2018 Year End Lists Chapter 4: EPs Of The Year
How you release music can impact the way its perceived in a big way, as viral exposure slowly becomes the name of the game in popular music these artists stick to their guns and release incredible EPs.
Hozier - Nina Cried Power
Protomartyr - Consolation
The Weeknd - My Dear, Meloncholy
Clipping. - Face
Remo Drive - Pop Music
Honorable Mention Tracks To Listen To:
Nina Cried Power - Hozier, Wheel Of Fortune - Protomartyr, Call Out My Name - The Weeknd, Block - Clipping, Blue Ribbon - Remo Drive
10. The Neighborhood - Ever Changing
Last year the Neighborhood got their new era off to a hot start with a great EP that ended up landing on our best EPs list last year. Despite that they also dropped two mediocre short form projects before releasing their self titled album this year. But before the year was out they comfortably made up for it with this solid blend of pop and rap that features their infectious hooks and guitar licks melded with some old school and contemporary rap flare from numerous excellent features. The albums standout moment is Denzel Curry's stark opener to Kill Us All but IDK and Ghostface Killah also deliver for the project in a big way.
Tracks To Listen To:
Kill Us All, Beautiful Oblivion
9. The Decemberists - Traveling On
The Decemberists spent the last two years altering their sound to touch on some more synth heavy and pop inspired indie flare that it technically a new sound for the band, but is a sound that has been beaten absolutely to death this decade. On their Traveling On EP the band triumphantly returns to many of the elements that made them so fantastic in the first place. The natural and folk inspired instrumentation sounds a little bit more polished than maybe their most raw cuts but it has a far more satisfying edge than recent projects from the band. Its really the combination of such a satisfying return to form and a style of songwriting that has been so dry and disappointing this year that makes Traveling On such a stand out piece.
Tracks To Listen To:
Traveling On, Midlist Author
8. Vince Staples - FM!
Its weird to hear Vince having so much fun. The always ruthless and shady rapper even has a history dropping excellent EPs with our 2014 winner Hell Can Wait and 2016's Prima Donna but neither were as brightly colored or as conceptual as these. The tracks here are decent and numerous, very consistent chorus work throughout makes almost all the tracks memorable for hooks alone and usually there is some solid delivery underneath. What propels FM! to this spot is its fantastic commitment to its excellent concept of a vibey, summer seasoned, west coast radio station setlist. The funny and charasmatic hosts, kooky segues and fantastic interludes do their job well of immersing you into the world of daytime radio. Features from Earl Sweatshirt and Tygs in interlude form help sell the projects authenticity big time even if some of the artists lending vocal work to the songs sometimes fall short. Overall most of these tracks don't stick out in a major way outside of the project, but as a whole its a breezy and fun listen.
Tracks To Listen To:
Feels Like Summer, No Bleedin, New earlsweatshirt (Interlude)
7. Belle And Sebastian - How To Solve Our Human Problems Pt. 2
Sandwiched in between the underwhelming parts 1 and 3 of the How To Solve Out Human Problems EP series from Belle and Sebastian is the inexplicably fantastic pt. 2. Everything that makes the other two releases an absolute slog to get through is completely absent on this 6 for 6 indie pop success of a project. Song after song blends together their soft melodies and blissful songwriting to make for a series of songs that is a complete pleasure to listen to, somehow. Songs like I'll Be Your Pilot, The Same Star and Show Me The Sun are reminiscent of the groups heyday and even mix in elements of some of their best work in most recent years for an EP that stands out in a discography in so many ways but provides such a comfortably satisfying listen.
Tracks To Listen To:
I'll Be Your Pilot, Show Me The Sun
6. Kero Kero Bonito - TOTEP
Last year Kero Kero Bonito dropped their breakout album the bright and bubbly electro pop album Bonito Generation, TOTEP is far from a sequel to that release and much more an indicator of what was to come. The songs are much more obtuse and hard to pin down than the sugary sweet pop tunes of old. Tracks like Only Acting feature bright melodies but they are shackled to experimental and glitchy electronic breakdowns and brash loud instrumentals. The project makes it loud and clear with 4 varied and interesting tracks that the group has a new sound on their mind and plenty of changes coming soon.
