It's pretty easy unfortunately for EPs to get overshadowed in all of these end of year 'albums of the year' lists. However, a lot of my favourite tracks or new discoveries from this year have come from EPs. I won't be able to mention all of my favourites but here's a look into some of the most memorable ones...

ARDYN - Bloom
Every time Ardyn make an EP it will be on this list (like last year) and I just hope that whenever they decide to drop a debut album, it'll be on my albums of the year list that year. I need to see them live in 2018 and after listening to this EP, you're probably going to want to too.



HOMEBOUND - The Mould You Build Around Yourself
YES! One of my favourite new discoveries this year - something that many other people will be saying over the coming months whilst they keep releasing new music. Homebound have immense potential and watching them at Slam Dunk Festival this year just reinforced this for me. 



KWAYE - Solar 
When KWAYE came out with "Cool Kids", I was definitely impressed and mostly with the uniqueness of his voice. However, when "Little Ones" came out, I couldn't stop raving about him. I played this song a lot over the summer months and I'm sure I'll be playing it for many summers to come.



MAYPINE - In The Back Of My Mind
A killer debut EP that's had the band touring all over the country, all year; had them featured in Kerrang!, Rocksound, and more, and will serve them in really good stead moving into 2018. The fast growing potential of MAYPINE has continued to impress me this year and I have no doubts that whatever's next is going to continue to impress.



BUDDY & KAYTRANADA - Ocean & Montana
As soon as I saw that collaboration I knew the fire that this would bring. Kaytranada's album last year 99.9% is a gem and Buddy's name has been buzzing around all year. When there's a Kaytranada touch on a beat it's easy to spot and always enjoyable and that rings true across this whole EP. Matched with Buddy's mellow flow and catchy hooks, this album served me well this summer.



CONNIE CONSTANCE - Boring Connie
Spotify recomended this EP to me on a compilation playlist - actually they recommended the track "Let Go" to me to be specific. I only listened to it for the first time less than a month ago, but since then I've barely gone a day without listening to this song. I've had my eye on Connie's work for a while but this has finally locked down my attention.



BALANCE & COMPOSURE - Slow Heart
Well I said last year that most of my favourite rock albums come from Pure Noise Records but the rest of my favourites usually come from No Sleep, and this includes almost everything that Balance & Compsure release. Easily one of my favourite bands at the moment and up there with my most listened to pieces of music this year.



EMELI SANDE - Kingdom Coming
One of the most pleasant surprises of this year. I had no idea that Emeli Sande was planning on releasing anything more this year after her fantastic 2016 album Long Live The Angels and so when I saw this whilst browsing through Spotify I really overdid it.



If you want to check out the full list click here for the entire Spotify playlist.

Well, that's it for this year's top albums but along the way there was a whole heap of unbelievable music released. Tonnes more contenders and a bunch of records that I didn't even get to listen to that may have been able to make the cut had I gotten round to it. Not all can be mentioned, but here is a list of this year's most notable honourable mentions in no particular order.

• Bicep - Bicep
• Feist - Pleasure
• Bonobo - Migration 
• Declan McKenna - What Do You Think About The Car?
• BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION I & III
• Can't Swim - Fail You Again
• Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Modern Ruin 
• Wolf Alice - Visions Of A Life 
• J HUS - Common Sense
• Jordan Rakei - Wallflower
• Marika Hackman - I'm Not Your Man
• Meg Mac - Low Blows 
• King Krule - The OOZ
• Sylvan Esso - What Now 
• Foo Fighters - Concrete And Gold 
• Ibeyi - Ash 
• Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives
• Sinead Harnett - Chapter One
• Miguel - War & Leisure
• Kweku Collins - grey 
• Jaden Smith - SYRE
• Haim - Something To Tell You
• Charlotte OC - Careless People
• Mr Jukes - God First 
• N.E.R.D - NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES
• Smino - blkswn
• The National - Sleep Well Beast
• Khalid - American Teen
• Toro y Moi - Boo Boo

Check out a favourite track from each of these albums (+ a couple extras) on a handy playlist here. 

Finally, after 30 days (thanks to anyone who stuck through this with me), we're here at the end of the year and the end of my list.

Taking this year's number one spot... Thundercat presents Drunk. Okay this album is big time. When I first saw how long the track list was I was little wary to be honest but I don't feel like the album ever dragged on, each piece just added to the whole concept seamlessly. The flow was so great in fact I couldn't really imagine it being played in any other order live - it's a whole performance piece in itself.

In terms of the music itself, it's all well and good having great production on an album (which Drunk has much of), but the live instrumentation on this album is what made it stand out so much for me on this year's list. Of course Thundercat's signature bass hugs the ears throughout, but things like the subtle trumpets here and there, the mindboggling chrod progressions, and of course the silky jazz drums are the much needed touches that set each track on a higher level than Thundercat's peers in the genre. Then of course there are the features.

Most know who Kendrick, Wiz and Pharrell are and what they can each add to a track, but I'd not heard anything from Michael McDonald or Kenny Loggins before, and their work on "Show You The Way" was more than enough to make me search for their names again in future. That song actually has one of the most memorable hooks/choruses on the whole record.

My favourite tracks at the moment are "Captain Stupido", "A Fan's Mail (Tron Song Suite II)", "Friend Zone", and "Them Changes". These are the kind of songs that I listen to and wish that I'd written first. It's so hard to produce really unique and fresh music these days with a new album dropping daily, and so with tracks like these coming out in 2017; whilst I'm jealous that I didn't think of it first, it gives me a strong hope for music moving forward. I think that I've definitely found myself a classic here with Thundercat's Drunk.

Have a look at what I had to say about last year's list topper here.

Well, I did say earlier this year quite confidently that this album wouldn't be outdone by many and here we are at the number two spot beaten by only one - Process by Sampha.

