Albums/EPs/Songs of 2017 - Looking Forward To/Best Of

Alvarez Kings - SOMEWHERE BETWEEN

Man, what an album! Can't stop listening to it for 3 days hahaha.

 

T O P 1 0 U N R A N K E D
NINE INCH NAILS | ADD VIOLENCE
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE | VILLAINS
LINKIN PARK | ONE MORE LIGHT
PARAMORE | AFTER LAUGHTER
KENDRICK LAMAR | DAMN.
MASTODON | EMPEROR OF SAND
PVRIS | ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN, ALL WE NEED OF HELL
BRAND NEW | SCIENCE FICTION
TERA MELOS | TRASH GENERATOR
HARRY STYLES | HARRY STYLES

 

Update:

1- MisterWives - Connect the Dots: 10/10
2- Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine: 10/10*
3- Linkin Park - One More Light: 9/10
4- Starset - Vessels: 9/10
5- Allie X - CollXtion II: 9/10
6- PVRIS - All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell: 9/10
7- Astrid S - Party's Over (EP): 9/10
8- Fickle Friends - Glue (EP): 9/10
9- Bishop Briggs - Bishop Briggs (EP): 9/10*
10- Vérité - Somewhere in Between: 8.5/10
11- Billie Eilish - dont smile at me (EP): 8.5/10
12- machineheart - Cruel World (EP): 8/10
13- The xx - I See You: 7.5/10
14- Silverstein - Dead Reflection: 7/10
15- Transviolet - Kleidoscopes (EP): 7/10
16- Imagine Dragons - Evolve: 7/10*
17- Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa: 6.5/10
18- Oh Wonder - Ultralife: 6.5/10
19- Halsey - Hopeless Fountain Kingdom: 6.5/10
20- Zara Larsson - So Good: 6.5/10*
21- Theia - Theia (EP): 6.5/10
22- Blackbear - digital druglord: 6/10
23- Dayseeker - Dreaming is Sinking /// Walking is Rising: 5/10*
24- Julia Michaels - Nervous System (EP): 5/10
25- Katy Perry - Witness: 4/10
26- Alice Glass - Alice Glass (EP): 3/10

Anticipating:
LIGHTS - Skin & Earth (September 22th)
Wafia - VIII (EP) (October 13th)
Tove Lo - Blue Lips (Lady Wood Phase II) (TBD)
30 Seconds to Mars - LP5
Elohim - LP1/EP 2
Luna Shadows - LP1/EP 2
Purity Ring - LP3 (Hoping)
CHVRCHES - LP3 (Hoping)
Melanie Martinez - LP 2 (Hoping)

Best songs of 2017

* new

 

Best
Boris - Dear
Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives
Ryuichi Sakamoto - async
Kabul Dreams - Megalomaniacs
Steven Wilson - To the Bone

Good
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Slowdive - Slowdive
Linkin Park - One More Light
LCD Soundsystem - american dream
Mac Demarco - This Old Dog
Jay-Z - 4:44
Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence EP
Depeche Mode - Spirit

Average
The xx - I See You
Alice Glass - Alice Glass EP
Coldplay - Kaleidoscope EP

Bad
Drake - More Life

Anticipating
Nine Inch Nails
Pusha T (if that's happening)

Getting a headache trying to remember what I listened to.

 

T O P 1 0 U N R A N K E D
BRAND NEW | SCIENCE FICTION
DEATH FROM ABOVE | OUTRAGE! IS NOW
KENDRICK LAMAR | DAMN.
LINKIN PARK | ONE MORE LIGHT
MASTODON | EMPEROR OF SAND
NINE INCH NAILS | ADD VIOLENCE
PARAMORE | AFTER LAUGHTER
PVRIS | ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN, ALL WE NEED OF HELL
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE | VILLAINS
TERA MELOS | TRASH GENERATOR

 

THE BEST
Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold
Broilers - [sic!]
Marteria - Roswell

