The best albums I purchased or was given that were released or re-released in 2018. All my opinion and no reflection on the worthiness of these or any other albums or artists in regards to the opinions of others. My ranking is based on my probability to listen to the album repetitively. The more often I think I will want to listen to it again and again the higher it moves up the chart.
If I got it in 2018 and it didn't make this list I have probably heard it as much as I want to already. If I didn't get it - I probably didn't know enough about it - or in most cases just didn't care enough about it to acquire it. I don't do streaming except when I am making a buying decision.
Follow this link to my discogs list for active links to the albums
1) Laibach - The Sound Of Music
Surprisingly wonderful adaptation of The Sound Of Music. The added darkness and ominousness elevates it to something wholly new and intriguing. Like a zombie virus Laibach takes total control of the material and makes it their own.
2) BlackieBlueBird - Ghost River
The sound is pure and true like the quiet over fresh snow on a frozen lake. Haunting and captivating like the call of sirens on the misty ocean. This singers voice does evoke comparisons to Emmylou Harris's most melancholy refrains. Nils Lassen, aka (((S))), has been an artist I have followed but not "loved". All these songs were written by him and he must have had a stroke of genius in finding a vocalist that could raise these songs up to this level of wonderment. Finding her name, Heidi Lindahl, took a bit of effort as it isn't listed in the reviews or advertisements I have seen for the record. This is a record that bares repeated, back to back listenings.
3) The Collection - Entropy
Such incredibly uplifting and fulfilling music is just so unexpected these days. Album to album I don't think they can "do it again" but somehow they do. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows but even the introspective, more sorrowful songs have some comforting outlooks. This is an album to play anytime you need a pick-me-up but also anytime you just want to hear singularly good songwriting and cooperative music arrangements.
THIS ALBUM NEEDS A VINYL RELEASE!!
4) Marlon Williams - Make Way For Love
A honey-dripping voice and well crafted songs make this one of my favorite discoveries of 2018. He seriously croons. His songs are romantic and witty and just what the doctor ordered for improving my mood.
5) Swoone - Handcuffed Heart
Shoegaze, Trip-Hop, Dream-Pop perfection. So sultry and erotic it drips with sensuality. There is a timelessness to it that defies placement. Someone made a video using clips from Charade, the movie with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, and it works perfectly in that capacity. It has sophistication, allure and class. The sound is mature and fully formed even though this is their first record. I like this record as much as I liked Portishead's "Dummy" and in much the same way. Swoone has a richer, sweeter, more uplifting character though that makes it easier to listen to on repeat.
6) Selofan - Vitrioli
Chilling and seductive dream-pop. Cold and shadowy music with deeply bewitching vocals. This album conjures nightmares and draws out introspective thinking. It is a good album to get lost in and ultimately find yourself again.
7) IAM{X} - Alive In New Light
After many plays I am still just warming up to this addition to the IAM{X} catalog. It is everything I want an IAM{X} album to be, but it doesn't have a track on it that really connects with me. Every other album to date has at least had one song that makes me think Chris was experiencing something very personally relatable. In some ways this made this record disappointing - and yet - it also frees me to listen to it without being overcome with my own sentiments. It is a glorious record that really sweeps me along and engages my creativity. It is impossible to listen to it, or any IAM{X} record, without visualizing all sorts of wondrous images. Every listen is different but feels cathartic and freeing. Stress seems to fly out of me and all the chaotic thoughts are purged leaving me free to fantasize and dream.
8) Cœur De Pirate - En Cas de Tempête, Ce Jardin Sera Fermé
A seductress, a temptress, a magical talent that enraptures and enthralls. She taps into my emotions somehow even without understanding a work she is singing. The first track made me mournful while the second had me giddy with excitement and smiling uncontrollably. Such is the emotional ride of the album. This is her forth album and her best - though her third, Roses, is close behind. I wonder sometimes if I like the mystery of not knowing what the songs are about and if that frees me to experience it emotionally rather than getting hung up on the lyrical meaning.
9) Sextile - 3
Although more of an EP than an album they titled it "3" implying it is to be considered their third release which I must say is an advance on their second. I really loved the first record but the second was somewhat less exciting; therefore I was thrilled when I listened to "3" and found it amazing! It is a fairly large tempo change, much faster, but still maintains their post-punk edge. Paradox really rocks and in my youth I'd be dancing my ass off. There isn't a dull moment here and you will be left wanting more after just 5 tracks. I am super anxious to see what this group does next - could it be even better than this or will they change directions again?
