30. Swearin' - Fall into the Sun (Merge Records)
Identifying the year's standout albums is tough for a singles guy. It's easy to recognize the punch and immediacy of a song, but it's harder to feel the genius of an album. While I'll always call out albums that I love listening to (even if they're merely executing an established blueprint), I also want to recognize the albums that felt important. So, here's my list. Thirty great albums. Ordered, but otherwise presented without commentary.
29. Fred Thomas - Aftering (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
28. Peach Kelli Pop - Gentle Leader (Mint Records)
27. The Spook School - Could It Be Different? (Slumberland)
26. Superchunk - What a Time to Be Alive (Merge)
25. The Molochs - Flowers in the Spring (Innovative Leisure)
24. Lucy and the Rats - Lucy and the Rats (Dirty Water Records)
23. Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed (Secretly Canadian)
22. The Smittens - City Rock Dove (Fika Recordings)
21. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! (Rough Trade)
20. The Connection - Wish You Success (2Win Disc Records)
19. Lucy Dacus - Historian (Matador)
18. Death By Unga Bunga - So Far So Good So Cool (Jansen Records)
17. Anna Burch - Quit The Curse (Polyvinyl)
16. Happy Accidents - Everything But The Here And Now (Alcopop!)
15. Illuminati Hotties - Kiss Yr Frenemies (Tiny Engines)
14. Alpaca Sports - From Paris With Love (Elefant Records)
13. Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens (Sub Pop)
12. The Longshot - Love Is for Losers (Crush Music Media)
11. The Sidekicks - Happiness Hours (Epitaph)
10. Camp Cope - How to Socialise & Make Friends (Run for Cover)
9. The Peawees - Moving Target (Rum Bar Records / Wild Honey Records)
8. The Speedways - Just Another Regular Summer (Gods Candy Records)
7. Weakened Friends - Common Blah (Don Giovanni Records)
6. Paul Collins - Out of My Head (Alive Naturalsound Records)
5. The Prettybads - Meet The Prettybads (Indie Vision Music)
4. Darren Hayman - Thankful Villages, Vol. 3 (Belka)
3. The Beths - Future Me Hates Me (Carpark)
2. Art Brut - Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock out! (Alcopop! Records)
1. Turnspit - Desire Paths (Dodgeball Records)
And that's it. If you're curious about my criteria, I got 335 releases this year, of which 155 of those were new 2018 full length albums eligable to appear in this list. For a run down of my favorite songs of 2018 visit Top Songs of 2018.
Too Much Rock / 4027 Locust Street / KCMO 64110