On the docket this week:
Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Jorja Smith, Father John Misty, Oneohtrix Point Never, Chief Keef, Pete York and Scarlett Johansson.
Yes, Scarjo.
KIDS SEE GHOSTS — Kanye West & Kid Cudi
Old-school Cudi meets the best of new-age Kanye. The latter basically running/swimming circles/raps er laps around every other producer in the game today. His consecutive multi-week streak of albums is shaping up to be THE musical achievement of 2018. To power rank the trilogy so far, in order of personal preference: DAYTONA, KIDS SEE GHOSTS, ye.
Lost & Found — Jorja Smith
THAT VOICE!!! If only the by-turns slow-jazz and alternative-pop producing matched the prowess of her pipes.
God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty
More of the same from the Father of pleasing imitation.
Age Of — Oneohtrix Point Never
This some weird shit, man. Sounds like a score to an experimental film…without the accompanying imagery (full disclosure: I only listened to this album because of Oneohtrix Point Never’s radically-different score for last year’s movie Good Time, so my personal disappointment should not be taken as any sort of objective criticism; if this sort of music is Oneohtrix Point Never’s norm, thus making Good Time merely a deviation from it, then consider me an ignoramus in unfriendly waters. Kudos to him for the range!).
Ottopsy — Chief Keef
Since declaring his first 2018 album the worst of the year released so far, I’ve come around on the unconventionality of his drowsily-discordant voice…but I still can’t stand his excessively bass-heavy overproducing, the epitome of conventionality.
Apart — Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
I’ll always support artists branching out to other mediums…as long as those artists are willing to admit their own limitations. And Scarjo should probably stick to movies (or theatre! I know your last experience on Broadway — courtesy of the much-maligned Cat on a Hot Tin Roof — may have left a bad taste in your craw, but please come back to us one day soon!).
2018 Albums, Ranked
- Black Panther — Kendrick Lamar
- Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
- DAYTONA — Kanye West & Pusha T
- The Color of You — Alina Baraz
- KIDS SEE GHOSTS — Kanye West & Kid Cudi
- Light of Mine — KYLE
- Man of the Woods — Justin Timberlake
- beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
- ye — Kanye West
- My Dear Melancholy, — The Weeknd
- Shawn Mendes — Shawn Mendes
- DAY69 — 6ix9ine
- SR3MM — Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi
- Testing — A$AP Rocky
- ? — XXXTENTACION
- Culture 2 — Migos
- Bobby Tarantino II — Logic
- Vacation in Hell — Flatbush Zombies
- GANGIN — SOB X RBE
- Sex & Cigarettes — Toni Braxton
- Isolation — Kali Uchs
- D6: Reloaded — Lil Wayne
- KOD — J. Cole
- Little Dark Age — MGMT
- Blue Madonna — BØRNS
- 44/876 — Sting & Shaggy
- Common Ground — Above & Beyond
- Amen — Rich Brian
- Five Five — Pouya
- For My Fans — Fetty Wap
- It’s Complicated — Wale
- California — Diplo
- Punken — Maxo Kream
- When We (Remix) — Tank
- 2.23 — Blac Youngsta
- Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
- Trapholizay — Zaytoven
- Cosmic — Bazzi
- As She Pleases — Madison Beer
- Life of a Dark Rose — Lil Skies
- Love Yourself Tear — BTS
- Lost & Found — Jorja Smith
- Ready — Ella Mai
- BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI — Ski Mask the Slump God
- Activated — Tee Grizzley
- God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty
- Vibras — J Balvin
- By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
- The Big Pescado — Berner
- P2 — Dave East
- Camila — Camila Cabello
- I Like It Loud — Tiesto
- M A N I A — Fall Out Boy
- Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
- MEMORIES DON’T DIE — Tory Lanez
- Bless Yo Trap — Smokepurpp & Murda Beatz
- Reckless — NAV
- The Longshot — The Longshot
- Fate — Tammy Rivera
- The World is Yours — Rich the Kid
- Kolorblind — DJ ESCO
- Edgewood — Trouble & Mike WiLL Made-It
- Hurtin’ Me — Stefflon Don
- F.A.M.E. — Maluma
- Voicenotes — Charlie Puth
- Rearview Town — Jason Aldean
- This One’s For You Too — Luke Combs
- Obsessed: Hedwig and the Angry Inch — Lena Hall
- November — SiR
- The Chocolate Box — Jeremih
- Goodbye & Good Riddance — Juice WRLD
- The Vault — G-Eazy
- Heart Break Kodak — Kodak Black
- Die Lit — Playboi Carti
- Ottopsy — Chief Keef
- Lil Boat 2 — Lil Yachty
- Glock Bond — Key Glock
- Drip Season 3 — Gunna
- Spiritual Conversations — Mozzy
- SUPERFLY — Future & Co.
- The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It — 2 Chainz
- Humble Beast (Deluxe) — G Herbo
- Rich As In Spirit — Rich Homie Quan
- Pain and Pleasure — Tink
- Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
- Ray Ray from Summerhill — YFN Lucci
- Freda’s Son — YFN Lucci
- We Beefin? — at Wendys
- Dex Meets Dexter — Famous Dex
- Harder Than Ever — Lil Baby
- Age Of — Oneohtrix Point Never
- Just Cause Y’all Waited — Lil Durk
- Apart — Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
- The Marina — Curren$y & Harry Fraud
- Sick Boy…Everybody Hates Me — The Chainsmokers
- Hear No Evil — Young Thug
- Chained to the City — Kevin Gates
- Until Death Call My Name — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
- 2 Heartless — Moneybagg Yo
- Grow God — Money Man
- Don Talk — Don Q
- N****S Get Shot — Young Dolph
- Rich Hood — HoodRich Pablo Juan
- The Leek 4 — Chief Keef
WRITE ALL NITE 