The second part of the year's finest tracks:
61. Gummy (Brockhampton):
samples Veronica Petrucci's "Star Against the Night" to indeed make them stars of hip/hop in 2017.62. Rooftops (The Bats):
when a band returns from a long hiatus with a great song like this, it’s well worth it.63. Dis Generation (A Tribe Called Quest):
a call to arms that needs to be heeded.64. What You Want (They.):
head-bopping hip/hop with guitars?! What!?65. Moontalk (Laurel Halo):
everything comes up roses here, for once Halo connects with a solid pop concept.66. Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Taylor Swift):
as the rumour mill works over time trying to figure out which ex this is about, one can groove for days with its steady, winnable beats.http://mp3monkey.net/mp3/taylor_swift_dancing_with_our_hands_tied.html
67. Moonlight (Care):
in the throes of a meltdown, beauty is found in the desperate pleas of a lover.68. Enter Entirely (Cloud Nothings):
no theatrics, just plain straight up rock and roll crunchiness.69. Dum Surfer (King Krule):
sounds like some cool, post-apocalyptic stuff. 70. Losing All Sense (Grizzly Bear):
while their current album may not have reached their usual heights, this track is etched firmly up there.71. Other Lives (Hazel English):
fantasizing about living someone else’s life never sounded so groovy. 72. Chrome (Like Ooh) (Rapsody):
the track most reminding me of those Lauryn Hill comparisons. 73. Preservation (Nadia Reid):
essentially a break-up track, Reid gets solemn and introspective.74. Sign Of The Times (Harry Styles):
according to Styles, the track is inspired by a mother dying shortly after childbirth. A grim realization but lyrically, this is darkness delivered with a touch of inevitability that affects us all. 75. U Were Always Pt. 2 (Wiley feat. Skepta and Belly):
SWV's "Fine Time" is sampled to clever effect here in this man versus woman battle for the ages.76. Seeds (Camille):
a decade has passed since French chanteuse Camille has graced this list and she’s back with her uniformly brilliance, pairing angelic vocals with pre-programmed beats to perfection.77. All Around You (Sturgill Simpson):
much has been made about the political nature of the music video for All Around You but I’m still stuck on the sheer soulfulness of the composition.78. Chainsmoking (Jacob Banks):
Banks comes from the old school of soul music but here he adds enough contemporary trappings to positively burn through this track.79. Thinking Of A Place (The War On Drugs):
sometimes Adam Granduciel's voice just hits that sweet spot between recollection and hopefulness. 80. Smoke ‘Em Out (CocoRosie feat. Anohni):
don’t be fooled by the sweet delivery: Smoke ‘Em Out is one of many anti-Trump songs that have dominated music this year.