The 2018 Albums Of The Year

Another tumultuous year has seen musicians trying ever more disparate ways to comment on our times or simply distract us from them.

Established acts have delivered career-best work whilst others have completely confounded us (here's looking at you Jack White.) Previously unknown acts have also shot straight up to the Round Table of brilliance and Wolf Alice deservedly won the Mercury Prize.

There's also been tragedy: Mark E Smith, Scott Hutchison, Avicii, XXXTentacion, Aretha Franklin, Mac Miller and Pete Shelley will be sorely missed and remembered through great music. Wild Beasts, Spring King and High Tyde called it a day but the former left us with a cracking live album.

After squabbles, in-fighting and more shuffling than a Vegas casino I present the best albums of 2018:

25. Soccer Mommy - Clean

24. Drake - Scorpion

23. Estrons - You Say I'm Too Much, I Say You're Not Enough

22. Dream Wife - Dream Wife

21. Iceage - Beyondless

20. Black Honey - Black Honey

19. Maribou State - Kingdoms In Colour

18. Metric - Art Of Doubt

17. Shopping - The Official Body

16. Fickle Friends - You Are Someone Else

15. Kanye West - Wyoming (Ye, Kids See Ghosts, Daytona, Nasir and KTSE)

14. Brockhampton - Iridesence

13. Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises

12. The Nude Party - The Nude Party

11. Boy Azooga - 1, 2, Kung Fu!

10. Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer

9. The Magic Gang - The Magic Gang

8. Mattiel - Mattiel

7. Don Broco - Technology

6. Shame - Songs Of Praise

5. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears

4. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

3. Idles - Joy As An Act Of Resistance

2. Matt Maltese - Bad Contestant

1. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

I must mention the heart-achingly beautiful MTV Unplugged releases by both Biffy Clyro and Gang Of Youths which are stunning pieces of work. Also, Graham Coxon's soundtrack to the amazing Channel 4/Netflix drama The End Of The F***ing World needs a mention as well as smashing soundtracks to two of the best films of the year: Black Panther (curated by Kendrick Lamar) and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

Lots of albums and artists hard done by not to have made the top 25. Huge shout outs to great releases by: Mac Miller, Christine & The Queens, Parcels, Suede, Ezra Furman, Bodega, Sunflower Bean, Goat Girl, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Lykke Li, Snail Mail, Zeal & Ardor, Courtney Barnett, Confidence Man, Marmozets, The Spook School and Young Fathers. A huge mention as well to Car Seat Headrest's Twin Fantasy which would be mixing it at the top of the list were it not technically a re-release.

There's also been some stonking EP's worthy of mention which should be followed up next year by some 2019 Album of the Year contenders: Calpurnia, Yonaka (twice!), No Rome, The Candescents, Mini Mansions, Lost Under Heaven, Boygenius and One Inch Badge signings Swoon. Expect to hear a lot more from all of these in the next 12 months.