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).
(#8) The debut from young Edinburgh, Scotland grime producer Joe Powers draws from sounds from the past decade of the genre, reconfiguring them in new—often frenetically paced—ways across 16 instrumental tracks.
“Every track on this album is densely constructed, colorful, and unpredictable, and while it may seem lighthearted at first, it manages to cover a wide range of emotions. One of the most inventive debut albums of 2018, for sure.” —Allmusic