best of Unoriginal's Best of 2017

[Alldeezy]

cute list :D

[bestfiction]

8 hours ago, Unoriginal said:

RCB is easily the best thing on AL

 

TEA I also included it in my yesterday's update, you'd better check it out 

8 hours ago, Unoriginal said:

agreed that's it's all excellent but I personally far prefer LW  it just feels more polished and slick and overall better

 

It's hard to disagree, I think LW is more commerical. But Pitch Black chapter is my favorite out of all the LW chapters 

I'd say: Pitch Black > Fire Fade > Fairy Dust > Light Beams

Also HAIM deserved top-10 at least!!!  I get why does this album feels underwhelming for many people but for me STTY is pretty much on par with Gays Are Gone

Edited December 28, 2017 by bestfiction

[World Eater]

The xx's debut is still their best

Jamie's In Colour is better but this is another story

 

I really enjoyed I See You though! Love most of the songs but the problem I have with this album is that there are some songs I completely do not care about.

I would ignore the accessibility aspect when talking about Jessie, mostly because she's an r&b/pop artist. Unless you were talking about the production, because it was much simplier than on her previous two albums. Glasshouse was a disappointment for me though  It was one of those boring archetypical mature album

[Unoriginal]

1 hour ago, AlexisNeiers said:

Unless you were talking about the production, because it was much simplier than on her previous two albums.

This is primarily what makes it feel that way but it also just sounds way more accessible than D or TL. That's not necessarily a bad thing but Glasshouse does sound like Jessie minus something she had on her previous two albums. I'd have gone into more detail but at this point I've done seventy writeups and I'm getting bored

[Dom]

love paramore's album, not their best, but still fine.

[Mark Rih]

Halsey, the xx, Kelela, Dua, Tove me is loving the album list so far, excited for the top 10

[TheWayWeWere]

uhm, delete this title

 

STTY is too underrated I still don't understand all the hate they've got for this

TMA whew, this album is pure gold and Glasshouse too I started to think, that Jesussie just can't disappoint

 

[Navyofbadgals]

albums #15 to 11 are pure talent and it makes me even more excited for the top 10  

[Unoriginal]

I should update but I'm addicted to Assassin's Creed Origins of all ****ing things so lemme leave it for a couple hours  

[Unoriginal]

UNORIGINAL'S BEST OF 2017

2017's 20 Best Albums

10 - 6

 

#10

London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing

When I heard Rooting for You on New Year's Day I was instantly smitten and realised how excited I was for new London Grammar after If You Wait, the London trio's commendable debut. Big Picture neutered my excitement slightly but Oh Woman Oh Man and Hell to the Liars made me incredibly excited again. Thankfully, Truth didn't disappoint in the slightest. London Grammar's dream pop sound was expanded upon and their horizons broadened with songs like Non Believer which took the band in a much more rhythmic direction than most of the other songs on Truth, which I'd describe in a (good) way as shapeless. The songs feel structured yet free and explorative; Hell to the Liars' chorus doesn't explode or attempt to make itself stand out from the rest of the song and the last two-and-a-bit minutes are dedicated to instrumentation and ethereal vocals courtesy of Hannah Reid. As an album is works stunningly well and this is one best listened to in one sitting from end to end. Hannah's vocals are grand and soaring; she's capable of lows and highs (sometimes, like in Wild Eyed, on the same song just seconds apart from each other), the production is excellent and the instrumentation is consistent and coherent without feeling at all samey.

Highlights - Wild Eyed, Hell to the Liars, Non Believer, Bones of Ribbon, Leave the War with Me

