Just before we get stuck into the Albums of the Year list, I always find it particularly important to highlight the plethora of stand-out EPs that we receive each year. I feel like I've listened to almost as many EPs in 2018 as I have LPs, and so it's been pretty difficult to narrow down my most memorable. Even then, to now narrow them down further was a serious challenge but just as with 2017, I've curated a playlist of the longlist, before shouting out the particularly golden nuggets.

RAY BLK - Empress
This glorious body of work walks the tightrope of full length album and EP both in run-time and in quality. Ray BLK has one of the most distinctive vocals coming from the UK at the moment and her positive and empowering lyricism works to set her apart from the pack for all of the right reasons. No doubts that I will have this spinning consistently until next year's list.



SIPPRELL - I Could Be Loved
Since the release of her debut EP Letter D in 2015, Sipprell's musicianship has truly gone from strength to strength. "Journey" was the first song to capture me and so to have it on an EP where each and every song rivals it, and for different reasons - talk about spoilt. This EP will lift your spirits and meld with your emotions in even the murkiest of times.



MOSES SUMNEY - Black In Deep Red, 2014
Just three tracks in less than 10 minutes and we have one of the most original EPs of the Year. I wish that I wrote every single one of the songs on this. It took me a while to even realise that "Call-To-Arms" had no lyrics in it. The instrumentation and production on this album is special and something entirely unique to Moses.




AUSTEL - Unfold 
After discovering Austel earlier this year I've caught a couple of their live performances since and with each one I was just more and more excited for their debut EP to come out. Unfold is a well thought out yet experimental body of work. Their ability to manipulate rare sounds to tell as much of a story as the vocals do is admirable to say the least.


MAYPINE - Bend/Break
MAYPINE have come a long way from last year's EP In The Back Of My Mind - moving in the direction of a moodier, more mature sound. "Kodokushi" was a clear stand-out for me on first listen, drawing me back to the music I'd mostly associate with labels like No Sleep Records (and we all know how much I love them). MAYPINE are continuously growing and shaping their sound and I don't foresee this changing come 2019.


YAZMIN LACEY - When The Sun Dips 90 Degrees
One of my favourite new vocal discoveries from 2018 and this EP is a large testament to that. Yazmin's silky, soulful tones will stick in your mind long after the tracks come to an upsettingly swift end. She's had an amazing year selling out shows around the country and after her collaborations and work with names like Brownswood Recordings and Skinny Pelembe, I know I'll be hearing her jazzy croon again soon.


AMBER MARK - Conexão
The title track opens up with a spacious, sexy instrumental; which then leads to one of my favourite singles of the year "Love Me Right". This song has potentially the best execution of a key change that I've heard this year. Amber's voice has been the strong carrying force in her work for a long time now and I can hear the instrumentals and lyrics now rising up to match that.


ROBERT GLASPER X KAYTRANADA - The ArtScience Remixes
The collaboration I didn't know that I needed until I saw it in writing. Two of my favourite producers have finally come together to create jazzy, R&B gold. I sincerely hope that this isn't the last time we'll see these two names on a piece of work together. I only wish that this was an entire album.



RAYVN LENAE - Crush 
One of the most recognisable female vocals to come out of the US in the past two years. Ravyn's touch on a track - be it her own, or another artist's - is always memorable and original. Her work with Steve Lacy (of The Internet) both this year and last has pushed her towards the limelight and her unique soprano and steady tone has keep her firmly in it.


BOYGENIUS - boygenius  
Another fantastic collaboration that I didn't realise I was desperate for until it was shown to me. Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Pheobe Bridgers together make up boygenius. Rarely have three separate artists, each with quite distinctive voices been able to unite and compliment each other so well. Their harmonies flow like they've been singing as one for years and their melancholic lyrics leave a lasting taste in your mouth after every listen.




Check out the Spotify playlist including songs from these EPs and more memorable gems here.

It's pretty easy unfortunately for EPs to get overshadowed in all of these end of year 'albums of the year' lists. However, a lot of my favourite tracks or new discoveries from this year have come from EPs. I won't be able to mention all of my favourites but here's a look into some of the most memorable ones...

ARDYN - Bloom
Every time Ardyn make an EP it will be on this list (like last year) and I just hope that whenever they decide to drop a debut album, it'll be on my albums of the year list that year. I need to see them live in 2018 and after listening to this EP, you're probably going to want to too.



