Musical year in review: The 25 best albums of 2018
The 25 best albums of 2018 25. Virtue - The Voidz
The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas reassembled his side project The Voidz this year and gave us the strange and wonderful record ‘Virtue’. Although the opening track 'Leave it in my Dreams' is instantly relatable with the sound and feel of The Strokes, the rest of the album is a far cry from it. Embracing the weirdness, the album has a diverse range. From the psychedelic comic horror of 'Pyramid of Bones' to the bizarre breakdowns of 'ALieNNation' and 'All Wordz Are Made Up', the new album flits through topics like philosophy, politics and metaphysics in the typical style of post-Strokes Casablancas.
24. Little Dark Age - MGMT
But ever since their smash hit debut 'Oracular Spectacular' and signing on to Columbia records, MGMT’s music has been getting less and less accessible, slowly polarizing fans and fading away from the indie mainstream. But 2018's 'Little Dark Age' finally saw MGMT wake up and find that tricky balance between experimentation and radio-friendly pop. Making a left turn from 2013's self-titled album, MGMT's latest offering is at once haunting yet cheerful, funny yet dark, and loaded with hard hitting 80s styled synthesizers.
23. Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life - The Wombats
An absolute blinder that popped up from the world on indie rock this year was The Wombats' 'Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life'. Produced by Mark Crew (Bastille, Rationale) and Catherine Marks (the Killers, Wolf Alice), the album features a set of crisp tunes that amp up the sound that made the Liverpool trio so loved in the first place. Frontman Matthew Murphy's tongue-in-cheek self-awareness shines on tracks like 'Lemon To A Knife Fight' and 'I Only Wear Black'. The dance-friendly grooves and catchy riffs of 'Black Flamingo' and 'Cheetah Tongue' are a pure delight. On their fourth studio album, The Wombats unleash the powerful pop-rock that they've been perfecting over the years.
22. I'm All Ears - Let's Eat Grandma
In 2016, two teenage girls from the UK, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, embarked on an ambitious project which resulted in the debut album 'I, Gemini' under the band name 'Let's Eat Grandma'. Two years later, still teenagers, the girls return with 'I'm All Ears', an album that showcases a growing maturity in songwriting as the outfit manages to capture the sounds of the modern pop template like a perfect photograph. While the first half of the album quickly announces the growth in their career, the second half of the album shines even brighter, including a pair of breathtaking epics ‘Cool & Collected’ and ‘Donnie Darko’, that make you wonder how someone so young could be so on-the-mark.
21. God’s Favorite Customer - Father John Misty
Written during a two-month period when singer/songwriter Joshua Tillman was, as he sings on the glum title track, “on the straits,” Father John Misty's fourth studio album 'God's Favorite Customer' is far from a happy tale. Tillman has made a reputation for his biting, deconstructionist wit while tackling lofty ideals like love, loss and the American Dream on previous attempts. But this time around, he turns it inwards, churning out the introspection with a stream-of-consciousness delivery that, while retaining all the cleverness, still comes across as a raw and unfazed confessional collection of intimate heartbreak songs that continue to blur the lines between Tillman and his Father John Misty alter-ego. It's a fine balancing act and is arguably his most intimate and honest work so far.
20. Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett's sharp wit and crafty lyricism, combined with a 90s grunge-influenced sound, carved a niche for the Aussie singer. On her sophomore album 'Tell Me How You Really Feel', Barnett is angrier and noisier than her debut, while still maintaining most of her cynical, introspective themes and style. The album features a cameo by the Deal sisters Kim and Kelley (on tracks 'Nameless, Faceless' and 'Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack of Confidence') and drops high and mighty references to Margaret Atwood and Nelson Mandela while successfully not coming off as pretentious or dishonest. Bursting with more contradictions and a wider variety of personal intimacies than ever before, 'Tell Me How You Really Feel' is a solid follow up to a highly acclaimed debut.
