MEB’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2018

2018 is set to be another fantastic year in music, and we’re ready for everything it has to offer. With the return of big pop stars, indie rock bands, and 2000s emo legends, there’s going to be buzz around a variety of artists. We’ve compiled a list of the 25 albums we’re most excited for, so we’ll be on the lookout for the following releases as the year goes on — and we hope you will be too.

Arctic Monkeys – TBA

Only brief nuggets from the studio have been shared by members of Arctic Monkeys, who became modern British rock royalty with their last album, the sleazy AM. But with a festival appearance already announced and possibly more live shows planned for 2018, a new album has to be on its way and should round out this year’s indie rock selection quite nicely. -Zach Silva

The Breeders – All Nerve

Kim Deal fans rejoice: The Breeders will be releasing their first album since 2008. Longtime fans of the band, as well as the bassist’s former band the Pixies, will be pleased to know this album features the group’s original lineup — a lineup that hasn’t recorded together since 1993. The fourpiece has already released the album’s first single, the eponymous All Nerve, which evokes the fuzzy, grungy Breeders sound many have missed. –Christina Troitino

Bring Me the Horizon – TBA

While not much has been said about Bring Me the Horizon’s sixth album yet, the ever-evolving Sheffield outfit has stated that “it’s not going to be a pop record.” This may seem obvious, but as the band continues to push the boundaries of their heavy sound (remember, they were once deathcore), it’s going to be interesting to see where they go next. 2015’s That’s the Spirit found them clinging to a more streamlined, rock-focused identity, but that could change this time around — just as it did from the aggressive metalcore of Sempiternal two years before that. –Tim Dodderidge

Carly Rae Jepsen – TBA

Carly Rae’s last album, E•MO•TION, released in 2015 and cemented Carly Rae’s cult following. The Canadian pop singer is a songwriting machine, and she followed up E•MO•TION with the release of a E•MO•TION: Side B, a most rare move for a pop star. Fans have long awaited a follow-up full-length release, and as of October 2017, Carly Rae claims she has already written 80 songs for her 2018 release. –Christina Troitino

Courtney Barnett – TBA

Courtney Barnett’s collaboration with Kurt Vile was one of the greatest gifts contemporary indie rock has given us, and it’s made us all the more excited for her next individual effort. She stated in late 2017 that her new album — her first in nearly three years — is almost ready. If the quality of tunes on Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit and Lotta Sea Lice is any indication of what Barnett has in store for us this year, we’re about to be blessed with another blast of groove and personality from the Aussie solo artist. –Tim Dodderidge

Culture Abuse – TBA

They claim to be “kinda grunge, kinda punk, kinda hardcore,” but regardless of genre, Culture Abuse is kinda the next big thing in alternative music. 2016’s Peach ripped into the punk scene like a wrecking ball, establishing the band as one of the most intriguing young talents in around. Now on Epitaph Records, the band will have a huge platform to spread their grimy, fun-loving sound to a whole new crowd. –Nick Niedzielski

Danny Brown – TBA

Danny Brown’s 2016 album, Atrocity Exhibition, saw the hip-hop star take a darker and stranger turn in style. Produced by Paul White and featuring the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt, the album was well received and ranked among the best rap releases of the year. Details about the new release are still largely under wraps, but Danny Brown has built hype around its producer, stating to Complex: “I’m working on my next album right now..I would just say it’s being produced by one producer, who’s legendary in hip-hop. And it’s gonna be a big deal.” –Christina Troitino

Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows

Chris Carrabba may not have been as active in the first half of the decade, but with the resurgence of early 2000s emo, he’s revitalized the project from that era that initially put him on the map. Dashboard Confessional has picked up touring in recent years, with a new album to follow this February — the band’s first in nearly nine years. It’s set to appease fans of both old and new Dashboard, with “Heart Beat Here” a stripped-down acoustic track and “We Fight” a more upbeat rock song. At 42, Carrabba sounds as good as ever, his gut-wrenching voice and all. –Tim Dodderidge

