The albums that meant so much to us in 2018.

Twelve months ago, the following 50 albums did not exist.

They may have lived, in some shape, in the minds of their creators. They may have been partly scratched out on iPhones and notepads. They might have been completely recorded, mastered and pressed, ready for delivery to record stores and streaming services.

But a record doesn’t live until the artist passes it over to us. Until we hit play that first time. Until we obsess over it, tell our friends, play it at parties, play it for our partners, our children and for those we connect with on social media.

These albums become new companions. Sources of comfort, sources of joy. Physical and digital artefacts we turn to when searching for solace, a jolt of energy, a moment of reflection. Or when we just want to hear something beautiful. Something that makes our heart beat faster, our stomach flutter and our grins widen.

Every single year, we gush about what an incredible 12 months of music we’ve been blessed to enjoy. And we will continue to do so. Because music is important. Albums are important.

These 50 meant a lot to us, and there have been many others released in 2018 that we hold dear as well. Just like there are many that strongly connected with you that didn’t make this list. Tell us about them. Always. We seriously care about this stuff. Thank you for sharing.

As the year comes to an end and you reflect on what’s transpired, this guide might help you to soundtrack those thoughts.

Whether you’ve had a great 2018 or you’re willing a cruel year to end, we hope you get as much out of these records as we did. And that you’re ready to do it all again in 2019.

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50. Oh Pep! – I Wasn't Only Thinking About You...

Melbourne’s Oh Pep! have made an accomplished, consistent and classy second album.

All sounds a little bit boring, right? But every word of that is on point. It’s accomplished and consistent in its writing, arrangements and playing.

Olivia and Pepita have natural chemistry. Guitar, string and drum parts serve each song with depth, avoiding overloading or overplaying. The class is written all over the ten songs.

Listen to Olivia’s range on ‘Up Against The World’. It’s so effortlessly assured and just one impressive moment of many.

Working from a folk music heart, but extending naturally into straight and smart pop and rock, is much easier said than done. But that they’ve done, and a timeless and world class album is the result. – Richard Kingsmill

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49. Cash Savage & The Last Drinks – Good Citizens

Cash Savage & the Last Drinks’ Good Citizens was a record borne from frustration and anger, a record released at a time of great change, where people who’ve traditionally done poorly are trying to do better.

Good Citizens cuts through the good intentions and gets real. The songs aren't all about anger and frustration; there’s tenderness in the evocative ‘Sunday’ and the sorrowful ‘February’ and resilience in the glorious, celebratory ‘Found You’.

All the while the band lay down strong, jagged, atmospheric and ultra-Australian post-punk just as well as any other band in the country. – Dan Condon

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48. Blood Orange – Negro Swan

Negro Swan opens with a car horn impatiently honking. It places you on the street. A thickening heartbeat pounds in your ears. This turns into ‘Orlando’’s steady, luxurious beat, framing a tale of childhood bullying.

Throughout this fourth record, Dev Hynes, aka Blood Orange, guides you through various settings, delicately weaving innocence and beauty with striking pain and anxiety, and doing so with lightness and sensuality. This keeps us at arm’s length from the experiences, making his reflections on identity, homophobia and racism seem like a series of dream sequences.

Diddy adds an unusual openheartedness in ‘Hope’ and transgender activist and author Janet Mock delivers some woke ruminations.

It’s an album haunted by displacement and difference but because these tales feel like loose threads, Hynes never feels trapped within these emotional confines. – Caz Tran

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47. Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain

The sound of certain voices can immediately connect. They’re a mainline to the heart-strings. Courtney Marie Andrews’ singing harks back to outlaw country pioneers of the past, bringing with it a sense of lilting nostalgia. But she also writes with a potent empathy, curiosity and need to set things right in the modern world.

May Your Kindness Remain has a grand scope, replete with strings and grand choirs aplenty – sprawling and ambitious production for the Americana genre – yet these flourishes only punctuate and never distract from a very powerful collection of song narratives.

Courtney Marie Andrews is a truly gifted songwriter you can tell is in it for the long haul and the potential energy is immense. – Henry Wagons

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46. Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending

Always Ascending sees Franz Ferdinand's signature guitar jams take a backseat to 80s inspired synth-pop gems.

Frontman Alex Kapranos told Double J that he always loved the synthesised dance music of 808 State and Giorgio Moroder and in the early Franz days he tried to mimic it by playing his guitar in a robotic style.

While they’ve produced some seriously big riffs over the years, this album is all about synth. It opens with the super catchy title track before moving into the seductive Dr Who-inspired ‘Lazy Boy’. ‘Finally’ has a great singalong moment towards the end and ‘The Academy Award’ is a slow ballad channelling Nick Cave in the verses and David Bowie in the chorus.

