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My Top 50 Albums of 2018

I won’t speculate too much on wider trends or anything like that — my list isn’t trying to cater to various scenes or reflect a readership because it’s just personal and unintentionally informed by various biases. I hope, though, there will be albums here that spark your interest. On reflection, I wish I’d taken more time to promote local stuff this year. Scotland Stand Up, the hip hop blog and podcast I’ve co-managed for the last few years, is on hiatus at the moment and evolving into something new. Regardless, I don’t think it would be fair to include too many guys from the scene because I’d be lying if I said I’d invested enough time (shout out to Bram Gieben who’s again stepped up to the plate).

50. Another Sky — Forget Yourself (Alternative) Underground gem I discovered by accident. This is technically an EP, but had to include. Atmospheric rock tunes with ethereal vocals.

49. The Weeknd — My Dear Melancholy (R&B)
Much of this lyrically shallow and lacking in subtlety, but it makes up for it sonically. My favourite Weeknd project since his mixtape Trilogy.

48. Jamie Lenman — Live at St Pancras (Rock)
It’s my list so I’ll throw in a live album for good measure. The funniest, most charming guy in UK music — everything he does is gold.

46. Binker and Moses — Alive in the East (Jazz)
A live showcase of everything that makes Binker and Moses the most exciting new duo in jazz. Hugely energetic and accomplished, mixed perfectly.

45. Orphaned Land — Unsung Prophets… (Metal)
I’ve followed these guys since Mabool in 2004 — progressive folk metal with an emphasis on peace in Israel/Palestine. OTT and ridiculous, but I love it.

44. Boygenius — Boygenius (Alternative)
Pretty, introspective indie tunes from Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. Too short to make it higher unfortunately. Wonderfully bittersweet.

43. Dead Can Dance — Dionysus (Ambient)
Not as good as their 2012 album ‘Anastasis’, but everyone should hear DCD — otherworldly music that sounds like nothing else.

42. Pusha T — Daytona (Hip Hop)
Pusha T’s best moment of 2018 was his thorough dissection of Drake in their running feud. This is a close second, solid and concise with strong verses.

39. Anna von Hausswolff — Dead Magic (Ambient)
Grandiose and experimental in the vein of the aforementioned Dead Can Dance. Von Hauswolff’s vocals, though, are delivered with more passion.

38. Nothing — Dance on the Blacktop (Alternative)
Nothing aren’t groundbreaking — they rehash 00s Nu Gaze ala Amusement Parks on Fire or Silversun Pickups — but it’s a sound I adore.

28. TesseracT — Sonder (Metal)
Broke tradition by not speaking to anyone from the band ahead of this one. The return of vocalist Dan Tompkins has been a gift.

27. Black Foxxes — Reidi (Rock)
I miss the likes of Reuben, Hundred Reasons and Hell is for Heroes, so these guys are a blast back to the glory days of UK alt rock.

26. TTNG — Animals Acoustic (Alternative)
A lot of folk were dead into Car Seat Headrest re-recording Twin Fantasy. I preferred TTNG doing a reinterpretation of this UK math rock classic.

25. Taken — With Regard To (Punk)
A worthy comeback from a little known band. Their EP ‘Between Two Unseens’ remains my favourite melodic hardcore release of all time.

24. God Is An Astronaut — Epitaph (Post-Rock)
Was really surprised by how much I liked this. A second wind for an Irish band whose dreamy post-rock sound had started to go stale.

22. Kamasi Washington — Heaven and Earth (Jazz)
I’m no jazz expert I’ll admit — so this might be an obvious choice — but fallen in love with this guy’s music since discovering him on Kendrick’s TPAB.

19. Sectioned — Annihalated (Metal)
I’ve not listened to metal on a regular basis since I was a teenager, but this took me right back. Relentless and technical Converge-esque mathcore.

18. Deepchord — Immersions (Techno)
I’m not really up on what’s actually happening in modern techno or house (lol), but Deepchord’s stuff is always mindblowing.

17. Freddie Gibbs & Curren$y — Fetti (Hip Hop)
Bitesized collab which was way better than the two rappers’ respective solo efforts. I like Gibbs most with Madlib, but Alchemist isn’t a bad substitute.

16. Proc Fiskal — Insula (Grime)
A distinctly Scottish take on grime production with hyperactive loops and lush synths. Swear I can hear a bit of Aphex Twin in there as well.

15. Olafur Arnalds — re:member (Ambient)
His frequent collaborator Nils Frahm’s 2018 album might be more of a career defining work, but Arnalds is more consistent. The closing run is exhilarating.

14. Tangled Hair — We Do What We Can (Rock)
Midwest indie rock reimagined by an English band bursting with big ideas, beautiful hooks and imaginative guitar lines.

11. Vennart — To Cure a Blizzard… (Alternative)
Fun fact: Biffy Clyro’s live guitarist is also one of the best songwriters this country has ever produced. Pop meets prog from ex-Oceansize frontman.

5. Saba — Care For Me (Hip Hop)
My favourite rap record this year and one that indicates the direction hip hop has gone in. Vulnerability and openness are no longer faux pas.

4. Against All Logic — 2012–2017 (House)
I listen to a lot of deep house when working, somewhat mindlessly, but this sample-heavy Nicholas Jaar project is too genius not to notice.

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