By The Spinning Platters Editorial Staff
It’s that time of year again… That time when you’ve read every other music site’s Album of The Year list, and have hated all of them because you haven’t seen the best one yet! We have an incredibly diverse group of records… Some you’ve seen on other lists, some you haven’t, and some you’ve likely never heard of before clicking on this post!
So, without further adieu, on with our list:
10.) She Makes War / Brace for Impact
Reminding me of Kenickie, Elastica, Lush, Kristin Hersh, and other similarly themed mid-’90s female-fronted modern rock classics, Laura Kidd is She Makes War, and I am so excited that artists still make this kind of music. Her fourth record, Brace for Impact, is 12 self-released tracks of excellence, led by “Undone” and personal favorite “Devastate Me.” I swear it’s Justine Frischmann singing, but it’s not! (Joel Edelman)
9.) Ariana Grande / Sweetener
The perfect pop album is one that, the moment you put it on, feels like it’s been with you forever. A record where each track feels like it’s being injected directly into your bloodstream and makes you feel a sudden shock of warmth. Grande managed to put together a truly perfect pop record. A record that opens up with a stunning a cappella number, showing off her Mariah Carey-level voice. The delicate opener was a red herring, however, because the vast majority of this album is full of fun party songs full of joy and optimism. But that optimism isn’t forced. This is the voice of somebody that has been through hell, but she looked back at the devil and said, “Not tonight. Not ever.” This is a record about owning the tough stuff on life, acknowledging what it means, and learning from it without letting it weigh you down. And, goddamn, “No Tears Left to Cry” perfectly encapsulates that feeling of realizing there is a mutual attraction, and just wanting to sit in that moment forever. I’m not even listening to the track right now, and I’m feeling it. (Dakin Hardwick)
8.) Bishop Briggs / Church of Scars
Once upon a time, a little girl named Sarah Grace McLaughlin discovered in a Tokyo karaoke bar that she was destined to sing. For reasons I believe that are obvious to most, she couldn’t use her own name when she later took the stage. When I first heard “River” a few years ago, she was known simply as Bishop. When the song blew up, a band called Bishop threatened McLaughlin with an injunction, so she added the last name Briggs, creating the new persona after the town from which her parents hail (Bishopbriggs, Scotland). Church of Scars is Briggs’s debut full-length album, and I believe records like this are why we call them “jewel cases” – because they’re full of gems. Briggs began writing music and lyrics at the ripe old age of seven; that she’s been writing material for nearly two decades is apparent in the strength of songs like “River,” “White Flag,” and “Hi-Lo (Hollow).” Briggs’s vulnerability in “Water” makes it another favorite. All in all, Scars is a very strong debut, and it’s not hard to see why it made not only my personal top three, but fared in the overall Spinning Platters Top Ten of 2018. Mark my words: Bishop Briggs is one to keep an ear out for. Still want more? Check out Briggs’s cover of INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart” from the soundtrack to Fifty Shades Freed, her collaboration with Cold War Kids, “So Tied Up,” or her new fun and foul-mouthed single, “Baby.” (Stacy Scales)
7.) Arctic Monkeys / Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
I offered to be the one to review this record because I love the sound of the Arctic Monkeys, but I don’t know them intimately. A few of their older hits come up a lot on a station I listen to regularly, but I haven’t heard much to their new stuff yet. Even so, I almost nominated this record in my top three solely based on the record’s lead single, “Four Out of Five,” which I find catchy as hell. The rest of the album, though, is more the kind of record I want as the soundtrack when I’m making dinner, running errands, or reading a good book in the tub. The aforementioned single is still the star of the show, but clever lyrics make opener “Star Treatment” worth a listen; “She Looks Like Fun” is another standout, mostly due to its scathing critique of modern social media and the ease with which public personae can be entirely fabricated. At any rate, I’m inclined to agree with the band’s own assessment: four stars out of five is about right. (Stacy Scales)
6.) Lucy Dacus / Historian
Dacus hit it home hard with her sophomore release Historian. This record is a stunning expression of both power and fragility. Her delicate soprano often times is layered on top of loud, heavy guitars. Dacus brings together elements of folk and country and combines them with shoegaze and 90’s alt rock in a way that feels wholly unique and startlingly familiar all at once. (Dakin Hardwick)
5.) Screaming Females / All At Once