19. Prequelle - Ghost
Just before the release of their fourth studio album 'Prequelle', the identities of the members of one of the most secretive bands in the world were leaked. But that didn't stop the frontman, who we now know is Tobias Forge, from adopting a new incarnation of his 'Papa Emeritus' stage persona. Changing up the entire line-up of the band after their 2016 album 'Popestar' and adopting the persona of Cardinal Copia, Forge returns with an album that could very well be one of the band's most career-defining acts. Using the Bubonic Plague as an allegory for modern times, the dark and eerie 'Prequelle' is Ghost's most far-reaching record and arguably their craftiest and most accessible too.
18. WARM - Jeff Tweedy
Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy unveiled his sophomore solo record this year. 'WARM' sees Tweedy go back to his roots as he channels his country-influenced heritage to produce one of the most earnest and straight-from-the-heart records of the year. The album abandons Wilco's sprawling interludes and walls of sounds as Tweedy employs his clever lyricism and profound insight on loss, death, addiction and recovery. Flitting through a host of musical styles and sometimes weaving noise into the melodies, 'WARM' sees Tweedy at his most mature.
17. Art Of Doubt - Metric
Canadian indie rock icons Metric returned this year with 'Art Of Doubt'. Celebrating their 20th anniversary and arriving three years after the synth-heavy 'Pagans In Vegas'. The new album sees Metric shift back to their early 2000s guitar-driven sound, with slick distorted riffs in an album full of upbeat bangers. Through its twelve tracks, it wanders through many stylistic approaches, never settling for one particular sound. From the punk and new wave infused 'Under The Black' to the stadium rock onslaught of 'Dark Saturday', to the slow-burning 'Seven Rules', Metric touches upon a host of genres that the band has incorporated into their ever-changing sound over the years.
16. Muted Crowd - Spirit Award
Seattle psych rock trio Spirit Award returned this year with their sophomore record 'Muted Crowd'. Wasting no time after their debut LP 'Neverending', the new album arrives at express speed, just a year after the previous release. Showcasing more of the Seattle trio's signature fuzzy, dreamy and carefully layered sound, 'Muted Crowd' deals with some pretty dark themes. The lead single 'Supreme Truth' references the Tokyo Subway Attacks of 1995. While the album opener 'Witching Hour' comes from Lyon's paranormal experiences in an old house in Seattle, the final track 'Second Shot' talks about the issue of gun violence. But to get to the lyrics, you first have to dive past the immersive layers of sound that the trio so intricately constructs.
15. The Now Now - Gorillaz
Just a year after the sprawling, collaboration-heavy 'Humanz', Damon Albarn hit the studio right away, evidently with some unfinished business. Even with the sense of urgency, the new album doesn't feel one bit hurried. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Trimming down the long list of collaborators to just three — George Benson, Jaimie Principle and Snoop Dogg — 'The Now Now' is a well rounded, adventurous attempt that blends cheerful, summer grooves with crafty lyricism, blending elements of synth pop, soul, electronic, hip hop and jazz together seamlessly. Tracks like 'Tranz' and 'Sorcererz' go back to their roots and could easily be included in their essential canonical works.
14. Kids See Ghosts - Kid Cudi & Kanye West
Out of the five albums that resulted from Kanye West's Wyoming Sessions this year, one of the most noteworthy was the Kid Cudi and Kanye collaboration 'Kids See Ghosts'. The album features a handful of guest appearances. Pusha-T (whose latest album 'DAYTONA' was the first in the Kanye-produced series) drops in on 'Feel the Love', Mos Def appears on the title track, and Ty Dolla $ign cameos on 'Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)'. But it's Kanye's deft production and Cudi's gift for melodic depth that brings the album to life. Stitched together after both rappers dealt with their own bout of mental illness, the album has an almost cathartic quality, best exemplified by the anthemic 'Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2), the follow up to Kanye's own 'ye' highlight.
