best of Lucas32's 2017 / Finished

[Pink Matter]

A set! Cherry Glazerr, King Gizzard, Susanne, Miguel, Kendrick, and LCD  

I think Murder of the Universe is great to listen to all the way through but not if I want to pick individual songs so I prefer Flying Microtonal Banana

Edited December 28, 2017 by Pink Matter

[Lazuli]

ken was cute

american dream is the best here  Amazing record

DAMN. and MFPIT  

[theblackestday]

American Dream, DAMN, Science Fiction, Bible for Christians in Trouble, Apocalipstick  an update.

 

Quote

Eternfity in your arms

[Dom]

DAMN is so good, I'm really rooting for him or Lorde to snatch home AOTY, Damn deserves it so much, Kendrick really did do THAT.

[Lucas32]

On 27.12.2017 at 9:11 PM, Eeveelution said:

I unstanned Angel after phases.  Nah, but it was a tad disappointing.

 

Ignore theblackestday, she drinks, Pleasure and Masseduction are excellent. 

 

I never listened to Brand New and I don't plan on it after that news came to light. Damn. is gr8, LCD had some bops.  

Phases was good. The expectations were just too high after the two masterpices Fly on your wall & Special so we thought it would be on same level as My Woman

Brand New are one pf my fav emp bands and I am not too big on the genre. Personally the negative stuff doesn't taint the music for me, hence why I still love Crystal Castles  but I see why it might bother some.

 

On 28.12.2017 at 0:30 AM, Tom Vercetti said:

I'm assuming MOTU was your favorite king gizz record. I like a bunch in this recent update. 

Grizzly, Vincent, TWOD, National, LCD, Kendrick, Miguel  

definitely my favorite KG record of the year.

MOTU>FMB>P>>>SOBE

But Nonagon Infinity is my overall favorite of theirs. But for full disclosure I should say I don't know any of their pre-2016 stuff yet  

On 28.12.2017 at 5:52 AM, theblackestday said:

American Dream, DAMN, Science Fiction, Bible for Christians in Trouble, Apocalipstick  an update.

 

fixed

 

 

 

On 27.12.2017 at 10:57 PM, AlexisNeiers said:

MASSEDUCTION, Phases, A Deeper Understanding, Pleasure, Sleep Well Beast, ken, american dream, DAMN. and Apocalipstick 

 

On 28.12.2017 at 5:03 AM, Lazuli said:

ken was cute

american dream is the best here  Amazing record

DAMN. and MFPIT  

 

On 28.12.2017 at 2:38 AM, Pink Matter said:

A set! Cherry Glazerr, King Gizzard, Susanne, Miguel, Kendrick, and LCD  

I think Murder of the Universe is great to listen to all the way through but not if I want to pick individual songs so I prefer Flying Microtonal Banana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Arca – Arca

 

 

Arca’s self-titled album is the first of his I truly enjoyed. His early work was no doubt filled with great production but the lack of vocals did put me off his solo music, resulting in me mostly admiring his work for other artists, most notably on Yeezus, Vulnicura and FKA twigs‘ music. But for his latest album Arca decided to utilise his dramatic voice, taking his music to new heights  and creating an entirely new and different sound for himself. His productions sound sharper than ever before as well making Arca his best work by far in my eyes.

 

 

Favorite tracks: Reverie, Whip, Anoche, Desafío, Urchin

 

 

9. Lana Del Rey – Lust for life

 

 

“I feel less safe than I did when Obama was president“ said Lana in an interview with Pitchfork. Having shown largely no interest in politics before (at least as an artist) Lana’s fourth album stands as a conscious effort to try to look outward and around instead of focusing entirely on introspectition.  So it’s no surprise Lana’s lyricism has partly shifted from a complete romanticizing of America to a critical and conflicted view of her home country. Sonically, Lana has injected a large chunk of trap beats into the album which goes smoothly on most tracks but the beats themselves are too flavorless to not give a few tracks a bit of a dull sound (namely In my feelings ). But despite being slightly unfocused at times and lacking in more concise production Lana remains an irresistable persona in today’s pop landscape.  Especially the later half features a lot of oustanding songs which highlight her growth as a an artist and especially a songwriter. By no means her best album to date Lust for life offers a lot to the listener and is held together by Lana’s unique and spell-binding voice.