10) Lebanon Hanover - Let Them Be Alien
I haven't quite figured out what I like about Lebanon Hanover. In many ways it is unpleasant to listen to. The dirge beat and deep, slightly off key vocals make me question whether the record is playing at the right speed. Still 30 seconds in I am entranced, submerged in the sound. Wrapped in the atmosphere of the music it plays tricks with my perceptions. It is hard to concentrate on anything other than the journey this record wants to take me on. It is pulling me down a dark corridor with many doors. Each door yearning to be opened and yet the hallway has it's own power to keep me moving down it. I am afraid to reach the end but unable to consider not taking the next step.
11) Suede - The Blue Hour
As enormous and glamorous as any Suede album. Borderlines on Psychedelia in places like Roadkill. Tracks work well on their own but best played as an album.
12) Editors - Violence
The style and look of this album is awesome. I wish all artists put this amount of thought, effort and energy into taking advantage of what makes vinyl the best format. Holding the album artwork while listening to the record and really engaging with it tangibly and visually as well as aurally. Musically it is a solid Editors record, but doesn't have the edge that prior albums had. It also seems a bit formulaic and intentional rather than passionate and personal. It isn't a disappointment for those reasons, it is a celebration that they are songsmiths that can craft and create even when them muse might have left them to their own devices for a bit. It might not have a track to challenge my prior Editors favorites but it is still easily a happy addition to their catalog.
13) King Dude - Music To Make War To
Dark and Sexy music for your loins. It creeps into your bones and compels you. I am not a fan of his stated Satanism but he mostly leaves it out of his music. The themes here are love, attraction, lust and other hedonistic ideas. Every album so far has been better than the one before.
14) Soft Kill - Savior
Definitely an album to fit a mood; something dark and at least slightly angry. The lyrics are chopped and fragmented but manage to convey emotion and ideas fairly well. The music follows a similar trek in that it doesn't conform to standards and sometimes feels like it is trying to escape the song by changing directions like turbulent water. The result is something disconcerting, yet calming; provocative and contemplative.
15) The Legendary Tigerman - Misfit
Bluesy Rock and Roll from Portugal was not wholly unexpected, but the only other artist I was familiar with from Portugal was Ney Matogrosso whose career has rambled from 70s psychedelic rock to glam to traditional ballads. Heightened sexuality is certainly something they have in common though. They are both comfortable playing with gender roles and displays of nudity as well. On this his ~6th album he takes all that, adds a healthy dose of testosterone to it; balls it up and throws it in your face (in a good way). This album is smoldering hot!! Just don't burn your fingers when you go to flip it over :-)
16) Qual - The Ultimate Climax
Weird, wild, subversive. decadent, threatening, sensual...danceable. Always complex and thrilling Qual has given us another album of tracks that must be unraveled one listen at a time - each time through is like the first time as I discover various characteristics in the music I didn't pick up on the last time. It gives variable listening experiences as well - you could just abandon yourself and dance the night away to it - or grab some candles and pillows and dive deep into the atmosphere of it.
17) Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows - The Spiral Sacrifice
Definitely the best media package I've seen this year. I didn't go for the pink vinyl with 7" picture disc and still I feel pampered with this edition. Everything Anna does is beautiful.
There are lots of long instrumental passages on these tracks making them seem languid and fluid. This record is subtle and quietly engages you. The themes are familiar and honest, sad but hopeful, thoughtful and wizened. It is melancholy without being dreary. OK - so "I Am Done With Men" might be a bit darker and angrier but serves to kind of wake you up and really feel what Anna is saying. This album is my "Calgon, take me away" record.
18) Numb.er - Goodbye
Sparse, barren, dark and foreboding music with gloomy, downtrodden lyrics. I knew within just a few seconds this one was special. Punk never died - it just evolved and this album is a moth metamorphosed from the chrysalis of punk. It has the anger, the brutal self-examination and expression and the need to vent or share it all.
19) Shadow Age - Shadow Age
I would call this sound closer to Shoegaze than Post-Punk. It has that ethereal underlying quality that sweeps you along in the mood of the music. It is dark and slightly foreboding which places it along the Goth/Post-Punk scale - but regardless where you classify it - it is good listening for the morosely inclined listener.
20) Son Lux - Brighter Wounds
Huge theatrical sound. Every song sounds huge and set to explode with emotion. It's so intense it is hard to listen to sometimes and other times it feels like an essential part of being alive.
21) Sarah Nixey - Night Walks
Her solo albums have the about half the "sound" of Black Box Recorder but they are very nice listens. Her latest here is the most sophisticated and posh sounding one yet. I really miss BBR but I am glad she has stepped forward and continued to give us her sultry voice. I also think this album has some of her best songwriting so far.
22) Human Tetris - Memorabilia
Driving Post-Punk rock that propels the listener to get up and do something - dance - run - drive... a motivational and exciting listening experience. I was obsessed with there first couple of releases and this one brings them back to that sound after they wandered away from it for a bit.
