Best Album of 2018: THE REVIVALISTS, Take Good Care
The Revivalists check all the boxes for me. Rooted in New Orleans, they bring the soul of a great American music town and package it up into an eight-piece jamboree of hook-laden roots rock. ‘Take Good Care’ is the band’s fourth full-length album and their first with drummer/percussionist PJ Howard. Don’t miss album tracks ‘You and I’, ‘Change’, and fan-favorite ‘All My Friends’. Word is that this album represents the best 14 songs of about 60 considered. I can only hope that means there will be many more albums to come from this ambitious group.
Tom’s Top 25 of 2018
- THE REVIVALISTS, Take Good Care
- THE MARCUS KING BAND, Carolina Confessions
- LARKIN POE, Venom & Faith
- BRANDI CARLILE, By The Way, I Forgive You
- LAKE STREET DIVE, Free Yourself Up
- I’M WITH HER, See You Around
- SOCCER MOMMY, Clean
- THE RECORD COMPANY, All of This Life
- ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES, Young Sick Camellia
- AMOS LEE, My New Moon
- LUCERO, Among the Ghosts
- LINDSAY LOU & THE FLATBELLYS, Southland
- THE WOOD BROTHERS, One Drop of Truth
- CORDOVAS, That Santa Fe Channel
- ANDERSON EAST, Encore
- THE WAR AND TREATY, Healing Tide
- THE MAGPIE SALUTE, High Water I
- WILLIE NILE, Children of Paradise
- MIKE FARRIS, Silver & Stone
- THE STRAY BIRDS, Let It Pass
- RIVER WHYLESS, Kindness, A Rebel
- LEFTOVER SALMON, Something Higher
- GREAT PEACOCK, Gran Pavo Real
- OLIVER THE CROW, Oliver the Crow
- SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES, Love’s Middle Name
Just for fun, here’s my picks for the 2018-19 Grammys:
Album of the Year: By The Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Best New Artist: Margo Price
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: My Way — Willie Nelson
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Modern Lore — Julian Lage
Best Rock Album: Rainier Fog — Alice In Chains
Best Alternative Music Album: Colors — Beck
Best R&B Album: Good Thing — Leon Bridges
Best Country Album: Port Saint Joe — Brothers Osborne
Best Americana Album: By The Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Best Bluegrass Album: North Of Despair — Wood & Wire
Best Traditional Blues Album: Benton County Relic — Cedric Burnside
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Please Don’t Be Dead — Fantastic Negrito
Best Folk Album: Rifles & Rosary Beads — Mary Gauthier
About the author: Washington, D.C. area creative by day. Music is my muse. I host Twangville’s weekly Readers‘ Pick.