This is one of the only albums on my list this year that I have kept the same favourites on since the first listen. The tracks that stood out to me in February are still the same tracks that stand out to me now - "Plastic 100c", "Blood On Me", "(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano" and "Reverse Faults". Not only have my favourites stayed the same but they've played such a huge part in my year, some of the most memorable moments of my summer were spent either watching Sampha perform this a festivals, cycling around with this sound tracking my trip, or having it play softly in the background on a road trip. Some of the best albums I've heard stick in my mind with vivid memories and this album does just that.

On top of all that, Process was not only nominated for a Mercury Prize - amongst several other amazing albums that came out this year, some of which feature on this list - but it topped the entire list. Clearly rightfully so. Almost anybody that I've spoken to about this album has given it nothing but praise and awe. Sampha's been around for a while but with a debut this strong, I know he's only just getting warmed up. Also, I can't finish this post without noting that the most beautiful version of "Plastic 100c" has got to be this right here - please do yourself a favour and watch this.

Check out my thoughts on the album that was pipped at the post last year here.

Into the top three and into the last few days of 2017 - the homestretch. Bringing us into these next few days is the album that's moved around the most on this list - in fact just yesterday it was in a different position - DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar. After listening to this record backwards (we'll get into that later) and forwards again I have no doubts that this is at the very least the position it should sit in.

Kendrick has featured on every one of my top albums of the year lists since 2015 - and often multiple times, be it with his own solo album or as a feature artist on one of my favourite records. Everything that Kendrick touches just turns to gold and DAMN. is no different. This album managed to take a lot of the vibes and beats I loved about good kid, m.A.A.d city and the conscious verses and relevant topics in To Kill A Butterfly and put them together in this stellar album package. On top of this, one of the best things about it is that you can listen to it backwards (collector's edition) or forwards and it still sounds phenomenal. Some even say it sounds better backwards.

My go to tracks on this album are "DNA", "ELEMENT", "PRIDE", and "HUMBLE". These are some of favourite songs of the year to be honest. I can't even tell you how many times I listened to "HUMBLE" the day that it came out. That beat is something else and of course, this song has one of the best music videos of the year for it. This video and to be very honest, this album just reinforced what an innovator Kendrick is. Not necessarily one step ahead of the game but always thinking outside of the box.


Have a look at the album that brought us into my top three last year here.

It really pains me to admit this but I didn't know whether this album was going to make the list this year. Actually, before listening to it, I was probably leaning more towards it not making the cut. I'm particularly embarrassed because after all of my years hailing Paramore as one of my all time favourite bands, I (foolishly) doubted them. With that said, in the number four spot is rightfully awarded to Paramore with After Laughter.

I think overall it was just tough for me to let go of what Paramore was because it had meant so much to me and my musical journey finding them at the time that I did. But now - after the self-titled - my mind has caught up with their feelings and I'm finally on track with where they're at again. Now this album means just as much to me as their earlier albums, but for very different reasons.

My favourites at the moment have to be "Fake Happy", "Told You So", "Grudges", "Caught In The Middle" and "Rose-Coloured Boy", and even that was hard to narrow it down. The drums on "Told You So" are so clean, to be honest that isn't even specific to "Told You So". The musicianship on this record is their best to date. The production on this album is fantastic. The lyrics were the shining light for me though - speaking so directly and solemnly over music that tells a completely different story. I always love a bit of juxtaposition on an album but Paramore have done it perfectly here. I danced my way through most of the first listens but always found myself with a lump in my throat at the end. 

I don't think Paramore have made another album that was this representative of them and their feelings in a particular moment. Not only is it one of my favourites of 2017 but it's one of my favourite Paramore records, period.

Have a look at what just missed out on my top 3 last year here.

After listening to their lead single "Heaven" I was pretty much settled on this being top five - easy. To be honest I would have even thought top three given how excited I was. Well they managed to PVRIS managed to make it into my top five with All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell but ohnly just. Don't let that negate how good the album actually is, I just didn't expect there to be so much other amazing music out this year! But let's get into it...

Following on from 2013's pretty stellar White Noise, PVRIS are back with another brilliant album concept staying true to their nature. Practically made to be heard live, and with Lynn's unique vocals, as strong and as enchanting as ever.

My biggest criticism of this album is that they released too many of the songs as singles. By the time it dropped I'd already heard most of the tracks and to be honest a lot of the strongest ones. The visuals were amazing but I reckon if they wanted to get the most out of such a strong concept I would've liked to see them do an enire visual album all released at once instead. I just feel like that would've had more of an impact.

Regardless, my favourite tracks at the moment are "Anyone Else", "Walk Alone", "Same Soul", "Heaven", and "Half". I haven't even gone a week since the album was released without listening to at least one of these songs. "Anyone Else" probably has the least lyrics on any track in this whole record but resonates the most to me. I had that rolling over in my head for weeks and weeks after first listening and I'm sure I'll be listening to this and the rest of the record on repeat until album three drops.

Have a read of my thoughts on last year's very different number five pick here.

Queens of the Stone Age - makers of magic. My goodness. Seven albums later and almost twenty years on, they're still giving us a lesson in badassery. After their last album ...Like Clockwork (my number one album of 2013) I wasn't too sure whether they'd be making another record and to be honest, I was worried that if they did, it might be the album that made them fall from grace. Oh, how naive I was. QOTSA in at number 6 with Villains.

This was actually the first album this year that I listened to the minute that it was released. My initial feelings when listening ranged from pure giddiness to underlying nostalgia. Watching an interview of Josh talking through Villains one thing he said really stuck out to me. He said "I don't understand why the dance-ability has left rock and roll music" and he's right! Rock music in recent years has been slowly shimmy-ing away from "dance-y" music, lest it be compared to pop music. I think we forgot that you can still make music that hits hard without losing a beat that can make you do more than just nod your head. QOTSA have 100% hit the nail on the head with this album, and oh so effortlessly.