Tracks To Listen To:
Only Acting, Cinema
5. Young Thug - On The Rvn
Thugger has always had a knack for releasing projects with a good bit more thought into their most intricate parts then his trap contemporaries and this EP is further proof of it. Splitting time with fantastic features from Offset, Jaden Smith and 6lack plus even a very solid interpolation of Elton John's Rocket Man Thugger crafts an excellent project that is as consistent as they come. Every song hits and its hard to ask for anything more. The sweet hooks silly but contemporary lyrics and fantastic input from nearly everybody involved propelled this EP far past the controvercy surrounding his arrest in Atlanta around the time of its release, into cementing it in the realm of fantastic modern trap projects, of which Thugger already has multiple. On The Rvn is a huge step up from the completely average first EP he dropped earlier this year and proof that even in the midst of a year where he doesn't dominate headlines he can drop some fantastic music. Oh year and on TOP of all of this his collaborative EP with Carnage was #1 on this very same list in 2017, go Thug.
Tracks To Listen To:
High, On The Rvn
4. Iglooghost - Steel Mogu
Iglooghost dropped 2 EPs this year filled with tracks that could have fit snugly into the tracklist of his debut album Neo Wax Bloom, but that doesn't mean these tracks are leftover quality, in fact they are the opposite. While Clear Tamei steps into a little bit of new territory for the producer and features more vocals and less complicated sonic spaces than you come to expect in an Iglooghost song its companion EP Steel Mogu is a nonstop assault of everything that made us fall in love with his work in the first place. Opening up with a tight intro to set the scene for the albums blistering pace it never slows down from there transitioning into the title track which rides two huge waves of energy to passionate crescendos the likes of which electronica hasn't heard in years, the track doesn't exactly beg for its 4+ minute runtime but its far from a boring experience. The next 3 tracks in a row Black Light Ultra, Mei Mode and Niteracer, are three tracks that define everything Iglooghost is so good at. Complex and high octane electronica delivered at a blisteringly fast pace. These 3 tracks are some of the most unique bangers you'll hear this year and some of the most dizzyingly layered pieces of electronica in recent years. Nobody that likes any music of any kind should have to miss this fantastic EP.
Tracks To Listen To:
Niteracer, Mei Mode
3. Jenny Hval - The Long Sleep
Jenny Hval has made the short form work for her big time in the past and even earlier in the year debuted the Lost Girls project with a short EP. The Long Sleep is a much more consistent and cohesive piece than that project. For such a short project Jenny really brings everything she has to offer, starting with the EP's promotional single Spells a song that perfectly melded the experimental pop sound Jenny is well known for with a sugary sweet vocal line that can't help but get stuck in your head and is certainly one of the best singles in this genre I've heard all year. The next track is a sort of combination of everything else that the EP has to offer, transitioning from a somber and heartfelt piano ballad into some ambient pop and even with a hint of spoken word. Its a jack of all trades but a master of none, its a good track to show off what you're getting into but is ultimately the least memorable. A good portion of the EP is made up by its title track, at over 10 minutes long The Long Sleep is an incredibly refreshing piece of ambient pop that truly walks the line into a hazy musical blur. Jenny's rare vocal appearance and the long winding passages of ambient looped sounds is incredibly unique in the low-fi hip hop study beats era where ambient pop's only defining trait is not trying very hard to make it. Finally after this grand track we are led into the EP's short outro cut less than a minute and a half of Jenny Hval's Apocolypse-esque whispered spoken word performance that closes out one of the most interesting and compositionally varied pieces of music you'll hear all year, EP or not.
