Best Songs of 2018
by David James Young

5 Seconds of Summer
“Youngblood”

A love-lorn minor-key call from the darkness, the song dips its guitars in reverb and sheen as it simultaneously gives the bass a steely, bold presence. Thundering tom rolls from Ashton Irwin add a human touch in-between extended drum programming, while vocalist Luke Hemmings gives the performance of his career up-front. The tussled-hair mall-punks they once were had to die in order for this song to live – and it’s undeniably a song that lives its life to the absolute fullest.

5 Seconds of Summer on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Cash Savage and the Last Drinks
“Pack Animals”

“Pack Animals” is one of Savage’s most biting, blunt songs ever. As The Last Drinks encroach on a pulsating rhythm with urgent, dischordant delivery, Savage righteously tears into some poor normie dickhead who thinks he understands political correctness because he has read the “12 Rules for Life”. Fuck him, and fuck you if you don’t like this.

Cash Savage and the Last Drinks on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Courtney Barnett
“Nameless, Faceless”

This song shouldn’t have been so fucking relevant in 2018. A Margaret Atwood quote shouldn’t hit home so bluntly 36 years after it was first published. We shouldn’t be living in such a climate of abuse, trolling, bullying, harassment and even murder that overwhelmingly targets women. As great and as vital and as important as this song is, it wouldn’t exist in the first place if we were all just a little fucking kinder to one another.

Courtney Barnett on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Cry Club
“Walk Away”

In 2017, Australia underwent a plebiscite to determine whether marriage equality should be legalised. For their debut single, Cry Club rallied against every curmudgeonly conservative fuck that stood in the way of a massive step towards equality. It rumbles, it rages and when the count-along pre-chorus kicks in it fucking rules. Forget their trademark glitter: “Walk Away” is the sound of a band donning warpaint.

Cry Club on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Denise Le Menice
“Heart”

“Heart” is such a sugar-rush, you just know listening to it can’t be good for your teeth. It’s a song centred on head-voice girl-talk, shimmering guitar layers and glassy, heaven’s-gate keyboards. It’s soft in the centre and melts in your mouth – one of the finest indulgences of the calendar year as far as Australian music is concerned.

Denise Le Menice on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

DZ Deathrays
“Like People”

DZ Deathrays have spent the last decade smashing together the heads of dance-punk and pub-rock to create a reflective skull of pedal-stomping riffs and big-swinging drums. “Like People” is as nasty and snarky as anything they’ve ever written, but even its nihilism can’t offset how damn catchy the fucker ends up being.

DZ Deathrays on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

E^ST
“I Don’t Lack Imagination”

“Imagination” is surrounded by flowery production and slinky rnb melodies. The lyrics, dissecting an impervious relationship dichotomy, still manage to cut through across a slim three-minute runtime. That – and, by extension, the song itself – deserves considerable credit. Pop fans were once told to go west. Now, the future is female – and the future is E^ST.

E^ST on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram.

Flowermouth
“Gown”

This standalone single from Perth’s Flowermouth was a light in the darkness for most of 2018. Its bright, jangly chords burst from the speakers, the hi-hats splashing like the first dive into the pool for the summer to come. That’s not to suggest that “Gown” is at all footloose and fancy-free, though – there’s an underlying tension that never quite resolves, which makes it all the more engaging to listen to.

Flowermouth on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Hockey Dad
“I Wanna Be Everybody”

What’s shocking about “Everybody” is how bluntly it confronts the idea of imposter syndrome. Sure, guitarist/vocalist Zach Stephenson may have everything a young musician could dream of – but as he croons against twanging guitar chords and walloping snare, he doesn’t feel deserving or worthy. A Trojan horse of garage-rock emotions.

Hockey Dad on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Jack R Reilly
“Pursuing Balance”

Reilly was raised on a diet of post-punk revival and 21st century art-rock, and “Pursuing Balance” was his first major play at paying homage to that. With the assistance of Cry Club’s Jonathan Tooke, Reilly spilled his heart over disco drums, stuttered hooks and washed out guitars, all tied together by one of the year’s most distinctive piano lines. It’s the best song he’s ever written.

