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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84 #20: Songs of Praise by Shame

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It's an impressive debut for the British post-punk outfit, who signed to Dead Oceans a year ago (as teenagers) on the strength of their live shows.

“This dark horse of a debut isn’t just vastly superior to most of the recycled indie landfill swilling around--it’s one of the most emotionally-charged guitar-based debuts to be unleashed over the past 12 months.” —Record Collector

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