2018 Album of the Year
Wow! It's been eight years that I have been doing this. I'm not sure if anyone actually reads these blogs. I keep hoping that one of these "album of the year" winners will actually see that one fan out here believes their album was the best album that year.
Here is a list of the albums that were released in 2018 that I bought in 2018. I bought other music this year but not all of it was from 2018. Nevertheless, here is the list of what I bought. Read through my short reviews and then see my BIG reveal at the end for my Album of the Year!
Fall Out Boy - Mania (Jan. 19, 2018)
Fall Out Boy is one of my absolute favorite bands. Their sound has evolved throughout the years which I think it a good thing. When an artist evolves a bit and changes up their sound over time I think it can prolong their career and their appeal to a new generation of listeners. If they still had their emo sound from the early 2000s, they wouldn't get any airplay. Look at all the hair bands from the 80s that refused to evolve their sound in the 90s. Where are they now? If a band just keeps putting out the same album over and over, people will get bored. This album might be the album of the year. So many amazingly catchy songs. My favorite song on the album is titled "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)."
Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending (Feb. 9, 2018)
Franz Ferdinand's first two albums were spectacular. Their third album was good but not as great. These last two albums though have been just OK. Their previous album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action had a couple of really good songs but the rest kind of fell flat for me. I still listen to it from time-to-time but it's not a great album. Always Ascending is kind of like that only I think it's a little bit better. Wow...this sounds like I don't like the album. I do like it. If I were giving these albums a letter grade it would get a solid B. It's a decent Franz Ferdinand album. I will still be excited when their next one comes.
The Wombats - Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (Feb 9, 2018)
The Wombats are so good. I wish I would have started listening to them years ago. Their last album Glitterbug is still one of my all-time favorite albums. I was super excited when I saw they had a new album coming out. Just like with many albums that I get hyped over, it's hard to live up to my expectations. This one took a while to really grow on me but the more I listen to it the more I absolutely love it! I encourage everyone to start listening to The Wombats immediately...but start with Glitterbug then Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.
Millionyoung - Rare Form (May 18, 2018)
What's that!? You've never heard of Millionyoung. Of course you haven't...not many people have. Back in 2012 I really got into synthwave/chillwave/retrowave music. During that time of discovery, I found Millionyoung. I'm not sure what to call this style of music. It's electronic but relaxing and soothing but not boring. I really love it...and side note, it's probably my favorite album art of the year too, tied with the next album.
Vacationer - Mindset (June 22, 2018)
I heard a snippet of the song "Magnetism" before it came out and I was stoked for this album. I had never heard of Vacationer before. I kept going back to the Vacationer facebook page and website looking for updates of the new album. New songs kept being released and I was afraid there wasn't going to be a full album until finally a date was set. June 22 (two days after my birthday). Earlier I said albums have a hard time living up to hype and expectations. This one did not have that problem. It lived up to every expectation I had and then some. I love this album. The song "Late Bloomer" maybe, kinda, sorta bothers me but if I'm in the right mood, it's ok. This has got to be my favorite new artist discovery for this year.
LovelyTheBand - Finding It Hard To Smile (Aug 3, 2018)
This is one of those bands that I feel like will be a flash in the pan and gone. I really loved this album and I enjoy their sound but for some reason, I feel like they will be a one-hit-wonder. I could be wrong and I hope that I am. With that pushed to the side, I really enjoyed this album. I don't think there is a song on here that I skip. It's a solid album from start to finish. Even the silly "These Are My Friends" track is catchy enough to listen to. It's cheesy but by the end of it you want to just call all your friends and hang out. "Broken" is the song that most of you know from listening to the radio. It's been super overplayed. I'm even getting tired of hearing it every 15 minutes but it's the song that roped me into this band. They have a synth rock sound that I love so much.
