HSD Top 10 Albums 2017 - No. 1

Sampha – Process

The first time I came across Sampha was when he was lending his sublime vocals to the SBTRKT album. His voice had an unusual tone to it. Pained, deep, expressive. I wouldn’t call it beautiful but beauty is only skin deep. Sampha’s voice draws you in, wraps itself around you and doesn’t let go. It leaves its mark. It haunts you. I saw him sing with SBTRKT at KOKO several years ago. Aaron Jerome - the driving force behind SBTRKT - and Sampha, were both wearing tribal type masks, which was the SBTRKT thing and Jerome, liking his beats high in the mix, drowned out Sampha’s voice in the boom. Musically, Process lets Sampha’s voice breathe, yet there is always something interesting, subtly bubbling away in the background. Sampha’s lyrics are engaging and he is shown off to the best of his potential, no longer living off other peoples tracks – SBTRKT, Solange, to name two – but striding forward in his own right. The brooding intensity of Plastic 100°c leads onto the foreboding panic of Blood On Me – “Grey hoodies they cover their heads…”  sings Sampha, with paranoia, and the scene is set. Process was written following the death of Sampha’s mother from cancer. It is a heartfelt, intimate and emotional piece of work. (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano is a beautiful way to remember his mum. When you put yourself on the line in this way, with all the elements - vocals, lyrics and music, all coming together - you deserve to create something special. Sampha is no longer hiding behind a mask but doing it all in his own right.

Sampha - (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano

HSD Top 10 Albums 2017 - No.2

Thundercat – Drunk

Thundercat, aka Stephen Bruner, is an eccentric dude with a unique take on music and the world. His singing voice hits the higher end of the scale, underpinned by a backdrop of jazz electronica. His music has a futuristic feel, dream like, with a distinct nod to the past. His lyrics meanwhile can be funny, personal, and idiosyncratic. Live performance always takes recorded music to another level and with Thundercat, the jazz element comes to the fore with some incredible solos. The musicians lost in the moment.  At Heaven in April, the Andy Warhol look alike was freakin’ out on his Fender Rhodes, the drummer mesmerising with his spaced out syncopation and Thundercat’s fingers a telepathic haze, dancing across the fret board of his 6 string bass, as he became one with his instrument. Bruner is the son of a hugely respected jazz musician, Ronald Bruner Sr, and musical know how is in his blood. Some things are meant to be. With guests such as Pharrell and Kendrick Lamarr; borrowing a sample off The Isley Brothers and with one of the tracks of the year in Show Me The Way, featuring Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins, this is a diverse, entertaining, absorbing and musically brilliant album. Even the packaging has it’s own little twist, coming as a 10” red vinyl box set. Gotta love it.

Thundercat - Show You The Way

HSD Top 10 Albums 2017 - No.3

Big Thief – Capacity

When you listen to Pretty Things, the first track on Capacity, you are entranced by Adrienne Lenker’s voice. She makes you listen to every word and believe everything she sings. The songs have a melancholy beauty and are held together by the framework of a story, remembering moments past with regret, happiness and soul searching. You are transported to the worlds they create. The music supports Lenker’s voice. The guitar on Shark Smile resonates like the sound of breaking glass, whilst the drums accompany and never overpower. There is a gentle, haunting quality to the songs on Capacity, all standing alone, with subtly different moods. The abruptness of Lenker’s words though can cut through the calmn, jolting your mind in another direction, bringing food for thought, with almost supernatural clarity. I first saw Big Thief at Green Man in August but really got to know them from their Islington Assembly Hall gig in November. Adrianna Lenker really lives every tack. Mesmerising stuff.

Big Thief - Black Diamonds