Tracks To Listen To:
Spells, The Long Sleep
2. Aphex Twin - Collapse
Its the mark of a truly strange career from a completely unique artist the amount of times we've said collectively "Aphex Twin" is back, and pretty much every time its turned out true. This is the jittery, abstract, hard to follow and completely zany Aphex Twin we haven't heard from in a long time and he is executing on these tracks with as sharp consistency and fantastic songwriting as any in his career before. T69 Collapse which serves as the EPs intro, pseudo title track and only single perfectly set up our expectations for what Collapse would be, a nonstop assault of middling electronic textures and rapid fire mixing that reminds us exactly why the term "intelligent dance music" was invented specifically to describe his music. Collapse is a completely unforgiving dive into experimental electronica that takes you on multiple seamlessly assembled journies one after another through the technically sound and glitch filled world of Richard D. James. The only possible complaint anyone could have about the project is that their isn't more to enjoy.
Tracks To Listen To:
T69 Collapse, MT1 t29r2
1. Open Mike Eagle - What Happens When I Try To Relax
What Happens When I Try To Relax is yet another brilliant chess move in the evolving career of one of raps smartest and most creative MCs. Mike has always been cutting edge and lyrically excellent, but on his album Brick Bodied Kids Still Daydream last year he gave his style a boost combining it with personal and emotional memories painted into the songs. The independently released What Happens When I Try To Relax is a series of tracks that dive deeper than ever into the psyche that powers the rap music we all love and the far less glamorous elements of the hustle we hear mentioned so often. The EPs only single Relatable (Peak OME) is everything to describe the projects concepts in detail. Bright beats that refuse to be forgotten no matter how interesting the lyrics are, and lets discuss those lyrics for a second because Mike does a spectacular job opening up in a real and unashamed way about the struggles of being an independent conscious rapper. Refusing to give up his talent and authenticity has created not only a nonstop series of great projects released but has also given him some amazing material with which to rap about on projects just like this one. His vulnerability and honesty is so refreshing in the rap game that we've been talking this whole time on the short project and haven't even mentioned how good the songs themselves are. Tracks like Single Ghosts and Southside Eagles are anthems that show off Mike's talent in assembly of each of these tracks, while also providing just a slight edge of the hilarious attitude and cutting wit Mike has carried with him throughout his career. As the "mixtape" takes over rap and "albums" are more frequently becoming either 23 minutes or nearly 2 hours, its refreshing to see hip hop oriented EPs find success in 2018 and this is the crown jewel, and the best EP of the year.
Tracks To Listen To:
Reletable (Peak OME), Southside Eagle (93 Bulls)
Hozier - Nina Cried Power
Protomartyr - Consolation
The Weeknd - My Dear, Meloncholy
Clipping. - Face
Remo Drive - Pop Music
Honorable Mention Tracks To Listen To:
Nina Cried Power - Hozier, Wheel Of Fortune - Protomartyr, Call Out My Name - The Weeknd, Block - Clipping, Blue Ribbon - Remo Drive
10. The Neighborhood - Ever Changing
Last year the Neighborhood got their new era off to a hot start with a great EP that ended up landing on our best EPs list last year. Despite that they also dropped two mediocre short form projects before releasing their self titled album this year. But before the year was out they comfortably made up for it with this solid blend of pop and rap that features their infectious hooks and guitar licks melded with some old school and contemporary rap flare from numerous excellent features. The albums standout moment is Denzel Curry's stark opener to Kill Us All but IDK and Ghostface Killah also deliver for the project in a big way.
Tracks To Listen To:
Kill Us All, Beautiful Oblivion
The Decemberists spent the last two years altering their sound to touch on some more synth heavy and pop inspired indie flare that it technically a new sound for the band, but is a sound that has been beaten absolutely to death this decade. On their Traveling On EP the band triumphantly returns to many of the elements that made them so fantastic in the first place. The natural and folk inspired instrumentation sounds a little bit more polished than maybe their most raw cuts but it has a far more satisfying edge than recent projects from the band. Its really the combination of such a satisfying return to form and a style of songwriting that has been so dry and disappointing this year that makes Traveling On such a stand out piece.