Jack R. Reilly on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Laura Jean
“Girls on the TV”

A song like “Girls on the TV” does so much speaking for itself that writing about it almost feels like a disservice. It needs to be heard to be properly experienced. How does one describe the feeling you get as the devastating, confessional storytelling of Laura Jean cuts through the disco-lite backbeat and the layers of Casio on top? Is there a word that sums up the way one’s brain reacts as you attempt to decipher which parts are true and which parts are artistic license? Whatever happened to Ricki? Maybe she’s still out there.

Laura Jean on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Luca Brasi
“Let it Slip”

The lead single from the band’s fourth album speaks openly of vocalist Tyler Richardson’s regrets: “I could have burned a little brighter,” he sings. “I could have shone a little more.”

“Slip” is a song about craving human connection and knowing you have to hit rock bottom in order to get back to the top. It’s as human and full-hearted as Brasi’s ever been.

Luca Brasi on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Moaning Lisa
“Carrie (I Want a Girl)”

Moaning Lisa’s breakthrough single is, by their own admission and design, a very lesbian affair. It’s celebrity crushes and heart-eyes-emoji lust, as backed by a slinking bass-line and a big-business riff. They cut to the point, and will wash you right out of their hair if you disagree. Even if you’re not – as 10 Thing I Hate About You put it – a k.d. lang fan, there’s so much to enjoy here that it doesn’t even matter.

Moaning Lisa on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram.

Polish Club
“Clarity”

“Clarity” showcases the best of Polish Club – vocalist David Novak howls and moans just like Otis Redding, while John-Henry Pajak sneaks in the best drum fill of his career to kick off the song’s final burst. Consider their trajectory in tandem with another notable rock duo, The Black Keys. After years of lo-fi and bluesy brawlers, a touch of production polish and a newfound funk have made their way into the mix.

Polish Club on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Press Club
“Suburbia”

Less than two years into their time as a band, Melbourne’s Press Club have promptly swept the nation with a must-see live show and a take-no-prisoners debut album. Your immediate entry point is “Suburbia,” a song so rousing and anthemic that a crowd can overpower a PA when singing its refrain. Vocalist Nat Dunn sounds like she’s going so hard the mic might blow up, while her bandmates seemingly have sparks flying off them the whole time they’re locked in together.

Press Club on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, www.

Skegss
“Smogged Out”

Unfairly dismissed by most as doofus garage-rock for burnouts, Skegss have had to fight more than your average band for credibility and validity. Their allegiance is to KISS-principle jangle with subtle undertones and festival-mosh choruses. “Smogged Out” may be one of their best efforts in this department yet, putting a pogo bounce into a song of malaise and pity.

Skegss on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

The Presets
“Downtown Shutdown”

A parade of slap-bass, pogo-bounce grooves and skittish electronics. The titular phrase is an obvious allusion to the restricted nightlife of Sydney, but the refrain is chanted by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Choir – which is primarily made up of African immigrants. Consider the man stuck to.

The Presets on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Thelma Plum
“Clumsy Love”

Assisted by Sparkadia alum Alex Burnett, Plum details a bizarre love triangle where her betrothed is in purgatory between his past and present – ie. Plum. Her confessional croons are guided via tasteful electric guitar, buzzing synth-bass and a boom-clap drum machine reminiscent of early single “Dollar.” After a few years away, a comeback from Thelma Plum felt like the warm moment of hope 2018 needed.

Thelma Plum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Troye Sivan
“Bloom”

Troye Sivan’s queerness is something that’s been part and parcel of his image ever since he became famous. This is where the title track to Sivan’s big-business second album comes into play – a song that isn’t hiding itself away in the corner shamefully or remaining tight-lipped about a damn thing. “Bloom” feels like an homage to Bronski Beat, queer icons of yesteryear that paved the way for Sivan to be the young man he is today. All the radiance of a rainbow without ever having to put up with a drop of rain.

Troye Sivan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

WAAX
“Labrador”

When vocalist Maz DeVita sings “You’re a girl/And a girl isn’t welcome in here,” you can cut the sardonic tension with a knife. Rough translation: “You think I don’t know the shit you people say?” Moments later, she’s barking and biting back in the form of their most mosh-ready chorus – one that cleaned up at every last festival they played in 2018. If WAAX can’t earn your respect, they’re going to pull it out of you with their bare teeth.

WAAX on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.