🎶 Wacko's review list's back, and it's better than ever. For New Years this year, my review list's here! 🎶
Five years running, it's about time I got a jingle, right? Welcome back to my musical ego trip that people occasionally look forward to reading. Like most years, 2017's albums seem to have a theme or two: men being especially vulnerable and producers having the time of their lives. All things considered, it makes sense that a female artist isn't at the top of my list for once. Oops, wasn't supposed to let that slip, but down scroll down yet!
There was so much great music this year, I didn't finalize my list until the 29th. There were a few albums I didn't get to, so pleeeeeease let me know if them were fire. As always, I drop this list to start a discourse.
A reminder of my criteria:
1) Does the album have a thesis and follow it?
2) How much does the album knock?
3) Does this album speak to me/the masses?
4) How many tracks standout vs fade into the background?
Without further adieu, let's discover a few of my favorite things.
17) Ty Dolla $ign's Beach House 3
Release Date: October 27th
Runtime: 51:39
Secretly, I've always been drawn to Ty Dolla $ign's melodic voice, but I denied myself pleasure because I filed him under Trap Rap Goons™. It wasn't until last year that I decided to stop being a bitter old nigga and give the new sound a chance. I'm thankful I did because Beach House 3 had me milly rocking in every room of my house. This album is also great for riding around a video game's large explorable world. From the first song, Ty sets us up for a conversation about all the fame-greedy among us over a few simple guitar chords. From there, we receive the first of many Famous interludes that introduces the song to follow perfectly. While Ty feels free to experiment with dubstep reggae (shout out to Skrillex and Damian Marley), most of his production is the usual trap beats with a slightly softer edge. And though the album is riddled with features, Ty truly shines on the last quarter of Beach House 3 when he takes time to dance in the moonlit sand alone.
Hit Single:
Love U Better (feat Lil Wayne & The-Dream)
Standout Tracks:
Droptop in the Rain [ft Tory Lanez]
All The Time
Skip It:
Lil Favorite [ft MadeinTYO] - because you can hear this track from anyone else in the game
16) Logic's Everybody
Release Date: May 5th
Runtime: 70:56
Logic has been on my radar since he randomly appeared on a track with Childish Gambino a few years back. Unfortunately, I wrote him off as another lame white rapper like G Eazy (which is fucked up, because I liked G Eazy's Endless Summer mixtape). It wasn't until his suicide prevention song finally reached me that I decided to give him a chance. Imagine my surprise when I not only discovered this is his third studio album, but that he is also of mixed descent. I know this because he reminds us on every other track. While Everybody easily wins this year's Thesis Award, Logic relies too heavily on speaking directly to his audience after he raps on more than two tracks. That said, his interludes with Neil Degrasse-Tyson counterbalance how annoying his self-delivered sermons are. Exploring topics of black/white relations, parenting, and reincarnation, this conscious rapper earned enough respect from me to avoid using mixed raced slurs in this review. He's heard enough of them and I need to work on not being so problematic anyway.
Hit Single:
1-800-273-8255 [ft Alessia Cara and Khalid]
Standout Tracks:
Everybody
America [ft Black Thought, Chuck D, Big Lenbo, & No I.D.]
Skip It:
Mos Definitely - because you can tell how badly he wanted a featured verse from Yasiin Bey
15) Haim's Something to Tell You
Release Date: July 7th
Runtime: 42:34
Every so often an album makes it on the listen not because I connected with it but because someone very close to me fell in love with it after I introduced them to it. This year's Best Friend Connector goes to Something to Tell You. The sisters Haim have a way of stringing together lyrics and harmonies that hook me song after song. Meanwhile, for my friend, it was the album's breakup elements that really spoke to her. In my experience, finding an artist to marry a bop with heartbreak is rare, and I'm not sure where Robyn is these days. A few of their songs are reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's sound, with one even sounding surprisingly Neo R&B-ish without tripping the appropriation alarm. That said, once you get into the album, a few of the songs can start to blind together. This isn't totally terrible as it allows for it to become a vibe. The songs are easy to pick up, so sliding around in socks as you clean the house is definitely this album's main function in my life.