Tracks To Listen To:
Traveling On, Midlist Author
Its weird to hear Vince having so much fun. The always ruthless and shady rapper even has a history dropping excellent EPs with our 2014 winner Hell Can Wait and 2016's Prima Donna but neither were as brightly colored or as conceptual as these. The tracks here are decent and numerous, very consistent chorus work throughout makes almost all the tracks memorable for hooks alone and usually there is some solid delivery underneath. What propels FM! to this spot is its fantastic commitment to its excellent concept of a vibey, summer seasoned, west coast radio station setlist. The funny and charasmatic hosts, kooky segues and fantastic interludes do their job well of immersing you into the world of daytime radio. Features from Earl Sweatshirt and Tygs in interlude form help sell the projects authenticity big time even if some of the artists lending vocal work to the songs sometimes fall short. Overall most of these tracks don't stick out in a major way outside of the project, but as a whole its a breezy and fun listen.
Tracks To Listen To:
Feels Like Summer, No Bleedin, New earlsweatshirt (Interlude)
Sandwiched in between the underwhelming parts 1 and 3 of the How To Solve Out Human Problems EP series from Belle and Sebastian is the inexplicably fantastic pt. 2. Everything that makes the other two releases an absolute slog to get through is completely absent on this 6 for 6 indie pop success of a project. Song after song blends together their soft melodies and blissful songwriting to make for a series of songs that is a complete pleasure to listen to, somehow. Songs like I'll Be Your Pilot, The Same Star and Show Me The Sun are reminiscent of the groups heyday and even mix in elements of some of their best work in most recent years for an EP that stands out in a discography in so many ways but provides such a comfortably satisfying listen.
Tracks To Listen To:
I'll Be Your Pilot, Show Me The Sun
6. Kero Kero Bonito - TOTEP
Last year Kero Kero Bonito dropped their breakout album the bright and bubbly electro pop album Bonito Generation, TOTEP is far from a sequel to that release and much more an indicator of what was to come. The songs are much more obtuse and hard to pin down than the sugary sweet pop tunes of old. Tracks like Only Acting feature bright melodies but they are shackled to experimental and glitchy electronic breakdowns and brash loud instrumentals. The project makes it loud and clear with 4 varied and interesting tracks that the group has a new sound on their mind and plenty of changes coming soon.
Tracks To Listen To:
Only Acting, Cinema
Thugger has always had a knack for releasing projects with a good bit more thought into their most intricate parts then his trap contemporaries and this EP is further proof of it. Splitting time with fantastic features from Offset, Jaden Smith and 6lack plus even a very solid interpolation of Elton John's Rocket Man Thugger crafts an excellent project that is as consistent as they come. Every song hits and its hard to ask for anything more. The sweet hooks silly but contemporary lyrics and fantastic input from nearly everybody involved propelled this EP far past the controvercy surrounding his arrest in Atlanta around the time of its release, into cementing it in the realm of fantastic modern trap projects, of which Thugger already has multiple. On The Rvn is a huge step up from the completely average first EP he dropped earlier this year and proof that even in the midst of a year where he doesn't dominate headlines he can drop some fantastic music. Oh year and on TOP of all of this his collaborative EP with Carnage was #1 on this very same list in 2017, go Thug.
Tracks To Listen To:
High, On The Rvn
Iglooghost dropped 2 EPs this year filled with tracks that could have fit snugly into the tracklist of his debut album Neo Wax Bloom, but that doesn't mean these tracks are leftover quality, in fact they are the opposite. While Clear Tamei steps into a little bit of new territory for the producer and features more vocals and less complicated sonic spaces than you come to expect in an Iglooghost song its companion EP Steel Mogu is a nonstop assault of everything that made us fall in love with his work in the first place. Opening up with a tight intro to set the scene for the albums blistering pace it never slows down from there transitioning into the title track which rides two huge waves of energy to passionate crescendos the likes of which electronica hasn't heard in years, the track doesn't exactly beg for its 4+ minute runtime but its far from a boring experience. The next 3 tracks in a row Black Light Ultra, Mei Mode and Niteracer, are three tracks that define everything Iglooghost is so good at. Complex and high octane electronica delivered at a blisteringly fast pace. These 3 tracks are some of the most unique bangers you'll hear this year and some of the most dizzyingly layered pieces of electronica in recent years. Nobody that likes any music of any kind should have to miss this fantastic EP.