David Byrne – American Utopia

With the “most ambitious” stage production David Byrne has done since Stop Making Sense, according to the man himself, American Utopia in its artistic entirety has the potential to be the most unique music experience of the year. We’ll see if the new album — scheduled for a March release — from the Talking Heads frontman lives up to the hype. –Zach Silva

Death Cab for Cutie – TBA

Death Cab for Cutie fans are anxious for the band’s next release since the beloved 2015 release of Kintsugi, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. A lot has changed in the world since 2015, and fans anticipate Death Cab’s next album will reflect this. In October 2016, the band dropped the single “Million Dollar Loan”, a protest song against Donald Trump, so it would not be surprising to see political undertones in this next release. Details about the new project are scarce and limited to an Instagram post on November 17 of last year with an image captioned, “LP9 // 2018.” –Christina Troitino

Earl Sweatshirt – TBA

Ironically aligned with the title of his last release, I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (2015), Earl Sweatshirt has been fairly low key over the last few years. His last album was raw and honest, illustrating some of Earl’s struggles with fame and his personal life at large. He has already generated hype for this upcoming release: On December 31, Earl tweeted, “New chunes 2018, don’t think i wasn’t at work.” –Christina Troitino

Frank Ocean – TBA

Frank Ocean is easily one of the most prolific, if not mysterious, artists out today. With his cult following, he has gotten by providing cryptic updates on his Tumblr, most notably his recent post that read “IF YOU LIKED 2017, YOU’LL LOVE 2018. new 18-99.” It should be noted that Frank tends to postpone hyped delays for various reasons, including his late-stamped library card image posted on his Tumblr in relation to the release of Boys Don’t Cry. Looks like we’ll all have to stay tuned to his site for truth on the hopeful 2018 release of this album. –Christina Troitino

Jack White – Boarding House Reach

Jack White is set to emerge his Third Man Records creative hive to deliver the experimental Boarding House Reach, his third solo album and first since 2014’s Lazaretto. Jack White has referred to his new music as “good gardening music or roofing music, or back-alley stabbing music”, and if the track “Respect Commander” is any indication, the latter is definitely going to be true. Seeing that his last project, the third album for The Dead Weather, didn’t get any live support, this new music and stage production should be something special to witness. -Zach Silva

Jeff Rosenstock – POST-

We were gifted with a surprise Jeff Rosenstock album on New Year’s Day, and while it doesn’t exactly fit as an anticipated record at this point, it’s still sure to define 2018. Across his first two solo albums, Rosenstock has taken the punk scene by storm. Placing elements of pop-punk and garage rock on top of his raw punk roots, the Long Island musician is an instant sensation. He continues with this dynamic in POST-, only with a greater sense of unease. From concerns about the government to dealing with depression, there’s a lot to chew on, and it’s a surefire standout from a year packed with new releases. –Tim Dodderidge

Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods

A new album from JT would be his biggest story of 2018. That is, if he wasn’t scheduled to play the halftime of the Super Bowl next month. With Man of the Woods coming two days before this year’s big game, it’s going to be an eventful February for the R&B/pop star. Taking after his home state of Tennessee, he’s hinted at more Southern-styled influence in the new record, saying, “It sounds more like where I’ve come from than any other music I’ve ever made.” But with collaborations with Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton, this album is set to have a bit of everything. – Tim Dodderidge

Kanye West – TBA

We’re all big fans of Kanye’s work, but The Life of Pablo was a tough pill for us to swallow. The record simply wasn’t good. There was plenty of greatness sprinkled throughout, but the constant tinkering resulted in a bloated mess that had nothing to say. But if there’s one silver lining, it’s that Kanye’s first true misstep is likely to spark a return to form. If someone can rein the rapper in and help him create a more focused project, we could be in for a treat. –Nick Niedzielski

La Dispute – TBA

As with many of their post-hardcore contemporaries, La Dispute has ventured far from the roots that brought them into the spotlight — a move that has proven artistically beneficial for the band. 2014’s Rooms of the House was the band’s sonic departure, ditching much of the screamed vocals while doubling down on the ever-present flair for the dramatic. In the time since that release, the band has continued to experiment with atmospheric strangeness on 2016’s stellar Tiny Dots, hopefully paving for the way for a more experimental turn going forward. –Nick Niedzielski