Hit Single:
Want You Back
Standout Tracks:
Little of Your Love
Walking Away
Skip It:
Found It In Silence - because it's the most stereotypical use of their collective talent
14) Sam Smith's The Thrill of It All (Deluxe)
Release Date: November 3rd
Runtime: 35:38 (49:24)
To be honest, The Thrill of It All took its time growing on me. Though I truly can't, I like to pretend I can hear the loss of huskiness in Sam Smith's voice that originally drew me to him. However, the now-slim British songbird is back to sing for all of our dramatic homosexual montages (regardless of your sexual orientation). While his debut album focused more on dealing with when you'll never obtain your crush/love's affection, The Thrill of It All is geared towards those ready to run away as fast as they can before they turn back around and return to their favorite mistake. While the tracks don't differ much melodically, Sam still manages to hit on different angles of when it's time to chuck up them dueces - even singing from the perspective of the person left weeping in the dust with his song Burning. However, his choo-choo-like singing on Midnight Train is very much appreciated. I hope Sam can break away from his Adele comparisons more with his next album, maybe with some help from his Disclosure brothers? A guy can dream.
Hit Single:
Too Good at Goodbyes
Standout Tracks:
One Last Song
HIM
Skip It:
The Thrill of It All - as a boycott because why isn't the title track on the gotdamn regular edition
13) Sampha's Process
Release Date: February 3rd
Runtime: 40:17
Finally free from Sbtrkt's Bass-ment, Sampha finally graces us with his long awaited debut album. I loved this album when it was released but it quickly fell to the wayside as more records reached my ears. It also didn't help that a podcast ruined Sampha for me by saying he sings with cold grits in his mouth, so now you must have the misfortune as well. All jokes aside, Process is a very personal album to Sampha as he deals with the loss of his mother to cancer and losing himself in the spotlight. The very first sound you hear is a heart monitor as Sampha pulls you into the operating room, trying to numb himself from the pain with Plastic 100°C. Throughout the album, we listen to him slip further and further away, each track sounding nothing like the one before it yet all connected. By the time we reach Under, we're back on the operating table hoping we come out of the other side. For this reason, I create a new superlative: The Empathy Evoker. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry in the fetal position for an hour.
Hit Single:
(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano
Standout Tracks:
Blood On Me
Incomplete Kisses
Skip It:
Take Me Inside - because after Like the Piano, it pales in comparison as a ballad
12) Charlotte Gainsbourg's Rest
Release Date: November 17th
Runtime: 46:23
You can be mad that I included an album with lyrics your little, feeble American brains can't understand all you want; blame Pitchfork for getting her single Rest stuck in my head. Our third entry from the UK, Charlotte Gainsbourg is a British-French singer/actress that has been in the game longer than I've been alive, Rest being her fifth LP. I would wonder why I've never heard of her before now, but I'm sure it's because I struggled to pass French in college. However, that doesn't stop me from enjoying or attempting to understand her sly Franglish lyrics. Rest very easily plays from start to finish like it could soundtrack an alternative version of the movie Drive, so I'm already hooked there. Once you dig deeper, you discover the theme of death in the wake of her father and half-sister's departure from this world. Don't pick up the bottle to drown your sorrows too fast because she talks about alcohol addiction, too. Have no fear, the album isn't a totally bummer. Stick around until Les Oxalis' bonus track that gives hope for Ms Gainsbourg's future.
Hit Single:
Rest
Standout Tracks:
Deadly Valentine
Les Oxalis
Skip It:
Dans vos airs - because French titles scare me, too
11) N.E.R.D's No_one_Ever_Really_Dies
Release Date: December 15th
Runtime: 51:09
Pharrell and the fam are back to heat up this cold, frigid ass winter, and you heathens best be thankful! I've come across a few criticisms of the album of people saying it's not what they expected after hearing Lemon. It must be remembered that N.E.R.D. simply contains both members of the Neptunes but is not the Neptunes. Their sound has always bordered on the edge of rock and experimental hip-hop, with their self-titled album being the funkiest of all their efforts. Every track is a different kind of bop, some a bit more jaring on first listen than others. Within each spoon full of melodic sugar is a dose of medicine, including messages about police brutality, learning we all have positivity to share, surviving trauma, and getting it right when people ask "What the hell are you on, man?" No_one_Ever_Really_Dies is riddled with features from Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Future and more, but I love none as much as the child that sings the letter G on Thunder Fire Magic Prayer. It's a weird album for the eccelatic in all of us.
Hit Single:
Lemon [ft Rihanna]
Standout Tracks:
Viola [ft Gucci Mane & Wale]
Don't Don't Do It [ft Kendrick Lamar]
Skip It:
Lifting You [ft Ed Sheeran] - because it's weird hearing a reggae inspired song featuring someone who was on Game of Thrones
10) St. Vincent's Masseduction
Release Date: October 13th
Runtime: 41:36
Though I constantly read the album as Masseducation, Masseduction definitely has something to teach us: the art of a well balanced album. You want ballads, she's got ballads. You want guitar riffs, she's got the riffs. You want unexpected 808 drums, she's got the beat, she's got the beat. But in all seriousness, St. Vincent's subject matter is so diverse and dense, I haven't had the time to full devote myself to the dissection it truly deserves. Maybe if I did, it would be higher on this list. With full apologies to her, I know this album is not just a snack but a full course meal I'll enjoy anytime I take it out of the fridge. The production value is diverse and cohesive. The lyrics I have managed to catch are sway and twirl worthy. If the goosebumps on my arm are any indication, this might be one of her most personal records to date, and that would be a shame to miss out on. For this, I award Masseduction Miss Congeniality.
