The Student Playlist

Showcasing the Best New Music, Curating the Classics

The Top 50 Albums of 2017

  1. Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights (Matador)

Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Julien Baker continued down her path to greatness with Turn Out The Lights. Holding a close candle to 2015’s debut album Sprained Ankle, it saw Baker tear down stigma surrounding mental health with a focussed compilation of sad songs. Constructed from weeping piano and sparse guitar, tracks like ‘Hurt Less’ and ‘Appointments’ were hauntingly bare-bones displays of depression, anxiety and insecurity. One of the most important pieces of music of 2017 for those able to relate to the issues bravely and beautifully sung about on this record. (Rebecca Corbett) (LISTEN)

  1. Alex G – Rocket (Domino)

Few artists as young as Alex Giannascoli have amassed such a prolific and unique discography in such a short period of time. Rocket was his second outing on major label Domino, and was easily his most stylistically intrepid to date, ranging from the Americana twang of ‘Bobby’, to the industrial noise-rock of ‘Brick’ and the melancholic piano ballad ‘Sportstar’. But even amid this experimentation, the Pennsylvanian songwriter stayed faithful to the intimate emotional core that made his music so special in the first place. (Woody Delaney) (LISTEN)

  1. Alt-J – Relaxer (Infectious)

Pretentious or pompous? Self-indulgent or pure genius? Since their 2012 debut, Alt-J have become experts at treading this fine line, and their third record, Relaxer, demonstrates just that. With only eight tracks compared to the overly-long fourteen of its predecessor This Is All Yours, it’s a carefully-crafted album including everything from references to binary code to an almost choral version of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’. Sounds weird but, as always with the Alt-J, it’s actually pretty brilliant. (Alice Williams) (LISTEN)

  1. Fever Ray – Plunge (Rabid / Mute)

Few albums in 2017 felt as germane as the second Fever Ray album, Plunge, which arrived with surprise lead single ‘To The Moon And Back’. On Karin Dreijer’s lively, joyous greeting after eight years’ absence, a twittering synth opens up to a vast rainforest soundscape; the sheer joyfulness of the song crowned by her cry of “I want to run my finger up your pussy”. More closely aligned with music Dreijer produced with her brother Olof as The Knife, Plunge issued a call to action while representing a triumph for otherness.

Spacious production and Dreijer’s distinctive, pitch-shifting vocal stylings carry over from her 2009 self-titled debut, on which the singer presented as an unknowable force of nature through tribal polyrhythms and razor sharp synths. Plunge, however, took a more scattered approach, conveying chaos, outrage and the nuances of human sexuality through nightmarish, futuristic atmospheres – from the winding, rubbery synths and cries of “Free abortions! Clean water!” on the title track, to the industrial pulse of ‘An Itch’ and the robotic glitches of ‘Mustn’t Hurry’. One of 2017’s most unexpected and powerful releases, Plunge blasted an exceptional year for music into outer space. (Lauren James) (LISTEN)

  1. Spoon – Hot Thoughts (Matador)

Spoon have built up a loyal, dedicated following throughout the US over the course of twenty years, but had largely gone under the radar within the UK music industry. Their reputation over here has certainly changed over the last five years, mainly on back of their much admired 2014 release They Want My Soul, which drew inspiration from British shores with sounds driven by Stonesy blues rock alongside futuristic subtleties of Super Furry Animals. Hot Thoughts, their ninth album to date, saw a shape shift in sound that pays closer attention to electronic synths driven by a funkier sound in comparison to previous releases.

‘Pink Up’ and ‘WhisperI’lllistentohearit’ took a more experimental pop approach with sparse soundscapes, but Spoon came into their element on ‘Can I Sit Next To You’ and ‘First Caress’. The former features an ‘Uptown Funk’-style beat alongside a slick Eastern electronic synth to add to the abstract nature of the record. ‘First Caress’ is similar with a four-to-the-floor disco nod featuring lead singer Britt Daniel’s distinctive snarling vocal delivery. Arguably Spoon’s strongest album to date, it’s no surprise that Hot Thoughts has picked up acclaim on each side of the Atlantic by taking its reliable formula to the next level. (Matthew Langham) (LISTEN)

  1. Ghostpoet – Dark Days + Canapés (P.I.A.S.)

If 2017 could be defined in album title, it would be Dark Days + Canapés, the fourth record from Obaro Ejimiwe, aka Ghostpoet. The music was unsurprisingly bleak, yet Ghostpoet finds an ironic ‘joy’ throughout giving the album a heart, which is lacking in so much protest music today. Musically, the record found Ghostpoet toe the line between alt-rock and progressive rap, with tracks like ‘Freakshow’ and ‘Immigrant Boogie’ featuring brilliantly accessible hooks while keeping a strong voice lyrically making Dark Days + Canapés a more than worthy addition to our list. (John Tindale) (LISTEN)

