30. Hermit and the Recluse – Orpheus vs the Sirens: It’s difficult to pin down what exactly Ka’s discography is, the best description I’ve come up with is “historical hip hop”. With albums like The Night’s Gambit and Honor Killed the Samurai, there’s a pretty solid case to be made that Ka has carved out a niche by connecting notable warriors or myths of ancient civilizations to his own personal narrative. His latest effort, Orpheus vs the Sirens, is a collaborative effort with Los Angeles producer Animoss that takes on the legendary Greek musician Orpheus. Its modern day reimagining of one of Western Civilization’s most favorite sets of myth, all retold through Ka’s monotone, lower register. Ka’s one note vocals are the perfect match for Animoss’ lo-fi, retro, beats, both have big enough personality to make their presence known without upstaging the other. If you were ever the type to obsess over Greek myth in middle school (either by way of the Percy Jackson novels, or mid 2000s Angel Fire websites) then you’ll certainly enjoy this clever retelling of these timeless tales.

Notable Tracks: Atlas, Hades, Oedipus

29. Kids See Ghosts – KIDS SEE GHOSTS: Somehow Kids See Ghosts did not end up being the disaster I anticipated it being when it was announced. “Feel the Love” could not have been a better way to kick things off on this project. Pusha T over a muted, minimalist beat could not have been a better choice, especially in the wake of his incredible June (the release of DAYTONA and his GOAT dis track “The Story of Addidon”). Kanye’s ad-libs on “Feel the Love” might just be one of my favorite moments in music in 2018. The forceful, violent, and punchy nature of his “GAK. GAK GAK GAGAK,” is another instance of Kanye taking a prevalent trend in hip hop music (in this instance, rappers ad-libbing gun sounds on their tracks) and turning up to 11 to showcase exactly what you can do with a trend that so often gets derided by unimaginative oldheads. Kudi likewise feels like he’s gotten back to his roots, his singing has taken a major step forward, the humming/moaning tone in his voice doesn’t detract from the track like some of his more recent efforts. I’m so close to loving “Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)” but man, I can’t stand the echoing “FREEEEEE” in the background after every line. In spite of that critique, I love the positive, self-affirmation vibe that this song establishes, especially in light of both artists’ mental health revelations. “Cudi Montage” feels like classic, College trilogy Kanye West, amazing sampling choices, poignant social commentary, and some solid wordplay to tie the song together. If you’re long time fans of Kudi and Kanye, you will find yourself loving Kids See Ghosts.

Notable Tracks: Feel the Love, Fire, Kudi Montage

28. Ephorize – cupcakKe: (NOTE: This album features sexually explicit content, like moreso than most albums I’ll be reviewing. If that’s not your thing, consider skipping this one, thanks!) No matter what I write about Ephorize, I will have not done it justice. To understand what I mean, you have to listen to this album and hear for yourself. All that being said, cupcakKe’s humor, her technical prowess as a rapper, and her mystique as a sentient, sexual, glitter bomb makes her one of the most intriguing rappers in the genre today. On the surface she’ll draw criticisms akin to being an Amy Schumer/Nicki Minaj hybrid (Insert Spongebob mocking meme with text that reads “ShE OnLy RaPs AbOuT HeR VaGiNa!”), to which if that’s your opinion of cupcakKe’s work, I don’t think you’re taking a good faith attempt to listen to her work. While there is plenty of sexually overt content on this project like “Duck Duck Goose” or the LGBT positive anthem “Crayons,” it’s presentation is uniquely in cupcakKe’s voice. Some of my favorite moments on this album are when cupcakKe takes herself to task, like on “Self Interview” as she answers the song’s core question: “Why the [expletive] do I do the things that I do?”. Ephorize is one of the most fun projects of the year, I would challenge you to give cupcakKe a chance to entertain you with this album.

