Favorite albums of 2018

This is the off the top of my head, without double-checking list of favorite albums released in 2018. Not written to sound like a "review," just my thoughts. Enjoy!

Saved - Now, Now

Now, Now has (apparently) been known in the emo scene for several years. This however, is the first I'd ever heard of them. I listened untainted by biases from their previous albums (which I'm told are stylistically different), and I absolutely love this album. It's something of a synthesis between synth-pop and emo: synth/program based, but with mellower, more melancholy grooves. It isn't dreary though - I usually hate dreary. Instead the stylistic synthesis results in a vibe more tranquil and stargazy.

Favorite track: Window

My Mind Makes Noises - Pale Waves

Teenage me would likely be incredulous at my current tastes. They've gotten descreasingly punk and increasingly pop as I get older. I don't know if it's my love for melody, the nostalgia roused by music that sounds like mid-80s pop, or just a natural progression. In any case, Pale Waves is just that - a band that sounds straight out of 1985. I would say they're in the modern tradition of The 1975, but it's more like Pale Waves IS The 1975 with a female vocalist. Most of the songs on "My Mind Makes Noises" sound very similar - so much so that for several you could probably swap choruses and nothing would sound off. Not much depth, not much range, and not original. I love it.

Favorite Track: Loveless Girl

A Good Girl - Ralph

Remember what I said about teenage me being incredulous? He probably would have come across songs like this on VH1 and changed the channel in disgust. No longer. Ralph's "A Good Girl" is the most bubblegum album on this pop-leaning list of 2018 favorites, and also likely my overall favorite. It's as infectious as every good pop album should be with enough ambience in the beats and subtle luster on the chords (those maj7 resolutions) to add a touch of serenity. Most importantly: superb melodies.

Favorite Track: Long Distance Lover

Historian - Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus is one of the many talents in the modern sub-genre of female-fronted, singer-songwriter, indie/emo...or whatever you wanna call it: Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Soccer Mommy, Hazel English, etc. Lucy Dacus's "Historian" is perhaps my overall favorite album in this corner of music, and certainly my genre-favorite of the year. The songs feature the sort of guitar parts that I recognize as a songwriter as what comes out when you're in your bedroom alone, writing at 3am. It's hard to put into words but they're subtle, and have the precision indicative of having been written in a quiet space (as opposed to a louder practice environment). Atop that is what sets her apart from others in her genre - an incredibly smooth, full, rich, vaguely operatic voice. That's what it sounds like to me anyway - an opera singer's, post-rehearsal bedroom songs.

Favorite Track: Night Shift

EDIT:

Wait for Love - Pianos Become the Teeth

I said at the outset that this list was off the top of the head, but shortly after posting I remembered this album! Pianos Become the Teeth is on the darker, more intense side of emo. You can tell that they don't come from the pop-punk side of the family tree. Despite my preference for sunshine to that which is dark and brooding this album really hits me. It has all the pathos, but not in a tacky or gratuitous way. The guitar tones, chords, the timbre of the frontman's voice, his slightly lower-than-average-for-emo register - they all come together in this deep pool of emotional resonance. It feels mournful, but anticipatory; sad, but toe-tapping; tragic, but triumphant. It's an album marked by intensity.

Favorite Track: Charisma

Beneath the Surface - Little Ghost

Okay, excuse my opportunism, but I released an album this year too! I'm not going to review my own songs, but if you liked what I had to say in this post (or any of the songs I post in Steemit's Open Mic), then maybe give it a listen. It's available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon - and a whole bunch of smaller platforms I don't remember. I've been calling the style "lullaby-folk," and another friend of mine dubbed it "comfort-folk." It's not high energy music. It's not good for driving or working out. But if you're taking a nap, looking at the stars, meditating, taking a peaceful walk through the neighborhood, making your breakfast in the morning, or enjoying any other soothing activity I encourage you to check it out.

Thanks for reading :)