Albums of 2018

Pauler
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Pauler »

The SOPHIE album is absolutely bonkers. "Immaterial" is like K-Pop maximalism fused with Rustie's Glass Swords with steroids. My song of the year!
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Maschine_Man
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Maschine_Man »

Illiniq wrote:
Romain wrote:Django Django - Marble Skie 8,5/10 For me, one of the 2 or 3 best bands on the decade. this album, like the two previous ar full of hits. Very energic and "feelgood" the first to the last second.
I like Django Django a lot on record for exactly the reasons you describe, but when you finally see them live, you'll be retracting your best of the decade statement post haste. They're as unimpressive a live act as I've seen this decade.
Interesting, my partner loved the album (which doesn't happen, ever). When we saw them live, hated it so much we left 20 minutes in.

...and stopped listening to them...
discord
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by discord »

I had never heard them before, listened to the album and wasn't impressed.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jackson »

I didn't see a mention of Let's Eat Grandma's I'm All Ears yet. I thought it was great on first listen. Similar aesthetic to Sophie (which is no surprise as it was co-produced by Sophie), but with better vocals.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by discord »

I like Let's Eat Grandma. I think they're still young though and will improve. Can anyone explain what the song Hot Pink is about?
Jirin
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

serpentwithfeet - soil is pretty awesome.

This is the first new album I’ve ever seen Popmatters give an immediate 10 to. It’s like electronic gospel and in some ways makes me think of Maxinquaye. Like a Tricky album with Frank Ocean on vocals.
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notbrianeno
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by notbrianeno »

Essential (5/5)
SOPHIE | OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES
Autechre | NTS Sessions 1-4
Travis Scott | ASTROWORLD
Beach House | 7

Excellent (4.5/5)
Pusha T | DAYTONA
Deafheaven | Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Janelle Monáe | Dirty Computer
Rae Sremmurd / Swae Lee / Slim Jxmmi | SR3MM
The Voidz | Virtue
Jon Hopkins | Singularity
Jonny Greenwood | Phantom Thread
Denzel Curry | TA13OO
Migos | Culture II
A.A.L. (Against All Logic) | 2012-2017
Snail Mail | Lush
Post Malone | beerbongs & bentleys

Great (4/5)
Bladee | Red Light
U.S. Girls | In a Poem Unlimited
Gas | Rausch
Florence + the Machine | High as Hope
Playboi Carti | Die Lit
Aïsha Devi | DNA Feelings
Mount Eerie | Now Only
Drake | Scorpion
Galcher Lustwerk | 200% Galcher
Tinashe | Joyride
Porches | The House
Amen Dunes | Freedom
Barker | Debiasing EP
Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar
Don Broco | Technology

Good (3.5/5)
Oneohtrix Point Never | Age Of
No Age | Snares Like a Haircut
Ezra Furman | Transangelic Exodus
Cardi B | Invasion of Privacy
Lotic | Power
Car Seat Headrest | Twin Fantasy
Rhye | Blood
Angélique Kidjo | Remain in LIght
Nine Inch Nails | Bad Witch
Various Artists | Black Panther: The Album
Kanye West | ye
Skee Mask | Compro
BTS | Love Yourself 轉 'Tear'
Death Grips | Year of the Snitch
Bali Baby | Baylor Swift
Arctic Monkeys | Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
Hayley Kiyoko | Expectations
MGMT | Little Dark Age
DJ Taye | Still Trippin'
Ty Segall | Freedom's Goblin
Ravyn Lenae | Crush EP
The Weeknd | My Dear Melancholy,
Anna Meredith | Eighth Grade: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Kali Uchis | Isolation
Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour
THE CARTERS | EVERYTHING IS LOVE
Iceage | Beyondless
Speedy Ortiz | Twerp Verse
Father John Misty | God's Favorite Customer
Let's Eat Grandma | I'm All Ears
Kylie Minogue | Golden
Gaika | Basic Volume
Leon Vynehall | Nothing Is Still
Preoccupations | New Material
Maluma | F.A.M.E.
Scallops Hotel | Sovreign Nose of (Y)our Arrogant Face
K. Forest | When It's All Said and Done EP
J Balvin | Vibras

