I’m honored to be included on these year-end “best of 2018” lists:
Americana Highways Editor’s Pick: The Dirty Dozen Top Albums Of 2018 -“The Stories, oh dear god, The Stories. Peters know how to draw out real cathartic release for the saddest parts of our collective unconsciouses, all set to a full band sound. These songs cover all manner of personal experiences from aging and Alzheimer’s, to love, loss, prostitution, and abuse. Get out the tissues while you’re letting this album wash over you.”
Folk Alley’s Best of 2018: Elena See’s Favorite Folk and Americana Albums of the Year – Peters says she was feeling quite low when she was working on this album. It was right after the 2016 presidential election and she wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She ended up doing what she does very well – she started telling stories, working through what she – and others – were feeling. It’s the kind of record that will somehow always speak to you, no matter what you’re going through.
B-Sides and Badlands 30 Best Albums of 2018 – Amidst a flurry of grim solitude, which serves as a shattering reflection of real life, Gretchen Peter’s new album is gilded with softness, almost hopeful in its savory nuances. “Wichita,” named one of our Best Songs of 2018, is entrenched in southern gothic folklore, a story song about a young girl’s murderous revenge, and signals the comprehensive tone of the record. “Disappearing Act” sketches a woman who’s lost too much to care about appearances, a grisly but gorgeous moment; “Lowlands” is a reaction to the ghastly 2016 presidential reaction, a harsh reality we can’t escape; and “Truckstop Angel” sees her choking on regret. Seven albums deep now, Peters continues sacrificing bits of herself to write such stunning and profound portraits of mankind in exhaustive, radical detail.
No Depression 50 Favorite Roots Music Albums of 2018 (reader poll)
Folk & Tumble The Best of 2018
Bernard Zuel – Top 20 Albums of 2018
Folk Alley Best Albums of 2018 – Listener Poll
WMOT Listener’s Choice 2018 – Top 10