Music – it’s everywhere! There’s always so much new music packed into a year that it can be easy to forget about the things that were released back in January/February time. That’s why us bloggers have looked back through our iTunes and Spotify accounts to remind us what great albums came out in 2017, and share with all of you which ones we think were the best.
Like with all of these posts, the opinions that we share here are solely our own, so you may not agree with us. We all have different tastes in music, which is why we never find ourselves writing about the same thing, and it’s that diversity which makes these collaborations so great. The chances are that you’ll agree with someone’s top five on here, at least to some extent.
Now, a quick note. As a result of work commitments (it’s a very busy time of the year!), we’re down to just two people this week, but that’s okay. Between the two of us, we’ve still got a reasonably even spread of albums, and they’re pretty great ones too. It’ll be back to normal next week, but for now go ahead and see what we’ve picked out as the best albums of the year.
Releasing a great album is a lot harder than releasing a great single, which is why picking out a top five for this week’s post has been a lot harder than it was for our first one. There has to be a consistency in the quality of the songs, with factors like strong lyrics, catchy music and emotional connection present throughout the length of the album. A lot of what I’ve listened to this year has been of decent value, but didn’t stand out as being the best of what 2017 had to offer. Luckily, there were enough strong contenders in this year’s back catalogue to make a list out of, so here they are.
Under Stars (Amy MacDonald)
I’ve always been aware of Amy MacDonald, but it wasn’t until this year that I actually listened to one of her albums all the way through. I was in the market for something new to review and I saw that the release date for Under Stars was just a few days away, so I took the plunge and pre-ordered it. I have to say that it’s one of the better decisions that I made this year.
It doesn’t even take ten seconds of listening to the album before the music pulls you in and has you grooving along to opening track ‘Dream On’. With it’s carefree nature and uptempo production, the song encourages you to wear a smile as its powerful rhythm sweeps you off your feet. This is something that’s fairly common throughout the album, with upbeat tracks like ‘Under Stars’, ‘Automatic’ and ‘Leap of Faith’ eager to lift your spirits with their frantic rhythms.
Under Stars isn’t all about a party, though. There’s a great layer of emotional depth to some of the tracks, with ‘Never Too Late’ particularly tear-inducing with it’s bare production and empowering lyrics.
“Ain’t no use in sitting around waiting for the world to change” Macdonald sings with just a piano and some violins behind here. “Never too late to stand your ground, do it what takes to make them proud and never too late to change your mind, the book has not been written. The page is blank, the scene is set, let’s start at the beginning”. It’s one of the best ballads I’ve ever listened to, and had it been released as a single, it most likely would have made it onto my list of 2017’s top five songs.
While this mix of uptempo and emotive songs isn’t particularly revolutionary in pop music, that shouldn’t discourage anyone from listening to Under Stars. There’s nothing wrong with an album having a fairly standard structure if the songs on it are of a high quality, and for the most part here, they are.
Lost On You (LP)
Although LP’s fourth studio album was first released at the tail-end of 2016, it wasn’t actually made available in the UK until May this year. Before then, I’d never even heard of the American singer, real name Laura Pergolizzi, but I was glad to have been introduced to her with this latest collection. Having listened to some of her back catalogue over the last few months, I can definitely say that this is her most compelling work to date.
Lost On You is an album rooted firmly in the alternative and indie pop/rock genres, but it’s full of catchy hits. From the kooky ‘When We’re High’ to the emotive ‘Tightrope’, the songs on the album rarely miss a beat and display some of the strongest songwriting seen in years. LP’s words also sound all the more potent when sung through her unique vocals.
It was the title track of the album that actually convinced me to buy Lost On You, with it’s raw power and quirky production. The song, which is lyrically about investing a lot of time into a failed relationship and dealing with the break up of it, has such a beautiful vulnerability that it’s hard not to get completely absorbed by the music. It’s definitely a standout track on what is one scorcher of an album.
The Architect (Paloma Faith)
Paloma Faith’s first album in three years shot straight to the top of the charts last month, and with good reason. The 18-track collection is filled with pop hits and powerful ballads sung with the same passionate delivery that made all her other releases stellar albums. The only difference now is that Faith has worked to make The Architect more meaningful than the others by creating her music with a politically-focused eye.
It’s not the most successful attempt, with many of the lyrics very vague about what they’re actually referring to. On the surface, it can seem like another album full of love songs, but some of the imagery she creates with her words still leaves a big impression. For instance, on ‘WW3’, one of the more impressive tracks on The Architect, she sings: ‘and through my tears I look to the sky and scream; “we’re in world war three”‘. Considering the state of the world right now, these lyrics are extremely relevant and feel scarily realistic, something that sticks with you long after the song has finished.
While the album might not start a revolution anytime soon, the intent is still meaningful and refreshing to see in the pop music industry. Besides, political message or not, the music is still some of the best released this year. From the empowering ‘Love Me As I am’ and the funky ‘Til I’m Done’, to the beautiful John Legend duet on ‘I’ll Be Gentle’, The Architect makes for a great listen.
Lust for Life (Lana Del Rey)
There hasn’t been a year in which Lana Del Rey’s released an album that she hasn’t appeared on my personal top five. In fact, every year up until now she’s taken the top spot with her respective colelctions Born To Die, Ultraviolence and Honeymoon, but it’s Lust for Life that’s actually my favourite of all her albums.
