My top albums of the year, part 2
Ok, one list down, one to go. In case you missed last night's post, I split this up into two lists. This is the second of two:
Non-Local Albums
Honorable Mentions:
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Not really a 2008 album, but it missed my list last year and it's absolutely one of my favorite albums I heard for the first time this year. I heard a new song by him/them that's done with the vocals completely autotuned. It made me long for the simple brilliance of this album.
Best Songs: "For Emma", "Skinny Love"
American Music Club - The Golden Age
This one probably would've made the list if I had listened to it as much as it deserved to be listened to. I picked it up after seeing them play with Cloud Cult. I listened to it a little then, then forgot about it until seeing it on the Onion's best albums of the year list. After listening a few times since then, I've realized I was really missing out.
Best Songs: "All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco", "The Windows on the World"
K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Like Bon Iver, this is another older album that got a 2008 re-release. It's crazy to me that, in a year when guys like Kanye and Lil Wayne get all kinds of credit for putting out albums that "take rap in new directions" and other such comments, an album like this can fly almost completely under the radar. Solid throughout, and occasionally brilliant.
Best Songs: "If Rap Gets Jealous", "I Was Stabbed by Satan", "In the Beginning"
10. Adele - 19
In a market that seems to become more and more inundated all the time with British soul singers, it's hard to stand out. She does. She has a big voice, and unlike, say, Duffy, she actually has the songwriting to back it up. She even took a song I've heard a bunch of different versions of and managed to make it sound original and new.
Best Songs: "Make You Feel My Love", "Chasing Pavements", "Hometown Glory"
9. Chris Walla - Field Manual
I never really got into the new Death Cab album. This always seemed to be more like what that album should've been. It comes across as a slightly more straightforward version of older Death Cab. A very catchy pop record.
Best Songs: "Everyone Needs a Home", "Two-Fifty"
8. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
It's no Hissing Fauna, but it's really been growing on me the more I listen. It seems a little too disjointed at times, but its best moments are as good as anything they've ever done. I think people underrate this because they were expecting too much. As it is, it's a quite good album that just falls short of the greatness of their recent stuff.
Best Songs: "Touched Something's Hollow", "An Eluardian Instance"
7. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
This one seemed to have been the internet consensus pick for album of the year since the moment it came out. It's a damn good album, but because of all the praise I almost feel like I have to justify not putting it higher. I like it, but I wasn't as blown away by it as everybody else seemed to be.
Best Songs: "Ragged Wood", "Quiet Houses"
6. Why? - Alopecia
I don't know what you'd classify this album as, but whatever it tries to be, it seems to accomplish really well. Kinda rap, kinda rock, kinda just really good. Vaguely reminiscent of a lot of things I like, but never to the point that it seems like it's been done before.
Best Songs: "Good Friday", "The Hollows"
5. Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live
Normally I'd feel weird about putting a live album on here. But there's no question that it's one of the best I've heard this year. At worst, there are times when it's little more than a live but stripped down Decemberists show (as if that would be a bad thing). At best, there's new/rare material (Bandit Queen, Wonder, Dracula's Daughter). It's a compilation of most of his best work, put together in a format that's far more interesting than a "greatest hits" album could possibly be.
Best Songs: "Bandit Queen", "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade / Ask"
4. She & Him - Volume One
Charmingly throwback-y. Simple arrangements and straightforward vocals make this feel familiar even before we get to the covers. I can't think of a better word than "charming" to describe the style of the whole affair. It just makes me want to like them.
Best Songs: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here", "I Should Have Known Better", "Sweet Darlin'"
3. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
I like Night Ripper, but I think that one felt a lot more like a novelty than an album. To me, Feed the Animals seems a lot more complete. It flows better from one moment to the next and seems to have more fun with itself, going beyond "this sounds good" to "this sounds good, but there's also a payoff for people who pay attention" (the lyric "We popping champagne" over the guitar from "Hunger Strike", for instance).
Best Songs: "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)", "No Pause", "Play Your Part (Pt. 2)"
2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Their first three albums all seemed to take on unique directions and change distinctly from one to the next. This was the first time they seemed to say "Ok, we've figured out what we want to be, now lets just do it better." Stylistically, it's a lot like Boys and Girls in America. Everything just feels tighter, like they've gotten better with experience. "Lord, I'm Discouraged" is like "First Night", only now they're not afraid to just throw in a crazy guitar solo just for the sake of throwing in a guitar solo. The whole album has that feel of something familiar but improved.
Best Songs: "Constructive Summer", "Magazines", "Slapped Actress"
1. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
I have yet to see this show up on any year-end lists. That amazes me. Mates of State were always the kind of band that I enjoyed when I heard them, but never really cared enough to go out of my way to listen. Then this album came along. It's just one brilliant pop song after another. Five of the first six songs on the album are near-perfect, and the rest of the album is solid. I can see how people think of them as annoying cutesy, but I can't see how anyone would let that get in the way of music this good.
