Best 25 Albums of 2018
Musically 2018 was an odd year, with my favorite LP dropping early off the back of my favorite EP of 2017 (you'll have to see below to find out which) and then going sort of ho-hum for a couple of months, with releases trickling in without much electricity.
That was until just before midyear anyway, when the gates suddenly seemed to swing wide and each week brought a tasty new aural treat. Which is part of why my midyear list was so hard to pare down to the number I did — I barely had time to digest one intriguing LP before another one dropped.
Where 2018 shined from beginning to end, however, was in jazz. UK jazz to be specific, which has sonic nods to fusion, funk, spiritual, hip-hop and Afro beat. Here, any number of releases could've made this list. But in the end, I went with just two in favor of sticking with variety.
Because of this I've included a separate playlist showcasing some of the best UK jazz releases of 2018 as well as a link to a documentary capturing this vibrant scene. If you are a jazz lover, or just curious, definitely check them out.
Lastly, what kind of fasterbarnacle list would this be if there wasn't a caveat? So this year's caveat is Mildlife's "Phase". Technically the Melbourne based jazz outfit dropped this LP digitally at the end of 2017, but me, as a vinyl lover, wanted to wait till 2018 when the record was released and on my turntable before giving it a listen. So for me — physically anyway — it's a 2018 release and deserved to make this list.
As always I hope something here tickles your pickle and you find yourself some new favorite music to bump in the whip (using the parlance of our time).
Enjoy, aloha and happy new year!
25 Amen Dunes Freedom
24 KIDS SEE GHOSTS KIDS SEE GHOSTS
23 Auntie Flo Radio Highlife
22 Sandro Perri In Another Life
21 Nu Guinea Nuova Napoli
20 ROSALÍA EL MAL QUERER
19 Nicola Conte & Spiritual Galaxy Let Your Light Shine On
18 Mid-Air Thief Crumbling
17 Maisha There Is a Place
16 Lupe Fiasco DROGAS WAVE
15 Brandon Coleman Resistance
14 Noname Room 25
13 Sons Of Kemet Your Queen Is a Reptile
12 C.R. Gillespie Séance Works
11 Avantdale Bowling Club Avantdale Bowling Club
10 Oneohtrix Point Never Age Of
9 Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth
8 Blameful Isles Pleroma
7 Shy Layers Midnight Marker
6 Leon Vynehall Nothing Is Still
5 Blood Orange Negro Swan
4 Mildlife Phase
3 DJ Koze Knock Knock
2 TYPHOON Offerings
1 Everything Is Recorded Everything Is Recorded
Favorite Song of 2018
We Out Here: A LDN Story