A Round of Sound

I’m getting right to the list this year, no time for an initial post as in past years. Also, this is the first year where I’ve decided to include streamed albums as being eligible for my list, rather than just albums I’ve purchased. Therefore, I don’t really feel the need to post everything I’ve listened to (although, I did try to track this the best I could). Just know I listened to a lot of albums in 2018 (close to 130 by my count), and if you don’t see something in my Top 50 you were expecting, then I either didn’t hear it, or just didn’t like it as much as you. As usual, only full-length albums released in 2018 are eligible for my list. That means no EPs, soundtracks, holiday albums, b-sides, or reissues will show up, even though I did come across a good bit of those, more than usual actually. Without further ado:

50) Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain

49) Birds In Row – We Already Lost The World

48) Now, Now – Saved

47) Neko Case – Hell On

46) The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

45) Death Cab For Cutie – Thank You For Today

44) George Clanton – Slide

43) Saintseneca – Pillars of Na

42) Lala Lala – The Lamb

41) Cursive – Vitriola

40) Amber Arcades – European Heartbreak

39) Foxing – Nearer My God

38) SOB X RBE – Gangin’

37) MGMT – Little Dark Age

36) Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs

35) Natalie Prass – The Future and the Past

34) Closer – All This Will Be

33) Forth Wanderers – Forth Wanderers

32) Hinds – I Don’t Run

31) Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar

30) Robyn – Honey

29) Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends

28) Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt

27) Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs

26) Nothing – Dance On The Blacktop

25) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs

24) Soccer Mommy – Clean

23) Typhoon – Offerings

22) Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

21) Middle Kids – Lost Friends

20) Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth

19) Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie

18) Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel

17) Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog

16) Anderson .Paak – Oxnard

15) Flasher – Constant Image

14) Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

13) Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

12) Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years

11) U.S. Girls – In a Poem Unlimited

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10) Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

[MCA Nashville; released 3/30/2018]

Musgraves has her true crossover hit with these polished-to-a-sheen pop-country songs featuring her assured and impeccable songwriting.

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9) Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer

[Sub Pop; released 6/1/2018]

I can handle FJM’s cynicism when the songs are as accessible and melody driven as these, something I thought last year’s Pure Comedy lacked.

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8) Jeff Rosenstock – POST-

[Polyvinyl; released 1/5/2018]

Quietly released the very first new music Friday of 2018, I found myself coming back to these infectious punk-rock anthems all year long, perhaps more than any other album.

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7) Beach House – 7

[Sub Pop; released 5/11/2018]

The seventh album from the dream-pop duo is their best since 2010’s Teen Dream.

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6) Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears 

[Transgressive; released 6/29/2018]

Glimmering synth-pop that filled the Chvrches void left after that disappointingly bland release. The British pop duo may have an unfortunate name, but luckily the music rises above it.

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5) Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love 

[Anti-; released 7/13/2018]

Another gorgeous mesh of indie-rock and black metal – no one is making music like these guys.

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4) The Beths – Future Me Hates Me

[Carpark; released 8/10/2018]

The debut album from the New Zealand four-piece led by Elizabeth Stokes is filled to the brim with pop hooks and witty self-deprecating lyrics. One of my most listened to albums of 2018, it was hard for me not to put this #1.

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3) Snail Mail – Lush 

[Matador; released 6/8/2018]

One of, if not the most, anticipated debuts of the year came from the mind of 19 year old (!) Lindsay Jordan, and these songs perfectly showcase her wise-beyond-her-years songwriting while still displaying a youthful sentiment. She’s arrived and will continue to be one to watch.

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2) Lucy Dacus – Historian 

[Matador; released 3/2/2018]

A dense and visceral guitar-drenched album that doesn’t get lost in its weightiness thanks to Dacus’s soulful voice, knack for melody, and smart lyrics. Between this and the stunning boygenius EP, Dacus is probably my artist of the year.