HOMEBOUND - The Mould You Build Around Yourself
YES! One of my favourite new discoveries this year - something that many other people will be saying over the coming months whilst they keep releasing new music. Homebound have immense potential and watching them at Slam Dunk Festival this year just reinforced this for me. 



KWAYE - Solar 
When KWAYE came out with "Cool Kids", I was definitely impressed and mostly with the uniqueness of his voice. However, when "Little Ones" came out, I couldn't stop raving about him. I played this song a lot over the summer months and I'm sure I'll be playing it for many summers to come.



MAYPINE - In The Back Of My Mind
A killer debut EP that's had the band touring all over the country, all year; had them featured in Kerrang!, Rocksound, and more, and will serve them in really good stead moving into 2018. The fast growing potential of MAYPINE has continued to impress me this year and I have no doubts that whatever's next is going to continue to impress.



BUDDY & KAYTRANADA - Ocean & Montana
As soon as I saw that collaboration I knew the fire that this would bring. Kaytranada's album last year 99.9% is a gem and Buddy's name has been buzzing around all year. When there's a Kaytranada touch on a beat it's easy to spot and always enjoyable and that rings true across this whole EP. Matched with Buddy's mellow flow and catchy hooks, this album served me well this summer.



CONNIE CONSTANCE - Boring Connie
Spotify recomended this EP to me on a compilation playlist - actually they recommended the track "Let Go" to me to be specific. I only listened to it for the first time less than a month ago, but since then I've barely gone a day without listening to this song. I've had my eye on Connie's work for a while but this has finally locked down my attention.



BALANCE & COMPOSURE - Slow Heart
Well I said last year that most of my favourite rock albums come from Pure Noise Records but the rest of my favourites usually come from No Sleep, and this includes almost everything that Balance & Compsure release. Easily one of my favourite bands at the moment and up there with my most listened to pieces of music this year.



EMELI SANDE - Kingdom Coming
One of the most pleasant surprises of this year. I had no idea that Emeli Sande was planning on releasing anything more this year after her fantastic 2016 album Long Live The Angels and so when I saw this whilst browsing through Spotify I really overdid it.



If you want to check out the full list click here for the entire Spotify playlist.

August has arguably been the busiest month for music this year, so this is just a snippet of some of the headlines that I've seen sprawled across my timeline recently. Alongside the different pieces of news, some of my favourite albums of the year so far have finally been released in a rush to make all of those end of year lists. I'll be interested to see what September holds.


PARAMORE ANNOUNCE TOUR 3
Once again the UK shores are being blessed by the presence of Paramore. Tour 3 is only 5 dates long but is being played in some of Britain's biggest arenas. After having these last few months to jam along to After Laughter in all of its' greatness, the prospect of seeing it amplified live is all I could wish for. The tour starts off in Cardiff on the 11th of January, what a way to start off the new year.

TAYLOR SWIFT NEW MUSIC VIDEO "LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO"
I normally prefer to write about things that I've enjoyed or that show some potential, but I felt like I should say something about Taylor's new one. Supposedly this is intended to be a "diss track" aimed at Kanye. To be honest, after watching the video, I was embarrassed not only for Taylor, but also for myself for kind of liking it. Yep, the video's pretty eye-catching. In terms of the music however, it's lyrically sub par, and musically very boring in my opinion. BUT credit where due, as much as it pains me to say it - "Look What You Made Me Do" is a pretty good music video.

MARMOZETS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "PLAY"
It's been a long time since hearing anything new from Marmozets and after choosing their debut The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets as my number one album in 2014, it goes without saying that I was expecting big things. "Play" lyrically is not their best tune but this song will definitely be a hard hitter in their live shows. Already one of my favourite live bands ever, I can't wait to see this one added to the roster.

BEST EX NEW MUSIC VIDEO "SEE YOU AGAIN"
Previously known as Candy Hearts, Best Ex are here with a new summer anthem, and their first under the new name. Mariel has a voice that'll make you smile whatever the track, and this is no exception. "See You Again" comes from their debut EP Ice Cream Anti Social and the only thing I'd say is that if nostalgic pop punk is your vibe, then this is right up your street.

SYD NEW SINGLE "BAD DREAM/NO LOOKING BACK"
Yes yes. Syd's had her unmistakable vocals on a lot of tunes this year, making it a very busy year in her camp. Now she's blessed another slow bop with her sensual singing, and I suspect I'll hear this on the Insecure soundtrack sooner rather than later. I love hearing Syd create on her own, but "Bad Dream/No Looking Back" has definitely made me more excited for a potential third The Internet album in the future.

