Quite skrong female LPs this year:
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour - an almost-perfect singer-songwriter album; gorgeously arranged, with a lyricism that catches you off-guard with a casual profundity; best of 2018 imo
Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer - she's about as sure a bet of anyone on the pop fringes; every type of influence wielded at once deliberately and effortlessly cool
Neko Case - Hell-On - similar to Janelle's genre-defying music, just with an alt-country tinge; wonderfully personal lyrics
Robyn - Honey - doesn't have the immediately danceable bangers of Body Rock, but grooves just as hard on multiple listens
Pusha-T - Daytona - maybe the most reliably earnest rapper today, with such diversity in his cadence; unlike most mumble-rap, you can cleanly glean ever word, with the most interesting sonic production Push has ever had on a record; THE leanest rap record I've ever heard at just 21 minutes
Brandi Carlisle - By the Way, I Forgive You - she's really upgraded to a wall-of-sound arrangement; just a kick-ass record
Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt - like the waning moments floating through space on your way to the Great Beyond
Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer - although the first half of 'Pure Comedy' was perfect; the second half lagged, as good as it was; this record feels fully realized and more accessible; Tillman can just crooooon, man
U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited - genre-shifting dance pop of the highest order; maybe this is the music ABBA would be making today?
Travis Scott - Astroworld - a pretty impressive amalgam of our current pop culture moment
HM's to Jeff Tweedy's solo effort, Mitski, DJ Koze, Arctic Monkeys, Lucero