Decent (3/5)
SOB x RBE | Gangin
Panopticon | The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness
DJ Healer | Nothing 2 Loose
David Byrne | American Utopia
The Soft Moon | Criminal
Tune-Yards | I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
Sleep | The Sciences
JPEGMAFIA | Veteran
Jack White | Boarding House Reach
Peggy Gou | Once
serpentwithfeet | soil
Franz Ferdinand | Always Ascending
CupcakKe | Ephorize
Johnny Jewel | Themes for Television
KIDS SEE GHOSTS | KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Kamasi Washington | Heaven and Earth
Profligate | Somewhere Else
A$AP Rocky | TESTING
Grouper | Grid of Points
Mark Kozelek | Mark Kozelek
Saba | Care for Me
Charlie Puth | Voicenotes
Soccer Mommy | Clean
Blanck Mass | World Eater Re-Voxed EP
Shirt | Pure Beauty
Ought | Room Inside the World

Mediocre (2.5/5)
Doon Kanda | Luna EP
Efrim Manuel Menuck | Pissing Stars
Lucy Dacus | Historian
Jeff Rosenstock | POST-
Topdown Dialectic | Topdown Dialectic
Parquet Courts | Wide Awake!
John Tejada | Dead Start Program
Son Lux | Brighter Wounds
Anna von Hausswolff | Dead Magic
DJ Koze | knock knock
CHVRCHES | Love Is Dead
Justin Timberlake | Man of the Woods
Django Django | Marble Skies
Fall Out Boy | M A N I A
H.C. McEntire | Lionheart
Mouse on Mars | Dimensional People
Lykke Li | so sad so sexy
Nils Frahm | All Melody
Shame | Songs of Praise
Young Thug | Hear No Evil
Maxo Kream | Punken
J. Cole | K.O.D.
Camilla Cabello | Camilla
Yo La Tengo | There's a Riot Going On

Poor (2/5)
The Men | Drift
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Maschine_Man
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Maschine_Man »

In their statement to the press, Let’s Eat Grandma said:

“Hot Pink” is about the misconceptions of femininity and masculinity, and the power of embracing both of them. It’s about self-expression and appreciation for an underrated colour.

I'm all about Whack World atm. I hope time is good to it, because it's outstanding.
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Romain »

Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 6,5 A lack of madness. Some great parts on good songs (the choruses especially), but I don't know why, I waited for the songs to go wild all through the album without it coming, a little bit frustrating.
L'impératrice - Matahari 7 A fun Retro disco-pop album. Dancing is the point. A disc for Moonbeam ?
Eddy de Pretto - Cure 7,5 Very solid album. I really like his melodies, this sort of slow acceleration on each song; Maybe a lack a variety, but a strong first albuM.
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino 8,5 Hmmm, what a good surprise. The sound is totally different. Less energic, more cool, the tone is warm. The voice of the singer is Bowiesque in some of the songs ( Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino, Four out to five ).
Jack White - Boarding House Reach 9 This guy is incapable of making bad music… so… it's good obviously and this time different than usual. The sound is not the same, more experimental but fuck, whatever, he keeps giving me the impression of being directly connected to his guitar and feeling every vibration.
Superorganism - Superorganism 9 A jouissive music. The last time I heard so many hits in a row, it was in MGMT's first album (the fact they called one of their songs SPRORGNSM is obviously an hommage). Je kiffe ma race sur cet album, voilà :-) Maybe a futur 9.5


Superorganism - Superorganism 9
Jack White - Boarding House Reach 9

Django Django - Marble Skie 8,5
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino 8,5
Cascadeur - Camera 8,5

Eels - The Deconstruction 8

Eddy de Pretto - Cure 7,5
King Tuff - The Other 7
L'impératrice - Matahari 7
Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 6,5
Jirin
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

Updated top 10:

1. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
Not quite Prince, but the closest thing you can still get. I think it's her best album. Though I could do without the pure rap parts. Americans speaks to me so directly. It's not her 'Best since' Archandroid, it's just her best album.
2. Jack White - Boarding House Reach
Very weird, inconsistent album but its highs are the biggest highs he's given us since his sister was drumming. And as I learned from my recently concluded discovery game, NOBODY is better live than him. I would listen to him live any time in any context.
3. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
Maybe 'best of type' for me. A glitchy sample-driven electronic album, and I can't say I can think of a similar album that's better, which is the hallmark of a great album.
(Big distance)
4. Iceage - Beyondless
Don't have much to say about this album, just a good example of the genre.
5. Eels - The Deconstruction
Possibly my pick for most underappreciated album of the year. Last Eels album that got serious attention was Blinking Lights And Other Revelations and this reminds me of it. "Today Is The Day", I absolutely love this song. It makes me think of Blinking Lights, a continuous project of a person with social problems and a lack of personal confidence trying to turn things around.
6. Preoccupations - New Material
Points off for giving into pressure to change name from Viet Cong. But a good album.
7. Beach House - 7
Seven indeed. I have found their previous albums to be overrated. But I really like this one.
8. Barrence Whitfield & The Savages - Soul Flowers Of Titan
The Sonics. That's all I have to say.
9. George Fitzgerald - All That Must Be
10. Kacey Musgraves - The Golden Hour
Good country-pop songs.
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bootsy
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by bootsy »

