Top Albums 2017 Part II 40 – 31

40. Remo Drive – Remo Drive 

For your dose of indie energy and teenage angst, Remo Drive provide the good stuff. Their debuts album Greatest Hits does feel like a band that has been around for a long time, honing their skills and unleashing an album of their best work to date. Not many bands of this genre sound as fresh as Remo Drive. What captured my attention were their stunning instrumentals and disdain for standard song structures. Some songs will break down in the middle part with a purely instrumental stint only to pick up where they left. "Strawberita" for instance has this huge instrumental bridge that feels like an impromptu jam in disregard of how the track started. And this linear writing style pays off track after track, not letting their songs become simple pop or pop-punk and emanating an overflow of energy and creativity. After this first outing and up until now staying completely indie, Remo Drive might become one of the leading bands of the genre and even better, prove to be a band that will never settle on one style or an idea of their music and keep us entertained.

<a href="http://remodrive.bandcamp.com/album/greatest-hits">Greatest Hits by Remo Drive</a>

39. Iona Fortune – Tao Of I

Tapping into the more ambient side of this list, Tao of I really struck a chord with me and stands to be one the most interesting albums using the Gamelan I know. If you like Laarji and Eno´s Ambient Three as much as I do, this album is something for you. Armed with the the Chinese Guzheng, Gamelan and an AKS Synth, Fortune made a set of songs that play on the 64 symbols of the I Ching, the Book of Changes and their meanings. I can´t really talk too much on that, but you can look up the meanings and try to find some semblances in the soundscape Fortune creates. The usage of the Gamelan and Guzheng, two instruments that have a visceral and very organic feel on their own, with the bassy drones of the synthesizer matches uniquely. "Kun" with its repetitive hitting of the Gamelan, has the instrument and the bass going in two different speeds but blending together to pretty much dissolve any New Age or meditation vibes one might get from hearing this instrument. With all the Asian and oriental clichés being associated with these instruments, Tao of I is a fresh take that is as much experimental as it is insightful to the power of non-western instruments and methods of playing. Above that, I´m excited to see how Fortune will provide 56 other tracks for the planned series of eight albums.

<a href="http://ionafortune.bandcamp.com/album/tao-of-i">Tao of I by Iona Fortune</a>

38. The xx – I See You

This is the first XX album that I thoroughly liked and I didn´t expect that to happen after the endless hype regarding the band and my listening experience of the first two albums always resulting in boredom. I got the appeal as they are an indie band that is bordering on shoegaze and dream pop without ever lacking the accessibility or eccentricity of such acts. But in this, I never actually felt that their hushed tones were doing anything out of the ordinary and, apart from a few great songs, a whole album turned into a grey and shiny slush. And going with the color palette theme and Jamie XX album In Color being an influence on this one, it was the best decision to allow some lighter tones into their mix. Going with blue and amber tones, there is this uplift in these songs, the dynamic of Romy and Oliver not reflecting in a broken sense but serving up self-doubts and intricacy of love in greater nuances. Tracks like “A Violent Noise” or “Say Something Loving” go full garage, while others like “Performance” bear a known intimacy of this xx-esque guitar and bass combo that made the band great in the beginning. And tracks like “I Dare You” in its country vibe or “On Hold” in all its pop sensibility show the promise of a band that deserves the number one spot on the charts as well as critical praise. This is the shit I want to hear on the radio and younger audience to find before going deep into other bands.

37. THEY. – Nu Religion: HYENA

Think Rae Srmmurd but with a highly psychedelic edge, bordering on rnb as much as on rock and you´ll get to where They. stand. Many rnb acts ape formulas that have worked for their contemporaries, in my opinion, Ocean or the Weeknd and this can lead to success, no doubt. Hyena is a power play on what you can achieve with a set of fresh eyes and as much a pop sensibility as an ear for indie rock sounds. Every song on here is memorable and catchy, from the tripped out aggression of "Motley Crue", the trap funk of "Bad Habits" or the swaged experimentation of "U-Rite". There is a sense of pure enjoyment in this album that I usually shy away from in music, something that just sounds good and catchy and this a great achievement on its own. I hope to see They. dabbling in other artist’s music too and become a staple in today´s rnb world.