Hit Single:
Los Ageless
Standout Tracks:
Pills
Masseduction
Skip It:
Sugarboy - because it's only a long intro into Los Ageless
9) Superfruit's Future Friends
Release Date: September 15th
Runtime: 55:08
I seem to be in the mood of giving out more "awards" than ever this year. So, here is my pick for Unapologetic Pop Favs of the Year. With Avi (the phenomenal bass singer) departing from Pentatonix, many of the members took 2017 to focus on their solo endeavors. Well, duo endeavor in the case of Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying. Future Friends was released as two EPs over the summer, being combined into a full length LP later. Though they often take turns, half of the songs feature Mitch going high and Scott finding his bass roots as they sing together. That said, Future Friends feels more like Mitch's breakout role after Scott took the brunt of the lead in Pentatonix' first album of originals. I had my favorite tracks from the album with plenty of tracks shrugged off as filler, but as Superfruit dropped a video for nearly every song, I soon found something to like about all of them. So grab a friend, decide who has the higher register, and learn these easy pop hits from your new favs.
Hit Single:
Imaginary Parties
Standout Tracks:
Deny U
Hurry Up
Future Friends
Skip It:
Keep Me Coming - because as one of the last tracks on the albums, it might be their most phoned in song
8) Miguel's War & Leisure
Release Date: December 1st
Runtime: 48:02
Just like the last time Miguel wandered between my ears, I wanted to hate. Apparently I still feel like I was the one kicked between the eyes when he misjudged his leaping abilities. Luckily for Miguel, his singing abilities are undeniable and apparently his production skills are also on point, receiving minimal help with the album. With Sky Walker being the lead single, most of War & Leisure feels like you're hovering, teetered to the ground only by what worldly obligations you have before you. To say Miguel's chief export is sex is an understatement; he does "have a banana clip on his left for you," after all. While offering the best today's R&B vibe has to offer, Miguel pays tribute to his forefather Prince's sound with Told You So. Rounded out with features from J. Cole, Travis Scott, and Rick Ross, War and Leisure has a little something for everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to log onto a dating app and change my most listened to song to Banana Clip to let these queers know what time it is.
Hit Single:
Sky Walker [ft Travis Scott]
Standout Tracks:
Pineapple Skies
Told You So
Come Through and Chill [ft J. Cole & Salaam Remi]
Skip It:
City of Angels - only because Miguel still has some work to do before I allow him into the rock and roll lane
7) Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.
Release Date: April 14th
Runtime: 54:54
If Kendrick Lamar made hip-hop albums before, DAMN. is definitely his departure into rap. The difference is hard to explain, but if you listen to his older work, you know exactly what I mean. Obviously, I got upset with the change and placed DAMN. on the self to collect dust for a few months. After I got over myself, I realized Kendrick was still spitting his same conscious lines but evolving his sound, supplying us with more singles, making the album not so dense: all things I critiqued his near-perfect sophomore album for lacking. Eating my words, I now love DAMN. The inclusion of the legendary Kid Capri to transform the album into more of a mixtape and reducing each song to represent one word/theme were genius moves. To the delight of most hip-hop heads, the album's few features come from singers, proving Kendrick to be an emcee that can stand on his own. Production-wise, the album offers up distincts beats. DAMN. truly could have been on top of this list... but 2017 provided stiff competition.
Hit Single:
HUMBLE.
Standout Tracks:
ELEMENT.
LOVE. [ft Zacari]
Skip It:
FEEL. - only because I can hear the smooth funkadelic sounds of To Pimp a Butterfly trying to sneak back out
6) Thundercat's Drunk
Release Date: February 24th
Runtime: 51:24
An early favorite, Drunk speaks to my heart and not because it's my constant state of being when the sun goes down. With how ethereal Thundercat's voice and production are, it's amazing the album wasn't called High or Shrooms. Then I realized of the LP's 23 tracks, only 6 clock in over three minutes - the longest lasting four. From my time curating playlists for parties, I can tell you drunkards have short attention spans; so touche, Thundercat. Though he spends a track telling people to not tweet their lives away, most of his tracks are filled with whimsy and nonsense. One of the album's intro tracks instructs listeners to "beat your meat;" another meows and explores how fun it must be to be a cat, naturally; later, he explores the wonders that is manga/anime culture in Tokyo. The album is like a blur, making you question whether that was Michael McDonald trying to seduce you or Wiz Khalifa surprisingly not rapping solely about getting high. And was that Kendrick Lamar on yet another person's album? Enjoy this record with a glass of Sprite if you want; you'll leave buzzed anyway.
