The Best Albums of 2017 (so far)

So, here we are at mid-year, and it's time to recognize some of the excellent releases that have come out in the first half of 2017. As always, I've enlisted the help of some of my friends and family to provide some additional coverage. I've also collected tracks from each release - chosen by all of our contributors - in a huge Spotify playlist. You'll encounter that all the way at the bottom of this post. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions, so feel free to leave some feedback (and even your own lists) in the comments section below - or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Okay, let's get to it. - Bret

Bret Helm

Life on this Planet | Audra

(albums are in alphabetical order)

Chris Stapleton - From A Room: Volume 1

Desperate Journalist - Grow Up

Future Islands - The Far Field

Jade Jackson - Gilded

Modern English - Take Me to the Trees

Pumarosa - The Witch

Ride - Weather Diaries

Robyn Hitchcock - s/t

Ryan Adams - Prisoner

Slowdive - s/t

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

Alexandra Savior - Belladonna of Sadness

Cigarettes After Sex - s/t

Desperate Journalist - Grow Up

Elbow - Little Fictions

Future Islands - The Far Field

Mark Lanegan Band - Gargoyle

Perfume Genius - No Shape

Pumarosa - The Witch

Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle Soundtrack

Slowdive - s/t

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades

Austra - Future Politics

Black Lips - Satan's Graffiti or God's Art?

Bleib Modern - Antagonism

Cafe Tacvba - Jei Beibi

Emma Ruth Rundle & Jaye Jayle - The Time Between Us (split EP)

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Front Porch Sessions

Shannon Wright - Division

Slowdive - s/t

Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

Clan of Xymox - Days of Black

Desperate Journalist - Grow Up

Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

Ibibio Sound Machine - Uyai

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound

PVT - New Spirit

Robyn Hitchcock - s/t

Throwing Snow - Embers

Todd Rundgren - White Knight

Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar

Tim Brown
London, England

The Big Moon - Love in the 4th Dimension

Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

Future Islands - The Far Field

Glen Campbell - Adios

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Laura Marling - Semper Femina

Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone
Milky Chance - Blossom

The Shins - Heartworms

Stormzy - Gang Signs and Prayer

Jesse Deitermann

Saturday Night Music Club

The Charlatans - Different Days

Froth - Outside (briefly)

Jay Som - Everybody Works

Novella - Change of State

Phoenix - Ti Amo

The Proper Ornaments - Foxhole

Ride - Weather Diaries

Slowdive - s/t

Temples - Volcano

Terry vs. Tori - Leap Day

Todd "Opie" Kelley

Englewood, Colorado

Chris Stapleton - From A Room: Volume 1

Cold War Kids - L.A. Divine

Elliot Moss - Boomerang

Elbow - Little Fictions

Harry Styles - s/t

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Ryan Adams - Prisoner

Sampha - Process

SOHN - Rennen

The xx - I See You

Sierra Anna Jones

Okinawa, Japan

Beach Fossils - Somersault

Cigarettes After Sex - s/t

Drab Majesty - The Demonstration

Hoops - Routines

King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering

Molly Burch - Please Be Mine

Perfume Genius - No Shape

Pharmakon - Contact

Slowdive - s/t

TOPS - Sugar at the Gate

Jason Jones

Okinawa, Japan

Depeche Mode - Spirit

Drab Majesty - The Demonstration

Feist - Pleasure
Hoops - Routines

King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering

Lorde - Melodrama

Molly Burch - Please Be Mine

Pharmakon - Contact

Slowdive - s/t

TOPS - Sugar at the Gate

Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades
All Them Witches - Sleeping Through the War
Goldfrapp - Silver Eye
Helado Negro - Private Energy (Expanded)
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Little Dragon - Season High
The Prids - Do I Look Like I'm in Love?
Shy Girls - Salt
Sinkane - Life & Livin' It
Tei Shi - Crawl Space

John Magness

Uttoxeter, England

Astralasia - Oceania

Depeche Mode - Spirit

Future Islands - The Far Field
Lindsey Buckingham / Christine McVie - s/t

Maximo Park - Risk to Exist

Paul Weller - A Kind Revolution

Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want?

Steve Hackett - Night Siren

Sun Kil Moon - Common as Light and Love are Red Valleys of Blood
The xx - I See You

STATS

80 different albums appeared in this feature

Which ones made it onto the most lists?

Slowdive (6), Future Islands (4), Desperate Journalist (3) and Kendrick Lamar (3)

If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

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