Photo by Michael Schmelling

Say what you want against the good ol’ label structure but one of its benefits, especially for me, comes from a certain coherent sound of their roster. Well, at least that’s the way it should be. If you take the iconic Sub Pop folks, for example, you know that you just get high quality independent music with a certain love for edgy and unadapted attitude. Sean Solomon, Pascal Stevenson and Andrew MacKelvie are the latest new members of the Sub Pop gang and the sound of their band Moaning works pretty well as an argument for quality, if you ask me.

The post-punk trio was discovered by acclaimed producer Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, Bloc Party) who also producer their upcoming self-titled debut album, which arrives on March 2, 2018. The lead single Don’t Go is a furious piece of DIY material, one that combines edgy weltschmerz with a a tender melody. New Order could have sounded that way following the end of Joy Division if they hadn’t decided to head for acid house territory. Does that cause excitement in you because it really should. Moaning deliver that sort of sound that never runs out of style and I highly appreciate them for that. (Norman)

Normal Life – ‘Violence’

Photo by Lasse Lindfors

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder where trash ends and art begins. I guess it’s probably wise these days to head for a more cheasy-sounding direction to create something that is actually fresh in terms of its artistic approach. Finnish duo Artturi Taira (aka Shivan Dragn) and Miikka Koivisto (of Disco Ensemble) call their band Normal Life and the sound of their debut release single is quite a special one. They somehow managed to mix their eclectic songwriting and DIY spirit with quite old-fashioned late 90s dance and rave sounds.

Spiderwebs, the A-Side of their new double single comes with a pumping 150 bpm groove and the other tune, Violence, delivers truly uncool trance vibes I personally haven’t experienced since 1998. But since I grew up with that sort of music I think there’s just something in here that really triggers the inner child in me. Damn you, nostalgia! Sometimes it takes a bit biographical distance to worship things like this again. However, Normal Life sound quite unique and that is something you rarely witness these days. (Norman)

Hey Elbow – ‘Tell Me’

Photo by Alice Boman

Hey Elbow‘s 2015 debut Every Other was a highlight of 2015, which means that it’s extremely good news that they’re back. October saw them release comeback single Quest, and now they’re back with another, Tell Me. Tell Me is the band at their grandest and most ambitious, built from a swell of horns and choral harmonies to make a pop song that scrapes the stars.

Their new album, as of yet without a name, is due in March. Reading the runes of a new album from the lead singles is always tricky business: we knows if they’ll throw a swerve when the next one comes out? But on the basis of the two newbies, the upcoming album sounds like a continuation of their sound on Every Other, but polished and heavier, the occasional lo-fi edge on the debut shorn off and the songs developed into something fuller and more expansive. And that sounds like a record worth looking forward to. (Austin)

Mono Mono – ‘Feel’

Photo by Emil Klitsgaard

Earlier this year we picked Danish duo Mono Mono as part of our little selection called ‘Class Of ’17‘ which focussed on promising acts for this year. Although the band only released two songs over the past months and delayed the release of their debut EP to spring 2018 they still got that mesmerizing dreamy feeling we fell in love with at the first place. On their tender new single called Feel Karoline Elsig and Jakob Franck deliver delicate escapism in the form of dreamy melancholic pop.

The music video underlines the message of the track as it sees the passiveness of the two band members, and expressive dancers alludes to the paradox of loneliness in our increasingly connected society. Mono Mono just give you material to think a bit and that makes this track even sweeter. (Norman)

Magic Island – ‘Easy Babe’

Alright, it’s the final Daily Tune in the final recap of the year, time for a fitting tune to soundtrack that ‘end-of-the-year’-feeling. And honestly, I can’t think of a more fitting one than Easy Babe by Magic Island. Because let’s be honest, folks, 2017 has been one hell of a trip, a rollercoaster ride packed with low points. At least that’s the impression I get if I follow all the clickbaiting links, daily news and all the buzz. Way to often you get the sense that society is f*cked in the end and there’s no necessity to continue righting, right?

Well, don’t lose hope, everybody. In fact, please never do because there’s always a way out. And the soulful Easy Babe delivers all the necessary amount of hope to believe that. ‘I wanna know if the world’s worth saving?’, the Berlin-based singer artists in this retro-infected piece. Still, Magic Island tries to believe that a change is gonna come but she leaves no doubt that it’s going to be a tough ride towards a better future. Easy Babe was recorded with the help of dream pop darlings Fenster and these guys really delivered the right amount of soulful bliss to lift the song to new heights. This is the perfect tune to wish 2017 a farewell for good and welcome a hopefully way better new year. We deserve this, god damn! (Norman)

NBHAP’s Daily Tunes from December 2017

• Magic Island – ‘Easy Babe’
• Hey Elbow – ‘Tell Me’
• Anna Leone – ‘I Never Really’
• Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – ‘Bambi Act’
• Marching Church – ‘Christmas On Earth’
• Saavan – ‘Slow’
• August Rosenbaum – ‘Credo, Pt. II (Live)’
• Mono Mono – ‘Feel’
• Normal Life – ‘Violence’
• Raindear – ‘Diamonds In My Chest’
• Sam Vance-Law – ‘I Think We Should Take It Fast’
• Animal Noise – ‘Fly’
• Moaning – ‘Don’t Go’
• Peggy Sue – ‘Slow Fade’

Find all of those songs and plenty of other new music in the following playlist which – obviously – gets updated daily.

The video, directed by Ask Sunde, matches the song’s breakneck, outlaw spirit, as it follows a gang of teenagers on a pop-gun, skateboarding rampage through Oslo. Coucheron says:

Of all the singles I released this year’s , UFO was the one I immediately felt needed a music video. I knew the reckless and kiddy attitude of the song would translate to the screen somehow, and Ask Sunde (director) had an awesome vision for how it could be done. The video was shot in Oslo alongside his friends, doing dumb stuff. I’m hoping that’s what the song makes you feel like doing. I drove into a tree after listening to it.

UFO is out now on Toothfairy, and new music from Coucheron is due in 2018

Today, NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION is thrilled to debut the music video for The Call which sees the artist and her fellow bandmembers exploring the ghostly surroundings of a mysterious old house, only armed with flashlights. Well, usually that’s not the best equipment you could pick in a horror movie but thank god, this is not your ordinary Hollywood blockbuster but rather a clip that transports the dark notion of the tune.

According to SUAD the song ‘catches a moment when the call for change is strong and cannot be ignored’ so it’s upon you to answer that call right after experiencing that lovely new music video below.

LIVE

Phoebe Bridgers – ‘Stranger In The Alps’ (Dead Oceans)

Recommended by Norman Fleischer:
Well, the hints to take a closer look at Los Angeles-based Phoebe Bridgers were all there: Ryan Adams produced her back in 2015, Julien Baker invited her to tour with her, Conor Oberst is featured on the album … you don’t get so far with mediocrity. Instead, Stranger In The Alps is a truly wonderful melancholic masterpiece, packed with gentle highlights from start to finish. Smoke Signals as opener with its sparse electric guitar and sweeping strings, for example. Or the gentle groove of lo-fi rocker Motion Sickness. Or the not that surprising but quite fitting Mark Kozelek cover of You Missed My Heart which closes the record.