The production is clean, and the drums are crisp. There’s plenty of sweeping synths and stomp-your-feet guitar breakdowns.

If Franz Ferdinand have dropped off your radar over the last few years, they’ll win you back with their fifth studio record. – Gab Burke

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45. Abbe May – Fruit

You wouldn't have expected an album like Fruit from Abbe May half a decade ago. Back then, the sound of the Perth favourite was evolving, but this wasn't where we'd suspected she'd end up.

Fruit sees May dive headfirst into sleek modern soul. She's always had soul, but only flirted with the genre in the past. Here you can sense the influence from across the gamut of the genre, both modern and vintage.

It’s also deeply personal, with short, oblique confessionals addressing love, coming out and internalised shame.

We won't go so far as to say she's found her ultimate sound, as one of May's greatest gifts is her versatility. But this sure does sound like it could be her at her best. – Dan Condon

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44. Thom Yorke – Suspiria

It seems like it was only a matter of time before Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke scored a film. Who better to soundtrack a remake of ‘70s cult horror classic Suspiria, than an artist who’s spent the last 25 years making emotional, goosebump-inducing music?

Yorke’s score is eerie and unsettling, perfectly capturing the film’s tension and its dreary, wintry palette with a broad mix of styles and sonic tapestry.

Among its cinematic, orchestral pieces, the highlight is ‘Suspirium’, a sparse arrangement of flickering piano and Yorke’s haunting falsetto. It wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead record.

It’s a long, sprawling and moody listen, and a reminder that Yorke has so many more sides to share with us. Listen with the lights on, because it’s spooky as hell. – Luanne Shneier

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43. Mia Dyson – If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back

If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back, as a title, may not easily roll off your tongue, but the songs within are arguably Mia Dyson's catchiest and most memorable.

It's a record about progress and taking risks. The vocals are often gentler, but the choruses big and rewarding.

Mia eases up on the gritty guitars, using them sparingly and for more dazzling effect. The vibe is soulful, without being soul; 80s classic-rock radio feels like a clearer touchpoint. Writing with husband and poet Karl Linder yields some of her most compelling lyrics ever.

They explore self-doubt, the need to feel comfortable with failures and successes, and embracing the unknown. To quote the record's powerful opening cut, there's no end to being scared. But being vulnerable doesn't make you weak. Take a risk. Failing isn't a waste of time. Don't be a fool. Be scared. And be free. – Ryan Egan

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42. DJ Koze – Knock Knock

What do you get when you take unbeatable instinct for groove and melody and place it in the hands of one of the most delightful oddballs in music today? Knock Knock by DJ Koze.

It's a veritable rabbit-hole of classic disco and soul, forward thinking electronica, folk and spoken word, delivered with a kind of charmingly wry German deadpan that you can't help but smile at.

It's not often I find myself truly surprised by music but, listening through Knock Knock, I genuinely never knew where it was going from one track to the next. – Stephen Goodhew

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41. Crepes – In Cahoots

When Crepes visited Double J, they admitted that they don’t really eat a lot of crepes.

They also admitted to liking classic rock. They said The Doors, and especially the light, Latin-infused keyboards of Ray Manzarek, are a solid touch point for them. You can hear it a little on this excellent record’s opening cut.

They refused to be drawn on how their own song about riding a bike – the jaunty and jangly ‘Bicycle Man’ – compared to other bicycle songs in the pantheon. I think it’s one of the better ones.

They also have a great song about ‘Dark Demons’, but we didn’t talk about what that song means. Which I regret because it seems to be about hattricks and spanking. I might be wrong. – Ryan Egan

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40. Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie

Matthew Houck, the US musician who records as Phosphorescent, made us wait five years for his new album.

But there’s a lot to be said for not rushing and it’s that unhurried nature of his music which provides great rewards and emotional depth on C’est La Vie, his seventh album.

Much has changed in Houck’s life recently. He’s happier, married with kids, living in Nashville and making music in a home-built studio filled with vintage equipment.

C’est la Vie feels reflective and celebratory, questioning and thankful. The songs are new but feel instantly familiar, like running into a long lost friend and instantly reconnecting.

There’s shades of Paul Simon, kosmische, classic Americana, and psych-tinged indie, but nothing feels derivative. Just distinctly Phosphorescent and very, very classy. – Karen Leng

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39. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex and Food

Following up his most successful record to date, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson did what only he could do: transfer his interior sense of alienation to his new record.

Sex and Food might initially sound hotchpotch and keep you at arm’s length, but it’s an album that rewards repeated listens. It unravels and gets under your skin.

