken up with someone but they’re still in your life. SZA kills the album with her confrontational lyrics and her encapsulating vocals. The best track, and perhaps my favorite song of the entire year, is “Love Galore.” Here, SZA teams up with Houston’s own Travis Scott for an amazing duet about to ex-lovers who are still very much in love, or at the very least infatuation with one another.
5. Tyler, the Creator — Flower Boy (2017)
This album, otherwise known as “Scum Fuck Flower Boy,” is the first time I truly explored Tyler, the Creator, who is one of the most unique rappers. Tyler is a wacky, creative, hilarious and fascinating dude. In this album, he often approaches serious topics, such as sexuality and loneliness, with upbeat sounds layered with comedic lyrics. I don’t know much about Tyler, but I know enough to appreciate how much he’s grown as an artist. This shows on Flower Boy, where Tyler is able to bring along singers like Frank Ocean, rappers like ASAP Rocky, classical instruments like violins and combine the sounds of hip hop and electronic music to orchestrate a great album.
4. Khalid — American Teen (2017)
By the time I even realized that American Teen was an album, I already had half the singles saved to my Spotify playlist. American Teen is full of catchy tunes about youth and growing that you’ve probably been jamming already, like “Location.” My personal favorite is “Young Dumb & Broke,” which epitomizes the entire album by Khalid, who is still just 19 years old.
3. Kendrick Lamar — Damn (2017)
There’s no point in selling you on a Kendrick Lamar album. He is an elite artist at the top of his game, and this album is arguably perfect. Instead, I’d rather highlight my favorite theory about Damn, which is that it is actually two albums. The promotion of Damn relied heavily on the colors red and blue, a reference to the pill scene in The Matrix. The theory goes that Damn is a choose-your-own-adventure type of story. When you listen to the album in chronological order, Kendrick overcomes his demons and achieves enlightenment. In reverse, Kendrick succumbs to his wickedness, and the album ultimately ends in tragedy. If you haven’t already, listen to Damn in order and reverse. It’s what Kendrick intended.
2. Arcade Fire — Everything Now (2017)
I never much cared for Arcade Fire until a roommate in 2014, Jim, dragged me to their concert at The Forum in LA. I didn’t know most of the songs, but their performance live was so good that I had a blast anyway. That’s why when they released Everything Now earlier this year, I paid full attention. The album is a joy ride filled with upbeat sounds and energetic melodies, even if the topics they talk about — suicide, for example, on my favorite track “Creature Comfort” — are not always as fun. If you’re a fan of Daft Punk and their work with artists like Kanye West and The Weeknd, you might want to check this album out simply because Thomas Bangalter is one of the producers.
1. Frank Ocean — Blonde (2016)
From the very first note on “Nikes” to the very last scrambles of noise on “Future Free,” Blonde is sheer perfection. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told my Google Home to play Blonde and lulaby me to sleep. The album came out in August 2016 as an exclusive for Apple Music (I hate Apple Music), so I was a bit late to this gem. Once I got a hold of Blonde (on 12/31/16 according to Spotify), I never let go. The album is about love, heartbreak, growing up and relationships, and it’s told through Frank Ocean’s beautiful voice. I love all of the picks on this list, but Blonde was something else entirely.
