Clash continues its Albums Of The Year 2018 countdown.

Miss Part One? Try HERE.

Without further ado, here's Part Two...

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25. Buddy - Harlan & Alondra // FEATURE



Buddy’s own approach when recording ‘Harlan & Alondra’ was again centred primarily around collaboration and fun. To facilitate this process, he first enlisted a live band, comprised of players like Brody Brown, Mike & Keys and Roofeeo, and then rented a range of instruments with which they “made a bunch of noise.”

Next up was a trip to the toy store. “I went to Toys R Us and spent $300 on toys,” Buddy says, deadpan… “I’m not just making music. I’m enjoying this time and creating memories with my homies. We are making this together: it’s not just my album, it’s our album.”

Grant Brydon

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24. Leon Bridges - Good Thing // FEATURES



‘Good Thing’ is dripping with self-assurance. The cultivated dynamics of Leon’s voice, honed after three years of constant performing, are confident and engaging, particularly on the suggestive ‘Shy’, which also introduces this intriguing sexuality that exudes throughout ‘Good Thing’ - a facet hitherto unexplored by the self-confessed shy loner.

Simon Harper

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23. Kamasi Washington - Heaven And Earth // REVIEW



Heaven and Earth’ is an album with soul jazz, spiritual jazz, jazz-funk, electro-soul and many more genre-busting approaches incorporated across 16 wondrous pieces, aspects of free rhythms nestling next to vintage seventies soul sounds, all evolved effortlessly for the 21st Century.

Gareth James

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22. Octavian - SPACEMAN // REVIEW



All too often, critics look to immediately define a new artist’s sound. For South East’s Octavian, some have called it, grime, some trap, others drill. In reality, the London MC should not be defined - ‘No way they can categorise me’ he projects on new project SPACEMAN. And he’s not wrong. In a time of frustrating repetitiveness in the UK scene, Octavian is riding his own wave and he doesn’t care what you think about it.

Angus McKeon

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21. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS // FEATURE



KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Kanye West’s collaborative album with KiD CuDi - was the third release in a series of five G.O.O.D Music albums released across the summer. Its ingenuity and fragmentation made it feel like a creative mixtape, providing a reprieve from the intensity of ‘Ye’.

Patrick Fennelly

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20. Noname - Room 25 // REVIEW



Even if the delivery is often delicate, the record’s deft lyricism is arresting and unflinching, exploring themes of police brutality on ‘Prayer Song’ and terminal illness on the impeccable ‘Don’t Forget About Me’, while firing the haters a stinging retort on ‘Self’: “Y’all still thought a bitch couldn’t rap, huh?” ‘Room 25’ should find few protesting.

Lee Wakefield

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19. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer // REVIEW



'Dirty Computer' captures the plight of today's outsiders who are fighting back, forming the world to be. Monáe is 10 steps ahead, past the Trump era, embracing the robot-utopia that gives hope to an unprejudiced and equal world. She´s already there - now the rest of us have to catch up. Chris McGowan

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18. Ariana Grande - Sweetener



There was a lot of pressure on 'Sweetener', Ariana's third album, which followed the terrible events in Manchester in the summer of 2017. But seemingly Miss Grande rose to the challenge wholeheartedly; releasing the aptly named single ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ in June, it became a smash hit within hours and we’re still twirling to it now, not to mention the incredible 00’s era style video that came with it - all visuals (and album artwork) running upside down.

Only three weeks later she released another summer smash ‘God Is A Woman’ cementing her as the new princess of pop. By the time the album itself released she needed to fully show off those vocal licks, opening the album with a stunning a capella version of the Four Seasons ‘raindrops’. Not to be over shadowed by a year of dramatic personal events she’s already working on album No.4, from which certain singles have already released.

Thank u, next, bitch...

Rob Meyers

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17. Helena Hauff - Qualm // REVIEW



With ‘Qualm’, Helena Hauff has created the record we both wanted and needed. It’s a statement of romantic infatuation amongst an otherwise hash, twisted and raw landscape. A glance into the past and a look to the future. There is nothing apologetic about this record, and that’s what makes it so great.

Andrew Moore

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16. Tirzah - Devotion // REVIEW



Taking inspiration from Al Green, Barry White and D’Angelo, produced with her long-term friend and collaborator Micachu, Tirzah manages to create a warped ‘90s R&B record with a soulful core and enough electronic dissonance for the modern age.

Lois Browne

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15. Shame - Songs Of Praise // REVIEW



Shame have completely blown the competition out of the water, producing one of the most thrilling, intoxicating, ludicrously entertaining British guitar records in an age… In context and execution, ‘Songs Of Praise’ is one of the most daring, scorching, seethingly intelligent, and at times downright funny British guitar albums to come our way in years.

Robin Murray

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14. Cardi B - Invasion Of Privacy // FEATURE



While there was a lot of pressure on Cardi B’s official debut album, thanks to the success of her history making breakthrough single ‘Bodak Yellow’, the Bronx native had no problem delivering. Cardi’s irresistible personality bleeds through her music, she proves to be impressively diverse and unafraid to push herself into new spaces musically.

Grant Brydon

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13. Drake - Scorpion // REVIEW



Absorbing ‘Scorpion’s 90-minute run time in one sitting is a big ask, but the ratio of good to bad here is impressively in Drake’s favour… As listeners cherry pick the tracks that fit their version of Drake, and these songs infiltrate clubs and playlists, ’Scorpion’ won’t be disappearing any time soon.

Grant Brydon

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12. Jorja Smith - Lost & Found // REVIEW



It’s the first full length album from a young creative brimming with ideas and promise. While ‘Lost & Found’ doesn’t feel like Jorja Smith’s magnum opus, it’s a brilliant first draft.

Lewis Lister

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11. The Internet - Hive Mind // NEWS



The group's new album 'Hive Mind' is a deliciously funky return from the future-facing outfit.

Robin Murray

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Miss Part One? Try HERE.

Stay tuned for the final 10 albums tomorrow (December 18th)...

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