Here is the Long List for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize

As a member of the wider jury for the Polaris Music Prize (there are over 200 of us), I long ago lost count of how many albums were put forward for consideration. It was over 200 for sure and the vast majority of them were very, very good. Damn, our people make good music.

None of those albums matter anymore, save for the 40 that made the Long List after a round of voting.

This list will be subject to another round of voting, which will whittle things down to the Short List on July 17. The final step is to declare a winner at the Gala September 17 in Toronto. The winner will receive $50,000 cash while the nine runners-up will get $3,000 each.

Which of the following will make it? There is some extremely interesting stuff here. And note the absence of Broken Social Scene, Preoccupations (one of my Long List votes), Whitehorse and The Weeknd.

1. a l l i e – Nightshade
2. Alvvays – Antisocialites
3. Arcade Fire – Everything Now
4. Bahamas – Earthtones
5. The Barr Brothers – Queens of the Breakers
6. Bernice – Puff LP: In the air without a shape
7. Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main
8. Bonjay – Lush Life
9. Booji Boys – Weekend Rocker
10. Philippe Brach – Le silence des troupeaux
11. Cadence Weapon – Cadence Weapon
12. Daniel Caesar – Freudian
13. Jennifer Castle – Angels of Death
14. Clairmont The Second – Lil Mont from The Ave
15. Gord Downie – Introduce Yerself
16. Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
17. Faith Healer – Try 😉
18. FRIGS – Basic Behaviour
19. Zaki Ibrahim – The Secret Life of Planets
20. Iskwé – The Fight Within
21. Kacy & Clayton – The Siren’s Song
22. Lydia Képinski – Premier Juin
23. Pierre Kwenders – MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time
24. Pierre Lapointe – La science du coeur
25. Melissa Laveaux – Radyo Siwèl
26. Hubert Lenoir – Darlène
27. Terra Lightfoot – New Mistakes
28. Loud – Une année record
29. Milk & Bone – Deception Bay
30. Partner – In Search Of Lost Time
31. Propagandhi – Victory Lap
32. Vivek Shraya & Queer Songbook Orchestra – Part-Time Woman
33. Sloan – 12
34. Snotty Nose Rez Kids – The Average Savage
35. U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
36. The Weather Station – The Weather Station
37. Weaves – Wide Open
38. Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman
39. Donovan Woods – Both Ways
40. YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN – Dirt

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more listening to do.