In-between that Bridgers keeps a coherent feeling of calmed down honesty alive, delivering the most charming amount of understatement I experienced this year. Stranger In The Alps is one of those records that welcome you with open arms and a warm hug while you stitting in the train or the bus as the cold and grey countryside of the cold season passes you by. You see, it’s still the perfect time to invite Phoebe Bridgers to your life.

IDLES – ‘Brutalism’ (Balley Records)

Recommended by Henning Grabow:
Here are the hard facts: IDLES are a band from Bristol, England and their singer Joe Talbot is no one to fuck with. Maybe he’s even the actual personification of Brutalism, the band’s first full-length: An album equal parts brutal and educated, a real exclamation mark for punk in 2017. IDLES’ massive and bass-driven sound mirrors the sturdy modernness of the architectural style their album title refers to and it is paired with the wit of Mclusky in their prime – a comparison that is not to be drawn lightly! But really, sarcastic aphorisms (‘the best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich’) ooze out of every cell of this record.

Although these guys tend to lean more towards hardcore, they are, along with Sleaford Mods, Shame or Fat White Family a testament of how very alive British punk is. These bands add something fresh and urgent to the legacy, which is very much required and appreciated these days. With Brutalism, IDLES presented one of the most coherent and powerful statements of said legacy this year.

Frère – ‘Void’ (popup-records)

Recommended by Igor Franjić:
The calm temperament of Alexander Körner’s compositions under the Frère moniker stands in stark contrast to the political turmoil of the past year. Aiming to expand the sonic scope of his finger-picked ballads, the Bochum-based singer-songwriter enlisted the help of producer Alessandro Mara, who helped him rearrange his songs for a four-piece band. The result, Frère’s debut full-length album Void, builds on the acoustic guitar arrangements of tracks like Book and explores both their sinister undertones and their dynamic potential.

What Körner shares with his apparent role model Ben Howard is an ability to counter the melancholic nature of his songs with an extraordinarily tender delivery. Even in its bleak moments, Void still exudes a feeling of emotional warmth that originates from his subdued, but affectionate singing. It is Alessandro Mara’s accomplishment, however, to have expanded Frère’s sonic vocabulary: In the haunting Ghost, he operates subtly, opening up the sound with textures of synthesizers, harmonic noises and the clattering of shoes. The euphoric Portugal sees Frère introduce an array of electric guitars, pianos and slowly building drum beats that crescendo subtly, with volume rising almost imperceptibly to conclude in an intense final. It’s in these moments when Void fulfils on its promise most convincingly, but even they can only hint at the power the songs develop when they fill a concert hall.

Japanese Breakfast – ‘Soft Sounds From Another Planet’ (Dead Oceans)

Recommended by Jessi Schmitte:
Michelle Zauner started Japanese Breakfast at her family’s home in Oregon while she was taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer. In 2016, this therapeutic project led to Psychopomp, her acclaimed debut album about her mother’s death as well as heartache and sexuality.

2017 saw the release of Japanese Brekafast’s second LP Soft Sounds from Another Planet and the title already sums up the sound: The songs are a lot fuller and warmer than before and – due to Auto-Tune, synth sounds, instrumentals and lyrical references – they’ve got an extraterrestrial vibe, too. Additionally, Zauner sticks to the qualities that already characterised the predecessor: She fluctuates between abstractionism (Jimmy Fallon Big!) and plain realism (This House), revamps old ideas (Boyish), provides heart-breaking (The Body Is a Blade) as well as heart-warming (Till Death) songs and uses whatever kind of genre she wants to, from dreamy ballad (Soft Sounds from Another Planet) over sci-fi disco hit (Machinist) to rock smasher (12 Steps). How could we overlook Japanese Breakfast lifting her work to new heights?

Fazerdaze – ‘Morningside’ (Groenland)

Recommended by Norman Fleischer:
Sometimes a fitting setting and the right moment are all it needs to suddenly fall in love with music. I still love it when that happens and in the case of New Zealand-based songwriter Amelia Murray it needed a lazy pre-summer evening at Germany’s beloved Immergut Festival for me to fall in love with Fazerdaze at last. The sound of Morningside was just made for a cosy afternoon at in the heart of mother nature as it perfectly transports that easy going DIY mentality you’ve come to love from mostly California-based groups.

The debut LP by Fazerdaze became my little companion over the following summer months, delivering dreamy tenderness as well as melancholic pleasures (Jennifer) right next to more uplifting ones (Lucky Girl). Murray shows that there’s more to life these days than just being miserable about the current status quo. It’s a mood-lifting little sun-drenched diamond that is build on profound songwriting and I will most certainly get back to this summerly tunes every now and then over the cold forthcoming winter months.

Bergfilm – ‘Constants’ (Haldern Pop Recordings)

Recommended by Igor Franjić:
Tinkering away on their brand of 80s-infused synth pop for quite a while already, Cologne’s Bergfilm spent most of their career within earshot of press and scene connoisseurs. However, as they were operating just shy of the hype that surrounded some of their peers, it is no surprise that their first full-length LP Constants got buried a little bit. Staying true to the spirit of the band, the ten compositions show the craft of a group engrossed in intricacies instead of flashy first impressions. That is not to say that the album lacks tracks with hit potential – centrepieces California and The Line, with their carefully thought-out instrumental and vocal hooks will prove you otherwise – but Bergfilm go to great pains to reward repeated listens with little subtleties in structure or arrangement.

It’s this attention to detail which yields songs like the beautifully meandering Open Here, the arpeggiated bass lines and tropical grooves of Nostalgic Love or the electronic sensibilities of the title track, which forgoes the band dynamic almost entirely to venture into electronic production, an exciting mélange of rhythm, melody and texture. Whether Bergfilm’s long wind will pay off remains to be seen; however, if their upcoming performance at Eurosonic Festival is any indicator, things seem to be working in their favour.

Kedr Livanskiy  – ‘Ariadna’ (2MR)

Recommended by Austin Maloney:
Often, you don’t get to give records the time and attention you’d really like to. In a high information-consumption age, we sometimes listen to a record just long enough to get a grip on it before moving onto something else, or play them as background noise to doing something else. Russian producer Kedr Livanskiy, aka Yana Kedrina, ‘s debut full-length Ariadna is a record that deserves to escape that treatment. Taking in multiple musical styles, from lush ambient music to adrenaline rush techno, Ariadna is a detail-rich record that needs your attention in full to appreciate.

