THE YEAR IN SOUND
The time of year has come when columnists foist their obscure music tastes on you by telling you why their favourite albums should be yours. With that in mind, bon appetit. By and
WOMAN WORLDWIDE Justice Technically the French electronic duo may have cheated with this entry because it’s really just a kind of studio version of a live set. Just like Lance Armstrong at the height of his career, Justice are cheating magnificently. Using their 2016 album Woman as a foundation, the pair weaves a decade worth of hits through 15 tracks to create audible ecstasy. We are not talking about the one you used to put on your tongue at early 2000s raves either. This plays like high-octane happiness pumping through your auditory canal dampening your dance inhibitors. In summary Woman Worldwide is one hour and 24 minutes of a good-ass mood. YM
HONEY Robyn
After eight years away (with some collaborations over that time), Swedish electro-pop goddess Robyn returned with an album that trades her signature, booming, infectious sound for a more restrained, dreamy one. Honey is a hypnotic and layered album (that you can still dance to, thankfully) that reveals more and more of itself with each listen. It’s the peak in a 20-something career full of peaks. PBT
DAYTONA Pusha T
The internet loves rushing to call things a classic. Eight out of 10 times they are just falling victim to the hype but they nailed this one. Passersby will probably remember this as the album that sparked the rap beef of the year but, for those who listened, Pusha T’s third studio album was a master class in showing off. Daytona proved that there are very few rappers with the skill set of Pusha T. It also turned out to be one of the few things Kanye West got right this year. YM
K.T.S.E Teyana Taylor
Oh man, if there’s a woman who deserves to be a much bigger star, it’s Taylor. She has a fantastic voice and an unapologetic vibe that makes her far more interesting than most R&B singers out there. K.T.S.E (Keep the Same Energy) is part of the Kanye Westhelmed seven-track releases of 2018 (Pusha T’s Daytona also makes this list) and it’s worth many repeat listens. Taylor sings about sex, tenderness, betrayal and success. It’s sexy, it’s catchy, it has depth and it also has heart. PBT
TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL AND CASINO Arctic Monkeys Talk about a sudden left turn. The last time we heard from the Arctic Monkeys they were making bass- heavy music and looking like models in a GQ photo shoot that was inspired by SE Hinton’s The Outsiders. Five years later they turned up looking like a knock-off Frank Sinatra cover band and somehow it worked.
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino is the sound of that feeling one gets while sitting alone at a bar working on your third double Jameson on the rocks. It is maudlin, languid and gorgeously written but ultimately engenders loneliness. In other words, it is perfect for Christmas alone. YM
YOU WILL NOT DIE Nakhane
Everyone from Elton John to Madonna has gushed over Nakhane this year – and on the strength of his second album alone, it’s easy to see why. On You Will Not Die, he’s the best version of himself yet. The album is filled with quiet, restrained moments — that’s when Nakhane truly shines, when he lets his voice and lyrics take centre-stage. You Will Not Die is a slow burner that demands your undivided attention. PBT
LOST AND FOUND Jorja Smith
A lot could be said about how surprisingly mature the 21-year-old Smith’s content was or how aware and unafraid of touching socioeconomic issues she is but all we really need to know is that this is the perfect soundtrack for you and your Netflix and chill buddies to be stuck indoors with. YM
DIRTY COMPUTER Janelle Monáe
The spirit of proud queerness, feminism, blackness and the inimitable Prince make up Janelle Monáe’s most interesting — and authentic — album yet. It’s catchy, it has attitude and it plays around with genres, from pop to rock and a touch of electronic. Monáe’s lyrics are wicked and delicious when they’re about sex and sexuality, biting when they are about sociopolitics and unapologetic when they are about the freedom of youth. Dirty Computer is an infectious, manicured middle finger to, well, everyone. LS PBT