The 2018 DIS forum user album of the year DISCUSSION THREAD

A thread to keep any jibber jabber out of the POLL THREAD. All discussions to go here.

My top 5 sums up my mood this year. Both enraged, numb and politically engaged. Found myself wallowing in melancholy and escaping into barely there bleak bliss. Honourable mentions to Tess Roby, Grouper, Kathryn Joseph, Olafur Arnalds, Noname, Metric, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, Haiku Salut, Nine Inch Nails, Daniel Avery and the other records that have kept me calm or focussed my fury.

Note: May revise this list once I’ve heard The 1975 album and if Dear, Tommy finally turns up.

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Top 5 albums is always too hard. 10 is way easier. I think my top 3 will stay the same until the end of the year. The last 2 spots could be 2 of about 9 albums. Particularly SOPHIE, Pusha T, Iceage, Skee Mask, Mitski, BC Camplight, Yves Tumour, Blood Orange, Robyn, Cat Power and IDLES (even though I think it get a tad weak towards the end).

Think it has been a strong year for albums or maybe its just the 1st time in a while that I’ve properly had time to listen to loads of albums. (Being in a job were I can finally listen to music at work helps).

My top 5…
1.Low.
2.Shame.
3.Jon Hopkins.
4.Superorganism.
5.Dream Wife.

I know what my top 2 are. 3rd, 4th and 5th are damn hard. Between The Breeders, Soap&Skin, Cat Power, Anna Calvi, Vera Sola, Joan As Policewoman and Neko Case. Never really got into the new one until a few weeks ago and I knew the gig was coming up. Brilliant album and a stunning set at The Barbican. That’s in the mix too

I’m indecisive on occasions and so will go with my whatever I think are my top 5 before going to bed tonight.

Fuck. Forgot about Haiku Salut.

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I thought this was going to be really easy but everything’s gotten thrown off in the past few weeks. The only thing I’m fairly certain about is that Deafheaven, Self Defense Family, and Tropical Fuck Storm will be my top three full lengths. Do people typically vote for EPs here? If so then I’ll likely have to insert Spielbergs too.

There are a LOT of candidates for those final two spots, and it would be even harder doing a top ten. This is a really deep year.

EPs generally not voted for in these threads, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t if you want to. It’s a 2018 release after all.

Because chaos would rule. Don’t let us include eps cos then I’d have to include boygenius and I’d have even less clue who to vote for in my top five.

That’s the main reason I’m excluding them tbh

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Intrigued by the fact that Sean has manics in his list. Can’t imagine being into a new manics album in 2018 but then I haven’t given it a chance, anyone else heard it /rate it?

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My top 2 are definitely my top 2 of the year (Camp Cope and Camila Cabello). Joint third between Vera Sola, Soap&Skin, Neko Case, The Breeders, Anna Calvi, Cat Power, Joan As Policewoman and Haiku Salut.

Nothing between them. Counting my picks, I guess that’s my top 10 up there too. My top three could be any from those eight others. Just depends on my mood. Very strong year for me.

Damn it forgot about Ought and I’m bloody seeing em on Wednesday.

Lots of love for Let’s Eat Grandma… I gave it a listen and it was decent, had to get past the name but given the appreciation, I’ll have to give it another hearing.

Really surprised no one else has picked Shame, I thought that album was received really well here.

My top three are straightforward- Low in number one position by a mile followed by two wildly contrasting hip hop albums - the deep, moving Care for Me by Saba and the scattergun invention of Tierra Whack.

After that there are perhaps 10-15 really good records that could have taken my last two spots. I went for Lykke Li and Soap&Skin in the end but it could have equally been any two from Hen Ogledd, The Goon Sax, Sons of Kemet, Idris Ackamoor, Hilary Woods, The Wave Pictures, Kathryn Joseph, Cat Power, Kamasi Washington, The Breeders, Hot Snakes.

A solid year, I think. One noticeable thing is the continuing trend for more an more brilliant female artists. Of the 16 albums I’ve listed above 10 are either made entirely by women or have prominent female voices. I recently found my end of year compilation for 2002 and about 90% of the tracks were by all male artists.

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Just out of interest, do you reckon any of your favourites from this year are likely to crack your decade top 10 if you come to do such a thing next year?

  • Yes
  • No

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*If yes, which ones?

Bad year IMO. My top five (and the highlights from each album) are as follows:

1 - Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar

2 - Kali Uchis - Isolation

3 - Foxing - Nearer My God

4 - Noname - Room 25

5 - Denzel Curry - TA13OO

But I don’t think I’m properly in love with any of those albums in all honesty and any of the following could have easily been swapped in for any of my actual list:

Pusha T - Daytona
Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears
Vince Staples - FM!
Marlowe - Marlowe
Tierra Whack - Whack World
Black Thought - Streams of Thought Vol. 1

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Same here, my top 10 have all been female artists or female fronted bands.

I remember someone, probably you, banging on about this and how everyone should love it. I did enjoy it (and his tiny desks concert is fab) but it’s just too damn chirpy and cheerful for me in a lot of places to really get into!