For all the distortion, compression and oddity Nielson applies to his songwriting, he is, at heart, incredibly talented at coming up with pop hooks.

He throws R&B, psychedelia and scuzzy rock into the mix and makes it work, and songs like ‘Hunnybee’ will get stuck in your head for months on end, reminding us again of his weird genius. – Zan Rowe

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38. Joan As Police Woman – Damned Devotion

From the title Damned Devotion, you know this album is going to be dark and brooding.

Joan As Police Woman doesn’t disappoint as she bears her soul with vulnerable tracks throughout this melancholy journey, from the stripped-down '70s feel of ‘Warning Bell’ to dramatics of ‘The Silence’ and ‘Valid Jagger’.

Full of killer tracks like ‘Tell Me’, ‘Talk About It Later’ and ‘Silly Me’ the lyrics of their fifth album go deeper, exposing deep cuts formed in relationships and facing those hurts head on.

Joan continues to combine her passion for soul and rock music to deliver a theatrical masterpiece. – Wendy Saunders

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37. Sarah Blasko – Depth Of Field

You could argue that Sarah Blasko is writing the best pop songs of her career right now.

Depth Of Field, is an examination of “the darkness of monogamous relationships”. Of the things that often happen behind closed doors, the infidelities, the weakening of bonds and the other messy stuff that doesn't make it to Instagram.

Blasko's words are strong, and her arrangements – generally sparse with droning, atmospheric instrumentation – feel both intimate and grandiose in a very modern way. Lorde's Pure Heroine album has a comparable sound and feel.

Trends change and often artists don't, which means they can stagnate and end up delivering less interesting facsimiles of their earlier work. Depth Of Field is new proof that Blasko is still pushing into new and exciting creative corners. – Dan Condon

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36. White Denim – Performance

Here’s the perfect soundtrack to your summer holidays, White Denim’s seventh album Performance. It’s perfect for that cruisy road trip, a day at the beach or just a lazy Sunday barbie in the burbs.

It’s full of hooks built around a driving classic rock sound with a bit of funk/pop and possibly – don’t be nervous – even some prog chucked in. I hear nods to T-Rex, The Beatles and more than a few references to classic 70s rock. All in a good way.

The production is awesome, and clever song arrangements burst with energy on every track. Every track is a winner, but start off with ‘Magazin’, ‘Performance’ and ‘It Might Get Dark’ and go from there. Songs to chuck laps to. – Phil McKellar

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35. Lucy Dacus – Historian

If you’re not gripped by the first line of Historian, you may have a malfunction.

How could you not want to listen to someone with a voice like hers, singing words like ‘The first time I tasted somebody else’s spit, I had a coughing fit / I mistakenly called them by your name, I was let down, it wasn’t the same’?

Historian is both deeply personal and poetic. Dacus’ voice is flawless, her hooks are fist-pumpingly strong, the production full of clever embellishments, but still feels understated.

It’s just brilliant songwriting, performed and presented perfectly.

An album that will no doubt grow in stature and influence as the years and decades pass. – Dan Condon

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34. Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love

‘What's Chasing You' drew me into Make Way For Love, the second full-length solo album from New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams.

The song shines a light on what we are all running from and running towards – our demons and love.

You can feel that Williams wrote this album after a break up, the intimate lyrics reflect this as Marlon says he ‘gives shape to the struggle'.

Although the album is melancholy, the addition of ex-partner Aldous Harding on ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore' makes you believe there is always still hope. That everything is going to be alright. – Wendy Saunders

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33. serpentwithfeet – soil

There’s something familiar about soil. I can hear the ingredients, but what serpentwithfeet has created sounds completely new.

It’s pop, it’s soul, it’s R&B, it’s gospel; it’s none of those, it’s all of them.

This album is direct and intensely personal. There’s a real tension with the way the vocals sit within and above the stripped back instrumentation – it reminds me of silk in water – not part of, nor separate, from its environment.

This is a perfect late-night album if there ever was one. – Liza Harvey

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32. Paul Kelly – Nature

Paul Kelly is Australia’s Godfather of Song. His music has seeped into our cultural fabric. The next generation of songwriters are already soaking in his work through the school curriculum. He will be the next Banjo Patterson.

He has produced songs of such insight, depth and intellect so consistently, that even on this album of what he describes as ‘offcuts’, there are many moments of master songcraft. He can’t help it.

‘With the One I Love’ harks back to the classic 80s oz-rock jangle which he helped create. And who else could do musical justice to Dylan Thomas poem ‘And Death A Shall Have No Dominion’?

