10 Albums to Help You Heal From the Trauma of 2017

A bit of much-needed soul repair.

Justina Mintz/AMC

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

Reality has been pretty hard to handle—and impossible to escape—this past year. But sometimes we just need a break, a pause to refresh the spirit for the challenges ahead or to remind us that this too shall pass, however dire things may seem. In that spirit, and in no particular order, here are 10 albums released in 2017 that might not solve our problems but are sure to make existence a tad more bearable. Apply as needed.

1. Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men
Prick of the Litter (Hot Shot Records/Thirty Tigers)
On which a veteran honky-tonk shouter reaffirms the revitalizing effect of barroom swagger.

2. Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble
Find Me Finding You (Drag City)
The former voice of Stereolab achieves easy-listening nirvana while taking a swipe at consumerism.

3. Don Bryant
Don’t Give Up on Love (Fat Possum)
In his eighth decade, an overlooked soul artisan delivers his best album, offering hope to late bloomers everywhere.

4. Chuck Berry
Chuck (Dualtone)
The architect of rock and roll delivers his pungent farewell, spirit unbowed.

5. The Beach Boys
1967/Sunshine Tomorrow (Capitol/Ume)
Brian Wilson and company unveil their loopiest, most unpredictable outtakes, opening a Pandora’s box of sublime psychedelic whimsy.

6. Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer
Not Dark Yet (Thirty Tigers)
Siblings explore the power of sisterly love to heal the deepest wounds, and sing real pretty, too.

7. Little Richard
Here’s Little Richard (Specialty)
Little Richard’s first album has been reissued umpteen times, but this edition comes with 22 outtakes, showing how he worked his way to greatness. It’s like being on hand at the dawn of creation.

8. Various Artists
Sounds of the Unexpected (Ace)
These goofy, eccentric pop instrumentals, ranging in provenance from the late-‘50s to the early ‘70s, are guaranteed to induce smiles on your darkest days.

9. Various Artists
Wayfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares (Numero Group)
Heavy, deranged rock from the dark side of hippiedom makes the present seem a little less bizarre by comparison.

10. Various Artists
Woody Guthrie: The Tribute Concerts (Bear Family)
Collecting two star-studded shows from ’68 and ‘70s, this bracing set is a rousing reminder that resistance is a vibrant, longstanding tradition.

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate