My
favorite releases of 2017;
Albums:
Conor
Oberst – Salutations When I heard that Conor Oberst was
re-recording several of the songs from the Ruminations album, I was intrigued
if slightly confused; Here was an album of stripped down songs with an
emotionally naked set of lyrics. However, once I heard the finished product I
was seriously impressed. Turns out the band arrangements only enhance what he
was trying to do with them. “Barbary Coast” and “Next of Kin” are the highest
of highlights, on an album full of great songs.
Dirt
Devil – Demo Cassette I stumbled upon this band last year, when
they played at my local video store. Although they had only released one song
at that point to the public, their brand of shoegazing suited my ears nicely.
These four tracks have the same feeling for me, and I was really pleased to
hear that they recorded a full length album later on. (Though I did not buy it
yet)
The
Feelies – In Between The Feelies return with another album of
dreamy post-punk. I’ve always thought that these guys have a different take on
what they do, and this album is no exception.
Jim
O’Rourke – Steamroom 31 This is a recording in Jim O’Rourke’s
instrumental bandcamp series Steamroom (named after his Tokyo studio), and
while it may not be for everyone, I’ve found this to be great music for
reading, writing or meditating to.
METZ
– Strange Peace A noisepop album with the emphasis on “pop.”
Even at their loudest, the melodies shine through, and give the album a kind of
bubblecore feel. (Yes, I made up a word here.)
The
New Year – Snow After a ten year gap between albums, The
New Year return with one of their strongest releases. (Did they ever put out a bad
album?) One of my favorite slowcore bands, and possibly one of my favorites of
any genre.
Noel
Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?
While I was definitely down on Oasis for a few years, I’ve lately been back on
a Gallagher brothers kick.
Ray
Davies – Americana This album took me by surprise. I say
that, because Davies normally draws from a decidedly more British set of
influences. But it turns out that he can pull off the American country/folk
sound and lyrical style as well as he can the styles native to dear old
blighty.
Soccer
Mommy – Collection Sophie is quite brilliant. I saw this
group open for Slowdive in November, and was blown away. “Inside Out” is a
great introduction to the group.
Sun
Kil Moon – Common As Light A LOOOOOONNNNG album. If you’re familiar
with Mark’s style, and have an afternoon to kill, give it a listen. “Sarah
Lawrence College Song” and “I Love Portuagal” are two songs that exemplify the
styles of the album.
Tara
Jane O’Neil – S/T When this album came out, I was
cautiously optimistic because although I’ve been a fan of her work for quite
some time, I wasn’t overly impressed with her previous album. This album
however, is a return the somberly optimistic Post-Rock/Folk blend that she has
successfully mined since the mid ‘90s.
Tobin
Sprout – The Universe and Me When I heard the
announcement for this album I was very excited. Tobin hadn’t released a solo
album in seven years. And it turned out that my excitement was justified; This
record seems to be an effortless fusion of melodies and noise. “Future Boy
Today/Man of Tomorrow,” the title track, “When I Was a Boy” and “Heart of Wax”
are the highlights for me.
Wire
– Silver/Lead As a band that has been around for forty
years (!!!), Wire came to be one of the pioneering bands of Post-Punk. They’ve
released many strong albums across every era of the group (they’ve gone on
hiatus a few times), so for anything new to come out and be more than just a
footnote is impressive. With Silver/Lead, they’ve crafted an album reminiscent
of early masterpieces Chairs Missing and 154, combined with a production style
more akin to dreampop. “Short Elevated Period” and “Forever and a Day” are my
favorite tracks.
EPs:
Littlefoot
– Lavender This gem of an EP was a favorite of mine from the
moment I received an advance copy. Combining surf and dreampop influences, the
album is just the kind of warmth needed for the coming months of New England
weather. Erica is a genius, and should be heard the world over. Favorite tracks
include “Feel Better,” the summery “Nervous Nelly” and “Honeymoon,” which is on
my personal list of top dreampop songs.
Snail
Mail – Audiotree Live Session This release is a strong
followup to Snail Mail’s debut EP. “Thinning” and “Slug” are still the wistful
highlights for me.
Soccer
Mommy – Audiotree Live Session See above in albums^
Virtual
Perfection Cowboy – A Broken Mirror A solo ambient EP by the second
guitarist in Littlefoot. Dash creates dreamscapes that conjure a strong mix of
emotions. All of his stuff is great, but this EP was my favorite of the
releases on his bandcamp.
Singles:
Palehound
– Sea of Blood This release took me by surprise. Having missed
out on the new Palehound album (shame on me), I was impressed with the jangly
tones now coming from Kempner’s guitar. While all Palehound is good Palehound,
every release should be treasured.
Two
Souls – Forever Demi is quite the shoegazing composer.
Beautiful and frightening sounds, with blissed-out vocals.
Wildhoney
– Horror Movie What a single! Swathed in reverb and delay,
the A-Side takes a jangly guitar and a gorgeous vocal, and pairs it with quite
the despairing tale of emotional torment. The B-Side is almost jazz-like in its
reinterpretation of Shoegazing. My single of the year.
