We made it to the end
of another year! Whilst 2017 sure as heck hasn’t been an easy one for a lot of
people, at least we’ve been blessed with some amazing music from our favourite
artists. If you’ve not seen Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this series for 2017, be sure
to scroll through my blog to check them out. Now on to the round up of some of
my favourite albums from the last part of the year. Hope you enjoy!
Kelsea Ballerini – Unapologetically
Why it made the list:
Kelsea is such a joy to listen to, with lyrics that speak to the millennial
generation (and I’m sure others), in the same way that early Taylor Swift did
in her country era, and continues to do now. In Unapologetically, Kelsea again toys the line between country and
pop with plenty of drum beat, and yet differentiates herself from mainstream
pop with lyrics that actually mean something. High School details the story of a boy still stuck in his glorious
past; Roses of a fast paced but
beautiful romance, and the sultry Music of
someone speaking to you just like a song does. My favourite track, however, has
to be I Hate Love Songs, a satirical
track with brilliant lyrics – definitely give it a listen. Sophomore albums are
always a challenge, and Kelsea had a lot to live up to with the fantastic The First Time, but she’s certainly done
herself proud with this one. I have no
doubt she’ll be giving the likes of Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert a run
for their money in a few years time. Check out my review of Kelsea’s concert
here.
Top Tracks: I
Hate Love Songs, Roses, Miss Me More
Kesha – Rainbow
Why it made the list:
I know, I know, a bit different from the usual types of albums I talk about,
but I’ve really enjoyed listening to Rainbow
over the past few months and I’m sure you will too, regardless of what
genre of music usually floats your boat. And yes, for my country fans out
there, there’s even a duet with Dolly Parton on here too! I’ve long been a fan
of Kesha from back in her electro-beat party pop era, but this album is truly
something else. After years of hardship and legal battles with her producer,
Kesha has used both the pain from the fight, and the relief on getting out the
other side to create a truly stunning album. There are still some great party
songs, but even these have evolved. Take Woman
for example, which can easily be screamed out loud on the dancefloor, but
take a closer listen and you’ll find an empowering anthem. The real stars are
where you can feel raw emotion, three of which follow each other almost
chronologically. First up is Hymn,
both about losing faith and finding it again (and covered by Maren Morris which
encouraged me to check out this album); followed by Praying about wishing not pain on those who have hurt you, but
hoping they find redemption within themselves. Finally we have the liberating Learn To Let Go, whose title speaks for
itself. Kesha is undoubtedly a phoenix, rising from the ashes as something even
brighter than before.
Top Tracks: Boots,
Learn to Let Go, Hymn
Walker Hayes – boom.
Why it made the list:
Dan & Shay first told me about Walker Hayes as one to watch, and I’m
glad they did because boom. certainly
suggests we should keep our eyes open for him. The album is full of refreshing
songs which deserve a call out only because of their interesting titles – Shut Up Kenny, Halloween (listenable at any time of the year) and the simply
titled Craig. This isn’t easily
recognisable as country music, with plenty of similarities with the likes of
Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz as Hayes almost sing-talks and raps more than sings
as we know it but if you’re looking for something that’s certainly very
different to your usual, you might just find in this.
Top Tracks: Beckett,
Beautiful, Mind Candy
Chase Rice – Lambs & Lions
Why it made the list:
Chase Rice’s gravelly voice and anthem type songs certainly lend themselves
to raising a glass or lighter, and this is clearly evident on Rice’s latest
album. The album begins with Lions and
On Tonight which set the tone for
hard rocking hands up tracks before shifting year into some actually quite
sweet songs like Unforgettable and Eyes On You. There is of course the obligatory
drinking song (Jack Daniel’s Showed Up) but
also very personal songs like Amen. For
this reason, this is an album hard to define that, as aforementioned, would
easily work in a stadium as well as in an intimate venue, which is where I
first heard most of these songs (read my review here). If you like Sam Hunt,
you might just like Chase Rice too.
Top Tracks: Eyes
On You, Unforgettable, Three Cords & The Truth.
Did you agree with my
list, and my top picks for 2017 (don’t forget to read the other parts elsewhere
on my blog!) I’d love to know what albums you enjoyed listening to this year,
so drop me a comment below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. No doubt there’s
plenty of great music I missed out on this year so be sure to let me know what
you loved, and what you’d like to see in future blog posts. Thanks for reading!
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