There are headline moments here, from title track Ariadna, the album’s ‘poppiest’ song, to the sudden blast of stabbing synths on ACDC, that will stand out when you first put it on. But over a full listen, Ariadna is a subtle album that burrows its way into the depths of your consciousness, and it’s at its most compelling on songs like Sunrise Stop and Sad One, which you need to let sink into your brain. So take a long walk, drive or bus ride, put this album on and let it breathe around you. You won’t be disappointed, because Ariadna is one of the best art-electronica albums of the year.

The Rumour Said Fire – ‘Crush’ (popup-records)

Recommended by Chris Hegholtz
It is the iconography of the artwork covering The Rumour Said Fire’s third album that first strikes us as odd: Four vintage looking Photographs of youthful women are placed in the midst of the record sleeve. Overwritten with Crush in golden capital letters, the album’s outer packaging unveils a pleasant ambiguity. Whereas the imagery appears like a blast from the past, its accompanying textual foundation seems quite urgent or current. In a way, this foreshadows the sound of the Danes’ fine 2017 LP. The roots of the band’s latest musical output might lie in the guitar infused indie pop of the 1980s, yet its production and lyrical themes turn out to be contemporary.

The beauty of Crush is its coherent sound. All tracks include catchy guitar play, a good sense of variation if it comes to the contribution of hand-picked synth elements and lyrics that cover the complexity of human relationships. Still, the melodies only shine in combination with Lidang’s warm voice and polyphonic backing vocals that add some melancholia to the music. The lines ‘Into the night/ Out of this world’ (Out of the way) ultimately function as a fitting credo for the record’s temper.  What makes Crush indeed a special album is its filmic nature as it succeeds to evoke a variety of pictures while at the same time soundtracking these. This all contributes to a greater complexity than one would expect after The Rumour Said Fire‘s first two records. So, her comes one advice: Go and make the album your 2017 crush. It’s beautiful. It’s worth it.

Vagabon – ‘Infinite Words’ (Marathon Artists)

Recommended by Norman Fleischer:
Back in the golden days of DIY independent music and before the major label exploitation the subgenre has always been the voice for the misfits and outsiders. Every now and then an artist like Lætitia Tamko comes along to remind us about the simple beauty this sort of sound can have. ‘I feel so small, my feet can barely touch the floor’ are the first words sung on the critically acclaimed debut album by Vagabon. The US singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with African roots is indeed quite small but after seeing her live I must admit that there’s a lot of power coming out of her.

The sound of Infinite Words combines raw DIY spirit with a confident amount of stubbornness but also allows to Tamko to sing her heart out in the more tender and delicate moments. Vulnerability and determination are tightly connected in the world of Vagabon and I’m pretty sure that this is the last time you might overlook her. We’ll probably get to see a lot more from this wonderful lady in the not so distant future.

Linn Koch-Emmery – ‘Boys’ (Welfare Sounds)

Recommended by Austin Maloney:
Okay, this is an EP so this is technically cheating on the ‘albums’ part of this article, but whatever, who cares really. 2017 was a pretty good year for high-melody indie, from Alvvays to Strange Hellos, and Linn Koch-Emmery‘s debut EP Boys deserves to be a part of the conversation. For quick, smart indie-rock thrills, there wasn’t an awful lot better than it this year. A four-song record, it was bookended by Bby Nevermind and Forever Sounds, two high-octane, simple’n’sweet rock songs that followed Koch-Emmery’s basic songwriting formula to the letter: write some sharp melodies, soak them in fuzz and squall, and let rip. These are songs written with absolutely no fat or excess, nothing more complicated or longer than it needs to be, story told, chorus hit, and all in under three and a half minutes.

The two songs at the middle of the record show off a little stylistic range. Under The Sun is sludgy and sulky, cathartically exploding on the final chorus, and Little Feels displays a softer, more cracked side of Koch-Emmery. Basically, Boys is the kind of record that sounds pretty straightforward, but is actually a rare thing. There are an awful lot of bands with guitars out there, and the vast majority of them never get close to this. Every chorus is perfectly engineering, every guitar line hits its mark, every note is focused into where it needs to be. Boys is just a great indie-rock EP, and what more do you want than that?

To match the song’s dreamy, trippy nature, BABYBABY have put together a dreamy, trippy video, a reality-twisting journey featuring everything from tower blocks to razor blades.  Of the song, Hansen says:

I wanted to touch on the feel of removing yourself from things as they are dying. A club wound looking for time to heal by the end of a night, or resurfacing from getting dipped into a deep end. A clubby spine getting more and more laced with voices, slowness and daylight. Manic moments getting cut short at the right time.

And of the video, BABYBABY say:

We had this idea of a woman fantasising about 3d slicing a seemingly kidnapped contemporary dancer while a swat team approaches, and along came Valdemar with an open mind and a great track.

Check it out below. Valdemar‘s Late Modern EP is out now.

For NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION, Eileen and Pierre aka Schall & Schnabel picked their favourite 13 music videos of 2017 which coincidentally also includes some of our favourite artists like Björk, Kendrick Lamar, Bonobo and St. Vincent. Find their picks and explanations right under this little Q&A with the two filmmakers.

Do you remember the first music video that really stuck with you when you were younger? The one that draw your attention to the genre?

Eileen: I think I was 8 or 9, when I first saw Madonna’s music video for Frozen; the other music video, that drew my attention was Michael Jackson’s Earth Song. Both videos had a dystopian, dark atmosphere, which excited me back in the days, when music television was still a thing. (And my dad loved Madonna, so he really put up the volume, when her video appeared on VIVA)

Pierre: I don’t really remember, which music videos I liked, when I was a child. One of the first music videos, that really got to me, was Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box by Anton Corbijn with all it’s existential, unambiguously metaphors and the other music video, that hit me as a teenager was Foo Fighter’s Everlong by Michel Gondry. He was the first director, with his huge variety of different styles and techniques, that stuck with me.

Schall & Schnabel

How did you end up in the field of music video production? What excites you about that form of video art?

Everything started with a stop motion music video we created for and in collaboration with the Berlin based acapella band Delta Q two years ago. Last year it got awarded at the Berlin Music Video Awards and a London based agency for directors (OB Management) got in touch with us afterwards offering us to work with them in the future.

What excites us about working in that field is the challenge to empathize into the mindset and creative environment of different artists and their music and coming up with concepts, that suits them.



What are the artists you’d like to shoot a music video for in the future. Any dream candidates?

P: In terms of musicians, we admire, I’d say Son Lux, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, LCD Soundsystem, Björk or Radiohead.

E: We always enjoy, when we get the chance to create something outside of our visual comfort zone or anything that differs from what we have already done. To work for artists, who already have a huge back catalogue of music videos, or those, who needs visuals, which brings the music conceptually to the point, is what we dream about for the future.

These are our 13 favourite music videos of 2017, picked by different criteria

Bonobo – ‘No Reason’

Art Direction

The central idea and implementation of this music video by Oscar Hudson (who also directed another one of our favourite music videos in 2017 – Radiohead’s ‘Lift’) is ingenious and we really have no clue how they did it. Chapeau!

