The Fashionably Late Top 66 of 2017: Ride

It’s been a hell of a year. 2017 was exhausting, stressful, and at times just plain terrifying. But for all the mess that’s happened over the past 12 months, and there’s certainly been so much, there’s also been a lot of good going on in the world. From a musical standpoint, for instance, 2017 was rather exceptional. There were so many glorious new sounds to take in.

I’ve put together my list of favorites from the year that was, a touch fashionably late as always. Once again, I’ve decided to eschew a ranking system and instead give you an alphabetical look at the records I fell for this year. There’s some names here that will come as no surprise to anyone, and perhaps a few that might surprise you. These are simply my favorites from 2017, the albums I went back to again and again, the albums that I swooned over. So, without further exposition, here’s my list. I think you’ll find you can get your kicks from any and all of the 66 records I’ve chosen, and I truly hope you’ll find some treasures to cherish, as I cherish each and every record here. Many, many thanks to the artists who put out this fantastic music, their sounds helped make 2017 bearable.

Who: Ride

What: Weather Diaries

When: June 2017

Where: Wichita Recordings

Why: Has it really been 21 years since Tarantula?! Listening to Weather Diaries, you'd never know it. Especially considering just how good this record is. True, having Erol Alkan produce your record inevitably ends up leading to a certain amount of gloss and electro kisses, but this record is all Ride, all the time. It's an album that's less about sticking true to traditional shoegaze sounds and more about pushing boundaries. But those incandescent bursts are there, as are the lovely drones and honeyed vocals. What a treat to have Ride burst back onto the scene with such a gorgeous set of songs.  

[posted 2.26.18]