[Shaun]

right let's get this over with

#10 - "Atrocity Exhibition" by Danny Brown

It's just... idk... I thought I had put Danny Brown into a box where he was yapping and running around like a ball of energy, with little else to surprise or impress me in terms or production and lyrical output, but then this happened and I didn't really expect it. His previous albums were both strong but I feel like this somehow surpassed both of them? I'm not sure. It's a Mad Hatter's Tea Party of drugs, paranoia and violence, and pretty compelling.

#9 - "Hopelessness" by ANOHNI

Her first solo album, and also her first with her new name, saw her take a huge departure from the style of Antony + the Johnsons and embrace electronics. The album's political enough to get Alf and LeatherTrumpet to moan about it when she (hopefully) wins Best Female at the BRITS soon, tackling issues like capital punishment, Barack Obama's presidency and war, but retains the same kind of poetic beauty that thrived on her albums with her band. Some of the tracks are career-bests, and when that career includes the likes of 'Hope There's Someone' and 'Cut the World', that's high praise indeed.

#8 - "My Woman" by Angel Olsen

I know it's a childish impulse to go all "yes X is nice but she's not as good as Y", so I did briefly flirt with the idea that Mitski vs. Angel Olsen was a thing I wanted to tackle and instigate in this list, but given it's a ranking I guess Angel won anyway? Sorry Scott. Their sounds are similar and in a year that PJ Harvey collapsed under her own pretentious weight, there were many stepping forward to take her crown. For me, this was the most consistent and mind-blowing album from a solo rock/alt-rock/whatever woman.

#7 - "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

I like Bon Iver ok

#6 - "Skeleton Tree" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Dark as hell and maybe the saddest album I've ever heard? I dunno, it's sort of on the same level as Joni Mitchell's Blue in terms of tugging at my heart.

#5 - "Wildflower" by The Avalanches

I would appreciate not having to wait another 17 years for the next album. In a year of frightening politics, endless death and terrorism, this was a brief flicker of optimism and colourful fun. Their unique production style was the perfect method of execution for a psychedelic, beautiful album that'd sit happily and strongly next to the likes of Sgt. Pepper's or Love's 'Forever Changes'.

#4 - "Freetown Sound" by Blood Orange

Another monster of an album (at 17 tracks and 59 minutes), Dev Hynes' latest masterpiece was the perfect blend of the funk & grooves of Prince (I honestly believe that Hynes may be the reincarnation of him) and the fraught world-view and cutting insight of 70s-era Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Freetown Sound should go down as one of the greatest albums on black identity... if not of all time, then certainly the past 30 years.

#3 - "Blackstar" by David Bowie

The second stage of five in dealing with grief is anger, and for a brief while I did feel it: specifically because after decades of nothing, certainly nothing of much strength, released by David Bowie, he popped back in 2013 with the brilliant 'The Next Day'. All seemed to be great, and it turned out his follow-up would be too. That it would be his last was the most unpleasant of surprises. The mental strength and solemnity with which this must have been recorded is something I've yet to understand, but something I'll forever admire. 'Dollar Days', 'Lazarus' and 'I Can't Give Everything Away' are particular highlights, and nicely serve as the Low or Lodger alternatives to much of the more early Bowie-sounding tracks available on The Next Day.

#2 - "Lemonade" by Beyoncé

Just phenomenal. I toyed with placing this at #1 for a long time - in fact everything in this top four has been #1 for at least a month or two over the course of 2016 - and whilst the singles and tracks definitely stand more memorable than those available on my winner, it would seem that Lemonade losing out is the recurring theme of 2017. Not a single weak track, and some of the most startlingly personal lyrics and poignant melodies ever released by the most compelling woman in music right now.

#1 - "Blonde" by Frank Ocean

In 2012, I put 'Channel Orange' second to a staunchly political masterpiece (good kid, m.A.A.d city). It really did look like I was going to do the same for his follow-up - perhaps just out of spite for it taking so long to surface more than anything. The hype that surrounded it would be enough to quash even the highest of expectations and leave you disappointed but Blonde did nothing of the sort. I haven't had nearly as much free time as I used to to let albums sink in so I've probably yet to fully let Blonde sink in, but oh god it's so good