Late December is a rock critic’s dream. A time to reflect and dig up the treasures from this year’s new music releases and dissect them with a fine toothed comb.
Yep, Christmastime is also the time for year-end Top Ten lists. And The Bipolar Addict has a list this year in no particular order.
Looking through the lens of my homebase of Chicago, I’ve seen quite the spectrum of music this year. On Facebook, I’ve shared photos from destination festivals like Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and Riot Fest. And because of these festivals, Chicago just may be the best music town in the country.
I realize there is no mainstream pop, hip-hop, or country on this list. These albums are just my personal favorites for the year. Here’s what to listen to for whatever mood fits your fancy.
LCD Soundsystem — American Dream
Mood: Fired Up
This year marked the return of James Murphy and Brooklyn disco punks LCD Soundsystem after a six-year hiatus. Their fourth album is an artistic triumph — rock music with a disco beat that you can shimmy and shake to. It’s electro music dressed in punk clothing — jam-packed with thumping bass lines, acid-washed keyboards, live drums, and distorted guitars — and a cowbell thrown in for good measure.
I saw them live twice this year — once headlining Pitchfork and another time at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, the final night of three sold-out-shows. And I have to say, LCD is one of the most exciting acts touring today.
While American Dream isn’t as good as the band’s first three records, even LCD Soundsystem at its worst is better than most of the indie rock piffle that’s out there. If you feel like dancing, this is the 2017 record that will fulfill your desire to boogie down.
Waxahatchee — Out in the Storm
Mood: Radiant
My crowned princess of indie pop, Katie Crutchfield, has a voice that’s as delicious as drizzling warm caramel sauce over a slice of homemade apple pie. Her subtle smoothness goes down easy like a sip from the fountain of youth.
Crutchfield stomped on the distortion pedal on this one, creating a bona fide louder record than her previous efforts. It’s electric folk pop, laid-back and unchained. Which is not to say it doesn’t contain intimate moments, especially when she grabs her acoustic on tracks like “Sparks Fly” and “Fade.”
The singer is probably either a friend of the bipolar or dealing with the disorder herself, with lyrics like “I took a pill / I went to sleep for the first time in weeks / You kept me up with all your manic energy” (“Brass Beam”), and “Am I happy or manic?” (“Never Been Wrong”).
Out in the Storm is my favorite album of the year — insouciant, innocent, and genuine. As sweet as candy canes and equally as carefree.
Japandroids — Near to the Wild Heart of Life
Mood: Intense
Highly evolved punk rock never sounded so good. Japandroids are a rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia, with frontman Brian King on guitar and vocals and the talented David Prowse on the drums. In other words, there is no bass. And it goes unnoticed, given the band’s thick and muscular power-chord-driven sound.
This is comfort rock ‘n’ roll, tinged with plenty of “whoa oh ohs” and “sha-na-na-na-nas.” Fans of classic rock will dig on the band’s red-blooded sound. The album is the follow-up to 2012’s near-perfect Celebration Rock, an album meant to be cranked up to 11. While the music is a bit more subdued on Near to the Wild Heart of Life, it’s still masterful indie rock.
Washed Out — Mister Mellow
Mood: Chillax
Those in the know worship at the altar of Ernest Weatherly Greene, Jr. — who goes by the moniker Washed Out.
Washed Out’s music twinkles with bouncy beats and basslines, plus magical keyboard flourishes. Add hushed vocals to the mix and you’ve got a perfect storm of indie-pop bliss.
Greene orchestrates a lush, comfy-cozy set of songs that go together seamlessly and earn the album its name.
Let yourself to sink into this pillow-top mattress of an album, a collection of miniature tunes that is decidedly sleepy — the perfect soundtrack to a nap.
Aimee Mann — Mental Illness
Mood: Pensive
Aimee Mann is an indie-folk stalwart with nine albums under her belt.
As I said in this space when Mental Illness came out:
Mann’s lyrics have always been introspective and profound, but on Mental Illness she’s pulled a black dog out of her hat with a deluge of melancholy gems that give subtle nods to mental health. Maladies like depression and bipolar are not quite the centerpiece here but are definitely a backdrop. In the grand tradition of ‘70s singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Dan Fogelberg, Mann channels the essence of folk music on the album from beginning to end. There are lyrics about relationships gone awry, and a down-in-the-dumps, sinking-ship mentality.
An unsung hero of this year’s releases, Mental Illness is a melancholy album that transcends sadness simply because it’s so pleasing to the ears.