Romain wrote:Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 6,5 A lack of madness. Some great parts on good songs (the choruses especially), but I don't know why, I waited for the songs to go wild all through the album without it coming, a little bit frustrating.
Had similar feelings about that album. It's my least favorite of hie 3 studios. I know she's trying to go way more pop but it just didn't work for me. I did like some of the raps in a couple of the songs but at the same time they felt unnecessary even though they were good.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Nick »

Is it just more, or has it been really, really, really slow for new albums lately? Since July 1st I've only heard three new albums, the fantastic new Deafheaven album, the Kamasi Washington EP, and now this offering from Moses Sumney.

Anyway...

Moses Sumney- Black In Deep Red, 2014 (EP)

There's something so addicting about Sumney's voice. It's soft and hard and sensual and tough and spiritual and totally secular. It's a big bag of contradictions and it's what really sold me on his last EP, 2016's Lamentations, as well as his quite good 2017 studio album, Aromanticism. His latest EP, a three song offering that runs just under 10 minutes, is sure to delight any fans of his previous work. But while the music itself hasn't changed much, Sumney's lyrics have, taking on a decisive political tone. This is best exemplified on EP highlight "Rank & File", where Somney flips the military cadence of "I don't know but I've been told..." and turns it into an anthem about police brutality. Chilling stuff.

Verdict: A promise of great things to come
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

A Place To Bury Strangers - Pinned

Earlier albums of theirs are the kind of sludgy noise rock you go to a concert and expect to have hearing issues the next day. In Pinned they added some depth and oddity to the sound and veer more toward This Heat territory. Very good album.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Nick »

Animal Collective- Tangerine Reef

So what to make of Tangerine Reef, the latest "audiovisual" album from everyone's favorite 2000s era psychedelic pop outfit Animal Collective? Well for one, and I really can't stress this enough, this album is meant to be watched, much more so than strictly listened to. The visuals here are stunning, courtesy of art-science duo Coral Morphologic, and feature these amazingly detailed surreal nautical wonders, with creatures such as nudibranchs and sea anemone and hard and soft coral and sea cucumbers in all their natural glory. Tentacles wiggle and move across the screen, things glow in the dark, and it all feels so serene, so peaceful, until you remember that these very wonders are at serious risk due to climate change and pollution. So it should come as no surprise that Tangerine Reef is meant to be a celebration of the International Year of the Reef, an informal partnership between nations to come together and protect the reefs of the world. It's a wonderful cause, and the visuals here only serve the highlight just how important it is.

However, I have to judge this release on the basis of its music, and musically, it really isn't all that. The music here is mostly formless, and while it does complement the visuals really well, the spacey psychedelic noodlings of Animal Collective don't really work all too well on their own. The music here is as calm and lush as the undersea life that Coral Morphologic depict, with a strong electronic element to it, but there's little here to really sink your teeth into, to really stick in your head the way that colorful nudibranch with its pomp-pomp-like appendages does. But while the music is pleasant enough, the vocals only really end up distracting from the visuals, as their abrasive tones never seem to fit either the instruments or the aquatic creatures.

Tangerine Reef is interesting, and certainly worth a watch. But it's a minor release from a band whose best work is fading further and further into the rear view mirror.

Verdict: 9/10 visuals, 5/10 music
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Nick »

Mitski- Be the Cowboy

Mitski's newest album, Be the Cowboy, is 14 tracks over 32 minutes. Only three of those 14 songs make it past the two and a half minute mark. And that's where the brilliance of the album lies. On her latest release Mitski crafts her songs with all superfluous details removed, stripping them down to what's absolutely necessary, some drums here, a piano there, a little guitar sprinkled on top. No double tracked vocals, just her voice and her voice alone. No guests. And when the song is over, it's over, and if that happens at the two minute mark then so be it.

