Year in Review – 2018

You’ve undoubtedly seen a shit-tonne of top 10 album lists in the past couple of weeks, with Idles’ sophomore record ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ dominating a decent amount of them. And rightly so. They’ve been on top form this year, with a sold-out U.K. tour and blazing reviews across the board, they’re quickly becoming the most in-demand punk rock band in the country. And while I adore this record, and listened to it an unholy amount of times in its release week, there’s been a huge number of other albums that have filled my ears this year.

Creating ‘top 10 of the year’ lists stress me out, even though it’s trivial and we’ve done it for the past five years at Grab the Setlist—I’m always filled with regret and changing my mind by the third week in January. So, this is not a definitive list of the greatest albums in 2018, and by no means is it my top albums of the year.

This ramble is just a look back on what’s been a great year for music—so here’s five albums I’ve enjoyed this year.

Camp Cope – How to Socialise and Make Friends

It seems to be the year for second albums. Camp Cope’s hit us in March, and I don’t think it’s left my headphones since.

Admittedly, it takes some getting into, but by the second listen I was fully onboard. Georgia Maq is a masterful songwriter and has produced some of the most important songs of the year. Tracks like ‘The Opener’ and ‘Face of God’ hit so hard you have to take a pause when they finish. After heart-breakingly having to sell my ticket to their first London show, I hope to see these very soon.

For anyone who hasn’t listened to this album yet, or has never heard Camp Cope, have a listen—especially if you’re fans of Courtney Barnett, Alex Lahey, Cayetana or Diet Cig.

Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

Technically, this isn’t a new album in 2018. It’s a reworking of the cult classic. But, it’s so near-perfect that it has to be included.

I had my reservations when frontman Will Toledo announced the record. The original Twin Fantasy – in all its lo-fi goodness – had been rinsed relentlessly on my Bandcamp page over the past couple of years and had gained my love, despite its one-man band bedroom-rock sound. So, to hear it was getting a full studio-band makeover was both exciting and nerve-inducing.

Thankfully, its brilliant. The new Twin Fantasy breathes a huge amount of life into these tracks and makes them sound better than ever. Songs such as ‘Cute thing’ and ‘Nervous Young Inhumans’ sound entirely different—in a great way. And I can’t even begin to explain how air-punchingly good the new ‘Beach Life-in-Death’ is.

Shamefully, I now struggle going back to the original. Seeing most of this album done at the Roundhouse earlier this year was a major highlight of 2018.

Have a listen if you’re a fan of Built to Spill, Parquet Courts and Weezer.

Adrianne Lenker – Abysskiss

Big Thief were one of my favourite bands of 2017, with their second record ‘Capacity’ making a massive step forward from the already-great debut ‘Masterpiece’.

And Adrianne Lenker’s solo album, unsurprisingly, is one of my favourite albums of 2018.

‘Abysskiss’ takes everything that made Capacity’s opening track ‘Pretty Things’ stunning and turns it into an entire record. It’s a chance to fully explore Lenkers’ guitar work in a way that the Big Thief records don’t get to—particularly in tracks such as the exceptional ‘Symbol’ and ‘Cradle’.

It’s certainly a grower, and definitely an essential listen. I can’t wait to see what Lenker does next, whether it’s back with the band or another solo project. If you’re a fan of Big Thief, or artists like Mothers, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers or Julien Baker, give ‘Abysskiss’ a spin.

Snail Mail – Lush

I spent a lot of time with Snail Mail’s debut EP ‘Habit’, yet I’ve managed to spend even more with their debut album ‘Lush’.

Straight from the get-go with the opening track ‘Pristine’, you’re hooked in for a melancholic rush of indie-rock. Lindsey Jordan’s almost child-like - but perfectly suited - vocals really stand out throughout the record, particularly on the mellow intros to ‘Heat Wave’ and ‘Stick’ and the punchy chorus of ‘Pristine’.

‘Lush’ is without a doubt one of my favourite records of the year, and it’s highly unlikely that it’ll leave my turntable anytime soon. Have a listen if you’re a fan of Soccer Mommy, Courtney Barnett or Anna Burch.

Black Belt Eagle Scout

I came across this record almost at the end of 2018, and it felt like a fitting way to close it.

Knowing next-to-nothing about this band, I was completely captured by the opening track ‘Soft Stud’ when it was put on round a friend’s house. It has a droning crunchy bass that fills the intro, cut with a distinctive 80’s sounding synth in the chorus that makes for a unique match.

The entire record has a tightly crafted, pensive rock mood to it that suspends you in a hazy kind of mindset. You could take any track of this album and place it over the closing scene of a drama/thriller film and it would work perfectly. Coming in at only 34 minutes long, there’s no filler here, just a mellow masterpiece.

Have a listen if you’re a fan of Alvvays, Cocteau Twins or New Order.

Need some more?

The reason top 5 lists stress me out is that there’s always so many other great records to include. So here’s some that just missed the cut, but still stood out in 2018:

· Courtney Barnett—Tell Me How You Really Feel

· Tinnedfruit—Boring Art

· Christine and the Queens—Chris

· Jack White—Boarding House Reach

· Khruangbin—Con Todo El Mundo

· Kali Uchis—Isolation

· Sons of Kemet—Your Queen is a Reptile

· Noname—Room 25

There’s still loads others, so check out our playlist with some of our favourites from this year, and let us know if we missed anything: