Top 10 full length releases of 2018

Altın Gün - On

Altin Gun released their first single from the album On back in mid 2017 as a bit a teaser. To say it whetted my appetite and made me eager to hear more from them would be quite the understatement.
In early 2018 the full length album dropped and it was everything I was hoping it would be. Mixing traditional sounds from Turkey together with psych, funk and afrobeat elements (amongst other things) this album is a whole lot of fun.
From the opening Drums beats of the lead track Tatli Dile Guler Yuze which lead into a great psychedelic Saz riff which repeats throughout the song to the Bass and Cowbell beats of the album closer Seker Oglan  (the only lengthier tune of the set) this album is designed to get your foot tapping and get you singing along, even if you have no idea what the lyrics are because it's all sung in Turkish, and I would say it succeeds in achieving this goal in spades. Bring on album number 2!
P.S. Big thanks to Heather of The Psych Ward for putting me onto them

The Putbacks - The Putbacks

The funk/soul music scene in Melbourne is thriving and has been for a number of years now. There is no shortage of bands and artists in the scene and while the calibre of most is of the highest order it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd.
The Putbacks however, have no such problem. While they have been around for a number of years now, this is their first full length non-collaborative release.
The thing that makes this band stand out (aside from their musicianship) is the cinematic elements that come through in their music. This album (simply titled The Putbacks) could easily be the soundtrack to some kind of 60's James Bond-esque spy thriller. Trying to imagine the storyline to this imaginary movie while listening to this record is half the fun!
P.S. They're also a freaking awesome live band. Check out this rendition of their song Kung Fu Pyramids from their album launch earlier in the year for proof.

Nathan Beretta - Where I Belong

Nathan Beretta is a man whose blues guitar stylings are some of best around Melbourne town, and even though at times he sounds a little too Stevie Ray Vaughan-ish it's more a case of wearing his influences unashamedly on his sleeve rather than trying to clone a particular sound. One of the founding members of the award winning Blues Eyes Cry Nathan has struck out on his own and released the aptly titled Where I Belong.
This album is simply infectious! It boogies, shuffles and grooves in all the right ways and in all the right places. Unsurprisingly the guitar playing on this release is a big focus is front and centre in the mix, but what is perhaps surprising is the quality of the Vocals. While it's unlikely you will see Nathan on any TV singing competitions in the near future, he has a distinct singing voice which he uses to great effect on this album.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the 2 releases by Blues Eyes Cry to date with the smoking Vocals of Isuela, who would probably be in with more than a fighting chance of winning any singing competition she was to enter, if this is what we can expect from Nathan Beretta solo releases I look forward to hearing the next one.

Naxatras -III

Naxatras hail from Thessaloniki, Greece. They play heavy instrumental rock music inspired by all the classic rock bands of the 70's that rock music aficionados love and they do it very well.
In a similar way to how the soul music scene in Melbourne is going from strength to strength the Stoner/Psych/Desert Rock scene in Greece is perhaps one of the strongest in Europe.
The 7 songs on this Album have a total running time of 60+ minutes meaning you can expect to hear some extended fuzz laden riffs of epic proportions. Simply titled III this release should be used as the measuring stick for all other bands playing this style of music.
P.S. While you're looking into this release check out the live album from their launch gig in Athens.

Universal Hippies - Evolution Of Karma

Universal Hippies are another instrumental Psych/Stoner band from Greece, this time from the small city of Kavala.
While this band still falls comfortably under the Stoner/Psych banner their music is somewhat more atmospheric than their counterparts. Heavy riffs still abound on the sophomore release Evolution Of Karma but there are a few more mellower moments which allow the lead guitar work of Stavros Papadopoulos to shine through.
This album will appeal to stalwart fans of the genre but will likely appeal just as much to fans of instrumental lead guitarists such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. If you are looking for a rock album with plenty of heavy riffs but also fantastic melodic lead guitar work then look no further than this album. P.S. Thanks to Steve of Fret Net for introducing me to their music.

Menagerie - The Arrow of Time

Lance Ferguson is probably best known for his work with The Bamboos that being said he has released music under various others monikers over the years as well.
His latest release The Arrow Of Time under the name Menagerie is a somewhat interesting one. It's less in the Soul/Funk vein and much more Jazz oriented which in and of itself is not unusual but what is unusual is that he has decided to revive the Menagerie moniker. There has been one Menagerie release previously, namely They Shall Inherit which my understanding was that it was always supposed to be a one off project. Whatever the reason Lance decided to revive the Menagerie moniker, I for one am glad he did.
Yet another album in my Top 10 list made up of lengthier tunes, the word that I feel best sums up the music on this album would be angular. The music on offer here needs your full attention as it can at times be a difficult listen to someone who is not an avid listener of the Jazz genre. But therein lies the beauty of it, it challenges you to really listen. The melodies are great but far from linear and the same goes for the rhythms. The lead lines of Trumpeter and regular collaborator Ross Irwin and Pianist Mark Fitzgibbon are a thing to behold and make for an album that makes you feel like you've been put through the ringer by the end of it (I guess that's just what Modal Jazz is supposed to do). We can only hope that there will be further Menagerie releases in future.

Joe Bonamassa - Redemption

Joe Bonamassa is a man who needs no introduction. He burst onto the Blues-Rock scene almost 20 years ago with his debut solo release A New Day Yesterday and has been releasing albums at a rapid clip pace since then.
Redemption is his 13th studio album (if my calculations are correct) and it is everything we have come to expect from the blues troubadour. It's a tour de force of guitar riffs and solos. It's blues and it rocks. Some might say it's somewhat "paint by numbers" and while they wouldn't necessarily be wrong in saying so, I challenge anyone to find another Blues-Rock artist who releases albums of such consistent quality, even if you know exactly what to expect when you hit the play button.

Ry Cooder - The Prodigal Son

What can you say about Ry Cooder that has not already been said throughout his 50-ish year career? While the majority of Blues artists who get attention these days have a healthy dose of Rock in their style Ry's latest album The Prodigal Son is a much mellower affair. With added Mandolin, Banjo and Violin this album has definite a Americana colour to it which suits Ry perfectly.
Whether you choose to file this under Blues or Americana is up to yourself but one think that is certain is that this album is probably the most enjoyable Ry album in recent years (not that he has released that many).

Lake Minnetonka - Melbouneapolis

If you are a fan of Prince you will automatically get the Lake Minnetonka reference. And if you're not a Prince fan the album title and cover should give you an idea of what this band is all about (subtlety has never been bandleader Adam Rudegeair's strong suit)
Top to bottom this album is a hell of a lot of fun. Filled with funky 80's inspired Keytar heavy tunes what is there not to like about this one? This is a band that have studied the "Minneapolis Sound" and graduated with a masters degree and while Melbournapolis is a definite throwback/tribute to that sound these guys and gals are not to be dismissed as mere clones. Adding to this bands legitimacy, if you check the album credits you will see the names of no less than 4 regular Prince collaborators making appearances on this release. Essentially: hit the play button and just try to resist the fonk this album is throwing down.

A purple reference of a different kind Chrysoula K. & Pupura (Púrpura meaning Purple in Spanish) visited Australian shores earlier in 2018 as part of the Melbourne Rebetiko Festival which is how I found out about this band.
After hearing them play live I was instantly hooked and had to get my hands on their one and only release to date. Made up of 5 seasoned musician with various musical backgrounds the Purpura sound is a unique mix of Greek Folk, Celtic and Classical. While the album only contains one original song the interpretations contained within this album are a thing of melancholy beauty. If this is what we can expect in future from this band then I hope this is just the first of many more releases to come.