Be the Cowboy is easily much more subdued than Mitski's last release, 2016's Puberty 2, with nothing here even coming close to the raucous energy of "Your Best American Girl" or early career highlight "Townie". Instead Mitski has, for the most part, taken up the piano as her primary instrument, giving the songs a gentler atmosphere, even when the lyrics are free to dive into topics such as despair and ennui and loneliness. The album's highlight is easily the single "Nobody", which comes in at roughly the halfway point on Be the Cowboy. Like much of the album, "Nobody" is built around the piano, but it's when the disco drum beat and mirrorball-worthy synths come in that the song truly reaches greatness. It's a total left turn, Mitski making something so danceable, but it's one that absolutely makes sense once it's heard. Which, in a way, goes for the rest of the album too.

As great as Puberty 2 was, I'd say that this is her best album yet.

Verdict: Great!!
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PlasticRam
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by PlasticRam »

New ratings in bold.

Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides 9.3
MGMT - Little Dark Age 8.6
ASAP Rocky - Testing 8.5
Popcaan - Forever 8.5
Pusha T - Daytona 8.3
CHVRCHES - Love Is Dead 8.3
serpentwithfeet - soil 8.1
Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts 8.0
Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears 8.0
U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited 7.9
Migos - Culture II 7.9
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! 7.8
Lil Yachty - Lil Boat 2 7.8
XXXTentacion - ? 7.6
Dessa - Chime 7.5
Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer 7.4
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino 7.2
A.A.L (Against All Logic) - 2012 - 2017 7.2
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 7.2
Gorillaz - The Now Now 7.1
Nas - Nasir 7.1
Kanye West - Ye 7.1
Shame - Songs of Praise 7.1
Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer 7.0
Rae Sremmurd - SR3MM 7.0
Teyana Taylor - K.T.S.E. 6.9
Kali Uchis - Isolation 6.9
Eels - The Deconstruction 6.8
Iceage - Beyondless 6.7
SOB X RBE - Gangin 6.7
J. Cole - KOD 6.6
Playboi Carti - Die Lit 6.6
Mount Eerie - Now Only 6.5
Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy 6.5
Ariana Grande - Sweetener 6.5
Travis Scott - Astroworld 6.4
Mitski - Be the Cowboy 6.4

Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy 6.2
Mac Miller - Swimming 5.9
I feel like that
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Rob
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Rob »

Nick wrote:Animal Collective- Tangerine Reef
(...)The music here is mostly formless, and while it does complement the visuals really well, the spacey psychedelic noodlings of Animal Collective don't really work all too well on their own. (...)
Good review, but I have to disagree with you here. I watched the film and I thought the Animal Collective music went terrible with it. There is no synergy there, even though they played it live while watching the it. They make odd choices. I think otherworldly sounds work well with this deep sea life, but the sounds of Collective evoke technology, electricity and the futuristic city. All things the depicted is decidedly not. This is a very organic world. Besides, was it too difficult to give even a hint of the nautical nature of what is on screen?
And then I haven't even spoken about how terrible the music in general is, even ignoring the images on screen. I didn't need to listen to the album on it's own (I haven't and never will) to hear what an ugly mess this is. Amateurish even. Admittedly I have never been fond of Animal Collective to put it mildly, but there are parts here that go beyond my usual problems with them, into a realm of real incompetence. Come on, these sea creatures deserve better.

Have you seen Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith. It's a similar project, where Tindersticks made a soundtrack to a newly edited compilation (Stuart Staples did the editing himself) of old footage made by F. Percy Smith of microscopic life, made in the 1920's and '30's. It's an amazing film, beautiful to watch and to listen to. The length is similar to Tangerine Reef, but much more moving and dynamic. I recommend it.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

I actually like Tangerine Dream more than any AC album since MPP. I think it’s the first new thing they’ve done since then that worked.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by discord »

I cant say I was impressed with Tangerine Reef. Then again I wasn't impressed with MPP either.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

To me Tangerine Reef is like the Medulla of Animal Collective.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Nick »

Two thirds of the way through the year...