Tracks To Listen To:
Niteracer, Mei Mode
Jenny Hval has made the short form work for her big time in the past and even earlier in the year debuted the Lost Girls project with a short EP. The Long Sleep is a much more consistent and cohesive piece than that project. For such a short project Jenny really brings everything she has to offer, starting with the EP's promotional single Spells a song that perfectly melded the experimental pop sound Jenny is well known for with a sugary sweet vocal line that can't help but get stuck in your head and is certainly one of the best singles in this genre I've heard all year. The next track is a sort of combination of everything else that the EP has to offer, transitioning from a somber and heartfelt piano ballad into some ambient pop and even with a hint of spoken word. Its a jack of all trades but a master of none, its a good track to show off what you're getting into but is ultimately the least memorable. A good portion of the EP is made up by its title track, at over 10 minutes long The Long Sleep is an incredibly refreshing piece of ambient pop that truly walks the line into a hazy musical blur. Jenny's rare vocal appearance and the long winding passages of ambient looped sounds is incredibly unique in the low-fi hip hop study beats era where ambient pop's only defining trait is not trying very hard to make it. Finally after this grand track we are led into the EP's short outro cut less than a minute and a half of Jenny Hval's Apocolypse-esque whispered spoken word performance that closes out one of the most interesting and compositionally varied pieces of music you'll hear all year, EP or not.
Tracks To Listen To:
Spells, The Long Sleep
2. Aphex Twin - Collapse
Its the mark of a truly strange career from a completely unique artist the amount of times we've said collectively "Aphex Twin" is back, and pretty much every time its turned out true. This is the jittery, abstract, hard to follow and completely zany Aphex Twin we haven't heard from in a long time and he is executing on these tracks with as sharp consistency and fantastic songwriting as any in his career before. T69 Collapse which serves as the EPs intro, pseudo title track and only single perfectly set up our expectations for what Collapse would be, a nonstop assault of middling electronic textures and rapid fire mixing that reminds us exactly why the term "intelligent dance music" was invented specifically to describe his music. Collapse is a completely unforgiving dive into experimental electronica that takes you on multiple seamlessly assembled journies one after another through the technically sound and glitch filled world of Richard D. James. The only possible complaint anyone could have about the project is that their isn't more to enjoy.
Tracks To Listen To:
T69 Collapse, MT1 t29r2
1. Open Mike Eagle - What Happens When I Try To Relax
What Happens When I Try To Relax is yet another brilliant chess move in the evolving career of one of raps smartest and most creative MCs. Mike has always been cutting edge and lyrically excellent, but on his album Brick Bodied Kids Still Daydream last year he gave his style a boost combining it with personal and emotional memories painted into the songs. The independently released What Happens When I Try To Relax is a series of tracks that dive deeper than ever into the psyche that powers the rap music we all love and the far less glamorous elements of the hustle we hear mentioned so often. The EPs only single Relatable (Peak OME) is everything to describe the projects concepts in detail. Bright beats that refuse to be forgotten no matter how interesting the lyrics are, and lets discuss those lyrics for a second because Mike does a spectacular job opening up in a real and unashamed way about the struggles of being an independent conscious rapper. Refusing to give up his talent and authenticity has created not only a nonstop series of great projects released but has also given him some amazing material with which to rap about on projects just like this one. His vulnerability and honesty is so refreshing in the rap game that we've been talking this whole time on the short project and haven't even mentioned how good the songs themselves are. Tracks like Single Ghosts and Southside Eagles are anthems that show off Mike's talent in assembly of each of these tracks, while also providing just a slight edge of the hilarious attitude and cutting wit Mike has carried with him throughout his career. As the "mixtape" takes over rap and "albums" are more frequently becoming either 23 minutes or nearly 2 hours, its refreshing to see hip hop oriented EPs find success in 2018 and this is the crown jewel, and the best EP of the year.
Tracks To Listen To:
Reletable (Peak OME), Southside Eagle (93 Bulls)
