Hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season celebrating with friends and family! There were quite a few great albums this year, but these 10 rose to the top for me.
- My Top 10 Albums of 2018 Playlist on Spotify
- My Top 25 Songs of 2018 Playlist on Spotify
- My Jams of 2018 (a longer playlist of songs I got stuck in my head throughout the year)
10. Palms – Thrice (Spotify)
Musically speaking, Thrice breaks some new ground — but not too much — with Palms. As with 2016’s To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, political and social themes continue to dominate frontman and lyricist Dustin Kensrue’s attention, railing against the escalating division and hatred of our modern world and the creeping sense of hopelessness and nihilism that pervades our collective psyches. While on the surface the album might seem dark, its message is actually quite the opposite, constantly urging listeners to put down their literal and rhetorical weapons, stop taking sides, and unite for the sake of our common humanity. Palms is at once a balm and a rallying cry in these uncertain times.
Best tracks: “Only Us”, “The Grey”, “Everything Belongs,” “Blood on Blood,” “Beyond the Pines”
9. All Ashore – Punch Brothers (Spotify)
I’ve been a fan of these guys since I heard Antifogmatic back in 2010, and at this point Chris Thile and company have elevated their “bluegrass-chamber-folk” sound to a high art. While All Ashore is neither their most creative nor ambitious effort, their fifth full-length is probably one of the most consistent and enjoyable listens of any record they’ve put out yet. The songwriting is superb (“All Ashore” and “Jumbo” are standouts), the gorgeous instrumentation and orchestrations top-notch (especially when Thile and Witcher show off their chops on the two instrumental tracks, “Three Dots and a Dash” and “Jungle Bird”), and if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself coming back to this one again again.
Best tracks: All Ashore, Three Dots and a Dash, Just Look At This Mess, Jumbo, It’s All Part of the Plan
8. ATW – All Them Witches (Spotify)
This Nashville-based band is hard to pin down, as they’ve been constantly evolving their unique blend of 70’s-era psychadelic, blues, and acid rock with every release. With their fifth studio album, they finally get the mixture just right. The guitar and organ riffs are tighter, the hooks more memorable, and they finally ditched the lo-fi vibe for some quality production. The results: some of the most complete and impressive work they’ve done yet. This is a band that might take a bit of effort and a few listens to get into, but check out the bluesy “Workhorse” or slow-burning “Diamond”, which explodes into a gigantic guitar riff about halfway in before crashing back down to a low simmer. Definitely some of the most interesting music I heard this year.
Best tracks: “Workhorse,” “1st vs. 2nd,” “Diamond,” “HJTC”
7. Take Me To The Disco – Meg Myers (Spotify)
Take Me To The Disco was maybe the most surprising find for me this year, which I stumbled across somewhat randomly on Spotify when I heard the gripping single “Tear Me To Pieces”. Myers’ husky, incredibly distinctive voice carries this gem of a record — it’s a sort of retro-styled rock album that might have been at the top of the charts had it been released 15 or 20 years ago. Myers’ range of expressiveness is incredible, from soft falsettos to all-out screams in this collection of songs about lost love and loneliness (check out “Numb” or “The Death of Me”). “I’m Not Sorry” gives me chills. I saw Myers when she toured through DC this year, and the album barely does the energy she brings to her live shows justice. Highly recommended.
Best tracks: “Numb,” “Tourniquet,” “Tear Me To Pieces,” “The Death of Me,” “I’m Not Sorry”
6. Love Is Dead – CHVRCHES (Spotify)
I will admit to being a little disappointed the first time I heard Love Is Dead, probably one of my most anticipated albums of the year. But after a few listens, it grew on me. At first glance, it’s CHVRCHES’ most “mainstream” pop album to date, but there’s plenty of complexity in the instrumentation lying just underneath the surface (evident when listening to the gorgeous acoustic arrangements in their Hansa sessions album). I still don’t think I love it as much as their previous two albums, but they do plenty of things right. Lauren Mayberry’s vocals are as impressive as ever (on “Graffiti” and “Graves” in particular), and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty’s brilliance on synths and programming continue to impress. CHVRCHES’ weakness continues to be its lyricism — despite Mayberry’s prominent public stances on social and political issues, the band has seemed to be content with mostly generic lyrics about love and relationships. CHVRCHES finally breaks out of that mold on “Graves,” easily my favorite track on the album and a cutting political commentary on the refugee crisis in Europe that hints at what CHVRCHES are capable of when they take a few more risks.
Best tracks: “Graffiti,” “Get Out,” “Never Say Die,” “Miracle,” “Graves,” “Really Gone,” “Wonderland”
5. Unusual – Marian Hill (Spotify)
The sophomore LP from Philly-based R&B-electro-pop duo Marian Hill (a combination of the names of the two lead characters in the musical The Music Man) is a quantum leap forward from their promising but uneven debut Act One (2016). Blending elements of jazz and blues, including some sweet saxophone samples from improv musician Steve Davit (the chorus riff in “All Night Long” and especially the amazing solo on “Listening”), Unusual is a more intriguing, complex, and sophisticated effort. Vocalist Samantha Gongol’s understated, airy vocals layer over Jeremy Lloyd’s sparse, R&B-laden production for a result that’s sikly smooth, and worth many repeated listens.
