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Spotify playlist is hereIn 2018, I attempted to listen to every new album release, using a website called Album of the Year to track new music. It turned out to be an impossible task, as over 600 albums were released each month, for a total of more than 7500 new albums over the course of the year. I did still manage to listen to over 850 albums, and kept track of my favorites in Google Sheets(If anyone is interested, you can see my top 500 albums in order here.) I spent about 20 hours every week listening to new music, and discovered hundreds of new artists I’d never heard of.I was surprised how many amazing albums came out this year (and presumably every year) that no one seems to talk about. I wanted to share a few albums that I felt were sadly overlooked. These aren’t my top 25 albums, these are just 25 great albums that I want to spread to a wider audience. Hopefully some of them can get the recognition they deserve!1. Ripe – Joy in the Wild Unknown (Released 4/6/18, Massachusetts, US)This was easily my favorite album of the year from the moment I heard it. It’s a light, fun album with straightforward lyrics and catchy grooves. Ripe incorporates rock, funk, soul, and pop into their timeless sound. They’re as accessible as any big name pop rock group, but without the same cliches. I could see them blowing the roof off a festival if they got the chance, but blowing the roof off a dive bar wouldn’t be any less fun to see. If you only listen to one new artist from this list, please listen to Ripe!Standout Tracks: Little Lighter, Flipside, Young Tom Rose, Pedro2. Black Mirrors – Look Into the Black Mirror (Released 8/31/18, Belgium)Of all the incredible female-fronted rock bands to release great albums this year, Black Mirrors’ debut was my favorite. Their music draws tons of influence from the blues and garage rock of the late 60s, as well as its revival in the early 00s, without attempting to replicate either directly. They don’t stick to a single style throughout, but the sound they create is uniquely their own. If you like the idea of Greta Van Fleet, but ultimately think they’re too unoriginal, give Black Mirrors a try instead.Standout Tracks: Funky Queen, Günther Kimmich, Till the Land Wind Blows3. Fantastic Negrito – Please Don’t Be Dead (Released 6/15/18, California, US)His first album already won him a Grammy, and this album has been nominated for another, yet for some reason, few people I’ve met have heard of Fantastic Negrito. If you’re one of those people, that should change. His contemporary treatment of a classic blues and soul sound is a bit more raw, and honestly more creative, than most of his contemporaries. The songs on Please Don’t Be Dead are all over the place, yet the album still holds together as an impressive and cohesive work with lots of relistenability.Standout Tracks: Plastic Hamburgers, A Boy Named Andrew, The Duffler4. Rhye – Blood (Released 2/2/18, Canada)It’s a simple album, but beautiful in its simplicity. The smooth electronic melodies set a perfect backdrop for smokey vocals delivered in a style reminiscent of early XX. Relaxing enough to serve as background music but also interesting enough for a closer listen, Blood was my favorite album of the year to fall beneath the massive “electronic” umbrella of music.Standout Tracks: Taste, Please, Blood Knows5. Emma Ruth Rundle – On Dark Horses (Released 9/14/18, Kentucky, US)On Dark Horses is actually pretty dark, musically and thematically. Rundle’s vocals sound like they would fit with acoustic guitars and other traditional folk instruments, but she instead opts for a relentlessly heavy post rock atmosphere. Her emotional delivery, combined with swirling layers of electric guitars and percussion, make this a powerful album.Standout Tracks: Darkhorse, Races, Light Song6. Red Lama – Motions (Released 2/23/18, Denmark)The psychedelic prog rock on Motions is more subtle than the musical excess of the early 70s, though still just as compelling for fans of the classics. The songs play out through steady grooves rather than grand fanfares, and the vocals lack the soaring falsettos and epic lyrics that characterize a lot of classic prog rock. But the band is just as tight, and extremely talented. This album would be excellent paired with a tab of acid.Standout Tracks: Awakening feat. Bjonko, Post Optimism, Fular7. Stonefield – Far From Earth (Released 4/13/18, Australia)Another of the great female rock groups of the decade, Stonefield is already on their third album, but lack the recognition they deserve. They’re talented musicians with strong vocals, exceptional songwriting, a classic psychedelic sound, and the type of chemistry that only a band of four siblings can achieve. Far From Earth encompasses a dynamic range of musical stylings and influences, and Stonefield kills it on every song. They sound like a band that shares many common musical influences with Jack Black, but (no disrespect to Jables) actually have the talent to make it work without resorting to a comedy routine.Standout Tracks: Far From the Earth, Visions, Through the Storm8. Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main (Released 5/11/18, Canada)Jean-Michel Blais is already a critically acclaimed composer, and this album was nominated for the 2018 Polaris prize. But being a mostly instrumental piano album, it’s not the kind of thing you’re likely to hear on the radio. So if you haven’t heard this album, here’s my suggestion: Draw a bath, get cozy in bed, or however you do. Turn off the lights, put this album on, and just listen to it beginning to end. It’s really an experience.Standout Tracks: Roses, Dans ma main, Igloo9. Earthless – Black Heaven (Released 3/16/18, California, US)Earthless have been turning out solid psychedelic hard rock albums for over a decade, though until now their work has been largely instrumental. Their first album to feature vocals throughout is a masterpiece, partially because they obviously don’t need a singer to create great music. You can tell that the vocals on this album were written with intention, not to be highlighted in their own right, but to complement the instrumentals. Though the band themselves would probably disagree, adding bluesy vocals reminiscent of Deep Purple or Motorhead finally makes the band sound complete.Standout Tracks: Electric Flame, Black Heaven, Sudden End10. Circles Around the Sun – Let It Wander (Released 8/17/18, US)Obviously I have a thing for psychedelic jams, but this album is different in that it draws influence more heavily from jazz than from rock. While each song is a journey and experience in its own right, the album is also accessible enough to put on in the background without turning too many heads. The songs on this album are pretty long, but never sound pretentious or self-gratifying. It’s easy enough to get lost in this album that by the time it’s done you haven’t even realized the time has passed, and you might be tempted to just play it on repeat.Standout Tracks: Immovable Object, Halicarnassus, Electric Chair (Don’t Sit There)11. LAUREL – Dogviolet (Released 8/24/18, England, UK)Laurel’s music sounds like it could have been written for pop radio, but the songs are generally more understanded and lack any grandeur. The Florence Welch-like richness of her voice carries the album with its emotional delivery, but the synth-heavy instrumental arrangements add a lot to each song as well. Fans of London Grammar will probably enjoy this album.Standout Tracks: Life Worth Living, Adored, Sun King12. The Blue Stones – Black Holes (Released 10/26/18, Canada)First there were the White Stripes, then the Black Keys. The Blue Stones could easily complete the trifecta. They tend to be a bit heavier than either of the former, but no less catchy or groovy. Black Holes is surprisingly consistent for a debut album. There’s plenty of room for growth, but it sets a high standard for future releases to live up to.Standout Tracks: The Drop, Black Holes (Solid Ground), Be My Fire13. Novo Amor – Birthplace (Released 10/19/18, Wales, UK)In a lot of ways, Novo Amor sounds like he’s trying to be the next Bon Iver. Both artists employ a light and airy falsetto, and both experiment by pushing the boundaries of indie folk. But Novo Amor’s music is different and unique enough to recognize that he’s got plenty of talent in his own right. Birthplace showcases a broad spectrum of emotions, with plenty of interesting instrumental arrangements that go beyond the indie folk cliche of acoustic strings.Standout Tracks: Birthplace, Utican, Seneca14. Valley Maker – Rhododendron (Released 10/12/18, Washington, US)There are a lot of layers to Rhododendron. The songs have detailed instrumental arrangements, poetic and reflective lyrics, hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies, and melodies that get stuck in your head (in a good way). It’s frank and bare, which makes it instantly relatable. If indie folk is your jam, you might find this among your favorite albums of the year.Standout Tracks: Light on the Ground, Rise Up, Wonder15. Fewjar – Gamma (Released 5/25/18, Germany)On the surface, Gamma is a damn good synthpop album. On a deeper level, it’s still a good synthpop album, but with a lot of musical depth. Fewjar incorporate a lot of diverse stylistic influences that make this a solid album beyond just the danceable songs. Like all good pop albums, it has darker and more introspective moments as well. The album shifts tone frequently, but never loses momentum.Standout Tracks: Skeleton, Gamma, Treasure16. Demonauta – Temaukel, the Spirit Before Time (Released 8/13/18, Chile)Demonauta is like a psychedelic biker gang of swamp monsters travelling through time and space to bring you the crunchiest, bluesiest metal this side of Hell. If you like dropping acid and fighting demons with alien weaponry, this album could be your personal soundtrack. They may not have the most original sound, but they have an abundance of talent with which to pull it off.Standout Tracks: Sons of Black Sun, Blues para Angela Loij, Psilocybeat17. Joey Pecoraro – Music for Happiness (Released 4/6/18, Michigan, US)Music for Happiness sounds like Joey Pecoraro went into a coma in 1945, woke up 70 years later in a recording studio full of computers, and immediately started making music. The album