Kendrick Lamar – ‘Element’

Visual Imagery

The award-winning music video by the director Jonas Lindstroem brings some of the photographs of photojournalist, writer, musician, and director Gordon Parks to life; an obeisance or almost a video essay with a unique cinematography and style.

Radiohead – ‘Man Of War’

Editing Technique

Through a refined and perfected camera & editing technique, two stories are told in the same setting, but as a juxtaposition of darkness and brightness and meet in the end. It was directed by Colin Read.

Björk – ‘The Gate’

Visual Implementation

Björk, James T. Merry and director Andrew Thomas Huang teamed up again for The Gate. Even if you can not deny this  video has a slight tendency towards kitsch, this piece of art sets new off-worldly standards. We don’t need to mention that we like the colors and the off-beat datamosh glitch right in the middle.

Arca – ‘Reverie’

Concept

The set in ‘Reverie’ is simple, the video focuses solely on the Arcas performance. He is a bull and matador at the same time. Both can only lose. Director: Jesse Kanda

Resident – ‘Somos Abnormal’

Narrative

We have seldom seen anything more absurd than a larger than life woman hatching out of an egg and ‘laying people’. A peculiar interpretation of genesis. Be careful, explicit pictures! Director: Resident. René Pérez

St. Vincent – ‘Los Ageless’

Art Direction

In a candy-colored plastic world full of beauty shops and beauty salons, the video displays some surreal images of the  dystopian world of ‘Los Ageless’. Just wonder how real this dystopia is already. Director: Willo Perron

Spoon – ‘Do I Have to Talk You Into It’

Concept

Why not even make a music video from photos of the singer of the band Spoon Britt Daniel in Photoshop? It will be beautified, deformed, skinned, skeletonized and transformed into a wolf within minutes. Chapeau to the director Brook Linder for this simple and great idea.

OK Go – ‘Obsession’

Production Effort & Concept

OK Go are and remain the pioneers of elaborate music videos. This time it’s not a one-shot video, but at least as impressive as ‘The One Moment’ or ‘The Writing’s On The Wall’. It is remarkable, how they exaggerate a simple idea and work with all kinds of animation techniques. Incidentally, the singer of OK Go Damian Kulash is the brilliant mind behind all their videos. How much ink did the 567 printer consume?

Alt J – ‘3WW’

Narrative & Cinematic Feel

The cinematic feel and look of Alt-Js ‘3WW’ by Young Replicant just stuck with us somehow. We can’t explain. Well, and we don’t need to, right?

The Horrors – Machine’

Visual Implementation

Also The Horrors video ‘Machine’ by Jon Emmony is visually impressive. Sometimes you get the feeling you observe bacteria under a microscope, sometimes you dive into the deep sea and sometimes you are pushed into the upcoming transhumanistic age.

Lunice – ‘Distrust’

Visual Art

Everything’s mingling and shifting in this visual masterpiece by director and visual artist Sam Rolfes.

AB Syndrom – ‘Rauch Licht und Raufaser’

Implementation of their interactive video (Click here for the full experience)

Finally, we want to mention a music video that caught our eye through its interactive approach. In ‘Rauch Licht und Raufaser’ you find yourself in an endless loop and only by pressing and holding of the space key you can free yourself and discover the music video. Pretty clever idea of the band, who usually create their music videos on their own!

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Even if you might lose track with Kieran Hebden’s output you really need to worship the producer’s latest full-length. As the title implies it marks a fresh start for the restless producer, delivering his most confident and cohesive album so far, one that binds all strengths of his versatile electronic sound to an adventurous unit.

► Spotify
► Apple Music
► TIDAL

39. Wy – ‘Okay’

The music of Swedish newcomers Wy is soft, slow and grand, built around big, echoing guitar lines and singer Ebba Ågren’s raw vocal, loaded with emotional weight which she also explained to us. Sharply-written, shimmering alt-rock: Okay is the statement that lifts Wy from a buzz-band to something much, much more.

► Spotify
► Apple Music
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38. Run The Jewels – ‘RTJ3’

RTJ3 is both – introspective and aggressive – as Killer Mike and El-P  mix their crafted flow with crisp oldschool beats and a natural maturity they gained over the past years. The album is directly infected by the rise of right-wing activism in the US and therefor Run The Jewels are exactly the band America and the rest of the world need right now.

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37. Sleaford Mods – ‘English Tapas’

It’s pretty much ‘What you see is what you get’ with the Sleaford Mods and that’s actually a good thing as they continue to fight ignorance and stupidity wherever they can. Andrew Fern and his shouting partner Jason Williamson avoid any commercial approach and stick to their ‘fok off’-formula while slightly perfecting their own musical legacy.

► Spotify
► Apple Music
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36. Fleet Foxes – ‘Crack-Up’

The first new Fleet Foxes record record in six years might appear quite similar to their previous two albums, but repeated listens expose the dark undertones that surround the album. Crack-Up pulls off the contradiction of sounding both pastoral and grandiose, intimate and epic, with the music taking unexpected turns as Robin Pecknold passes through different viewpoints and perspectives.

► Spotify
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35. Grizzly Bear – ‘Painted Ruins’

Ed Droste and the gang remain restless and unfold the microcosm of Grizzly Bear as progressive as never before on Painted Ruins. Driven by a familiar feeling this one adds a braver and more complex aspect to the group’s musical playground. That might make it a bit less easy going but fare more exciting for all those who’d like to explore an album.

► Spotify
► Apple Music
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34. Bonobo – ‘Migration’

Most of it, Migration is a wonderful soulful journey. Not one that might aim to discover ideas or structures you’ve never seen – yet a journey perfectly mastered that offers a cocoon for emotions. The songs of Bonobo take their time to breath, to allow themselves to be airy, to be living-full as he builds his story around both meditative moments and groovier ones.

► Spotify
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33. Alt-J – ‘RELAXER’

Every album by these guys is an adventure but also a certain challenge. Relaxer is a testament of strength and self-confidence, one that shows that Alt-J remain a unique phenomenon in their own little world. It needs a bit time to unfold its special magic but the result is pretty rewarding.

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32. Julien Baker – ‘Turn Out The Lights’

Thank god, Julien Baker still refuses to use a proper rhythm section and lets her voice and the sparse instrumentation, mostly her guitar, all the space they need to unfold their magic. The result is an honest album that wears its heart on its sleeve, just like the main protagonist. It’s the perfect soundtrack for those bumpy paths we all have to cross every now and then.

► Spotify
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31. Feist – ‘Pleasure’

Pleasure is a study of both human emotions and self-awareness, and as the title track and opener suggests, it is a rough journey both sonically and thematically. Apart from that, Feist excels at reinvigorating a genre plagued by dullness and a lack of sonic variety, crafting not only songs, but many-faceted compositions, imbuing them with a grace foreign to most of today’s folk music.

