With 2019 now here, and me wanting to bring some life to this blog again, before I start looking to the present with releases from the new year that catch my attention I wanted to look back at my favorite releases of 2018. There's not much point to putting a ton of time and effort into profiles and reviews of close to forty albums since we're already a couple weeks into 2019, but before I start a new chapter and try to get things running again, I'd like to close the book on some very deserving releases from 2018. To keep things simple, I've divided this into two posts. One, found here, covers the "best of the rest", albums I truly loved, they just didn't crack my Top Ten. Then there is this list, my ten favorite albums of 2018. After a lot of listening I feel confident about these being the ten I liked the most this past year, so here we go.
#10 - Until The Ribbon Breaks - Until The Ribbon Breaks (Released 2/23/18)
The first album from Until The Ribbon Breaks, A Lesson Unlearnt, was my favorite album of 2015 and their second effort did not disappoint. Now primarily the project of Peter Lawrie Winfield and Elliot Wall, the two again enlisted the masterful production talents of Rollo Armstrong of Faithless for this sophomore release. Until The Ribbon Breaks continues the band's mixture of sounds as electronic, pop, soul and hip-hop all converge on these twelve tracks. Lyrically there is an exploration of love, both of self and of others, and the album feels like a journey of the trials we all face in our lives, how we deal with them and carry on in the face of them. "Count The Lightning" paints the picture of the strength of the bond of love between two people, "Meru" with its declarations of 'I'm still alive, I'm still alive' is an uplifting message of hope as is the stunning "Petrichor". "Here Comes The Feeling" and "One Match" are exquisite electronic ballads as well on a diverse, cohesive wonder of an album.
Favorite tracks: "Count The Lightning", "One Match", "Petrichor", "Here Comes The Feeling"
# 9 - RHYE - Blood (Released 2/2/18)
The project of Toronto born Mike Milosh, RHYE returned in 2018 with the sophomore release Blood. Now on his own after the departure of former member Robin Hannibal, Milosh crafts R&B mixed with some electronics in his music, all carried by his falsetto vocals. Blood is an equal mix of dreamy, sensual ballads like "Waste", "Please" and "Blood Knows" alongside the funkier, soulful side of tracks like "Count To Five" and "Taste". What I love about RHYE's sound is the lack of over-production. Milosh is a classically trained cellist so there are strings added to his combo of the organic and the electronic, but there is a delicate sparseness to the production that suits these songs well.
Favorite tracks: "Waste", "Taste", "Blood Knows", "Stay Safe"
#8 - Andrew Bayer - In My Last Life (Released 8/24/18)
Electronic producer Andrew Bayer was involved with two of my favorite releases of 2018. Signed to their label Anjunabeats, Bayer helped produce and write Above & Beyond's Common Ground then later in the year released his third artist album In My Last Life. This was quite the departure from Bayer's previous album 2013's If It Were You, We'd Never Leave. That album was much more downbeat with a lot of instrumental pieces while In My Last Life features eight tracks featuring vocals by Ane Brun and Alison May. The minimal amount of songs allows Bayer to stretch every one of them out, nothing here is below five minutes in length, and the songs are structured in more traditional pop fashion with Bayer's wondrous electronic production bursting throughout.
Favorite tracks: "Open End Resource", "In My Last Life", "Immortal Lover", "Love You More"
#7 - Greg Laswell - Next Time (Released 9/21/18)
You'll find plenty of admiration for Greg Laswell amongst the pages here at Now It's On, he has been a favorite for years. One of the best singer/songwriters working today in my humble opinion. Next Time is his seventh studio album of all new material, once again consisting of mostly dreamy, melodic ballads and considering Laswell has been through a lot the last few years it's no surprise. His last album, 2016's Everyone Thinks I Dodged A Bullet, came in the aftermath of his divorce with the majority of the songs touching on that subject in a not so subtle way. There are more explorations of failed relationships on Next Time but the album was also written during his father's battle with Alzheimer's. Sadly his father passed a few weeks before this album was released, but few record more cathartic music than Laswell. There is plenty to be moved by here, another brilliant album from Greg Laswell.
Favorite tracks: "Next Time", "Super Moon", "Choice In The Matter", "I Will Not Resign"
#6 - Novo Amor - Birthplace (Released 10/19/18)
Novo Amor is the project of Welsh musician, singer and songwriter Ali John Meredith-Lacey. He first came to my attention with a couple EP releases but Birthplace is his first full length album. His music falls in the folk category with some classical and rock thrown in there too. Songs utilize strings, brass, acoustic guitar, banjo, piano and drums with Meredith-Lacey's wonderful falsetto vocals. There is a bit of an early Bon Iver vibe, but Novo Amor's music is very much his own thanks to his abilities on so many different instruments as they weave in and out of songs. A lovely listen.
