My Top Ten Albums of 2017

First, let me get this out of the way.  I've spent most of my year listening to sad Sinatra songs and filling in gaps in our vinyl collection.  For some reason, I think it's 1958 or something right now.  Therefore, I really haven't listened to as much new music as I usually do.  That being said, here are the albums I loved the most (that weren't done by a depressed Frank Sinatra).  If I had to list my TRUE top 3 albums of this year, it would be (3) Sings for Only the Lonely - Frank Sinatra, (2) Where Are You? - Frank Sinatra, and (1) In The Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra.  No, really.  I'm addicted.

Okay, here are the other albums I loved in 2017.

Honorable Mention:
Beck - Colors (Beck can STILL make upbeat, excellent music.  Shake it.)
Dying Fetus - Wrong One to F*ck With (This is how metal should be done.  Brutal and filled with breakdowns galore.)
Body Count - Bloodlust (Ice-T is one of the few voices in modern metal who still has something viable to say.)
Obituary - Obituary (By far, their best album in the last two decades.)
Jesca Hoop - Memories Are Now (Several great songs encompassing alienation and solitude.  "The Lost Sky" is one of the most haunting and saddening songs I've ever heard.)

#10 - Mogwai - Every Country's Sun


Thanks to a Biffy Clyro interview, I was turned on to these guys early this year.  I enjoy ECS quite a bit, though it's not my favorite album I grabbed from Mogwai in 2017.  I think I own about 10 Mogwai albums now.  This sits somewhere in the middle of their discography, but it is a solid album, and I listened to it quite a bit throughout the second half of 2017.

#9 - The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding



I really haven't listened to much from Adam Granduciel until this year.  This album has folk sensibility but an aura of maddening depression from time to time.  I keep thinking there's a strong Bruce Springsteen influence here (which MIGHT make me hate some things, honestly)--but there's nothing to dislike on this disc.  Strongest tracks are "Strangest Thing" and "Holding On."  If you been unfortunate enough to miss out on this album, correct that mishap now and check it out!

#8 - Dead Cross - Dead Cross



This is a 'supergroup'--featuring members of Locust, Retox, Slayer and (of course) Mike Patton of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle fame.  Of all the albums found on my list this year, this took me the longest to warm up to.  It's grindcore, if I had to give it a one-word description.  But it's ultra fast and, at times, ultra sloppy.  Of course, real grindcore aficionados know that good grind CAN be sloppy and still pretty damned good.   I was looking forward to this when it was announced, and I wasn't disappointed.  Dave Lombardo is still really flippin' good, in case you were wondering.

#7 - Stephen Wilson - To the Bone



In the last few years, I've fallen deeper and deeper into the 'progressive rock' rabbit hole, and it's all Steven Wilson's fault.  While I enjoyed his decades of work with Porcupine Tree, and his one-off collab with with Mikael Akerfeldt in Storm Corrosion, I believe it is in his last few solo records where Wilson has dug into his creative potential.  While To the Bone isn't as impressive as his top notch effort from 2015, Hand.Cannot.Erase. (my favorite disc that year), there's still a whole shit-ton to love about this record.  In fact, the only misstep that keeps this from being near the top 3 is the eighth song on the disc, "People Who Eat Darkness"--which feels like some angsty-mid '90s throwaway.  But "Pariah" is absolutely memorizing--as are "The Same Asylum as Before" and "Refuge."  Just another wonderful record from one of the greatest musicians of our time, in my opinion.

#6 Father John Misty - Pure Comedy



Dude's got a great beard.  So, there's that.  Also, I feel like his lyrics are quite insightful.  Many might toss aside some of his music on this disc as pretentious.  Okay, I'll admit it.  The song "Leaving LA"--a completely unnecessary 13 minute and 11 second ramble, IS useless and pretentious.  The rest of this disc is nearly perfect.  The lyrics from the title track are spot-on, reflecting upon the uselessness of our modern humanity, floating through a technology-riddled, soulless era.  "Oh, comedy, their illusions they have no choice but to believe / Their horizons that just forever recede / And how's this for irony, their idea of being free is a prison of beliefs / That they never ever have to leave."  It's poignant stuff, in an era with a lot of music lacking much of anything to grab on to.  Oh, and I think he loves Elton John, because it's crawling all over this album.

