|
The Captain's Collection Top Albums of 2018 10. Keith Urban - Graffiti U Starting off the list is the latest from the 2018 CMA Entertainer of the Year, who follows his 2016 smash Ripcord with another genre-bending offering. While guest features and contemporary pop have found a home in his last few albums, Urban still maintains a connection to the country swagger that elevated him to superstardom. Captain's Picks: "Coming Home," "Never Comin Down," "Parallel Line" 9. Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers - Bought to Rot The Against Me! frontwoman assembled her first side project in years with the Devouring Mothers. Not straying too far from the fabric of her original band, Bought to Rot is a manifesto filled with punk anthems fueled by angst and heartache. Captain's Picks: "Apocalypse Now (& Later)," "Reality Bites," "I Hate Chicago" 8. Leon Bridges - Good Thing We were long overdue for a true R&B renaissance piece, and Good Thing drips soul by the note. Sweet and smooth yet socially conscious, Leon Bridges captivates the listener by pouring his heart out to a backbeat Smokey and Marvin would be proud of. Captain's Picks: "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand," "Beyond," "You Don't Know" 7. Van William - Countries Van William's debut full length album is pure folk pop brilliance. Whether he's enlisting tourmates First Aid Kit or simply churning a plucky sing-along, Countries is one of the more honest modern alternative releases this year that stands out from the crowd. Captain's Picks: "Revolution," "Cosmic Sign," "Taking Love" 6. Matt Nathanson - Sings His Sad Heart Matt Nathanson has been on my "instant purchase" list since 2011's Modern Love, and Sings His Sad Heart is one of his best releases to date. On the surface, it's total pop with a nod to 90s production, yet there's a earnest heartbeat at the very core. Captain's Picks: "Used to Be," "Long Distance Runner," "Gimme Your Love" 5. Eric Church - Desperate Man After 12 years in the game, Eric Church is no stranger to shaking the hornet's nest and giving the finger to the establishment. With deeper roots to outlaw country than his previous efforts, Desperate Man is a raucous autobiography that led to the country album of the year. Captain's Picks: "Heart Like a Wheel," "Some of It," "Desperate Man" 4. Steve Perry - Traces 2018 will forever be remembered as the year Steve Perry reemerged from seclusion and released his first solo material in over 20 years. Inspired by the loss of his partner in 2012, "The Voice" is as harmonically rich and soulful as ever. An ensemble of studio musicians help provide the landscape for Perry's heart to reign supreme once again. Captain's Picks: "No Erasin'," "No More Cryin'," "Easy to Love" 3. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers Four years removed from the last Gaslight Anthem album, Brian Fallon continues to assert his singer-songwriter dominance on the followup to 2016's Painkillers, and it's every bit the masterpiece. For those still longing for a reunion, Sleepwalkers should be enough to satiate even the most devoted fan. Captain's Picks: "Her Majesty's Service," "My Name Is the Night (Color Me Black)," "Watson" 2. The Struts - YOUNG&DANGEROUS This deliberation was incredibly difficult, so much so that I debated on a tie for album of the year. It ultimately didn't feel right and it became evident that this album was toppled by a microscopic hair. Make no mistake - YOUNG&DANGEROUS is absolutely perfect in all its glam majesty, with The Struts defying the impossible and releasing a flawless sophomore effort. Unlike contemporaries that feel like a cheap imitation, The Struts are the real thing, baby. Queen, Bowie, Stones, Slade, you name it - this is the offspring of a long misrepresented generation that will be an equally driving force for generations to come. Captain's Picks: "Primadonna Like Me," "In Love with a Camera," "Fire (Part 1)," "Ashes (Part 2)" 1. Ghost - Prequelle It's 2017 and Ghost are wrapping up their world tour in support of 2016's Popestar EP. In front of a crowd of thousands, Papa Emeritus III is yanked from the stage during the encore as Papa Nihil proclaimed, "The party is over and now a new era begins. The Middle Ages begin now." Through a series of vignettes that followed in the early part of 2018, it's clear that there will not be a Papa Emeritus IV just yet, and the gentleman with the second-most employee of the month awards is now being thrust into the limelight. Enter Cardinal Copia, presumably reserved and perhaps a bit socially awkward, that is until he gets a taste of the riches that entail fronting a band such as Ghost. After the debut of the post-apocalyptic video for "Rats," Copia and the Nameless Ghouls embarked on a world tour and began infesting the modern rock charts. In tow for the trek? The embalmed bodies of Papa Emeritus I, II, and III, but that's a story for another time. Prequelle is every bit as outrageous and decadent as the lineage and live show, yet it's also a defining hard rock album we haven't seen the likes of since the late 80s. Society will look back on Prequelle as the album that brought hard rock back to the forefront through a story still yet to be told in full, and it's the intrigue and unraveling that established Prequelle as the album of the year. Captain's Picks: "Rats," "Faith," "Dance Macabre," "Witch Image," "Life Eternal" |