Best Albums of 2018
Is it that time of year already?
12) Big Heart Machine, Big Heart Machine – Produced by Darcy James Argue, the self-titled debut from Brian Krock’s postmodern jazz big band Big Heart Machine certainly bears strong resemblance to Argue’s angular, rhythmic, and symphonic approach to big band writing. Anchored by the five-movement suite “Tamalpais”, Machine is a fresh and exhilarating example of what a big band is capable of.
Essential listening: “Tamalpais IV: Dipsea Steps”, “Jelly Cat”
https://bigheartmachine.bandcamp.com/track/tamalpais-iv-dipsea-steps
11) Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour – Musgraves scored a massive crossover hit this year with Golden Hour, which tastefully blends country, folk, and pop. Repeating listenings reveal tremendous attention to detail, as with the subtle combination of upper register acoustic guitar, piano, and synthesizer in “Butterflies”, which gives the music subversive substance.
Essential listening: “Butterflies”, “Golden Hour”
10) Parquet Courts, Wide Awake! – Garage rockers Parquet Courts get the full Danger Mouse makeover with their latest release, which adds a slickness to their production but also creates a few interesting wrinkles to their songwriting in the form of mixed meter passages and unexpected chord changes.
Essential listening: “Tenderness”, “Total Football”
9) Chris Dave and The Drumhedz, Chris Dave and The Drumhedz – After cutting his teeth in the studio with the likes of Robert Glasper, D’Angelo, and Adele, Dave brings the same rhythmic flair and swagger to his own genre-bending project. Tracks veer between old school R&B and neo-soul jazz instrumentals, but the rock-solid rhythm section ties everything together.
Essential listening: “Black Hole”, “Destiny N Stereo”
8) U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited – The latest release from U.S. (but mostly Canadian) girl Meghan Remy is part throwback to glam rock acts like Roxy Music and part modern St. Vincent-esque art pop, and its sound is equally ominous and danceable.
Essential listening: “Rage of Plastics”, “M.A.H.”
7) Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer – Released just over a year after the excellent Pure Comedy, Customer solidifies Misty’s status as one of today’s most prolific and talented songwriters. His rich, country-crooning voice and prose-like approach to lyrics continue to be the defining features of his music, which is yet again gorgeous and anthemic.
Essential listening: “Mr. Tillman”, “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All”
6) Rubblebucket, Sun Machine – Combining elements of indie rock, art pop, and funk, the Brooklyn-based Rubblebucket use efficient horn writing, catchy melodies, and a warm, fuzzy production quality to create the nuanced dance music that shimmers throughout Sun Machine.
Essential listening: “Donna”, “Annihilation Song”
5) Kamasi Washington, Heaven and Earth – You know brevity is not your strong suit when a double album written around the concept of heaven and earth is considered scaling it back. Be that as it may, Washington once again concocts a tasty cocktail of R&B, jazz, folk, and film score music that sizzles with grooves, deceptive rhythmic sophistication, and plenty of soul.
Essential listening: “Hub-Tones”, “The Psalmnist”
4) Tune-Yards, I can feel you creep into my private life – What stands out on life is how intricate the music sounds with so few elements. Tune-Yards, which is the brain child of vocalist Merrill Garbus and bassist Nate Brenner, often relies primarily on those two sounds. Garbus’ vocal timbre and inflections are so unique and wide-ranging that they are their own self-contained orchestra, and Brenner’s hooks and warm bass tone complement them exquisitely.
Essential listening: “Hammer”, “Heart Attack”
3) Paul Simon, In the Blue Light – An album full of revised versions of lesser-known songs sounds like reheating last night’s TV dinner, but for Simon, it is a launching point for ambitious exploration. This collection of songs Simon has previously recorded on other studio albums is stylistically diverse and beautifully orchestrated, and it is a strong testament to the depth and consistency of the greatness of his writing.
Essential listening: “Can’t Run But”, “Pigs, Sheep and Wolves”
2) The Amazing, In Transit – The latest release from Swedish indie rockers The Amazing features their typical signature blend of dream pop, prog rock, and funk, but it also illustrates subversive growth for the band through its harder edge. The music continues to be excessively gorgeous, but several tracks have a more propulsive drive that makes the album an even breezier listen.
Essential listening: “Asleep”, “Benson se Convirtio Completamente Furiosa”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J4c1L228Dc
1) Blood Orange, Negro Swan – Themes that are central to Dev Hynes’ latest offering under his moniker Blood Orange – acceptance, oppression, family – are timeless yet also vividly specific to our time. The same could be said of the music on Negro Swan, which fuses introspective R&B with elements of jazz and alternative rock. Using autobiographical reflections and confessions as well as a spoken-word narrative provided by Janet Mock, the album provides a harrowing yet uplifting account of struggling with identity – personally, racially, sexually – in 2018.
Essential listening: “Charcoal Baby”, “Out of Your League”