10 Biggest Albums of October 2017

Children of Zeus – The Story So Far – 06/10

Children of Zeus have been gaining more and more traction with each new release, and we’re finally on the cusp of seeing a full album from them. It’s hard to understand just how potently Tyler Daley’s rippling, soulful vocals coalesce with Konny Kon’s considered yet often vicious rapping. The beat production is emblematic of everything that’s wonderful about the Manchester hip-hop scene right now, presided over by none other than the eminent First Word Records.

 

Kelela – Take Me Apart – 06/10

We’ve been waiting hungrily for a debut album release from Kelela for years, and these last few months have been excruciating, as info has been slowly drip-fed down the wire. There’s only a couple of days left to go now, and judging from what’s already been released, it’s going to be everything we hoped for and more, with production credits including a few massive UK producers, such as Jam City, Arca and Bok Bok.

 

Verb T & Pitch 92 – Good Evening – 06/10

Anything Verb T is involved with is worth investigating, and the London rapper has built up a hugely impressive catalogue of collaborative releases. The latest has him joining forces with former Mouse Outfit producer Pitch 92. The jazzy, nuanced production, combined with Verb’s versatile flow and an intimidating list of features (Jehst, Ocean Wisdom, DRS) gives this the potential to be one of the most formidable hip-hop releases of 2017.

 

Shigeto – The New Monday – 06/10

The significance of the Detroit scene cannot be understated, and Shigeto is well on his way to earning a reputation as one of the most important producers in its latter day history. His jazzy, chopped up sampling and beatmaking is a joy to imbibe, and if the sprinkling of tracks we’ve heard so far from The New Monday are anything to go by, it may well be his strongest effort yet.

 

St. Vincent – Masseduction – 13/10

St. Vincent’s last album was self-titled, and it managed to somehow thrust her into even greater global acclaim than ever before; she even managed to snatch a Grammy for best alternative album. That was three-and-a-half years ago, though, and it’s about damn time we got something new. We’ve had less than a month to process the fact that Masseduction is on the way, but with only about a week left to wait, it’s hard not to fidget.

 

Beck – Colors – 13/10

Morning Phase was widely regarded as Beck’s best album in years, but even as it was coming out, he was already working on the next. Squirrelled away in an LA studio with bandmate Greg Kurstin, Beck has spent the past four years putting the material together for Colors. Beck has always made a point of deviating heavily between releases, and it’s the same here, with a kind of ’80s synth-pop vibe running under the material we’ve heard thus far.

 

And So I Watch You From Afar – The Endless Shimmering – 20/10

The Machines with Magnets recording studio in Rhode Island has become something of a Mecca for post-rock and experimental rock bands. Fitting then that And So I Watch You From After decided to record their new LP there. Even more fittingly, they ended up stranded there after heavy snowfall, but carried on recording regardless. The Endless Shimmering is the results, and judging from the two tracks released thus far, it’s the most raw, potent, instinctively led album they’ve ever made.

 

Blu & Exile – In The Beginning, Before the Heavens – 20/10

It’s been a full decade since Blu & Exile came together to drop Below the Heavens, which if you ask me remains one of the most seminal hip-hop albums ever made. Now, they’ve reunited to release a collection of previously unreleased material from those legendary sessions. While there’s nothing new here, it’s been five years since we saw any activity from the duo. We’ll take what we can get.

 

Christian Scott – The Emancipation Procrastination – 20/10

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s trilogy of powerful, politically charged albums has been a sheer joy to track. Scott is one of the leading lights in contemporary jazz, and you only need to watch him do his thing on stage to understand what a vital force he is both as a performer and as a speaker. The Emancipation Procrastination will be the last of the three, and will deal with heavy, controversial subject matter through the kaleidoscope lens of wild, volcanic improvisation, both on Scott’s part and that of his bandmates, including drummer Corey Fonville, pianist Lawrence Fields and flutist Elena Pinderhughes.

 

 

Mammal Hands – Shadow Work – 27/10

Speaking of jazz, the UK side of the scene also has plenty to offer at the moment. Mammal hands have been growing and evolving their sound at an alarming rate. Shadow Work is only their third full album, but already their sound is instantly recognisable, as the trio voyage through influences from classical to electronica to the core of it all – jazz itself. Shadow Work looks to be more cinematic and structurally varied than their previous records.

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