Unhighlights - Everyone Else, Who Am I

listen here
 

#9

Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life

Lana is one of my favourite artists and the most of the prerelease singles had me excited for Lust for Life. I was hoping Lana could continue her streak of getting better with every album but this unfortunately didn't end up being the case. Lust for Life's second half (from God Bless America onwards) is amazing and as a standalone I could probably place it as her second best work behind Honeymoon. However, Lust for Life's first half is patchy at best and has wild ups and downs that make the great songs shine and really hinder the worse songs. The first two prerelease singles, Love and the title track, felt tacked onto the beginning of the album and still don't work well at all going one after another or leading into the first highlight of the first half 13 Beaches. It's odd, with songs like 13 Beaches, Cherry and discography highlight Summer Bummer being amongst Lust for Life's best material, standing next to some of the worst songs in Lana's discography (Coachella and In My Feelings even though the latter has grown on me), useless collaborations that were done better literally on the song that came right before it (Groupie Love) and odd moments that feel like they go nowhere (White Mustang). Ultimately, Lust for Life shines in its second half with discography highlights Tomorrow Never Came, Heroin and Get Free as well as a collaboration with one of my favourite artists ever - if not my single favourite artist ever - Stevie Nicks but is bogged down by its first half and feels bloated and much too long.

Highlights - 13 Beaches, Cherry, Summer Bummer, Beautiful People Beautiful Problems, Tomorrow Never Came, Heroin, Get Free

Unhighlights - Lust for Life, White Mustang, Groupie Love, In My Feelings, Coachella

listen here

 

#8

Taylor Swift - reputation

Realistically, does reputation deserve to be this high? No. Did I kind of do it to spite Lana? Maybe. Is it Taylor's best album? Yes. reputation is ultimately more consistent than Lust for Life with far lower highs. Its consistency, in both quality and in sound (Lana jumps from tired trip-hop on Coachella straight into a Spanish guitar on God Bless America) is far superior to Lust for Life, with only Gorgeous sounding grossly out of place, and the dips aren't as noticeable because the mediocre moments are spread out nicely across the album. It's my favourite Taylor album and my favourite pure pop album of the year; it's fun and only feels slightly bloated at fifteen tracks (the exclusion of Gorgeous and King of My Heart would have made this a fantastic thirteen track album) and just works. Taylor feels comfortable, Max Martin saved his good production instrumentals for Taylor this year and Jack Antonoff came through with some solid production as well. It's probably absurd putting reputation this high but I'll stand by it because I like it quite a lot and I didn't want Lust for Life to be too high. There are some discography highlights here (Delicate, Getaway Car) and Ed Sheeran makes his most tolerable appearance of 2017 on End Game.

Highlights - Don't Blame Me, Delicate, So It Goes..., Getaway Car, Dancing with Our Hands Tied

Unhighlights - Gorgeous, King of My Heart

listen here

 

#7

Perfume Genius - No Shape

Slip Away was a stunning entry into the world of No Shape, the fourth studio from Mike Hadreas. Too Bright was emotionally dark and deep whereas No Shape feels lighter, happier and freer. It's a grand, lush, cinematic album on which every song hits its desired emotion excellently and generally right on the nose. The songs are short but they feel expansive and longer than they are, exploring strings, pianos and synths and melding them together perfectly. It's difficult to describe No Shape because everything just works gorgeously to create one of 2017's most cinematic-feeling albums that hits the desired mood perfectly. For me, it's also an album for any mood; I could easily listen to this when I'm happy or upset and feel the music fits the mood brilliantly. No Shape is an album I can't describe but simply adore for many many reasons. The opener Otherside and the closer Alan are the definite highlights here: they're sparse instrumentally (though Otherside doesn't feel it whatsoever) and are love tracks at their core. Alan addresses Hadreas' significant other and is one of the purest, most beautiful and most stunning odes to love I've heard in a long while.

Highlights - Otherside, Just Like Love, Die 4 You, Braid, Alan.

Unhighlights - N/A

listen here

 

#6

The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

The gap between this and my #5 album was really close and I nearly put this in the top five but ultimately felt the album in fifth deserved its place a tiny bit more. The War on Drugs released one of 2014's best albums with Lost in the Dream and I personally feel they topped it with A Deeper Understanding. Everything here is consistent and the quality is absolutely top-notch. Adam Granduciel's lyrics and vocals are great, the guitars that dominate the album for the most part do it beautifully and the songs all more or less feel like they justify their lengths; only three of the ten songs here are under six minutes but the long lengths help the songs to expand and unfold and meander and grow gorgeously. The heartland rock of Thinking of a Place is a clear highlight on here and the psychedelic elements of the song are stunning; the synths of Up All Night, the album's high point in my personal opinion, are surprising and unexpected but work effortlessly well and the sadness in closer You Don't Have to Go ends the album on a sombre note that only wants to make me instantly revisit A Deeper Understanding. The only true misstep here is Clean Living, which simply feels too long and repetitive. 

