Top 20 albums of 2017: from The Folk Ups to Harry Styles, there's something for everyone
From Kendrick Lamar, to Angus & Julia Stone, to Lana Del Rey – here are our top 20 listens of the year
The Folk Ups' EP Shelby is one of this year's best musical offerings.From Taylor Swift (finally) releasing a new album, to the One Direction boys coming out with their own albums, every music fan knows it’s been an exciting year for the ears. Here is Young Post’s countdown of our faves from the past 12 months:
Kendrick Lamar – Damn
Lamar’s lyrical themes are searingly present, and deal with the darkness and uncertainty of modern times.
Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
Her eerily distinct voice here sets her apart from the crowd, as she manages to strike a perfect balance between dark gothic rock and ethereal vocals.
Mew – Visuals
The band abandon their more traditionally celestial sounds for an album that feels far more direct; in the right setting, it is near perfection.
Bonobo – Migration
Migration has pushed Bonobo in every musical direction without losing any sense of his identity, making it his most refined and introspective album yet.
Slowdive – Slowdive
On this album, the rock band have managed to capture the sounds of every stage of their earlier career, while managing to sound fresh and modern.
Harry Styles – Harry Styles
Styles has created a record that no one really expected of him. He might well be the most unlikely of music saviours, and the one who is bringing guitar music back to the mainstream.
J. Hus – Common Sense
This is a collection of catchy instrumentals, in a range of moods yet with consistent production. R’n’B and grime fans take note: it’s only common sense to add this record to your collection.
Lucy Rose – Something’s Changing
Rose really gets into her stride as an acoustic singer-songwriter here, and leaves her fans breathless with anticipation for where she’ll take her songs next.
Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
Del Rey grows into the image she first cultivated, and grows in confidence, too. She’s more adventurous and playful with her sound, without losing sight of her roots.\
Milkmouth – Not Wasted EP
This grungy record by the Hong Kong group was worth the long wait. If Not Wasted is anything to go by, Milkmouth may soon be a musical force to be reckoned with.
Angus & Julia Stone – Snow
Snow has some brilliant, catchy indie folk songs, and some other great tracks – but it falls just short of the duo’s earlier work.
Max Richter – Three Worlds
Composer Richter merges writer Virgina Woolf’s works with her personal life in this album, creating a compelling musical experience that’s not to be missed.
Phoenix – Ti Amo
Dancey, infectious and this summer’s must-have party anthem playlist for any indie kid. Ti amo, Ti Amo.
Dutch Uncles – Big Balloon
Sure, this sounds oddly like a Greatest Hits album, but only because Dutch Uncles have taken the best aspects of their previous work, and built on them to produce an amazing record. Ultimately, Big Balloon sounds like a band having fun.
Thundercat – Drunk
This feels like an almost minute-by-minute account of a night out. The story arc is cleverly designed and merges into a downbeat jazz-fusion haze.
Lorde – Melodrama
Lorde has managed to astutely depict every aspect of the aftermath of a relationship without alienating the listener, making Melodrama possibly the best break-up album of the decade.
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Sleep Well Beast is the band at their most introverted, experimental and consistent since 2007’s Boxer.
Miguel – War & Leisure
Miguel melds an array of genres here, while delivering a politically charged message throughout. War & Leisure could be the last great album of 2017.
Future Islands – The Far Field
The Far Field marks a return to the warmer sounds of the band’s earlier career, with the consistency of 2014’s Singles.
The Folk Ups – Shelby EP
The debut EP from these Hong Kong teens was brilliant, but Shelby is even better, and really shows the band pushing their own boundaries and emotions.