23) Dreamend - Dreamend
This record is more mood than song focused. I think of it as Ambient Post-Punk. It works great as background music, would make a great soundtrack. It is also nice with a bottle of something and dim lights - hike up the recliner and let it wash over you.
24) Choir Boy - Passive With Desire
Floating in an isolation tank should be this calming. Such a sweet, dreamy peaceful record. It soothes and caresses the senses. Still it has style, poetry and creativity enough to maintain interest and keep the listener riveted.
25) Villagers - The Art Of Pretending To Swim
Sugary and Sweet Pop with just a thread of malevolence running through it. Sure to put a snap in your step.
26) Brothers Osborne - Port Saint Joe
I really enjoyed Pawn Shop and pre-ordered this one. It is a little more rock with a tinge of bayou thrown in. I don't buy a lot of Country music but I do like what I like and these guys are definitely on the like list. I like their politics too (what I know of them anyway). They sound a little progressive with their feet firmly planted in tradition.
27) Exit North - Book Of Romance And Dust
After a slight disappointment in the first track, Bested Bones, which I believe was best represented in 2012's digital single with just Thomas Feiner & Ulf Jansson. But that was a very small issue and the album quickly recovers. Very much like poetry put to music the songs encourage thoughtfulness and peacefulness. Thomas Feiner's voice is just marvelously soothing and coercive. It is a delightful album to quietly fall asleep listening to but is also rich enough to turn the volume up and submerge yourself in. The album cover captures the overall feeling of the album incredibly well.
28) Scott Matthew - Ode To Others
A toe-tapping, mellow, "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" kind of record. Like a male Karen Carpenter he seemingly effortlessly strokes and smooths any ruffled feathers with the strength and tone of his voice. I feel contented, comforted, peaceful and accepted while listening and the glow lingers.
29) Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic
Wow. I mean WOW! This album was unexpected. I have loved her prior albums for their quiet brooding, mysticism, and Gothic ambiance.I expected more of the same but got this album shoved in my face. It is a bold and ballsy album that stood to lose her audience but somehow it really took all that came before and just launched into the stratosphere. It's like she had been swallowing her emotions and keeping them hidden until - BAM - she erupted in this sonic explosion of anger, darkness, doom and death.
30) Dierks Bentley - The Mountain
Masculine country - rockin' country - good country. This is a fun record with some moments of introspection but mostly it is uplifting and encouraging. This is a stadium rocker of an album. This album could eat much of today's "light' pop oriented country" for breakfast and belch it up later for lunch.
31) עידן חביב - קולות הנושמים
2 [Idan Haviv - Sounds of Breathing]
Amazing album. No idea what any of the songs are about but it evokes mellow feelings. The songs are all crafted really well and the production is smooth and silky. You feel like you know what is going on in the lyrics even without knowing the words being spoken.
32) Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability
Her voice sounds ravaged and raw but maintains its strength and emotive ability. The album is exactly what I wanted from her. It is about who she is and her accepting that, the time we live in, and embracing it all. She isn't trying to be anyone else but herself. As Tears Go Bye is remarkable and the way she just does it makes the contrast with the younger recording evident. In her youth she was naive and hopeful while in her twilight years she has the experience. She has shed her share of tears and come out the other side. She address current events in "They Come at Night" and it is powerful and true. Just a great record all the way around.
33) Crack The Sky - Living In Reverse
Glad to have a new Crack the Sky record, but it just kind of continues their story. I've not heard every record of their's but have liked every record I have heard. Animal Notes is my standout favorite and they have never done another one like it. I assume I am in the minority in picking that as my favorite but it is what it is. I would say this album compares best to Safety In Numbers.
34) Nina Simone - Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles
Not many reissues make my list unless they are done VERY well. This album is amazing and I love the authentic reproduction including her first single. Nina didn't really do bad anything that I know of - but this is a collection of perfection.
35) Sergey Lazarev - THE ONE
Something this unexpectedly upbeat and positive coming from Russia just shows me that we know very little about what the people of Russia are like. I have followed Sergey's career for a few years and know him to be a talented and respected Pop performer. His represented Russia in the 2016 Eurovision contest and placed third. The song is on this album as this is his English version of 2017's "В ЭпицеNтре" with some changes in tracklisting.
36) Belle & Sebastian - How To Solve Our Human Problems (Part 2)
Of the three EPs I liked the songs on this one the best. Part 1 and Part 3 had mostly what I would call album cuts while Part 2 seems the best suited songs to be singles. I especially liked "I'll Be Your Pilot".
37) Motorama - Many Nights
Post-Punk with a positive spin. This album fits a mellow Sunday afternoon or lazy summer day.
38) Mt. Desolation - When The Night Calls
A simple record of pop rock mellowness. Something that used to be common but is rare these days.