Highlights - Up All Night, Holding On, Knocked Down, Thinking of a Place, You Don't Have to Go

Unhighlights - Clean Living

listen here

Edited December 29, 2017 by Unoriginal

[madonnas]

I would defeinitely not put Glasshouse in my top 12, or 100 but you do you.

Reputation could have been Taylor's best album if she didn't play it so god damn safe. 

[Unoriginal]

Spoiler

On 28/12/2017 at 0:19 AM, ultraviolence.xx said:

AN UPDATE  

wow a stan

 

21 hours ago, Lazuli said:

Alt-J in the top 15 is a choice  An Awesome Wave is still their best album  

Something To Tell You was disappointing but passable I guess. Take Me Apart

Glasshouse  3/5 of your highlights are spot on, and tbh Hearts isn't THAT bad  

I See You  Glad to see Test Me in your highlights! So underrated

agree to disagree

StTY grew on me the more I listened to it so I didn't see it as so much of a disappointment.

TMA really is an album

personally I'd say 5/5 of my Glasshouse highlights are spot on but y'know personal taste  and Hearts is ****ing crappy bull**** I hate it

I'd LOVE a like six or seven minute version of Test Me  imagine the outro 

 

20 hours ago, theblackestday said:

Take God Apart deserved better

 

I could maybe have justified putting it above Glasshouse but I just enjoyed every other album above it a lil bit more. Kelela did her thing tho and whatever she puts out next I'm perched for

 

19 hours ago, Denis Stoff said:

cute list :D

whew thank you 

 

18 hours ago, bestfiction said:

TEA I also included it in my yesterday's update, you'd better check it out 

It's hard to disagree, I think LW is more commerical. But Pitch Black chapter is my favorite out of all the LW chapters 

I'd say: Pitch Black > Fire Fade > Fairy Dust > Light Beams

Also HAIM deserved top-10 at least!!!  I get why does this album feels underwhelming for many people but for me STTY is pretty much on par with Gays Are Gone

hope my comment was sufficient 

Pitch Black is probably my least favourite chapter  I love some of the songs on it but romantics, cycles and 9th of october  

Fairy Dust > Fire Fade >= Light Beams > Pitch Black

I'd say StTY is a small downgrade but nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be

 

13 hours ago, AlexisNeiers said:

The xx's debut is still their best

Jamie's In Colour is better but this is another story

 

I really enjoyed I See You though! Love most of the songs but the problem I have with this album is that there are some songs I completely do not care about.

I would ignore the accessibility aspect when talking about Jessie, mostly because she's an r&b/pop artist. Unless you were talking about the production, because it was much simplier than on her previous two albums. Glasshouse was a disappointment for me though  It was one of those boring archetypical mature album

their debut feels kind of weirdly half-baked now. like it's missing something  

you know most of my thoughts on Glasshouse so

 

9 hours ago, Dom said:

love paramore's album, not their best, but still fine.

it's the only paramore album i've really taken the time to get into

 

9 hours ago, Mark Rih said:

Halsey, the xx, Kelela, Dua, Tove me is loving the album list so far, excited for the top 10

wow thank you  hope the first half of the top ten isn't disappointing

glad to see some Halsey love on ATRL

 

5 hours ago, TheWayWeWere said:

uhm, delete this title

 

STTY is too underrated I still don't understand all the hate they've got for this

TMA whew, this album is pure gold and Glasshouse too I started to think, that Jesussie just can't disappoint

 

it's changing now

I don't hate StTY at all. It's a small letdown after DAG but not a trainwreck or anything

TMA is gorgeous

I'd say Hearts is a major disappointment but apart from that nothing on Glasshouse is that bad. Your Domino, Sam and Love to Love aren't great but they're not disgustingly bad

 

4 hours ago, Navyofbadgals said:

albums #15 to 11 are pure talent and it makes me even more excited for the top 10  

 wow I feel like I had a lot to live up to and I'm praying.mp4 the first half didn't let you down

 

28 minutes ago, madonnas said:

I would defeinitely not put Glasshouse in my top 12, or 100 but you do you.

