MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2018

IDLES
JOY AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE
PARTISAN RECORDS

IDLES latest album was released in August this year, with the pressure from the massive success of their first album fans were unsure of how the band would top it. Of course they went and created the best album of 2018 and spoke about some pretty hard hitting issues that rocked the world as well. This album is bringing post-punk back into the 'mainstream', debuting at number 12 in the charts and hitting number 8, their message of saving the social values we hold was reaching millions. Saving the NHS and loving one another being shouted at the people over insanely well written instrumental makes the message behind the music as well as the actual music my favourite album of 2018 if not my entire life.

COURTNEY BARNETT
TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL
MILK!, MOM+POP RECORDS, MARATHON ARTISTS

Courtney Barnett released her fourth album in May of this year, 'tell me how you feel' is comprised of beautifully human lyrics and painfully relatable quotes. The album oozes personality and feels more exciting than her previous albums. With stand out songs such as 'Nameless, Faceless' and 'I'm  not your mother, I'm not your bitch' talking about gender inequality and the changes she's faced as she's grown as an artist. Barnett also manages to talk about common, small struggles that have been written about before in a way that sounds fresh and new, it's impossible to not relate to her lyrics.

ARIANA GRANDE
SWEETNER
REPUBLIC RECORDS

'Sweetner' projects the perfect mix of R&B and pop for Ariana Grande's voice. Throughout the album Grande takes a stand against the mainstream and sends an empowering and important message to her young and predominantly female audience. The album features collaborations from A-list celebs Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliot, all of whom fit into the album perfectly. My favourite track from the album has to be 'the light is coming'. This track was the first single released in anticipation of the 'sweetener' album and showed instantly the differences that would define Grande's evolved sound.

BAKAR
BADKID
BASH*

'BAKAR' is the best sound coming out of the DIY scene right now. His debut album comes after a year of multiple successful single releases and sticks to his unique sound while still throwing in a wonderful mix of genres. Bakar set himself the challenge of breaking the stereotype thrown onto him and aims to shatter the preconceptions people may have about his music. If anything shows his confidence, the first track on the album finishes with the repeating line 'if the government calls put my dick in their mouth', absolutely love it.

LYKKE LI
SO SAD SO SEXY

RCA RECORDS

When I went through by brief obsession with Sweedish pop earlier this year I ran into Lykke Li. The album travels through bittersweet happiness and raw sadness, the emotions you're left with emulate those of the album title, so sad but so sexy. The guardian summed up the vibe by saying that her latest album 'so sad so sexy', "has the power to trigger both shape-cutting and existential crises", I have done both while listening to it.  My favourite track on the album is , 'hard rain' starts with simple harmonies and a lone violin which develops gently into a chilled R&B influenced synthy verse which compliments her voice perfectly.