There have been so many super albums this year, when we first started putting together his very list, there were over a hundred we thought should be in the top fifty, but that’s not how numbers work. So, we hit delete on a whole bunch and this is what was left. Nice one.
Some notes: this is part one of our fifty favourite albums list. We’re not saying these are the best fifty albums released in 2017 – we’ve focused very much on what Dork mostly ‘does’ here (sorry, Kendrick – Ed). If we were being accurate, we’d call if ‘fifty of our favourite albums of 2017’, but that seems a bit of a muddle, so we’re being brave and assertive. Basically, music is great. Music isn’t a competition. We love these records. Hope that helps.
If you need to catch up, you can find numbers 50-41 here, 40-31 here, and 30-21 here.
#20: SUPERFOOD – BAMBINO
Like throwing a firework into a bag of skittles, Superfood delivered on the reinvention of the year with a record bursting with ideas and electric tastes. Like the birth of a whole new band, ‘Bambino’ is a gorgeous buffet of treats, taking sample-cuts and levitating melodies and morphing it into a shape that fits perfectly into earbuds and lights a fuse from deep within.
#19: IDLES – BRUTALISM
‘Brutalism’ is politically charged, an emotional bout of unsettling truths delivered with sharp charisma and cathartic vulnerability. In the darkest corners it offers humour, sensibility and scrutiny of life.
#18: CREEPER – ETERNITY, IN YOUR ARMS
Most bands who are cursed with the pressure of hype crack under it. Not Creeper, though. Arriving perfectly formed, ‘Eternity, In Your Arms’ is an album that succeeds in every possible way. From its central story to its individual parts; Creeper aren’t just a band. Creeper are the future.
#17: WILL JOSEPH COOK – SWEET DREAMER
A love of MGMT, Phoenix and carefree pop supremacy – Will Joseph Cook’s debut is an eclectic bag that pulls out something different every time. Full of sun-kissed hooks and infectious licks, it’s the welcoming party of a pop genius – one that’s only set to go bigger in the years to come.
#16: DIET CIG – SWEAR I’M GOOD AT THIS
“It’s hard showing the world who you are, isn’t it?” Alex Luciano questions on ‘Bath Bomb’. Calling out their fears, on their debut album Diet Cig stand victorious. Whether spitting back at the world when it crosses the line or pulling the duvet covers overhead when it gets too much, ‘Swear I’m Good At This’ is as refreshing as it is real.
#15: SUNDARA KARMA – YOUTH IS ONLY EVER FUN IN RETROSPECT
Connecting with a congregation of thousands, Sundara Karma’s debut is an immediate gut-check on what it is to be young in the modern age. Taking the heart and drive that burst out of mid-noughties indie, and coating it in a showman-like charm – it put them on course for something special, with an album that captures the pitfalls and highs of youth like no other.
#14: BLEACHERS – GONE NOW
If anyone deserves to have 2017 marked, it’s Jack Antonoff. In-between his spell-binding work on pop-smashing albums, his next step as Bleachers is a refreshing collection that pulls upon Beatles-esque foundations glossed over with modern pop bliss. Its unstoppable thirst for ideas and boundary-pushing is blooming marvellous.
#13: RAT BOY – SCUM
‘Scum’ is a melting pot of hyperactive energy. Skipping between styles, blended in one ceaseless mix, it’s the UK indie underground’s very own Grand Theft Auto radio station. There’s the slacker spirit of Beck, the raw confidence of the Beastie Boys and the urchin cheek of Jamie T, but at heart, it’s all Rat Boy.
#12: MARIKA HACKMAN – I’M NOT YOUR MAN
Morphing from the delicate strings of her debut, ‘I’m Not Your Man’ is a record that defiantly throws a fist at modern life and ushers in a new era for Marika Hackman. An album that could only truly be made in 2017, it’s a bold and staggering record that thrives in its pop kicks but never forgets its down to earth reality.
#11: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – AMERICAN DREAM
There was a lot of scepticism about LCD reforming, but ‘American Dream’ throws any doubts to the wayside, with an evolving next chapter in their story. From ‘Call The Police’, ‘Emotional Haircut’ and ‘How Do You Sleep?’ to the panoramic rising of ‘Tonite’ – this is a resurrection that has us all bowing down. The future is even brighter.
Taken from the December/January issue of Dork, out now. Check back for 10-1 tomorrow (Friday 8th December).