Honourable Mentions: Albums 2017

As there were so many dope projects released this year, I had to include an honourable mentions list to 10 artists I think deserve all the praise in the world for their efforts. Without further ado, here they are! 

BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION trilogy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most exciting new group to come out this year, BROCKHAMPTON released three killer albums as a trology: SATURATION I, SATURATION II & SATURATION III. Creative, expansive and raw, these three projects are emblematic of the innovative vision within hip-hop this year. Definitely worth your time and money.

Melanie Charles – The Girl With The Green Shoes

Read my review of her project here: Melanie Charles’ new lo-fi tape The Girl With The Green Shoes gives good insight into her aura and spirit, and if she remains focused on developing her sound, she will become a star in the near future.

Foisey – Byrds

A highly anticipated album upon it’s release, Connecticut producer Foisey came through this year with a killer new album titled Byrds on House Shoes’ Street Corner Music label. Worth a listen for amazing sounding production.

Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom

One of the most underrated hip-hop albums that came out this year, Rapsody comes through with a soulful, raw and conceptual album. Produced almost entirely by 9th Wonder, with features including Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, BJ The Chicago Kid and more, this is an album which is bound to make you think and groove to.

Jordan Rakei – Wallflower

Read my review of the album here: Australian singer-songwriter/producer Jordan Rakei came through with his most intricate and intimate release to date, Wallflower. His devastating honesty is refreshing to hear, and the album is so layered and detailed that it captivates you from start to finish.

Music: Duval Timothy – Sen Am

Read my review of this album here: You know it’s been an incredible year of music when Duval Timothy’s flawless and goosebump-inducing album Sen Am is an honourable mention. Or maybe I’ve made a mistake… either way it’s one of the best albums of the year, and it deserves to be praised endlessly.

 

EABS – Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda)

Read my review of the album here: One of the more interesting and diverse jazz albums to date, Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda), Polish group EABS come through with an incredibly cohesive project full of life and character. A good representation of the Polish Jazz scene in 2017.

drwn. – XV​-​XVII

Read my review of the album here: Swiss producer drwn. came through this year with an ethereal, spacious new beat-tape titled XV-XVII. I describes it as an album I see myself listening to while floating in a lake on a warm, sunny summer evening. To next year!

Collocutor – The Search

Released on the wonderful On The Corner Records, the new Collocutor album The Search is an essential album. The songs on this album meander through their influences of jazz, Latin and world music, with slow, uneasy tempos, beautiful arrangements, guitar leads and effects which make for a haunting, captivating listen.

 

Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Read my review of this album here: On Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, Open Mike Eagle tackles the effect on how the destruction of the Robert Taylor Homes, a housing project in the South side of Chicago in 2007, had on the population of young black men  living there in a poignant, political hip-hop record.

 

Thanks again to all the artists who put their hearts and souls into crafting the best possible ideas and executing them effortlessly. Here’s to more creativity and dopeness next year!