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1) Mitski – Be The Cowboy 

[Dead Oceans; released 8/17/2018]

“I don’t want your pity, I just want somebody near me.”

Mitki’s been building up to this. Not that we would have been disappointed had Mitski Miyawaki merely recaptured her breakout Bury Me at Makeout Creek or her brilliant Puberty 2 (my #3 album of 2016) rather than expanding on it, but by the time the patented guitar-fuzz of Be The Cowboy’s opener “Geyser” fades into the synth-beat of “Why Didn’t You Stop Me”, it’s evident we’ve stumbled upon an artist in the midst of her triumph, and consequently the best album of 2018.

Somehow simultaneously expanding her ambitions while further refining her already airtight songwriting, Be The Cowboy scoots by at a brisk 14-song 32 minute pace, but contains more ideas than most artists could dream of, while never cheating the listener, or feeling indulgent – perhaps best exemplified on disco-infused anthem “Nobody” the album’s (and maybe year’s) best song.  Throughout Be The Cowboy, we’re still treated to Mitski’s anxious glitch-pop ballads, full of poignant lyrics and catchy melodies, but Be The Cowboy feels like a statement: an artist embracing her power and ensuring we all know it.

50) Fazerdaze – Morningside

49) Future Islands – The Far Field

48) (Sandy) Alex G – Rocket

47) Thundercat – Drunk

46) Makthaverskan – Ill

45) The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – Always Foreign

44) Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers

43) Spoon – Hot Thoughts

42) Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm

41) Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins

40) Alvvays – Antisocialites

39) Hundred Waters – Communicating

38) The Mountain Goats – Goths

37) Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder

36) The xx – I See You

35) White Reaper – The World’s Best American Band

34) Priests – Nothing Feels Natural

33) EMA – Exile In The Outer Ring

32) Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart of Life

31) Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent

30) Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – Youth Detention

29) Laura Marling – Semper Femina

28) Wolf Parade – Cry Cry Cry

27) Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps

26) Sylvan Esso – What Now

25) Charly Bliss – Guppy

24) Moses Sumney – Aromanticism

23) Allison Crutchfield – Tourist In This Town

22) Sheer Mag – Need to Feel Your Love

21) Alex Lahey – I Love You Like a Brother

20) SZA – Ctrl

19) Jay Som – Everybody Works

18) Cherry Glazerr – Apocalipstick

17) Sorority Noise – You’re Not As ____ As You Think

16) Sampha – Process

15) Torres – Three Futures

14) Slowdive – Slowdive

13) Algiers – The Underside of Power

12) The National – Sleep Well Beast

11) Kevin Morby – City Music

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10) The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

[Atlantic; released 8/25/2017]

The major label debut for the Philadelphia band is a familiar and worthy follow up to my 2014 album of the year.

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9) Brand New – Science Fiction 

[Procrastinate! Music Traitors; released 8/17/2017]

I struggled deciding if I was going to include Brand New’s first (and probably last) album since 2009 in my rankings given the revelations surrounding Jesse Lacey, but ultimately chose to include it based on its merit alone, while still acknowledging the repulsiveness of its lead singer.

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8) LCD Soundsystem – American Dream 

[Columbia; released 9/1/2017]

Not much of a so-called retirement for James Murphy, but he doesn’t skip a beat after a six year hiatus.

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7) Vagabon – Infinite Worlds 

[Father/Daughter; released 2/24/2017]

The year’s finest debut comes via the New York by way of Cameroon singer-songwriter.

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6) St. Vincent – Masseduction 

[Loma Vista; released 10/13/2017]

The least guitar driven of Annie Clark’s discography still showcases her patented glitch-pop anxiousness, this time with more heart than perhaps any of her prior work.

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5) Perfume Genius – No Shape 

[Matador; released 5/5/2017]

The fourth album from Mike Hadreus is a gorgeous marriage of grandiosity and tenderness.

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4) Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

[Aftermath; released 4/14/2017]

Kendrick Lamar releases the year’s best hip-hop album which always seems to be the case when he gives us something new.

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3) Big Thief – Capacity 

[Saddle Creek; released 6/9/2017]

Powerful and personal folk-rock songs from Adrienne Lenker follows up the band’s promising debut, a top 15 album for me in 2016.

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2) Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights 

[Matador; released 10/27/2017]

The earnest second album from the young singer-songwriter is a cathartic bombshell.

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1) Lorde – Melodrama 

[Republic; released 6/16/2017]

“But when we’re dancing I’m alright.”

In 2015, I called Art Angels from Grimes the album poptimist could finally stand behind as one that melds the contradicting nature of commercial appeal and critical acclaim. However, looking back on it, that album was just on the periphery enough to stay on the experimental side of mainstream. Not so with Melodrama, the tremendous and transcendent sophomore record from Lorde, my album of the year in 2017.

With Jack Antonoff’s help, Lorde has evolved the minimalism of her debut into blown-out pop, but not at the expense of her unique fragility and charm. Conceived as a breakup album, Melodrama certainly isn’t forging new ground in that regard, but the heart and soul Lorde puts into the 12 tracks while balancing pure pop bliss exemplifies a level of confidence and craftsmanship that just doesn’t come around that often.

2017 was a terrific year for music, overwhelming me week after week with new releases, making it the busiest year for me consumer wise.  The year saw a perfect storm of artistic inspiration due to all that’s gone on in the world the last couple years, and many artists just happening to be on a 2017 release schedule. However, much like last year I just don’t really have the motivation or time/energy to do any write-ups or even delve too deeply into analyzing all the releases I came across this year. So once again, I’ll just be releasing my rankings without much to back it up. I did increase that ranking to a Top 50 this year, so there’s that. As always, I start with a list of all the albums I came across throughout the year.

This past year I purchased, in some form, 109 albums, 106 of which are eligible. I do not include EPs, reissues, soundtracks, live albums, holiday albums, or b-side/rarity type releases as eligible for my list.  There’s plenty of albums that I never got around to procuring, or merely just streamed, meaning there’s going to be very worthy albums that don’t make my list. So if you have questions as to why your favorite album isn’t on my list, well it’s because I either didn’t get it, or just plain didn’t care for it as much as you, simple as that. After the jump, you can see the list of all albums I purchased, in order of release date. Over the next couple days I’ll post my top 50 as well as 2017 mixtape.

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40) Adia Victoria – Beyond The Bloodhounds

39) Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing

38) Camp Cope – Camp Cope

37) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

36) Preoccupations – Preoccupations

35) Weyes Blood – Front Row Seat To Earth

34) William Tyler – Modern Country

33) PUP – The Dream Is Over

32) Porches – Pool

31) Gallant – Ology

30) Hinds – Leave Me Alone

29) Hiss Golden Messenger – Heart Like A Levee

28) Japanese Breakfast – Psycopomp

27) Touché Amoré – Stage Four

26) Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

25) Savages – Adore Life

24) White Lung – Paradise

23) Shearwater – Jetplane and Oxbow

22) School of Seven Bells – SVIIB

21) The Hotelier – Goodness

20) Blood Orange – Freetown Sound

19) Cymbals Eat Guitars – Pretty Years

18) David Bowie – Blackstar

17) Kaytranada – 99.9%

16) Pinegrove – Cardinal

15) ANOHNI – HOPLESSNESS

14) Big Thief – Masterpiece

13) Run The Jewels – RTJ3

12) Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost

11) Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – I Had A Dream That You Were Mine

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10) Parquet Courts – Human Performance

[Rough Trade; released 4/8/2016]

Parquet Courts continue to crank out a consistent supply of garage rock tunes, flavored with surprising intelligence; a dichotomy that makes them one of the most interesting bands around.

