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10. Nothington - In the end
One word: ‘Cobblestones’. Listen to that song and you know why this album deserves to be here.
9. Hot Water Music – Light it Up
Sorry, fanboy-alert. Even though ‘Light it Up’ might be one of my least favourite of their records, it’s still good enough to make this list. Don’t agree? F*ck you!
8. Japandroids – Near the wild heart of life
Nope, this one isn’t as good as ‘Celebration Rock’ was. It’s a little cleaner, maybe a little less catchy. Still, this two-piece makes way better tunes than I did when I dropped acid with Nickelback. Good times, good times.
7. Cloak/Dagger – I want everything
I WANT ALL PUNK TO SOUND LIKE ‘I WANT EVERYTHING’. Cloak/Dagger is unique and I wish they got more credit for being the awesomesauce on your eardrumsammich. Yes, that’s a thing now.
6. The Lillingtons – Stella Sapiente
I never really got into Lillingtons before. I really dug this one. This may be the grimmest pop-punk album of the 00’s. It’s dramatic, gloomy and it has lots of reverb. What’s not to love?
5. The Bronx – V
It just made too much sense to put ‘V’ in 5th place. The Bronx don’t blow me away anymore like they used to. At least not on their albums. Why? Well, you get used to so much awesomeness. Still, ‘V’ is definitely their most “complete” album to date.
4. U2 – Songs of Experience
Easily their best work since ‘The Joshua Tree’. It’s amazing how Bono and co keep reinventing themselves album after album after big turds being eaten by a small dog. Really, once or twice a year I have to throw up so much and so hard because of bad beer (or too much beer?) and when that happens … Well, let’s just say even that barf-fest sounds better and more sincere than this disgusting piece of unintentional sadness. This blurb is longer than the ones I wrote for albums I actually like. Wow. Just so we're clear: this is a joke. U2 is my personal Weinstein.
3. The Menzingers – After the party
Talk about a breakthrough album. Both ‘Lookers’ and the title track are easily my favourite punk rock tracks of 2017. This is the record The Gaslight Anthem could’ve written if they hadn’t started to Bruce-ify their tunes so much. I’ll still be listening to this one in 2018 for sure.
2. Converge – The Dusk in Us
I still can’t get over the fact that these dudes have been pummelling eardrums for 20 years now. The blows they deliver these days are much harder than the ones I received that one time I had beef with Mike Tyson because I caught him cheating at Monopoly. True story.
1. Iron Chic – You Can’t Stay Here
And the winner is … By a landslide. It’s not even close. Have you read my review? I wasn’t lying. This record still gives me the widest grin, even after the umpteenth spin. That’s a very unintentional rhyme. Sorry about that.
Close calls:
Brutus – Burst
This should’ve made the list. Exceptionally original and fascinating. Both the album and the band.
Quicksand – Interiors
It’s more of a dreamy record than the post-hardcore they sort of invented back in the days, but it’s a beautiful record.
Career Suicide – Machine Response
Sometimes, I like my punk as raw as my meat. Yeah, I’m not on board with that whole vegan thing. So what?
Future Islands – The Far Field
It may not be a punk rock record, but Samuel Herring is the synthpop personification of a hardcore frontman. So intense, so sincere, so pure … What a treat!
