My favorite albums of 2018
This has been the weirdest year of albums for me. Normally, I’m consuming as much of the newest music that people release as soon as I can get my hands on it. This year? I’ve been spent so much time revisiting records I liked from the past, while devouring stuff I might have missed.
So this list will be short, because unlike past years, I’m a lot less worried about reviewing albums that didn’t resonate with me.
Here’s my 2018 playlist, which is just a running list of songs I heard this year that I liked.
Mac Miller — Swimming
I noticed Mac’s early stuff as a fratty rapper, but appreciated that he had bars, he wasn’t trying to be something he’s not, and he seemed to be having a good time. Hard to argue with that formula. But somewhere along the way, dude leveled up. I remember listening to Watching Movies With the Sound Off and realizing “wait, this is good?” And he kept doing really good features with west coast rappers that I enjoyed listening to like Pac Div, and a bunch of dudes from Black Hippy/TDE.
I kept waiting for him to fall off, but instead, every album he put out after was consistent. Still, I can’t say any of them were records I revisited much after the first few listens. Swimming changed all of that.
Mac’s untimely death did not really factor into it, I just remember listening to it, being amazed at how good and consistent the record was, but waiting for someone on my timeline to cosign it. “Maybe it’s just me? Is this record really this good?”
It is. It’s just a shame it’s the last album we’ll get from him.
Kamasi Washington — Heaven and Earth
His debut, The Epic, is my favorite jazz record released in decades because it really does pay homage to the past while forging its own trail. Heaven and Earth is a worthwhile addition to his already legendary career three records in.
Ryan Porter — The Optimist
Saw him in Kamasi’s band (who I saw twice in 2018) and immediately wanted to hear anything he was involved with. This jazz LP does not disappoint.
Deafheaven — Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Deafhaven’s release was a revelation for me in 2018. It’s the right balance between doom metal and shoegaze.
Snail Mail — Lush
Despite pals telling me this was a great record, I mostly ignored it until the end of the year when I binge listened to it and realized you all hadn’t lied to me. Though, it gets a bit repetitive and I got bored with it. I don’t know if it’s just my tastes evolving, but no doubt it’s one of my favorite records of the year.
Blood Orange — Negro Swan
boygenius — boygenius
It’s perfect rainy day music, and who can resist a 20-something bad-ass supergroup? Not me.
Leon Bridges — Good Thing
I was pretty over Leon Bridges after we played the hell out of ‘Coming Home’. Bad Bad News has the Bruno Mars formula of injecting 80s soul into modern r&b, but it’s not frenetic at all. Far from a one-trick pony, I kept telling people how much I was surprised by how much I liked this record, it’s really good and consistent.
The Internet — Hive Mind
The Internet can do no wrong. Best band in hip-hop, this isn’t my favorite release of theirs, but that has more to do with how classic their last few records have been. If anyone ever tells you ‘kids these days don’t make music like they used to’, send them a link to The Internet’s discography and block their texts until they listen.
Lucy Dacus — Historian
Night Shift is the best song of 2018. Fight me.
Foxing — Nearer My God
Grand Paradise is the best opening song anybody has put on a record in years. Foxing did their best to fill the TV On The Radio void (on that song, anyway.)
Laura Veirs — The Lookout
Ought — Room Inside of the World
Natalie Prass — The Future and the Past
Short Court Style is one of my favorite songs from this year.
Yasmine Hosseini — Chiaroscuro
U.S. Girls — In A Poem Unlimited
Speedy Ortiz — Twerp Verse
The Love Language — Baby Grand
Israel Nash — Lifted
Teyana Taylor — KTSE
Pusha T — Daytona
Screaming Females — All At Once
Wye Oak — The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs
Wye Oak haven’t put out a bad record, ever. They changed their sound in recent years, they’re closer to an ambient indie pop act at this point, but the formula works extremely well.
The Carters — EVERYTHING IS LOVE
Remember this album? It was actually released this year! Crazy, right? (Who can forget Beyonce at the Louvre shooting a video like it’s NBD?!)
I listened to a bunch of highlife music from Nigeria and Ghana this year, a steady dose of Korean r&b and hip-hop, too. Swedish post-rock made a huge emergence, and I learned there are really good Brazilian shoegaze bands.
Also these playlists that I did not make:
Habibi Funk Records — Deep cuts from a label reviving 70s North African funk bands releases into the modern day.
Danger Mouse Jukebox — Legendary producer Danger Mouse updates this regularly with some really quality deep cuts.
Natalie Prass — The Future and the Past
Short Court Style is one of my favorite songs from this year.
Yasmine Hosseini — Chiaroscuro
U.S. Girls — In A Poem Unlimited
Speedy Ortiz — Twerp Verse
The Love Language — Baby Grand
Israel Nash — Lifted
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