Great:

1. Kamasi Washington- Heaven and Earth
2. A.A.L (Against All Logic)- 2012 - 2017
3. Car Seat Headrest- Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)
4. Janelle Monáe- Dirty Computer
5. Beach House- 7
6. Deafheaven- Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
7. Father John Misty- God's Favorite Customer

Very Good:

8. Arctic Monkeys- Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
9. Pusha T- Daytona
10. Mitski- Be the Cowboy
11. Jon Hopkins- Singularity
12. Snail Mail- Lush
13. Mount Eerie- Now Only
14. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Sparkle Hard
15. Kanye West and Kid Cudi- Kids See Ghosts

Good:

16. DJ Koze- Knock Knock
17. U.S. Girls- In a Poem Unlimited
18. Cupcakke- Euphorize
19. Sons of Kemet- Your Queen Is a Reptile
20. Kacey Musgraves- Golden Hour
21. MGMT- Little Dark Age
22. Iceage- Beyondless
23. Sophie- Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
24. Blood Orange- Negro Swan
25. Courtney Barnett- Tell Me How You Really Feel
26. Saba- Care for Me
27. Nine Inch Nails- Bad Witch
28. Spiritualized- And Nothing Hurt
29. Kamasi Washington- The Choice (EP)

Decent:

30. Kanye West- Ye
31. Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Sex & Food
32. Amen Dunes- Freedom
33. David Byrne- American Utopia
34. Andrew W.K.- You're Not Alone
35. Eminem- Kamikaze
36. Beyoncé & Jay-Z- Everything Is Love
37. Various Artists- Black Panther: The Album - Music from and Inspired By
38. Superorganism- Superorganism
39. Moses Sumney- Black In Deep Red, 2014 (EP)
40. Shame- Songs of Praise
41. Nas- Nasir
42. Titus Andronicus- A More Productive Cough
43. Death Grips- Year of the Snitch
44. Interpol- Marauder
45. Animal Collective- Tangerine Reef
46. Gorillaz- The Now Now
47. Chvrches- Love Is Dead
48. Yo La Tengo- There's a Riot Going On
49. Franz Ferdinand- Always Ascending
50. Panda Bear- A Day with the Homies (EP)

Poor:

51. Justin Timberlake- Man of the Woods
52. Cardi B- Invasion of Privacy
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by realestdan »

E
Last edited by realestdan on Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by prosecutorgodot »

The second third of the year has come to an end... let's tally the records I dug the most during the past four months.

Honorable mentions:
10 | Parliament-Funkadelic | Medicaid Fraud Dogg - This was the best comfort food music I heard. Overlong, but there was a great album in there somewhere.
9 | Haru Nemuri | Haru to Shura - This is what results when a noise rock artist attempts to do a hip-hop album. Too many repetitive patterns for me to truly love it, but a very interesting combination nonetheless.
8 | serpentwithfeet | Soil - On the surface, this looks like pretty average atmospheric R&B. When you start to pick up the lyrics though, your skin starts to crawl, because there is something a little... off. Interesting listen.
7 | Death Grips | Year of the Snitch - The experimental trio evolve into a jam band. I did end up liking the more composed tracks on the album, like "Black Paint" and "Dilemma," but the best band of the decade is still making mind-warping music.
6 | Iglooghost | Clear Tamei / Steel Mogu EPs - The hyper-electronics prodigy returns with some solid EPs in the style of last year's mythical fantasy epic Neo Wax Bloom. Sounds like I'm riding a 30-minute rollercoaster (in the best way possible).

List proper:
5 | Ghost | Prequelle - The occult metal band returns with a... hair rock album?? It ends up sounding pretty great. Songs like "Rats" and "Danse Macabre" are some of my favorites of the year.
4 | Pusha T | Daytona - Great rhymes, great beats (I sound like a noob). Also the album's release eventually led to a very memorable diss track.
3 | IDLES | Joy as an Act of Resistance - This is a relatively dark punk album, given what you would expect from the title. Just came out, but this has some extremely catchy songs on it. I haven't been able to stop humming "Danny Nedelko" for the past few days. The constant spelling is a tad off-putting. Don't listen to this on laptop speakers, where the vocals end up sounding too loud.
2 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake! - Jack White this year forged new territory in rock music. Parquet Courts instead seek to make the best possible music from the sounds of the past. And they succeed with flying colors. Modern Lovers are all over this album. Various shades of post-punk, rock-and-roll and indie.
The lyrics have a philosphical bent that is definitely worth mulling over. Top-notch playing, and every song is SO WELL-CRAFTED. I thought this would be my #1, but instead we have...
1 | Kids See Ghosts | Kids See Ghosts - This beat out Parquet Courts largely because it's just much easier to listen to in one sitting, being only 23 minutes long. But so many ideas are packed into those 23 minutes. I'm not knowledgeable enough to say whether this is a groundbreaking sound, but it sounds pretty fresh to my ears. KSG is a concoction of gospel, rock and hip-hop. I thought ye signaled the decline of Kanye West, but boy was I wrong. His production is spectacular here, and Kid Cudi is surprisingly charismatic. The album's flow is great, too. "Freeee" and "Reborn" are probably my favorite tracks.

