Hannah’s Picks: Top 20 Albums of 2018
If you’re the kind of person that reads the introduction to a top album list article, then hello! It took a lot of ruminating to bring this article to light, so much that it’s already so many days into 2019 and I’m just NOW publishing it… My bad.
2018 was lush with releases, unexpected collaborations, new sounds, and even newer faces. It was only during the end of the second quarter, as I found myself knee deep in albums, that I realized that I would face a challenge at the end of the year writing this up, but for the three people that will likely read this (hi mom), I present to you: Hannah’s top picks of 2018. Enjoy.
20. Tierra Whack — Whack World
For an album that is only 15 minutes long, it is chocked full of imagination, creativity, and self-expression. If I didn’t lose you on that first sentence, the artist gives herself a mighty challenge: to make each track no longer than 60 seconds. With each minute of each track, she does something to throw you off from the last. Within each track feels like a completely different world she’s attempted to create and before you dive too deeply into them, you’re being beamed into the next one. Let the album itself be a representation of the fleeting attention spans of not only Tierra, but our own, and how it can be incredibly easy to be a flash in the pan in the music industry. Despite the length of this album, I’m hoping this wasn’t her fifteen minutes of fame, and that we get to see more of this creative visionary in 2019.
Favorite Track: Flea Market
19. AILS — The Unraveling
If you like the brutal but beautiful sounds of melodic black/death metal, then you’ve got to give this one a listen. If you were ever a fan of Ludicra and found yourself a little broken by their split back in 2011, this could be the cure for what AILS you. If you were able to sidestep that pun and are still reading, both Laurie Shanaman and Christy Cather from the group joined a new cast of characters to create AILS and their comeback faced high expectations. With a shift in style and a change in the group dynamic, we see the maniacal and blood-curdling screams of Laurie that deserve the limelight, a voice that in the past took a backseat for the instrumentation that was more the focal point in Ludicra. Expectations for this album were definitely exceeded and moving forward, I am excited to see what this group does in the name of metal.
Favorite Track: Any Spark of Life
18. Goat Girl — Goat Girl
From a DIY scene in London, these gals are gritty and pretty all in one. The album incorporates a lot of different things which was something I appreciated greatly, there was a country twang mingling with a very post-punk outcry, then some very psychedelic licks scattered there and again. Despite the constant switch-ups on this album and lack of any real consistency, the LACK of consistency is what they’re banking on, and they seem confident in their identify AS this.
Favorite Track: Cracker Drool
17. The Demos — If You Only Knew EP
Rochester natives, The Demos came back to us in 2018 after a lot of hush since their previous release, Paramount Clouds, which was released back in 2016. They came back with a more polished sound and were ready to rumble when they hit the studio with good friend, Daniel Armbruster, a name that may be familiar to you if you're also familiar with Joywave. They worked tirelessly with Armbruster to produce these tracks, and the track the EP’s namesake is based on quickly became a summer hit. With a style influenced heavily by many well-known powerpop and indie groups, it’s hard to not love them, as they take a feel-good approach to most of their songs that feels reminiscent of the days when we’d make those “indie mix” CDs for our friends. Despite their throwback sound, this group has much more in store for 2019, so give them a listen.
Favorite Track: Nervous
16. Kikagaku Moyo — Masana Temples
The best words I have to utter about this album would be… Colorful and inviting. A lot of people tend to drift towards that sort of description with these kinds of albums, but as I wrote this, it felt like it was almost unavoidable. Within the first track, properly titled ‘Entrance’, you feel pulled in by a warm glow, as if you’re getting ready to sit down in a comfy chair, enjoy a warm cup of chai tea and tell a loved one about your day. From then on, the album stays afloat with the hum of the bass, the trancelike vocals that make you feel like you’re part of them— and you then begin melting into that same chair. There’s a mellowness that the album starts on, but the tempo picks up and a lysergic bliss ensues not long after that. Despite the album’s OVERALL demeanor, I liked that no track felt exactly the same. If you were ever a fan of The Beatles’ more psychedelic inspired years, or if you're someone who likes psych-rock in general, this is an album for you. Drugs are optional.
