The Ten Undercover Best Songs of 2017

Long time no see! I apologize for my absence it was as if the universe did not want me to contribute to the blog anymore. Finals came around and turned me into a zombie, my laptop suddenly stopped working, which took about two weeks to fix, but the icing on the cake was the concussion I suffered over the holiday season when a puck struck me in the head during practice. So, to make up for lost time, I thought do a post that is just fun for the whole family; a barrel of monkeys if you will. I decided to cover the ten undercover best songs of 2017 that you may have overlooked or had just gone unnoticed due to that damn top 40. You may also notice that most of these entries I had not even posted about, which is not to say that the songs I have been discussing have been bad, but they may been released prior to my blog's inception (and I try to keep these songs as recent as possible) or have slipped under my radar. 

10. Ruru - There You Go

                                                                                    

   

Released three months ago (according to Ruru's Soundcloud) this song unfortunately slipped right under my radar. Not part of her debut Ep, Sleep, "There You Go," is what appears to be a separate piece and is, in her words, "an old song I decided to "look back" at and re-interpret," and if that's the case then thank a higher power that Ruru did that. It's such a spacious track that you can't help but sit back and allow yourself feel distilled in the area around you, and in my opinion, "There You Go" does that better than any song of the past year. Not to mention those accompanying lyrics that seem to speak about being in a love that is only convenient to the other party makes this song rather compelling and not just mindless ambience. These lyrics have true merit as the feeling of being surrounded by this truth and realization, with no clear idea on what to do, coincides with the melodies. Leaving the listener in buoyant suspension, which is somewhat scary but oddly calming. 

9. Cosmo Pyke - Great Dane 

This, this is a chill song. Cosmo Pyke may still be a teenager but this dude knows how to compose and create a coherent track that is not just "vibey" but intricately put together. The smooth guitar's dichotomy with the fast-paced drums does not interfere with any sort of dueling sounds, but works together to make the track something to chill to but keep you excited for the next thirty second blend of instrumentation. The song itself is a complicated look at love in its ups and downs, but that idea is quite synonymous in the concept and real-world ideals of love, rather than picture perfect romances, which is something rather unconventional in song writing. "Great Dane" is an incredibly smooth track that is both honest and easy ears, and normally those two factors do not coexist very well, which is why it is one of the best songs of the year.

8. Clairo - Pretty Girl

Clairo has slowly emerged as the Queen of DIY low-fi music, and "Pretty Girl" is a perfect example of her handle on the genre. "Pretty Girl" is a flux chill beats, soft vocals, but most imperative, brilliant lyrics that evoke ironic themes of the preferred amenability of women and subjecting one's self or conforming to a false vision of oneself to appeal to someone. "I can be a pretty girl/I'll wear a skirt for you," or "I can be a pretty girl/shut-up when you want me to," are just the proof in the pudding. The beat coalesces perfectly with the vocals in that it sounds so innocent, so naive and harmless that it continues this sense of irony found within the lyrics. For someone as young as Clairo (nineteen) to be producing and creating such poignant music is astounding and is an artist to be looking out for. But the song is not awesome because it was done by someone so precocious, but because its themes are very relevant and important to understand but it is executed so well that it does not dictate the song but adds that progressive element. The track can have just the beat with "whatever" lyrics and it would still be a good song but that theme of subjectivity is what makes "Pretty Girl" a subtle but powerful song and one of the best songs that showcases and promotes a constructive theme...much like the number 1 song on this list.

7. Hazel English - I'm Fine

There are many songs that sound so calming, so illusionary and with dark meanings and insinuations that contradict each other. That contradiction has been passed off as something that passable and even enjoyed but such a contradiction is not that impressive as dueling forces have no true purpose and become a pop-norm. However, "I'm Fine" is an example of that contradiction having thematic purpose. The song is, as the lyrics would lead you to believe, about depression or at the least an inner struggle, but is really about how one masks that struggle "I just smile and tell you that I'm fine." Out of all the nice and comforting songs that really harbor darker themes, none of them come close to "I'm Fine." The calming and gorgeous synth is really that fake smile to cover pain, not letting anyone in because they can never understand nor cure this inner struggle, "darling all your love is somehow not enough." As someone who has harbored such feelings and emotions, this song is honest to that state of being. You just feel trapped and broken in a way that there is no way to fix, and all you are left to do is hide it so you know one knows you're broken. There are many songs covering depression or inner turmoil but I really haven't seen a song that proliferates that state of mind while in its grips like "I'm Fine." That's some poignant stuff there Hazel.

