Firstflix
  • Blog
  • About/Donate
  • Films Reviewed List
  • Albums Reviewed List
  • Concerts Reviewed List
  • Contact

Top Ten Albums of 2017 by Stephen Ficek (A Firstflix Contributor)

1/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
1. SATURATION – BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON took the hip-hop and musical world by storm this year with their SATURATION trilogy. The group saturated the market with a wholly unique sound and identity. The boy band is one of music’s best stories and their first installment of SATURATION broke ground as a simultaneously catchy, creative, and layered project. The group focused on lyrical messages of self-improvement, loneliness, and friendship. The chemistry between the myriad of members is unmatched in the industry.

2. Uyai – Ibibio Sound Machine

Ibibio Sound Machine was one of the year’s biggest surprises, delivering upon a sound of electronics mixed with live instrumentation for an infectiously funky, soulful, and danceable experience. The group crosses multiple West African genres and features only limited English, but the music itself is so good lyrical understanding hardly matters.

3. Bravado – Kirin J Callinan

The Australian pop artist is currently one of the most interesting, creative, and passionate songwriters working in pop. He boasts an experimental sound with some incredibly catchy hooks and a great sense of humor. If you’re looking for something new and different out of the pop sound, Bravado is a can’t miss album.

4. Peasant – Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson created the year’s best singer-songwriter album with a completely primal and raw approach to folk music. His vocals aren’t clean or trained, but are more endearing for the passion he exhibits. The music in Peasant is best described as a well-traveled man in the medieval age singing his stories to anyone that will listen. The gorgeous melodies and the unhinged drums and vocals transport you to a completely different era and state of mind.

5. Flower Boy – Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator emerged in 2017 as a much more mature song-writer. His album deals largely with his own sexuality and life. He matched the album’s themes with his best production, sweetest hooks, and most ambitious set list to date. The album’s featured artists are used excellently, and Tyler does not shy away from letting his musical influences create one of the more dynamic sounding hip-hop albums in the last few years.
 
6. 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time – Big K.R.I.T.

Big K.R.I.T. returned to form after leaving Def Jam, by dropping a double-album of perfectly crafted southern hip-hop tunes. The album thrives with its consistency and diversity of feelings. The first half, named after his stage name, is a fun and upbeat experience. The second half, named after his real name, is introspective and soulful.

7. SATURATION III – BROCKHAMPTON

The finale to the Saturation trilogy was everything it lived up to be. While the album did not stray too far from its predecessor’s formula, it showed the group going further into experimental territory. The production strayed more and more from hip-hop norms, and the band’s hooks and chemistry remain top-notch.

8. Forget – Xiu Xiu

Easily the strangest album on this list, Xiu Xiu delivered a project that had no right be so catchy and infectious. The front man’s vocals sound like a demented and miserable David Bowie, while the instrumentals are foreboding yet funky. The lyrics are esoteric, and the music can be unhinged, but it somehow all works together beautifully.

9. No Shape – Perfume Genius

Under the Perfume Genius name, Mike Hadreas produced an incredibly beautiful and sincere album with No Shape. The melodies are fantastic, the instrumentation has its own identity, and the content is all deeply personal. Despite a slow pace for most of its songs, the album remains catchy with only a couple duds.

10. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ – Joey Bada$$

New York rapper Joey Bada$$ returned after a two-year hiatus with a new, pop-focused sound and his most well-crafted album. At only 22 years old Joey’s writing is far more mature than many of his contemporaries, spreading messages of peace and social understanding throughout the music. Hopefully his success breaks boundaries for similar messages in hip-hop. While he strayed from some his strengths as an East Coast emcee, he created some of the catchiest songs in hip-hop this year. Aside from his lyrical and technical rapping prowess, Joey also displayed impressive singing chops on many of the hooks.
Image credit: ​By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54261058
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    If you like what you are reading, you can click here to donate:
    ​Donations for First Flix

    Archives

    September 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    January 2015


    Categories

    All
    10/10 CLUB
    Action
    Adventure
    Animation
    Annual Top Tens
    A Touch Of Weird
    Award Shows
    Biography
    Cinema Exploration
    Classic
    Comedy
    Crime
    Documentary
    Drama
    Drop The Beat
    Family
    Fantasy
    Flix For Friday
    Foreign
    History
    Horror
    Music
    Musical
    Music Mania!
    Mystery
    New Movies
    News
    Romance
    Sci Fi
    Sounds On Screen
    Sports
    TBT
    The Obituary
    Thriller
    War
    Western
    What To Watch

    ​ALL NAMES, TRADEMARKS AND IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.