The 10 indie darlings who healed our souls in 2018

Greta Kline is unstoppable. The daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates (this is worth mentioning because it is amusing, but Greta’s immense skills have allowed her to surpass merely being the musician daughter of two notable actors) began Frankie Cosmos as a solo project, but over the years it has turned into a full-fledged band. This year, Frankie Cosmos released a third album, the stellar “Vessel.” It’s in a two-way fight for album of the year, even if it’s perhaps not quite as good as the previous outing, “Next Thing.” “Vessel” doesn’t quite have the same lo-fi charms of that album, but the slightly more polished sound is joined by sharper songwriting and lyricism, making it an altogether fantastic, beautiful work.

Jeff Rosenstock

Rosenstock came up in the DIY punk scene, and that ethos has never left him. He released “POST-“ on New Year’s Day without any notice and donated 10 percent of the proceeds to Puerto Rico disaster relief. This is not the music to listen to if you want to turn your brain off and have something fun and light. “POST-“ is an angry album ruminating in the wake of the 2016 election. The opener, “USA,” includes the sing (or rather shout) along refrain, “We’re tired! We're bored!” However, Rosenstock helped give his audience a feeling of catharsis it so sorely needed. Fortunately, the album also sounds great. If “Vessel” isn’t the year’s best album, it’s POST-.”

Mitski

Mitski first gained attention and real traction with her album “Puberty 2,” which is kind of a shame because her prior album, “Bury Me At Make Out Creek,” was decidedly better. Outside of “Your Best American Girl,” “Puberty 2” was kind of lackluster, but Mitski rebounded in a major way with 2018’s “Be the Cowboy.” While in the past Mitski tended to write meandering, contemplative songs, “Be the Cowboy” is full of short, powerful compositions that still contain her usual emotional heft. Only one song even nears four minutes, and it’s the closer, “Two Slow Dancers,” which may, funnily enough, also be the album’s best offering.

Snail Mail

It feels almost taunting that Lindsey Jordan named her musical project after the retronym Snail Mail, as the 19-year-old doesn’t even remember a world where email wasn’t prevalent. However, we’re willing to forgive her given her prodigious, precocious talents. Jordan released her first full-length album this year, the very solid “Lush.” For somebody who is still figuring out her place in the world, let alone her place in music, it’s staggering how formed her music is at this point. Her voice is haunting and resonant, even when she’s not singing about something somber and sobering. It’s not necessarily music you want to dance to, but if you aren’t excited at the prospect of all the music that the teenage Jordan has ahead of her, we don’t know what to tell you.

Gabby’s World 

Gabrielle Smith has had some years of change recently, mostly when it comes to the names under which she is recording music. Smith first hit the scene with the name Eskimeaux, which she ended up changing due to some flak she got for that moniker. Now it seems like she has settled on Gabby’s World, but the name doesn’t really matter. What matters is the music, which has been excellent for several years. Though nothing on “Beast on Beast” is on par with “Broken Necks” from her 2015 album “O.K.,” but that was the best song of that year, so she shouldn’t sweat it. Smith is still making sweeping songs that tend to start quiet and crescendo into something powerful. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a winter’s day where you just want to sit inside where it’s warm.

illuminati hotties

The band illuminati hotties doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page, and apparently can’t afford any capital letters, but it’ll get there. “Kiss Yr Frenemies” is an album title that may make you wince, depending on how much twee whimsy you can handle, but the music doesn’t hit you over the head with the same cutesy cudgel. It’s just great indie pop; some of it sad and contemplative, some of it inspiring and energizing. You may want to divvy the album up across a couple of playlists to maximize your enjoyment and soul healing, but you definitely want to give it a listen.

Lucy Dacus

Dacus pulled impressive double duty this year. Early in 2018, she released her second solo album, “Historian,” which built upon the quality of 2016’s “No Burden.” Then she joined up with her friends Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, two great solo artists in their own right, to form a quasi supergroup called boygenius, which then put out an EP. Now none of those three is exactly known for uplifting songs, but they all make beautiful music. Sometimes you need haunting music along those lines (although boygenius is far from a miserablist affair). You can’t talk big, momentous years in indie music without mentioning Dacus.

Father John Misty

To be honest, Josh Tillman’s “Father John Misty” shtick was tired before his 2017 album “Pure Comedy” had even come to a close. Fortunately, Tillman seems to be one of the people who feels that way. “God’s Favorite Customer” does away with at least some of the ironic shtick that is usually dabbed liberally on the Father John Misty output. There’s added honesty and a level of sincerity and confession that wasn’t previously there for Tillman. Now some may say he veered too much in the other direction, but moderation does not seem like Tillman’s style, especially in his Father John guise. People like to emotionally connect with music. There’s a reason why “sad” songs are so popular. Sometimes, when the world is a bummer, you want the relative safety of sad music. At least that brand of emotional tumult has a catchy beat to it.

The Beths

Want something more upbeat? How do the word’s “pop punk band from New Zealand” grab you? You’re already hooked, right? Meet The Beths, four Kiwis who dropped their first full-length album, “Future Me Hates Me,” this year. It’s the best album ever released with a song called “Uptown Girl” on it, and we will stand by that statement against any arguments otherwise. Though the songs aren’t always joyful in terms of content, The Beths have a catchy, infectious pop punk sound that makes the album a fine soundtrack to whatever it is you’re doing. Don’t let memories of lousy pop punk bands from the ‘00s keep you from enjoying The Beths.

Cloud Nothings

To think that Dylan Baldi was once one of those wunderkinds first popping up on the indie rock scene. That was six years ago, and now Baldi and his band, Cloud Nothings, have released their sixth album, “Last Building Burning.” The days of bedroom rock are in the rearview mirror, and some have called this latest outing “noise rock.” However you want to catalog it, “Last Building Burning” tears it up. It puts the pedal to the metal and goes for it. If you are looking for a strong album to soundtrack your drives, "Cloud Nothings" will get your proverbial engine revving, if not your actual one.