My favourites that have stuck since first listen have got to be "Fortress", "The Evil Has Landed" and "Feet Don't Fail Me". Josh's voice is ageless. One song that embarassingly crept up on me - and I say embarassingly, because it should've never had to creep - is "Domesticated Animals". What a gem! Possibly my current favourite to be honest.  The levels to this song are something else. The thumping beat almost makes you miss how melodic Josh's voice is here. A skulking rhythm with a positively chipper vocal - it's this combo that make QOTSA such a force to be reckoned with.

Check out what I had to say about 2016's number six choice here.

If you'd have asked me whether London Grammar's sophomore album would make it onto my top albums of the year list at the beginning of the year, I wouldn't have been so sure. However, the more I've listened to it, the more that any feelings of doubt evaporated. Here we are now at number 7 with London Grammar's Truth Is A Beautiful Thing.

I always talk about how tough it can be to make a sophomore album after having a strong debut, but London Grammar have completely knocked it out of the park. As a whole, the record's song-writing is very very solid, however I have to admit; it was Hannah's voice that stole the whole entire show on this one for me. Phenomenal. Something that I've been thinking about a lot recently is how a lot of "here-and-now" artists don't have voices that stand out or are distinctive. Voices that you can hear on a track and know immediately who it is (Disclaimer: this doesn't refer to artists whom have been around for ages and are still around today). Hannah Reid's voice is nothing of the sort. The Truth Is A Beautiful Thing shows a confident vocal performance throughout that is both striking and memorable.

My favourites at the moment "Everyone Else", "Oh Woman Oh Man", "Leave The War With Me" "Hell To The Liars" and "Control". I chose a couple extra tracks there because there's a lot to choose from on the Deluxe Edition - all great but these are the ones that I regularly find myself going back to. After finding out about them through their first EP Metal & Dust in 2013, I wasn't too sure what direction things would go for them moving forward. However, this album has left any of my feelings of doubt in the back burner. Great addition to a year of many, many fantastic albums.

Here's what I had to say about my number seven pick from 2016. 

Neck Deep have really honed in on their sound and their talent with this album. Their previous two albums have both been great and each has built on what the last had to offer; this album is no different. The Peace And The Panic is my favourite of the three and the kind of album that I've been waiting for them to make since I first discovered them.

Aside from the production being near perfect on this, the lyricism is engaging and meaningful and even the more commercial tracks hit hard. I haven't been able to say all of that about many pop punk albums these past couple of years - sure there have been some good'uns but it is so easy to get caught up in the instrumentals, the key changes and I guess the "mosh-ability" of a track, without actually checking to see whether it's actually great quality or if it's just catchy and generic. Pop punk is not an easy thing to make well and too many bands are forgetting this and spewing out cookie cutter riffs and lyrics because it's worked before. Anyway, I digress - Neck Deep have worked hard on this record and it's obvious.

A quick word on some of my favourites on the album. The riff on "Happy Judgement Day" is most definitely high up in my top five riffs of the year. So catchy. "In Bloom" might just be one of my favourite songs of this yer to be very honest. Well you guys already know how much I love Architects so seeing Sam featured on "Don't Wait" caught my attention straight away. The combination works so well on this! It's a little heavier than the rest of the album but still true to the band and Sam's voice just first like a glove. I'd pay very good money to see these two bands tour together. Finally the lyrics on "19 Seventy Sumthin'" really stuck with me after the first listen. I actually stopped what I was doing at the time to listen more closely - very well written song.

Check out last year's number eight album choice here.

Pushing forward with our top ten is Tyler, The Creator in at number 9 with Flower Boy. Absolutely loved having this album in my life over these past few months. A tune for most moods on here.

My favourites right now are "Who Dat Boy (feat. A$AP Rocky)", "Pothole (feat. Jaden Smith & Roy Ayers)", "Boredom (feat. Rex Orange County, Anna of the North & Corinne Bailey Rae)", and "911/Mr. Lonely (feat. Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy)". First things first, his flow on Who Dat Boy reminded me of Andre 3000 a little bit, which can never be a bad thing. Also, that line "find some time, find some time to do something" is possibly the catchiest line in music this year. When this played in the Insecure season 2 finale this year as well that just refreshed my loved for this track. Such a quality piece of music and the perfect collaboration. This is the track that actually put me on to Rex Orange County's material.

I know that the majority of this album is just Tyler's thoughts spilled out on tape but you could listen to the entire thing twice over and still not have a clear idea of how Tyler's mind was working whilst he wrote a few sections of this record - the phrase 'the magic's in the mystery' comes to mind here. Although it's the most vulnerable and open he's been over the past few years, I feel like there's still more to come following this up. This record alongside Cherry Bomb are actually the only two Tyler albums that I've listened through in full as of now, and between the two of those, artistically Tyler's clearly levelled up.

Check out what record I picked for the number 9 spot last year here.

We've made it to the top ten and ushering us in is At What Cost by Goldlink - giving listeners a little look into pockets of the music scene in DC.

This album actually really crept up on me this year. I listened to almost as soon as it dropped and liked it but didn't love it. Nothing stuck out at me much right away. I mean there were a couple of songs that I jammed to on repeat but as more albums started dropping this one just kind of fell off the list for me.

It wasn't until late summer this year when I listed to the whole album through again and it was like I was listening to it with fresh ears. Goldlink has always had fire beats, one thing you can never fault his music on is instrumentals but I think I've only just recently caught on to how his witty lyricism shone through on the record. Being his "major label debut record", I feel like he's come out of the blocks really strong, however there may still be things about his sound that will be improved on in his next few records. Don't get me wrong this is not a major criticism this more just acted as a reminder that although Goldlink's been around for quite a few years, it's only just the beginning for his music.

