2017 Lists: Honourable Mentions

Here’s a couple of albums that didn’t quite make my top ten but are worth mentioning! In alphabetical order.

Guerilla Toss — GT Ultra

GT Ultra combines the groove of the Talking Heads with the DGAF attitude of Devo, and throws some krautrock on top just for kicks. But it’s also got a really fine polish on top of it all. In other words, this record moves. It’s in your face, bright, and unapologetic, and I really dig it.

The Mountain Goats — Goths

John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats’ main man) has been a favourite songwriter of mine for years. On Goths he completely ditches his acoustic guitar (that’s never happened before) and dives into yet another subculture with the sort of intensity only he can generate (his last record was about semi-professional wrestling — before GLOW came out.) And while I don’t love it as much as many previous records, there’s some really great songs here with some amazing musical performances.

Paramore —After Laughter

Formerly a pseudo-christian pop-punk outfit, Paramore have totally reinvented themselves into a funky dance-rock band with huge hooks and shiny 80s production. And yet, songs like “Fake Happy”, “Forgiveness”, and “26" really show an emotional maturity that is lacking from lots of albums this poppy. Themes of boundaries, loss, and grief permeate the album in spite of its bright exterior. This lends an unexpected depth to After Laughter which is why it lands in my Honourable Mentions.

Queens of the Stone Age — Villains

After their somber and lyrics heavy detour through depression and loss on …Like Clockwork which became a critical smash, Joshua Homme and the boys in QOTSA take a totally different (and much groovier) tack on Villains. They even recruited super-producer Mark Ronson (Lady Gaga/Bruno Mars/Amy Winehouse) to tighten up their sound and possibly broaden their appeal. I think it worked! This is one groovy record and while I miss the blues riffage of their earlier work, this is a really solid addition to their excellent discography.

Rostam — Half-Light

Ex-Vampire Weekend arranger/producer/keyboardist Rostam released a delightful solo record this year. It’s feel good vibes with a hint of melancholy all the way through. I love how he draws from folk melodies and rearranges them into a wall of glory on “Gwan”. And there are dozens of wonderful musical ideas in each track. The result isn’t as focused as a Vampire Weekend record but it’s still nice to get some of those same vibes again.

So, that’s it! Next up is my TOP TEN. Woohoo!