Hit Single:
Show Me The Way [ft Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins]
Standout Tracks:
Drink Dat [ft Wiz Khalifa]
Them Changes
Skip It:
Friend Zone - only because while I love the song, it doesn't exist, and how can you love something if it doesn't exist?
5) Dirty Projectors' Self Titled
Release Date: Feb 21st
Runtime: 48:14
From the church bells that ring in Keep Your Name, David Longstreth clocks your attention right away. His stretched out vocals stick to the walls of your brain, causing you to feel haunted by the friend you no longer see because of artistic differences. The sentiment carries into the second track until you reach Up in Hudson: a call to wash yourself clean and start new, the horns and bubbling drums as encouraging as Longstreth is happy to welcome his new collaborators for the album. The ride continues on and on, with disjointed sounds that are still aesthetically appealing with lyrics that compel you to live a better life after self reflection in your own little bubble. This being my first Dirty Projectors' project, I have nothing to compare it to besides its peers of the year. I have been entranced with every listen I give this self-titled seventh album. Its lyrics are honest and reflective and relatable. Listen to this in a quiet room with an hour to yourself, because every time I close my eyes, I can envision the scene Longstreth projects and I smile.
Hit Single:
Cool Your Heart [ft Dawn Richards]
Standout Tracks:
Little Bubble
Up in Hudson
Skip It:
Ascent Through the Clouds - only because the autotune on this track might remind you of 808s and Heartbreak
4) SZA's Ctrl
Release Date: June 9th
Runtime: 49:01
A mixtape songstress for years now, SZA finally drops her debut album. To quote the youth: issa vibe. Featuring her mother on interludes throughout, CTRL demonstrates the everyday person's struggle to find control from dating woes to growing up in a 2010s kind of world. The production is eccelatic, dipping between woozy drums to guitar riffs in all shapes in forms to a few traditional R&B sounds. SZA's voice is like velvet caressing your body after a warm shower, but don't forget her lyricism. CTRL gives us iconic lines like "skrt skrt on niggas" and "you like 9 to 5; I'm the weekend." She also seems to have an infinity for 90s It Girls, naming one of her tracks Drew Barrymore and another Go Gina after the leading woman from the sitcom Martin; she also hops on the same shrimp boat Frank Ocean rode and sings about Forrest Gump being more than he seems. I guess it's canon that the black community sees Tom Hanks as one of us. All of CTRL's elements come together to crown SZA as this year's Avatar of R&B, despite being sabotaged by Solange's direction for the Weekend video over old Beyonce tweets the internet dug up. But we were all young and bitter once.
Hit Single:
The Weekend
Standout Tracks:
Go Gina
20 Something
Skip It:
Normal Girl - only because, like, what is "normal"?
3) Gorillaz' Humanz (Deluxe)
Release Date: April 28th
Runtime: 49:19 (68:55)
Back after seven years, Blur frontman Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett reunite to give my teenaged-Toonami heart a reason to beat on. From the first listen, the Gorillaz' fifth studio album rang in my ears. While many have torn Humanz down for not having an unified sound, I disagree. The Gorillaz - always being a collaborative effort from artists across the genres - use a multitude of sounds and vibes and continually find a way to string them together. With Humanz, a cohesive story is formed of the band reacting to the world falling apart around them, retreating deeper and deeper into their "secret" hideout until all of their members reconvene ready to restart the world. Or you can listen to it as an apocalyptic dance party; both work. With features from Grace Jones to DRAM to Zebra Katz, Humanz is not short on providing us with the full homo sapien experience. However, amidst the chorus of voices, 2D's (or Albarn's) seems to fade into the background. While I miss it, this seems to represent a cis, straight(?), white male stepping aside to let black and female and occasionally queer voices to be heard. By the end of the album, it sounds as if the gang is ready to take on the world; but in the extended director's cut (the deluxe version), we find our heroes gathered together joining hands and singing to the end of the world. How will you choose to listen to the album?
