In 2018 it seemed like we were inundated with very good music. It seems like we couldn’t go a week without an anticipated release coming out and mostly meeting expectations. There were a few duds as well, and there weren’t many outstanding albums overall.
These albums that stood out as great in a year of very good.
Chvrches – Love Is Dead
This Glasgow group pushes their indie rock/electronica sound even further to the radio-friendly side. But it works, the songs are catchier than ever and there is no drop-off in overall quali.ty
The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
The Decemberists finally abandon their style experiments and concept albums and return to what they are good at – indie folk rock with a too clever lyrics and old timey touches. Sometimes you have to go back to what works.
Kanye West – Ye
Kanye makes it harder ever year to separate his personality from his music. But it’s impossible to deny his genius as a record maker. His raps sounds lazier than ever, he’s filling out his soundscapes with both more electronic and more gospel flourishes and guest stars are the focus of most tracks. But somehow it all comes together in a fresh new sound.
Listener – Being Empty, Being Filled
This indie singer/songwriter group doesn’t so much sing their lyrics as recite poems musically. On this album they move to a much rockier sound, which works surprisingly well. The songs feel like they build and build until they reach exhilarating crescendos.
Mac Miller- Swimming
We’ll never be able to separate this album from Miller’s untimely demise. Like Sublime’s 1996 self-titled work Swimming shows an artist and songwriter finally fulfilling his potential on his last release.
Mac could always deliver great raps with some good jokes thrown in, but here he finally seems comfortable in his own skin. His raps are most confident they ever were and nothing, not even the humor sound forced. This is the strongest set of songs he ever released. Who knows what might have been.
Mitski – Be the Cowboy
I didn’t want to like this album. Do we need yet another female singer/songwriter with a guitar? Well, yes, in this case we did. Mitski’s sound is somehow elegiac, driving, and haunting all at once. What really separates Mitski from her peers though is her lyrics. Be the Cowboy can be interpreted in many ways, but the main concept seems to be an examination of a struggling marriage. It’s refreshing not to hear yet another song about simple heartbreak or simple depression.
Slothrust – the Pact
Slothrust continues to combine contemporary indie rock, 2000s emo, and 90s grunge into their own sound. The dream-like lyrics also add to their uniqueness. And this is their best set of songs…well since their last one, which was also on my Best of Year list.
Honorable Mention – J.Cole – KOD, Kid Cudi and Kanye West- Kids See Ghosts, Logic – YSIV, Nas – Nasir, Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap, Tinashe – Joyride , Various Artists – Black Panther: the Album