13. KOD - J. Cole
On his fifth full length release, J. Cole raises the bar yet again with 'KOD'. Taking cues from its many meanings-laden title (Kids on Drugs, King Overdose, and Kill Our Demons), the album explores a variety of topics including drug abuse, addiction ('Once an Addict'), depression ('The Cut Off ft. kiLL edward'), greed, African-American culture, and taxation in the United States ('ATM') — all handled masterfully through the versatile flow of the North Carlina rapper. KOD is one of the most brazen and heavily packed rap albums of the year.
12. '7' - Beach House
The simply titled seventh album by Beach House, '7', received much critical acclaim, with some calling it the Baltimore duo's best album to date. The praise is not unwarranted. Dropping usual producer Chris Coady for Spaceman 3's Pete "Sonic Boom" Kember, Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand fully embrace their bliss on '7', their haziest, dreamiest album to date. Moving seamlessly from the meditative to the psychedelic, they've adopting swelling, stately, Brian Eno-like arrangements on album closer 'Last Ride' and enter a reverb-drenched landscape of synths on 'L'Inconnue.' More unabashedly themselves than ever, this is the sound of Beach House doubling down on the aqueous dream-pop perfection that made them indie heroes in the first place.
11. Always Ascending - Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand's first album after the departure of their guitarist Nick McCarthy sees the band go through a major sonic shift. They have traded their signature indie rock anthems for heavily synth driven disco-rock, courtesy of latest member Julian Corrie (better known by his stage name "Miaoux Miaoux"). The music is packed with clever references, both sonically as well as lyrically. Alex Kapranos' distinct vocals breathe life into crisp lyrics about the American healthcare crisis ('Huck and Jim'), the self-serving side of altruism ('Lois Lane') and the estrangement of living in the selfie era ('Academy Award'). Approaching the peak of their maturity in their career, it looks like Franz Ferdinand has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
10. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love - Deafheaven
With a title inspired by a Graham Greene novel, Californian genre-bending blackgaze pioneers 'Deafheaven' return for their most ambitious effort to date. While they established their signature sound on the instant classic 'Sunbather' (2013) and extended the treatment on 2015's 'New Bermuda', 'Oridinary Corrupt Human Love' sees the band push the boundaries of black metal to breaking point, subverting all the regular cliches of metal to create a sound that is as aggressive and unrelenting as it is cathartic and melodic. Album highlights 'Honeycomb' and 'Canary Yellow' are easily some of their best songs to date and the album reinforces Deafheaven as one of the most exciting metal acts in the world today.
9. The Sciences - Sleep
Two decades after the birth of stoner rock and a decade after its lull, doom metal power trio Sleep have resurrected it from the grave and smeared its ashes all over their new album 'The Sciences'. It's an epic comeback album for the band, the first original material recorded in 19 years and fittingly, the three-minute album opener sounds like a revving engine, eagerly waiting to hit full throttle. The full-throttle arrives via the lead single 'Marijuanaut's Theme', which has one of the best guitar solos the band has ever produced and 'Giza Butler' is a gloriously sludgy homage to Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. Aptly released on 4/20 via Third Man Records, 'The Sciences' emphatically puts Sleep back on the top of their genre-defining career.
8. Superorganism - Superorganism
For an indie-pop outfit from all across the world that had only met over the internet and never in real life until they decided to rent a house in London last year, Superorganism's self-titled debut album is surprisingly tight, sounding as though it's been made by bandmates that have known each other for ages. With their maximalist approach to pop, instantly catchy hooks, infinite pools of sonic depth and 90s nostalgia evoking music videos, the hive-mind of Superorganism has set the bar extremely high for itself on their very first go.
7. Bottle It In - Kurt Vile
Former War On Drugs guitartist Kurt Vile returned this year with the impressive 'Bottle It In', his first original release after his 2015 collaboration with Courtney Barnett, 'Lotta Sea Lice'. Recorded in various cities across the US over three years while Vile was touring the country it boasts some high-profile collaborations including Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Cass McCombs, Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), and Mary Lattimore. The album is a collection of some of the most intricate stuff Vile has written. Album highlight 'Bassackwards' captures the essence of the album, blending Vile's live performance aesthetics with his clever lyricism across a good 10 minutes. It's Vile's longest album till date and probably his most impressive one too.