Best tracks: “Subtle Thing,” “All Night Long,” “No Hesitation,” “Listening,” “Go Quietly”
4. M A N I A – Fall Out Boy (Spotify)
It’s truly remarkable how these guys continue to keep reinventing themselves. They’ve certainly come a long way since 2003’s Take This To Your Grave, but even though their sound has changed dramatically, they’ve somehow managed to preserve some element that makes them quintessentially Fall Out Boy. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the sold-out show these guys performed at Wrigley Field in Chicago this fall — by far one of the coolest concert experiences I’ve ever been to — and hearing 30,000+ scream the lyrics to “Grand Theft Autumn” or “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down” was pretty surreal, especially considering there were probably people in the crowd who saw them play some of the same songs in a half-empty basement club for 40 people in 2002 (and plenty who weren’t even born then!). Mania isn’t perfect, but it is a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to see what the next incarnation looks like.
Best tracks: “The Last of the Real Ones,” “Hold Me Tight Or Don’t,” “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes),” “Church,” “Young and Menace”
3. My Mind Makes Noises – Pale Waves (Spotify)
I fell in love with this album almost instantly. This Manchester-based indie-pop quartet, led by enigmatic lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie, have put out what is to me the best debut album of the year, and probably the one I listened to most during the second half of 2018. With a unique synth pop and indie rock sound and influences ranging from The Cure and Prince to modern acts like The 1975, whose label they are signed to and who the band will be touring with next year, Pale Waves seems destined for big things after this release. By far one of the most instantly catchy and infectious records I’ve heard this year.
Best tracks: “There’s A Honey,” “Noises,” “Came in Close,” “Drive,” “One More Time,” “Television Romance,” “Black”
2. Multisensory Aesthetic Experience – MAE (Spotify)
Despite having “officially” called it quits back in 2010 (I was at their farewell show at the Norva), it seems Dave, Jacob, and Zach weren’t quite done yet. After a few reunion shows and anniversary tours over the years, Mae’s first full-length release since 2007’s much-maligned Singularity was well worth the 11-year wait. It’s clear the guys are extremely proud of this record, and they should be. A gorgeous, ambitious, box-shattering triumph, M.A.E. represents perhaps the ultimate realization of the vision of a truly “multisensory” experience that the band has always been striving towards. Everything from the album art (a synesthetic artist’s representation of the how the songs look), to immersive installations, to VR goggles shipped with preorder packages — this is art in every sense of the word. As a whole, the tracks fit together so flawlessly that it draws comparisons to the completeness of concept that defined 2005’s The Everglow. When the final strains of guest instrumentalist Tim Fain’s violin fade out on the atmospheric, instrumental closer “Flow”, I found myself in awe of what these guys had accomplished. This is an album I will be listening to on repeat for many, many years to come.
Best tracks: “Sing,” “The Overview,” “5 Light Years,” “Our Love Is A Painted Picture,” “Let It Die,” “Simple Words”
1. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975 (Spotify)
Somehow, The 1975’s third studio album (the final chapter in what frontman Matt Healy has described as a three-part series) managed to live up to the absolutely massive hype. Riding on the strength of a jaw-dropping five singles (“Give Yourself A Try,” “Love It If We Made It,” “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME,” “Sincerity Is Scary,” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You”), the band proves they have earned their meteoric rise to global superstardom. A Brief Inquiry is a stunning achievement, a generation-defining record that people will be name-dropping decades from now. Sharper and more focused than 2016’s I Like It When You Sleep, but in some ways even more outrageously ambitious, A Brief Inquiry is chock full of disparate musical influences, swinging wildly in subject and sound, yet somehow succeeding nearly every time. Lyrically, Healy is simultaneously clever, introspective, bombastic, and full of anxiety and self-doubt. It’s a pop masterpiece, and deserves repeated listens.
Best tracks: “Give Yourself A Try,” “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME,” “Love It If We Made It,” “Sincerity Is Scary,” “I Like America & America Likes Me,” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You),” “Mine”
Honorable Mention:
Trench – Twenty One Pilots (Spotify) – It’s a bit uneven, but when it’s good, it’s excellent. Props for the ambition in attempting to create such a bewilderingly complex and intricately detailed concept album, even if the execution wasn’t flawless. Tyler and Josh are still making some of the most original and fearless music out there.
Timebombs – The Last Year (Spotify) – A gem of an album from this local Baltimore band.
Before You Go – EXES (Spotify)- A very enjoyable listen even if the songs do blend together to a certain extent.
Simulation Theory – Muse (Spotify) – Even if the 80’s/TRON-vibe and cynical ripoff of Stranger Things nostalgia seems a bit forced, there’s still some gems on here.
Sway – Tove Styrke (Spotify) – Probably one of the catchiest pop albums of the year.
Top Songs of 2018: (Spotify playlist link)
- Give Yourself A Try – The 1975
- 5 Light Years – Mae
- The Last of the Real Ones – Fall Out Boy
- Graves – CHVRCHES
- Can We Stay Like This – Moose Blood
- TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME – The 1975
- Gold Rush – Death Cab For Cutie
- Subtle Thing – Marian Hill
- Noises – Pale Waves
- Tear Me To Pieces – Meg Myers
- Diamond – All Them Witches
- All Ashore – Punch Brothers
- Sway – Tove Styrke
- Jealousy – The Last Year
- High Hopes – Panic! At The Disco
- Caroline – Animal Years
- Nico and the Niners – Twenty One Pilots
- Own Worst Enemy – YONAKA
- The Grey – Thrice
- Pressure – Muse
- Window – Company of Thieves
- run – pronoun
- Holy War – Rainbow Kitten Surprise
- Bones Break – EXES
- Nearer My God – Foxing
Alex's Top Albums 