The tracks that have been getting the most plays these past few months are "Some Girl (feat. Steve Lacy)", "Pray Everyday (Survivor's Guilt)", "Roll Call (feat. Mya)", and "We Will Never Die (feat. Lil Dude)". There were so many highlights throughout to be honest, and the features on this album were pretty much spot on. Nobody that was featured sounded like they didn't belong there. It's album for you to listen to on a sunny day, walking around your neighbourhood with not much to do, or even an album to listen to on an evening commute walking in the dark. It has pockets of each of these moods with an overall satisfying feeling. It can only be onwards and upwards from here really.

Have a look at what I thought about last year's number ten pick here.

Alongside SZA's album, this has had a lot of talk around over the year surrounding its release. Evidently most of it was warranted as Kelela's Take Me Apart sits here at my number 11 spot just whispers away from a top 10 spot.

After catching her set at Sonar Festival last year I was sold. I'd heard a few singles beforehand but after seeing her perform my eyes were opened. If you get the chance to see her at a show in the new year - take it. You will not regret it one bit. Sonically and visually, Kelela is out of this world.It's not often that you'll go to a show a find yourself torn between closing your eyes to immerse yourself in the sound and keeping your eyes open to keep track of the visual performance. Kelela gives you both and even just by looking at her video for "LMK" you can understand what I mean.
 
Being her first studio album this definitely Kelela starting s she means to go on. Her earlier tracks still show off her talent well but this album brings everything full circle. The tracks that I've spun the most since it was released have to be "Frontline", "Onanon", "Turn To Dust", "LMK" and "Truth Or Dare". I think after listening to "Turn To Dust" for the first time I actually said that Kelela sounds a bit like this new generation's Mya. The tone is reminiscent but the two's concepts are relatively different. Just by listening to these few tracks I can see a whole repertoire full of quality material unfolding in front of Kelela and I look forward to getting to listen to it.

Tomorrow we get into this year's top ten, if you've stuck with it all month - kudos. If you're just jumping in now; keep your eyes peeled.

If you'd have told me at the beginning of the year that this album would be closing in on my top 10 albums of the year I wouldn't have believed you. I probably would've said something like "honourable mentions maybe", but after just one listen I knew that this would be a hard one to top. In at number 12 is Denai Moore with We Used To Bloom.

Not to be misconstrued, I've been a fan of Denai's work for a while now but until this album she was more of a "one to watch" for me. Well thank God I did keep watching because this sophomore record is glorious. This album manages to balance stripped back with powerful almost effortlessly. The addition of horns, strings and backing vocals from time to time lifts the album up where necessary and adds a fullness I can't explain. The album keeps its tone fairly consistent throughout and some may even criticise it for seeming "samey" but the album levels out seamlessly. It's almost necessary because had there been more experimentation, this may have resulted in some of the message being left behind.

Big time favourites of mine at the moment are "Leave It Up To You", "Bring You Shame", "Does It Get Easier?" and "All The Way (fet. Kwabs)". A lot of the tracks on this album feel cathartic -like both listening to it and creating it act as a release for emotions relating to anxiety, political fears, societal woes, depression or all the above. Every-so-often while listening I'll find myself picking up on a particular lyric that just says everything that I didn't even know I wanted to say before. "Does It Get Easier?" in particular was an elevating moment for me on this album - the kind of song that makes you want to just throw your up in the air in agreement.

The album finisher "All The Way (feat. Kwabs)" made it very clear to me why there was only one feature on the whole record - a match made in heaven - leaving the album on an emotionally satisfying note.

In at number 13 - possibly the best lyrical performance of all of the albums on this list - is the painfully beautiful Turn Out The Lights by Julien Baker. I wasn't quite prepared for how powerful this record is and I guess that's part of what took me so long to get round to listening to it.

An album centred of just vocals, guitar and piano wouldn't ordinarily be something that I'm drawn to, especially not for a whole record but after this, my opinion's done a full 180. The intricacies, the cracks and flaws in Julien's voice make this whole body of work that much more touching and real. There is nothing to hide behind here and for that reason Julien's intentions shine through all the more clearly.

My favourites at the minute are "Appointments",  "Shadowboxing", "Televangelist" and "Claws in Your Back". The first time I listened to the album, the last song "Claws in Your Back", hit me more than almost any piece of music I've heard this year. One of the most well crafted, gut wrenching,  songs I've ever heard and the closing of the piano lid at the end gave me all the closure I could've asked for.

It took me a little longer than I would've liked to have a listen to this but better late than never. Julien Baked based on music alone is the most intriguing artist I've had the pleasure of listening to in 2017. I loving forward to sticking with her journey in the months to come. I just hope she comes back on tour.

Stormzy, Stormzy, Stormzy! Y'all knew he was going to make the list right? Before I listened to the album I wouldn't have been so sure. Of course I'd heard the singles like "Shut Up", "Wicked Skengman 4", and "Know Me From" but just listening to those singles wouldn't have been enough for me. However, after just the first listen I was sold. If you hadn't already guessed, in at number 14 is Stormzy with Gang Signs And Prayer.

The versatility of this album is probably what shocked me most. For an artist whom many now seem to consider as the embodiment of UK Grime; it's crazy how overlooked his contribution to Gospel, Pop and even R&B are on this album. From beginning to end this album had me raising my eyebrows - from the intricate bars on "First Things First" to the vocals on "Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 (feat. MNEK)". To this day "Cold" is possibly one of my favourite tracks of the year. Not even necessarily the best track on the album but a favourite of mine nonetheless. Alongside that, current favourites are "Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2", "Return Of The Rucksack", "Don't Cry For Me (feat. Raleigh Ritchie)". Each showing off diverse high points of Stormzy's repertoire, but each with room for live development. The same can be said for the entire album - very solid but I see a lot of room for growth in the follow up.

Stormzy's success this year has been colossal and widespread, and whilst a part of me wants to say it's a little too much hype, after seeing him live quite a bit these past few months and listening through his album several times since its release, I can't help but feel like the hype is warranted. Aside from being a quality character, he's a phenomenal performer and a humble newcomer. A recipe for success. I'm more than excited for what's to come.