Hit Single:
Saturn Barz [ft Popcaan]
Standout Tracks:
Strobelite [ft Peven Everett]
Let Me Out [ft Mavis Staples & Pusha T]
The Apprentice [ft Rag'n'Bone, Zebra Katz, & RAY BLK]
Skip It:
Momentz [ft De La Soul] - only because I can hear this being a frat house's favorite track
2) Jay-Z' 4:44 (Deluxe)
Release Date: June 30th
Runtime: 36:11 (46:18)
Back for the twelfth time, Jay-Z returns to apologize for Magna Carta Holy Grail! ...no? Is he apologizing for Kingdom Come? Okay, why are you getting mad at me for bringing up old shit? In all seriousness, 4:44 is arguably Jay-Z's best album as he leaves behind his boastful ways and reveals himself to be a reflective and flawed man, apologetic and grown. Dubbed the Blackest Album of the Year by me, Jay-Z takes time out of his busy schedule to school us - the black delegation - on building generational wealth and refraining from posting money-phone selfies on Instagram. He wants to see us all invest our money and create our own businesses; I take this to mean he wants more investors in Tidal. When he's not giving out lessons so "hopefully ya'll wouldn't have to go through that," he's revealing how the industry hates to see black people shine, outing his mom, and airing out his dirty laundry. Though it's so much more, 4:44 will always be the response to Beyonce's Lemonade. To have the title track be his actual apology followed by his wife's vocals on the song after and call it Family Feud, I will always appreciate great album structure. Backing all of this are NO I.D.'s production skills and samples that truly elevate 4:44 to a godlike level. But then to have Blue Ivy freestyle on the deluxe edition of the album, bruh, are you kidding me?! So what kept this album from taking the number one spot? Well... cheaters don't deserve to come in first.
Hit Single:
The Story of O.J.
Standout Tracks:
4:44
Bam [ft Damian Marley]
Skip It:
Caught Their Eyes [ft Frank Ocean] - only because Jay-Z really loves talking about how much he went to Paris; oh, wait, he was chasing Beyonce on his knees begging for forgiveness? Never mind, let it play
1) Tyler, the Creator's Flower Boy
Release Date: July 21st
Runtime: 46:33
Oh, ya'll wanted a twist, huh?
I've long had an interesting relationship with Tyler, the Creator's music. While I was drawn by his Nigerian charm and his spine-crunching beats, his brash nature and occasional [read: frequent] use of certain slurs kept me from claiming him as one of my favs. When he dropped his first single Who Dat Boy for his fourth album, I was attracted like a bear to honey, but this time I was prepared for the bee's stinger. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by smooth melodies, R&B features for days, and no inclusion of the word faggot at all. Who is this Tyler and what has he done with the one I knew and feared?
Whether (Scum Fuck) Flower Boy is autobiographical or fictional, Tyler allows us in to see his vulnerable side. He has no one to watch Clarence with. No one to understand how anxiety ridden he is. No one in his life to keep him from obsessing over cars to distract himself. Each song flows seamlessly into the next thanks to his own production skills as he leads us on a journey of self discovery. Flower Boy plays like the diary your best friend left open to a particular page on his bed for you to find. Not only do you find that he's possibly bi, that he's "been kissing white boys since 2004," but that he has a crush on you. Oh, the teenaged drama of it all! As a depressed, lonely, dramatic, queer boy, I have no idea why I relate to this album.
Though I'm harping on the sexuality aspect, Flower Boy is an album of self reflection and admittance anyone can relate to. All of his featured artists, including Kali Uchis and Jaden Smith, lend their voices to orchestrate a beautiful chorus. Whether he's rapping or trying to sing, Tyler's lyrics are descriptive and masterful. Flower Boy is lacking in no aspect. It is with great pleasure I award Best Album of the Year to a man for the first time in my short reviewing career. Congrats, Mr. Okonma.
Hit Single:
Who Dat Boy [ft A$AP Rocky]
Standout Tracks:
Boredom
911/Mr. Lonely [ft Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy]
Pothole [ft Jaden Smith]
Skip It:
Enjoy Right Now, Today - only because you don't deserve this beautifully crafted ending credits instrumental
Honorable Mentions
Ariel Pink's Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
Calvin Harris' Funk Wav Bounce Vol. 1
Kelela's Take Me Apart
King Krule's The OOZ
Lorde's Melodrama
Mac DeMarco's This Old Dog
Syd's Fin
Washed Out's Mister Mellow
Welp, another review list in the bag. Thanks for rocking with me all these years. I wonder if I'll keep increasing the number of albums I critique as the years go on. Only time will tell. Until then, you can check out my back catalog here: 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013. Merry 2018, you scoundrels.
Word.
I'm coming off my Apple-high, so this year please enjoy this year's best tracks via Spotify. (Bug Jay-Z to stop being good at marketing and share his music with other platforms.)