39) Jinkx Monsoon - The Ginger Snapped
Nevermind the drag queen this is a great album. I really liked her first record and this one is just as good - maybe better. Fun, hip and saucy.
40) Okkervil River - In The Rainbow Rain
A nice indie pop record. It is fun and bouncy with creative instrumentation and lyrical witticism. I may need a few more listens before really getting into it though - it just hasn't hooked me in yet.
41) John Grant - Love Is Magic
Letting his freak flag fly John Grant has set loose a wild and wonderful dance record. I miss his Czars' days but he does the electronic stuff well too. This won't see as much play as his previous albums - but it is a good one to pull out to get a party started.
42) Almagest! - Fun House Mirrors
Experimental and dreamy, languid and trippy. Not for every day listening but for when you wish to take your mind on a trip from your consciousness to your subconsciousness and visit the inner sanctum of your imagination.
43) Cruel Reflections - One Year
Post-Punk done right. The songs are tense and raw. There seems to be a post-punk band popping up every five minutes these days, but this one stands out with songs of passion, despair, longing ... all with throbbing bass and haunting guitar. The song 30 Minutes Or Less was the one that caught my ear originally and made the purchase compulsory. [Only available digitally]
44) Trixie Mattel - Two Birds, One Stone
A very nice country album in the old style. Well written songs, well executed. The drag queen persona is a non-issue relegated to the cover - but it is probably what will bring people to the record first and foremost.
45) Oskar's Drum - Degenerate Art
Anything with Patrick Fitzgerald is on my must have list. This was a real dark post-punk heavy record with lots of low bass lines to wiggle your spine and dreary words to keep your head tilted to the floor.
46) Boy George & Culture Club - Life
A welcome comeback record. The sound is very Culture Club but mostly from their later albums. I think the songs are good but they are performed rather antiseptically. The album seems reserved and withdrawn from actually feeling the emotion in the lyrics of the song. Maybe it is because they are based on memories of emotions rather than current ones. I feel Boy George's solo album had a much better feel. This one seems intent on trying not to upset anyone or make them think too much about what the songs are about. Still it is as nice as From Luxury to Heartache and it is good to have another Culture Club record - it left me hoping for a new Boy George album more than the next Culture Club record though.
47) Creep Show - Mr Dynamite
Crazy - Odd - Weird - Funky - Delirious - Chaotic - an electronic dance record with John Grant vocals. For all of that it isn't as satisfying to listen to as I would like. Once you get the joke it isn't really funny anymore.
48) Phideaux - Infernal
I miss Phideaux's queerness. 313 was the last songs centered album and the last Phideaux record I completely loved. It was the last that felt personal and introspective. Since then we have albums of greater and greater Prog Rock conception. They are creative and imaginative and that is nice - really excellent - for what it is. Infernal takes it further in quite a substantial way - it is epic in concept and length. I was not a fan of the female vocalist that seemed overused and more prominent than Phideaux's own vocals. Infernal is a mixed bag of what I like and what I don't - as a Prog Rock album it is great - as a Phideaux album it was a bit disappointing.
49) Chris Garneau - Yours
I believe this album was a bit too contrived and personal. It really seems focused on despair and lack of hope. The prior three albums had hopefulness buried in their sadness. This album feels more like the fulfillment of the quote "Abandon all hope ye who enter here". Chris is a terrific songsmith and so these are well constructed and executed. It just isn't a pleasant listening experience emotionally - and that's okay at least sometimes.
50) Belle & Sebastian - How To Solve Our Human Problems (Part 3)
I bought these to arrive as they were released with this one coming with the box to put it in and a tote bag. I guess I thought the individual EPs would be more "individual" and not just an album in three pieces which is what it seems. It makes for something that looks cool but is more cumbersome to listen to than I want. Part 3 just didn't really add anything to the other two EPs - it is just more songs - good songs - but not "special".
51) Low - Double Negative
....What???!!!.... very experimental and trippy. I might now have bought it if I hadn't pre-ordered it before listening to it. I truly LOVED their last album and was expecting more of that - NOT! But this has grown on me and seems to get better every time I play it. Not for everyday use - but it is cool when you are in the right frame of mind for it.
52) Mipso - Edges Run
A nice bluegrass pop album- not as good as some of their prior albums - It feels like more of a grab for a broader audience which they deserve but I'm not sure this is how to get one. The first track of the record and the title track are both the weakest songs on the album (IMO). The rest of the album have a more authentic taste but still fall short of their earlier releases. I hope they take a step back and rediscover their old sound or find a more organic way forward.
53) Tim Hardin - Lost In L.A.
A mixed bag - nice to have but not essential. I really wish they had cleaned up some of the production flaws to create a more thoroughly enjoyable listening exp
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