2018 has been a fantastic year for music so far. I did not write about music in 2017. Last year had a several landmarks such as Capacity by Big Thief, This Old Dog by Mac DeMarco, A Crow Looked at Me by Mount Eerie, Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes, 4:44 by Jay-Z, Rocket by (Sandy) Alex G, and Need to Feel Your Love by Sheer Mag. Daniele Luppi, Hand Habits and Steve Lacy turned in very good work, and Dirty Projectors released an eponymous breakup album unlike any other. And, of course, Neil Young finally released “Hitchhiker,” which he recorded in 1976. Of those albums, the Mount Eerie, Sheer Mag, and Mac DeMarco records were outstanding and original works – a level above the rest. But the year was largely disappointing, and a number of anticipated releases (such as St. Vincent’s MASSEDUCTION, Bjork’s Utopia, and others) fell relatively flat on my ears.
In contrast, there has been enough great music in 2018 to fill top ten lists for 3 years. Here are the albums that have caught my attention so far:
- Amen Dunes – Freedom – I have long enjoyed Amen Dunes’ records, but “Freedom” is by all measures his best album. With “Freedom,” Amen Dunes has simultaneously become more accessible and more artistically uncompromising. “Time,” “Believe,” “Calling Paul the Suffering,” “Miki Dora,” “Skipping School” and “Satudarah” are all prime tracks. I love the “wall of sound” in “Skipping School,” and “Calling Paul the Suffering” evokes Paul Simon by way of Daniel Johnston. This is unpredictable and meticulously conceived music – with distinct and unusual vocals that cannot quite be compared to anyone else. Repeatedly, Amen Dunes plunges into a genre we think we might recognize – such as surf rock or synth-driven pop – and subverts our expectations by taking us someplace we have not been. This is a great album.
2. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love – I don’t often flock to deathmetal, but I’m open to music of all genres, and Deafheaven’s new record is genre-less and epic. The music is, at its core, deathmetal, but there are hints of The Smiths, more conventional rock influences, and unexpected beauty to be found within the blackness. Taking its title from Graham Greene’s “The End of the Affair,” this record surpasses the band’s prior “New Bermuda” in terms of virtuosity and the depth of their influences. As with most culture, those with an open mind who stick with this album will be greatly rewarded.
3. No Age – Snares Like A Haircut – Yet another terrific noise/art-rock album, No Age bursts out of the gate with “Cruise Control,” setting the propulsive pace for the rest of this album. It is best to turn this album up to a volume that will damage your eardrums and let it wash over you – to absorb its density and to recognize the level of detail in this production. There isn’t a second of “negative space” or a beat of silence on this entire album. It is dense with reverberation and static – a true, impenetrable wall of sound. It’s a true accomplishment, and the best record of No Age’s career. Although the entire album is strong, I’m especially fond of “Cruise Control,” “Send “Me,” “Stuck in the Chamber,” “Soft Collar Fad,” and “Secret Swamp.”
4. Pusha T – DAYTONA – Of all of the 7 track albums that Kanye West produced in 2018 (including his own “Ye”), this is the best, with Nas’ “NASIR” running a close second. Back in 2006, Pusha T (as one half of Clipse) released one of the greatest rap records of all time with “Hell Hath No Fury.” I feared (before I listened to this album) that its cover would undermine or overshadow the music. You see, the cover is a photograph of the messy bathroom with drug-filled countertops where Whitney Houston died. But “DAYTONA” is concise and all the more powerful for its trim precision. “If You Know You Know,” “The Games We Play,” and “Come Back Baby” are the essential tracks.
5. Azealia Banks – Treasure Island – This is only a single, but I understand that Ms. Banks intends to release an album by year’s end. She has released two singles so far this year (Treasure Island and Anna Wintour). In both, she re-affirms her status as the best working female rapper (revisit “Chi Chi” if you need to be reminded of her virtuosity). Yet, Azealia Banks is also possesses an extraordinarily powerful voice. It’s unexpected – she sounds like she could rival Sharon Jones or Nina Simone. Thankfully, Azealia Banks’ music is also interesting. Her lyrics are the filthiest around, yet she also exhibits a real swagger – a devil-may-care confidence that endears her to this listener.
6. Dirty Projectors – Lamp Lit Prose – Much more organic than their glitchy, electronic and eponymous break-up album of last year, “Lamp Lit Prose” is a surging and joyous rock album that revisits the tone of “Bitte Orca,” their seminal 2009 release. A graduate of Yale composition school, David Longstreth writes complicated and sharp rock music that flirts with the edges of pop. Part of what makes the band great is its versatility. Over a decade ago, they released “Rise Above” a cover record (from memory) of Blag Flag’s “Damaged.” They’ve been interested in many of the elements present on Lamp Lit Prose for a long time. I’ve heard Michael Jackson influences in Dirty Projectors ever since “I Will Truck” on “The Getty Address,” which is part Jackson, part Prokofiev, and part undefinable. No one makes music like Dirty Projectors, and some of their most inaccessible music (anything on “New Attitude”) is their most unforgettable. Yet, I really love the tone of “Lamp Lit Prose,” which is the perfect summer rock album, with elements of R&B and some explicit references to Prince and Jackson on “I Feel Energy.” From the memorable bass line on “Zombie Conquerer” to the recurring horn section, recorders, the jubilant “Break-Thru,” and the folksy yet glitchy “That’s a Lifestyle,” this is the best Dirty Projectors album since “Swing Lo Magellan,” which is still one of their best records.
7. TIE: Soccer Mommy – Clean
TIE: The Carters – Everything is Love
TIE: Tune-Yards – I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
TIE: U.S. Girls – In a Poem Limited
TIE: Nas – NASIR
TIE: Jenny Hval – The Long Sleep
TIE: Palm – Rock Island .
(reviews forthcoming for all of the above)
35mm Critic 