Here we are again, friends. We've spent another 12 months absorbing all New Jersey music has to offer -- well, some of us have -- and it's time to celebrate all the favorites, from artists who frequent the Asbury Park, New Brunswick and Jersey City bar and basement scenes all the way up to those Garden Staters who are playing the state's biggest clubs and amphitheaters.

These are my 18 favorite New Jersey albums of 2018, and keep in mind that I could only choose 18. There were many more great ones from all corners of the state; feel free to remind me which was your favorite in the comments and cheers to another year well rocked and tons more much to come before we begin the "best of the decade" conversations. Listen and enjoy!

Don't Edit

18. The Rareflowers, "The Rareflowers"

We kick off this year's list with a killer new band currently bouncing around the ever-shifting New Brunswick local scene. Meet The Rareflowers, a jangle-pop trio from the Hub City whose debut self-titled EP was the perfect indie pool party soundtrack when it dropped back in June. The Cars and New Jersey's own Real Estate come to mind with singer Jimmy Maraday crooning beyond his years over these buoyant melodies. I'm already looking forward to the next release.

The must-hear song: "New Generation"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

17. Well Wisher, "This Is Fine"

This record, largely penned by frontwoman and former Dollys drummer Natalie Newbold for her new project Well Wisher, was one of my most anticipated releases of 2018 and this crunchy, hook-loaded debut was just as good as advertised. Pop-punk and emo fans alike will find tracks to love here; "This Is Fine" hits the point hard that listening to someone else work through their own romantic anguish can be a cathartic experience, and Well Wisher is doing happy-sad just about as well as anyone in the Asbury Park scene.

The must-hear song: "I Know Better"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

16. Deal Casino, "LLC"

Deal Casino rocked smarter, not harder this year on the popular Asbury Park four-piece's more subdued new album, "LLC." The group, which started out as a fairly down-the-line pop-rock act, leans on minimalism and stormy art-rock on this record, which is certainly a slow burn until the cresting track "Chocolate Cake" breaks some of the tension skillfully built by singer Joe Parella and guitar/keyboard player Jozii Cowell. It's a smart project from a band testing its limits, like a dangerous animal inspecting its cage.

The must-hear song: "Chocolate Cake"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

15. Hit Like A Girl, "What Makes Love Last"

Hit Like A Girl is a band, sure, but it's also an important member of the transgender community; lead singer Nicolle Maroulis identities as a non-binary artist and uses proceeds from their band to help fund a non-profit organization called No More Dysphoria. Major kudos here, but the heartfelt acoustic rock that peppers Montclair-based HLAG's debut LP, "What Makes Love Last" is certainly worthy of its own praise, too. It's an emotional, pop-infused listen and the addition of violinist Camille Faulkner on the concluding track, "Plan B," adds a warm, thoughtful touch to a list of painful topics.

The must-hear song: "Cold To Be Alone"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

14. Save Face, "Merci"

Let's be real -- most bands that share Save Face's chugging punk-adjacent riffs aren't creating concept albums. But credit is given here to this budding Jersey alt-rock four-piece for penning an ambitious work with 14 pounding tracks and a sense of story that pushes beyond the typical lost loves and sleepless nights. It's an aggressive debut LP from a group with a bit of muscle behind it now at Epitaph Records and if the pain and fury of "Merci" is any sign, I'd expect us to be talking about Save Face for quite some time.

The must-hear song: "Bad"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

13. The Happy Fits, "Concentrate"

Success in music is so often defined by whether a group can create a sound or aesthetic that separates them from all the other kids jamming in their basements. The Happy Fits, based in Clinton, have nailed that aspect on the chugging folk-rock trio's debut LP, "Concentrate" and have enjoyed a huge response: well over 1 million listens on Spotify alone. I firmly believe that if Ed Sheeran recorded some version of Happy Fits' "Achey Bones" or "So Alright, Cool, Whatever," they would be global hits. The songwriting is strong with this young, intriguing band.