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9) Whitney – Light Upon The Lake 

[Secretly Canadian; released 6/3/2016]

Made up of members from the disbanded Smith Westerns, Whitney released the year’s finest debut album, besting anything the former group ever released.

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8) Kevin Morby – Singing Saw 

[Dead Oceans; released 4/15/2016]

The third album from the former Woods bass player, and the singer-songwriter appears to have mastered his version of alternative-folk.

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7) Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth 

[Atlantic; released 4/15/2016]

Country music I can get behind; smart, inventive, and Nirvana covers.

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6) Angel Olsen – My Woman 

[Jagjaguwar; released 9/2/2016]

Eschewing her lo-fi folky roots, Oslen’s ambitious My Woman expands her sound in massive ways creating a forceful album; her best and most confident work yet.

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5) Bon Iver – 22, A Million 

[Jagjaguwar; released 9/30/2016]

Justin Vernon’s first Bon Iver release since 2011 continues to evolve his “bearded guy in a cabin” sound to more experimental realms basically leaving the former completely behind.

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4) Frank Ocean – Blonde 

[Boys Don’t Cry; released 8/20/2016]

The long awaited follow up to Channel Orange (my #1 album of 2012), Blonde is a grower and certainly isn’t going to change any of the minds who find Ocean’s music “boring”, but it’s a masterpiece nonetheless, more nuanced than his previous work.

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3) Mitski – Puberty 2 

[Dead Oceans; released 6/17/2016]

One of my more anticipated releases of the year, Mitski’s came through with a powerful collection of complex and anxiety driven rock songs channelling St Vincent in sound and spirit.

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2) Anderson .Paak – Malibu 

[Steel Wool; released 1/15/2016]

The breakout artist of the year, Anderson .Paak has basically stolen the show on anything he’s appeared on recently (Compton, Kaytranada’s 99.9%, NxWorries), but with Malibu he confirms his emergence as one of hip-hop’s greatest auteurs.

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1) Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial 

[Matador; released 5/20/2016]

The first proper release for Will Toledo on Matador records fulfills the potential we saw on last year’s Teens of Style. When things got me down in 2016, this was the album I always found myself coming back to over and over, and the one I couldn’t do without.

Well folks, time again to unveil my top albums of the year, and this year I’ll be scaling things back a bit. I didn’t really have the motivation or time/energy to do any write-ups or even delve too deeply into analyzing all the releases I came across this year, so this isn’t going to be nearly as involved an exercise. As I’ve said in year’s past, this ranking has always been a hybrid of “best” and “favorite” albums, but this year it’ll lean much more towards the latter. However, since there will be less content (Honorable Mentions? Nah. Dishonorable Mentions? Nope. Overrated/Underrated? Meh.), I’ll expand the rankings to my top 40 rather than the usual top 25, and release the whole list at once. Also, you’ll notice I don’t have any song samples accompanying my rankings this year. A band who shall remain nameless (let’s just say it rhymes with Lumford and Puns) recently contacted me and demanded I remove their songs from the site, which led to a little reprimand from the Wordpress police. Therefore, I’ll leave it up to you to track down some tunes on for favorite streaming service if you feel so inclined.

This past year I purchased, in some form, 87 albums, 82 of which are eligible. I do not include EPs, reissues, soundtracks, live albums, holiday albums, or b-side/rarity type releases as eligible for my list. For the first time I debated including albums I merely streamed as eligible, but that became too difficult to manage, and it’s probably best to draw the line somewhere. So as always, there’s plenty of albums that I never got around to procuring meaning there’s going to be very worthy albums that don’t make my list. So if you have questions as to why your favorite album isn’t on my list, well it’s because I either didn’t get it, or just plain didn’t care for it as much as you, simple as that. After the jump, you can see the list of all albums I purchased, in order of release date. As you can see by the schedule over on the right, tomorrow I’ll unveil my complete top 40, and Thursday I’ll post my ever popular mixtape.

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