The last third of this year might be really great... Kendrick is rumored to have an album coming, and personal faves Clarence Clarity and Noname have new projects lined up.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by JohnnyBGoode »

1. Noname: Room 25
2. Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour
3. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth
4. Car Seat Headrest: Twin Fantasy
5. A.A.L.: 2012 - 2017
6. Beach House: 7
7. Snail Mail: Lush
8. CHVRCHES: Love is Dead
9. Soccer Mommy: Clean
10. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
11. Mitski: Be My Cowboy
12. Father John Misty: God's Favorite Customer
13. Neko Case: Hell-On
14. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
15. Low – Double Negative
16. Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!
17. Natalie Prass: The Future and the Past
18. Shame: Songs of Praise
19. Lucy Dacus: Historian
20. Tracyanne & Danny: Tracyanne & Danny
21. Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks: Sparkle Hard
22. LUMP: LUMP
23. First Aid Kit: Ruins
24. Hop Along: Bark Your Head Off, Dog
25. Jeff Rosenstock: POST-
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Moonbeam »

I am completely obsessed with Jenny Wilson's EXORCISM album. It's a total synthfest, but given the storyline of the impact of male sexual violence and the intensity of the album, it is an unsettling whirlwind I can't stop listening to - it has a sort of kinship with Sufjan Stevens' Age of Adz album in the way it plays, though this one is under 40 minutes long.

My rundown of the year so far looks like this:

Classics (likely in my all-time top 100):

Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
Jenny Wilson - EXORCISM

Great (likely in my all-time top 300):

Prince - Piano & a Microphone 1983
U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited

Good (a chance at cracking my all-time top 500):

Chromeo - Head Over Heels
Twin Shadow - Caer
Gorillaz - The Now Now
Javiera Mena - Espejo

Decent but no shot at my all-time list:

Kylie Minogue - Golden
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by FrankLotion »

And now, a reckless and irresponsible list of my favorite albums over the year even though I’ve only had a chance to listen to most of these once, enjoy!

1. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
2. Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
3. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
4. Idles - Joy as an Act Of Rebellion
5. Kali Uchis - Isolation
6. Ashley Monroe - Sparrow
7. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy (yup)
8. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus
9. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
10. Mitski - Be the Cowboy
11. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth
12. Pusha T - Daytona
13. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts
14. Iceage - Beyondless
15. Against All Logic - 2012-2017
16. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
17. Travis Scott - Astroworld
18. Jeff Rosenstock - Post-
19. Neko Case - Hell-On
20. Jon Hopkins - Singularity
21. Sleep - The Sciences
22. Mélissa Laveaux - Radyo siwèl
23. John Coltrane - Both Directions at Once
24. Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
25. serpentwithfeet - soil
26. Screaming Females - All at Once
27. Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy
28. Various Artists - Black Panther
29. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
30. Alela Diane - Cusp
31. Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson - Landfall
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by discord »

1. Soccer Mommy - Clean
2. Årabrot - Who Do You Love
3. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt
4. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
5. Judas Priest - Firepower
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by letmeintomyzone »

What is the frontrunner for EOYs?
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jackson »

letmeintomyzone wrote:What is the frontrunner for EOYs?
Judging from this thread it'll be Dirty Computer, at least on AMF.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Nick »

letmeintomyzone wrote:What is the frontrunner for EOYs?
This is the first year in a while (probably since 2014) where I have no clue what the critics’ pick for AOTY will be.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by FrankLotion »

Nick wrote:
letmeintomyzone wrote:What is the frontrunner for EOYs?
This is the first year in a while (probably since 2014) where I have no clue what the critics’ pick for AOTY will be.
Yeah I feel like there isn’t an album that immediately stands above the others this year that the critics have been hyping. I guess maybe Dirty Computer? Janelle Monáe is still riding high on a cultural wave right now so that might give her a boost (also the album is very good).
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Rob »