The must-hear song: "So Alright, Cool, Whatever"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

12. Nalani and Sarina, "The Circle"

The soulful sister duo Nalani and Sarina Bolton took their time with "The Circle" and it shows. The production on this album is lush and again reminds me so much of Stevie Wonder's melodic choices that I sometimes consider if these women were born in the wrong generation. The lead single "Young and Inexperienced" went viral earlier this year as an epic takedown of how difficult it is for new professionals to get jobs and this pair from Flemington continues to be a New Jersey group to watch. If you can catch them in concert, do so -- they are polished, well-versed and a whole lot of fun to watch.

The must-hear song: "Young and Inexperienced"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

11. Toy Cars, "Paint Brain"

This was my first slam-dunk New Jersey album of 2018: a banner debut from another Asbury Park group to emerge from the state's most vibrant music scene and smack us all in the face. I'd classify this one somewhere in the realm of Philly favorites The Wonder Years, who mostly fall into the pop-punk category but hate to be confined to a single box. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Debenedetti really nails the urgency of this record, which swings big and mostly hits on its heartache. The track "Cold" has been a go-to "belt it in the car" tune of mine all year long.

The must-hear song: "Cold"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

10. ManDancing, "Everyone Else"

So, this is technically a re-release but since I missed this arresting LP upon its 2016 debut -- and you probably did, too -- let's talk about it now. ManDancing lives and dies within the vocal whims of frontman Stephen Kelly, whose affected, deeply pained delivery stretches from Jesse Lacey-inspired emo wails to something that could almost pass as alternative country. This is music for cloudy days and sweaty clubs and basements, where ManDancing tends to play around Montclair and Asbury Park. Props to the group for laying it all out so raw, and toying with dynamics. From beginning to end I couldn't pin down where "Everyone Else" would take me next -- I love that feeling.

The must-hear song: "Stones (again) ((and again))"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

9. Hodera, "Besides"

This new Hodera EP is such a bummer ... in the best way. The Montclair band steeped in melancholy indie-folk and emo has doubled down this time on the heartache and depression that made 2017's LP "First Things First" so moving and poignant, and while there aren't as many inherent singalongs on this six-song cut, it's another powerful installment from a band that knows what it's doing and knows how to punch you square in the gut. If you haven't picked up on Hodera yet -- despite my incessant praising of the band over the last three years -- I beseech you to give 'em a go.

The must-hear song: "For The Best"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

8. Titus Andronicus, "A Productive Cough"

As has been the case for nearly a decade now, you get what you give with Titus Andronicus. Band leader Patrick Stickles has proven himself as a punk-rock savant, and the same eccentricities and delusions of grandeur that made the Glen Rock-native group's 2015 petulant rock opera "The Most Lamentable Tragedy" so terrific again bleed through -- perhaps to less effect -- on this powerful, if not daunting, record. Be warned that four of the seven new tracks clock in over seven minutes a piece, but they are ultimately rewarding, especially "Above The Bodega," where Stickles takes a uniquely simple approach in unpacking his addictions.

The must-hear song: "Above The Bodega (Local Business)"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

7. Charlie Puth, "Voicenotes"

So, pop heartthrob Charlie Puth operates on a different plane than most of acts on this list. His latest hits-laden LP, "Voicenotes," has notched well over 1 billion (with a B) streams on Spotify alone and yielded the Billboard Top 10 smashes "Attention" and "How Long." But there's another side to Rumson-native Puth -- the one that studied at Berklee School of Music and can play the ever-lovin' out of his piano. He wrestles further with his sexy Jekyll and technical Hyde on this second LP and there's plenty of fun here -- and a handful of tunes that will be lodged in your brain longer than you might like.