Despite this kind of diversity across the album, the songs hang together so naturally. – Henry Wagons

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31. Neko Case – Hell-On

Neko Case turns her luck around with her self-produced album Hell-On. From her house burning down while recording ‘Bad Luck’ Neko shows her resilience on this album with raw and emotive songwriting.

Having made music for over 20 years with effortless charm, this gifted storyteller builds suspense and releases tension taking you on an aural rollercoaster.

Pivoting across harmonies and melodies, Neko’s vocals soar, bridging the divide of the great range of life’s experiences, with songs like ‘Oracle of the Maritimes’, ‘Last Lion of Albion’ and the title track.

Listen to the album before Neko returns to Australia in March for shows and festivals including Port Fairy Folk Fest and Blue Mountains Music Festival. – Wendy Saunders

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30. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer

The past two Father John Misty albums, Pure Comedy and I Love You, Honeybear, had such epic ambition. They were bold and twisted, full of imposing, convoluted melodies and grand, self-mythologising statements. And they worked, almost a little too well.

Trouble is, Josh Tillman was getting completely consumed by the monster of his own creation. He placed his music on such a lofty pedestal, his songs lost a sense of the personal.

Just in time, God's Favourite Customer lets me reach out and touch this great songwriter again. ‘Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All' is so immediate. ‘Please Don't Die' is so present and disarmingly insecure.

Just as I was worried Father John Misty would completely lock us out of the sermon, he's delivered an album which points us straight to the pew in the front row. – Henry Wagons

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29. Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth

After spending more than a decade playing sideman to other musicians and known in jazz and hip-hop circles, Heaven and Earth was the record that saw Kamasi Washington cross over into mainstream success.

Clocking up more than two hours, this is an album to get lost in. From the swirling, triumphant punch of ‘Street Fighter Mas’ to the gospel-infused sounds of ‘Testify’ and ‘Journey’ it’s a record that’s musically dense and, for us folks who aren’t jazz buffs, it’s fun and approachable too.

It’s also political. Hearing two vocalists repeat ‘Our time as victims is over. We will no longer ask for justice’ on album opener ‘Fists of Fury’ packs immense power. Washington’s message of love and healing is exactly what we’ve all needed in 2018. – Caitlin Nienaber

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28. Cat Power – Wanderer

It’s such a gift to have new music from Cat Power in 2018.

Alongside her well-documented personal struggles, we seen her go through so many captivating musical phases throughout the years; the electronic euphoria of Sun, the Memphis flavour of The Greatest, those angst-ridden early albums and so many places in-between.

Wanderer is stripped back and earthy, often just Marshall’s voice accompanied by piano or guitar. And there’s something so feminine about it.

Lyrically, she sings about motherhood and womanhood but there’s a warmth and vulnerable strength to the way these songs feel and sound.

On this, her 10th album, Chan Marshall has firmly established herself as an artist whose work truly captures the stages of life and I get the feeling we’ll be hearing from her for decades to come. – Caitlin Nienaber

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27. Space Invadas – Wild World

This Space Invadas record hums with an electric energy, the product of the playful chemistry between two long-time collaborators: beatmaker Katalyst and crooner Steve Spacek.

Spacek has stumbled upon a secret in recent years; when you're making stuff, it's best not to overthink it. Work quickly and from the heart because the first idea you have is usually the best.

Easy to say when you've been at it for a long time, but that's the reward for years of creative experimentation. Just make the thing, then leave it alone. If you labour too hard, chances are you'll see diminishing returns.

His immediacy brings the album to life, and Katalyst holds it down while moving through his beat making playbook - with particular attention this time to paying homage to the vocal-flips and sonic habits of late J Dilla, whose influence looms large on many of the album's most loose-jointed rhythms. – Tim Shiel

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26. Beach House – 7

Given this is Beach House's first record in a decade without producer Chris Choady onboard, one might imagine 7 to be something of a departure. The truth is, it's not a huge leap for the Baltimore duo, but thanks to the sheer quality of its songs, it feels like a progression nonetheless.

Tracks like ‘Girl Of The Year' and ‘Lemon Glow' stand up as some of the best songs the duo have given us across their 12-year career.

More esoteric moments like the pulsing, semi-choral ‘L'Inconnue' and stunning, seven-minute long ‘Last Ride', see the band continue to push themselves into interesting new territories in terms of sounds and arrangements.

Beach House have offered us another dense, bleak pop record, ready for you to sink your teeth into. – Dan Condon

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25. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino

‘I just wanted to be one of The Strokes,’ Alex Turner sings in the lead track ‘Star Treatment’. The following line, ‘Now look at the mess you made me make’, puts you on notice for a huge change of sonic scenery for Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys.