Favorite tracks: "Emigrate", "Utican", "Seneca", "Repeat Until Death"
#5 - The Family Crest - The War: Act I (Released 4/6/18)
Fronted by Liam McCormick, The Family Crest are based out of San Francisco. They first caught my attention with 2014's Beneath The Brine, reeled me in with last year's Prelude To War EP, then knocked me out with the full length The War: Act I. The Family Crest's music is bombastic, fully produced orchestral pop and rock, with McCormick's dramatic, flying vocals at its core. This isn't just music, it's a PRODUCTION, from an act with seven main members and an alternating cast of contributors depending on what is needed on each song. There's brass, there's strings, guitars, keyboards, percussion, it's emotional music, sometimes theatrical, sometimes rocking, always interesting. One of the more electrifying bands I've seen lately and one of the year's best albums.
Favorite tracks: "To Love You", "Rest", "Never Gonna Stop", "Waiting Still"
#4 - Paul van Dyk - Music Rescues Me (Released 12/7/18)
Paul van Dyk is an electronic music legend, there isn't room for debate there. Although widely credited for his contributions to trance music, van Dyk prefers his music just be called electronic these days. His 2000 release Out There And Back is an electronic classic, regardless of what genre you want to classify it as, and his subsequent albums have always had something to love even if they didn't reach the heights of that seminal release for me. After releasing From Then On in 2017, he surprised fans with another new album in 2018 and in Music Rescues Me, he unleashed his best album since Out There And Back. There are plenty of guests and collaborations featured here including tracks with Alex M.O.R.P.H., Jordan Suckley and the return of Plumb who provides heavenly vocals on the title track. But it's van Dyk's mastery of his craft that shines through on these fifteen tracks, the majority of which clock in at over six minutes long giving them time to grow and ride the ebbs and flows of great electronic dance music.
Favorite tracks: "Amanecer", "Voyager", "Moments With You", "Mission Control"
#3 - Remayn - Pressure (Released 4/9/18)
There were a lot of excellent debut albums released in 2018 but none floored me as much as Pressure by English singer/songwriter Remayn. This is atmospheric folk-rock, usually acoustic guitar based with layers of electronic elements added, Remayn's hushed vocals often serving as practically an extra instrument in the mix. It's all very lush and incredibly beautiful, yet also sad and reflective. This is not upbeat music, but if it's auditory bliss you seek, Pressure is your album. I look forward to what Remayn has planned next.
Favorite tracks: "Neo", "Corners", "Bulldog", "Don't"
#2 - S. Carey - Hundred Acres (Released 2/23/18)
In addition to touring and recording as the drummer of Bon Iver, Sean Carey has carved out an acclaimed solo career for himself as well. Recording as S. Carey, he's released two EP's and three albums to date, with his latest, and my personal favorite, Hundred Acres coming in 2018. I've featured Carey's other two albums here at Now It's On, he's yet to put out anything I didn't love, but Hundred Acres is an astoundingly gorgeous work. Released in February, I revisited this album often throughout 2018, Carey's lush folk sound a perfect companion to a tumultuous year. Swelling strings, shimmering acoustic guitar accompanied by intoxicating vocal harmonies, Hundred Acres is a masterpiece.
Favorite tracks: "Hideout", "Meadow Song", "More I See", "True North"
#1 - Moby - Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt (Released 3/2/18)
I don't need to write a bio about Moby, he's an electronic music legend who crossed over into the pop world like few have done. Yes he doesn't sell records like he did at the height of Play mania, hell no one sells records like they used to anymore in this streaming age. But Moby reached a point in his career starting with 2009's Wait For Me, and coming off of a couple of his most inconsistent albums, where he quit worrying about sales and being a star and started making albums that made him happy. It's no coincidence he has since been on a run of excellent albums, some focusing on his well known downbeat electronic sound, yet his two most recent meshing electronic with his early punk rock leanings to explore his outrage at the world we now live in. He channeled that outrage and hopelessness again for 2018's Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt but this time he's placed it in darker, moody electronic textures. There is nothing here that comes close to being a dance track, there's definitely a trip-hop influence, the beats are harder than usual and the production is voluminous. Moby speaks a lot of his lyrics, he'll be the first to tell you he's never had much of a singing voice, but he does enlist the talents of Mindy Jones, Raquel Rodriguez, Apollo Jane, Julie Mintz and Brie O'Bannon to handle main vocals on many of the tracks. Equal parts beauty and despair, it's one of the most stunning releases of his storied career and my favorite album of 2018.
Favorite tracks: "Mere Anarchy", "Like A Motherless Child", "The Sorrow Tree", "Falling Rain & Light"
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