30. Mac DeMarco – ‘Moonlight On The River’ (Captured Tracks)

Chilled and self-reflective as always, Mac DeMarco lays down one of the highlights, as well as one of the most personal cuts, of his recorded output with the penultimate track from his recent (and excellent) This Old Dog album. Not being afraid to take its time the track clocks in at just over seven minutes long, but it never feels prolonged needlessly, rather serving to the general calm, ‘lose yourself in it’ nature of Mac DeMarco songs.

29. Arcade Fire – ‘Everything Now’ (Columbia)

With a synth line straight out of ‘Dancing Queen’ and an array of orchestral instrumentation from strings to pygmy flutes, Arcade Fire delivers a dense, light, and shining ode to oversaturation. Albeit just a little preachy, the trademark sincerity of Win Butler and Co. makes it difficult to be cynical, and so easy to get lost in the best single the band released this year.

28. Loyle Carner – ‘The Isle Of Arran’ (Virgin EMI)

Benjamin Coyle-Larner was one of the breakout stars of 2017, delivering on more than a year of hype with his understated and beautiful debut album Yesterday’s Gone. ‘The Isle Of Arran’ was its opening gambit, a slice of eloquent and sensitive British hip-hop, with natural infusions of R&B and jazz, making you wonder why more British rap can’t sound half as good as this.

27. LCD Soundsystem – ‘Call The Police’ (DFA / Columbia)

James Murphy updated the instruction manual for bands making reunion albums with this year’s American Dream, retaining everything that was great about LCD Soundsystem the first time around but adding a new dimension of maturity. Sprawling lead single ‘Call The Police’, with its swirling ‘Heroes’-esque production, was just the very best of an astonishing collection.

26. The War On Drugs – ‘Strangest Thing’ (Atlantic)

Dad-rock came back in all its glory through the lens of Adam Granduciel and his obsessive studio tinkering. A nearly seven-minute trip through the soundscape of shimmering synthesizers, reverbed guitars, and melancholic vocals is an experience unto itself, but the grand gesture of the first loud guitar riff coming in way past the point of you expecting it is something that catches you emotionally off-guard and sticks with you like little else.

25. Algiers – ‘Underside Of Power’ (Matador)

A fusion of gospel and punk, Algiers music sounds like a breath of fresh air in the current rock landscape to begin with, but ‘Underside Of Power’ really hits the mark being restless, relevant, angry, and yet with that tinge of gospel music hopefulness. Throwing in references to everything from T. S. Eliot to Sam Cooke, both the song and the band stand at an inter-cultural place that’s beyond needed at a time like this.

24. Grizzly Bear – ‘Three Rings’ (RCA)

Re-establishing Grizzly Bear as one of the most meticulous and versed in complicated arrangements outfits of indie music, ‘Three Rings’ is a definite highlight of the band’s splendid return to the music scene, Painted Ruins. The song completely fails in sticking to a singular pattern, constantly shifting and evolving in its instrumentation and groove, finally culminating in a dense conclusion that’s one of the best of the year.

23. The Horrors – ‘Something To Remember Me By’ (Caroline / Wolf Tone)

A strangely light and glittery sounding conclusion to a “We wanted to get nasty” album by a band called The Horrors, ‘Something To Remember Me By’ rushes your mind with an ecstatically delivered array of influences ranging from Depeche Mode to New Order. Yet, far more than an interesting case study of idol-worship manifestation, it presents you with a journey you’re guided on with such finesse and conviction that it’s hard to remain cynical.

22. Dua Lipa – ‘New Rules’ (Warner Bros.)

The pop newcomer had an amazing breakout year, and it’s in large part thanks to this major hit, empowering people everywhere to finally get over their obligatory experience of recycling crappy exes. Literally naming off rules for getting over it with an incredibly sexy, raspy vocal tone, Dua Lipa delivers an excellent pop track that foreshadows an excellent career amongst the pop giants.

21. Lil Uzi Vert – ‘XO Tour Llif3’ (Atlantic)

Mixing his trademark emo lyricism with trap beats, Uzi delivers a manic recounting of a relationship shattered by mental issues and substance abuse, that, not unlike the best pop of recent years, gained widespread internet traction with literally no promotional backing. Not shying away from naming names and being specific, it’s a meta highlight of Uzi’s career, and an elevated standard for his contemporaries.

