The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 3, 2018

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.)

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87 #5: Microshift by Hookworms

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Despite major flooding that destroyed the band's studio (and, with it, some already recorded material), the third album from the English noise-rock outfit (whose members are known only by their initials) is their best to date, with critics taking to Microshift's new emphasis on electronic instrumentation.

“Microshift manages to be both their most accessible work and their most intense: the sound of an already powerful band gaining not just clarity, but focus.” —The Guardian

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