This year, I think more than usual, I’ve been pretty disinclined to take my headphones off. I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts and reached back in time to dust off some old favorite albums as well, but as a nice underscore to a long year, 2018’s new releases have been far from disappointing. I don’t really lean to one genre or another these days, so in my humble opinion and in no particular order, here are 2018’s best releases. Note: I hesitate to say albums this year because there are some killer EPs in the mix.
Chromeo Head Over Heels
The first time I listened to this album was on a 2 hour drive back to my hometown and I don’t think I’ve ever danced harder or more freely whilst wearing a seatbelt. It immediately and consistently puts the fun in funky and has been my good mood album of choice since it came out this summer.
Serpentwithfeet soil
Another interesting first listen as I heard this album for the first time on a plane. It took 2 minutes for whisper to overwhelm me in all the right ways. Soil is a work of art; haunting and beautiful, heavy and heartfelt.
Foxwarren Foxwarren
With Andy Shauf and D.A. Kissick up front, this project is the next Andy Shauf album we were all waiting for, with the additional energy of a full band to back him up. The album is soft and dissonant as usual, but always resolving just the same.
Big Red Machine Big Red Machine
This album so beautifully combines Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon’s individual weirdnesses, while retaining their capacities for depth and lyricism. Gratitude and Forest Green underscored a lot of really big moments in my year, and I knew that would be the case as soon as I heard these songs. One of the best releases of them all.
Noname Room 25
Each song on this album is brilliantly made. And the way she chooses to string them together makes Noname one of my new favorite rappers. The album is wholly genuine, with 11 tracks about race, gender, relationships, and faith that are as light and airy as they are compelling.
Boygenius Boygenius
This third self-titled-project-where-individual-artists-come-together-to-be-a-band-for-a-second may be my favorite. A gorgeously mournful collection of songs from a trio of three of the best folk artists out there, boygenius is great for driving at night and laying down with your eyes closed. Let this one sink in.
Shepard Martin Postglam
Talk about heartfelt. This album so well encapsulates the feeling of being enamored with someone, and its singsong, whimsical delivery makes it that much more relatable and comforting. Big One was the soundtrack to my first week back at school this year, when that comfort was much needed. Shepard is a good friend of mine, and this album tells me he’s happy. Well done, Shep. I’m happy for you.
Nap Eyes I’m Bad Now
This was the perfect soundtrack to spring. I saw Nap Eyes live in 2017 by chance and they became an instant favorite for their easygoing electric guitars and loose but powerful drum parts. The vocals are similar to The Velvet Underground or Bedhead, which is a plus.
Mac Miller Swimming
His most reflective album, and my favorite in terms of composition. Great samples and bass lines. With bangers like Self Care and slow jams like 2009, it was a good note to end on, though it was unbelievably sad to see him go so soon.
Trevor Powers Mulberry Violence
He had to leave the Youth Lagoon moniker behind to appropriately express the amount of weird shit he obviously had built up inside him (peep some pictures of this dude), but I support his decision. Equal parts experimental and passionate, he put together quite a heap of highly jammable material, and I jammed hard.
Saba CARE FOR ME
I liked his last album, The Bucket List Project a lot, but damn. This is another album to put on, sit down, and just listen. A portrait of loneliness and life with other people alike, it’s a great collection. I’ll let Saba speak for himself. Listen below.
Frankie Cosmos Vessel
Just as simple and sweet as her other albums, but with more songs! Even less hit-or-miss than before, I’ll listen to almost any song on this album at any time. Her style is so unique and appealing, and it was an absolute pleasure to get some more of it this year.
Horse Feathers Appreciation
Appreciation indeed. Just when I stopped thinking about Horse Feathers on a regular basis, they came back strong with this perfect summertime sound. Appropriately, it was one of my go-to albums for the summer, but this new energy they found is matched by their signature folky sound, which makes it just as good for fall and winter (especially in North Carolina for some reason).
Lala Lala The Lamb
A classic indie album, but different enough to distinguish itself as one of the best albums of the year, in my opinion. The vocals make this difference in part, but they nearly come second to the album cover. A good cover goes a long way, and this album has a great cover. The Lamb is very well compiled. The order makes perfect sense, and like with Frankie, each song is just so good on its own.
Rubblebucket Sun Machine
I wish I had found this album when it came out this summer, because its energy was sorely needed at the time. I can’t wait for it to lift me back out of winter in March. But again! Another album with so many good standalone bangers. Fruity is a favorite, and Party Like Your Heart Hurts is a great driving song (especially at night and/or on bridges) that might be my favorite song of theirs since Came Out of a Lady.
Jose Gonzalez & The Bright Lights at Svenska Grammofonstudion
I like how this ep is titled, first of all. But other than that, it’s actually just a few of his old songs reworked with a group. This makes such a difference though, adding some extra power to his classic classical guitar and the pulsating personal sound for which he’s known.
Ben Howard Noonday Dream
A departure from the sound of his two previous albums, Ben Howard dials back his own microphone and dials up the reverb. But somewhat surprisingly, he didn’t lose any quality in the transition. In fact, it may be an even better sound. Noonday Dream sounds like you’re underwater, or just generally moving more slowly. But it forces you to sink in and let it wash over you, which is an excellent experience that was especially excellent live in Chicago. Definitely a good winter album, so get on it.
(P.S: You can always tell when an artist’s about to change their sound when they delete all the pictures off their instagram and start over with a little slow-panning video of themselves by a pool.)