The Freshman 15: 2018's Best Debut Albums
We are still a few weeks away from releasing our final list of 2018's best albums. But our best of 2018 coverage continues now with a look at the year's top newcomers in music.
Above is our list of the 15 best-reviewed debut albums of 2018, ranked by Metascore. Note that albums must have at least 7 reviews—and be a full LP, rather than an EP—to be eligible for inclusion. Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding (based on scores as of December 8, 2018).
(#2) New Yorker Josiah Wise is a classically trained singer, performance artist, and occiasional Bjork collaborator who blends experimental R&B and gospel sounds on this challenging but rewarding debut LP, which features production from Paul Epworth and Clams Casino.
“The album is a visionary statement of arrival, a potent and singular masterpiece that exposes the deepest chambers of a fiercely beating heart with a singular purity of focus. It's a mesmerizing journey of self-actualization in an era when constant connection makes that all the more difficult. After soil, Wise's reach seems infinite.” —PopMatters