Favorite Albums of 2018 (That Doesn’t Include Lullabies)

My 2018 Year in Music

I love listening to music. And not the kind of listening to that happens while you are doing something else. The kind where you are in the dark with headphones on getting lost in new sounds type of music. This is how I always did it. If this was any other year, it would have been easy to make a favorite albums of 2018 list.

Then we had a baby.

She changed everything. I went to 2 concerts this year. I listened to lullabies more than anything. (And now I have another idea for a blog).

This year was by far the fewest albums I have listened to in the age of streaming. However, I listened to some really great ones.

Favorite Albums of 2018

Best of lists are silly. No way can any anyone or even any group listen to every release and make a best of list. All lists are practically favorite lists.

So here are my favorites in no particular (except for my favorite)

• Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love: Beautiful albumt that continues their streak of great releases. Pitchfork was right in that this was the best Smashing Pumpkins release of last year including the Smashing Pumpkins release of last year

• Mitski – Be the Cowboy: Great pop that constantly lulls you into thinking you know whats coming than confounds your expectations.

Jeff Rosenstock – Post- : For most of the year, this was my favorite album. The fact that it came out on January 1st made it even more special. Righteous anger with great punk-pop hooks makes this an album for the ages.

Jeff Tweedy – Warm: The album’s title perfectly encapsulates Wilco’s frontman’s first true solo album. A perfect companion to his memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back).

Mount Eerie – Now Only: A brilliant companion piece to his 2017’s A Crow Looked at Me. Both are devastating, yet truly uplifting, explorations of songwriter’s Phil Elverum’s grief over the losing of his wife not long after the birth of their daughter. Yes, it’s sad, but his story does have a happy ending.

Favorite Album of 2018

Mount Eerie (after)

Mr. Elverum released this live album last year after the release of A crow Looked at Me but before the release of Now Only. This live recording, from a concert in a Norwegian church, combines both albums. It’s a strange experience especially when you realize the applause inbetween songs are bascially cheers for grief. The fact that it was recorded in a church, with all of it’s empty spaces, allow for the music to fill in every corner. Everytime I listen to it, I look at everything I have and remind myself how grateful I am.