The Best Music of 2017 So Far

The Best Music of 2017 So Far

Isolated Nation
Music Nation

It's hard to believe that we have passed the halfway mark of 2017! There has been so much good music released this year already, that it is hard to stay on top of it all. Here is our guide to some of the best stuff 2017 has given us so far to refresh your memories! Note that, given the bulk of great music, there's no doubt plenty of albums we've missed. Make sure you give our Spotify profile a follow to check out our monthly playlists full of new and old tracks, here's our June one.

We'll start with the EPs and Singles that are yet to be attached to an album (in alphabetical order):

And now for the Albums (In alphabetical order):

  • Algiers – The Underside of Power: If their 2015 debut self-titled album was the sound of the protest, The Underside of Power is the sound of the revolution. Algiers once again seamlessly blend post-punk and gospel influences, but this time with a harder edge and heightened conviction. The perfect soundtrack for the fractured political landscape of 2017.
  • Arca - Arca: Influential Venezuelan experimental electronic act gives us his most revealing record to date, this time adding his own vocals to the mix.
  • Stephen Bailey - Silo: Perth act of Mt Mountain fame's debut is a gorgeous collection of dream-pop anthems.
  • Beach Fossils - Somersault: An upscaled version of this indie rock group's distinct sound, with some of their best songs yet.
  • Big Thief – Capacity: Big Thief's second album is an expansive folk-rock record full of profound moments.
  • Boat Show - Groundbreaking Masterpiece: Fiery feminist punk from some of Perth's best.
  • Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness: The ingredients that make up Not Even Happiness are very simple (most songs feature little else but some beautiful, finger-picked guitar and Byrne's hypnotic voice), but somehow Byrne arranges them for one of this year's most powerful statements. Sit back and let the music soothe you.
  • Chastity Belt – I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone: Calling to mind Sleater-Kinney, Seattle pop-punk group offer one of the year's most relatable and often-humorous albums, all about the everyday struggles of staying afloat. 
  • The Courtneys - II: An enormously fun indie rock record, all the way from Vancouver.
  • Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog: Indie rock favourite has never sounded more bare. A great album for fans and newcomers alike.
  • The Drums - Abysmal Thoughts: Jonny Pierce of The Drums crafts some of his best songs yet, calling back to the 80s indie rock of their earlier records but with a new perspective.
  • Feist – Pleasure: Six years after her last album, iconic indie pop darling offers her rawest album to date, hitting hard with some soaring vocal melodies and killer riffs. One of the best singer-songwriter albums of 2017.
  • Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up: Another album six years in the making, Crack-Up is easily Fleet Foxes' most experimental folk-rock album to date. It may take a few listens to get into, but once you get there, the rewards are endless. (Our review here.)
  • FOAM - Coping Mechanisms: Local trio deliver a blistering album full of solid rock tunes.
  • Gorillaz – Humanz: Okay, this album got a pretty lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. Yes, it's not their best album, but to dismiss it outright is very unfair. If you get past the filler, Humanz still offers some of the fantastic genre-mashing tunes you'd want from a Gorillaz album, such as "Let Me Out" and "Ascension" (if a bit lacking in 2D's vocals). It might be time to give this one another try.
  • Girlpool – Powerplant: Indie pop duo make a grander, louder statement with their second album, with great payoff.
  • HAIM - Something to Tell You: The sisters are back, delivering another record of stellar pop rock tracks, while also trying out some new sounds.
  • Aldous Harding – Party: The New Zealand singer-songwriter delivers a patient, potent folk record that is definitely worth giving some time.
  • Japandroids – Near to the Wild Heart of Life: The eagerly-anticipated follow-up to 2012's classic album Celebration Rock. The rock duo look to acts like Bruce Springsteen for inspiration on their third album, and it largely pays off, still offering plenty of shout-along moments.
  • Jay Som - Everybody Works: One of the standout break-through artists of 2017, Melina Duterte makes fantastically produced dream-pop that you'll want to listen to over and over again. (Revisit our review here.)
  • King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering: A brilliant debut from this doom metal outfit, with particularly ear-catching vocals from band mastermind Kristina Esfandiari.
  • Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.: This man can do no wrong. Perhaps Lamar's most accessible record to date, he still sounds gripping and vital nonetheless.
  • Lorde – Melodrama: Lorde's highly anticipated second album is more mature and diverse than her debut Pure Heroine. A bold step forward for one of this generation's brightest pop stars. (Our review can be found here.)
  • Los Campesinos! – Sick Scenes: Welsh indie pop outfit "haven't shifted drastically from their trademark sound (as usual), but overall the album is a rawer, more accessible and more mature (but no less energised) effort than anything they’ve put out before." (Read our review here.)
  • Laura Marling – Semper Femina: Another brilliant outing from this English folk darling, exploring themes of femininity.
  • Methyl Ethel – Everything is Forgotten: Methyl Ethel's triumphant return! Perth's favourite sons craft one of the most engaging records of the year, with plenty of irresistible hooks and stellar production.
  • The Mountain Goats - Goths: Cult favourites deliver their most musically adventurous album to date, continuing on their thematic streak by exploring the Goth subculture. John Darnielle's songwriting is as sharp as ever, with the guitar-less (shock horror!) backing freeing him to write some of the most epic songs of his vast career.
  • Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me: Another cult favourite, but with a very different album. Phil Elverum's heartbreak following the death of his wife is palpable on A Crow Looked At Me, making for probably the most emotionally devastating album you're ever likely to listen to. A Crow Looked At Me is sparse and confronting, and will almost definitely move you to tears as Elverum details every ache of his soul in brutal fashion.
  • Obituary - Obituary: Influential death metal outfit do not disappoint in their latest outing.
  • Kelly Lee Owens - Kelly Lee Owens: Owens seemingly emerged out of the ether with her self-titled debut, leaving witnesses in awe of the magic she seems to have so effortlessly crafted on her first full length release. Her voice, drenched in reverb, seems to echo about the negative space of sparse, layered electronic instrumentation resulting in an enthralling and meditative listening experience you will want to revisit time and time again.
  • Perfume Genius - No Shape: To put it plainly, a piece of magic in the guise of an album. Words fail to do it any justice bit it suffices to say that it is a striking, complex, grand, orchestral and emotionally dense record that warrants being listened to many times over.
  • Phoenix - Ti Amo: Everything you've come to expect and more from the French indie pop favourites. Grooves and hooks abound.
  • Pond - The Weather: Perth psych-rockers go synth-pop! The Weather is an enormously enjoyable album full of the same kind of charisma we've come to expect.
  • Power Trip - Nightmare Logic: This album has granted the metal group Power Trip some Deafheaven-esque crossover appeal, and for a good reason. Their iconoclastic second album is a no-holds-barred thrasher of a release, full of ferocity and finger-pointing lyrics matched by some brutal instrumentation.
  • Priests - Nothing Feels Natural: a tight debut album from an exciting new American punk group.
  • Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 3: "It’s a full steam ahead onslaught of razor-sharp lines and abstract, banging beats that cut to core of our times, leaving a deep impression on the listener." (Check out our review here.)
  • Sampha – Process: One of the most criminally overlooked albums of 2017. Sampha's long-awaited debut is full of sultry, emotive R&B and stunning vocal performances. Do not miss this one.
  • Slowdive – Slowdive: 22 years in the making, the influential shoegazers do not disappoint on their fourth record. (See our review here.)
  • The Smith Street Band – More Scared of You Than You Are of Me: Melbourne rockers diversify their sound on their latest record, but don't skimp on the cathartic singalongs and killer riffs that they're known and loved for. (Read our interview with frontman Will Wagner here.)
  • Sorority Noise – You’re Not as ___ As You Think: The new album from emo favourites Sorority Noise is a rollercoaster, with plenty of devastating lyrics matched by killer instrumentation.
  • Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory: Long Beach rapper brings a whole team of collaborators on board for his diverse new album (including Kendrick Lamar, Flume, Damon Albarn, A$AP Rocky, Justin Vernon and Perth's Kučka, amongst others) offering plenty of grooves and ferocious bars.
  • Harry Styles - Harry Styles: On his debut solo record, the One Directioner aims to be your dad's favourite artist, and will probably become one of yours too. Borrowing from classic rock artists from Queen to The Beatles, Styles has made one of the best pop records of the year.
  • Stormzy - Gang Signs & Prayer:  The grime star finally delivers his debut full length, and it is absolutely worth the wait.
  • SZA - Control: SZA's second album is an improvement in every sense of the word, delivering a highly personal R&B record to be admired.
  • Tei Shi - Crawl Space: Columbian-Canadian indie-pop artist creates a debut album all about defiantly overcoming life's obstacles.
  • Thundercat - Drunk: An album of smooth electronic jazz that manages a lot, ranging from the funny to the sombre.
  • Tinariwen - Elwan: The Mali desert rock group bring back their pounding rhythms and show-stealing guitars for another record, this time featuring collaborators like Kurt Vile, Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age).
  • Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Having ventured into the realm of electronic music in the past, on this release Ulver commit to a distinctively synthpop sound, an unexpected but seemingly fitting progression for the band who had their roots in metal. The Assassination of Julius Caesar sees the band veer into uncharted terrain and with that they really hit the mark. Each track is as catchy and infectious as the last with scarcely a dull moment in between. Don’t let this slip under your radar.
  • Vagabon – Infinite Worlds: An indie rock artist in a similar vein to Frankie Cosmos (who features on this record), Vagabon's debut highlights her as an artist to look out for.
  • Wiley - Godfather: The grime legend has never sounded better on his eleventh(!) album.
  • Xiu Xiu - Forget: Xiu Xiu return with an uncharacteristically poppy and cohesive record whilst staying true to their affinity for making music that is at once unnerving, disorienting, disordered and noisy in all the best ways. From the catchy "Wandering" to the introspective and atmospheric "Hay Choco Bananas", Xiu Xiu continue to prove that there is no limit to their versatility. Forget is truly an experience that is likely to leave an impact on all those who choose to embrace it.
  • The xx - I See You: The xx's long-awaited third record sees the British trio looking outward, with a more expansive sound to match.
  • You'll Never Get to Heaven - Images: Dream pop outfit You’ll Never Get to Heaven seem to have found their footing on their latest release which sees the band adopt a more consistent approach to the sound that they’ve so meticulously pursued on their two previous full length releases and it pays off immensely. Images takes the listener on a journey through lush, ethereal soundscapes ranging from Eno-inspired ambient interludes to pop songs more in line with something you would find on a Cocteau Twins album. One thing that is for sure is that each song is unmistakably their own, making Images a worthy contribution to their discography and a highly enjoyable and rewarding listen.

So... Who else can't wait for the rest of the year?

 

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