The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

Writer picks favorite 2017 albums

ALLAN COLLINS
staff writer

2017 has come and gone and what an amazing year for music it has been.
Of the five or so years that I have been listening to new music every Friday, this has been the best year.
So, trying to figure out my favorite 10 albums was quite a difficult task.
Of course, these are just my top 10 albums, and there were other great albums out there, as well as things I didn’t quite like that other people did. But, listen to all these records if you get a chance.

10. King Krule – “The OOZ”
This darkwave and indie-rock one-man band is, in all ways, one of the strangest releases of this year.
Archy Ivan Marshall was definitely just one of those kids that searched YouTube for the most strange music he could find. It’s dark, yet simple and beautiful.

9. Caligula’s Horse – “In Contact”
Progressive rock is just one of those genres that has always drawn me in, and this is a grand and magnificent addition to that community of dense prog rock bands.
The medieval feel to the record just flows so nicely.

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8. Remo Drive – “Greatest Hits”
Emo and punk outfit are turning a lot of heads with this technical and grimy record that just feels so right from front to back.
Even though they wear their influences on their sleeves, this is some fun and energetic punk music to jam out to.

7. Iglooghost – “Neo Wax Bloom”
Holy cow, this is some bombastic and off-the-wall electronic music.
There are still layers that I am peeling back to fully get every detail of this project.
But it is a fun and energetic listen that everyone should try out if you’re looking for a flooring experience.

6. Gang of Youths – “Go Farther in Lights”
The Australian indie rock outfit brings a new definition to arena rock with these driving songs and hard-hitting topics that will keep you listening over and over again.
The record is extremely dense with an hour and 16 minutes of content, but no song can be thrown away since it will draw away from the perfection of the record.

5. Tyler the Creator – “Flower Boy”
Who would have thought that Tyler the Creator could come out with such a self-reflective and catchy rap record?
Jazz, experiment, soul and synth rap all come into this record and they all leave a monstrous amount of texture and layer to the album.
There are heavy songs like “Who Dat Boy” and laid-back songs like “Boredom.”

4. Oceans Ate Alaska – “Hikari”
Metalcore is just such an oversaturated genre, but Oceans Ate Alaska took a new approach to it by adding a lot of weird time signatures and not like math rock time signatures.
But, this is a much more glitchy approach and for me it’s such a breath of fresh air.
It can be hard for some people, and it’s getting mixed reviews from people. For me though, it’s a step forward for the genre.

3. The Contortionist – “Clairvoyant”
My review for this has already said it all, but this is one of the best metal albums of the year for me since it just feels so perfect.
The mixture of ambience, synths and guitar riffs keep me coming back for more. It’s also just a great record to reflect on when you need some time to think.

2. Kamasi Washington – “Harmony of Difference”
Jazz music is such a hard thing to come by today — well at least good jazz music is.
There is just so much out there today that just isn’t original.
Kamasi Washington, on the other hand, is doing his part, and this is a great taste of his massive record “The Epic.”
This album is shorter in length, but still brings in that energetic and loud jazz sound. It is perfection across the seven songs.

1. Julien Baker – “Turn out the Lights”
Julien Baker evokes so much emotion that it isn’t even funny.
She self-reflects, and this record will break you down no matter what mood you’re in.
I keep coming back just to listen to it again and again, and there isn’t any more perfect album for my No. 1 spot.

ALLAN COLLINS
[email protected]

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