There were indications of a band recasting themselves on 2013’s AM, but I’ll admit it took me a fair few listens to latch onto the languid, late night Vegas band vibe that Arctic Monkeys project on this most leftfield of turns. But once you’ve crossed the threshold, there’s no turning back.

Each song is a chapter, inhabited with its own curious characters and occurrences that take you deeper into eerie tales embedded in 60s and 70s cinematic sonic inspirations. The urbane charms and versatility of Turner’s voice are front and centre, as is the delightful collision of his lyrical images.

And, of course, you hear a band very much at ease with generating a creeping groove, setting a restless but enticing vista. Crisply narrated and refreshing in delivery, well worth checking in for an extended stay. – Caz Tran

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24. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics

Just like on previous album Blank Project, Neneh Cherry feels present at all times on Broken Politics: every song feels true and unflinchingly in-the-moment.

Whether expanding on personal narratives or making political observations – often in the same breath – Neneh gives of herself generously and without second thought.

She might come off a little raw but never disingenuous or flippant, and this immediacy is exactly what I want from her.

I get the sense she makes music the way she lives: generously, with a presence and confidence acquired over a life surrounded by family and friends. I don't want her to overthink it, I just want a direct line to her thoughts and experiences and that's what I feel like I get on this album.

Neneh Cherry has learned how to translate a life lived – all of those memories, emotions, thoughts and connections – into the direct moment, communicating without artifice, which is a rare and precious thing. Four Tet continues to prove to be the perfect collaborative foil with his light touch and spontaneous approach to production, on an album where nothing feels laboured. – Tim Shiel

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23. Emma Louise – Lilac Everything

For any artist already two albums in, reinventing yourself is no easy task, but for Emma Louise, it happened almost by accident.

Towards the end of her third album's initial recording sessions, Louise asked producer Tobias Jesso Jr to pitch down her vocals on a track they were working on.

The effect was so striking that the entire album was reworked, giving us not just Lilac Everything, but Louise's new alter-ego, Joseph.

It's impact on the record isn't hard to see, lending a heightened sense of weight to an already quietly heartbreaking record.

Standing out in a sea of break-up albums isn't easy, but on Lilac Everything, Emma Louise makes it look utterly effortless. – Stephen Goodhew

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22. Pusha T – Daytona

Pusha T is now 41-years-old. And, if you assumed his best days were behind him, you probably weren’t alone.

But his 2018 mini-album Daytona came in like a pocket-rocket, a sharp, 20-minute, seven-track belter that was so good that it even rose above the noise that his uber-famous producer Kanye West was making around the same time.

Push raps hard here. He still spits about drug-dealing, just with more wisdom. He’s very much leaning into his new life as an elder of the game.

Love him or hate him, Ye’s production is astonishing. For a guy with such a big personality, he still knows how to let the music speak loudest.

In a monumental year for quality hip hop; here, an old favourite gives us one of the best examples of how it should be done. – Dan Condon

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21. Middle Kids – Lost Friends

Is it possible for Middle Kids to write anything but a great song? Their solid debut album Lost Friends suggests perhaps not.

The Sydney trio had me hooked after their first single ‘Edge Of Town' two years ago, and every track they've released since has proved they're destined for big things.

Each song on the album stands up brilliantly in isolation; 12 sonic treats full of slow-building intensity, soaring choruses, and Hannah Joy's strong, honest vocals.

They're the type of indie-rock jams that instantly feel familiar, intended for winding down the windows on road trips and belting out at the top of your lungs. – Luanne Shneier

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20. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar

Young Fathers make music that's concise but not empty. It's urgent but considered. It's noisy but crystal clear in its integrity and sense of intent.

To be honest, they are a band that largely defies any kind of reductive “it's this but it's also that” cliché, but I guess what I'm getting at is that I love music that has the courage to try and be more than one thing at a time.

Young Fathers exist to compel the rest of us to make music that is bold and strange in its ambition, but remains open, decipherable.

They make adventurous decisions, but the door is always open; this isn't ‘difficult' music, it doesn't necessarily require ‘unpacking'. Take the time to dig in however, and you'll be rewarded. – Tim Shiel

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19. U.S Girls – In A Poem Unlimited

Something tells me U.S. Girls (American-Canadian artist Meg Remy) prefers 'fame' in lower case.

Musically, album number six is her most versatile, accessible and fun. Driving funk, fearless disco and five variations of pop come together with confidence and clever production. Fun (in a wickedly adult sense) skronky sax and sleazy wah wah come on slow, like a detached, desperate striptease. Or fast, like a ‘70s cop chase.

