Our Review: 2017 is the new dispatch from Adam Stonehouse, last heard from via The Hospitals' epic Hairdryer Peace (2008), an album that served as the last chapter for the band he helmed through much of the decade. With Angel, Stonehouse takes the treated, off-center production approach of Hairdryer Peace for a far-left turn, forging a collision between spiraling new age sounds and suspiciously sleazy 1980s glam rock. Augmenting all of this with forays toward severe dub and sample splicing, Angel also recalls the UK DIY excursions of the It's War Boys orbit and roster. Disparate influences aside, Angel is a work conjured and captured entirely via Stonehouse's inimitable vision, one of the most distinct and unruly out there today. With that, 2017 is a wholly unique, righteously complex record and one of this year's most puzzling and rewarding listens.