  1. Happyness – Write In (Moshi Moshi)

Happyness are without a doubt one of the most creatively gifted guitar music acts going today.  Their sophomore album Write In bears a myriad of similarities to their 2014 debut Weird Little Birthday but this time round, the tracklisting is more upbeat and experimental. ‘Bigger Glass Less Full’ and ‘Anytime’ lovingly integrated some gravelly lo-fi production, opener ‘Falling Down’ embraced these theatrical and downcast guitar chords, but nothing was as wonderful as the catchy rise-and-fall guitar ditty on ‘Uptrend / Style Raids’. It should be acknowledged that Happyness are not just a run-of-the-mill guitar band but a group with superlative intellect and special songwriting skills. If their next album matches the resplendence of Write In, Happyness’ popularity is will go nowhere but up. (Harry Beynon) (LISTEN)

  1. Girl Ray – Earl Grey (Moshi Moshi)

Having been one of the most highly anticipated indie albums of 2017, Girl Ray’s debut did not disappoint. Earl Grey had distinctly dreamy teenage summer vibes, but was executed perfectly to avoid any hint of cheese. Instead, Girl Ray offered echo-y, lo-fi nostalgic angst, almost like a 2017 musical equivalent to The Virgin Suicides. There is undoubtedly something cute about tracks like ‘Don’t Go Back At Ten’, but it had just enough bite to keep it from being too twee. Given the array of talent and humour on Earl Grey, we should all be very excited about whatever it is that they’re planning to do next. (Jesse Casey) (LISTEN)

  1. Mastodon – Emperor Of Sand (Reprise)

Of all the Mastodon albums in existence, none are as personal or emotionally driven as their latest offering Emperor Of Sand. Bill Kelliher’s mother passing away due to cancer is just one of a few tragic family experiences that the band members have been tormented by. All that despondency and sadness condenses into a metaphorical narrative of a lost and dejected desert wanderer – illustrating the thoughts and feelings of the Mastodon cohort. ‘Show Yourself’ is one the most satiable Mastodon singles in existence. The lyricism on tracks like ‘Precious Stones’ and ‘Steambreather’ thought-provokingly contemplates life as a general concept and ‘Jaguar God’ was an ambitious closer to one of modern metal’s exuberantly triumphant albums. (HB) (LISTEN)

  1. Kamasi Washington – Harmony Of Difference (Young Turks)

After two years of high-profile collaborations with the likes of Run The Jewels and Kendrick Lamar, the L.A.-based jazz cat Kamasi Washington released yet another undeniably scrumptious effort. Harmony Of Difference successfully expands the saxophonist’s jazz presence after 2015’s colossal The Epic and builds upon his legacy. Using principles of counterpoint, Washington played with re-emerging musical motives throughout the album, resulting in a tasteful and cohesive jazz dish. While passionately crooning away on his signature tenor saxophone, Washington explored themes like ‘Desire’ and ‘Integrity’ and definitely proves that his music is “a psychedelic balm in a time of bleary chaos”, as dubbed by Pitchfork. (Aiste Samuchovaite) (LISTEN)

  1. Big Thief – Capacity (Saddle Creek)

Big Thief is nominally a group effort but it’s rapidly becoming a vehicle for their immensely talented lead singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker. Just seven months after dropping their impressive debut Masterpiece, sophomore effort Capacity drastically shifted the terms of engagement, swapping howling noise for morose introspection. Alternating between Lenker’s own viewpoint and the narrated perspective of her characters, the stark songs drew on themes of childhood, family and humans’ innate capacity for love and violence. (Ed Biggs) (LISTEN)

  1. Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark? (Warner Bros.)

Modern-day British rock heroes Royal Blood returned this summer with their spiralling sophomore album How Did We Get So Dark? along with a highly successful main stage performance at Glastonbury. Joyously, it matched the venomous ire of their sacrosanct self-titled debut from 2014, and did so by doubling down on all of its best aspects. Moreover, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher’s partnership continues to be as shatterproof as a diamond. The outstanding highlights include Kerr’s bass riff (maybe his greatest to date) on ‘Hook, Line & Sinker’, Thatcher’s thunderous drumming on ‘Where Are You Now?’ and the singles ‘Lights Out’ and ‘I Only Lie When I Love You’. Once again, Royal Blood delivered another deep-seated album of profound ferocity. (HB) (LISTEN)

  1. Thundercat – Drunk (Brainfeeder)

Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat and the sonic architect of Kendrick Lamar’s masterpiece To Pimp A Butterfly, took the limelight for himself in 2017. Collecting an ensemble of his musical heroes such as Kenny Loggins, alongside former collaborators and fellow-travellers like Kendrick, Pharrell and Wiz Khalifa, Drunk was a 23-track consciousness-stream of squelchy, futuristic jazz and bugged-out musical tangents that formed a kaleidoscopic whole. It addressed serious issues like death and depression in a cartoonish but oddly profound manner that made complete sense when intoxicated. (EB) (LISTEN)

  1. Forest Swords – Compassion (Ninja Tune)

Compassion, the latest full-length from Wirral-based producer Matthew Barnes is one of the most distinctive electronic albums of 2017, and one that’s consistently worth revisiting thanks to the beautiful sonic journey on which it takes the listener, packed to the gills with tribal vocals and grand, ethereal instrumentals. Compassion’s electronic but deeply human sound is inspired by the fear and uncertainty that characterise public life in current times, and searches for a sense of stability amongst it all, showing us that we can build bridges despite the divisions between us. It’s a powerfully relevant record, and essential listening for 2017. (Josh Kirby) (LISTEN)

  1. Queens Of The Stone Age – Villains (Matador)

Josh Homme’s Queens of The Stone Age single-handedly rekindled their rock’n’roll spark back in 2013 with …Like Clockwork after six years away. Villains, on the other hand, set itself up as a project that has the prospect of not just reawakening rock music, but maybe even guitar music in its entirety in 2017. Putting aside how ironic it is that Mark Ronson oversaw its production, Ronson and Homme’s intermingling musicianship produced unifying results. ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me’ was a vocal milestone for Homme as the Bowie influences seep their way in. ‘The Way You Used To Do’ and its quirky, unorthodox guitar riffage show a lighter side to Homme’s songwriting. ‘Head Like A Haunted House’ and ‘The Evil Has Landed’ contain the early QOTSA drug euphoria to allow fans to reminisce a little. For rock fans, this was a pivotal moment in rock history, and an absolute must in their album collection. (HB) (LISTEN)

  1. Bonobo – Migration (Ninja Tune)

It’s not often that instrumental music can convey just as much emotion as music with lyrics. But in the case of Simon Green’s sixth Bonobo record, Migration, warm synths, fluttering percussion and dreamy melodies is enough to make it one of the most mesmerising albums of 2017. Where previous Bonobo albums veered more towards the almost too hazy and indistinct end of the electronic spectrum, Migration is his most polished and sophisticated effort yet. The perfect soundtrack for lazy days, or staring out of the train window pretending you’re in a movie. Or is that just me…? (AW) (LISTEN)

  1. Iglooghost – Neō Wax Bloom (Brainfeeder)

Simply put: Neō Wax Bloom, the debut album from London-based producer Seamus Malliagh, is about as exciting as electronic music gets. By combining PC Music and the bold instrumentalism of Flying Lotus at his most pop-savvy, he managed to create a unique album which broke all conventional rules of music. Tracks like ‘Bug Thief’ and ‘Zen Champ’ are an attack on the senses with their non-stop urgency. Iglooghost may not be the most recognisable name on this list, but if Neō Wax Bloom is anything to go by, it will be in years to come. (JT) (LISTEN)

  1. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 3 (Run The Jewels Inc.)

Politically sharp and incisive as ever, raging in defiance at lawmakers, police and public ignorance, RTJ3 was the musically dynamic and varied platter that Killer Mike and El-P had offered yet. Laying off the almost brutally direct assault of Run The Jewels 2 and opting for a more finely-tuned approach, their lyrical flow and interplay on tracks like ‘Everybody Stay Calm’ and ‘Legend Has It’ was urgent and instinctive, full of eminently quotable and fun moments that stood up to countless revisits. (EB) (LISTEN)

  1. Elbow – Little Fictions (Polydor / Concord)

Elbow reliably released another strong album in the form of Little Fictions. Definitely not lacking in single material in the form of ‘Gentle Storm’ and ‘Magnificent (She Says)’, the band also provided us with some top-notch deep cuts like ‘Firebrand & Angel’ and the grandiose titular track. While not necessarily an expectation transcending artistic reinvention, Little Fictions continues the band’s streak of solid albums and it’s one of their most consistent ones at that, flowing from one song to the next with the grace worthy of Guy Garvey’s trademark vocal performances. (Ellie Wolf) (LISTEN)

  1. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory (ARTium / Blacksmith / Def Jam)

As healthy and thriving as the modern American hip-hop scene is, there’s no denying that it can feel stylistically saturated at times, with many mainstream artists apprehensive to stray from trends. That’s why Long Beach rapper Vince Staples’ sophomore album Big Fish Theory felt like such a breath of fresh air. The electronic, dance-flavoured instrumentals were proudly unlike what any of his peers were producing, and added an infectious, nocturnal tone. Atop this, the confident yet steady Vince lays down some of his most conscious and powerful bars to date (see ‘BagBak’) while also delivering addictive club-friendly bangers like ‘Big Fish’, ultimately proving himself to be a prodigy in his field. (WD) (LISTEN)

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