is full of samples and sound bytes that conjure images of a smokey lounge in interwar Europe. It’s the perfect combination of downtempo and jazz. If you chill out to Tycho, Emancipator, Little People, and Nujabes, add Joey Pecoraro to your playlists.Standout Tracks: Don’t Be a Fool, I Think I Am Falling in Love, Play It Again18. PEALS – PEALS (Released 5/11/18, Germany)If you fear the death of rock music; if you hate Imagine Dragons; if you grew up on rock radio in the 90s and 00s – check out PEALS. They play straightforward rock music with no pop production gimmicks. They’re not making huge strides in musical innovation by any means, but their songs are catchy and memorable. Compared to other album releases this year, PEALS stands out as almost a novelty for their basic guitar-bass-drums approach to alternative rock.Standout Tracks: Radiation Safe, The Tenant, The Salvation and the Power19. Say Lou Lou – Immortelle (Released 10/26/18, Australia/Sweden)These are the daughters of Steve Kilbey, lead singer of the Church, but even if you aren’t a fan of the Church you should give Say Lou Lou a chance. Their style is similar to the indie bands of the 00s – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Santigold, Tegan & Sara, etc. You can hear the influence of the 80s on this album, but also a ton of originality. Even their cover of Under the Milky Way sounds completely different, though it does make me wonder if the family sang this together in the car Step Brothers style when they were kids.Standout Tracks: Ana, All Love to Me, Under the Milky Way20. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – King of Cowards (Released 9/28/18, England, UK)This album is heavy as fuck. I realize it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But if your cup of tea is actually a cup of whiskey because you’re not a punk ass bitch, you should listen to Pigs x7, if for no other reason than because of the awesome band name. But also because it’s one of the best metal albums released this year.Standout Tracks: GNT, Thumbsucker, Cake of Light21. Kadhja Bonet – Childqueen (Released 6/8/18, California, US)This album is weird and artsy, but the more I listen to it the more I like it for that very reason. Kadhja Bonet obviously has more talent in her pinky toe than I have in my whole body. She flawlessly combines musical styles to create a brand new sound that draws equally on psychedelic and R&B, but with a healthy pinch of whatever else she feels like. Each song is a unique experience, which makes the whole album infinitely relistenable.Standout Tracks: Delphine, Wings, Mother Maybe22. Bombino – Deran (Released 5/18/18, Nigeria)A great singer-songwriter is a great singer-songwriter, even if they don’t speak your language. He’s toured around the world and released several albums before this, but Bombino still doesn’t get the sort of mainstream attention he deserves. If you like expanding your musical pallet, even if you don’t speak Tamasheq, you should give this album a listen (and maybe look up the lyrics). It’s got enough elements of blues, rock, and folk to be accessible even if you typically prefer western music styles.Standout Tracks: Imajghane, Tehigren, Tenesse23. Le Trio Joubran – The Long March (Released 10/12/18, Israel)I never imagined I would love Palestinian oud music until I heard this album. I had to immediately go listen to Le Trio Joubran’s entire back catalog. They’re mostly instrumental, and the few vocals are in a language I can’t understand, but this music just moves me on a whole other level. It’s expressive, emotional, and performed with expert precision. If you don’t frequently listen to non-western music, this is worth a listen or twelve.Standout Tracks: The Long March, The Hanging Moon, Our Final Songs24. Rainbow Kitten Surprise – How To: Friend, Love, Freefall (Released 4/6/18, North Carolina, US)It seems like Rainbow Kitten Surprise is starting to gain some traction, but apparently aren’t significant enough to merit a Wikipedia page yet, and I’d like to see that change. Not only was this among my favorite albums of the year; not only did I play Fever Pitch on repeat all summer, but this was the best concert I saw in 2018 as well. This band absolutely kills it in every aspect – lyrics, songwriting, musicianship, and onstage theatrics. It’s hard to classify their style, as they effortlessly jump from folk to hip hop to rock within a single song, but there’s almost nothing to dislike about this band.Standout Tracks: Fever Pitch, It’s Called: Freefall, Hide25. courtship. – Denial in Paradise (Released 5/11/18, California, US)There’s a soft spot in my heart for bouncy, overproduced indie pop. It can be cheesy and cliche, but when it’s done right, nothing puts me in a better mood. Courtship. generally doesn’t stray far from their comfort zone, but they have a knack for catchy hooks, and in this case that’s enough. It’s a fun, summery album that doesn’t really make you think or challenge you as a listener. Not every album needs to be Dark Side of the Moon.Standout Tracks: Nice Guy, Warm Waters, Bad Fun via /r/listentothis http://bit.ly/2R4jpTI

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