Closer and closer to the top ten and we're separating the cream from the crop. In at number 15 we have the fantastic A Fever Dream from Everything Everything.

Yes! This is the album that I've been waiting for Everything Everything to make since Man Alive. Don't get me wrong, each of their albums since have had some super strong, stand-out moments. However, I felt like with the last few albums it was too easy for me to choose three or four songs to continue to enjoy and then for the most part disregard the rest of the album. With A Fever Dream there were definitely a few clear heavy hitters for me in the beginning but my favourites have had room to move and change over time.

My favourites at the moment are "Ivory Tower", "Desire", "Night Of The Long Knives", "Run The Numbers" and "White Whale". If you would have asked me this a couple of months ago, at least three of those tracks would be different. As instrumentalists, the band has been immense since their inception - their rhythm section being one of the tighest I've heard to date in today's mainstream - this record is just another testament to that. The beat on "Can't Do" completely knocked the wind out of me. I woke up singing that hook on more than one occasion.

The only qualm that I've ever had with Everything Everything's music, which has also over the years become an endearing quality to their music in some ways, is the fact that their lyrics seem to make little to no sense. Similar to the issue I had with Glass Animals. I couldn't possibly tell you the lyrical concept running through this album, all I know is that my ears liked the album very much and that Johnathan's voice is one of the most distinct that I've ever heard.


 

After their last record Blood & Chemistry I feel like I've been waiting for a follow up from them for an age. I actually even wrote about them in my 2015 Album Wishlist, but they say that you can't rush greatness. So finally, in 2017 we have been blessed with my 16th favourite album of the year - Melancholia Hymns by Arcane Roots. It was more than worth the wait.

I must admit it was a little bit of a slow build for me on this one. I definitely liked it on first listen, however most of the non singles took me a minute to get into. Especially the more anthemic songs like "Indigo", being the type of song that I don't regularly listen to. Although, after a while those very same songs ended up growing into my favourites on the entire album.

The biggest stand-outs for me on this record at the moment are "Solemn", "Curtains", "Everything (All At Once)" and "Indigo". "Curtains" came out as the lead single last year and I played it to death; I actually had to give it a breather before the album came out and hearing it again after a while, in the context of the album, only made it shine brighter for the gem of a song that it is. The transitions are wild, the sort of levels that made me fall in love with their music in the first place. 


Arcane Roots truly have their own sound and this record shows that even more clearly than the rest of their material. They've tapped into more sonic synth sounds and really honed in their take on anthemic songs, all the while staying true to their heavier math rock roots throughout. I really couldn't have asked for more on this, it almost makes me feel bad for rushing them because evidently good things come to those who wait.

This was a little bit of a late discovery for me this year, but better late than never because this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard all year. Swimming in at number 17 in the list is Moses Sumney with Aromanticism.

The first thing that I heard about Moses actually wasn't really to do with his music. A friend of mine told me about him after bumping into him at an event and being caught up by his presence, understandably. After a bit of googling and youtubing I stumbled on this video of Moses performing at Sofar a couple of years ago, and I've been keeping track ever since. 

One of my biggest praise points and my smallest criticisms of this debut is the conscious choice to go it alone. Moses has a lot of big musical connections that he could have had feature on these tracks (e.g. Solange, Kelela, Kindness, Dev Hynes, etc...). I would have really loved to hear Lianne La Havas somewhere on this record; I could've even seen Thom Yorke lending his hand on a couple of tracks on here. One of my favourite things about music is how collaborative it can be. However, Moses forgoes all of this on the debut and in doing so, gives us the rawest version of his musical sound. One of the bravest things to do as an artist is to put out work that holds a piece of you, and Moses has done so big time, with nothing to hide behind and it's come out beautifully.

My favourites on the album so far are "Don't Bother Calling", "Quarrel", and "Lonely World". It wasn't until second or third listen that I realised that quite a lot of this album is instrumental. As cheesy as it'll sound, the music speaks so loud, the whole album could've been instrumental and it still would have made me feel how I do listening to it now. All I want for 2018 is to see this performed live.

One of my most played artists of the year according to Spotify, and also album to one of my favourite opening songs of the year - in at number 18 is How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals. 

Still have no idea where all of the crazy hype for this album came from, it was mindboggling! However, not completely unjustified clearly as we're in at number 19 with SZA and her solo debut Ctrl.

I first heard about SZA a few years through soundcloud, when she put out her EP - Z - and I liked it so much I even wrote about it here. Since then her name's always stayed in the back of my mind but I wasn't really anticipating anything as the years went on. When she dropped her single "Drew Barrymore" (still one of my favourites from the record) last year that brought her right back to the forefront of my mind and all of a sudden I was excited again. Just as suddenly, almost overnight, she was one of the most well known, and anticipated artists of the year. SZA fans came out of the wood-work and they sure made a lot of noise.

My favourites on the album right now are "Drew Barrymore", "Doves In The Wind (feat. Kendrick Lamar)", "The Weekend" and "Go Gina". Each of the tracks on this album has helped shape a lot of the more recent pop music that we've listened to and been exposed to this year. It's not often that a debut album puts so much influence on any one genre in such a short time, but SZA did exactly that. One of the main things that was clear from track one, and something I particularly love about this record is SZA's candour. She holds little back from her romantic tales and the emotions that accompany them, and this probably plays a large part in how this album caught the attention of so many ears and hearts this year.

There is definitely room for expansion on a lot of the songs with this one, despite the fantastic production, some tracks lack a je ne sais quoi. However, this is a minor criticism given just how much potential is shown in these few tracks. It can only be onwards and upwards from here for SZA.

There have been quite a few opinions and criticisms surrounding this next choice actually, but after going back and forth with where I sit, based on music alone, this record is more than deserving of its place on the list. So without further ado, bringing us into our top 20 is Jay Z with 4:44.