Fall Out Boy - Lake Effect Kid EP (Aug 23, 2018)
Hey look...another album from Fall Out Boy! EPs never win album of the year. It's not a full proper album. But this one from Fall Out Boy needs to be known. It's a three-song love letter to Chicago and in my eyes...or ears it's a three-song journey through Fall Out Boy's evolution of music. The first track, "Lake Effect Kid" could easily be on Take This To Your Grave, "City In A Garden" could live on Folie a Deux, and "Super Fade" could be on Mania. That may not make any sense to anyone that isn't a Fall Out Boy fan but trust me, it's pretty incredible.
Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys (April 27, 2018)
So...I hadn't heard Post Malone until my wife and stepson were telling me about a song that they were joking about that said "stanky" on it. That song is "Psycho." If you haven't heard it...where do you live, under some kind of rock? It's everywhere and it's awesome, just like every single song on this album. From start to finish, this album is one great track after great track. I'm not sure if it's rap because he does sing too. Wikipedia says he's a rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. So, there...that clears it up. Just watch the video below and you'll see what I mean. Posty has become a new favorite of mine. And despite his face tattoos, he seems like a funny, nice guy. Don't believe me, watch this video of him and Jimmy Fallon visiting Olive Garden.
TobyMac - The Elements (Oct 12, 2018)
Why do I keep buying TobyMac albums? It's never going to be the same as Welcome To Diverse City. Each one has been increasingly more disappointing. There are a few good songs but as a whole, this album is just background white noise. "I Just Need U" and "Horizon (A New Day)"are both pretty good but the rest is just kinda dull. It's not bad. Every song is listenable and somewhat enjoyable but just not as powerful as his earlier stuff. I don't know if it's my personal tastes have changed or TobyMac's music has changed. Sorry, TobyMac. I still have a place in my world for your music, but maybe next time I just stream it on Spotify instead of buying the album.
The Struts - Young and Dangerous (Oct. 26, 2018)
This has to be the most fun album of the year. If you like Queen, and that era of rock, then you will love The Struts. I haven't enjoyed a fun rock album like this since Foxy Shazam's - The Church of Rock and Roll. It's just so much fun from start to finish.
Imagine Dragons - Origins (Nov 9, 2018)
I enjoy Imagine Dragons. If you have read my previous blogs you will read the same thing. Great singles, but the album is lacking. This album isn't any different. The latter half of the album just kind of falls flat for me. It's not bad. It's just not as good as the first half of the album. It's worth a listen if you enjoy Imagine Dragons.
Generationals - State Dogs: Singles 2017-18 (Dec 7, 2018)
I found this group via a Spotify playlist. They are a new wave, indie pop duo. The song I first heard was one of their older songs and I really enjoyed it, so I looked up the rest of their stuff only to find that they were releasing single after single to culminate into this album "State Dogs: Singles 2017-18." I love this album, even though it may not be a proper album. They kind of remind me of Rogue Wave. I've been listening to it on loop for weeks.
And the ALBUM OF THE YEAR for 2018 is...
This album is an album that I just keep coming back to. It's an album that when I am listening to other albums, I just keep thinking about going back to this one. It's like when you are hanging out with someone and you are wishing you were hanging with someone else. That is the way I feel about the winner this year. And when I put this album on, I'm all in...and it's great from the first note to the end. The winner of the 2018 Album of the Year is...
POST MALONE - BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS
This marks the first time a rap album has won the top honor. Though like I said before, it's not rap in the traditional sense. Posty sings and raps. Whatever you want to call it, let's all give a big congrats to Post Malone. I'm sure he'll enjoy an evening at the Olive Garden to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Credit to Allison Hoffman for creating this knitted Post Malone.
Are you new to the My Album of The Year blog? If you haven't figured it out yet, I post once a year. The only post I write is to announce what I believe is to be the best album of that year. If you enjoyed 2018, check out my previous posts...
- Shameless Self Promotion -
CREATIVE CULTURE
During 2018, I began to produce some music of my own under the band name Creative Culture. You can find the music on Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, iTunes and more. (or listen below)
Post Malone's album was great! I don't know if it's the best of the year but certainly in my top 5.
ReplyDelete