Notable tracks: Cartoons, Duck Duck Goose, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Self Interview

27. Mark Kozelek – Mark Kozelek: Most of what I have to say about this record is a repetition of my thoughts on Kozelek’s 2017 effort, the meandering and philosophical Common as Light and Love are Red Valleys of Blood. I continue to be impressed with Kozelek’s ability to make profound observations in his daily mundane activities. It takes a master of stream of consciousness storytelling to draw a thread from a dim sum lunch with a group of old women to a story about a Nazi occupied town, yet Kozelek pulls it off on the opening track “This is my Town”. For me, the essence of this album can be captured in a lyrical interaction between the songs “The Mark Kozelek Museum” and “Weed Whacker.” On the former, Kozelek has a pair of lines “And I’m on Spotify too, they tell me/My biggest song is ‘Chili Lemon Peanuts’”. It seems like yet another one of those throwaway lines that’s meant to just add texture to the overall album, at least until the track “Weed Whacker” when Kozelek retells a conversation with the following lyrics:

“I said, ‘Yeah, who’s that in the background on the radio, rapping?’
He said, ‘They’re called Sun Kil Moon, the album is called
Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood
You’ve probably never heard of them
By the way, it’s not the radio, it’s Spotify’
And he said, ‘What’s wrong, you look like you’re going to cry’
He said, ‘What’s wrong, you look like you’re going to cry’”

The interaction between these sets of lyrics is so fascinating to me, it speaks to the complex emotions that Kozelek feels towards his fame, the nature of fame in a time where media is more widely accessible than ever (and more disposable as a byproduct), the conflict of pretending not to care about stuff like Spotify streams but the reaction described in “Weed Whacker” suggesting otherwise. There’s tons of awesome interactions like these on Mark Kozelek making for a rewarding repeat listen.

Notable tracks: This Is My Town, The Mark Kozelek Museum, My Love For You Is Undying, Weed Whacker

26. J. Cole – KOD: My opinion on Cole rubber bands back and forth probably more than with any other current rapper. Early Cole is forgettable, Forest Hills Drive is exceptional, the Black Friday collabs crushed it, and 4 Your Eyez Only had a handful of good tracks amongst a series of duds. All that being said, KOD once again demonstrates Cole’s ability to make insightful hip hop without validating the criticism of being too corny. At its core, KOD is an examination of how our interpersonal relationships get corrupted, specifically through our vices. For all of his desire for perfect, authentic relationships, Cole portrays himself as cynical throughout this album. He assumes the worst motivations of people in his life (on tracks like “Photograph” or “The Cut Off”), stemming largely from acknowledging that he can be motivated by his vices (as demonstrated by his wandering heart in “Kevin’s Heart”) and by past trauma (as told on one of my favorite J. Cole tracks “Once an Addict – Interlude”). Presenting all these songs wherein Cole questions the motives of everybody around him (including himself), it’s the making of a bleak tone that hangs over the entire album.

Notable Tracks: The Cut Off, Kevin’s Heart, Once an Addict – Interlude, FRIENDS

25. Vince Staples – FM!: As a person that has never liked the radio, it’s strange that Vince Staples has made me feel a sense of longing for a lionized vision of Kube 93.3 (a Seattle hip hop radio station if anybody from outside of Washington stumbles upon this write-up) that probably never existed. FM! is a tight, twenty-two minute EP that centers around the idea of your local radio station and its role in developing the cultural identity of the neighborhoods that pick up the broadcast. While tracks like “Outside” and “FUN!” are both excellent standalone tracks, I find that the best parts of this project are the wrinkles and details that help establish the illusion of tuning into a local radio station. Things like Big Boy’s Neighborhood checking in with some wacky radio contests, the cheesy mid-2000s DJ sound effects, the seamless mix from track to track, the snippets for new fake singles (side note: I NEED a full version of “New earlsweatshirt – interlude” stop messing with me Vince!), all of these little details help develop an atmosphere your morning radio mix. A lesser artist could have easily flubbed this idea, or could have said nothing really interesting through this creative choice, but Vince’s storytelling through the insidious “Feels Like Summer” (juxtaposing the happy summer vibe that a radio show aims to put out with the dangers of living in a bad neighborhood during the summer) and the forlorn closing track “Tweakin’” shows the well thought out concept and the execution that followed.

Notable Tracks: Outside, Relay, FUN!