► Spotify
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30. Ten Fé – ‘Hit The Light’

Hit The Light is highly satisfying and one of these debut albums that really manage to impress the listener due to the sheer amount of professionalism. Ten Fé know how to write a proper hook, think and aim big and that’s something you sense in every note on this fascinating pop/rock gem.

► Spotify
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29. Der Ringer – ‘Soft Kill’

Der Ringer’s modus operandi might be ‘music first’, still, their textual message rarely fails to come across. The cryptic yet fascinating German newcomers delivers spaced-out indie music delicacies, disguised as twisted little edgy pop anthems. Soft Kill is an adventurous affair that should also excite you if you’re not specifically fluent in German.

► Spotify
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28. The xx – ‘I See You’

As loved as their first two records are, there was a distinct sense that their sound had run out of road. Moving forward while retaining the DNA that made you special in the first place is a tricky task, but The xx have pulled it off on I See You. It’s vital and more uplifting step forward, away from the bleak past and into a more confindent zone.

► Spotify
► Apple Music
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27. Future Islands – ‘The Far Field’

The Far Field continues the game-changing direction of its predecessor without any pretentious detours towards mainstream territory. This record is a testament of gained skills, personal strength and a certain stubbornness the band has always been famous for. There’s less doubt than ever that Future Islands will continue to walk this path, designed by their own rules. Thank god! 

► Spotify
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26. Liima – ‘1982’

Driven by a hypnotic vibe and sparkling percussion Liima continue to deliver gentle pop songs disguised as partly cinematic dream sequences. The Efterklang side/ follow up-project spread a warm feeling of home and futuristic nostalgia on their second album, reminding us of a simpler time while also hinting on a potential way to guide us out of the temporary misery.

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25. Elbow – ‘Little Fictions’

A new light-hearted flow dominates the vibe of the seventh Elbow album; one that is clearly driven by a new loop-based rhythm concept. The symphonic approach of the group feels less forced this time, instead they reduce the ingredients of the familiar recipe to a certain minimum, delivering everything you’ve come to love about these guys over the past twenty years.

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24. Susanne Sundfør – ‘Music For People In Trouble’

It takes a lot of guts to break with your musial surroundings and embrace a new philosophy when it comes to your art. Of course, Susanne Sundfør is still pretty much herself on her fifth full-length but she’s stripping down the whole electronic pop aspect, delivering reduced and raw songs about love, loss and the overall desperation of these days. It’s a brave album from a resltess character.

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23. Arcade Fire – ‘Everything Now’

There’s no better way to sum up the benefit and burden of modern day life than with those two simple words: Everything Now! Indeed, we got all information, all possibilities and also what appears to be the knowledge of the entire human species. And still, we fuck things up. Arcade Fire celebrate the contradiction with their most accessible album so far, packed with enjoyable pop melodies and more or less subtle messages that we could actually do better than this whole mess implies.

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22. Mura Masa – ‘Mura Masa’

Walking the tender tightrope between mainstream pop sounds and something more eclectic, young British producer Alex Crossan is definitely a man of the here and now. His exciting and contemporary approach towards beats and sounds is as interesting as the guestlist on the Mura Masa debut album. We really love his adventurous approach towards that whole genre-bending thing.

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21. Adna – ‘Closure’

In many ways, Adna seems to be more of a musical purist. An unadulterated, honest voice can be heard with all its beauty and imperfection. Simple instrumental lines created by the multi-instrumentalist dot the background without ever really asserting themselves. Closure seems to offer a further step towards simplicity and raw emotion while also perfecting her trademark sound.

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20. Woman – ‘Happy Freedom’

Not only does the music on Happy Freedom give a nod to the heydays of the album format, the songs themselves do their best to reinforce the impression of making the most out of their limited recording possibilities, with designated album openers and closers, subtle crossfades between tracks and a pronounced focus on warm, organic sounds. Woman are one of 2017’s truly positive surprises.

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19. Kraków Loves Adana – ‘Call Yourself New’

The bleak, guitar-driven pop of Kraków Loves Adana resembled The xx‘s minimalism, whilst Deniz Cicek’s voice added the kind of unpredictable, German NICOness to it. A strong signature sound that, of course, had to be carried by good songs, or else it won’t function at all. And Call Yourself New, their first new LP in five years, is full with great songs and feels like a true fresh start for this talented duo.

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18. Aldous Harding – ‘Party’

Party is an introspective collection of often cryptic musings from the young artist from New Zealand. The album as a whole feels extremely well-organized as it delivers not much of a stylistic diversity, but rather worsks a continued flow of dreamy self-reflection that feels improvisatory at time. Aldous Harding straddles the line between fantasy and reality in one of this year’s most underrated releases.

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17. The Drums – ‘Abysmal Thoughts’

For the first time ever Johnny Pierce is running The Drums alone, on his own terms without any compromises. For him that meant could totally express himself – and talk about personal subjects like being gay, sex or personal memories on childhood. Abysmal Thoughts turned out to be an honest record that connects positive vibes with thoughtful lyrics and might easily his most confindent record so far.

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16. Björk – ‘Utopia’

Opening up again towards the world and its people around Björk, Utopia serves as the perfect counterpart to the grief and scars that shaped the previous dark, eclectic and moving aesthetic of the predecessor Vulnicura. The blossoming character of the record is far from a happy-go-lucky ideal of love, but it’s nice to see that all this weight has finally been lifted from her shoulders.

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15. Mac DeMarco – ‘This Old Dog’

Welcome back to Mac’s world. Where the carefree attitude rules, goofy behaviour appears on the agenda and feel-good vibes let you daydream until something dares to pull you back into reality. While not being a full grown-up by now, Mac DeMarco surely celebrates the wisdom of age to a certain charming degrees. The level of self-reflection as well as vulnerability is incredibly high which makes This Old Dog so remarkable.

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14. Lana Del Rey – ‘Lust For Life’

Life is still miserable way to often in the cinematic world of Lana Del Rey. Still, it’s not as black and white as her aesthetics might imply. Lust For Life sees the singer showcasing her full spectrum of pop, from futuristic Frank Ocean-like beats to traditional Phil Spector sounds. Still, the artist embraces a new simplicity while celebrating her well-deserved own glory in the self-created niche

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13. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – ‘Lotta Sea Lice’

Lotta Sea Lice is not an innovative record and actually not as good as the last two solo albums by these two but it’s an overdose of charm and playfulness that it’s kind of hard to not fall for this little dusty diamond. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile are the indie music dream couple we never wished we were hoping for until they show up in such tremendous form.

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12. Cigarettes After Sex – ‘Cigarettes After Sex’

The success story of Greg Gonzalez and his band Cigarettes After Sex is also of music’s true power, aside from any forced marketing strategies. Cigarettes After Sex is an album for lovers but also for those who desperately long for love, delivered with a bittersweet but also somehow relieving spirit. It’s a mesmerizing and hypnotic affair from start to finish, to say the least.