Best Songs: "Get Better", "Jigsaw", "Blue and Gold Print"
Non-Local Albums
Honorable Mentions:
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Not really a 2008 album, but it missed my list last year and it's absolutely one of my favorite albums I heard for the first time this year. I heard a new song by him/them that's done with the vocals completely autotuned. It made me long for the simple brilliance of this album.
Best Songs: "For Emma", "Skinny Love"
American Music Club - The Golden Age
This one probably would've made the list if I had listened to it as much as it deserved to be listened to. I picked it up after seeing them play with Cloud Cult. I listened to it a little then, then forgot about it until seeing it on the Onion's best albums of the year list. After listening a few times since then, I've realized I was really missing out.
Best Songs: "All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco", "The Windows on the World"
K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Like Bon Iver, this is another older album that got a 2008 re-release. It's crazy to me that, in a year when guys like Kanye and Lil Wayne get all kinds of credit for putting out albums that "take rap in new directions" and other such comments, an album like this can fly almost completely under the radar. Solid throughout, and occasionally brilliant.
Best Songs: "If Rap Gets Jealous", "I Was Stabbed by Satan", "In the Beginning"
10. Adele - 19
In a market that seems to become more and more inundated all the time with British soul singers, it's hard to stand out. She does. She has a big voice, and unlike, say, Duffy, she actually has the songwriting to back it up. She even took a song I've heard a bunch of different versions of and managed to make it sound original and new.
Best Songs: "Make You Feel My Love", "Chasing Pavements", "Hometown Glory"
9. Chris Walla - Field Manual
I never really got into the new Death Cab album. This always seemed to be more like what that album should've been. It comes across as a slightly more straightforward version of older Death Cab. A very catchy pop record.
Best Songs: "Everyone Needs a Home", "Two-Fifty"
8. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
It's no Hissing Fauna, but it's really been growing on me the more I listen. It seems a little too disjointed at times, but its best moments are as good as anything they've ever done. I think people underrate this because they were expecting too much. As it is, it's a quite good album that just falls short of the greatness of their recent stuff.
Best Songs: "Touched Something's Hollow", "An Eluardian Instance"
7. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
This one seemed to have been the internet consensus pick for album of the year since the moment it came out. It's a damn good album, but because of all the praise I almost feel like I have to justify not putting it higher. I like it, but I wasn't as blown away by it as everybody else seemed to be.
Best Songs: "Ragged Wood", "Quiet Houses"
6. Why? - Alopecia
I don't know what you'd classify this album as, but whatever it tries to be, it seems to accomplish really well. Kinda rap, kinda rock, kinda just really good. Vaguely reminiscent of a lot of things I like, but never to the point that it seems like it's been done before.
Best Songs: "Good Friday", "The Hollows"
5. Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live
Normally I'd feel weird about putting a live album on here. But there's no question that it's one of the best I've heard this year. At worst, there are times when it's little more than a live but stripped down Decemberists show (as if that would be a bad thing). At best, there's new/rare material (Bandit Queen, Wonder, Dracula's Daughter). It's a compilation of most of his best work, put together in a format that's far more interesting than a "greatest hits" album could possibly be.
Best Songs: "Bandit Queen", "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade / Ask"
4. She & Him - Volume One
Charmingly throwback-y. Simple arrangements and straightforward vocals make this feel familiar even before we get to the covers. I can't think of a better word than "charming" to describe the style of the whole affair. It just makes me want to like them.
Best Songs: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here", "I Should Have Known Better", "Sweet Darlin'"
3. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
I like Night Ripper, but I think that one felt a lot more like a novelty than an album. To me, Feed the Animals seems a lot more complete. It flows better from one moment to the next and seems to have more fun with itself, going beyond "this sounds good" to "this sounds good, but there's also a payoff for people who pay attention" (the lyric "We popping champagne" over the guitar from "Hunger Strike", for instance).
Best Songs: "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)", "No Pause", "Play Your Part (Pt. 2)"
2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Their first three albums all seemed to take on unique directions and change distinctly from one to the next. This was the first time they seemed to say "Ok, we've figured out what we want to be, now lets just do it better." Stylistically, it's a lot like Boys and Girls in America. Everything just feels tighter, like they've gotten better with experience. "Lord, I'm Discouraged" is like "First Night", only now they're not afraid to just throw in a crazy guitar solo just for the sake of throwing in a guitar solo. The whole album has that feel of something familiar but improved.
Best Songs: "Constructive Summer", "Magazines", "Slapped Actress"
1. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
I have yet to see this show up on any year-end lists. That amazes me. Mates of State were always the kind of band that I enjoyed when I heard them, but never really cared enough to go out of my way to listen. Then this album came along. It's just one brilliant pop song after another. Five of the first six songs on the album are near-perfect, and the rest of the album is solid. I can see how people think of them as annoying cutesy, but I can't see how anyone would let that get in the way of music this good.
Best Songs: "Get Better", "Jigsaw", "Blue and Gold Print"
posted by Mike at
3:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home