We’re about 2 weeks from yearendageddon 2018, which the first list usually coming from Rough Trade and some of the monthly magazines in the middle of November.
Which maybe critically cussed or under-celebrated album do you think everyone should (re)visit before doing their list?
My choice would definitely be the debut album from Hilary Woods entitled Colt. It was released by the brilliant Sacred Bones label earlier this year. Can safely say this is my most listened to album this year. It sounds a little like a Nick Cave & Warren Ellis film score (or Skeleton Tree). It’s a bleak shadowland to get totally lost in.
Been banging on about this one for a while but Years by Sun June is pretty special. Very Goldflakepaint-core, as Jordan numbers would put it. Spent so many hours lost in this album.
I’ve probably been talking about it too much, but I think people really need to give Spielbergs’ Distant Star EP a shot. It’s packed with so much urgency, melody, and emotion and so many hooks. I haven’t been this blown away by a debut EP since Silversun Pickups’ Pikul back in 2005.
The major comparison they’ve gotten is Japandroids, probably because of tracks 1 and 4, but there’s so much more to them. Track 3 is almost like a peak Spencer Krug-TWIABP hybrid, and Track 2 has such hard hitting and slightly unconventional transitions.
It’s only 5 songs long so try it out. There really isn’t a wasted second on it.
Surprised this hasn’t got more love on DiS as it seems bang on for the hive mind. Four ridiculously talented early 20s London women doing something that contains both trad four piece guitar stuff and genuinely off kilter wonkiness.
Skee Mask’s Compro is the electronic album of the year for me hands down. Bit techno, bit breakbeat, bit d’n’b with some incredible drum programming and beautiful pads. It really repays repeated listening, to revel in the precision and emotion.
Probably Joe Cardamone’s ‘Holy War’ album. Kinda like a modern update of Iggys ‘The idiot’. downbeat, nocturnal lyrics over a much more electronic soundscape than you might expect from an ex icarus line member, with neon lit r’n’b/hip hop beats. Not perfect but it’s one of the the better artists out there completely throwing himself into a new direction and mostly pulling it off. Very absorbing stuff and i feel like he’s building up to something major next.