The Good
Gorillaz - Humanz
Linkin Park - One More Light
Anti-Flag - American Fall
Rise Against - Wolves
Die Toten Hosen - Laune der Natur
Kraftklub - Keine Nacht für Niemand
Dragonforce - Reaching Into Infinity
Wintersun - The Forest Seasons

The Okay
Prophets Of Rage - Selftitled
Papa Roach - Crooked Teeth

The Disappointing
Sondaschule - Schere, Stein, Papier

 

THE BEST
Brockhampton - "Saturation"
Brockhampton - "Saturation II" *
Caligula's Horse - "In Contact" *
The Contortionist - "Clairvoyant" *
Father John Misty - "Pure Comedy"
Linkin Park - "One More Light"
Fleet Foxes - "Crack-Up"

THE GREAT
Coldplay - "Kaleidoscope"
Kendrick Lamar - "DAMN"
Leprous - "Malina"
Pallbearer - "Heartless"
Paramore - "After Laughter" *
Persefone - "Aathma"
Chris Stapleton - "From A Room: Volume 1"
Ulver - "The Assassination of Julius Caeser"
Steven Wilson - "To the Bone"
The War on Drugs - "A Deeper Understanding" *

THE GOOD
Arcade Fire - "Everything Now"
Fen - "Winter"
Harry Styles - "Harry Styles"
Mastodon - "Emperor of Sand"
Wintersun - "The Forest Seasons"

THE OKAY / DISAPPOINTING
Thundercat - "Drunk"

ANTICIPATING
Algiers - "The Underside of Power"
Gorillaz - "Humanz"
Dave Kerzner - "Static"
Ne Obliviscaris - "Urn"
Nine Inch Nails - "Add Violence"

* = Ranking Change / New Addition

 

Update:

1- MisterWives - Connect the Dots: 10/10
2- Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine: 10/10
3- Linkin Park - One More Light: 9/10
4- LIGHTS - Skin & Earth: 9/10*
5- Starset - Vessels: 9/10
6- Allie X - CollXtion II: 9/10
7- PVRIS - All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell: 9/10
8- Astrid S - Party's Over (EP): 9/10
9- Fickle Friends - Glue (EP): 9/10
10- Vérité - Somewhere in Between: 8.5/10
11- Billie Eilish - dont smile at me (EP): 8.5/10
12- machineheart - Cruel World (EP): 8.5/10
13- Bishop Briggs - Bishop Briggs (EP): 8.5/10
14- Maggie Rogers - Now That the Light is Fading (EP): 8/10*
15- Sabrina Claudio - Confidently Lost (EP): 8/10*
16- The xx - I See You: 7.5/10
17- Silverstein - Dead Reflection: 7/10
18- Transviolet - Kleidoscopes (EP): 7/10
19- Imagine Dragons - Evolve: 7/10
20- Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa: 6.5/10
21- Oh Wonder - Ultralife: 6.5/10
22- Halsey - Hopeless Fountain Kingdom: 6.5/10
23- Zara Larsson - So Good: 6.5/10
24- Theia - Theia (EP): 6.5/10
25- Blackbear - digital druglord: 6/10
26- Dayseeker - Dreaming is Sinking /// Walking is Rising: 5/10
27- Julia Michaels - Nervous System (EP): 5/10
28- Katy Perry - Witness: 4/10
29- Alice Glass - Alice Glass (EP): 3/10

Anticipating:
Wafia - VIII (EP) (October 13th)
Luna Shadows - Youth (EP) (October)
Tove Lo - Blue Lips (TBD)
30 Seconds to Mars - LP5
Elohim - LP1/EP 2
Purity Ring - LP3 (Hoping)
CHVRCHES - LP3 (Hoping)
Melanie Martinez - LP 2 (Hoping)

Best songs of 2017

* new

Yes! it's fantastic, so glad to see more PVRIS love here

 