Reputation could have been Taylor's best album if she didn't play it so god damn safe. 

 aw c'mon it wasn't that awful. A definite step down after Tough Love but I didn't hate anything except Hearts

I was reluctant to put reputation above RED as my favourite Taylor album but ultimately I decided reputation is Taylor's most consistently good. rep doesn't have a State of Grace or an All Too Well or a Begin Again but equally it thankfully doesn't have an IKWYT. or a Starlight  so I gave in and decided I do prefer rep. It's darker for Taylor but I wouldn't necessarily call it risky or safe. Somewhere in between

oh also for anyone who reads this bit... would it be worth doing a live countdown of the top five starting maybe nineteen hours from now? or just post all the albums in one go  

Edited December 29, 2017 by Unoriginal

[ultraviolence.xx]

another UPDATE   

[ultraviolence.xx]

london grammar deserved better

lana can choke

perfume genius can choke

taylor’s placement above lana and LG is a minor kii (but it’s a good album so it’s understandable)

also shocked TWOD is only #6... what the **** is gonna be above it?

[Tom Vercetti]

I didn't expect Swift to be this high and above certain acts. No Shape & A Deeper Understand did well. 

 

[Unoriginal]

2 minutes ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

also shocked TWOD is only #6... what the **** is gonna be above it?

 

[ultraviolence.xx]

1 minute ago, Unoriginal said:

 

honestly shockedT

[Unoriginal]

1 minute ago, Tom Vercetti said:

I didn't expect Swift to be this high and above certain acts. No Shape & A Deeper Understand did well. 

 

as much as i want to pretend to be #edgy and hate it because it's taylor, a solid pop album is a solid pop album and i wanted to be petty re lana. i think it's a step up from 1989 as well so i was happy about that

[Unoriginal]

2 minutes ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

honestly shockedT

feel free to guess i personally think it's v obvious

Edited December 29, 2017 by Unoriginal

[Lazuli]

Lust For Life  But you canNOT put Summer Bummer aka the inferior A$AP collab in your highlights and Groupie Love aka the superior A$AP collab in your unhighlights  

RePUTAtion being your most favourite Taylor album but you're still saying it doesn't deserve to be that high? Sis wyd   Your highlights are spot on tho  

No Shape and A Deeper Understanding  Slay a bit!

 

2 hours ago, Unoriginal said:

personally I'd say 5/5 of my Glasshouse highlights are spot on but y'know personal taste  and Hearts is ****ing crappy bull**** I hate it

I'd LOVE a like six or seven minute version of Test Me  imagine the outro 

 Yeah it sounds like a Julia Michaels song but it doesn't sound objectively bad tbh tho it's one of the weakest on the album

Ugh YES! That outro is PERFECT. That's how you end an album 

[Zay]

Ok bitch Mike did that 

[theblackestday]

Republican above Lust for Obama??? WHITE SUPREMACY WON

 

 

I should spoil your top 5 just for that blasphemy

Edited December 29, 2017 by theblackestday

[Eeveelution]

Quote

 Its consistency, in both quality and in sound (Lana jumps from tired trip-hop on Coachella straight into a Spanish guitar on God Bless America) is far superior to Lust for Life

These LIES. Stan card revoked!

 

 

Groupie Love, White Mustang, In My Feelings > Republican  

 

London Grammar was a disappointment for me tbh, Everyone Else was like my fav.

 

You didn't lie about No Shape having no lowlights.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Eeveelution

[TayRianaPH]

Lust For Life was a cute epic album! I'd say Summer Bummer deserves a highlight tho 

REPU

****IN

TATION!!! Love it!!

comment on mine too  

[Unoriginal]

8 hours ago, Lazuli said:

RePUTAtion being your most favourite Taylor album but you're still saying it doesn't deserve to be that high? Sis wyd  

Objectively I don't think it deserved such a high place  but I enjoyed it so I think it earned it too. I was debating putting it this high but ultimately I think it's fair and representative of my tastes this year