New albums to look forward to in 2018
Time to look into the internet crystal ball and see who may (and who may not) release an album for our ears in 2018. Will Robyn finally release another album? Before we answer that, here’s some we know are on the way…
Tune-Yards
Release date: January 19th
Tune-Yards have announced that their fourth album I can feel you creep into my private life will be released on January 19th. They will be touring the US and Europe from February. Surely, an Irish date is imminent.
Nils Frahm
Date: January 26th
Nils Frahm’s new album All Melody is out on January 26th and was recorded in his custom-built studio in Funkhaus in Berlin. He also announced a world tour which starts on January 22nd in Berlin and lands in Dublin for a sold out show on Monday 26 February.
Frank Ocean
Possible Date: 2018
It’s been nearly a year and a half since the release of Frank Ocean’s album Blonde (add another week for Endless too). In November, he posted on Tumblr that he had finished a new album writing – “’Well I️ made the album before 30. I️ JUST AINT PUT THAT BITCH OUT!’ -quotes from an interview I️ haven’t given haha”. He also posted a picture on his Tumblr wearing a hat saying ‘If you likes 2017 you’ll love 2018. Frank was practically prolific in 2017 by previous standards with songs like ‘Provider’, ‘Chanel’ and ‘Biking’ released and first premiered on his Apple Music radio show Blonded.
Grimes
Possible Date: 2018
Grimes’ followup to Art Angels was reportedly halfway there in April 2017. Claire Boucher posted on Instagram in August 2017 that she needed two more months before finishing the new tracks. Last month she replied to a fan on Twitter regarding the new album saying ‘just played label new music they rly dig it so hopefully smthn soon’. Two days later on Instagram she said that she has all the tracks but needs to vox and drums on pretty much all of them. Signs are good.
My Bloody Valentine
2018
When asked by Pitchfork about a new album release for 2018 Kevin Shields from the band said “Oh, we one hundred percent will,” he also gave details on the album stating “Basically, the record started off as an EP, and I realized it has to be, like, a mini-album, because it’s going to be at least 40 minutes long. So it’s going to be an album, but I don’t really know how many tracks it’s going to be. It’ll probably be seven or eight, by the looks of it.” He also stated that they will be touring this summer. This album will mark five years since the release of their third studio album MBV in 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8kjbjx2EUw
Franz Ferdinand
Date: February 9th
The Scottish indie rock band will release Always Ascending on February 9th a follow up from their fourth album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action which was released in 2013. The title track and some Galway/Dublin dates were previously announced.
Chromeo
Date: Spring/Summer 2018
The fourth album Head Over Heels from Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo is on its way this year, a follow up from White Women which came out in 2014. They released a tralier for the album back in November as well as new track ‘Juice’.
Jon Hopkins
Possible Date: Spring/Summer 2018
In a post on Facebook in May last year Jon thanked fans for being patient while he worked on his new album and left us with a cover of Laura Palmer’s Theme tune for Twin Peaks. He later stated that the album is nearly finished, or to be more accurate – “nearly fucking finished.”.
This record is nearly fucking finished
— Jon Hopkins (@Jon_Hopkins_) September 29, 2017
Le Galaxie
Possible Date: Spring/Summer 2018
The Dublin electro band’s third album is done and set for release this year and former Fight Like Apes’ singer May Kay, who joined the band full-time, is set to feature on six tracks.. They released the first track off the new album ‘Pleasure’ in May last year but the album was delayed as the band signed a US deal for its release in late 2017.
Arctic Monkeys
Possible Date: Summer/Autunm 2018
The follow up to the Artic Monkey’s 2013 release AM is on the way. According to an interview with motorcycling magazine bassist Nick O’Malley said if the album isn’t out by 2018 ‘We’ve got problems’. Let’s hope that means the new album is on the way soon.
Blood Orange
Possible Date: Spring 2018
Last summer Blood Orange or Dev Hynes announced that he was writing new material via a post on Instagram. Last month he posted a video on his Instagram showing off some of the new material. The album will be a follow up to his 2016 release Freetown Sound.
The Good, The Bad and The Queen
Possible Date:Summer 2018
It’s been 11 years since Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen released an album under The Good, The Bad and The Queen name. According to NME, Damon Albarn reveled details on the new album hes’s been working on with Tony Visconti to radio DJ Zane Lowe: “We’ve got pretty much all the songs and recorded all the backing tracks but I’m just emoting over it at the moment. I can hear what I’m saying kind of, a bit, but it’s still a bit unintelligible.” He also stated that the album is “inspired by Brexit”.
David Byrne
Possible Date: March 2018
The former Talking Heads man has announced some live dates for this summer and that fact along with an apparent leak of the album title as American Utopia by an online retailer and a March date, more than suggest an album is on the way. His last album was his collaborative album with St. Vincent.
FKA Twigs
Possible Date: 2018
Tahliah Barnett’s debut LP1 came out in 2014 and she’s been plenty busy with dancing, documentaries, stage shows, a once of single, and a 2015 EP and the release of new song ‘Good To Love’ in February 2017. Last year she confirmed that an album was on the way but would not be released in 2017 . According to NME she performed three new songs at Lastochka Festival in Moscow last summer. Could this mean that 2018 is the year for a new album release?
Flying Lotus
Possible Date: Spring/Summer 2018
A new album was promised in 2016 from the Brainfeeder boss but Stephen Ellison was working on his feature-length film debut Kuso (starring Hannibal Buress and Tim Heidecker), which premiered at Sundance in 2017. In November 2017 he released a video for new track ‘Post Requisite’ and on January 1st this year he tweeted a mix from Brainfeeder which includes a new track ‘Quarantine’. No date for the new album has been released but there are a few telling signs that its on the way soon.
Empress of
Possible Date: 2018
Loreley Rodriguez’ debut Empress Of album Of Me was followed up with a killer once-off single and one of the best songs of 2016 collaboration with Blood Orange – ‘Best To You’. She released a new track ‘Go To Hell’ in July. In Demcember, she dropped a cover of Lana Del Rey produced by DJ Dodger Stadium. Hopefully, her new album is finally on the way.
I swear making another album is an emotional roller coaster:not so much making the music but playing it for other people
— Tia Empress Of (@EmpressOf) January 7, 2017
Vampire Weekend
Possible Date:Summer 2018
It’s been five years since the New York City band released Modern Vampires of the City and according to a tweet reply from frontman Ezra Koenig in September last year, 2018 could be the year of their long awaited return. Later in the year he explained to fans via Instagram that he spent 2017 working on the new album saying “we gotta take our time’. This album with be the bands first without Rostam Batmanglij.
@arzE made u a pie 🙂 pic.twitter.com/64gc82EmcC
— Mia ♡ (@mtim08) September 3, 2017
Robyn
Possible Date: 2018/2019
It’s been almost eight years since Swedish singer Robyn has relesed an album. Last year her track ‘Honey’ featured on girls which she stated as being selected by Lena Dunham from music that she has been working on. In January last year she released a track with Mr Tophat but it may be nine years before she returns. 🙁
Daniel Avery
Possible Date: Autumn 2017
This time last year Daniel Avery was in studio hopefully that means a new release for 2018 is due to follow up from his superb 2013 album Drone Logic. It’s been too long already.
Three months in London. The studio door is locked from the outside
— Daniel Avery (@danielmarkavery) January 3, 2017
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.