Favorite Track: Dripping Sun
15. Kacey Musgraves — Golden Hour
This album is taking you on the scenic route instead of the highway and you can’t help but love the view. Kacey takes a much different approach with her sound on this album; incorporating a more folksy pop sound in some places, and one track even incorporating the use of a vocoder... Interesting. Her sound strayed from her more traditional country Americana roots, but the new sound wasn’t the only thing different. Kacey’s bright-eyed and awestruck lyricism was strange compared to what we’ve seen from her with her past releases, comparing life to a beauty pageant and boy’s club (Pageant Material) and often singing about harder subjects. The light-hearted nature of this album was refreshing as the artist picks more fun at life instead of singing about where it’s all gone wrong. Her change of perspective and outlook is one we could all benefit from hearing.
Favorite Track: Slow Burn
14. Car Seat Headrest — Twin Fantasy
Car Seat Headrest was a discovery a friend and I made back in 2014 while searching for new tunes on Bandcamp. We came across an album that sounded like it was recorded in someone’s driveway — and that’s probably because it technically was. The original release of this album was recorded in a CAR, as well as Will Toledo’s slew of self-releases (available on Bandcamp). We loved the creativity, the essence of using what resources and what space you had to work with, and we loved how raw it sounded. The re-release of Twin Fantasy may not have been recorded in a vehicle this time, but maybe you’ll want it for those long drives you go on. This is a quintessential indie release in every way; with the oh-so-sobering words from the mind of Toledo being shouted over a few riffs that seem strangely too upbeat for what he’s talking about.
Favorite Track: Bodys
13. Judas Priest — FIREPOWER
When mentioning to a friend of mine that one of the albums in this list would be the newest Judas Priest album, they responded “Man, Judas Priest? They’re still going? How are they not tired by now?” One would easily think that, especially as we’ve seen other metal groups that were at their peak in the 70’s and 80’s make a sudden comeback these last few years, only to produce mediocre and very “tired” releases at best. But after almost 50 years, Judas Priest is still going strong and this release was a great example. This album showed how the group can still stick to their roots while incorporating newer ideas to their sound they may not have wanted to experiment with in the past, and the payoff was tremendous for them. The album ended up being acclaimed by many as one of the “best metal albums of 2018" and I can definitely agree. Old and new Judas fans alike can agree that this is one to give a listen.
Favorite Track: Lightning Strike
12. Ryan Porter — The Optimist
Picture a full band, plus the company of a few recording engineers huddled in close quarters in a garage, for several hours at a time. It sounds dreadful, right? But the end result was something so full of heart, so honest, so humbling. The garage itself is actually a place called The Shack, owned by Kamasi Washington’s parents in California. If you’re familiar with West Coast Get Down, it’s an LA based collective dedicated to breathing life back into the jazz scene, and The Shack is one of the places prominently used for some hot and heavy jam sessions — and that’s not just because they had to seal the windows closed to rid the space of any outside noise, including planes flying overhead each hour. The recordings for this album were actually recorded a decade ago, around the same time fellow player and good friend of Porter, Kamasi Washington was getting his start, and eventually landed his big break with the release of The Epic in 2016. But unlike The Epic, which focuses more on the storytelling and almost, world-building quality of jazz, Porter took a different approach. He approached this album with a lightness and positivity in mind, given the state of the world a decade ago it was easy to, and he carried that into his music through an easy groove.
Favorite Track: Obamanomics
11. Polyphia — New Levels, New Devils
Toto, we’re not in Djent anymore. I actually wasn’t sure how the f**k to review this, as it skipped from prog rock, hip-hop, metal-math-whatever this… is? But upon my first listen, I devoured it. Completely. I have an immense appreciation for artists that decide they never want to stick to just ONE approach with their music and try new things, new methods of creation. This may not be what most of the fans of Polyphia were looking for with this release, but don’t lump me into that statistic because it’s fast-paced and high-flying. My only question is, what can I expect from them next?