Pianos Become the Teeth – Wait for Love

2014’s Keep You was a game changer for Pianos Become the Teeth, who took a hard right turn out of their yelping screamo roots and created one of the most emotionally moving records to come from this scene in quite a while. But now that the jarring sonic switch is out of the way, the focus is now on how the band will grow within their new sound. A long-gestating project, Pianos’ next release will hopefully prove that the band can thrive in a polished dynamic arena. –Nick Niedzielski

Senses Fail – If There Is Light, It Will Find You

It’s been fascinating to watch Senses Fail’s transformation from reckless emo starlings to matured veterans who have a lot to say. Even with a more spiritual lyrical outlook in more recent material Buddy Nielsen has described his band’s upcoming seventh full-length as similar in sound to their early releases. “Double Cross” flaunts massive heaps of guitar and an addictive hook, matching his remarks in every way. Senses Fail may be a new band with a new outlook, but their upcoming post-hardcore throwback is certainly exciting. –Tim Dodderidge

Silent Planet – TBA

There hasn’t been much talk yet about a follow-up to Silent Planet’s stellar second album, Everything Was Sound, but that may pick up as 2018 goes on. With the quality of material on the 2016 release and the fact that it hasn’t even been two years since it came out, staying patient hasn’t been much of a problem. Frontman Garrett Russell has given a bit of detail about the upcoming record, suggesting that it’ll be aggressive, but that’s about it. Knowing the band, though, it’s set to be another progressive and thought-provoking outing from one of metalcore’s most resonant new stars. –Tim Dodderidge

Superorganism – Superorganism

Never before has a band gained more initial hype with only three songs available to listen. Superorganism, a collective of musicians from Australia, London, and Maine (lead singer and lyricist Orono), put out a mysterious signal into the universe in 2017 with their psychedelic pop tune “Something For Your M.I.N.D.” and were instantly scooped up by Domino Records for their debut, which is due out in March. The band has also already developed quite the stage production with crazy original video projections that they’ll take on the road in the next couple months to support their very first album. -Zach Silva

Ty Segall – Freedom’s Goblin

Prolific bay area garage rocker Ty Segall took a turn for the weird on 2014’s Manipulator and 2016’s Emotional Mugger, but soon veered back to straight on rock epics on last year’s self-titled release and this year’s forthcoming Freedom’s Goblin. From what we’ve heard in acoustic-turned-heavy-distorted-guitar ballads “My Lady’s On Fire” and “Alta” and groovy Hot Chocolate cover “Every 1’s a Winner”, Freedom’s Goblin has the potential to be the rock album of the year. -Zach Silva

Vampire Weekend – TBA

The biggest question mark on this list is probably how Vampire Weekend will move forward after the departure of Rostam from the live lineup and most of the creative process and at a time when all members of the band have ventured into their own solo projects. In the years since Modern Vampires of the City, the weight of the songwriting seems to have fallen on leader Ezra Koenig’s shoulders, so the band’s next album, tentatively (and hopefully jokingly) titled Mitsubishi Macchiato, is a huge turning point. -Zach Silva

The Wonder Years – TBA

We were both right and wrong about getting a new album from The Wonder Years in 2017; the pop-punk group did put out music last year, but it was an EP full of acoustic renditions of already-existing songs. Now we know for sure that the Philadelphia natives have a true full-length planned for this year. They’ve been quiet apart from the announcement of LP number six, hinting at a bit of time off to rest and make the follow-up to No Closer to Heaven. The disconnect is much needed and well deserved, but we’re going keep a close eye on their email list as we anticipate the next gem in their discography. –Tim Dodderidge

The 1975 – Music For Cars

Alluded to as the finale of a trilogy and the end of an era for the band, The 1975’s upcoming effort looks to be another step forward in their evolving sound. Despite only having two full-lengths under the belt, the band has shown a penchant for growth. I Like It When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It embraced a sprawling synth-based sound, equally entrenched in bright neon pop and dark droning. The mystery of where the band will turn to next sonically drives the anticipation for what should be, at minimum, one of the year’s most interesting pop records. –Nick Niedzielski