December recurrently coincides with the year-end list season. Both traditional press, blogosphere and social media get driven by some list mania addiction.Year-end lists start popping out from mid November until before Christmas Eve. The mass of people lured by Xmas lights tend to offer their friends and loved ones some music and when there's no shopping time available there will be always a handy year-end list to give a little help. Consumerism is just like that and it will hardly change.
The above considerations taken aside we acknowledge that 2017 was not a particularly thrilling year for Dream Pop and Shoegaze. In spite of the considerable number of album releases worldwide, many of them hailing from Asia, plus Slowdive, Ride and Pia Fraus comeback with brand-new recordings, it hardly seems debatable that 2017 did not bring to the spotlight more than just a couple of excellent releases of dream pop/shoegaze genre redefined, reinvented and even re-imagined.
It is unsurprisingly boring to notice that most dream pop/shoegaze bands are still effortlessly trying to sound like The Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Lush or Ride, reproducing an old formula which makes it hard to find a substantial number of above average quality releases.
On previous year-end lists posted we did present the bands/albums alphabetically ordered, no hierarchy from top to bottom. Nevertheless, from this year on we’ll take a different approach and all albums shall be ranked from 25th to 1st considering that this allows a better information to all readers about which LP’s we effectively understand as corresponding to the absolute best ones.
This said and claiming our share in the yearly mania of listing what was best at music INDIEVOTION presents its TOP 25 DREAM POP & SHOEGAZE ALBUMS OF 2017. The commitment is the same that has always been: no influences from the music press or the music industry in a totally add free state of mind which is rather healthy and helpful to maintain editorial line coherence.
1. ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL – STELLULAR
2. THE MORELINGS - SAME CENTURY
3. CITRUS CLOUDS – ULTRA SOUND
4. DEAFCULT – AURAS
5. THE CHERRY WAVE - SHIMARU
6. STAR TROPICS – LOST WORLD
7. CHLOË MARCH - BLOOD-RED SPARK
8. SOON, SHE SAID - THE FIRST CASUALTY OF LOVE IS INNOCENCE
9. FAZERDAZE - MORNINGSIDE
10. MARK PETERS – INNERLAND
11. SLOWDIVE - SLOWDIVE
12. MINIATURES – JESSAMINES
13. MARKER – MARKER
14. WOZNIAK – COURAGE REELS
15. DEAD LEAF ECHO – BEYOND DESIRE
16. PIA FRAUS – FIELD CEREMONY
17. BELIEFS - HABITAT
18. PANDA RIOT – INFINITY MAPS
19. PLANNING FOR BURIAL – BELOW THE HOUSE
20. OVERLAKE – FALL
21. CLUSTERSUN – SURFACING TO BREATH
22. SILVER LIZ - I CAN FEEL THE WEIGHT
23. CARAMEL SNOW - DICENTRA
24. ELECTRO GROUP – RANGER
25. HOOPS – ROUTINES
December recurrently coincides with the year-end list season. Both the traditional press, the blogosphere and the social media get suddenly possessed by this almost uncontrollable list mania. It is not any surprising that the lists begin feverishly popping out from mid November until before Christmas Eve after all many people gift their friends and loved ones with music and when there's no time to shop a gift properly there is always a year-end list to give a little help. Consumerism is just like that and it will hardly change.
The above consideration taken aside it is unwise not to acknowledge that this year was a pretty benevolent one concerning Post Punk. There were a considerable number of album releases worldwide meaning that the genre did not lose any of the appeal it keeps generating since the late 70s and early 80s. It seems unquestionable that 2017 has brought to light not only a set of very good Post Punk albums but also an even refined, exquisite lot of excellent releases of the genre, reinvented, re-imagined, rejuvenated. Post Punk keeps being a fascinating source full of secrets, an aesthetic language capable of keeping up with the world changes without losing sight of its core essentials.
On previous year-end lists posted we did present the bands/albums alphabetically ordered, no hierarchy from top to bottom. Nevertheless, and from this year on we take on a different approach and all albums are ranked from 30th to 1st considering this allows a better information to all readers about which albums we effectively understand as corresponding to the absolute best ones.
This said and claiming our share in this year-end mania of listing what was best at music INDIEVOTION presents its TOP 30 POST PUNK ALBUMS OF 2017. The commitment is the same that has always been: no influences from the music press or the music industry in a totally add free state of mind which is rather healthy and helpful to maintain editorial line coherence.
1 DESPERATE JOURNALIST - GROW UP
2 PROTOMARTYR - RELATIVES IN DESCENT
3 IDLES - BRUTALISM
4 PRIESTS - NOTHING FEELS NATURAL
5 HAMSAS XIII - DE NOVO
6 AGENT BLA - AGENT BLA
7 AYE NAKO - SILVER HAZE
8 DEATH BELLS - STANDING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
9 ROPE SECT - PERSONAE INGRATAE
10 DOCUMENT - THE VOID REPEATS
11 WIRE - SILVER/LEAD
12 GREAT YTENE - LOCUS
13 MAKTHAVERSKAN - III
14 OMNI - MULTI-TASK
15 GOLD CLASS - DRUM
16 MADONNATRON - MADONNATRON
17 INVSN - THE BEAUTIFUL STORIES
18 UNDO - UNDO
19 M!R!M - IUVENIS
20 SNEAKS - IT'S A MYTH
21 GLAARE - TO DEAF AND DAY
22 DOWNTOWN BOYS - COST OF LIVING
23 D.U.D.S. - OF A NATURE OR DEGREE
24 MEAT WAVE - THE INCESSANT
25 B BOYS - DADA
26 FUFANU - SPORTS
27 PARDONER - UNCONTROLLABLE SALVATION
28 THE UNDERGROUND YOUTH - WHAT KIND OF DYSTOPIAN HELLHOLE IS THIS?
The Morelings are definitely one of the most serious cases of talent and aesthetic intentionality of the present indie music scene. There is an absolutely fascinating sense of purpose in everything they do. All seems carefully planned with careful glamour and sobriety, while avoiding the obtuse snobbery often present in the music scene. Their aesthetics is pure charm, undeniably positioning them as one of the very best dream pop bands to have emerged in the last decade.