A lot of people had a problem with Jay's album receiving critical acclaim because it served as a "response or apology" to Lemonade, and given how much I enjoyed Lemonade last year this criticism was something that I kept in mind at first. However, regardless of this specific aspect of the album, there were plenty of other things that this album spoke towards, and I don't think that the apology was the overarching theme here. Also, just as it would be ridiculous to compare a Solange record to a Beyoncé one; it's equally as nonsensical to do so with Jay and Bey. As such, it was pretty easy to hear this record for what it was after blocking out all the other noise.

Biggest tunes on this for me right now are "Kill Jay Z", "The Story Of O.J.", "4:44" and "Family Feud". After seeing Jay at V Festival earlier this year it served as a reminder not only for how many absolute BANGERS he has, but also as a reminder of just how much genius goes into making a Jay Z masterpiece. As much as he's famed for freestyling a lot of his work, some of the most memorable things about this record seem well thought out - his collaborations, his words on leaving a legacy for his children, the list goes on.

Now, this is a good album with nothing but solid songs on it, but for a Jay Z record, it's not in the same ranks as his earlier material in my opinion. I don't feel like this has grown that much since Magna Carta, there are definitely a few aspects of it that are a cut above (e.g. the samples, the influences, the witty lyrics), however in terms of innovation, I wasn't as blown away as I wanted to be. Despite these feelings, I don't foresee there ever being a time where I don't look forward to listening to a new Jay Z album.

So many of the best albums of 2017 have come from British artists and almost just as many have been debut albums. In at number 21 just on the cusp of the top twenty is debut solo album from British artist, Loyle Carner with Yesterday's Gone.

When Loyle started coming up a couple of years ago he was everywhere - every festival line up, every typical venue for up and comers, every magazine - his promo was insane. Rightly so, his voice is so distinct, and it's the kind of typical London voice I wouldn't expect to say that about, but it's a voice that you could pick out of a crowd nonetheless. In those first few months where Loyle was everywhere I went along with the hype and really overdid it a little bit and so when the time came for him to release this debut, I thought that I was over it. The excitement had worn off and I was a little bit bored. But when I actually got round to listening to the record, it still surprised me. Even the singles that I'd already known and loved sounded refreshed in the context of the record.

Standout new tracks on this one for me are "No Worries" and "Mrs C". Old favourites of mine however have to be "Isle of Arran", "Damselfly" and "Florence". I overplayed "Florence" so so much when I first heard it and thought that when I got to the record I'd be bored of it but no, it's still an amazing track. One thing that always shines through in Loyle's music is his love for his family. He's definitely not the first rapper to rap about family but it's a clear theme in his music and his live shows and the way that he keeps it down to earth and authentic has set him miles apart from a lot of the "popular rap" buzzing around at the minute.

Being nominated for a Mercury on your debut album is no small achievement - however a lot of the artists to have that happen in the past (e.g The xx, Ghostpoet, Alt-J, etc) have gone on to huge things and still continue to put out quality work. I'd expect nothing less from Loyle Carner after this one.

I tried so hard to stay away from the Lorde hype when she came out with her debut Pure Heroine and did it pretty successfully to be honest, but when it only continued to grow after Melodrama I had to give her a chance because the hype had to be founded on something. Well let's just say that after I finished listening to this I had to eat all my own words and jump on the bandwagon. In at number 22 if you haven't already guessed - Lorde with Melodrama.

Going straight into the album with "Green Light", when I first heard it as a single I figured it would come in as more of a mid-album track, maybe a little towards the end because it was a dance-y tune. The more I listened to the lyrics, the more I understood why it had to come first. It's retro and introspective whilst staying light and witty. It's one of the only tracks on the album that can speak towards each of the other songs.

Alongside "Green Light", I've got to talk on my other favourites - "Homemade Dynamite" even though it's potentially pushing on the cheesier side of things at parts, I can't help but love it. "Hard Feelings/Loveless" has so much room for live development, I'd love to see this on stage. The strings on "Sober II (Melodrama)" were a big part of what made this one of the albums most memorable tracks - very stage worthy.

Lorde's thread of art pop has never really been something I've been a huge fan off in the past. I still don't think of it as one of my favourite genres but Lorde does it so perfectly, she's made it her own and I can't deny her artistry anymore. The fact that she's started off so young only makes me appreciate her more - ten years from now I'd be surprised if she wasn't up there as one of this generations greats. There were a few people that helped on this record and each collaboration worked well. You can hear a lot of Antonoff's influence on a few of the hooks throughout - in fact the whole of "Liability" could've just as easily been a fun. song.

I'm a pretty fresh Lorde fan but I couldn't have hoped for a better introduction. I'll most certainly be keeping my eyes open for what's next.

I've just realised that this is the first time that this has band has made it onto this list since their album in 2012 and I'm stunned. Each of their albums since then seem to have grown and grown on the last. This album is no different. Back on the list with their fourth album You Are We is While She Sleeps.

There is not one track on this album that I didn't like. I always feel like starting an album with your title track is a bold move because being the title track, you'd normally expect it to carry the most weight and so I'd be wary of it leaving the rest of the album in the dust. None of that here with WSS. Although "You Are We" is still one of my favourites on the album, it's joined by a fair few others.  In fact to name a few - "Feel", "Wide Awake", "Silence Speaks (feat. Oli Sykes)", and "Hurricane" are my currently filling up the list.

This might just be their most versatile album yet - mixing in different sounds and influences, like the influence of prog rock on "Empire Of Silence" for example, or adding in a touch more melody on tracks where they might have shied away in the past. I feel like this record has really stretched their songwriting capabilities and as much as they've always been phenomenal at executing instrumentals (both live and on record), and curating the right tracks for an album; this record stuck with me more as a whole than Brainwashed did after This Is The Six. Brainwashed had some stellar shining moments on it but this album just shines all together. I think the fact that fans crowdfunded the album may have influence their process. It's clear that they have put a huge effort into not only giving fans what they want but also keeping the album meaningful to themselves.