 

Favorite tracks: Change, Cherry, Heroin, When the world…, God bless America…, Get Free, 13 Beaches, Love

 

 

8. Wolf Parade –Cry cry cry

 

 

Wolf Parade's fourth album has been a long time coming. 7 years after Expo 86 the Canadian indie rockers finally return with another album and it's their best since their debut album Apologies to the queen. The entire album has a very redefined but rough aesthetic, making it a great entry-point for new listeners but the feel of their early material has been largely maintained. More than ever before their pop tendencies spill out underneath the guitars on songs like the catchy Valley Boy and their lyricsm remains simultaneously sharp and oblique. The later half features much more chaotic songs than the first half but ultimately the album's greatest trick is the combination of both on every track in some way or another.

 

 

Favorite tracks: Valley boy, Lazarus online, Baby blue, Am I an alien here

 

7. The xx – I see you

 

 

In the 5 years since their last album The xx have switched up their sound, largely due to the vision of producer Jamie xx whose solo debut In color hinted at the sound that was to come on their 2017 record. The beats feel bigger and less intimate but all of it only works with the help of vocalists Remy and Oliver whose warm voices fill up the tracks in an instant. I see you has the kind of electronics that wouldn't sound misplaced at a bar or even a club at times but they're weighed down with a certain kind of sadness.  "I go out but every beat is a violent noise" Oliver sings on the standout track A violent noise, giving a perfect summary of the album. The electronics could sound blissful if they weren't constant reminders of what is missing inside so the dominant feeling of the record ends up being longing.

 

Favorite tracks: A violent noise, Dangerous, On hold, Say something loving, Performance

 

 

6. Mount Eeerie – A Crow looked at me

 

 

Following the death of his wife Geneviève Castrée, Phil Everum releases a musical process of grief not even a year after the day of her death.

No synonym of the word bleak could begin to describe the emotional honesty and rawness of this album. Sometimes it's beautifully metaphoric, other times viscerally literal.

There are stories about his wife receiving mail after her death, emotional breakdowns, staring into empty rooms, sitting and watching her die on the deathbed, the inevitability of death, the afterlife, spreading her ashes over the ocean, existensial loss, fear that you wasted time, fear that you are losing the memory of a dead loved one, perceiving photographs as replacements for the lost reality and explaining all of those thoughts to their daughter. You feel so strongly as though the person lost was someone who has been part of your life for decades instead of the wife of an artist you listen to. A crow looked at me feels so perversly intimate at times that you almost feel like you are intruding into an emotional headspace you have no right to be in. Like you are twisting someone else's loss into something you want it to be. All we can do is thank Phil for allowing us to do so for roughly 42 minutes, in the hope that the personal can become universal when death will inevitably visit our life.

 

Favorite tracks: Real death, Swims, Seaweeds, Toothbrush/Trash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Lucas32

[theblackestday]

Lust for Life  tea on that writeup, and you got 4 of the top 5 in that favorite tracks section (where's Summer God bitch?)

Arca  he really did that. His best album for sure.

[madonnas]

I don't know/like this update sorry boo!

My fave would probably be Lana, like it had its moments but as a whole it's not the T for me. 

[Pedro]

Lana is a master and such a great composer. I love her and love "Lust For Life"!

[Lucas32]

2 hours ago, theblackestday said:

Lust for Life  tea on that writeup, and you got 4 of the top 5 in that favorite tracks section (where's Summer God bitch?)

Arca  he really did that. His best album for sure.

Summer bummer is nice but not in the top tier of the album  

 

2 hours ago, madonnas said:

I don't know/like this update sorry boo!

My fave would probably be Lana, like it had its moments but as a whole it's not the T for me. 

The last update has at least one album I think you like  

2 hours ago, Pedro said:

Lana is a master and such a great composer. I love her and love "Lust For Life"!

