Negro Swan contains soulfully delivered vocals, carrying honest and thoughtful lyrics atop r&b rhythms. Top-tier alternative pop.

The album retains her thoughtful yet playful lyrical style, which is competently delivered atop soulful hip-hop beats.

As is the case with all of his work, the writing is stellar, standing proudly atop dreamy, jazzy downtempo beats.

Autobiography is a well-sequenced, experimental soundtrack of ambient and electronic music with footwork at its core.

Mandy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is one of the strongest soundtracks of the year. The dark, brooding collection stands on its own, apart from the film for which it was created.

Colin Stetson continues to amaze me with each new release. Composed for a Hulu original series, the music itself is great enough to make me consider giving it a chance.

The entire album is filled with pleasing, psychedelic downtempo instrumentals that pair perfectly with the well-delivered and dense lyrical content.

Whitney Ballen's unique, haunting voice and clever, honest lyrics shine alongside enjoyable, alternative rock instrumentals. Absolutely phenomenal work.

Indie folk-rock instrumentals with occasional distortion pair perfectly with her raw, honest, emotionally delivered vocals. Easily one of my favorite albums of 2018.

Oakland-based Miserable offers up a throwback blend of shoegaze alternative rock and dream pop.

Top-rate atmospheric music that will be at the center of any year-end discussions I have involving quality avant-garde and jazz releases.

Stripping away Lushlife’s vocals really allows Botany’s stunning production to breathe, permitting the listener to pick up on subtle nuances they may have missed the first time around. Phenomenal work.

Each song is fleshed out on happy little trees, full of atmosphere, interesting percussion, and melancholic melodies.

A genre-blending and psychedelic brand of improvisational jazz that borrows freely from hip-hop genre conventions. Phenomenal work that marks one of the musical high points in 2018, for me.

A pulp-free blend of throwback alternative rock and indie folk that throws me into a nostalgia-fueled tizzy. The vintage sound palette acts as a perfect accompaniment to her honest, relatable songwriting.

A top-notch collection of avant-garde jazz that flows freely between electronic forms. Each track is a journey unto itself, dense and developed, intermingling with each subsequent piece to create an absolutely stunning and cohesive project.

Joseph Shabason expertly weaves ambient electronic music, jazz, and introspective, poignant interview snippets with his mother as themes of self-identity and morality are carefully explored. Phenomenal work.

The honest writing shines brighter with each subsequent listen, and the meticulously layered downtempo instrumentation is absolutely phenomenal.

Phenomenal work across the board, and easily my favorite metal album of 2018.