While She Sleeps never seem to do anything half arsed and You Are We only made it more evident to me that these guys are underrated. They're getting a lot of recognition but not the amount that's due in my opinion. Consistently solid band and in a climate like today's where fear and uncertainty are on the rise, a record like this couldn't be more welcome.

Continuing the countdown is one of the most charismatic artists on this list, making some of the silkiest Sunday afternoon tunes I've heard in a while - at 24 it's Mac Demarco with This Old Dog.

I feel like if you'd asked me to review this album after first listening in May, and then asked again now, the two reviews would be near on exactly the same. This is probably one of the only albums on the list that has held the same consistent feeling for me this whole year. Even speaking about the title song "This Old Dog" when it dropped here, I can see that my opinions haven't changed since.

As I said before, this album has received a lot of lazy Sunday afternoon plays and featured heavily on walks, but after seeing Mac live for the second time at Primavera Sound this year it really struck me just how different his performances are from his songs. His shows always feel pretty adrenaline driven, with the band really giving heaps of energy on stage, and so listening to this album to mellow out almost doesn't seem to make sense. However, Mac plays both sides of the coin effortlessly and never lets the differing tones affect the quality of his fantastic songwriting. This album is a prime example - jam after jam after jam.

My clear cut gems from This Old Dog are - "My Old Man", "Still Beating", "One More Love Song" and "On The Level". I feel like this record might just be Mac's best in regards to flow and cohesiveness. Every note seems deliberate. Despite it sounding effortless, the fact that he played every instrument and produced every note on this album; it becomes clearer and clearer with each listen just how much of Mac went into this. Perhaps Mac Demarco's most personal album yet and if I'm honest, perhaps my favourite of his so far. I'll be listening to this for many Sunday's to come.

Continuing on the countdown at number 25, another Mercury nominated album - Love In The 4th Dimension by The Big Moon. Another debut making its way onto my list of top albums this year and another new discovery actually. I caught "Cupid" whilst listening to the radio earlier this year, and had to shazam it because I was enjoying it so much. Now, several months later here we are, with a whole record full of shazam-able tunes.

After doing a little more research on them I have to say that I was pretty shocked that they were a new band. Although they don't sound super polished per se, they gel together so well and so naturally; I would've been less shocked if this was their third album. It's been a little while since I've listened to Indie/Alternative music like this that's really stuck with me, and this year both TBM and Marika Hackman's (also very fantastic) records have been on repeat quite a bit.

I was lucky enough to catch the ladies' set at a Sofar Sounds gig a few months ago, and often I find that stripping back an artist's songs is an easy way isolate the parts of their songs that you like the most. It also means that there is no prduction magic to hide behind. This is where the album really shone for me. I knew I liked it before but some of the songs came across as even more powerful as acoustics. It's almost impossible to choose favourites on the album, it's just jam packed full of bangers. Each one has an innovative lyric or an infectious riff, something that just sticks in your mind even after first listen. So instead of favourites, here's a list of the tracks I think that I've played the most on the album - "Sucker", "Pull The Other One", "The Road", "Bonfire".

I'm just happy that I can say that this is really only the beginning for The Big Moon. I suspect that I'll be seeing a whole lot of them over these next few months, and may even see them on another list of mine in the next few years.

Punching in at 26 are Royal Blood with How Did We Get So Dark? - a very, very solid record and yet I still have a couple of mixed feelings...

Looking back at how juiced I was when I first discovered them makes me a little bit sad at how much my feelings have dampened since then. Their debut came in at my number two spot in 2014 and I guess I was waiting for them to wow me just as much with this sophomore. Don't get me wrong though, there are a plethora of reasons why this has made my favourite albums of 2017 list. The first of these reasons being the title track - "How Did We Get So Dark?". This track does absolutely everything that it's supposed to do. As an opener it gets the listener buzzed to listen to the rest of the album and it definitely had me nodding my head from the start. The fresh but familiar sound of this song made me feel just as excited as I felt listening to their debut. Then as the title track, it has a fantastic build, and an even more satisfying finish. The riff doesn't give anything away about the rest of the album but it's one of the first riffs I remember when thinking about it.

Some of the other real standouts for me were "Where Are You Now?", "Hole In Your Heart", and "Sleep". Royal Blood really have the formula worked out for a killer opening track and an equally impactful closer. "Sleep" has this simmering riff that never quite boils over but stays just present enough for you to have it lodged in your mind for days on end. Looking at HDWGSD? as a follow up to a stellar debut, it's held it's own perfectly - which is no easy feat - sticking with the sound that they know whilst adding a few innovative touches. Looking at it as a rock album they manage to mix swampy bass with melodies that still make you want to shake a leg, all the while backed by hard hitting, in your face drums. Some of the things I look for most often in music.

Three years on and mounds of tour dates later it's glaringly obvious the boys' musicianship and overall artistry has stepped up, and in a year with extremely fierce competition they've still managed to shine. I just can't wait to see this all live.

Taking us into day four of my favourite albums of the year countdown we have Jamila Woods with her debut solo record - HEAVN - in at number 27.

I actually first stumbled on Jamila's work after somebody tweeted out a link to her video for "Holy" earlier this year. I remember thinking that the thumbnail looked cool and so I saved it to come back to later. I can't tell you how many times I've saved a tweet or a video to go back to and have just completely forgotten about it. Somehow with this track I remembered, and thank goodness I did. "Holy" is still one of my favourites on the record, not only because of how great her vocals sound over the simple melody, but mostly because of how good it makes me feel. A big part of why I liked this album so much is because just singing parts of it or putting it on when I was feeling despondent was such a mood lifter, it almost felt like a form of self-care.

