The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far
Which albums impressed critics during the first half of the year? Find our ranking of 2018's highest-scoring studio albums (so far) in the gallery above. The list includes releases through June 30, 2018 that have received at least 15 reviews from professional critics as of July 2nd. (Re-releases, EPs, and compilations are also excluded, and note that even though you'll see rounded Metascores, the albums are ranked prior to rounding.)
After collaborating with like-minded singer-songwriters k.d. lang and Laura Veirs on 2016's eponymous case/lang/veirs and then contributing (as always) to the latest New Pornographers album, Whiteout Conditions, Case has returned to her solo work last month for the first time since 2013. Hell-On is produced by Case along with Peter Bjorn & John's Bjorn Yttling, and it includes contributions from both Veirs and lang as well as Mark Lanegan, Beth Ditto, Kelly Hogan, Eric Bachmann, and AC Newman.
“It’s as good a model of modern folk music as has come along in some time.” —Spin