 

[Pink Matter]

Lust and I See You  I never really gave Arca a good listen. I need to get on that  

[Vxspertine]

Arca  I don't really agree with what you said about it, but I do agree that his voice brings his music to a different place 

Mount Eerie  Just reading what you said about it made me tear up a little 

[Lazuli]

Lust For Life  

I See You is amazing  

Mount Eerie  Can't listen to that album too much tbh

[Lucas32]

12 hours ago, Pink Matter said:

Lust and I See You  I never really gave Arca a good listen. I need to get on that  

You really should. Like I said, as someone who struggled with his previous work I found this relatively instant.

 

12 hours ago, Vxspertine said:

Arca  I don't really agree with what you said about it, but I do agree that his voice brings his music to a different place 

Mount Eerie  Just reading what you said about it made me tear up a little 

 

10 hours ago, Lazuli said:

Lust For Life  

I See You is amazing  

Mount Eerie  Can't listen to that album too much tbh

It's so depressing isn't it?  

 

I'll finish this countdown later today with my Top 5 album. Just need to finish 2 write-ups and then it'd done.

[Playa Playa]

Arca Lowkey one of the more important albums of 2017 imo. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Playa Playa

[World Eater]

Love your write up for ACLAM  I See You and Arca

[Bubble Tea]

Gawd seeing a lot of love for Lust for Life, maybe it's time I gave it another listen.

[Dom]

Lust For Lifee, yass, good to see it on your list. Kween Lana.

[Lucas32]

On 29.12.2017 at 3:43 PM, Playa Playa said:

Arca Lowkey one of the more important albums of 2017 imo. 

 

On 29.12.2017 at 9:51 PM, Dom said:

Lust For Lifee, yass, good to see it on your list. Kween Lana.

 

 

On 29.12.2017 at 9:24 PM, Reinvention said:

Gawd seeing a lot of love for Lust for Life, maybe it's time I gave it another listen.

The highs are definitely worth it

 

On 29.12.2017 at 9:04 PM, AlexisNeiers said:

Love your write up for ACLAM  I See You and Arca

I tried to do my best to do it justice

 

Alright let's finish this:

 

 

5. Julien Baker – Turn out the lights

 

 

The countdown doesn’t continue on a lighter note yet unfortunately. Turn out the lights, the second album by singer-songwriter Julien Baker, is a brutally honest downer of an album.  Discussing drug abuse and depression and all the things it brings along, the album makes no room for optimism. Everything is so heavily drowned in sadness that the album can instantely shift your mood for the rest of the day.

It sounds like an attempt to synthesize all the miserable feelings, most of all the inner struggle of depression and pushing other people away because of it and struggling more because you push other people away. The hellish cycle of mental illness becomes a vivid experience on almost every track. "Maybe it's all gonna turn out alright / And I know that it's not but I have to believe that it is" she sings on the lead single Appointments, it's not hope that is present it's the mere possibility of hope. The most uplifting moment on the album comes in the last verse of the song Hurt less.

After describing a depressing view on a fatal car accident where she doesn't care to wear a safety belt to protect her life, she opens up the final verse singing "This year I've started wearing safety belts / When I'm driving", ultimately offering the tiniest glimpse of happiness underneath all the pain.

 

Favorite tracks: Appointments, Turn out the lights, Hurt less, Happy to be here, Televangelist

 

4.       Björk – Utopia

 

 

Heartbreak is followed by redemption. After the raw and emotionally bare break-up album Vulnicura, Björk is now intent on crafting her future as a blissfull utopia. Despite being filled with flutes, bird songs and glitchy electronics the album is not as euphoric as one might expect it to be judging by the title. Instead of being a straight-to-happiness kind of record Björk understands a utopia doesn’t come from nothing; not even a personal one.  A dense and demanding record (the longest of her career after all) Utopia is filled with beautiful metaphors, complex structures and emotive vocal performances. On the final track the opening line reads “Imagine a future and be in it“ and later she sings “ Trust your head around /Guide your stare elsewhere / Your love is already waiting /You're already in it“. Not only a beautiful throwback to her beloved song All is full of love, the lines prove to be the some of the most important on the album: a message of love and optmism, the basis for her utopia. In a solo career spanning 2 decades (counting from Debut onwards) Björk sounds as creatively energized as ever; a singular artist expanding a singular discography.