Favorite Track: Yas
10. U.S. Girls — In A Poem Unlimited
The album initially comes across as sultry and maybe even a little sensual, as the sugary sweet andfull-bodied voice of Meghan Remy takes to the mic, but behind the the veil of disco is an unexpected message: it’s a narrative about domestic violence. Remy found the relevance in making a release like this now more than ever, given the state of #MeToo movements that have come to light within the last few years. As she croons about abuse and denial over a danceable beat, it wasn’t something I picked up on until the 2nd or 3rd listen, but it added another layer of appreciation for what this artist is doing and how important it is to make a statement like this. The album itself was a collaborative effort by many, which makes sense on how it goes from space pop, glam, and that disco I mentioned earlier. It’s clever and accessible and tries to keep you light on your feet despite the heavy message.
Favorite Track: M.A.H.
9. Palm — Rock Island
When I sat down to write this, I struggled to put the words together for how this release made me feel, I tried to think of how I’ve reviewed rock albums in the past, and that’s when I realized the error I was making — this isn’t “rock” at all; it’s rock that’s been turned inside-out. And I love it. I listen to this album and I don’t feel a sense of structure or direction, all of it has been thrown out the window, and I can say this in the best way possible, because the end product is one of truly beautiful chaos. When I say chaos, I don’t mean that it’s aggressive and unapproachable, but that it’s scatterbrained and despite its attention deficit, is wild and fun and experimental. Rock Island is like a mixed drink in the sense that it’s a combination of different flavors, it goes down smooth, and it won’t take much to leave you feeling dizzy.
Favorite Track: Dog Milk
8. Anna von Hausswolff — Dead Magic
It’s both ominous and ethereal, cosmic even, which makes a name such as Dead Magic quite fitting. Her angelic soprano tone laced in between a doom-like and dark atmosphere makes for an album that’s best if you focus on it and only it. The pounding of an organ, the delicate strings, the other things that frankly, I can’t describe that well; they command your attention and this is an album that is best suited for those nights when you need to shut your mind off and be taken elsewhere as we listen to this dark and cathartic cry, and perhaps have a cathartic cry ourselves.
Favorite Track: The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra
7. Esperanza Spalding — 12 Little Spells
This album is both enchanting and strange, as we listen to Spalding sing worship to different parts of her body, but she does so in a way that’s almost theatrical, and that doesn’t hesitate to sit you front and center for all of the acts. The former child prodigy who was versed in both jazz and classical takes that knowledge and applies it to this release, with some hip-hop and bright pop to spice things up. All of this combined will make your head truly spin, especially when the instrumentals are intermingling with slight existentialism when you’re suddenly hit with verses such as: “Say which is worse, the longing to arrive there, or the terror of approach?”. Despite all of the talent tied up with a bow that exists in Spalding, this was a release that in my personal opinion did not get enough praise that it rightfully deserved. Give this a listen if you’re looking for one of those groovy albums you can sit down and truly absorb like sunshine.
Favorite Track: The Longing Deep Down
6. Jean Grae & Quelle Chris — Everything’s Fine
We’ve started to use the word “fine” as a shorthand for when things really aren’t “fine”, but we do it so we don’t have to get into it any deeper. If it’s overcooked chicken, the state of the nation, your deteriorating mental health, it’s just… it’s fine. You’re fine, right? So when this album starts off with an overly chipper pseudo-gameshow host proclaiming that, “there’s only one answer!” to the contestants as she fires off about each of their depressing bios, only for them to express “everything’s fine” it becomes inherently clear that everything is not fine, and to buckle up because it’s time for some satirical lyrical genius on this album. As humans, we are constantly figuring out ways to stay on the positive side of things, but the duo is determined to beat that out of us, as they break down the wannabe Instagram rappers, the stereotypes of a black man, and just so many other things I’ll leave for you to unpack on this album. They rap on something real and remind us that despite our default state of function, things are not always fine, but more importantly, they do not need to be.
