Rap to Rock: The Defining Albums of 2017

Resident music critic ranks the ten best albums in a catastrophic yearNoah Sonnenburg Scene Editor January 11, 2018It’s time to look back. We were all waiting for 2017. There isn’t a genre in the music industry that didn’t have a major release. From rap to rock to electronica, there was a tidal wave of tunes that swept the music world. The quality of music too was unmatched. While here were far more works of genius, these are the cream of the crop. These are The Santa Clara’s top ten albums of 2017:10. Dan Auerbach — “Waiting on a Song”2017 was a rough year. No matter your background, this year felt like it would never end. Celebrity deaths, rocky politics, global threats and widespread controversies abounded. Needless to say, it was an overwhelming 12 months. People needed an escape, a reminder that there was good in the world. Dan Auerbach provided the warm and fuzzy music we all needed. In that way, “Waiting on a Song” was perfect. Beyond this, the songwriting, production and instrumentation came across beautifully in the recordings. This album was a big, goofy smile packed into 10 short tracks. Best track: “Never in my Wildest Dreams.”9. Calvin Harris – “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1”Much like Auerbach, Calvin Harris delivered to the world a bundle of joy with his 2017 release. Featuring 21 of Harris’ contemporaries, this album delivers a torrent of fun, hip-swinging melodies. Like the title suggest, there is a strong funk basis in this album, as the midrange-driven bass guitar carries each track along. There is no doubt that each of these 10 songs will have you on your feet, dancing around, forgetting your worries. Best track: “Feels.”8. SZA – “Ctrl”SZA didn’t want anybody to just relax all year. Her sophomore release, “Ctrl,” is a thoughtful, relentlessly poignant totem in the musical world. With her familiarly beautiful voice, she tells stories of broken love and rebirth. Plaintive yet steadfast, this album is fit for a moody drive on a rainy day. She doesn’t work alone in this, however. She is joined by fellow artists Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and Isaiah Rashad on consecutive tracks. These features are extremely tasteful and well chosen. Their tone matches the album well, making it a more cohesive set of tracks in the end. Best track: “Broken Clocks.”7. Father John Misty – “Pure Comedy”Father John Misty and SZA are very different. Their musical genre, style and message are on opposite ends of the music world 99 percent of the time. However, the moods and feeling of Father John’s “Pure Comedy” and SZA’s “Ctrl” are strikingly similar. These affecting albums are stirring and sincere. Bluntly, they are dark. Father John touches more however on a overarching distaste with society on the whole. Especially in tracks like “Total Entertainment Forever” and “Ballad of the Dying Man,” he bemoans the inescapable commercialism of the modern day, and our addictive reliance on technology. Anyone upset with the world should give a listen to the beauty and taunting, haunting elegance of this album. Best track: “Leaving LA.”6. King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard –“Murder of the Universe” You have never heard an album like this. Not once. Built to flow like a continuous track, this album is more of an epic poem than a musical piece. With a narrator and a cast of characters, the album asks for attention and asks what it is to be human. One of four albums put out by KGWL this year, “Murder of the Universe” is by far the best. It feels like a slap to the face. Psychedelia is back with this album. Not for casual listeners, this album requires headphones for true appreciation. If you’re bored of music today, this album could be the dose of something adventurous you’re looking for. Best track: “Alter Me III”5. Nai Palm – “Needle Paw”Nai Palm is an Australian guitarist and singer. Frontwoman of jazz outfit Hiatus Kaiyote, she is well established as a powerhouse of songwriting and performance. This album is a collection of originals and songs from Hiatus Kaiyote. Each song is stripped down and raw. Played on a jangly Jackson guitar with light accompaniment, Nai Palm’s voice takes the forefront. It’s unfussy, enjoyable and seamlessly executed. Best track: “Molasses.”4. Death Grips – “Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber)”This is a risky inclusion on this list. Much like their release called “Exmilitary,” “Steroids” isn’t an album. It’s a mixtape. While a lean 22 minutes long, a lot of substance is packed into that short timeframe. The mix is fiery and angry, showcasing some of the best work the group has ever put out. While not departing from their distinct sound, this release illustrates a healthy departure from the drum-heavy tracks of their freshman release “The Money Store.” The release of this mix also was an exciting moment for Death Grips fans as its announcement was accompanied by this tweet from their official Twitter page: “we’re working on the new death grips album. but in the meantime, here’s a new track/mix. it’s 22 minutes.” Best track: all 22 minutes.3. Kendrick Lamar – “DAMN.”What can be said about this album that hasn’t been said already? “Damn” is the highly anticipated 2017 album release by Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar. Harsher, angrier and more electric than its predecessor, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” this album is far from a masterpiece. Nevertheless, it is a masterpiece for this reason: The album beautifully reflects the anger in Kendrick’s heart. Much of the album is posed as a response to the comments made by journalist Geraldo Rivera about Lamar’s 2015 BET Awards performance. His internal conflicts, loyalties and biases are on the table in “Damn.” Kung-fu Kenny can be vulnerable and, in his words, make it look sexy. Best tracks: “DNA.” and “PRIDE.”2. Oh Sees – “Orc”Rock needs a comeback. It needs to contemporize and reflect current sentiments in society. Oh Sees is just the band to do that. Their paranoid, frantic and intimidating style of songwriting is enlivening and engaging. Mesmerizing scenes are set up in their songs with imagery of prisons in the sun, the nighttime adventures of arachnids and cutoff heads. Their chaotic music feels like the soundtrack Frank Zappa would write for a movie co-written by Guillermo Del Toro and David Lynch. “Orc” is a fine example of this. More zany than most of their releases, this album is prime Oh Sees, and worth a close listen. Best track: “Animated Violence.”1. BROCKHAMPTON – “Saturation”There’s a reason this group is “america’s favorite boy-band.” BROCKHAMPTON was the single most interesting and stupefying group putting out work this year. Within 2017 they released three albums: “Saturation” (17 songs), “Saturation II” (16 songs), “Saturation III” (15 songs). In an effort to literally saturate the music world with their work, these albums were put out in rapid-fire succession. One might imagine that with these quickly successive releases, the group would be putting out three of the same album. It could not be more to the contrary, however. Each installment is something wholly new, something deserving of attention because it’s clear the band took the time to grow as artists between releases. While each album is unique, it would be a crime to separate them for this ranking. This group is redefining genre, and broadening the tastes of their generation, for this reason, BROCKHAMPTON is something new and really really important. Best tracks: “STAR” (1) ; “FIGHT” & “SWEET” (2) ; “ZIPPER,” and “BLEACH” (3)Contact Noah Sonnenburg at nasonnenburg@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852