Alex's 2018 So Far...
Albums that I've been digging this year so far with some quik thoughts |
| 1 |  | JPEGMAFIA
Veteran
4.5 [Glitch Hop/Industrial Hip Hop/Experimental Hip Hop]
DAMN PEGGY. Veteran is an album that is as discombobulated as it is enthralling. The Maryland based rapper is a jack of all trades; rapping, producing, mixing, and mastering the whole album, and it certainly shows, because if he wasn't so in-tune with the jittery backdrop that is this album's beats... it'd probably sound like trash (inb4 "it sounds like trash anyways"). Quite easily my album of the year right now.
Favorite Track: "Baby I'm Bleeding" |
| 2 |  | Turnstile
Time and Space
4.1 [New York Hardcore]
I'm not the biggest hardcore guy by any means, but Time & Space is just littered with great riffs and catchy hooks. The album is short as hell too, which makes it an easy album to come back to over and over again.
Favorite Track: "I Don't Wanna Be Blind" |
| 3 |  | Rolo Tomassi
Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It
3.9 [Post-Hardcore/Mathcore]
Wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but it's some pretty epic shit. The heavier side of this album reminds me of BTBAM but without the ADHD in a way, and the softer side is pulled off just as well.
Favorite Track: "Alma Mater" |
| 4 |  | Shirt
Pure Beauty
3.9 [Hip Hop]
Not sure why this has such horrible ratings on here and rym, did he touch some kids or something? I don't get it. Not the most attention grabbing rapper in the world, but there's some funny lines on here. The production has a unique quality that I can't really describe. It's kind of off sounding but in a good way. The outro was about five minutes too long though omg.
Favorite Track: "FLIGHT HOME" |
| 5 |  | Cut Chemist
Die Cut
3.8 [Experimental Hip Hop/Turntablism]
As of now I'm the only person who's rated this on the entire site, which is really weird considering it's one of the best hip hop albums of the year. It's sort of like The Avalanches' Wildflower except the rap features on here are actually worthwhile. The two tracks Laura Darlington appears on are quite something.
Favorite Track: "Rhythm Method" |
| 6 |  | Nipsey Hussle
Victory Lap
3.7 [West Coast Hip Hop/Trap Rap/G-Funk]
Wasn't expecting this to be any good but I was pleasantly surprised. Nipsey's voice can get a little grating but his lyrics captivate enough to keep the album (about an our long) from feeling filler-filled. Plenty of good hooks on here as well. Beats are modern sounding but still undeniably west coast (think Kendrick's "Compton"). Speaking of Kendrick, he has a pretty nice feature on here.
Best track: "Dedication" |
| 7 |  | Dabrye
Three/Three
3.6 [Boom Bap/Abstract Hip Hop]
I'm like halfway through a review for this so not gonna say anything rn okay okay
Favorite Track: "Fightscene" |
| 8 |  | U.S. Girls
In A Poem Unlimited
3.5 [Neo-Psychedelia/Psychedelic Pop/Art Pop]
I like this. It's catchy. I listen to this while lifting. Yeah.
Favorite Track: "M.A.H" |
| 9 |  | Hanz
Plasty I
3.5 [Glitch Hop]
Don't really know what's going on here but it's a great 'headphones-in-a-dark-room' EP.
Favorite Track: "Your Local Shapeshifter" |
| 10 |  | A.A.L. (Against All Logic)
2012-2017
3.4 [Deep House]
I'd probably like this a lot more if it was like 20-30 minutes shorter... I have a short attention span when it comes to electronic *Digging: The Future Sound of London - Lifeforms* okay maybe not all the time but yeah. I love the first three tracks though, maybe if I listen to the album starting from the middle I'll like it more. Yeezus samples are cool I guess...
Favorite Track: "I Never Dream" |
| 11 |  | Skyzoo
In Celebration Of Us
3.4 [East Coast Hip Hop/Jazz Rap/Conscious Hip Hop]
Pretty old-head sounding as a whole but I find this album quite endearing. Skyzoo's lyrics absolutely fail to keep my attention on just about every level for some reason, he doesn't switch up his flow at any point in the album, there's like one rap feature, the album is 71 minutes long, but he makes up for all of it by having an amazing voice. He also likes to do that thing that Eminem does where he gets some random person (usually a female) to sing like half the hooks, but they're executed here way better than Eminem ever did (except on "Love the Way You Lie" ofcourse). Production is quality all around. 10 minute outro track is quite engaging as well.
Favorite Track: "Love is Love" |
| 12 |  | Jeff Rosenstock
POST-
3.4 [Power Pop/Indie Rock/Singer-Songwriter]
Jeff Rosenstock does what he does best on POST-, and that is being Jeff Rosenstock. |
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