T O P 1 0 U N R A N K E D
BRAND NEW | SCIENCE FICTION
DEATH FROM ABOVE | OUTRAGE! IS NOW
FOO FIGHTERS | CONCRETE AND GOLD
KENDRICK LAMAR | DAMN.
LIGHTS | SKIN&EARTH
LINKIN PARK | ONE MORE LIGHT
NINE INCH NAILS | ADD VIOLENCE
PARAMORE | AFTER LAUGHTER
PVRIS | ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN, ALL WE NEED OF HELL
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE | VILLAINS

H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N S
HARRY STYLES | HARRY STYLES
MASTODON | EMPEROR OF SAND
TERA MELOS | TRASH GENERATOR

Q U E U E D A N T I C I P A T I N G
ALESSANDRO CORTINI | AVANTI
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM AND CHRISTINA MCVIE | LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/CHRISTINA MCVIE
STARSET | VESSELS

 

Listen to Vessels ASAP, it’s fantastic

 

New List
Best
Linkin Park - One More Light (probably unbeatable until the end of the year, even with 3 songs that I don't like as much as the others, this album has some of the best ever LP songs with some of the best ever LP singing pieces, it's one of the best pop albums I've ever heard)
Linkin Park - One More Light Live (it's true that it's a live album, but it's the most perfect hour of music I got this year, no need to say anything more)
Brand New - Science Fiction (one of the best albums, but has a song with a very annoying chorus. 1 song is not enough for it to be only good)
Zola Jesus - Okovi (not the best because she doesn't have a standout song, but the album is very well crafted, amazing consistency, in consistency it's the best, but in songs that really make it standout it lacks some catchy choruses)
Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine (A bit better than Science Fiction, just not as good as OML because in one song his voice is a bit annoying and they have a lot of energy throughout but lose it too much with two consecutive ballads just before the 2 final songs, it'd be better to finish with those ballads to keep the flow intact, at least on the deluxe edition)
Shania Twain - Now - Went down a bit in terms of the best albums rank, but still very good.
Xandria -Theater of Dimensions - What a great album. This is what I look forward to hearing in a Symphonic Metal album and as to the genre it's one of the best ever now that Dianne Van Giesbergen's voice has become more versatile and less operatic and the guitar work more balanced with her voice and the choir, even if it's not as powerful and churning as in the previous album (there's still a lot of heaviness on this one, it's still a very metal album), making it an almost perfect album, except for two bad songs, which is not much in 13. The ballads are just incredible and the 14-minute epic song is one of the best epic songs I've ever heard.
Lorde - Melodrama - Much better than Pure Heroine, amazing songwriting, sonically more diverse and more vocal versatility.
Björk - Utopia - As colorful as Post, but in a way that depicts a forest with elves and magic creatures with all the flute sounds, the vivid strings, harps and even some dragged electronic beats that bring this album to life in most songs while retaining some of the psychadelic elements of that made Post so good. Just the lyrics could have been more reflective of that and the vocals could have been more catchy, but sonically it's her best album to date.
The xx - I See You - As dreamy as their debut, but a big improvement vocally (in both the vocal interplay and the solo parts from both vocalists),not as good instrumentally as the first one, but much more varied, with an even better flow, never drags. Has more capability to reasonate with people than the first one, with catchier melodies and vocals and a bigger potential to fill bigger spaces. The highlights are On Hold, Performance, Dangerous, Say Something Loving and Test Me. Unfortunately nothing was able to reach the level of the Intro on the debut album, but that's not relevant when compared to the whole thing.
Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness - A very soothing, dark and beautiful late addition to my list, being despondent and comforting at the same time. I love the sonic variety, how every song feels connected to one another, how well she plays the guitar and the way her voice embraces the listener. All this combines for a great listen from song 1 to 9, never dragging too much and for that also contributes the short duration. The only shortcoming is the low replay value, which seems to be a setback folk music always has to face.

Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights -This album is almost perfect. Her voice is one of the best among the folk and neofolk artists I've heard. I really enjoy the way she incorporates the piano into her music, which, combined with her amazing voice and the great strings arrangements all throughout, make this album one of the best 2017 albums, both instrumentally and vocally. I can't pick any flaw in this, but this is without looking at the lyrical content. There are highlights like the intro, the lead single, the songs Turn Out The Lights and Hurt Less, but even the deep cuts are very good.

Good
Paramore - After Laughter (not what I was expecting from a band like this, but still has some songs that can please fans of a more pop-punk Paramore)
Nickelback - Feed The Machine (still have to give it more listens, but songs like Song On Fire, Home and After The Rain make this album good, even though the lead single is close to being terrible)
Pvris - All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell - Lynn's voice isn't as strong and powerful as in the first album and they opted for a lighter record, but still has some elements that made me love the first album)
Steven Wilson - To The Bone - Very close to the best, but some songs didn't impress me. The big highlight is definitely Pariah ft Ninet Tayeb. What a great duet
Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa - Impressed by this considering the music on the global top 200 now. Some songs and lyrics are cheesy, but most of it is a fresh approach to pop music with some electropop flavor I quite enjoy alongside some R&B feel to it that make this record actually worth it. Some of the songs are quite memorable with catchy choruses that aren't cheesy and have some lyrical quality and relatability. She has a good vocal variety, but just needs to improve on the lyrical content and making songs less cringeworthy, which Warner will probably not allow. She's a promising artist for sure, but I have to wait and see where her music goes.
Evanescence - Synthesis - Not quite what I was expecting, but still a good listen with amazing vocals as always by Amy Lee.
Taylor Swift - Reputation - This album has one really bad song which is End Game, but most of the rest is quite enjoyable. It's an album to listen without thinking about the lyrics because if I do I get the idea that she has nothing more to say than talking about relationships over and over again.
St.Vincent -MASSEDUCTION - This album doens't start off so well having a song like Pills coming as the second track, but even that track improves to the end despite the very cheesy chorus. 3rd and 4th tracks alike, but less cheesy. Without all those tracks, this album would be one of the best, considering moments like the singles Los Angeless and New York that are much better vocally and sonically. Happy Birthday, Johnny is a softer song, but still very enjoyable as much as Slow Disco and the final track Smoking Section. The other tracks don't add much to it, but are not as bad the ones that start the record. Some of the songs will be good to revisit.
Neck Deep - The Peace and The Panic - Not like Life's Not Out To Get You, but still a very solid pop punk album
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun - up to the good because it wasn't too far from it, 16 Psyche gives quite a punch and it's a valid new way for her to explore her inner darkness. The growls on Vex are terrible, though. She could sing more like in the way she did on Feral Love or Demons, in a more open style, but the voice is still there. She could have also retained some of the neofolk influences and not go doom metal all of a sudden, just make a slower transition. It's still very gloomy, but when I look to her discography, she can't live without it and leaving it aside would be disappointing.