24. Negro Swan – Blood Orange: “My eternal resolution will be to do too much” is the central theme that anchors Negro Swan. The refrain is introduced to the listener at the conclusion of the opening track “Orlando,” and much like the image that the album’s title calls to the listener’s mind, it’s an image that feels appropriate to that central idea. While the skits and spoken word portions of the album are focused on this idea of standing out, much of the album plays more comfortably as background music thanks to the soft, melodic atmosphere that is at play; it’s an interesting tension that’s at play through most of the project. Given the title, and the melancholy tone of many of the songs, I would assert the album speaks to the anxieties that many people of color experience simply by existing as a hyper visible body while also trying to blend in. The first time that it feels like Negro Swan breaks out of its shell is on the track “Charcoal Baby” directly after a short spoken word piece about the family you choose; the track pops with a flirtatious guitar riff, soothing synth chords, and of course Dev Hynes’ enchanting vocal performance. Like all of us, “Charcoal Baby” speaks to the desire that all of us have, to have a place to belong.

Notable Tracks: Hope, Charcoal Baby, Out of Your League

23. Historian – Lucy Dacus: There aren’t many stronger album starters this year than Lucy Dacus’s vocal and songwriting performance on “Night Shift”. The forlorn tone to her vocal performance, the ebbing and flowing of the lone guitar, the ever building repetition of “You’ve got a nine to five, so I’ll take the night shift” up to its finality when Dacus’s voice bursts with passion at every syllable. I’m a sucker for tragic love stories, and “Night Shift” is exemplary in the art. There’s plenty more than this lone single that I’m gushing over, “Addictions” feels like a companion piece to the opening track, suggesting that the untimely end to this relationship is not a clean break as you’d be lead to believe on the opening track. The lines “I’m just calling, cause I’m used to it. You’ll pick up, cause you’re not a quitter. You’ve got addictions too it’s true,” almost comes off as playful teasing to her former lover, as if she knows that he’s not capable of moving on either. Dacus’s songwriting is the selling point of Historian, second only to the skilled guitar plucking and smoky vocals you’ll find on tracks like “Addictions,” “Timefighter,” and “Pillar of Truth.”

Notable Tracks: Night Shift, Additions, Timefighter

22. Harutosyura – Haru Nemuri: Haru Nemuri’s music is evidence enough to me that great music is able to break down language barriers. As somebody who knows no Japanese (outside of a few meme phrases that are likely mistranslated anyways), I can at the very least identify what kinds of emotions are being portrayed across the rollercoaster ride of Haru Nemuri’s harutosyura. The track “narashite” illustrates this point the best, particularly the repetition of the line “Narashite/Ima sugu narashite”. This track’s already high energy tone erupts with Haru screaming these lyrics towards the songs end, her voice is full of frustration and words alone could not depict. Haru’s vocal performance is backed by a dynamic band that matches her energy on every track. I have looked for the names of the backing band for the last several months, only to not find an answer, but good lord they can play! Whoever is responsible for the simmering guitar chords the boils over into a wailing solo at the end of the track “harutosyura” or the plucky notes on “rock n roll wa shinanai with totsuzenshounen” deserves as much credit for the high intensity tone that these tracks maintain. Harutosyura makes every moment count, and front woman Haru Nemuri makes the project well worth several listens.

Notable Tracks: MAKE MORE NOISE OF YOU, narashite, harutosyura, rock n roll wa shinanai with totsuzenshounen

21. Brandi Carlile – By The Way, I Forgive You: In spite of it all, Brandi Carlile is somehow able to find it in her heart to forgive. The Washington native singer-songwriter pens songs that are packed with wisdom and perspective far beyond her years on By The Way, I Forgive You. The “you” is an ever changing subject from song to song, and Carlile does an exceptional job of applying this theme of compassion through anguish on the entire record. The most creative application of this is on the track “The Mother” a song dedicated to her daughter Evangeline. It’s a clever take on the story of parenthood wherein she forgives not only her daughter for transforming her life, but also herself for the self-martyrdom she saw motherhood being (I especially love the line “So they can keep their treasure and their ties to the machine/’Cause I’m the mother of Evangeline”). “Hold Out Your Hand,” is a breakout song on this record, I love the switch up between the rapid, muted verses and the explosive, elongated verse complete with that infectious chant! It would be a major oversight on my part to not at least mention the conflicted concluding track, “Party Of One” as she struggles to forgive the flawed person that she notes she’s still in love with after all these years. By The Way, I Forgive You affords its listeners a series of emotionally complex tracks that are worth unpacking time and time again.

Notable Tracks: Hold Out Your Hand, The Mother, Sugartooth, Party Of One