2018 AOYTY #28

Dreamy, sultry, warm, funky, Isolation is the rare debut that announces its artist as an immediate force to be reckoned with right out the gate. Like most of the great pop artists from this decade, Uchis' strength is in fusing disparate genres. She breezes through dream pop, latin pop, neo-soul and hip hop like a balmy wind on a Miami beach. Her personality and vocals are able to keep it all grounded, though, even if the record isn't the smoothest or most cohesive of rides. ... read more

2018 AOTY #29
(That's right it's still happening, just slowly)

Proof that even at this current nadir in his career, Kanye still has a few drops of genius left in him, KSG succeeds where ye failed. It's immaculately produced, dark, comical, and utterly unique. Cudi is also better than he's ever been here, matching and even outperforming Kanye on some tracks. It's also one of the better attempts at fusing rock and hip hop that I've heard, a culmination of all of Cudi's aborted alchemical ... read more

2018 AOTY #30

Far and away my ambient AOTY, Pendant (also known as Huerco S.) continues his ascent to the highest echelons of zone-out music with Make Me Know You Sweet. Honestly, though For Those of You Who Have Never... received more attention and praise in the electronic community, I think this is Brian Leeds' best release yet. Make Me Know You Sweet is just so deliciously textured, the sound of clouds and machines humming and water rushing all at the same time, closer to musica universalis ... read more

2018 AOTY #31

Certainly one of the best political albums of the year, U.S. Girls comes into its own as a project with this collection of searing, righteously indignant disco psych. Where earlier releases from Meghan Remy were a little too muddy and lo fi for me, In a Poem Unlimited is positively extroverted, with Remy's retro-influenced voice (it reminds of pop from the 50s/early 60s) taking center stage over some of the chunkiest grooves you'll hear all year. She's also singularly talented in ... read more