There are two strong themes running through acclaimed albums this year: female empowerment and - closely linked to it -fluctuating gender and sexual identities. Quite a few albums combine both, but Dirty Computer is the most famous one. I think that narrative along with it's quality will push it to the top; unless something really big hits in the next three months of course. Idles and Kamasi Washington dominate the MegaCritic list, but although they will do well probably, I can't see critics go for rock or jazz for the main prize in this year.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

Janelle Monae also has the inner track in that among the artists with acclaimed albums this year, she's the one the most people have heard of.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Pauler »

I spent today listening to two of the most acclaimed Electronic albums of the year: Knock Knock by DJ Koze and 2002-2007 by A.A.L. The former is a gorgeous affair; it is soulful and welcoming in its approach, full of warm tones and overall very atmospheric due to the amount of different synth timbres utilized. The latter is more straight-forward and dance-focused. It has some outstanding moments ("I Never Dream" comes to mind) and some that went on a bit too long. I have to side with DJ Koze on this one.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Moonbeam »

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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Maschine_Man »

The Villagers album is a stunner. It's everything I ever wanted from the band, I'm so happy. Long Time Waiting has been on repeat on the way to work all week.

Great
Villagers - The Art of Pretending to Swim
U.S. Girls - A Poem Unlimited
Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
SOPHIE - The Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed
Jungle - For Ever

Really Good
Tierra Whack - Whack World (this album broke my spreadsheet)
Presets, The - Hi Vis
Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
Lykke Li - So Sad So Sexy

Good but Inconsistent
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Jake Shears - Jake Shears
David Byrne - American Utopia
Florence + The Machine - High As Hope
Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
Mitski - Be The Cowboy (I expect this one to rise by EOY)
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

Anyone else think there’s a new post punk revival in full swing this year?

Iceage, Parquet Courts, Idles, Slaves

And some of these are most acclaimed albums of the year.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by acroamor »

Maschine_Man wrote: Mitski - Be The Cowboy (I expect this one to rise by EOY)
If your experience with the album is anything like mine, it'll only seem inconsistent at first. I think with how short the majority of tracks on Be The Cowboy are, it takes more listens than usual for them to "click".

And Jirin, I agree for sure about the post-punk revival. I'd throw the new album by We Were Promised Jetpacks into that list as well.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

Anyone else enjoying St Vincent - Masseducation?

It’s stripped down versions of songs from Masseduction. Just piano and singing.

Her songs sound beautiful and personal this way.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by acroamor »

The last list I'll make until the EOY, just a top 20 for now.

1. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
2. Caroline Rose - LONER
3. Mitski - Be the Cowboy
4. Dream Wife - Dream Wife
5. Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
6. Soccer Mommy - Clean
7. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts
8. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
9. Camp Cope - How to Socialize and Make Friends
10. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
11. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
12. Haley Heyndrickx - I Need to Start a Garden
13. Lucy Dacus - Historian
14. First Aid Kit - Ruins
15. Screaming Females - All At Once
16. Waxahatchee - Great Thunder
17. Pusha T - Daytona
18. Interpol - Marauder
19. Paul Simon - In the Blue Light
20. Snail Mail - Lush

And re: that last comment, I loved Mass Education! Particularly the version of "Young Lover", absolutely beautiful.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Moonbeam »

Updated with scores from a formula. It more or less matches my feelings, though Mitski, Kali Uchis, and Christine and the Queens are still pretty new to me so they could grow.

Jenny Wilson - EXORCISM: 9.7
Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer: 9.5
U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited: 8.0
Prince - Piano & a Microphone 1983: 8.0
Mitski - Be the Cowboy: 7.8
Mylène Farmer - Désobéissance: 7.4
Kali Uchis - Isolation: 7.4
Chromeo - Head Over Heels: 7.4
Christine and the Queens - Chris: 6.9
Javiera Mena - Espejo: 6.7
Gorillaz - The Now Now: 6.5
Twin Shadow - Caer: 6.1
Kylie Minogue - Golden: 5.6
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Moonbeam »

Romain wrote: L'impératrice - Matahari 7 A fun Retro disco-pop album. Dancing is the point. A disc for Moonbeam ?
It's not available in Australia on Spotify. :( I'll check out some songs on YouTube!
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by dumbangel »

