5 of the Best Albums You Might Have Missed in 2017
Arca by Arca
Combining a silky croon with glitchy electronics, clattering percussion and sweeping soundscapes- all delivered with cosmic gravitas; Arca manages to draw earworm after earworm from the noise. It ' s dark and moody and strangely seductive in his native spanish.
The essentials: Piel, Anoche, Reverie, Desafio.
Hot Thoughts by Spoon
Painted Ruins by Grizzly Bear
In their 4th album as a band, it ' s clear they ' ve grown to encompass most corners of music. The Beach Boys-esque harmonies, the jazz influenced percussion and impeccable arrangements of sometimes god-knows-what instruments have been perfected. It ' s certainly a complex and unorthodox album. It ' s just further proof that their status as indie royalty is well and truly deserved.
The essentials: Three Rings, Mourning Sound, Losing All Sense, Four Cypresses.
Slinky baselines, punchy minimal drums, mercilessly efficient instrumentation and a swaggering yelp make up the Austin quartet Spoon. Magicians in the studio, they ' ve tweaked their formula to refine their groove-making machine, which runs better than ever 16 years since its inception. They also happen to be the only artist on the list that you could throw on at a party; unless it ' s getting weird, in which case any of the rest will soundtrack your descent into decadent hedonism, or y ' know, whatever.
The essentials: Hot Thoughts, Can I Sit Next To You, I Ain ' t The One.
Slowdive by Slowdive
One of the few remaining original shoegaze bands from the 90s, this album, 22 years after their last shows that somehow they ' ve still got ' it ', and may have even gained more ' it ' during the hiatus. The signature sound is still here: beds of woozy guitars that flow over the vocals and percussion; the prominent basslines which cut through the haziness. Though you ' d be hard pressed to hear what they are singing, the album is something of a warm sonic hug, perfect for the coming winter.
The essentials: Slomo, Sugar for the Pill, No Longer Making Time.
OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 by Radiohead
Just. listen. to. it. As a human being, just. listen. to. it.
`Prav Somarthne, 4th Year Medical Student