2018 Albums I Love /CAPS
THESE HAVE WEIGHT. DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEIGHT. THOUGH WHY DENY IT? I’LL START WITH THE HEAVIEST AND WITH TIME ALLOW THE WEIGHT TO FLUCTUATE. THEY ARE LOUD, SOME UGLY, SOME BEAUTIFUL, SOME BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR UGLINESS AND DESTRUCTION, AND ALL A BARRAGE OF SOMETHING. MOSTLY EMOTION. ALSO THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFULLY DISTRACTING ABOUT ALL CAPS.
DAUGHTERS — YOU WON’T GET WHAT YOU WANT
THIS ALBUM IS TERRIFYING, AND THAT’S EXACTLY ITS MAJOR SELLING POINT. THE WAY IT OPENS WITH NOISE IS THE BEST INDICATION OF ITS DEMENTED HEART. WITHIN THE GRINDING SOUNDS IT FINDS SPACE FOR GROOVES AND CREATION. IT’S AN EXPERIENCE, HEAVY AND SOMEHOW BOTH EXHAUSTING AND ADRENALINE INDUCING. IT’S A BEAST THAT CHEWS YOU OUT, TAKING ITS TIME WHILE FURIOUSLY MASTICATING.
LINDA MARTINI — LINDA MARTINI
THIS IS IN ESSENCE A ROCK ALBUM, NO DOUBT, AND THEIR SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF POST-ROCK INDULGENCES ADD EXCELLENT WEIGHT. FULL OF GUTS, EMOTION, MASS AND TIME, IT DOESN’T SHY AWAY FROM IMPACT, RATHER LEANS IN AND USES IT AS AN INSTRUMENT. MOMENTS OF JUST ROCK ALLOW YOU TO BREATHE. THE BEAUTY LIES IN THE FLOW AND HARMONY, AS IT HELPS YOU HOLD EACH BIT OF WEIGHT IT BRINGS.
ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF — DEAD MAGIC
ANNA TAKES HER TIME TO GET TO HER POINT, SLOWLY BUILDING, AND ALLOWING FOR THE MASSIVENESS TO BE FELT IN EACH CENTIMETER OF YOUR BODY. SHE DOES IT SLOWLY SO THERE’S A LOT OF TIME FOR COMFORT AND RELEASE, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ALBUMS I’VE HEARD THIS YEAR, WHILE BECOMING DEVASTATING AT THE SAME TIME. AT MOMENTS HEAVIER THAN BEARABLE, AT OTHERS HEAVENLY.
SCREAMING FEMALES — ALL AT ONCE
THIS ALBUM NEARLY MADE THE “POP” LIST, BUT IT’S THE BEST TO ROCK OUT WITH, IT ENTICES AND MAKES YOU SING .THE PAYOFF IN THE FIRST SONG IS EXTREMELY SATISFYING, AND SHOWS HOW THEY BUILD AND RESOLVE TENSION THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM. IT’S TRIUMPHANT IN VOICE, PLAYFUL IN MELODY AND EMOTIONALLY EXPRESSIVE IN EVERY NOTE AND WORD. EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE A SHOW. THEY BRING IT.
DEATH GRIPS — YEAR OF THE SNITCH
THEY STEP FURTHER OUT OF HIP HOP FOR THIS ALBUM, AND PUSH THEIR OWN BOUNDARIES. THE VOICE IS AN INSTRUMENT, THE SONGS MEANDER WITH DIRECTION. AS ALWAYS THEY’RE AN EXPERIENCE, FULL OF ERRATIC ENERGY AND BALANCING MELODIC CHUNKS WITH RHYTHM AND NOISE. THEY ARE INCESSANT AND HIGHLY ENJOYABLE, THEY PUSH THE SOUNDS, THEMSELVES AND THE LISTENER TO NEW (DARK) PLACES.
TROPICAL FUCK STORM — A LAUGHING DEATH IN MEATSPACE
GROOVES, ENERGY, POLITICS, AND PURE GUTS FOR DAYS. AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, THIS ALBUM FEELS CHAOTIC, EXPRESSIVE, EMOTIONALLY EXAGGERATED, ALL THE GOOD STUFF. IT’S A WHIRLWIND OF LAUGHTER AND ANGER, BETWEEN SLURRING WORDS & LUMBERING INSTRUMENTS, THIS ALBUM BRINGS NIMBLE AND BOLD IN ITS HEART. WITH MOST THE MESSAGES BUBBLING INTO US, IT GIVES ENERGY FOR MASS CHANGE.
