As 2017 draws to a close, it’s a time that music fans love and loathe in equal measure. Almost everyone who has a passion for music likes to put together a ‘Best of’ list, and while it a lot of fun, narrowing down your choices can be a headache. When you look back at some of the releases this year, it’s easy to see why.
The Foo Fighters once again ruled the rock world with their ninth album, Concrete and Gold, as well as performing a triumphant headline show at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Liam Gallagher achieved great success on the back of his debut solo album, As You Were, and his brother Noel returned with his High Flying Birds for their third album, Who Built The Moon.
2017 was also a year of returns, and a particularly good one for Creation Records alumni, Ride and Slowdive. Ride’s fifth album, Weather Diaries, was their first album in over 20 years and is packed with huge tracks that build on their shoegaze roots. Slowdive took the best bits from each of their previous albums for their self-titled release, creating an ethereal trip that pleased new and old fans alike.
In hip hop, Kendrick Lamar seemed to dominate with his third album, DAMN. A cerebral trip through human emotion, set to a back drop of beats unlike any other. Joey Bada$$ released his politically charged All-AmeriKKKan Badass, while Tyler, The Creator did some soul searching to release his best effort yet, Flower Boy.
Pittsburgh’s Code Orange showed the entire music industry what it means to be an original and inventive band with their third album, Forever. They dominated stages around the world, playing huge arena support slots and taking to main stages at festivals, bringing their unique brand of metallic hardcore to the masses. Glassjaw also made their long-awaited return with Material Control, their first album in 15 years, and newcomers Bell Witch unleashed their sprawling, 86-minute epic, Mirror Reaper. Doom and stoner rock also saw strong album of the year contenders from Pallbearer and Electric Wizard with Heartless and Wizard Bloody Wizard, respectively.
On an even more underground level, DAIS Records released two of the best albums of the year in Drab Majesty’s sexual space ride of electronic dream pop, The Demonstration, and The Acrobat, the debut album from Philly post punk band, Death Of Lovers. One of the surprise finds of the year was also To Deaf and Day, the debut album from dream pop trio, Glaare, which is one of the very few albums released in the past few years to not have a single bad moment on it.
Below you can see a few highlights of what the staff here at eil.com enjoyed throughout 2017.
Julian Thomas (Director)
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest
Beck – Colours
XTC – Black Sea (New Stereo Mix by Steven Wilson)
Steven Wilson – To The Bone
Gorillaz – Humanz
Foo Fighters – Concrete & Gold
Cathryn Draper (Director)
Jamiroquai – Automaton
Stephen Franklin (Stock Addition Manager)
Disperse – Foreword
Big Big Train – Grimspound/The Second Brightest Star
Steven Wilson – To The Bone
Enslaved – E
Glaare – To Deaf and Day
Shobaleader One – Elektrac
Anathema – The Optimist
Sikth – The Future In Whose Eyes?
Nova Collective – The Further Side
Color Film – Living Arrangements
Chon – Homey
Inside The Sound – Wizard’s Eyes
Glen Bushell (Buyer)
Code Orange – Forever
Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
Glaare – To Deaf and Day
Woe – Hope Attrition
Drab Majesty – The Demonstration
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Pallbearer – Heartless
Death of Lovers – The Acrobat
Joey Bada$$ – All AmeriKKKan Bada$$
Planning For Burial – Below The House
Luke Heaver (Sales)
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Bonobo – Migration
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Four Tet – New Energy
Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins
Mike Wenban (Stock Addition)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder Of The Universe
Radiophonic Workshop – Burials In Several Earths
Laura Stoneman (Stock Addition)
Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
British Sea Power – Let The Dancers Inherit The Party
Cold Specks – Fools Paradise
Foo Fighters – Concrete & Gold
Jean-Paul Cartwright (Stock Addition)
Mastodon – Emperor Of Sand
Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark
Wolf Alice – Visions Of A Life
The Wayward Sons – Ghosts Of Yet To Come
Steve Wilson – To The Bone
Sons Of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
Wild Lies –Prison Of Sins
Queen – News of the World (40th Anniversary)
Greta Van Fleet – From The Fires
Rush – Farewell To Kings (40th Anniversary)
Phil Ashdown (Stock Addition)
Trivium – The Sin And The Sentence
Iced Earth – Incorruptible
Alice Cooper – Paranormal
Alter Bridge – Live at The O2
Stone Sour – Hydrograd
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