INHEAVEN NEW SINGLE "STUPID THINGS"
This popped up on my "Recommended" list on YouTube and thought I'd give it a listen after hearing good things about Inheaven. It's been a long time since I've listened to shoegaze-y, alt rock singles like "Stupid Things" and this was done refreshingly well. I'll definitely be checking out their new album on the 1st of September.

JORJA SMITH X PREDITAH NEW SINGLE "ON MY MIND"
Jorja Smith, back with a shoutout to old school UK garage, and I love it. Back in the day and even now, I'm a sucker for UK garage so to have it back on the airwaves gives me hope for the radio. People still continue to call her underrated, but since finding out about her last year she's taken some pretty huge steps recognition-wise, and I feel like it's just the beginning for her. Ratings will continue to pile up after "On My Mind".

DAUGHTER NEW SINGLE "BURN IT DOWN"
Another one that I've been looking forward to for a while now. After I heard this new single I had to admit to myself that Daughter are 100% one of my favourite bands of the decade at the moment. Grand statement but I stand by it. Elena Tonra's voice is just magical and the drums on "Burn It Down" definitely keep the song lodged in my head.

IAMDDB NEW MUSIC VIDEO "SHADE"
After her recent appearance on Berlin Colors, people are finally starting to take notice of IAMDDB and the smooth sounds she's been bringing to the table, and rightfully so! Since her debut EP Waeveybby Volume 1 I knew it was only a matter of time before she made herself known. This new video for "Shade" doesn't showcase her best music to date in my opinion, BUT aesthetically, this is what IAMDDB is all about.

KNOWER NEW MUSIC VIDEO "OVERTIME"
This is actually a new discovery for me and Knower have left me with a very memorable impression. While watching "Overtime" I was thinking "ah! a new band having a go at DIY" and then as the video went on it became more and more apparent how professional these musicians actually are. Then I looked at their Facebook page and it all clicked into place - 30K+ likes. On a similar thread to Hiatus Kaiyote, this is a new band for me that I'll be keeping an eye out for.  

ROAM NEW MUSIC VIDEO "PLAYING FICTION"
It's been a pretty great month for Pop Punk with Neck Deep's new album, MAYPINE's debut EP and now ROAM's new single "Playing Fiction". After the last album, this single is a big step up and if it's anything to go by, then the new album out on the 13th of October is going to be a collection of their best work yet and could even be a contender on a lot of this year's "album of year" lists. As for the video, it'll be one that sticks in my mind for sure - creative concept, very well executed.

I know I don't often do EP reviews but after putting together a list of some of my most memorable EPs from last year; it's about time I started giving attention where due, so along that train of thought... enter MAYPINE. Pop punk band based in Brighton, UK bringing you that South Cali Pop Punk and oh so effortlessly.

Right off the bat, lead single "A Little Sooner" is a song that gives every member of the band a chance to shine. Every now and again you hear songs or albums that rely on a specific member to carry the band; none of that here. As the EP opener, it's a strong start and a blinding display of the band's potential. Following on with "North/South Divide" - an instant favourite of mine - Jason's vocal performance on this track in particular blew me away. Also, there are little pockets throughout that reminded me of The Swellers which is never a bad thing.

"Inside Out" and "Never Far Apart" add that sweet middle ground to the EP giving us a bit of acoustics whilst also adding in the fast-paced rhythmic riffs that we've begun to associate with bands like Neck Deep. It's between "Day After Day" and "North/South Divide" for my top spot at the moment. From start to finish on "Day After Day" I'm hearing riffs that I haven't heard and have been waiting to hear for a very long time, I'm hearing varied vocals, I'm hearing creative drum fills. I mean there's not much that I can fault on this one. A strong opener and a strong closer; In The Back Of My Mind is the best first impression that I've had the pleasure of listening to in a while.

This would be an awesome album to hear/see live. Already described as "one of the most exciting new pop-punk bands in the UK", MAYPINE show you why with just five tracks. For any artist, and upcoming artists in particular, it's important to release music that they'll be proud of and happy to stand behind, and I don't expect that MAYPINE will be having any trouble with this one. Head over to Deadbolt Festival in Manchester this August to hear this all played live and grab the EP when it comes out on the 4th of August.

Overall Rating - 8/10