#5 Anathema - The Optimist


More progressive rock for you to put in the chewhole.  Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh have been putting out brilliant music for decades (starting more in the black metal genre in the 90s).  This band has always continued to grow and expand their musical aspirations, and The Optimist appears to be the pinnacle, at least up until the current point.  This album has garnered numerous praises around the world, and it contains all the atmosphere and diversity one could hope for.  Every song begs for multiple listens, but when it's all said and done, "Springfield" and "Endless Ways"--driven mostly by the haunting vocal deliveries from Lee Douglas--stick in your head for hours.

#4 Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun


I thought there was no way to outshine her last effort, 2015's Abyss.  But this album definitely stands up to that outing.  Without question, it surpasses it in one category--heaviness.  This album offers no moment of respite.  It is heavy for heavy's sake.   According to Wolfe, writing Hiss Spun was an opportunity to deal with health problems (like insomnia) and other lingering personal issues.  You can sense it in every note on the record.  I've listened to this album 20-30 times, and I still feel like I notice something new on every listen.  The darkest moments are found in "16 Psyche" and "The Culling."  Hiss Spun is a landmark in heavy music, and I'm happy to have a voice like Wolfe's leading the charge.

#3 - Life of Agony - A Place Where There's No More Pain


LOA is one of my favorite bands ever--so when I heard they were releasing a new album, I was pleasantly surprised!  First, the band left on a bit of a sour note, the lost-in-the-shuffle major label effort, Broken Valley.  Secondly, singer Keith Caputo had finally found happiness by transitioning to a new life as Mina Caputo.  While Mina's talent is unquestioned, could she really lead a chest-pounding, testosterone-driven band like Life of Agony into a new era?  APWTNMP has proven, without a doubt, she can.  In fact, the vocals are the strongest aspect of this album.  Sure, the vocals are layered ten times over, but the harmonies and vocal hooks within are worth the effort.  The only thing I don't love about the album is the final track, "Little Spots of You," which feels unnecessary and stands out like a nudist on a playground.  However, songs like the title track, "A New Low," and "Bag of Bones" definitely deliver the delicious LOA goods.  Online postings recently point to the band not being in a good place again, as far as touring, etc.  So this might be the last Life of Agony album in a while.  Maybe the last one ever.  So I'm glad it's such a strong effort.

#2 Dreamcar - Dreamcar

What would happen if Davey Havok from AFI met up with the bored guys from No Doubt?  Gwen Stefani is off doing Christmas albums and stuff, so why not make some new music?  I love everything about this album.  It sounds like it was ripped right from 1984--it's got all the new wave/pop bells and whistles.  Hell, even the cover looks like Max Headroom's girlfriend.  But everything on this album works.  There's not a weak song to be found, but the highlight is "Kill for Candy"--which is one of the most memorable songs of this year.  Going backward is sometimes the only way to go forward, and I eagerly anticipate more music from this band in the future.   It's just a fun and catchy record.  Isn't that what we all need?

#1 - Pallbearer - Heartless

Okay, so maybe fun and catchy isn't what we all need.  Heartless came around early in 2017, and I couldn't quit spinning it.  Pallbearer is one of the best bands in doom metal right now, and I think this album claims their spot near the top of the heap.  Singer Brett Campbell's voice is instantly recognizable, and it makes one wonder what in the hell they're dumping in the Arkansas water.  I'm willing to say "I Saw the End" is my favorite song this year.  The entire album is so brooding and dark, yet it feels uplifting.  That's the greatest testament to Heartless--it reads like it's only one more chapter in the story of a band who should  be critically recognized as one of the best metal bands around.  Hell, in fact, now that I'm done writing this blog, I'm gonna go listen to it again right now.