Worst
Harry Styles - Self-Titled - Didn't make it to good because almost all backing vocals just sound wrong and cheesy and some robotic voices alike. Lyrically not brilliant either, just good. It has good acoustic guitar quality and also some good piano and string pieces. Harry's good vocal performance aside from those chesy songs and coming with a sound that relates a bit to some older rock is also a positive thing. 4 bad songs undermined it though for those cheesy backings and robotic voices. Very low replay value as well despite some songs being very uplifting, sounding good and some having good lyrics.
Imagine Dragons - Evolve (just 4 good songs with the others being pointless, a clear step back considering the good S+M and the very good Night Visions)
Ed Sheeran - Divide (hell no, only 2 good songs)
Epica - The Solace System EP (typical Epica record, but should have been a bit longer, it's along the lines of the last 2 almost perfect albums, but there's something missing even on Simone's vocals, not too far from the good albums)
Arch Enemy - Will To Power (would have liked to see much more clean vocals, 4 good songs and consistent intro/interludes so it should be in the good ones, but the other songs are a disaster)
Eluveitie - Evocation II - Pantheon - (Terrible album, her voice sounds good, but it's all the same and it's sung in a dead language so I don't understand a thing, it' true that it sounds more folk like that, but I'd like to understand some of it. As to the folk sounds, bands like Hyubris and Nightwish do it much better)
Coldplay - Kaleidoscope EP (worse than AHFOD, only one really good song, in most of it the only good thing are Chris Martin's vocals, but not as good as in the past)
The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (great instrumentation, but the voice is so boring, it sounds all the same throughout the entire thing)
Foo Fighters - Concrete And Gold (heard 3 songs and they were so bad I couldn't finish)
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN - Nothing really impresses me. Different from many of the rappers and quite conscious, but he's still arrogant enough for me not to like it, always saying he's better than his competition and still talking about money and women, even if in a different way, but he could throw all those topics away. All of his fear of God and what consequences his actions may have isn't all that positive, even if it shows some conscience. Some beats are quite good, but nothing here gets me singing along, being this the worst part. Lyrics are too long as well and that doesn't help in the replay value part. Not likely that I'll spend 15 euros with this. The album being too long doesn't help Kendrick's cause either. Still not on board with rap music and probably never will be.

 

Best
Boris - Dear
Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives
Ryuichi Sakamoto - async
Kabul Dreams - Megalomaniacs
Zola Jesus - Okovi

Good
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Slowdive - Slowdive
Linkin Park - One More Light
LCD Soundsystem - american dream
Mac Demarco - This Old Dog
Steven Wilson - To the Bone
Jay-Z - 4:44
Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence
Depeche Mode - Spirit
Chelsea Wolfe - HIss Spun

Average
The xx - I See You
Alice Glass - Alice Glass
Coldplay - Kaleidoscope

Bad
Drake - More Life

Anticipating
Nine Inch Nails
Pusha T (if that's happening)

 

Still have to listen to To The Bone, but I have no expectations since I haven't heard anything by Steven Wilson, neither solo, nor with Porcupine Tree.
I could also check out Jay-Z's album, but most of the time I'm turned down by hip-hop music.

 

Just give it a shot if you have 1-2 hours of your time to spare. If you don't like it, cool. If you do like it, great - you have more music to listen to. No real loss for you either way

 

To The Bone is actually one of good my albums of 2017, need to update it.

 

Albums Of The Year So Far:

• Linkin Park - One More Light
• Pink Guy - Pink Season
• Beck - Colors
• Kendrick Lamar - Damn

The Albums I've Been Looking Forward To Is:

• Avril Lavigne's 6th album.
• Any new/old Linkin Park stuff, if they're releasing anything like new material or demos.
• blink-182's 8th album.

 

I probably have to give a shot to Kendrick's Damn since many people are saying good thing about it, but normally when I see an artist being a hip-hop artist, it turns me down almost instantly and it's probably the only genre I can't get into. I guess it will depend mostly on his voice whether the album is good or not and as to the voice, judging by Humble, it's really a big disappointment. As to the lyrics, it mustn't be what I'm expecting, but that is after having watched Anthony Fantano review it (I mostly don't agree with his reviews).

 

The genres hip-hop, and pop do that to a lot of people. My advice is to just give a listen before completely tossing it to the side. Nobody can really decide if they like the album, or artist on one/a few of the singles since there's a lot of artists/bands that change their whole style during the album itself. LP being one of the biggest examples I could give. Since you didn't like Humble... maybe there's a song on the album that you would prefer? I say give it shot

 

I'll give it a shot. I agree with all of that. LP did an amazing progression throughout the album after Heavy had divided the fanbase even more than any other album.