 

Favorite tracks: Arisen my senses, Blissing Me, Sue Me, Losss, The Gate, Features creatures

 

 

3. Lorde – Melodrama

 

 

From the underpass to the dancefloor. From the city you’ll never see on screen to New York. Lorde has grown up and so has her music. I was unsure about the change of pace when I heard Green Light for the first time. It took considerable time to grow on me (and a late night drive to make me love it) but looking at it in the context of the album it is the perfect anthem of transformation to start the album. Aptly titled Melodrama, the album puts all the confusing emotions involved in love and partying to the forefront. The songs all seem to take place around similiar places and experiences but they don’t fully blend into a cohesive story. Instead they feel like a hazy rush through a night out where only the highest of highs and lowest of lows stick with you the next morning. Lorde‘s sort of angst-y small world of teenage life has been replaced by the baggage of emotional responsibility and, for Lorde in particular, the first real break-up. Lorde’s vocals have changed as well, with her taking it to unexpected places (Writer in the dark as a vocal standout) and expanding her general range of delivery. Although, entirely different to Pure Heroine, Melodrama is a triumph on every front and it is exciting to see Lorde mature as an artist . David Bowie called her “the future of music“ and seriously, who are we to question David Bowie?

Favorite tracks: Sober, Supercut, Liability, The Louvre, Sober II, Green Light

 

2.       Casper – Lang lebe der Tod

 

 

Despite often being boxed in as a „hip-hop artist“, Casper’s musical evolution has been anything remotely close to conventional for the genre. Properly kicking his career off in 2011 with his breakout album XOXO, Casper showed little interest in hip hop beats, constructing his albums almost entirely around indie-tinged guitars and a few doomy beats. For his sophomore record he cited inspirations ranging from Kendrick Lamar over Tom Waits to Daughter, ultimately giving Hinterland a sound closer to indie folk than anything remotely close to hip hop. Now on Lang lebe der Tod, guitars are admitedly still a dominant force, but some of the songs are more easily recognizable as dark hip hop tracks, making this his most „banging“ album in that sense. However, the sonic pallet on this album is as vast as the lyrical content (the heart of every Casper record). Casper weaves stories about depression, loneliness, love, hedonism,isolation, fame, consumerism and for the first time politics („The devil wears neither prada nor Primark / he wears orange“). Always poignant and never contrived and delivered with his infamous "torn" voice, Lang lebe der Tod is another fantastic album from the best German music artist of our time (of all time?).

 

 

Favorite tracks: Flackern,Flimmern, Wo die wilden Maden graben, Lang lebe der Tod, Meine Kündigung, Lass sie gehen,

 

 

1.       Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun

 

 

For the first time in my life my favorite album of the year is a metal album and what an unlikely one at that. A metal edge has been lurking underneath the surface of Chelsea’s past work, inbetween acoustic sections or eerie electronics. However, I didn’t expect this kind of doomy metal to become the core sound of her latest album. Hiss Spun is a masterclass album when it comes to tension; the possibility of explosive, thundering guitars is always present. But even the most agressively tuned guitar can’t subverse Chelsea’s voice. Effortlessly emerging out of the noise, her voice pierces the ear delivering her twisted lyricism straight to the mind.  The production deliberately plays with the tension and Chelsea uses every minute of it to create a cohesive body of work filled with addictive melodies, outstanding vocal performances and sludgy doom metal production. Somehow metal was the catalyst to bring together all the great things about Chelsea’s previous work and expand her sound to epic proportions. No album surprised me like this album this year. No album got played by me this much this year. I didn't enjoy any other album as much this year.

