The playlist this week is my list of the best albums of 2017. It is actually more like my favourite Canadian Indie albums of 2017. There are a couple albums that are on a lot of other lists and are very good albums but I just don’t enjoy. Alvvays’ album Antisocialites is at the top of that list. I would like to like it but it just isn’t my thing. Whitney Rose and Kacy & Clayton are acts both receiving critical acclaim and getting lots of buzz, but again just not my thing. So this list is the 50 albums that I enjoyed the most this year.

I had a list of about 83 albums and found that it was difficult for me to narrow down to 50. With a lot of listening and shuffling, I finally ended up with a solid playlist. They are mostly placed for playlist flow and not exact rated position in the list. The Barr Brothers and Leif Vollebekk are definitely at the top of my list this year though. There were a lot of other albums to love as well. Do Make Say Think, Esmerine, and Saltland all had beautiful mostly instrumental albums. Jessie Reyez and Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche were a couple of my favourite new discoveries this year. Saskatchewan boy Colter Wall is on the rise and getting attention. And many of our beloved artists put out new albums this year as well, such as New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene and Stars. It was quite the year!

See my list below and listen to the playlist to find out what other albums made it to my best of list this year.

DarBar’s Best Albums of 2017

1.  The Barr Brothers – Queens of the Breaker
2.  Leif Vollebekk – Twin Solitude
3.  Walrus – Family Hangover
4.  Weaves – Wide Open
5.  Jessie Reyez – Kiddo
6.  Do Make Say Think – Stubborn Persistence
7.  Esmerine – Mechanics of Dominion
8.  Saltland – A Common Truth
9.  Kid Koala – Music To Draw To: Satellite
10. Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche – Pas pire pop, I Love You so Much
11. Destroyer – ken
12. Colter Wall – Colter Wall
13. Fiver – Audible Songs from Rockwood
14. The Weather Station – The Weather Station
15. Terra Lightfoot – New Mistakes
16. Begonia – Lady in Mind
17. Faith Healer – Try 😉
18. Chad VanGaalen – Light Information
19. Gord Downie – Introduce Yerself
20. Mappe Of – A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone
21. Wolf Parade – Cry Cry Cry
22. Figure Walking – The Big Other
23. The Wooden Sky – Swimming in Strange Waters
24. Arcade Fire – Everything Now
25. Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder
26. The New Pornographers – Whiteout Conditions
27. Stars – There is No Love in Fluorescent Light
28. Matt Mays – Once Upon a Hell of a Time…
29. Death From Above 1979 – Outrage! Is Now
30. Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
31. Propagandhi – Victory Lap
32. Odonis Odonis – No Pop
33. Metz – Strange Peace
34. The Pack A.D. – Dollhouse
35. Fast Romantics – American Love
36. Rose Cousins – Natural Conclusion
37. Jenn Grant – Paradise
38. Land of Talk – Life After Youth
39. Cold Specks – Fool’s Paradise
40. Mo Kenney – The Details
41. Laura Sauvage – “The Beautiful”
42. Partner – In Search of Lost Time
43. Megan Nash – Seeker
44. Louise Burns – Young Mopes
45. Elliott Brood – Ghost Gardens
46. The Wilderness of Manitoba – Across the Dark
47. Julie & The Wrong Guys – Julie & The Wrong Guys
48. The Luyas – Human Voicing
49. The Courtneys – The Courtneys II
50. Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs – Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs

 

What are your favourite Canadian Indie albums of 2017?

Happy New Year and cheers to more great music in 2018!