6. Fazerdaze - Lucky Girl

Fazerdaze absolutely took control of this year. I posted about her track, "Bedroom Talks," because the music video had just been released, but arguably the best song on Morningside is "Lucky Girl." That is not just because it happens to be the most popular track, or because I made a music video for it (the above video) but because it really exposed dream pop to a larger audience allowing for other artists to be found due to her peaked interest. "Lucky Girl" is what dream pop really stands for, chill and pleasant vibes. The song is realizing how lucky a person is to be in love and that love, explicated in the dreamy and spectacular guitar licks, is magical. In my humble opinion, "Lucky Girl" is the song of 2017 that really emphasized the beauty of intimacy, and the warm and pleasant feelings of love itself, while being able to expose and represent the genre to on a larger scale in great fashion. It's not all about dark or complex themes, right?

5. Starcrawler - Let Her Be

Rock and fucking Roll. It seemed like since The Strokes' presence seems to have wined down in the early part of the this century (I still think The Strokes fucking rule but their rock and roll revival appeared to wear out after Angles) so did Rock and Roll. However, I have noticed since Courtney Barnett's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit there has been something of a resurgence of Rock and Roll principles with bands like The Regrettes (who's "Hey Now" is super cool), Dream Wife, Angel Olsen,  Mitski, Peach Pit and of course, Starcrawler. I like to delegate these dudes as part of the "New School," as the next generation to take on the mantle of Rock, and "Let Her Be" is definitely the song that proclaims it. It knocks you on your fucking ass and keeps you there for the whole song. It is raw, aggressive, powerful and sexy as hell, you know, like any great rock song. I posted about Starcrawler's "I Love LA," due to its new release at the time and I even wrote about how it was a great pop-song, which was an error on my par, but there's no way of mistaking "Let Her Be" as a pop-song. It is pure rock and roll, and that's what makes it so good, it really is pure and the best example of the New School offered this year and foreshadows what's to come. 

4. St. Vincent - Happy Birthday, Johnny 

There's no masking it, this song is sad as fuck, and just so so great. St. Vincent's MASSEDUCTION was one of my favorite albums of the year (Damn, Flower Boy, Morningside, and Guppy definitely give it some competition) in the nuanced approach Annie took to her songs, with less guitar riffs but still kept the St. Vincent mark with such beautiful themes. "Happy Birthday, Johnny" continues this trend of songs about an allusive Johnny (whoever the fuck he is...we all want to know!) but does something not often seen by Annie, she tells an almost chronological story. Normally, her songs are very metaphorical, focused on expressions and representations (like my post about the single "Pills"), but here we have Annie speaking in a more literal sense and narrating a series of events that seemed to have taken place, "Remember one Christmas I gave you Jim Carroll" ("Prince Johnny" does something a little similar...). The story here is Annie reminiscing about her relationship with an increasingly self-destructive Johnny. The two have lost touch due to what we can insinuate is Annie's increasing popularity, and a feeling of betrayal comes over Johnny "Annie, how could you do this to me?" The somber piano keys, and melancholy guitar riff just spell hopelessness not only for their relationship but for Johnny in general. Johnny is a damaged and a lost soul that Annie seems to feel responsible for. She's thinking she should of been there to help Johnny, to maintain their relationship instead of focusing on the relationship she had with her fans. Johnny is the only one who truly knows Annie but she is apparently only making herself available to her fans and neglecting Johnny, as is ironically documented here: "you saw me on magazines and TV/But they only know the true version of me/Only you know the secrets, the swamp, and the fear." In terms of narrative in a song this year, I have heard nothing close to "Happy Birthday, Johnny," in how explicitly honest and heartbreaking it is. 