 

Favorite tracks: Two Spirit, The Culling, 16 Psyche, Static Hum, Twin Faw, Particle Flux

 

 

 

 

 

So, that concludes my Best of 2017. Despite being more time consuming ( and I didn't even do graphics ) than I expected I had great fun looking back at this year in music and trying my best to bring my taste into list-form. Thanks to all the people who commented and were interested in what I had to say and are/were making their own countdowns for us to follow! This is also the first year in my life (I think) where no indie rock album is within my Top 5 album. Did ATRL finally get to me? Is Pitchfork no longer telling me what to like? Who knows. And one more thing...of course taste is bound to change and lists are mostly always changing over time, however, I already have a few corrections to make right now, just a few minutes after concluding my list  . Over the course of my countdown I listened to a few more albums and realised I forgot a couple of songs on my list so here is a brief summary of my ****-ups: 

 

• I forgot to listen to 50 song memoirs before making the list, which is great and  would've landed in my Top 30 albums for sure.
• I forgot Goldfrapp's Anymore completely
• I also forgot to put Death from above's Never swim alone and Freeze Me on the song list
• The Charly Bliss debut album was ok and even though it wouldn't have made my album list Westermarck and possibly Ruby would've made the song list
• Everything Everything's Desire belongs on my song list
• I should've put This country by Fever Ray higher

 

 

 

Alright, so that's really everything now. All that is left is to wish you guys a great New Year's Eve and let's hope for a great 2018 in music!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2018 by Lucas32

[Price of Fame]

Hiss Spun is a CHOICE, but I like it

[jose168]

Think ive said this already but i literally cant Mount Eerie without crying. too much. 

yes arca and l4l! 

Melodrama  so fantastic, lorde is such an original.

Metal you say I shall listen to your #1

[rihannafan]

ugh LOVE chelsea’s album. One of the very few good albums of the year for me (which is why i refrained from makinh a list)

[Vxspertine]

I've been trying to avoid Metal this year but since I've seen so many people praising this album I have to give it a listen 

I also haven't (properly) heard your #2 pick so I'll have to bookmark that.

Loving the rest! Melodrama and Utopia are surprisingly super high on your list, I honestly didn't expect that. And Julien did THAT with TOTL, her vocals were stunning 

 

Overall loved your list, so much taste (as expected) 

[theblackestday]

Julien's album was cute.
Love what you said about Flutopia

Melodrama can choke
Oh wow @ Chelsea snatching the #1 she did that. No mention of the greatest song of all time Scrape though?

[LoKoPaNdA]

Quote

 

2.       Lana Del Rey – Change

8.       Julien Baker - Appointments

9.       St. Vincent – Happy Birthday Johnny

14.   Brand New - Same Logic/Teeth

20.   Lorde – Supercut

21.   Father John Misty – Total Entertainment Forever

22.   Björk – Blissing me

28.   St. Vincent – New York

36.   Lana Del Rey – Heroin

38.   Miley Cyrus – Malibu

46.   Lorde – Liability

47.   Arcade Fire – Put Your Money On Me

49.   Alvvays - Dreams Tonite

52.   Lana Del Rey – Cherry

84.   Alvvays – Forget about life

93.   Brand New - Lit Me Up

94.   St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION

95.   Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

104.                       Destroyer – Rome

112.                       Harry Styles – Sign of the times

117.                       Bully - Feel the Same

127.                       Alt-j – 3WW

129.                       Sufjan Stevens - Wallowa Lake Monster

138.                       The Killers – The Man

140.                       Tove Lo – Disco ****

158.                       Mac DeMarco - One More Love song

162.                       Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos - Slide

 

I really liked all of these  Interesting track choices for some of these artists (Happy Birthday Johnny and Change are so nice even if ballads aren't my thing with female singers usually). Happy to see Brand New (who I had never heard before SF actually, but they slay) and Bully. Their brand of rock makes me feel straight and stuff  

 

Some of the others I listened to but I don't remember in detail, like Blondie, Waxahatchee, War On Drugs, Beach House, Björk, Julien Baker, The National, Fleet Foxes & Arcade Fire. I have terrible memory, I think my list consisted of only 24 albums whose overall sound I remembered well n.

 

Why is Lorde above Lana on the albums list tho?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lazuli]

Turn Out the Lights was kinda cute

Flutopia  

Melodrama  LOVE your write up on it