I’ll keep the preamble to a minimum and get quickly to this year’s list of my favorite albums. There were some albums I really loved this year but I will say that when I pulled together my list of candidates for the Top 10 it was a shorter list than most years. In the end though I’m happy with these choices. I hope you enjoy.
As usual, in Part 2 I’ll share some of my favorite songs.
FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2018
1. boygenius, boygenius – When I first heard Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus were collaborating on a joint project I knew it had a good chance at ending up on the top of my annual list. I would consider Baker, Bridgers and Dacus the front runners in the new wave of American singer-songwriters. They have each put out intensely emotional and listenable solo projects. (Dacus’ best work coming out this year – see Album #4.) They each possess a uniquely beautiful vocal style and a captivating writing style. But in the musical world, putting three great voices together often equals far less than the sum of the parts. Thankfully, boygenius avoids the usual traps and comes across as three performers getting the best out of each other.
2. How to Socialize and Make Friends, Camp Cope – When I first put this album high on my list I wondered if I might be subconsciously jumping on the #MeToo bandwagon but the truth is I keep going back to this album just for the simple rock hooks. This is rock with just enough 90’s retro style, plenty of rage, raw jangle and emotional range – the kind of music that speaks to me no matter the political climate. The fact that Georgia Maq rips a new-one in the misogyny of the indie rock scene is frankly just icing on the cake.
3. Whack World, Tierra Whack – Enjoyed as a video montage, an album, or individual sound-bite-like songs, Tierra Whack’s release is creative, catchy and hard to deny as just plain fun. I’m most impressed by the way she’s able to be a serious artist without taking herself or rap too seriously.
4. Historian, Lucy Dacus – With her first album in 2016 Lucy Dacus initially caught my attention as someone who had lyrical chops and a subtly mesmerizing voice. For some reason I wasn’t immediately taken in by her 2018 release. I think I might have been jaded by the plethora of quiet, melancholy, female singer-songwriter releases in the last couple years. But whenever I returned to Historian it took more shape and added more depth, making clear to me it deserved attention.
5. CARE FOR ME, Saba – There were a lot of critically acclaimed rap albums this year. Like several others, CARE FOR ME possessed unique artistic style and expertly crafted hooks. But what set it apart for me was the tone, the attitude. Whether it’s purely a product of the tragic story behind the album’s theme or something that Saba would have channeled anyway, the vulnerability, introspection and uncertainty expressed is rarely seen in rap music and adds significant power.
6. POST-, Jeff Rosenstock – Rosenstock has no shortage of energy or charisma. He’s one of those “hardest working man” types whose mostly flown under the radar. The album hinges on two epic tracks (“USA” and “Let Them Win”) but it screams out with so many anthemic hooks it can not be denied.
7. El Mal Querer, Rosalia – I have no idea what Rosalia is singing about and it frankly doesn’t matter. She could be singing about her grocery list, her plantar fasciitis, or her favorite table cloth. Whatever the case, if this intriguing blend of flamenco rhythms and R&B doesn’t put you in the mood (for any number of things) than you may be dead inside.
8. Future Me Hates Me, The Beths – This is catchy pop-rock with a bright energy. The band and the compositions are tight, the songwriting is smart. There’s a little 90’s feel to it but I could see this album rocking college radio across several decades.
9. Years, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – I couldn’t tell you exactly how she does it, but Sarah Shook has managed to make something that sounds completely new while also being “classic country.” Mixing traditional country sounds with tough-as-nails attitude, she and her band made an album that feels more genuine than anything you’ll hear on country radio today.
10. Clean, Soccer Mommy – Simple, clear and intimate. Sophie Allison reminds me of a more laid-back Liz Phair, possessing a little less bite but plenty of natural charm. Clean is an easily accessible album (and I mean that in the best possible way) with a streak of melancholy, a sprinkling of snarkiness, and just enough guitar to keep it from getting bland.
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