The Honorable Mentions:
This is America - Childish Gambino
A powerful track with an amazing instrumental, but is better when paired the
music video.
You Should See Me In a Crown - Billie Eilish
A decent dark pop track with heavy bass that shows Billie Eilish’s potential as an artist.
Psycho - Post Malone (Beerbongs & Bentleys)
Just a fun track that you can sing along to, and it features one of Post Malone's
best choruses.
Africa - Weezer
Although it’s a great cover, it’s almost too similar to the original by Toto.
J'ouvert - Brockhampton (Iridescence)
Originally my #15, it starts off rather mellow for a Brockhampton song, but takes off as soon as Joba’s verse explodes, rapping, and sometimes screaming, about mental health, drugs, and more.
And now for the real list:
15) Peach Scone (Live) - Hobo Johnson (Peach Scone - Single)
I’m starting this list with (probably) my most controversial pick. Just edging out “J’ouvert” for my #15 is the oddly endearing musical slam-poetry track that was Frank Lopes Jr., or Hobo Johnson’s, breakout single, “Peach Scone.” I’m actually choosing the “live” version (it really just sounds like an alternate take), which is included with the digital single. This song is definitely not for everyone, as Hobo Johnson really puts it all out there. At some points he sounds like he’s about to break out into laughter, and at other points he sounds like he’s on the verge of tears. Perfectly complimenting his vocals are the simplistic instrumentals, which are somewhat hypnotic, yet beautiful. The lyrics are also very interesting, as at first it sounds like something you’d find on reddit.com/r/niceguys, it later reveals itself to be Frank singing about supporting his first love through her relationship with another man. To me, everything about this song works, but I can definitely understand if it isn’t your cup of tea. (LISTEN HERE)
14) Kansas - Gorillaz (The Now Now)
After the letdown that was Gorillaz’s major comeback album, Humanz, their follow up, The Now Now, showed that the virtual band, who is masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Damon Albarn, could still make a quality track. There were many great tracks on the album, the best of which being the funk-pop song “Kansas”. It has a simple instrumental that sounds like it was taken straight out of their fantastic third album Plastic Beach, with fictional lead singer 2-D (Damon Albarn) singing about a hard breakup, and how he must be mature about it. The vocals are low-fi, just like all the vocals on both The Now Now and Humanz, and although it doesn’t match this song as well as it does others, it still sounds pretty good, and doesn’t get grating as it can on other Gorillaz tracks. (LISTEN HERE)
12) She - Dave Matthews Band (Come Tomorrow)
I’ve always loved DMB. My parents have seen them live multiple times, and played them constantly when I was little. Their second album, Crash, is one of my favorite albums of all time. I thought their last album, 2012’s Away from the World, was pretty good, and their newest album, Come Tomorrow, was more of the same. Even though many of the tracks were just your normal Dave Matthews Band funk rock songs, I thought the track “She” was great. A more straightforward rock song in terms of DMB tracks, the verses have a great bassline, and some smooth guitars. The chorus then explodes, with the piano and the occasional horns in the background, the amazing drumming from the always fantastic Carter Beauford, and some of Dave’s most impressive and most impassioned vocals on the entire album all adding so much to the song, proving once again that Dave Matthews Band is one of the most underrated rock bands out there. (LISTEN HERE)
12) Satan in the Wait - Daughters (You Won’t Get What You Want)
I was turned on to this song the way I think many people were: Anthony Fantano giving the album it was on, titled You Won’t Get What You Want, a 10/10 (one of two 10/10s from him, the other being Kids See Ghosts’ self-titled debut). I’m not much of a noise rock guy, and I will admit, I have yet to listen to the entire album (I plan on getting to it at some point, and who knows, maybe I’ll do a late review at some point), but after listening to the first few tracks, this cut immediately stuck out to me. After a very tense, almost bare-bones verse, with a simple drum and bass part, a whole lot of distortion, and vocalist Alexis S.F. Marshall shouting over top of the instrumentals, it gives way to a more open chorus, and, in the final minutes, starts a slow descent into madness. On the surface, it seems like a rather simple track, but when you really look at it, you see how extremely complex it is, with more and more layers of sound being added as the song goes on. (LISTEN HERE)
11) Killshot - Eminem
Following the disaster that was Revival and the better-but-still-not-great Kamikazee, a lot of people wrote Eminem off as a rapper who had his best days behind him and was starting to lose his touch. So when fellow rapper Machine Gun Kelly put out a diss track against him, many people wondered how he was going to respond, if respond at all. Oh, and respond he did, taking shot after shot after shot after shot, with decent production and a great flow. He simultaneously responded to most of MGK’s disses while also destroying him in the process, proving he has not lost his touch, and why you should never mess with Eminem.