36. Hammock – Mysterium

Albums centering on death and mourning made waves this year, be it with Bell Witch or Mount Eerie. Mysterium by the ambient outfit Hammock worked as a tribute to a young friend of Marc Byrd, Clark Kern who died of a tumor at 20 years old. Hammock toyed with choral work in their previous albums but on here they made it to a method with angelic voices rising in almost every song. While being a tribute, you get the feeling that this album is like asking the questions on the meaning of life and death in a very non-clichéd way – profound pieces of soundscapes, string arrangements mingling with an affectionate choir to grapple with the fact of death, especially death striking the young. For a long time, I felt Hammock suffered from a certain kind of over-production, too much output without a focus on the complete body of work, but Mysterium is a holistic experience born from one reasoning bearing many shapes and tendencies. The wish to die instead of the other on “I Would Give My Breath Away”, the haunting realization of “Things of Beauty Burn” or the celestial send-off “Elegy”. On things modern classical this year, there were only a few other records of such gravity.

<a href="http://shop.hammockmusic.com/album/mysterium">Mysterium by Hammock</a>

35. Dmitry Evgrafov – Comprehension Of Light

After working mostly digital for his debut on 130701 in 2015, Evgrafov´s newest albums sees him working with real instruments and arrangements again. On Comprehension the string arrangements take center stage before the piano pieces, which made Collage a delicate experience. There are still great piano pieces like “First Crop” but as this track goes on, the strings become integral and bloom away from being singular elements into truly orchestral works of a mind setting in motion a number of musicians. While the label describes the album as a narrative in its form and you can trace some kind of concept in its progression, I find its sheer maximalism to be the most intriguing element. Especially when Evgrafov taps into brass on “Kinsukuroi” featuring Benoit Pioulard and these organic instruments morph with electronic elements or when he does the same motion of swelling in reverse on the Abul Mogard featured "Znanie" that has the instruments emerging from the electronic depths. The tracks on Comprehension of Light aren´t as playful and in touch with nature as Collage seemed to be, even though they have more of an organic vibe to them, but even if the color palette is stripped down, the nuances shine and when Evgrafov collapses his styles on "Rootedness" you´ll be certain that this album is not about doom and gloom but a grand gesture of endurance facing bleakness.

<a href="http://dmitry-evgrafov.bandcamp.com/album/comprehension-of-light">Comprehension of Light by Dmitry Evgrafov</a>

35. Balmorhea – Clear Language

Clear Language has Balmorhea returning with an album after five years and in a way, returning to their original style of music. I loved 2012´s Stranger in all its variations and different ideas. For one thing, the album was uplifting and saw the band work within many compositional styles. Clear Language as the name implies had the band going back to being just a duo of two musicians jamming and writing instrumental music centered on guitar, piano and sometimes voice. It is a great reminder of how great the self-titled album and River Arms were and works as a statement of clarity in a way. The center of Balmorhea is what remains the strong suit of the outfit and not the idea of a steady progression of bigger instrumentation and intricate compositions. With Clear Language, the band went minimalist again and crafted something that holds the same emotional sway as their albums from almost ten years ago. Naturally, I wish they´ll still dabble in electronics and blend banjo with howling group vocals in an eight-minute piece, but now I´ll know that these elements function through the striking dynamic of a duo or a small group of people playing in a room and letting their instruments speak.

