Friday, 8 December 2017

Paul hiapop Selects His Albums Of 2017


Another great year for music and one in which I probably haven't heard or reviewed as much as I would like to have done.  Some amazing acts - some old, some new, some rediscovered - have provided some quite brilliant sounds.  I've met some of them and, must meet many more of them in the coming year.


Social media has provided a comfort and a friend, and also a constant stream of enjoyment. Long may it continue.


A few very busy artists appear in the list more than once as I found it difficult to pick one release over the other.


So, as usual, a Top 20 proved impossible.  As did a Top 30.  In the end I whittled it own to a Top 38, which are listed below in no particular order aside from the top three which have stuck out as works of incredible quality from the very first listens.  Please take time to scroll down the list and maybe find something you think is amazing, click on the titles to read the reviews.




ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Vukovar - Puritan

















Johanna Glaza – Wind Sculptures

Ashley Reaks – Track Marks


Coldcut x On-U Sound – Outside The Echo Chamber

Jeb Loy Nichols - Country Hustle


Dub Syndicate – Ambience In Dub 1982-1985



John Foxx And The Maths – The Machine

Johnno Casson aka Snippet – Human Good


Fader - First Light

Vaarwell – Homebound 456

Benbo – Everything Is Fine 


Chow Mwng – ULOT CA

Helen McCookerybook – The Sea

Sherwood And Pinch – Man vs Sofa


Alka – The Colour Of Terrible Crystal

Equinox - It's Hard To Be Happy When Your Head Is Full Of Sin 

Various: Terraforming In Analogue Space (IRL Remixes 2000-2015)

Blancmange – Unfurnished Rooms

We Are Quasars - Resistance

Vukovar – Fornication

I Speak Machine – Zombies 1985


Pele – Fireworks


Various – 80s Underground Cassette Culture Volume 1


Johnno Casson aka Snippet – Future Melancholy Pop Music 


Baba Zula – XX 

Blancmange - The Blanc Tapes (Happy Families, Mange Toute, Believe You Me)

Rosie Bans – Identify Yourself 


Vok - Figure


The Bordellos  - Love, Life & Billy Fury


Nouvelle Vague – I Could Be Happy


Sparks - Hippopotamus


Erasure – World Be Gone


MIS+RESS – MIS+RESS


Thomas Lang - Scallywag Jaz (30th Anniversary Edition)


Lone Taxidermist - Trifle


Alison Moyet – Other 





So, that's it folks, unless something incredible drops through my letterbox over the next few days (it probably will and I'll have to change the list).

I already have a very serious contender for an Album Of The Year 2018 so it promises to be an other amazing year.


Until then, Adios my friends.






If you enjoyed this article please follow hiapop on Twitter here, and like on Facebook here.












No comments:

Post a Comment