1. Field Music - Open Here
2. The Lemon Twigs - Go to School
3. MGMT - Little Dark Age
4. The Vryll Society - Course of the Satellite
5. Kelley Stoltz - Natural Causes
6. B.C. Camplight - Deportation Blues
7. Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread - Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread
8. Swing Out Sister - Almost Persuaded
9. Richard Swift - The Hex
10. The Coral - Move Through the Dawn
11. 77:78 - Jellies
12. Beach House - 7
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Moonbeam »

Not that thrilled with the new Robyn on first listen. Hopefully it will grow on me, but I don't think any of the songs would make my top 10 by her. It's cool that she's doing something different, though. "Missing U" is a bit of a misleading lead single as the album is more subdued as a whole. It seems very intimate, which is great, but nothing is grabbing me by the heartstrings yet.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by acroamor »

Both Aviary by Julia Holter and the self-titled EP by Boygenius (a new supergroup composed of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) dropped on Friday and will both by claiming high spots in my list. Holter's work had been making a slight turn towards accessibility over her past few releases, but Aviary is a 90-minute long masterpiece, featuring lengthy and ambitious tracks featuring lush orchestrations and avant-garde diversions. One of her best yet, and one I'll need to continue digesting through November.

On the other end of the length spectrum, Boygenius runs a scant 22 minutes. The only releases I've heard this year any shorter were Waxahatchee's Great Thunder, also an EP, and Grouper's Grid of Points, which was, confusingly, considered a full album rather than an EP. I sometimes wonder what purpose EPs serve for the majority of artists. I feel like EPs get buried in terms of press in a way that full albums don't. I think of Lady Lamb, whose last release, Tender Warriors Club, was considered an EP and barely discussed after it came out despite its high quality. Would it have prospered more if it'd been expanded four or five songs and released as a full album? Surely it would have received more EOY placements.

Anywho, I hope that pattern doesn't continue to this phenomenal release (or to Great Thunder, for that matter.) I was lucky to be very familiar already with the individual works of Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus already when this collaboration was announced. All three possess great talents, and hearing their collaboration is a rare treat. You can feel a dominant voice for each song, but each artist's style informs each track, creating a synergistic effect distinct from anything they would produce alone. The three are touring together now, so I hope that leads to more releases by them as a trio.

Also, I haven't heard it yet, but evidently the new Daughters album is supposed to be one of the best records of the year. Giving it a listen later tonight.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Harold »

acroamor wrote:Also, I haven't heard it yet, but evidently the new Daughters album is supposed to be one of the best records of the year. Giving it a listen later tonight.
Just a quick note, because I got somewhat confused when I first read about this album so I'm thinking others might be as well: this is the American noise-rock band Daughters, not to be confused with the British indie band Daughter.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Rob »

I listened to Aviary today at work and to say it got to me is an understatement. That album is pure beauty! I feel that it is to early to say much about it after one listen (and it is 90 minutes long!), but I feel to ecstatic about it to not post my enthusiasm. Everybody who liked Holter in the past even slightly should give this a try!
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jackson »

No one has yet mentioned Fucked Up's album Dose Your Dreams, which came out at the beginning of October, but it's an amazing work that is very much in contention for my AOTY. Anyone remotely open to the concept of a genre-hopping 90 minute punk opus should give this a listen. It clicked immediately from the first time I listened to it, and I've found it hard to want to listen to much else over the last few weeks. David Comes to Life is one of my favorite albums of the decade, and I think this is great in a totally different way - while DCtL was criticized for being same-y throughout, this one could not be more varied in terms of type of sound and hops around from songs that recall David to songs influenced by kraut, disco, and techno. Also they realized (perhaps from the success of "Queen of Hearts") how great their music can be with female vocals in contrast to the lead singer's signature screaming vocals, and a variety of vocalists are used throughout. Really fun listen and adds to a great year for punk.
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by Jirin »

Is it just me or is anyone else noticing there are a lot of indie rock albums this year that are great 45 minute albums that last 90 minutes?
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Re: Albums of 2018

Post by acroamor »

Jirin wrote:Is it just me or is anyone else noticing there are a lot of indie rock albums this year that are great 45 minute albums that last 90 minutes?
Which albums in particular do you mean? I can’t think of one off the top of my head, other than the new Sun Kil Moon that dropped recently.

And of the very long albums I’ve heard this year, Aviary and Heaven and Earth are the only ones I’d say earned their runtimes completely.
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