3. Feng Suave - Sink Into the Floor

My only individual post to make this list (I fucked up this year) goes to the grooviest song of the year, "Sink Into the Floor." Like in my individual post for the song back in October, I have to say this song is hypnotizing and THE song to sway ever so slightly to, with a complimentary mean-ass bass face. The killer bass-line, and dream-like guitar strumming definitely makes the track groovy but what really distances this song from other similar tracks is the soul that comes with it. The premise revolves around the numb feeling one has when their heart is broken, and how the rebound or any other...physical endeavors...may seem fun but it has no meaning or fulfillment because "there's no love, but close enough." The honesty and reliability is what makes this a real soulful effort but what really makes this song so appealing is that it is such a sexy song, more so than the overly sexualized pop songs within the top 40. When you listen to "Sink Into the Floor" you can imagine being in a warm shower with someone you know more than just a friend, getting to know each other in the most passionate manner, which is ironic because of the true nature of the song. However, the clean chord progressions and the smooth and high-pitched vocals are incredibly seductive and so alluring that you may forget that saddening aspect of its theme. It's all around family fun minus the family, as it is both the grooviest and sexiest song of 2017. 

2. Tyler, The Creator - Garden Shed ft. Estelle

I guess Tyler's not trying to be so funny anymore. "Garden Shed" is definitely my favorite song of the year, it's masterfully produced and written so well in that it can be calming, thought-provoking and electric all at the same time. The production of the track is fucking gorgeous, I imagine myself laying in a field of flowers every time I listen to it. According to Tyler, in a recent interview with Jerrod Carmichael, he believes this melody is "the most beautiful thing I think I ever done," and I would definitely agree. The entirety of Flower Boy sounds like a record for an orchestra, or a score to a movie that just so happens to have accompanying vocals. With that being said I feel I need to state that the lyrics are impactful and not just random rhymes. On "Garden Shed," Estelles vocals "don't kill a rose/before it can bloom/fly baby fly/out of the cocoon," builds with the introduction of the guitar, to signify a little trouble and paradise, which is when Tyler goes in. Tyler's verse, which is roughly 45 seconds long, and comes in at the last minute is like Tyler opening up and truly discussing his inner feelings and thoughts out of the garden shed, "that was where I was hidin'." His insecurities, his existential thoughts, his loneliness and a love he has been trying to hide seems to all be laid out in this song with full disclosure, "Them feelings I was guardin'/Heavy on my mind," which is something rather uncustomary for the him. I think Tyler truly out-did himself not only with "Garden Shed" but with Flower Boy as a whole, making a legendary album, and "Garden Shed" as is his magnum opus. It is the most gorgeous song of this year and is more than an aesthetic, it provokes a feeling that resonates with the listener, and it is also really fun to mimic Tyler when he begins with the aggressive "Garden Shed, garden shed, garden shed, garden shed."

1. Kendrick Lamar - XXX. ft. U2 

Let's be clear, DAMN was fucking brilliant. I knew one of his tracks belonged on here the issue was which one? For a widely acclaimed album it is hard to really hone in on one song, and I was going to put "LOVE" on the list but I realized how important "XXX" really is and how fucking interesting, how cool, and how under appreciated it really is. "XXX" is essentially a commentary on black culture and life in an over-bearing and unforgiving America seen through Kendrick's experiences; and Kendrick is looking at America saying "this is bullshit." He raps from various perspectives, one of a  teacher "we're going to talk about gun control today," of a narrator "Johnny don't want to go to school no more/Johnny said books ain't cool no more," and his own perspective "you overnight the big rifles, then tell Fox to be scared of us/Gang members or terrorists, et cetera, et cetera/Americas reflection of me." To be honest, I would of liked to use all the lyrics to exemplify those perspectives because they're all so fucking insightful and evocative but that would be too much to fit, but I think the lyrics deserve a reading all on its own because it is pure poetry. Through these various perspectives there are an eclectic amount of different melodies. Some haunting to illustrate the dark aspects of America, some scary to show the true realities facings marginalized individuals, and the oddly soothing serenade of Bono about the ironic foundations of America "It's not a place/This country is to be a sound of drum and bass/You close your eyes to look around." Normally such intelligent and profound songs do not have great replay value and are a tad boring but "XXX" contradicts that idea and is an all around complex, and nuanced banger to be replayed over and over again. There really hasn't been a song quite like this (not that I can remember) and it comes at a time when the administration of the Presidency has overtly neglected marginalized black communities. Although "Garden Shed" is my favorite song of the year, there is no denying "XXX" is the undercover best song of the year. It's perfect.