Albums of the Year 2018

MAD 4 IT

A blog for music junkies

Albums of the Year 2018

Written by Mad 4 It

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As the year of 2018 comes to a close, I went back and looked at all of the albums released throughout the year, and have compiled a list of my favorite releases. This list contains the albums that I believe to be perfect from beginning to end, meaning there is not one song on the album that I can skip over. My favorite genre is pop punk (but I am beginning to cross over into the hardcore genre, as well), so most of my blog is centered around those genres. However, I do like to dip into other genres once in a while, so stay tuned for some surprises. 

1. Proper Dose // The Story So Far

Topping my list this year is The Story So Far’s album Proper Dose. Proper Dose was probably one of the most anticipated albums of the year in the pop punk genre. The Story So Far’s last album, their self-titled album, was released back in 2015, and since then, it was rumored that they would be breaking up or going on a hiatus due to personal issues, but, lucky for us, they pulled through and created the Proper Dose album, which they released in September of 2018. This album has a completely revamped sound, which is much more relaxed, including only a few of their typical ‘harder’ songs. It gives off a very melodic feel which makes the whole album flow really well together. In my opinion they really matured their sound as a band compared to their previous albums, but still kept their signature TSSF sound. The album goes into depth about some of the issues the band members (I think mostly Parker Cannon) had been dealing with, such as family issues and drug problems. This seems to be a different focus than other songs they’ve recorded. Even their album cover has a much different look from their previously released albums. Their older albums have these sort of abstract drawings on them, whereas the new album has a simple photograph of a mountain and a lake. I think this fits really well with the whole vibe of the disc, and perfectly reflects the transition of their updated sound.  If you haven’t heard this album yet, go check it out right now, you will not be disappointed.

Suggested tracks: Proper Dose, Out of It, Upside Down, and Take Me as You Please

2. Time and Space // Turnstile: 

Crossing over into the hardcore scene,  my number two album of the year is from a band that I only recently got into, but now consider to be in my favorite bands of all time. If you’ve never heard of Turnstile, you’re definitely missing out on an amazing band. Turnstile has a really different vibe from anything I’ve heard lately. They share a slight resemblance to Rage Against the Machine, but with a more modern and punk style. Brendan Yates has a truly unique voice that really defines the sound of the band. The instrumentation of this band is also incredible, and actually is my favorite part about this band. They really mastered their style and sound and it shows in every album that they make. Overall, the band as a whole is beyond compare. Time and Space was released in February of 2018, and has earned its rightful place as number two on my list, but was definitely in hard competition with Proper Dose for me. I loved Turnstile’s album Nonstop Feeling, and was a little worried that Time and Space wouldn’t be nearly as good in comparison, but they really stepped up musically and knocked this album out of the park. Every song is perfectly constructed, and is definitely worth listening to, even if you aren’t a huge fan of hardcore music. I think it’s just such a well put-together album that it would be really hard not to like it.

Suggested tracks: I Don’t Wanna Be Blind, Real Thing, and Time and Space

3. Swimming // Mac Miller: 

Here is my surprise album because it is out of my usual genre of music. Mac Miller was a very underrated artist, in my opinion, and I think Swimming was completely overlooked as an album this year. Musically, Mac’s sound improved immensely. He went from kind of a “frat-rap” type of sound to a more sophisticated and developed type of rap. To me, this album seems to be where Mac started to discover his true sound as a musician, and he really advanced lyrically. I think the album is a great reflection of the struggles he was going through, but it was so beautifully presented that it almost hides the aspect of him dealing with his issues. Compared to his other albums I think Swimming dove into who he was as a person and gave a much deeper glimpse into his life. This was also a more relaxed project for him, and it is another album that I feel just flows completely together. Perfectly well done, undoubtedly under appreciated, and forever one of my favorite albums. RIP Mac.

Suggested tracks: Self Care, Ladders, Dunno, and Come Back to Earth

4. Errorzone // Vein:

Flipping all the way back to the hardcore or metalcore genre, making my list at number four is the album Errorzone by the band Vein. So, I just started listening to Vein about three months ago, and I am truly in awe of this band. I am just starting to expand into this type of music, but I absolutely love everything about Vein and this album. The album artwork for Errorzone is really interesting to me, the instrumentation throughout the album is amazing, and literally every song on this album is perfect. The first thing I noticed about this band was how great the drumming is, which is actually my favorite thing about this band. Growing up with my brother playing drums really taught me to recognize talented drummers, and Matt Wood is unquestionably talented. Go check out this album, if you can handle it. 

Suggested tracks: Doomtech, End Eternal, and Virus://Vibrance

5. Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life // The Wombats:

Taking a step back into the indie rock genre is the album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life by The Wombats. To be honest, this album almost didn’t make the list because I loved their previous album, Glitterbug, so much. But, after contemplating, I couldn’t resist putting it on the list because once I have it on, I can’t stop listening to it. The Wombats are another very unique band, with a very unique sound. In the Glitterbug era, I would describe them as euphoric. They had a very groovy kind of vibe with that album which created songs that were upbeat, happy, and catchy, even if the lyrics weren’t happy necessarily. Their new album is almost completely the opposite. I would describe it as a little moody and maybe even a little dark, but it’s still just as amazing as Glitterbug. I love that they can have two very different albums with two very different sounds, but each one is amazing in its own way. Go check out their newest album. It’s a little different, but truly give it a chance, it’s worth the listen. 

Suggested tracks: Turn, Black Flamingo, Lethal Combination, and Dip You In Honey

6. Sweetener // Ariana Grande

Okay pop fans, I decided to add a pop album to this list for the sole reason of Ariana deserving the recognition. This girl has been through just about everything you could imagine in the past two years, and after the death of Mac and her breakup with Pete, she STILL put out an album…and it’s incredible. Obviously Ariana is an insanely talented singer and I think this album shows off her talent considerably more than her previous releases. Creatively, I think this album is incredible, and I think she will continue to build her sound and become more and more iconic. If you haven’t listened to the full album, you should, but you’ve probably heard some of the hits on the radio. Can we also appreciate that she named a track after Pete? 

Suggested tracks: God is a Woman, Breathin, No Tears Left to Cry, and Pete Davidson

Congratulations, you made it to the end of my Best Albums of 2018 list and to the end of 2018. I hope you check out at least one of these amazing albums. Leave a comment with your favorite albums from 2018 in the comment section because I would love to do a post about everyone’s favorite albums from the year, and I am always looking to get into new music. Happy New Year! 

xx

Maddisen V.