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11. Sampha – ‘Process’

Sampha may not be the voice of our generation, but everyone of us has heard his voice in some way – be it as a collaborator (SBTRKT, Kanye, Solange etc.) or as a solo artist. Despite his shy nature there’s something to his voice that is brutally honest yet quite distant. Process is the fascinating document of a man whose best days are probably ahead of him. He couldn’t have picked a better way to launch his career.

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10. Wolf Alice – ‘Visions Of A Life’

If labour party’s leading man Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for your band to make it to the country’s number one spot you’ve done a lot of things pretty right. Wolf Alice continue to become a highly important voice of their generation, one that can be both – pissed and pleasant. Just like in life, love and anger exist right next to each other as Ellie Rowsell shows all facets of human emotion. Still one of Britain’s biggest contemporary music treasures.

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09. LCD Soundsystem – ‘American Dream’

James Murphy’s long planned second coming turned out to be quite a pleasant affair, delivering the best from LCD Soundsystem‘s vital past as well as few new aspects like an even more dedicated love for Bowie-inspired glam rock. Dancing between youthful excitement and a certain wisdom of age, American Dream is a mixtape-like full entertainment package for all music nerds out there.

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08. Fever Ray – ‘Plunge’

Plunge is looking for the limelight while the Fever Ray debut album preferred the darkness, it’s got a raw and adventurous appeal and is not interested in quick and predictable pleasing. Karin Dreijer’s second full-length is a tender call to arms, tempting, raw, sensual and full of reasons to simply discover it again and again in various forms and states. Pop is not easy affair for the Swede and that is something you can’t worship enough with her.

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07. Algiers – ‘The Underside Of Power’

The artistic form of protest music is not outdated. At least not when you have a band like Algiers that is pouring their heart and soul into songs that are meant to stir up your consciousness and perception of things. The four-piece from Atlanta has bundled their pain and anger about what is going on around them and generally in the world into a fierce and vigorous collection of twelve furious songs. And they manage to sound pretty unique after all.

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06. The National – ‘Sleep Well Beast’

Matt Berninger and his band surely get better with age, or at least more stubborn regarding their musical vision. The seventh full-length of The National is another moody bliss, an ode to failed love and wrong-gone marriages, delivered in the familiar grumpy and tender way you’ve come to love by them. The more progressive and electronic sound just underlines the willingness of The National to not just play safe here.

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05. The War On Drugs – ‘A Deeper Understanding’

Adam Granduciel is ready for the next step with The War On Drugs. While the pedecessor Lost In The Dream was already a spectacular piece of work, A Deeper Understanding further sharpens the Americana-infected shoegaze rock of the maestro and his band, climbing spectacular new heights. Despite a slicker approach Granduciel still delivers a cohesive listening experience that continues to seek for perfection in the most fascinating way.

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04. Lorde – ‘Melodrama’

Euphoria and despair are close companions on Lorde‘s journey through the night as she rides on tender ballads and pumping dance beats. Melodrama unfolds itself as a reflective but also euphoric pop diamond, that tells the story of a drunken party night, packed with all the crazy chaos a woman in her age has to experience on a regular basis. The level of serenity and cleverness this young lady shows never fails to amaze us.

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03. Father John Misty – ‘Pure Comedy’

The comedy of it all lies within its great tragedy. Josh Tillman clearly addresses much bigger issues this time than on his previous two Father John Misty albums: Mankind, religion, politics and a belief system that is so deeply broken, it even made him write a whole essay about humanity before the album got released. The result is a modern opus, a 75-minute-observation that is both lyrically sharp as one could expect from the eloquent and outspoken musician as well as sonically beautiful and rich.

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02. Kendrick Lamar – ‘DAMN.’

Spirituality dominates the long awaited new Kendrick LP, turning DAMN into a scream rather than a whisper. Still, the new leading man of American Hip Hop is willing to fight the current movement of reactionary hate by delivering honesty and determination from start to finish. It’s a record we can all agree on… or at least we all should. It spreads furious hope and leaves no doubt to whom the streets of America belong. Lamar’s in for the long run, anyway so no matter if you immediately jump on the bandwagon of the hype or not, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore one of contemporary music’s most influential voices.

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01. Slowdive – ‘Slowdive’

22 years after their last album, dream rock legends Slowdive are thankfully still too big to fail. It’s a simple as that and their outstanding self-titled comeback LP is a testament of strength that returns with all things you’ve come to love: The gentle dream pop surface, the menacing wideness, the complete utter feeling of dissolving within the tunes of this band. The songs are just too good, the band is in the form of their life and the whole package is just too tempting in the end. It’s obviously not gonna become a popcultural game-changer like Souvlaki but it is probably the most destilled Slowdive we ever had. 

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Shot in the Moroccan countryside, The/Das enter a surreal-looking scenery which could also be a lost recording from the golden era of late 60s technicolor sci-fi films. And that look was obviously intended by the band and the filmmakers who tied the haunting narrative of four enigmatic characters to a crisp visual imagery.


The/Das got a very clear of what the clip for Moon should imply and here’s what they got to say about the story behind it

‘For this music video we went to the far east of Morocco to get to the almost outrageously beautiful dunes of Erg Chebbi. On our way we already had quite a few surreal experiences but this massive pile of orange champagne powder really put the cherry on the ridge. After a habitual one-humped camel ride into the heart of the desert we immediately set out in teams of two to turn every grain of sand 180 degrees for maximum visual impact. We soon realized that it would be more labor-saving to observe the incredible night sky, trying to get not too creeped out by the total silence and getting our minds and bodies ready to shoot very early in the morning. After some 20 minutes of sleep and very bizarre dreams we rushed out to get the shot list from our phenomenal directors Kieran and Marie done.

Time went by suspiciously fast. Around mid-day, which by the way is the best time to travel in the desert, we kept the camels waiting for one last majorly extended view over the whole “panoramic place” (shout out to our main man Moustafa, thank you so much!) and left the same wiggly and wobbly way we came, leaving no trace but a few carefully executed footsteps. We could not check the footage until after our 14-hour-mostly-by-night drive back to the coastline straight into a power nap in the outskirts of Agadir but we knew we had catched the atmosphere and the story just right.’

And it’s indeed one of the most impressive music videos we’ve seen in quite some time. So, without further ado please join us and the band on a trip to a galaxy apparently not so far away right here.

That odd setting pretty much sums up the idea behind Palms & Circumstances, this unique video format of NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION. It is crafted together with acclaimed video artists Schall & Schnabel as well as digital communication agency SUPERUNKNOWN which is closely connected to NBHAP. We are all based in the cosy ‘Hannelore Dreist‘, a creative hub in the heart of Berlin, dedicated to do things a bit differently and more daring. Grown out of the wish to work with each other on collaborative projects and fired by being tired and bored of all the countless replaceable session and video format ideas, we made this little thing happen.