20. The xx – ‘Dangerous’ (Young Turks)

Previous to their 2017 album I See You, The xx were mostly known for being a completely minimalistic, exceptionally melancholic guitar band, so the song earns points for immediately catching you off-guard for opening the album with…  a trumpet section. The shocker aside, the song is excellently produced, taking more of a cue from Jamie xx’s solo work, but still keeping that trademark melancholy intact, showing everyone how to expand beyond your sonic roots with class.

19. Bjork – ‘Blissing Me’ (One Little Indian)

Airiness and utopian visions are likely not what listeners expected from Bjork after the wrenching, as if still bleeding Vulnicura that narrated the split with her long-term partner, artist Matthew Barney. ‘Blissing Me’ is an ode to a newfound, both musical and romantic, connection between two in the technological age, with an exotic, now optimistic fusion of the musical genius of Bjork and Arca. The track is laden with caresses of harps, vocal overlays and hints of flute, definitely playing their part in establishing the romantic utopia that Bjork envisioned while creating Utopia.

18. Wolf Alice – ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ (Dirty Hit)

For the most part, Wolf Alice’s sophomore effort Visions Of A Life had the same kind of feel as their superb 2015 debut – that this was a multi-talented band that could credibly go in any number of directions. ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ was one of the moments that broke newer ground for the band, melding krautrock-tinged rhythms with dark synth-pop and a hypnotic vocal performance from Ellie Rowsell.

17. The National – ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’ (4AD)

The National injected their trademark down-tempo, sombre sound with some much-needed vitality on their newest effort Sleep Well Beast. While this song still contains all the key things that the National fans love about the band’s music – sorrowful themes, melancholy piano, and Matt Berninger’s low-end vocals – it is also one of the best produced tracks the band have ever released, as well as, for the first time, containing *audible gasp* a guitar solo.

16. Arca – ‘Reverie’ (XL)

The churning, brutal third single off of Arca’s latest effort is his signature kaleidoscope of wailing strings, beat clusters and highly emotive vocals. It’s cathartic yet daunting, the production reminiscing of bodily seizures. More than that, ‘Reverie’ feels painfully honest, sounding both otherworldly and unmistakably human.

15. Nadine Shah – ‘Out The Way’ (1965 Records)

2017 was a great one for Nadine Shah, who finally got the recognition she deserved with her third album Holiday Destination, which channelled the spirits of PJ Harvey, Siouxsie and The Slits yet contorted them into new shapes. Built on a fractious rhythm and nervous energy, ‘Out The Way’ was an impassioned dissection of anti-immigration sentiment (“Where would you have me go? / I’m second-generation, don’t you know?”) she experienced growing up in the North-East.

14. Kelela – ‘LMK’ (Warp)

The sleek and futuristic sounding wake-up call of 2017 about the mutual respect and communication essential in hook-ups, LMK booms with a sensual, searing bass line and click-clattering beats. The dazzling LMK (meaning ‘Let Me Know’) teased Take Me Apart with its ultra-catchy chorus and established Kelela’s now signature boudoir R&B as a force to be reckoned with.

13. Father John Misty – ‘The Ballad Of The Dying Man’ (Sub Pop)

In his magnum opus for the state of humanity in 2017, Josh Tillman reckons with the evils of capitalism, the authenticity of the entertainment industry, and many other issues plaguing the modern consciousness. ‘The Ballad Of The Dying Man’ takes a bit of a more meta approach, critiquing the critic with the unapologetic pomposity ant wit Tillman revels in. Insightful, if a bit sermon-like, it offers commentary on social commentary, in a time where the need for both is more pronounced than ever.

12. St. Vincent – ‘New York’ (Loma Vista)

Stripped down, simple, guitar-less, and possibly one of the most honest tracks Annie Clark has ever written.  Neatly fitting within the tradition of forlorn vague love ballads centred on New York City, the song’s delivery is subtle and hits heavy, echoing the losses of former lovers and personal heroes, with possibly the most delicately sung case of the word “motherfucker” ever.

11. Frank Ocean – ‘Chanel’ (self-released)

Possibly the only artist who can make a reference to a high-end fashion designer’s logo a song’s lyrical and poetic centre and make it work as well as this. Over the delicate arrangement of the song so evocative of the introverted R&B style Frank Ocean has developed for himself, he muses on sexual, gender, and viewpoint fluidity. Besides being proclaimed a bisexual anthem, the song stands as yet another excellent addition to Ocean’s slowly expanding progressive catalogue.