While it won't suit everyone, I love Remy's expressive, slightly whiny, vibrato heavy style. Lyrically, she tackles dark subject matters centred around abuse: domestic (‘Incidental Boogie'), political (‘M.A.H.') and environmental (‘Rage Of Plastics'). Most won't reveal themselves on first or even second listen.

Without the budgets and brand power of her pop contemporaries, U.S. Girls is an intriguing project that deserves to fly above the radar. – Dorothy Markek

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18. John Butler Trio – Home

Pushing aside difficult thoughts for another day (or month, or year) is entirely relatable. On his most personal and powerful album, John Butler faces his demons – and years of anxiety – head on.

Butler took a new (read: solo) approach, tinkering on his laptop anywhere, anytime rather than in the studio with his trio.

His bandmates and producer were then called on to weave those new sounds and production techniques with his expressive voice and virtuosic guitar skills. The songs speak of love for his wife and a confronting journey to self-discovery and redemption.

This may sound masochistic, but it’s exciting to see an artist you admire go through a creative renewal, albeit spurred on by painful catharsis. – Dorothy Markek

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17. The Presets – HI VIZ

Forgive me for saying that six years on from their last release, The Presets were a little out of sight, out of mind for me.

Then, suddenly – with the trickling release of the singles ‘14U+14ME’, ‘Do What You Want’ and ‘Downtown Shutdown’ – they were right back in my orbit again.

Somehow capturing the shambolic joy of an accidental big night out with friends, HI VIZ is a dazzling, technicolour collection of what the band themselves have coined 'rave nuggets' and 'pub techno'. They sound like ridiculous descriptors, but they’re bang on.

This album has brought me unbridled joy since its release. A soundtrack for whenever I need a smile on my face, a wiggle around the kitchen, or a night out. – Gemma Pike

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16. Mitski – Be The Cowboy

Mitski is the kind of singer that makes you want to turn her up, sing along loudly and feel how she feels.

On fifth LP Be The Cowboy she once again lets it all hang out and, damn, it’s a great, gutsy album.

On single ‘Nobody’ Mitski reflects on loneliness with ‘I don’t want your pity, I just want somebody near me’. This from a singer whose star and fanbase continue to rise.

It illuminates Mitski’s understanding that great songs flower from deep emotions. – Karen Leng

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15. Gabriella Cohen – Pink Is The Colour of Unconditional Love

Gabriella Cohen is some kind of time lord. She's created a wormhole between the sensibility of great 60s pop and the echoes that bounce off the concrete floor of modern day Australian garages.

The jangle of her guitar remains upfront, with an almost unaffected rhythmic drive, while her knack for a bold lyric ushers you through her ventures through love, loss and the trials of the music biz.

A brave time signature choice proves effortless and natural in ‘Mercy', while ‘I Feel So Lonely' sounds like it could have been dragged straight from a Motown hit factory.

Gabriella Cohen is a songwriter still exploring the throw of her talent and already hitting her full stride. I'm excited that she has so much left in the tank. – Henry Wagons

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14. Noname – Room 25

In a year dominated by astonishing records from big forces in hip hop, Noname – a 27-year-old Chicagoan beat-poet – might have made the best rap record of the year.

The personal is political, and Noname knows it. This record covers racism, misogyny and violence. It covers sex, relationships and feelings of inferiority. Noname goes big in terms of subject matter and the ambitious, wordy way in which she covers it. And she pulls it all off magnificently.

The record hits lofty topics without losing any of its groove. If her words were trash, this record would still sound great. But with lyricism as evocative as hers, a mind so sharp and a flow so precise, Noname is in the right spot to become a genuine hip hop hero. – Dan Condon

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13. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo

You’ll be hard-pressed to find better mood music for your summer hangs than this. Shimmering guitars hang comfortably in warm air, washed-out coos and ahhs melt atop soul-affirming and appropriately dusty rhythms.

Khruangbin’s pool of influences has grown beyond the outfit’s initial roots – music found on a Thai funk blog – to include nods to music of many countries across many decades, from the proto-zouk of ‘Evan Finds The Third Room’ to Persian guitar phrasing sliding into ‘Rules’.

When, halfway through the album, two Iranian women can be heard figuring out how to pronounce Khruangbin, their voices feel perfectly at home.

While Khruangbin might be snuggling under their matching wigs into a cool winter in Houston over the silly season, we’ll be here, listening to this record while flipping snags and vegan patties, dipping our feet into kids pools and running under sprinklers – observing strict water restrictions where necessary, of course. – Tim Shiel

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12. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death In Meatspace

As a massive fan of The Drones I was always going to be keen to take in Tropical Fuck Storm's debut album. I thought I was going to listen to it as an extension of The Drones' work.

What I wasn't prepared for was how I would go on to listen to this with a completely new energy and perspective, identifying and appreciating the input of each band member.