Many were the bands that effortlessly tried to imitate the Cocteau Twins dream pop sound throughout the years and redundantly failed, and although The Morelings did not even attempt to sound, mimic or replicate it they could perfectly claim the status of true heirs of Cocteau Twins sonic rapture. It is precisely due to the avoidance of imitation that we can scrutinize one of the main reasons why The Morelings can actually be considered as beacons of contemporary classic dream pop iconography. But it is not the only one.
In spite of the above considerations we ought to be enough open-minded accepting that what is understood as dream pop is something that has a rather fluid aesthetic frontier and for being that way it gives room to think that, if we’re really serious about this dream pop thing, then we probably should consider that it could have been ignited by something else.
It seems that not many people concerned with what dream pop is actually listened to such acts like The Zombies and their song “Tell Her No”, Procol Harum with their “Whither Sade of Pale”, George Harrison solo work, the early Jefferson Airplane or the insurmountable Television to name but just a few.
In order to attain a broader understanding of dream pop proto-origins the listener should consider that The Morelings influences are far from being most and merely rooted in the 80s neo-psychedelia and dream pop. They are not only quite in tune with the 60s and 70s dreamy existential psych folk gaze, but also very much aware of the first wave of Californian psychedelic pop, plus the french yé-yé, the Bossa Nova and not necessarily emprisioned by the ever obvious Cocteau Twins, MBV, Slowdive or bands alike.
When The Morelings officially released their unreservedly mesmerizing three song debut EP “NO SIGN” back in January 8th 2015, few could imagine apart from the band members themselves that the EP would not only stand out as the dreamiest fifteen minutes and forty-six seconds trip of ethereal vocals, sparkling guitars and seductive percussion, but would also become one of the most prominent musical moments of 2015, inevitably creating the demand for the debut full-length that would unbelievably take two and a half long years to come out. “Same Century” was at last released on September 26th. Two months ago. Decidedly a day to be remembered. Needless to say that the long awaiting absolutely paid off.
LYT the opening tune is the first irresistibly striking moment of the album. It emerges as a super duper song with every bewitching ingredients to mesmerize and make one dream and tripping away. The melody, beat, harmonies of this song are superlative. The vocals of Kedra Caroline make it sound absolute perfection with touches of class reminding the sweetness of Harriet Wheeler’s voice and singing. WE WERE 60s intro gives the tone for the whole song: a retro dance floor melodrama. Nostalgia, disenchantment and a love lost kind of feeling converging into its somehow dramatic nature where the grim Moog Prodigy sound that grumbling in the background helps to build tension and works like the choir of the Greek tragedies.
NEVER SURE the second striking moment of the album is that kind of song where you can not ignore the grounding presence of Cocteau Twins and Pale Saints atmosphere. Soon afterwards you remind yourself that there is a lot of The Sundays hidden in between too. In fact a highly interesting aspect to be found in this album is precisely the proximity to The Sundays dream pop approach and up to some point to Johnny Marr. Really awesome. BEFORE has some stunning bliss pop vocals with the inevitable touch of Kedra Caroline nostalgia, Matthew William captivating guitar sound and the downright drumming make it simply one of the album most valuable songs. SAME CENTURY the album title song seems to have been an approach to a more up-to-date dream pop formula and that may help explain why it leaves the impression that there was some Beach House groove in the studio.
WHAT YOU WANTED the striking moment number three is a 3.46 minutes of pure magic leaving the impression of Bossa Nova nostalgia soaked in a hauntingly beguilling siren call that once again brings to mind the sweet, sugary warmth of Harriet Wheeler tonalities, the softness of Brazilian Astrud Gilberto singing but undoubtedly and above all “La douceur, et l'émerveillement d’une certaine tristesse” that Françoise Hardy never stopped singing. Just remarkable. TO YOU results in another striking fair share of bewilderment. A fantastic ethereal plunge, a soft tribal drumming, the irresistibly astounding guitar riff that help to magically amplify the dreamy atmosphere upon which the song is built upon. The vocals are once again tremendously good. ONLY I WAS closes the album masterfully. It is a vicious “trip-bossa-french-pop-hop” groove secretly hidden in a dream pop melancholia mixed with a bit of Cocteau Twins, “Moon and The Melodies” period, but also with that Bristolian touch we could acknowledge to Massive Attack eloquence found in their “Blue Lines” album or Portished “Dummy”. Everything is beautiful about this song making it not only one of gems of The Morelings crown, but undoubtedly one of the best songs of this year.
The Morelings managed to deeply refine their highly addictive daydream gaze, their intrinsic, uninterrupted melodicism that lingers through shimmering harmonies, clean cold drum beats, gorgeous guitars and a full set of vocals from another galaxy. Apart from some obvious influences that persist on The Morelings sound what must be highlighted and praised is that the band has proved until now that they can melt and reinvent their variegated musical heritage into a signature sound filled in with intense nouvelle vague cinematic charm and alluring elegant beauty. The Morelings are a musical dreamland.