Some things get better with age, and Screaming Females may be rocking out on that ship. Their seventh full length release All At Once is their most accomplished and accessible record to date; it’s potent and extremely enjoyable from start to finish. After living in the shadows, the band has conformed a bit, entering the world of a more melodic song structure. However, regardless of any new path the band has ventured on, there is no denying the power and glory that is Marissa Paternoster’s robust guitar and blazing voice, which lets loose from the start on “Glass House.” This woman needs a bit more credit as one of the great voices in rock. For those that are weary, while there are touches of hooky pop, like the exceptionally crafted “Soft Domination”, the band has not lost any power. They appear to be supercharged now, with an extra battery pack. (Raffi Youssoufian)
4.) Andrew WK / You’re Not Alone
Andrew W.K. cares. Andrew W.K. is doing nothing less than harnessing his life’s energy into trying to tell you to live your life in the best way possible. Andrew W.K. communicates his messages through guitars, keyboards, and drums in a way that he hopes you can understand. Andrew W.K. is trying to reach everyone who is struggling, and to urge them forward. Andrew W.K. is creating the anthems he hopes will be the personal soundtrack to your best version of you. Andrew W.K. accepts that life is hard by its very nature and that life for all of us will end one day, and, in light of the oncoming ending, we must create our own joy along the way – this is where partying comes in. Andrew W.K. only wants the best for you, just as he wants the best for himself. Andrew W.K. has made his life one of the best examples of living people that I can think of. A long time from now, the work and life of Andrew W.K. will be still be taught and discussed. (Christopher Rogers)
3.) Mitski / Be The Cowboy
Be the Cowboy doesn’t wallow; it’s in turn silly, or angry, or dreamy, or dismissive; there’s a character at the center of the songs frustrated and wanting a kind of closeness that is impossible to keep. Surely nobody who is a music fan has managed to escape the year without hearing the track “Nobody” playing in every hip destination, and possibly even in unpretentious locales as well. It’s just so honest and pure – my god, I’m so lonesome, says the song, and yet manages to be crisp, and light. The album follows along in this vein, without a drab composition anywhere in the body. In “Lonesome Love”, Mitski sings, “Spend an hour on my makeup just to prove something,” before singing, “Nobody fucks me like me.” Does she mean that literally? Is she self sabotaging? Both, perhaps. Perhaps it’s about a bad date, or disappointment in a relationship. How relatable. In “Me and My Husband” though, she’s in love, forever, and feels like an accessory. “Why Didn’t you Stop Me” has her wondering how she could have left, and why nobody got in her way. Each track is a different kind of frustration with connection; too much, not enough, too clumsy, too disappointing, too codependent. This world has given us too many acquaintances, not enough cohesion, and so much choice we end up with …. nobody. NoBAH dy. NoboDY. Nobody. (Becka Robbins)
2.) Black Belt Eagle Scout / Mother Of My Children
The word that seems to come to mind most while listening to this record is ‘thoughtful’. No, two words: ‘very thoughtful’. Deliberate, beautiful, and full of heart describes each song on Mother of My Children. Katherine Paul, who is Black Belt Eagle Scout, examines not only what has been in her heart, but also her identity. From the crunching guitar of “Soft Stud” about heartbreak in an open relationship, to the soft picking of the title track, to the extremely powerful exploration about being a Native American on “Indians Never Die,” with each note, each lyric, each instrument introduced (including a Casio keyboard she found on the road), we really begin to get a sense of how much time Paul has spent with her subjects over time, and how much they mean to her. As more discover her music, hopefully they will sign up for more lessons, because we all have much to learn from this black belt. (Raffi Youssoufian)
1.) Janelle Monday / Dirty Computer
Topping the list for Top Album of the Year is Janelle Monae with Dirty Computer. 2018 was another epic year for Monae – not only releasing a brilliant album, but also delivering memorable acting performances in Electric Dreams and Welcome to Marwen, plus creating her first thought-provoking art installations… Is there anything she can’t do? Dirty Computer is delicious pop, but far from vapid. It’s fun and easy to listen to, stirring that urge to find a dance floor while remaining deep, soulful, and significant. Monae uses her velvety voice and catchy melodies to talk about complex and important social issues, and she doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. She tells her story, her experiences, and her observations of this moment in history, and paints a world I want to see even more of as we go into the year ahead. This album is bold, honest, and important – and wrapped up in a truly enjoyable listening experience. (Natalia Perez)
