Stefan's Top 10 of 2017

Overall I think this was kind of a down year in music.  Maybe my listening habits have just changed but usually I have a much harder time narrowing my list to 10.  Here you go.

2017 Top Ten albums…

Honorable Mentions:

Francis and the Lights – Just for Us

This album only came out on the 29^th of December so pretty hard to even put it on this list but I like it a lot.  Pretty simple songs without too much fuss.  Can’t wait for some music videos to come out.  I dig the song “Cruise”

https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-francis-and-the-lights-new-album-just-for-us/

10.  Brother Ali – All the Beauty in this World

I like Brother Ali more and more as he has gotten older.  I feel like his message has matured and changed as he has become a father and just experienced more life.  Smart hip hop.

9.  Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow

A band that sounds like it’s from a past era.  

8.  Haim - Something to Tell You

I generally am not a big fan of female singers but these ladies make fun music.  It sounds heavily influenced by a number of bands that I don’t really like but the way they do it makes it something I dig.

7. Elbow - Little Fictions

There are some songs that I absolutely love on this album.  I love Guy Garvey’s voice. He sounds like he should be sung in a different genre of music.

6.  Ryan Adams - Prisoner

I like the sound of this Ryan Adams phase albeit it I like his last album better.  A great song writer.

5.  Jay-Z - 4:44

A brutally honest record.  This album is the epitome of not needing to financially make a record like this but personally needing to make it.  Of course, it being Jay-Z, it is also a financial win.

4. Jason Isbell  and the 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound

This album has more songs that are my favorites of the year but as a whole I like his last album better.  He is a genius song writer.

3.  Cataldo – Keepers

This has been a rough year for our country and I’ve been listening to a lot more political podcasts in an attempt to stay woke.  Cataldo’s album is a great escape from that with fun synthesizers and pop tunes.

2. Kendrick Lamar – Damn.

A lyrical genius.  Kendrick Lamar is definitely on another level.  I have great amounts of respect for him and what he does.  Another gem of an album.

 1.     The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

Yup, I am a father in his mid 30s.  This album may not have the same cultural impact as some of the others on this list but I can listen to this album all day.  Love the music and the lyrics. 

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