10) Body Talks - The Struts (Young & Dangerous)
The Struts, along with Greta Van Fleet, are being billed as the “saviors of Rock n’ Roll.” Well, as much as it sucks to say this, they probably won’t be. I’m not saying they’re bad, I actually have enjoyed a lot of the Struts’ stuff after seeing them open for Foo Fighters, and they can put on a heck of a live show, but they aren’t going to single-handedly “save rock.” But that doesn't mean they can make a fantastic pop rock tracks, which is what they do here. With the great guitar tone and vocals of classic rock songs, and the catchiness and production of a modern pop track, everything comes together to make a great, rockin’ song with a fine guitar solo and sharp vocals from frontman Luke Spiller. And for the version with Kesha, although the production is not as good, Kesha’s parts add a lot. (LISTEN HERE | VERSION W/ KESHA)
9) 4th Dimension - Kids See Ghosts ft. Louis Prima (Kids See Ghosts)
Though all of the songs off of Kanye West’s and Kid Cudi’s collaborative album, titled Kids See Ghosts, are great in their own right, this song is the best of the bunch. The decision to sample Louis Prima’s song “What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swinging'),” though definitely out there, was genius, and works extremely well. Both rappers’ flows are great, and Kanye’s production is fantastic, complementing both of them almost perfectly. The lyrics cover a wide variety of topics, and the creepy laugh in the middle really adds to the eeriness of the track. This is definitely my favorite hip-hop track of the year.
8) Far Away Truths - Albert Hammond Jr. (Francis Trouble)
In his new album, and specifically this song, the Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. gives us the closest thing the world has gotten to a classic Strokes-sounding release since the song “Threat of Joy” from their 2016 Future Present Past EP, as the solo projects by the members of the Strokes, such as lead singer Julian Casablancas’ newest project, The Voidz, don’t really share anything in common with the Strokes’ music. If you were to put Julian on vocals on this cut instead of Albert, you have yourself a Strokes song. The song has simple yet upbeat guitars and drums, somewhat low-fi vocals, but is still extremely infectious, just like the songs off the Stroke’s first two albums. It’s really just a feel good song. (LISTEN HERE)
*Also, be on the lookout, because Albert, along with the rest of the Strokes, will be returning in 2019 for the band’s “global comeback.”
7) Pet Cheetah - Twenty One Pilots (Trench)
With Trench, Twenty One Pilots created their best and most mature album to date, and even dipped their toes into some experimental territory, but no track was more experimental than “Pet Cheetah.” An alternative/electronic/pop/hip-hop fusion, the track melds multiple genres together seamlessly. The calm intro and soft chorus gives way to an aggressive, blood-pumping rap verse, with lyrics about singer Tyler Joseph’s problems with writer's block. After the second chorus, the outro starts, which, in my opinion, is the best part of the song. Layers of intense drums and synths that keep being added on as the outro continues, and a constant vocal loop, simply saying “pet cheetah” over and over again, until the end of the song. (LISTEN HERE)
6) Over and Over and Over - Jack White (Boarding House Reach)
Jack White’s newest album, Boarding House Reach, split critics and fans alike, with some considering the album return to form for White, while others wondered what happened to the former White Stripes frontman. Though some of the songs on the album were not great, this song was a standout from the album. A classic Jack White style blues rock song, it has a heavy, distorted, fuzzy guitar tone, and an effect-heavy solo, which flows smoothly with Jack’s vocals and the off-kilter choir backing him up, along with some fast-paced drumming and percussion, and even the occasional keyboards. (LISTEN HERE)
5) Four Out of Five - Arctic Monkeys (Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino)
Another release that divided opinions, Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was a major shift in sound for the British rock band. A lounge pop album with some hints of glam rock, the album was well received by critics, but fans who wanted a return to the garage rock sound of their early days did not like its piano-driven sound. I actually really enjoyed it, and this was favorite cut. The track far the most melody-driven song on the album, since singer Alex Turner took more of a spoken-word-like style of vocals. The bassline is groovy, the vocals are well performed, and the climax of the song is a beautiful swirl of sounds that make you feel like you are floating around in space. (LISTEN HERE)