<a href="http://balmorhea.bandcamp.com/album/clear-language">Clear Language by Balmorhea</a>

34. Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm

There is nothing greater than to see Waxahatchee grow as a songwriter and Out In The Storm, while not bringing much innovation on the instrumental side, did just that – show continuous growth of a story centered on human and romantic relationships. This chapter seems to be very much about finding yourself after a bad breakup and becoming more in touch with your own sense of self that was diminished in a relationship for the sake of admiring someone else. After years and four albums in, I can surely say that Crutchfield is my favorite songwriter when it comes to indie rock and especially in terms of relationship. And one other thing to point out is that Out In The Storm might be the first album where I find the inclusion of the demo versions to be a great addition to the actual mix of the album. As much as I enjoy the originals, the demos in their raw and unfinished nature capture the essence of the album better than the finished versions. The demos somehow come closer to the messy and torn vibe of many of the lyrics and the growing pains of being alone again so to speak. Overall a great entry that delivers and is a solid expansion of Crutchfield´s impeccable discography.

<a href="http://waxahatchee.bandcamp.com/album/out-in-the-storm-deluxe-version">Out in the Storm (Deluxe Version) by Waxahatchee</a>

33. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory

Apart from Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples is one of the best lyricists in the mainstream scopes of rap right now. With Big Fish Theory, however, he furthered his style by going off into different territories in his selection of beats and styles of delivery. He even sings in a very indie-tronica way on this album! The beats on Big Fish Theory are influenced by footwork and Detroit techno and employ many elements that are still uncommon in trap beats. There is as much ambiance as there is bass heavy stutter in these beats and Staples changes his delivery accordingly to these choices. This alone makes the album one of the most exciting listens of 2017. Which is only furthered by Staples deeper songwriting on this one. Summertime 06 had many great moments that went from being deeply personal and heartfelt to being mindbenders. Here Staples grapples with fame and the situation of black people right now, furthering his observations of the hood and musing on the loss of love and his feeling of being down. The connection of energetic dance beats with his usually laid-back voice and his content are impeccable, easily transcending Summertime 06. This shit is bleak and poignant. The lyrics of "Bagbak" will remain stuck in my mind, “Until they love my black skin,  I´m going in” and “We need Tamikas and Shaniquas in that Oval Office”. In his own way, Staples has created one of the blackest albums of the year. 

32. Patricia – Several Shades Of The Same Color

The approach of conceptually shying away from emotions or cognitive listening is one I can very much relate to and one that makes Several Shades of The Same Color an intriguing entry in this year’s electronic music. Not talking about anything narrative, emotional or certain concrete ideas is almost impossible when talking about music, and yet the immediate reaction to sound is very much of this order before becoming entangled in language and thought. The individual tracks on this album should be listened to for their physical reaction alone, at least that is the intention. I can grasp this, putting on the varied sonic ideas and not transgressing the borders of trying to guide them through genre or other common denominators at all. This makes Several Shades morph from a club setting to headphone music while it might be best experienced in a room filled with people and at high volume. Apart from all that, and in a more analytical sense, these 15 tracks offer much in ways of danceability and experimental sound collage. This is far from normal house music or techno and yet still touches upon the best of its tropes, especially in favoring melody over anything that might be perceived as abrasive or completely abstract. And this is why this places in the top albums of this year, for it does not try to change the methods of making electronic music but rather the frame of listening.

<a href="http://ghostly.bandcamp.com/album/several-shades-of-the-same-color">Several Shades of the Same Color by Patricia</a>

31. Adult Mom – Soft Spots

I love the dynamics of this album. How the slow songs “Patience” or “Ephemeralness” portray the solitude of pouring your heart out while being carried by a band, small synth effects or sparse drumming. And how the faster-paced tracks like “Full Screen” and “Steal The Lake From The Water” grapple with a creative kind of anger and build on expressing frustration in an energetic way. With this album bearing a writing style that grapples with queerness and gender in a refreshing and not scolding way makes it something unique. “Drive Me Home” immediately caught my attention and the way the lyrics go between losing yourself for validation and grapple masculinity has me thinking still. 

<a href="http://adultmom.bandcamp.com/album/soft-spots-3">Soft Spots by adult mom</a>