6. Heaven And Earth - Kamasi Washington
In 2015, with his sprawling triple album 'Epic' Kamasi Washington announced himself as well as his West Coast Get Down crew as perhaps the boldest and most volatile voices in Jazz — the kinds that could play classic concert halls or indie rock festivals interchangeably and without any hesitation. On the twin-themed sophomore double-album 'Heaven & Earth', the Kendrick Lamar collaborator continues to prove his merit as one of the finest Jazz artists of the time. With his signature sweeping sound, broad melodies, expansive sonics, and double rhythm section, 'Heaven and Earth' is a two-and-a-half hour odyssey through the saxophonist's maturing Afrocentric aesthetic.
5. Hope Downs - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
On their much-awaited debut album 'Hope Downs', Aussie indie rockers Rolling Blackouts C.F. perfect their unique triple guitar attack with a depth and attention to detail that immediately demands multiple listens. The album title comes from the Hope Downs mine, which, according to the band, "refers to the feeling of standing at the edge of the void of the big unknown and finding something to hold on to." And that's exactly what pours forward on the record. With steady thumping drums, groovy basslines and Fran Keaney's high-energy acoustic strumming serving almost as a second percussion instrument, the album addresses themes of consumerism ('An Air Conditioned Man'), social disparity ('Mainland'), cafe culture and colonialism ('Capuccino City') and loneliness 'How Long' among other things.
4. Simulation Theory - Muse
After a trilogy of particularly dark albums, indie legends Muse returned this year with the refreshing 'Simulation Theory'. The album adopted a retro-futuristic vibe, full of 80s styled synths and ripping rock riffs. The album is an answer to the question: what would you get if you mashed up Tron, Back To The Future, Daft Punk, Stranger Things and The Matrix together and turned it into a concept album? The album has it all - stadium anthems ('Thought Contagion'), blaring synth pop ('The Dark Side'), rock-orchestra crossovers ('Pressure') and even the occassional EDM ('Propoganda'). The last bit might be explained by the fact that it was co-produced by Timbaland!
3. Boarding House Reach - Jack White
Jack White seems to be in complete creative control of his solo career as is evident on his third solo studio album 'Boarding House Reach.' White is at his most playful, experimental best on the album, tinkering with a range of genres ranging from gospel to hip hop, to country to funk to electro-jazz to even brief spells of spoken-word poetry. We even see White attempt rap on the track 'Ice Station Zebra,' which apparently was a product of White's collaboration with Jay-Z, which never saw the light of day. Almost two decades into his career, White still keeps things fresh as ever, as he sounds comfortable in his own skin throughout the album.
2. Eat The Elephant - A Perfect Circle
The new Tool album might not be out yet, but Maynard James Keenan still had a great year with A Perfect Circle, his side project with guitarist Billy Howerdel. Out of all the politically charged albums that came out this year (and there were a lot!), 'Eat The Elephant' was probably the one that captured the current political tension and people's reaction the best. Maynard is angrier than ever on the record, but the maturity and grace with which APC handle their subject matter makes the album an instant classic. On highlights 'The Doomed' and 'Disillusioned', Maynard employs his icy wit and powerful vocal range to complement Howerdel's eerie, haunting melodies in a grim celebration of the self-fulfilling prophecy of man's own destruction.
1. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - The 1975
They did it once with their self-titled debut. They did it again with the follow up. Now, British indie darlings The 1975 have outdone themselves consistently for the third time with their latest offering 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships'. The 1975's ambitions are as high as ever, as they experiment with a range of styles and genres -from groovy jazz ('Sincerity Is Scary') to ironical auto-tune pop ('I Like America & America Likes Me') to piano-centered ballads ('Inside Your Mind') to almost rap-like poetry ('Love It If We Made It') and everything in between while frontman Matt Healy's self-referential meta-narratives touch upon heavy themes like addiction, love in the digital age and millennial angst.