Best Albums of 2018: 1-10

We’re down to the best ten albums of 2018 according to Messed!Up’s two Swedes with questionable music taste if you ask our Germans. It has been rough and at times violent when we compiled the list but after a few beers, a bottle of glögg and too much Swedish pepparkaka we made it.

Let’s get what’s obvious about this album out of the way first; Matthew Murphy’s trademark whip-smart lyrical paw prints are all over this thing. Melodically, “Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life” is as catchy and hook-drenched as any of their previous releases, and in some cases, most notably “I Don’t Know Why I Like You But I Do” and the excellent “Lemon To a Knife Fight”, it is pure magic. This record boasts a sonic depth from start to finish that I’ve only caught glimpses of in the band’s previous work and is obviously a sign of growth and maturity.

*****

The falsetto vocals are still there, so are the funk beats, as well as heavy bass lines. But compared to the debut four years ago, the songwriting have really developed. The whole record is much more fully realized and cohesive. I really loved “The Heat” but did not find the rest of that album live up to that song, but at “For Ever”, the songs are more even. Heights like “Heavy, California” and “Happy Man” are though super high. They have already reached far outside the indie scene (maybe they have never really been part of it) and it seems like Jungle will get the recognition they deserve. 

*****

Post-punk for the 2010s has had a remarkable last couple of years. TRAITRS combine the classic sound of post-punk with darkwave and strong lyrics about pain, horror, hurt and sadness, creating an emotional turmoil that if not controlled leads to severe depression. It takes some great song-writing skills and Shawn and Sean-Patrick have those skills to recreate the magic of genre pioneers. Although “Thin Flesh” is a beautiful journey into the dark minds of TRAITRS, nothing on the scene this year can afford to go up against “The Lovely Wounded”. Just listen to the pain and hurt of the vocals! Read our interview with the lads.

*****

Pale Waves have really released a great album. The singles leading up to the release did for sure promise a lot, and, thank good, the album lives up to the hype. From opener “Eighteen” (one of my 18 month old son’s favorite track of 2018) to “There’s A Honey” and “Television Romance”, the record is stacked with great songs, in a weird place, genre-wise, between indie rock, Taylor Swift pop, and Cut Copy-synths. Manchester have really produced another great band!

*****

Most bands stop to progress after three or four albums and struggle to find something fresh to their signature sound. IAMX and Chris Corner is the opposite; every new album is an additional piece in the story of IAMX, and “Alive in New Light” is a masterpiece. Although Corner is really a one man band, writing, recording, playing and producing all the tracks, he had some help from tattoo artist and musician Kat Von D who’s dark voice fuses perfectly together with Corner’s high pitched vocals. And there’s nothing this year that has such an emotional intensity as their duet in “The Power And Glory”. Light a few candles in the dark night and put it on – magic! Read our interview with Chris Corner.

*****

Ever since they released their debut in 2013, CHVRCHES never lost touch with the humanity that’s at the core of their music. Heavily weighty with fiery doom and gloom, Lauren Mayberry and the boys master the art of creating a great set of electronic pop songs, enough cheesy to be played on radio but with a darker, gloomier undercurrent that attracts niche listeners as well. Just listen to “Get Out”, “Miracle”, “God’s Plan” and “Never Say Die” and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.

*****

Talk about leveling up. Previous records have been good, but “Clean” is something else. The lo-fi-feeling is still there but the songwriting is more complex, but still direct and gripping. This is the first studio produced album from Soccer Mommy, but it has not changed the feeling. Opening track “Still Clean” is almost a whisper, only guitar and vocals, but the melody is so good. The whole record sounds like it’s been digged up in an 90’s excavation; Sophie Allison sounds like the 90’s better than most artists from that decade. “Your Dog” is one of the best tracks, along with “Skin”. But every single track is great, it’s definitely one of the best records all year. 

*****

There’s no music producer that can make those beats that come out of Liam Howlett’s studio, it’s the heaviest, most diabolical and brutal breakbeats you can hear, and it’s consistent through their albums. I didn’t listen to any singles before they released the album because I wanted to have a clear mind the first time I listened to it, and when I put it on the decks it just happened to be “Fight Fire With Fire” that blasted through the amplifier, a completely killer breakbeat track and the 2010th decade continuation of 1994’s “Poison”. Once again, it’s a sonic petrol bomb that makes you feel like you’ve been set on fire, and once again The Prodigy have proved nobody does it better.

*****

Brighton has produced lots of great bands over the years. From Huggy Bear, via Electrelane, The Kooks and British Sea Power, to a new generation with Blood Red Shoes, Messed!Up favorite Yonaka and, especially Dream Wife. They have put out not only one of the best debut record of the year, but basically one of the best records, period. “Let’s Make Out” is just an explosion of distorted guitars and power, combined with Rakel Mjöll’s unique vocals, “Fire” is a hit disguised deep in the distortion, and “Hey Heartbreaker” will kick you in the head. Hopefully they will dare to keep evolving along the trajectory of the record, instead of steering towards more over-produced sound which many bands seem to do after one or two records, we need bands like Dream Wife!

*****

There’s no.1 albums and there’s super no.1 albums just turning up every tenth year, becoming a classic album already during its release year. Australian DMA’s caused quite a stir already with their debut album and were embraced by Liam Gallagher himself. But it’s nothing to their sophomore album “For Now”. New ground is being broken and it’s hard to ignore a sense of consistency and feeling that something’s very special is about to happen with DMA’s. I really can’t see the Oasis references as most music critics do, it’s simply much better than Oasis. Just listen to “Dawning”, “Warsaw”, “Do I Need You Know?” and “Emily Whyte” – it’s pure pop perfection! Read or interview with Johnny.

 

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About J.N.

Music researcher with an unhealthy passion for music and music festivals. Former studio owner, semi-functional drummer and with a fairly good collection of old analogue synthesizers from the 70's. Indie rock, post rock, electronic/industrial and drum & bass (kind of a mix, yeah?) are usual stuff in my playlists but everything that sounds good will fit in.
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