Top 20 Releases of 2018

12/25/2018 01:47:00 PM

As always, it was inordinately difficult to even think about determining my favorite releases of the year in any quantifiable way. As always, I considered doing it alphabetically or not doing it at all. As always, I ultimately couldn't resist the lure of ranking anyway. As always, I attempted to do so using decidedly unquantifiable criteria: emotional impact, pure enjoyment factor, and perceived longevity, among other even less tangible factors. As always, the end result is very personal and by no means an attempt to be exhaustive or objective (particularly this year, since I consciously scaled back my quest to keep up with everything). I don't claim to be the arbiter of good taste, just my own taste.

You'll notice I'm using the term "releases" rather than "albums" here, and that's because, this year more than ever, the line between what makes an album and what does not has become increasingly blurry. I've found that I've started appreciating shorter releases with less opportunity for filler as a general rule, and it doesn't make sense to me anymore to disqualify works on the basis of length or number of songs or what the artist decides to call them. If it impresses me, it impresses me, and if it impresses me just as much as something twice as long, it clearly warrants an equal chance at making this list.

I think that's all I have to say. I've already made my argument for these releases in my quarterly review posts - one, two, three, four - and my feelings about them have remained mostly consistent. This is just an opportunity for me to reflect on what stood out most, not to mention make one last appeal through the playlist below for everyone who hasn't already to give them a shot.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!