Employing the same sombre tone and wistful vocals that have become Del Rey’s trademark style, this new album dared to go places the singer had never ventured before by touching on real world issues. Yes, like with Paloma Faith’s The Architect, Lust For Life was produced with a political viewpoint, although Del Rey’s efforts are somewhat more successful. On tracks like ‘God Bless America – And All The Beautiful Women In It’ and ‘When The World Was At War We Kept Dancing’, she reflects on the state of America following the election of President Trump. This is something that the singer has been very vocal about outside of her music and it’s reflected in the lyrics, but the songs aren’t weighed down with pessimism. They’re actually quite uplifting tracks.
Is it the end of an era? Is it the end of America? No. It’s only the beginning. If we hold on to hope we’ll have a happy ending. When the world was at war before, we just kept dancing.
The album isn’t all political, with several tracks retaining the bad-boy loving persona that has appeared prominently in some of Del Rey’s earlier work. In ’13 Beaches’ she sings that ‘it hurts to love you, but I still love you, it’s just the way I feel’ while on Cherry she laments that ‘I fall to pieces when I’m with you’. The songs could seem repetitive, were they not all musically different and undeniably entrancing.
Lust For Life definitely takes you to another world, and while on the surface it may appear to be a bleak one, there’s a surprisingly hopeful ray of sunshine hidden inside. As the title track says, it’s a lust for life that keeps us alive.
Rainbow (Kesha)
It only took one listen of this album to know where it would end up ranking on this list. Kesha’s comeback was one of the biggest events in 2017 after the drama of her heated legal battle with producer Dr Luke. The possibility of new music had seemed so far off this time last year, but Kesha surprised us all with a new album back in the summer that blew everyone away.
Entitled Rainbow, the new release sees the singer go for a more natural, country-rock inspired sound than her previous efforts. It’s a move that definitely paid off, allowing Kesha’s talent to shine without being drowned out by the electropop production that first brought her to the world’s attention. While the album may not appeal to fans of her earlier work, it certainly grabbed this blogger’s attention.
Almost every track on Rainbow is a hit, although it’s the songs ‘Praying’, ‘Woman’ and ‘Learn To Let Go’ that really stand out above the rest. The lead single is packed so full of raw emotion it will easily bring you to tears, while the follow-ups really pack a punch with their empowering lyrics and upbeat attitude. This new music still retains some of the foul-mouthed, carefree aggression from her first two albums, but it’s portrayed in a much more controlled manner. Her growth as both a person and an artist is so clear, and it’s really beautiful to see.
While Kesha has never been famed for her vocal ability, she displays a level of emotional strength and maturity in Rainbow that is practically unheard of in modern day pop music. There’s nothing else released this year that I’d rather listen to on repeat than this. Besides, who doesn’t love a good comeback story?
Hey again everyone! I hope you are all getting into the festive spirit just like I am. It’s just over one week away from the big day and we are still going for it with our top picks for the year. This time around it is all about the best albums released in 2017. There have been so many amazing albums out this year that it’s hard to whittle them down to a select few, especially when our tastes in music are so eclectic. But I managed to pick out a top five and I’ve got them right here for you. So, without further ado, here are my favourite albums from the last twelve months.
Last Young Renegade (All Time Low)
This album is unlike the others on my list as it’s from a completely different genre of music – alternative. I have been a fan of All Time Low for a good while now and have seen them live a bunch of times, and every time I fall in love with their music even more. Last Young Renegade encompasses the feeling of being young and carefree in its songs. It’s almost like the perfect soundtrack to growing up when you’re in your late teens to early 20’s. I couldn’t love it more, and the fact that I have also seen the songs performed live is a mesmerising bonus.
La La Land Original Soundtrack (Various Artists)
Me being me, of course I had to include a soundtrack, and of course it was going to be the one from La La Land. I think it’s fair to say that La La Land has one of the best soundtracks of any film released in a long time. It perfectly accompanies the narrative of the film, introducing jazz to a newer, younger audience in such an incredible manner. The voices of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling together are so magical, especially in their duet “City of Stars”. It’s a wonderfully heart-warming soundtrack to have with the film that is just filled with hope, dreams and magic.
You (dodie)
Now, if you haven’t heard of Dodie, I can understand that, but now that I have brought her to your attention, please go and listen to her music. dodie’s second EP is as beautiful as the first, however the tones of this new collection has shifted from the last. You is made up of six songs that range from a Parisian inspired melody with ‘You’ to the stripped down, lyrically driven ‘Secret For The Mad’. dodie creates such beautiful effortless music than is great to listen to, and you can almost hear her memories through her songs.
Tell Me You Love Me (Demi Lovato)
Ah, Demi. By know you all know my love of her, and I’m sure the others are sick to death of me going on about her. However, this album deserves all the attention it can get. Tell Me You Love Me is an album filled to the brim with emotive and heartfelt songs. If you don’t feel anything whilst listening to it then I’m sorry but you must have no heart. There is so much raw emotion in this, from ‘Ruin The Friendship’ to ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ to ‘You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore’. Each song bears its own pain or heart. This is an astonishing album that deserves so much recognition.
÷ (Ed Sheeran)
It’s no surprise to anyone that Ed Sheeran tops this list. His highly anticipated third album overtook the music industry. It’s still flying high in the charts so many months after its release. On ÷, he once again gives us songs that are so incredibly beautiful that it’s impossible not to fall in love with them. I would happily argue that it is his best album yet, and I love the other two albums with all my heart. There is just something about this latest one that makes it stand out from his past releases and, in my opinion, every other album that’s been released this year.
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