Favorite Track: My Contributions to This Scam
5. Illuminati hotties — Kiss Yr Frenemies
After working with other well-known groups and artists as a sound engineer based in LA, Sarah Tudzin decided to take a crack at building a name herself to prove simply that she could. For someone who dedicates a lot of time to the behind-the-scenes engineering for other artists, she blew me away with her well-worded verses and how much of a wordsmith she actually is and it’s because she wasn’t thinking like an engineer, she was thinking like an artist. In addition to this, her 90’s punk garage-meets-soft-pop girl gives her a fluffy edge to her music, as she’s belting out songs about college debt, how to be happy about our exes success, and all the other things we all gripe about, with a twist of humor. She tried her best to not make an album based on the laserlike precision that she uses when working with the artists and talent she normally does, both in studio and behind stage, because she wanted it to be more about an expression of emotion over how “perfect” she can make it. From a perfectionist myself, I appreciated this because we‘re too focused on getting it exactly right, but as the name implies Kiss Yr Frenemies is more about blowing a kiss to the “enemies” in front of us; exes, bosses, landlords, parents, but who gets the biggest smooch? Ourselves, of course.
Favorite Track: (You’re Better) Than Ever
4. Kamasi Washington — Heaven and Earth
I was ecstatic when I saw that Kamasi Washington was already coming back with another release after he delivered Harmony of Difference in 2017, I was ready to see what he had up his sleeve this time. What I got was an album that initially took me back to The Epic-ness that was the soundscape he created in 2015; full of adventure and continuing his perspective. This album creates heavy contrast within itself to define what heaven and earth truly mean to Washington, you can groove to the rhythm and beat, but you can also get lost in the tasteful orchestra and an otherworldly chorus. According to Washington, the division of Heaven and Earth on this album is representative of “the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of” and “the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me.” It’s hard not to love his metaphysical interpretation of existence when it creates something like this.
Favorite Track: The Space Travellers Lullaby
3. La Luz — Floating Features
There’s something to be said about how the music industry and the artists within it can frequently flip-flop between making the old sound new and the new sound old. Floating Features felt like some sort of vintage California daydream, despite the group’s origin being from Seattle. With the right combination of psychedelia, some folk, and a smattering of surf rock, the group creates a hazy and light atmosphere that you feel like you can just… float through. The album serves as an example of how it feels when you let your mind wander, the avenues it can travel down while it’s disconnected from your body, and how you feel when it comes back to you.
Favorite Track: Mean Dream
2. Noname — Room 25
In all honesty, I didn’t even listen to this until a month and a half after its initial release, and this is someone that’s been a fan of Noname since she had ‘Gypsy’ attached to her pseudonym. But this was one that flew under the radar due to the sheer oversaturation of music there was in 2018 and too many things being released around the same time in September like Brockhampton, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, and other well-established artists in rap. The thing I’ve come to love about Noname is that she has spunk, she knows she’s a FEMALE rapper, and she’s not handling that like it’s something crafted from fine porcelain; she’s not treating it delicately. She never paints a portrait of perfection, she doesn’t have that holier-than-thou air that some rappers tend to, preaching their praise to the finery they wear or the nice cars they drive, or the inflated egos of how they’re the “baddest b***h” in the game, she’s herself and she’s honest, she speaks in beat poetry and verse instead of debating the listener with bullet points. But even with all of this considered, she's not the “lullaby” rapper people have made her out to be and this newest release from her ebbs and flows nicely with jazz and pop culture commentary as her sidekicks. So when she says, “Yall really thought a b***h couldn't rap huh? / Maybe this is your answer for that”, I can’t help but agree.
Favorite Track: Self
1. Mitski — Be The Cowboy
Each word that went into this album felt calculated and meticulously written, and metaphors properly placed, despite the album being a product of exhaustion while on tour. She’s blunt and she’s raw, but it still floats on air; the album presents itself in a hauntingly beautiful manner. It’s an album rife with introspection as she discusses romantic dissonance and the personal struggle of a fictitious character, that to the listener feels like it was written about ourselves. She embraces pop as a new medium of creation on this album as she strays away from the sound we’ve known of her on Bury Me At Makeout Creek as well as her other past releases, but this feels right at home for her. The thing that truly resonated with me the most was when I researched what the album title meant. She tells an interviewer about the lack of representation of Asian-American women in the industry and how there was never anyone like her, how there was nothing out there like what SHE wanted to make, she reflected on a mantra she would playfully tell herself often, “be the cowboy you wish to see in the world”, when she realized that the stereotypical vision of a cowboy; the gunslinging white male with confidence and nothing to lose. So it was that moment she decided that SHE needed to be the cowboy, I hope you get a chance to be one too.
Favorite Track: Pink in the Night
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