There is a searing urgency to A Laughing Death In Meatspace. Probably because it was written and recorded in a mere seven months. Filled with the sort of acerbic wit only Gareth Liddiard can muster, this is the most essential, moody, pulverising, funny, off-key, venomous Antipodean post punk album of the year. – Gemma Pike

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11. Jon Hopkins – Singularity

English electronic producer Jon Hopkins makes epic, immersive albums of wonky techno woven with blissfully quiet moments of melodic introspection.

Singularity, like his 2013 break through LP Immunity, is best listened to from start to finish. It's the perfect soundtrack for stargazing or long road trips as Hopkins brilliantly knits gorgeous piano tinkling, ambient synth washes and dance floor bangers.

Lead singles ‘Emerald Rush' and ‘Everything Connected' bring on an ecstatic high, while ‘Echo Dissolve' and ‘Feel First Life' capture stillness and peace in his first collaboration with a choir.

Singularity is a meditation on our interconnectedness as humans in a fractured world. We all began in a moment of mystery with The Big Bang and Singularity feels both of this world and deeply spiritual at the same time. – Karen Leng

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10. Christine And The Queens – Chris

Chris feels like the arrival of Christine & The Queens. It’s bold, it’s unapologetic and it’s here.

This album oozes charisma and confidence, and I can’t wait to see it live.

You may have seen footage of the intensely choreographed, sexy and theatrical performances she’s currently touring via social media. It just looks exactly how I hear this album.

Chris is my most listened to album of 2018, and it’s one that I’ll keep coming back to for years. – Liza Harvey

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9. MOD CON – Modern Convenience

Modern Convenience is an album that I don't just want to listen to, I kind of want to live in it. Because it sounds like MOD CON are having a hell of a lot of fun: the songs, the way they play their instruments, it all gives this album a real element of fearlessness.

There's something incredibly compelling about this setup. There's space and every instrument gets to shine.

Those steely basslines, the fervent guitar licks, and immediate drum fills are only topped by Erica Dunn's vocals, like the sweetest of cherries on top of a very delicious sundae.

Modern Convenience feels fresh and surprising and delivers one hell of a punch while doing it.

This was my introduction to MOD CON; I adore this album and can't wait for the next. – Liza Harvey

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8. Robyn – Honey

When you wait eight years for a record, there’s a heck of a lot of anticipation.

And when Honey first dropped, I liked it. But I didn’t love it.

Then I listened again. And again. And again. Once more, I was reminded of the power of one of the great pop songwriters of our time.

Robyn doesn’t make smash pop songs that burn as quickly as they spark. Her songs of raw emotion and yearning open up over time and solidify their place on dancefloors for the decades to come; anthems for our own heartbreak.

With Honey she does it again, a master of her craft making me feel the heady feelings of love, loss and resurrection, once more. – Zan Rowe

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7. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs

I’m in a Datsun, flying. On a coastal highway. Hope Downs on loud. ‘Talking Straight’ kicks in, again. Sounding fresh after a dozen times through. Maybe more? Gumtrees blur.

Summer’s yellowed paddocks are an unbroken river to my right. The ocean winks at me over the hills as I drift. The chorus arrives, I’m wondering where space originates. There’s lots of space here. I’m in Australia. On the mainland.

I’ll need a cappuccino soon. Its time. I wonder if she is driving somewhere too. The magpies see me coming as the band push on. Where will this record take me next time? I can’t wait to find out. Sometimes I wish I could paint. – Ryan Egan

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6. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel

As despondent, pensive guitars gave way to Courtney Barnett's opening line on ‘Hopefulessness', ‘You know what they say, no one's born to hate, we learn it somewhere along the way, take your broken heart, turn it into art', I knew I was hooked.

A sweet tune like ‘Need A Little Time' feels like a long overdue sigh, ‘I'm Not Your Mother, I'm Not Your Bitch' is an angry stomp, while you'll get a chuckle from the clever line in ‘Help Your Self': ‘You found inner peace, in the inner north east'.

It's an album of intriguing introspection and scenarios that had me absorbed for what wasn't said as much as what was. It left me with a sure sense of the grace and strength of Courtney Barnett in the face of all that she really feels. – Caz Tran

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5. Mojo Juju – Native Tongue

Stories are important. Old stories, new stories, different stories. They need to be told, to be heard, to be discussed, and eventually to be understood. It’s the only way we all grow.

Mojo Juju – the Melbourne based artist who’s been on the scene for well over a decade – has dug deeper for these stories than ever before. And what an inspired and solid collection of songs resulted from that process. Her Aboriginal (Wiradjuri) and Filipino heritage is unique, but uniqueness also equates to difference.

