I apologize to my lone reader for my tardiness as I was traveling during the holiday season and did not plan appropriately for getting this post published. Also, subconsciously I’ve put this off for some time because this year, more than any I can think of since beginning my top five lists, was the most difficult. There were plenty of good albums, but there were hardly any great albums. Picking a tops list out of a plethora of good albums is exceptionally hard to do.
Previous years for context:
2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
All of the 2018 albums listed here, plus others that didn’t make the list are on Spotify: URL
Honorable Mentions
- alt-J – Reduxer
- John Hopkins – Singularity
- Typhoon – Offerings
- The Shins – The Worm’s Heart
- The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
- Big Red Machine – Big Red Machine
Top Five
5. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
This is the album of the year if inclusivity were the theme. And that may be the reason it struck a chord with so many. For me, I couldn’t help but think of Prince as I listened to the album. This is especially true for Make Me Feel. Apparently Prince wrote the synth piece for the song. It shows.
4. Lucius – NUDES
Lucius made the Honorable Mentions list in 2016 with Good Grief. This album is acoustic with covers, a couple of new songs, and stripped back versions from their back catalog. I love, love, love Goodnight, Irene with Roger Waters from Pink Floyd.
3. Mumford & Sons – Delta
With Wilder Mind finally, and thankfully, fading from the rearview mirror, Delta gets us back to the Mumford we used to know, almost. Love, or love lost, continues to permeate Mumford’s songs. But this album seems to kiss spirituality on the mouth, as opposed to only flirting with it in past albums. I’d love to hear The Wild live.
2. Death Cab for Cutie – Thank You for Today
This band can do no wrong by me. I’m an unashamed fanboy. This album offers nothing new, no experimentation. It’s just Death Cab being Death Cab and that’s why I love it.
1. Lucy Dacus – Historian
The first lyric on the first song just might throw you off, but keep listening; you’ll be rewarded with a sharp and sad story throughout the album. From a friend moving on to find themself, to a grandmother dying, you get the sense that you’re listening to real stories, not just some songs. And Lucy’s voice…goodness…it’s quite something.
Favorite song: Nonbeliever
You deal in unspoken debt
No kindness without wanting something back
What do I owe you? What did I forget?
Are we even after all of that?