NOW’s best albums of 2018 and best Toronto albums of 2018 lists were compiled of lists from a number of our critics. There were a lot of gems from both categories that didn’t make it, but because you can never get enough lists, we decided to publish them all.
Richard Trapunski
Local
1. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
2. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
3. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
4. Fucked Up: Dose Your Dreams
5. S.H.I.T.: What Do You Stand For?
6. Dilly Dally: Heaven
7. Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: Dirt
8. Jessie Reyez: Being Human In Public
9. Cadence Weapon: Cadence Weapon
10. Frigs: Basic Behaviour
Non-local
1. Noname: Room 25
2. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
3. Robyn: Honey
4. Pusha T: Daytona
5. Various artists: Black Panther: The Album
6. Beverly Glenn-Copeland: Keyboard Fantasies (Re-issue)
7. Vince Staples: FM!
8. Sophie: Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
9. Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer
10. Kamasi Washington: Heaven And Earth
Kevin RItchie
Local
1. Nyssa: Champion Of Love
2. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
3. Witch Prophet: The Golden Octave
4. Sean Leon: Sean Leon (The Death Of)
5. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
6. Bonjay: Lust Life
7. Zaki Ibrahim: The Secret Life Of Planets
8. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
9: The Sorority: Pledge
10. Adria Kain: Still In Love
Non-local
1. Ssion: O
2. Robyn: Honey
3. Let’s Eat Grandma: I’m All Ears
4. Mariah Carey: Caution –
5. Yves Tumor: Safe In The Hands Of Love
6. Sophie: Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
7. Marie Davidson: Working Class Woman
8. Leikeli47: Acrylic
9. Serpentwithfeet: soil
10. Róisín Murphy: 4×12” EP series with Maurice Fulton
Samantha Edwards
Local
1. U.S. Girls: In a Poem Unlimited
2. Bernice: Puff LP: In The Air Without A Shape
3. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
4. Ellis: The Fuzz
5. Jaunt: Cue
6. Jennifer Castle: Angels of Death
7. Joseph Shabason: Anne
8. Witch Prophet: The Golden Octave
9. Jessie Reyez: Being Human In Public
10. Foxwarren: Foxwarren
Non-local
1. Mitski: Be The Cowboy
2. boygenius: boygenius
3. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
4. Car Seat Headrest: Twin Fantasy
5. Spiritualized: Nothing Hurt
6. Soccer Mommy: Clean
7. Hovvdy: Brave
8. Beach House: 7
9. Snail Mail: Lush
10. Father John Misty: God’s Favorite Customer
Michelle da Silva
Local
1. Korea Town Acid: Mahogani Forest
2. Joel Eel: Performing A Crime
3. Casey MQ: Nudes
4. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
5. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
6. Bonjay: Lush Life
7. Obuxum: H.E. R.
8. New Chance: It Says New Chance
9. Raf Reza: Moods From The Multiverse
10. Jennifer Castle: Angels Of Death
Non-local
1. Skee Mask: Compro
2. Jlin: Autobiography
3. Oneohtrix Point Never: Age Of
4. King Princess: Make My Bed
5. Helena Hauff: Qualm
6. Dirty Projectors: Lamp Lit Prose
7. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
8. Marie Davidson: Working Class Woman
9. Foodman: Aru Otoko No Densetsu
10. Smerz: Have Fun
Carla Gillis
Local
1. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
2. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
3. Jennifer Castle: Angels Of Death
4. Matthew “Doc” Dunn: Lightbourn
5. Bernice: Puff LP: In The Air Without A Shape
6. Joseph Shabason: Anne
7. S.H.I.T.: What Do You Stand For?
8. Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: Dirt
9. Dilly Dally: Heaven
10. Bahamas: Earthtones
Non-local
1. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
2. Blood Orange: Negro Swan
3. Sleep: The Sciences
4. Rae Spoon: Bodies Of Water
5. Marie Davidson: Working Class Woman
6. Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer
7. Thom Yorke: Suspiria OST
8. Nils Frahm: All Melody
9. Kurt Vile: Bottle It In
10. Chilly Gonzales: Solo Piano III
Michael Rancic
Local
1. S.H.I.T.: What Do You Stand For?
2. Bernice: Puff LP: In The Air Without Shape
3. U.S Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
4. Bonjay: Lush Life
5. Tomb Mold: Manor Of Infinite Forms
6. Isla Craig: The Becoming
7. Vile Creature: Cast Of Static And Smoke
8. E-Saggila: Dedicated To Sublimity