She wrote this third solo album for her younger self, remembering how void these stories were from her own experience. She’s grown hugely as an artist by sharing her stories, and as a listener, so have I. – Richard Kingsmill

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4. IDLES – Joy As An Act of Resistance

Joy as an Act of Resistance is my album of the year. I’m not a 30-something Englishman dissatisfied with the state of the nation, yet I feel it all. And more importantly, I believe it. There’s always a degree of showmanship in rock’n’roll, even punk, yet on Joy… every word rings true.

It’s visceral, poisonous, vulnerable and heart breaking. Simultaneously wry, cheeky, hilarious and, I can’t resist, joyous. It’s growling, spitfire vocals on top of urgent, thundering rhythms and searing guitars. It’s the best lyrics l’ve heard in years... ‘If someone talked to you / The way you do to you / I'd put their teeth through / Love yourself’.

It leaves me tense yet happy every time. – Dorothy Markek

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3. Gurrumul – Djarimirri

Gurrumul's posthumous record hits you right in the feels. The combination of the late singer's golden voice with orchestral music is simply breathtaking.

The ambitious project took four years to make and features some of Australia's finest classical musicians, who apparently struggled with the complexity of some of Gurrumul's arrangements.

Released at the same time as a documentary film about Gurrumul, this album takes you gently by the hand and invites you into one of the world's oldest surviving cultures.

It is playful (‘Djolin (Musical Instrument)'), sad, (‘Marrayarr (Flag)'), and, above all, instils in the listener a sense of hope, (‘Gäliku (Flag)'). A parting gift from a rare musical talent; listen to it on a long drive through a glorious Australian landscape. – Gab Burke

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2. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Yes, this is Janelle Monáe's most personal work. A work of emotional, spiritual and sexual directness. But it's not just for her.

By weaving her frustrations, desires, convictions and self-doubts into a musical landscape that's both enticing and inventive, you are drawn into the conversation with her and ultimately, with yourself.

Prince's influence is present throughout this record, but so too was Janelle guided by wisdom from another mentor, Stevie Wonder, in ‘Stevie's Dream'. ‘Don't let your expressions even of anger be confused or misconstrued. Turn them into words of expression that can be understood by using words of love.' – Caz Tran

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1. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

When an artist pumps out as much material as the guys in Parquet Courts have managed over the past half-decade or so, the concern is that the ideas aren't filtered enough. Effectively, we're getting quantity over quality.

That hasn't been the case for the band so far, and that mercifully doesn't change with their sixth record Wide Awake!

In fact, this may be Parquet Courts at their best yet.

'Total Football' is an outstanding opener. The band's familiar brand of taut post-punk propels Andrew Savage's eloquent diatribe about the benefits of working together, making it both thought provoking and pogo inducing.

'Swapping parts and roles is not acting but rather emancipation from expectation,' Savage hollers at the song's close. ‘Collectivism and autonomy are not mutually exclusive'.

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It's one of many tracks on Wide Awake! that would have easily slotted into just about any of the band's previous records seamlessly. Tracks like ‘Almost Had To Start A Fight / In And Out Of Patience', ‘NYC Observation' and ‘Extinction' all feature the charming slacker-rock vibes that drew us to the band in the first place.

‘Mardi Gras Beads' sounds like America covering Pavement, while, mercifully, ‘Freebird II' is more Elvis Costello than it is Lynyrd Skynyrd.

But it's the subtle sidesteps that take the record from being just another good Parquet Courts album to something that pushes the band to new highs.

Moments in songs like ‘Normalization' and ‘Violence' bring to mind the glorious 90s New York City cut-and-paste funk/rock/hip hop that artists made artists like JSBX and Beastie Boys sound so fresh.

The cinematic soul of ‘Back To Earth' – perhaps the biggest outlier on the album – mightn't be the band's finest moment, but it still connects. While the title track has an early 2000s dance-punk groove the likes of which we haven't heard from the band before.

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Danger Mouse's presence in the producer's chair is no cause for concern. Much like the way Mark Ronson brought the best out in Black Lips on Arabia Mountain in 2011, Danger Mouse doesn't want Parquet Courts to be anything but themselves. That's the thing with producers of this calibre, they're smart enough to know not to impose too much of themselves

His touch is crisp but gentle. There's been some ironing out, some subtle massaging, and perhaps some inspiration in terms of groove and new approaches, but Wide Awake! remains true to the, admittedly increasingly broad, vision of the band.

Parquet Courts are one of the best bands in the world right now, and records like Wide Awake! are a welcome reminder that they have no shortage of ideas to ensure they keep their standards high. – Dan Condon