For me, 2017 was the year of amazing albums; these came in abundance from exciting debuts, to bold new releases from some of my old favourites. When it came to writing the yearly round up with Vulture Hound, it was the latter that got my attention.
Having gone on and on…and on, about Wolf Alice last year, it only seemed right that I round the year off with my two cents on why second album Visions of a Life deserved to be in the top ten. Personally, this was my favourite album of the year. I love that it is diverse, yet comes together so perfectly, that every day I have a new favourite track.
From the get go I was obsessed with the groove of ‘Formidable Cool’, then it was the sweet charm of ‘Beautifully Unconventional’ that caught my attention. Of course I couldn’t talk about with this album without mentioning ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’, one of my most coveted tracks; I love that it is inherently pop, but still manages to sit wonderfully with the likes of the ferocious ‘Yuk Foo’. They somehow manage to make complete sense and absolutely no sense at all together and I’m still trying to figure out how Wolf Alice managed it.
By the time Vulture Hound rounded up all of their writers’ top albums, Visions of a Life came in at number seven, among a variety of different artists that certainly smashed it.
Another one of my favourite albums from last year was The Horrors’ V. This is one of a handful of bands that I listened to nearly ten years ago and still adore now. 2017 was the year of their fifth album, and the evolution among them all is a wonderful thing to hear. It is not so much a journey of improvement, more one of exploration. I find that each album is a gem in its own right; each one unique but never straying from The Horrors we know and love.
For Vulture Hound, V came in at number one, and I had the pleasure of writing all about it. I dedicated a whole Sunday afternoon listening to the album over and over, taking notes, and I adored every minute. Of course I had listened to the album before; on the bus, getting ready, but never in the way that I did that Sunday. I knew that I liked this album, but I just hadn’t realised quite how much.
From clear cut production, to the beautiful marrying of romanticism and industrialism, I simply can’t fault it. The Horrors have been a favourite of mine for a long time, sometimes neglected, but never forgotten. There is something special about listening to a band that you loved as a teen, and still finding the utmost joy in your early twenties. Now that might not seem like massive time frame, but there is something different about listening to this band. It is not about the nostalgia, it is about the journey the albums take me on. I can dip into the older albums and enjoy them in exactly the same way as I did before, enjoying them for more than just the memories. It is the fact that they are still making music that amazes me. Man, I love them.
You can read the VH Albums of the Year here:
http://vulturehound.co.uk/2017/12/vh-2017-albums-of-the-year/
It also features in the magazine (along with my Wolf Alice live review!) which you can order here:
http://steelchairmag.bigcartel.com/product/vulturehound-magazine-19
Or read the digital copy here:
https://issuu.com/vulturehound/docs/vulturehound19
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SAMANTHA MAE 