A few words on some other tracks that stuck out to me were "VRY BLK (feat. Noname)", "HEAVN", "In My Name", and "Blk Girl Soldier". "VRY BLK" has the catchy kind of hook that you find yourself humming in the middle of the day, and the addition of Noname on the track only adds that extra sprinkling of carefree vibes. "HEAVN" is actually the track that I play to people to introduce them to Jamila - probably the one I'd most like to hear with a live band on it. "In My Name" was actually one of the more memorable tracks for me because of the skit that came before it speaking on the power in a name, really thought-provoking piece. Finally on "Blk Girl Soldier" that beat knocks out - it reminded me a little of some of the beats on New Amerykah Part One - which is never a bad thing.

I do feel like the length of the record was a little bit excessive. As good as each song was, I don't feel that all of them necessarily needed to make the cut, which meant that from time to time it disrupted the flow of the album. However, the overall concept of the album is fantastic, and speaking on topics that have affected the black/POC community in the past and today; the album ended up acting as a source of empowerment for me on more than a few occasions over these past few months.

After stumbling on Sevdaliza's track "Human" at the beginning of the year - and of course proceeding to overplay it - I've been pretty in awe of her art since. The pairing of "Human" alongside the film-like visuals intrigued me more than almost anything else I've seen this year. 

Some of my other favourites at the moment are "Shahmaran", "Marilyn Monroe", "Hubris", and "Loves Way". If I'm honest, these are some of my favourite songs I've heard on a debut this year. Sevdaliza's vocal stays haunting whilst never losing strength. I've never been one for airy vocals without soul or substance behind them, but Sevdaliza gets that beautiful balance where her voice floats but still carries a distinct weight.

Something that really stood out to me when listening to ISON were the string arrangements. Mihai Puscoiu took the album up to that soundtrack level that set this album apart from so many others this year. Of course the strings aren't the only thing that give this its overwhelmingly unique presence but they really caught me - particularly in moments like "Shahmaran" and "Hero". For me the first half of this record was the stronger of the two, but this may have partly been due to the length of the album. Sitting at a solid hour and 6 minutes, it was a lengthy listen. The quality never wavered, I only found it tough to keep my attention from waning from time to time. Regardless of where my mind was throughout however, the album's stayed lodged in my mind for days on end after each listen.

Based on this album alone, Sevdaliza is one of the most exciting artists that I've had the pleasure of listening to this year, and if we're basing it on the things that I've found out about her since, I can say with some confidence that the material that we'll be seeing from her in future will be unforgettable. As far as art is concerned, her talents clearly don't just stop at music.

In at 29 we have - The xx. I wasn't very excited for this record to drop if I'm honest. I was really really underwhelmed by their last album Coexist. I only truly liked two or three tracks on it and although it was never going to be easy to follow up on their incredible debut - The xx - I just wasn't impressed at all. So after that, I figured that the next would be better but I still wasn't too hopeful.

Pretty much every single one of those doubts flew out of my head when I heard "Dangerous" for the first time. Such a funky bassline, I was nodding my head so much I had to give it reload before even listening to the rest of the album. Still my favourite track on the record. I have to admit, when "Lips" started playing, my nerves started to come back. They sampled "Just (After Song of Songs)" and I'd heard this song on an advert earlier this year. I thought that it might be enjoyable so tracked it down on YouTube. It turned out to be an almost painful listen waiting for it to develop, and so I must admit when I heard those ominous harmonies I was a little worried. Silly, silly me. They really flipped this song on it's head and made it memorable for me rather than traumatic.

My current favourites on the album (aside from "Dangerous") are "Say Something Loving", "On Hold",  and "I Dare You". There are a lot of understated, softer moments throughout that stuck out to me for example Romy's voice on "Brave For You", but they're not songs that I've found myself returning to as often as these four as the year's gone on. Having this album to listen to since January, I've had a lot of time to try and form a consistent feeling for it, and listening to it in the last few months I was content knowing that this would end up in my top albums of the year list. Seeing them nominated for a Mercury Prize this year only reinforced that.

It's clear on I See You that Jamie has taken more of the creative control on this record allowing himself to work in a mix of more influences and soundscapes to the band's latest material. This album just felt comfortable for each member to shine best in their respective talents. After seeing them play at Primavera Sound this year it only opened up my eyes more to just how big their tracks sound live and how much room they've left themselves to expand each track. I'm hoping that it's onwards and upwards from here.

Since I've been a little bit AWOL this year and we're closing in on the "top albums of the year lists" time of the year, instead of the usual 7 or 10 of my favourite records, this year I'm pushing the boat out and doing my top 30 of the year, counting down each day for the rest of the month. Keep an eye out for the rest of my choices as the month goes on but for now, here's my number 30...

It's no secret that I've been a long time fan of Ghostpoet but I have to say, two of the lead singles from Dark Days + Canapes ("Immigrant Boogie" and "Trouble + Me") didn't have me the most excited to listen to it. One thing that I've always loved about Ghostpoet's music is its bittersweet outlook on day to day life and I think when I listened to those first singles and realised how dark and swampy they sounded I just wasn't ready to listen. Even after the album came out, it took a long while for me to listen to it because I just simply wasn't in that frame of mind. Either way, winter came around and this turned out to be the perfect soundtrack.

Just by taking a quick look over the titles of these tracks, you can see that witty worldplay definitely isn't lost on Ghostpoet and this notion only becomes all the more clear as you listen through. One song that really had some lyrics that stuck out for me was "Immigrant Boogie". I always love it when artists tell stories from different points of view on their tracks and listening to Ghostpoet take this story across two different emotions stuck out to me even when I wasn't too excited to listen to the rest of the record.

My favourite tracks on the album so far are "Many Moods At Midnight", "Freakshow", "Dopamine If I Do" and "Live>Leave". There are so many attention grabbing moments interspersed as you listen through this record; like the discordant piano part towards the end of "Blind As A Bat" or the jumpy rhythm and ominous synths on the intro "One More Sip".

I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to get around to listening to this but when I did, it was in the perfect setting and had I listened to it sooner I'm not sure that I would have appreciated it as much as I do now. More than happy to have this start off the top 30 of my 2017.