More episodes of Palms & Circumstances will appear over the next months, starting with the beloved German neo-classic composer Martin Kohlstedt today. If you like what you see, please spread the word and share it around.

Episode 01. Martin Kohlstedt

Be the first to know about more ‘Palms & Circumstances’ episodes and beyond by following the Hannelore Dreist YouTube channel right here.

Photo by Caroline Desilets

When the ugliness of 2017 meets the tenderness of a neo blues pop melody you can be sure that Timber Timbre are involved in some form. The folks didn’t disappoint when it comes to making the miserable less frightening.

39. Ho99o9 – ‘War Is Hell’

Sometimes you have to state the obvious as ugly as you can to make the message more efficient. The American rap punks deliver the right sound to give the frustration of the US youth under Donald Trump the voice it deserves. And of course, a song about that subject was never intended to be a pleasant affair.

38. Gorillaz – ‘We Got The Power’ (feat. Jehnny Beth)

It was a wise choise for Damon Albarn to let his mixtape-sounding album experiment ‘Humanz’ end on a powerful and uplifting note, despite the record’s whole ‘doomsday disco’ theme. In the end we all got the power to make things better and change the world. In the end even Noel Gallagher accepted that and finally joined his former rival for this pop beauty.

37. Inner Tongue – ‘Underworld’

Did we all scientifically fact-checked by now whether there’s actually water on the sun? Well, we leave the answer in the dreamy haze of Inner Tongue’s single. And although the Austrian newcomer keeps the rate of his musical ouput pretty manageable, that doesn’t make it less exciting. Underworld is a catchy sun-dried piece of dream pop that deserves its moment in the limelight.

36. Shame – ‘Tasteless’

Another year of hype build-up towards these gentlemen’s debut album (which will finally arrive in January) gave us more reasons to worship these reckless ruffians. On this one Charlie Steen and the gang prove why they could actually save British guitar rock while simultaneously not caring at all about that fact.

35. The National – ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’

Photo by Graham Macindoe

Forgot to research whether this is actually the first The National track with a proper progressive guitar solo in it. No matter if it’s true or not it surely does work and that is not even the biggest argument for this mighty comeback single.

34. Temples – ‘Strange Or Be Forgotten’

The strongest tune from the second Temples’ LP is a wall-of-sound-building piece of psychedelic power pop, one that instantly gets in your ears, carry you through the whole day, beyond the horizon and right over the rainbow. Peace out, folks!

33. St. Vincent – ‘Los Ageless’

Annie Clark perfected the St. Vincent persona on MASSEDUCTION, proving that she’s finally ready to conquer the world of mainstream pop by her own terms. This song should work as a door opener for that conquest.

32. Fazerdaze – ‘Lucky Girl’

Sometimes with all the mess in the world you tend to forget that there’s actually a lot of reasons to consider yourself lucky. Amelia Murray from New Zealand delivers the soundtrack in the form of probably our favourite indie-pop summer tune about the good ol’ feeling of love. See, not everything’s lost, right?

31. The Boxer Rebellion – ‘What The Fuck’

There are moments in life when all that is left to say is a simple and honest ‘What The Fuck’ … Nathan Nicholson wrestled with his demons and personal loss in the past months, resulting in one of the most breathtaking songs The Boxer Rebellion have released so far. A new album arrives in 2018.

30. Susanne Sundfør – ‘Undercover’

Her new album Music For People In Trouble saw the creatively restless Susanne Sundfør reducing her sound to the bare emotional core of her songwriting, offering a new unfiltered and naked perspective. And seriously, does it need more than this voice?

29. Alvvays – ‘Dreams Tonite’

Isn’t life sometimes just a merry-go-round? Molly Rankin and her band always manage to add a lovely little melancholic note to the otherwise quite powerful and uplifting sunshine indie-pop. And that’s the special sort of magic good pop is made of.

28. Kat Frankie – ‘Bad Behaviour’

Following various other musical adventures over the past years, the restless Berlin-based Australian songwriter is ready to launch her first solo album in six years in early 2018, already making a point with its catchy lead single. This will be the year for her to shine and to get in the well-deserved leading position of that indie-pop game.

27. Kraków Loves Adana – ‘Never Quite Right’

Deniz Cicek surely knows how to make the weight of human existence sound quite tempting and sensual. The singer’s distinctive voice carries this bittersweet wave pop anthem and harsh messages like ‘A crushing weight pressed to my chest’. Life often sucks but as long as it sounds like this, we might just be okay in the end.

26. Spoon – ‘Hot Thoughts’

Spoon always symbolized the more sensual side of the 00s indie movement but even that couldn’t stop the level of surprise after witnessing ‘Hot Thoughts’ for the first time. Britt Daniel want to make out and we’re not even trying to resist.

25. Maggie Rogers – ‘Dog Years’

This young lady made everything right following 2016’s viral video sensation with the whole ‘Alaska/ Pharell Williams’-momentum by simply not rushing into things. Just a small EP and a testament of her honest songwriting and talent instead of a huge major label album campaign or a feature on a David Guetta track. Dog Years is a charming little glimpse of what good mainstream pop could actually sound like if done with love and musicality.

24. Chromatics – ‘Shadow’

There goes another year without the way too often delayed new Chromaticas album Dear Tommy. At least, Johnny Jewel’s involvement in the ‘Twin Peaks’ revival was an excuse we could actually live with. Their performance of Shadow at the iconic Road House fitted just to perfectly to the Lynchian cosmos and if they didn’t get lost in the black lodge they’ll hopefully show more of that next year. Well, maybe.

23. Louise Lemón – ‘Egyptian Darkness’

Although only four minutes long the mighty single by the crafted Swedish singer feels like one hell of an epic cinematic journey. This dark diamond of alternative gospel pop is a track about the continuation of walking on your own path, even if you’ve been completely blinded. And that might explains the mighty sound of it. What a tune!

22. Broken Social Scene – ‘Halfway Home’

The comeback of the Canadian indie music collective surely felt like a musical homecoming for a lot of us early 00s indie kids. And a song like this world-embracing anthem makes that welcome even warmer. You just need to see these guys perform to witness the full joy.

21. Lea Porcelain – ‘Bones’

Dark, mighty and pretty intense. The participants of NBHAP’s ‘Class Of ’17’ surely didn’t disappoint on their debut album Hymns To The Night. Bones is a goth pop gem that shakes your room in the middle of the night and that should be enough to click on the ‘Play’ button right here.

20. Fever Ray – ‘To The Moon And Back’

‘Hey, remember me? I’ve been busy working like crazy.’ – Yes, we did remember, Karin Dreijer. How could we ever forget? The result of the artist’s way too long absence is both – a continuation as well as a total reinvention of everything we’ve come to love about Fever Ray. And this confident tune is just the beginning of it.