The must-hear song: "Attention"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

6. Gatherers, "We Are Alive Beyond Repair"

Maybe it's all the road rage, but New Jersey produces a load of terrific heavy music and my favorite scream-tastic adventure this year was put forth by Gatherers, a blooming post-hardcore band from Bayonne who brought in two new guitarists for this third LP and laid yet another seething blueprint for local headbangers to follow. Vocalist Rich Weinberger leaps from the mix, compelling listeners to get up and mosh. If you worship La Dispute and miss the old Of Mice and Men, this one's for you.

The must-hear song: "Every Pain In Monochrome"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

5. Avery Mandeville, "Happy Birthday, Avery Jane"

If you've been puttering around the Asbury Park music circles this year, you've likely seen "Avery Mandeville and The Man Devils" on a lineup at least once. That's no accident, especially since Mandeville's delightfully moody debut LP chants "look at your scene, see I'm what's missing." Any female artist who's ready and willing to mix it up with the guys -- and knock them on their asses -- gets my vote and "Happy Birthday, Avery Jane" is an infectiously fun mix of power-pop with touches of riot grrrl and indie-rock. Keep on keepin' on, Ms. Mandeville!

The must-hear song: "Get Real!"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

4. The Front Bottoms, "Anne"

The Front Bottoms -- New Jersey's hottest indie band for three years running -- never leave their fans hanging for long. There's always something in the works and this year it was a six-song EP called "Anne," the band's second grandmother-dedicated release. It's another sharp cut of tunes, and as members Brian Sella and Mat Uychich have migrated from Bergen County to Jersey City to Asbury Park (where they currently plant their flag), the music has shifted a bit to something more expansive and welcoming of synth and pop melodies. Put another way, the guys aren't making bedroom folk-rock anymore, yet fans can still find songs that feel as though were recorded just for them. "Anne" is at once conversational, energizing and razor-sharp.

The must-hear song: "I Think Your Nose Is Bleeding"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

3. Long Neck, "Will This Do?"

Of all the sparkling local debuts this year -- of which there were many -- the emergence of Lily Mastrodimos aka the charming Jersey City rocker Long Neck has been my most pleasant surprise. If wistful indie-rock is your scene, prepare to fall in love; Long Neck's maiden voyage "Will This Do?" is a confident and refreshingly urgent look at love and loss that I couldn't bring myself to turn away from when I first listened. I expect to be seeing this band open for Courtney Barnett or Lucy Dacus very soon and pray the next release is as good as this one.

The must-hear song: "Mine/Yours"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

2. Brian Fallon, "Sleepwalkers"

As I wrote in my review earlier this year, Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon's sophomore solo album feels, above all else, comfortable in terms of how the artist has settled into this new role and slight genre shift to folksier projects. While the droves of Jersey Gaslight diehards would surely prefer the band got back together for good, many were pleased with Fallon's deft mix of heartland rock, folk and blues -- plus his patented nostalgia-aimed words. The singles "If Your Prayers Don't Get To Heaven" and "Forget Me Not" are worthy additions to a locally celebrated catalog, sure, but let the record play and you'll unearth deeper gems like "Etta James" and "Little Nightmares."

The must-hear song: "Forget Me Not"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

1. Screaming Females, "All At Once"

From the depths of the New Brunswick basement scene they came, more than a decade ago touting a meld of garage-punk, alt-rock and heavy metal that could not be contained by the Hub City there for long. Now, the searing trio Screaming Females tours constantly and this year fans took in the band's greatest work yet: a far-reaching, deeply addictive album called "All At Once." The band has always enjoyed the propulsive shreds and howling voice of frontwoman Marissa Paternoster, but now they seem to truly understand the power they possess, and know how to pace it and whip their fans into true frenzy. Blistering new tracks "Black Moon" and the band's pop-punk entree "I'm Make You Sorry" have kept me wailing along all year. My hearing hasn't been quite the same since the Females' Jersey City show back in February and, for this album, I'm okay with that.

The must-hear song: "I'll Make You Sorry"

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Hear it all in one playlist!

Don't Edit

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.