4) Slow Dancing in the Dark - Joji (Ballads 1)
After retiring his Filthy Frank/Pink Guy character, George “Joji” Miller started to pursue a career in music. He released the In Tongues EP, and then announced his debut full-length project Ballads 1. Although inconsistent, it showed glimpses of George’s potential as an artist, but none more than this track. It is a beautifully produced pop ballad, with some of Joji’s best writing yet. His vocals on the track are phenomenal, especially during the chorus, when he belts “in the dark” with the most emotion he’s shown in any track he’s ever made. And the small touches, such as the lingering piano during the chorus or the synth arpeggios right before, add so much, making this a track definitely worth checking out. (LISTEN HERE)
3) She Works Out Too Much - MGMT (Little Dark Age)
The indie electronic duo MGMT ended their five-year hiatus by releasing one of my favorite albums of the year, Little Dark Age. And though there were many great tracks that I could’ve placed on this list, most notably the title track, I’ve decided to go with the opening track. It’s a humorous electropop track about a relationship ending due to the couple not having common interests, specifically the female’s obsession with exercise, or, rather, the protagonist’s laziness. Funny sound bites that sound like they come from one of those old exercise DVDs, two seperate drum tracks, layered synths, and even maybe a little guitar, all paired with Andrew VanWyngarden’s somewhat monotone vocals, make up for one of my favorite electronic songs of the decade. (LISTEN HERE)
2) Propaganda - Muse (Simulation Theory)
Nothing about this song should work together. From the dubstep-like refrain, to the Prince-inspired verses, to the poppy chorus, to the weird slide guitar solo, it just shouldn’t, but, for some reason, it does. And to be honest, I didn’t like the song at first. I thought it was really bad. It was like Muse, who are my favorite band of all time, tried to do something poppy and failed horribly. But over time, after multiple listens, it really started to grow on me. You can’t help but groove to it. Matt Bellamy’s vocals are impeccable. Timbaland’s production is amazing. And to top it all off, the weird, seemingly Beck-inspired slide guitar solo somehow flows with the rattling trap hi hats and electronic sounds. The lyrics are also very smart, comparing propaganda with sexual attraction, and though there are some cringy lines (“Cold chick / You ate my soul like a death eater,” where Matt admits he didn’t know dementors were actually the ones who ate souls in Harry Potter), they are very tongue-in-cheek, and not very out of place in a Muse song. Muse took many experimental risks on their new album, specifically this song and the RATM-inspired “Break it to Me,” and though that song is definitely worth checking out, this was the standout track on the album. (LISTEN HERE)
1) Love It If We Made It - The 1975 (A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships)
This song is fantastic in every sense of the work. The constant build up throughout the song, the vocals, the instrumentals, the chorus, the explosive outro, just everything. On top of all of that, the lyrics are extremely powerful, and I talked about them more in my review of The 1975’s fantastic album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships:
“...The second single, “Love It If We Made It,” might honestly be my favorite single of the year. It has Matty [Healy]’s most powerful performance, singing about modern problems such as the POTUS (the lyrics “I moved on her like a b*tch” and “Thank you Kanye, very cool” are two very real quotes by Donald Trump), racial injustice (“Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men”), religion (“Jesus save us / Modernity has failed us”), and other political issues (“Liberal kitsch / Kneeling on a pitch” - talking about the controversy in the NFL were football players kneel during the anthem).”
The production is fantastic, the instrumentals are extremely well performed, and Matty’s performance is second to none. There is not a single thing that is bad about this song in my opinion, and that is why it is my favorite track of 2018. (LISTEN HERE)
Thank you for reading, and here’s to a 2019 filled with good music.
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