The playlist this week is a list of my top albums of 2018. These are just my personal favourites of the year. Some albums are on a lot of other lists and are very good albums but just didn’t quite make it for me. These tracks landed on my list this week but next week it may have looked a bit different. So this list is the 50 albums that I enjoyed the most this year as of today.

I had a list of about 87 albums and found that it was difficult for me to narrow down to 50. With a lot of listening and shuffling, I finally ended up with a solid playlist. They are mostly placed for playlist flow and not exact rated position in the list.

The beginning of the list are my top top picks with Jeremy Dutcher, Jean-Michel Blais, Foxwarren, Moonface, and U.S. Girls starting those off. The playlist continues with many more favourite albums. Some of my favourite artists such as Bonjay, We Are The City, Dan Mangan, and Fucked Up all had new albums out this year. Hubert Lenoir and Melissa Laveaux were a couple of my favourite new discoveries. Saskatchewan artists Belle Plaine and Colter Wall have great Americana/Country/Folk albums that are getting a lot of critical acclaim. Shad, Cadence Weapon, Grand Analog and Snotty Nose Rez Kids are representing for the hip hop/rap crew. I had more instrumental albums to enjoy again this year from Rich Aucoin, Chilly Gonzales, and Alexandra Streliski along with that Jean-Michel Blais album. There was definitely a nice range of music for me to listen to this year!

See my list below and listen to the playlist to find out what other albums made it to my best of list this year.

DarBar’s Top 50 Canadian Indie Albums of 2018

Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Jean-MIchel Blais – Dans ma main
Foxwarren – Foxwarren
Moonface – This One’s for the Dancer & This Ones for the Dancer’s Bouquet
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
Bonjay – Lush Life
Shad – A Short Story About a War
YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN – Dirt
Suuns – Felt
We Are The City – AT NIGHT
Great Lake Swimmers – The Waves, The Wake
Rich Aucoin – Release
FOXTROTT – Mediatations I-II-III
For Esmé – Righteous Woman
Bahamas – Earthtones
Dan Mangan – More Or Less
Hubert Lenoir – Darlène
Melissa Laveaux – Radyo siwèl
Les Trois Accords – Beaucoup de plaisir
Galaxie – Super Lynx Deluxe
Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams
Preoccupations – New Material
nêhiyawak – starlight
Marie Davidson – Working Class Woman
Jessie Reyez – Being Human in Public
Cadence Weapon – Cadence Weapon
Grand Analog – Survival
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Colter Wall – Songs of the Plains
Belle Plaine – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath
Donovan Woods – Both Ways
Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman
Heavy Bell – By Grand Central Station
Lydia Képinski – Premier juin
Lowell – Lone Wolf
Ben Caplan – Old Stock
Michael Rault – It’s a New Day Tonight
Klaus – Klaus
Frog Eyes – Violet Psalms
POSTDATA – Let’s Be Wilderness
Born Ruffians – Uncle, Duke & The Chief
Tokyo Police Club – TPC
Arkells – Rally Cry
Jeen – Gift Shop
Coeur De Pirate – en cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé.
Dizzy – Baby Teeth
shy kids – In a State
Chilly Gonzales – Solo Piano III
Hannah Epperson – Slowdown
Alexandra Streliski – INSCAPE

What were your favourite albums of the year?