19. Alt-J – In Cold Blood

You never know what you get from a band like Alt-J. The trio is sill refusing to embrace their status as arena indie act this nervous little monster is the closest they’ve gotten to a proper hit single on their new album Relaxer. And that’s quite a compliment.

18. Future Islands – ‘Ran’

Tempting as always, Ran proves that the whole ‘Singles’ hype from 2014 wasn’t just a one-off lucky strike for Sam Herring and the gang. It might not be a second Seasions (Waiting On You) but it proves that Future Islands still write outstanding pop songs while sticking to their DIY-indie roots.

17. Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker – ‘Your Time’

What’s in a name, anyway? Nick Murphy’s constant attempts to leave the Chet Faker shadow behind take him to ongoing new heights right to the anticipated new studio album. The KAYTRANADA-produced Your Time is a song for the here and now, but takes a funky look into the future.

16. Adna – ‘Overthinking’

Before you can go home you need to find out where home actually is. The Swedish songwriter travels to a dark place inside of her, shakes hands with her demons and learns to live with them somehow. Overthinking is a raw self-reflection that delivers a surprisingly hopeful solution.

15. Foxygen – ‘Follow The Leader’

Photo by Cara Robbins

One might argue that Foxygen are one hell of a crazy bunch of folks and those people aren’t entirely wrong. But then the psychedelic pop ruffians suddenly unleash such a magnificent piece of 60s pop, backed by a 40-plus-piece symphony orchestra and carried by harmonies that would even make Brian Wilson jealous.

14. Portugal. The Man – ‘Feel it Still’

To say that Portugal. The Man suddenly broke the mainstream would be the fakest of all news. But after over a decade of hard work, countless releases and a determined will to constantly progress these guys truly deserve their international top hit. Pass them the Grammy already, dammit!

13. Elbow – ‘Magnificent (She Says)’

No matter how shitty the world has become or how bitter life sometimes is, there’s still Guy Garvey left to tell us that love does exist and it will all be alright in the end anymay. In the case of the Brits’ latest anthem it’s even going to be magnificent. Thanks for the lovely reminder once again, Guy!

12. Bonobo – ‘Break Apart’ (feat. Rhye)

This feature was overdue. The tender electronic patterns of Simon Green and the distinctive and unique voice of Mike Milosh? Those two were just meant for each other and this delicate musical dance which turns from a slow romantic waltz into something even more intimate.

11. Wolf Alice – ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’

Love can be an intense journey sometimes and Ellie Rowsell found the right words again by simply saying it like it is again. While the beginning sees the protagonist painfully questioning what happens if love’s not meant for her, the second verse delivers it a lovely surprising happy end. In the background the music constantly heads towards its cinematic climax, ultimately producing one of the band’s finest moments so far.

10. Anna Of The North – ‘Oslo’

Photo by Modu Sesay

Everything you’ve come to love about contemporary Nordic pop can be found in this one. Anna Lotterud’s gentle melancholic voice over pumping and dreamy synthpop, combined via those clear images of a Scandinvavian winter. Oh, and then there’s the title as well, obviously. In the end it’s one of the most tempting pieces of pop we witnessed this year.

09. Cigarettes After Sex – K.

We really don’t know whether Kristen ever made it back to the cosy warm bed of Greg Gonzalez but he surely got the best arguments it seems. The singer makes the intimate sound natural, the sexy sound classy without falling for the clichés love songs are usually packed with. It’s all in the flow and that makes this song so efficient.

08. Sampha – ‘(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano’

Sampha’s raw and emotional tribute to his mother who passed away in the fall of 2015 is one of this year’s best ballads as it keeps things pure and unfiltered. There’s actually nothing to add here. Let the song speak for itself.

07. LCD Soundsystem – ‘Call The Police’

That’s how you master the whole ‘Comeback’ thing: Returning with an epic 7-minute long glam/wave pop bastard that channels the finest of Bowie and New Order while sill showing that the sound of LCD Soundsystem is all about. James Murphy is on the loose, delivering a call to arms in a more subtle way. ‘The old guys are frightened and frightening to behold’ he says and that’s how new beginnings should sound like, even for a 47-year old.

06. Kendrick Lamar – ‘Humble’

It’s the credo of the year because we all could be a bit more humble every now and then, a bit more honest, real and less frightened. Kendrick’s wisdom disguised within his flow is the one we can and should all agree on. ‘I’m the realest n*gga after all’ he states in the end and, b*tch, we’re not arguing against him.

05. The War On Drugs – ‘Thinking Of A Place’

Photo by Shawn Brackbill

Eleven minutes to shut the world outside, forget the madness and join Adam Granduciel and his gang on a psychedelic trip to a better place. The epic length of the first single from this year’s new War On Drugs album plays a crucial part for its enjoyment. If forces you to actually take your time and allows you to sink deeper and deeper into its meditative character. If you do that, ultimate bliss might reward you in the end.

04. Algiers – ‘The Underside Of Power’

The situation is urgent, so the time was right for Algiers to finally shine. The American four-piece delivered the finest ‘call to arms’ anthem in the era of Trump because distinctive Franklin James Fisher manages to deliver the message of uproar with a great mixture of anger, determination and empathy. The result is a sinister but soulful raw gospel/ post-punk bastard that simply speaks out as it is. ‘It’s a game that can’t go on’ … Amen, brother!

03. Lorde – ‘Green Light’

Young love can’t happen without the god damn melodrama and there’s no more qualified person to write a proper pop song about that feeling than one in her early twenties. Green Light celebrates the bittersweet joy of a drunken night as Lorde plays the jealous ex-lover who drowns her pain by simply keeping the euphoria of the night alive to an unhealthy degree. In Green Light the story is as important as its catchy hook and that’s what true pop greatness should be about.

02. Slowdive- ‘Star Roving’

If you made your fanbase wait for 22 years you’d better make your comeback a good one. Easier said than done probably but not for a band like Slowdive whose first single since 1995 is a stunning return to form, a powerful and uplifting shoegaze rock anthem that might channel the band’s past glory but also shows that this second coming isn’t a pure retro affair.

01. Father John Misty – ‘Pure Comedy’

Photo by Guy Lowndes

Has the world suddenly gone mad? Sorry folks but that’s always been the case. In six and a half minutes Josh Tillman sums up most of humanity’s absurdity and that challenge itself deserves all the credit in the world. All the flaws, all the madness, all the unnecessary conflicts, dogmas and beliefs – what’s it worth in the end if we’re blowing us all to hell anyway? It’s not about Trump (because it was written before him) it’s about all of us, an existential truth packed in one song. The ironic jokes might make you want to laugh but there’s just too much plain truth in every word of it. Pure Comedy defines 2017 better than any other song written this year. And we really hate to say it but each other’s all we’ve got.

Of course, this is just a small piece of the bigger picture. Find our Top 40 right next to an additional selection of the favourite NBHAP music from the past year in our accompanying playlist. Enjoy the best songs of 2017 while they are sill hot.