9. Myst Milano: Kali Ma
10. Rotten Column: Are We Not Bags?
Non-local
1. Iceage: Beyondless
2. Kelly Moran: Ultraviolet
3. Low: Double Negative
4. Marie Davidson: Working Class Woman
5. Debby Friday: Bitchpunk
6. VanJess: Silk Canvas
7. Primal Rite: Dirge Of Escapism
8. A.A.L (Against All Logic): 2012 – 2017
9. Galcher Lustwerk: 200% Galcher
10. Vein: Errorzone
Chaka V. Grier
Local Albums
1. Bonjay: Lush Life
2. Witch Prophet: The Golden Octave
3. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
4. Pursuit Grooves: Felt Armour
5. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
6. Petra Glynt: My Flag Is A Burning Rag Of Love
7. The Weeknd: My Dear Melancholy,
8. Kaia Kater: Grenades
9. Molly Johnson: Meaning To Tell Ya
Non-local
1. Meshell Ndegeocello: Ventriloquism
2. Sunny War: With the Sun
3. Emily Wurramara: Milyakburra
4. Blood Orange: Negro Swan
5. FELIVAND: In Bloom
6. Neneh Cherry: Broken Politics
7. Allysha Joy: Acadie: Raw
8. Charles Mingus: Jazz in Detroit / Strata Concert Gallery / 46 Selden
9. Georgia Anne Muldrow: Overload
10. Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth
Max Mertens
Local
1. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
2. Jennifer Castle: Angels Of Death
3. Dilly Dally: Heaven
4. Lil Berete: Icebreaker
5. Witch Prophet: The Golden Octave
6. Sean Leon: Sean Leon (The Death Of)
7. Tess Roby: Beacon
8. Fucked Up: Dose Your Dreams
9. Tomb Mold: Manor of Infinite Forms
10. Harrison: Apricity
Non-local
1. Amen Dunes: Freedom
2. The Body: I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer
3. Yves Tumor: Safe in The Hands Of Love
4. Brodinski & Hoodrich Pablo Juan: The Matrix
5. Rico Nasty: Nasty
6. Sophie: Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
7. Iceage: Beyondless
8. Oneohtrix Point Never: Age Of
9. Maxo Kream: Punken
10. DJ Taye: Still Trippin’
Sarah MacDonald
1. Ellis: The Fuzz
2. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
3. Jeremy Dutcher: Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
4. Frigs: Basic Behaviour
5. Metric: Art Of Doubt
6. Bernice: Puff LP: In The Air Without A Shape
7. U.S. Girls: In a Poem Unlimited
8. Twist: Distancing
9. Dizzy: Baby Teeth
10. Drake: Scorpion
Non-local
1. Mitski: Be The Cowboy
2. Robyn: Honey
3. Soccer Mommy: Clean
4. Snail Mail: Lush
5. Ariana Grande: Sweetener
6. Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy
7. boygenius: self-titled
8. Muncie Girls: Fixed Ideals
9. Cupcakke: Ephorize
10. Beach House: 7
Sumiko Wilson
Local
1. Sean Leon: Sean Leon (The Death Of)
2. Matty: Déjàvu
3. Charlotte Day Wilson: Stone Woman
4. Sydanie: 999
5. Martin Sole and Josh Dillon: Solecalibur
6. Tory Lanez: Love Me Now
7. Shawn Mendes: Shawn Mendes
8. Loony: Part 1
9: Allie and The Kount: Euphoria
10. Harrison: Apricity
Non-local
1. Tierra Whack: Whack World
2. Anderson .Paak: Oxnard
3. Pusha T: Daytona
4. Blood Orange: Negro Swan
5. Teyana Taylor” Keep That Same Energy
6. Father John Misty: God’s Favorite Customer
7. Maxo Kream: Punken
8. Sango: In The Comfort Of
9. Various artists: Black Panther: The Album
10. Noname: Room 25
Nick Flanagan
Local
1. Jennifer Castle: Angels Of Death
2. Cellphone: Sinister Realities
3. Wlmrt: Lube 2
4. Sandro Perri: In Another Life
5. Drake: Scorpion
6. S.H.I.T: What Do You Stand For?
7. U.S. Girls: In A Poem Unlimited
8. Fucked Up: Dose Your Dreams
9. Emile Mover: Night Owl
10. Lil Berete: Icebreaker
Non-local
1. Pusha T: Daytona
2. Kanye West: Ye
3. Timmy’s Organism: Survival Of The Fiendish
4. Mariah Carey: Caution
5. Warm Drag: Warm Drag
6. Earl: Some Rap Songs
7. Vince Staples: FM!
8. Waxahatchee: Great Thunder
9. Chris Crofton: Hello It’s Me
10. Kronos Quartet & Laurie Anderson: Landfall
Del F. Cowie
Local
1. Zaki Ibrahim: The Secret Life Of Planets
2. Drake: Scorpion
3. Birthday Boy and Trish: Joseph
4. Odie: Analogue
5. Sean Leon: Sean Leon (The Death Of)
6. Harrison: Apricity
7. Bonjay: Lush Life
8. Tona: Black Mirror
9. Sydanie: 999
10. Adria Kain: Still in Love
Non-local
1. Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer
2. The Internet: Hive Mind
3. Saba: Care for Me
4. Travis Scott: Astroworld
5. Phonte: No News Is Good News
6. Black Thought: Streams Of Thought
7. VanJess – S/T – 2
8. Noname: Room 25
9. Anderson. Paak: Oxnard
10.Tierra Whack: Whack World
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