Alright, I can't keep putting this off anymore. I know, I know. I'm over a month past due on this one, but... I needed to take some time with it. You see, faithful reader(s), this is the 4th time I've done one of these Top 10 Albums lists, having started with 2005's. However, I ran into a bit of an obstacle this year. I was in a bit of a dry spell in 2008, musically speaking, and I only just managed to squeak by with exactly 10 albums over these past 12 months. Exactly 10... and 3 or 4 of them were acquired in the last few days of December. And I'm sorry, dear reader(s), but it took me just over a month to get through them all and organize them into any meaningful order.
On the whole, I found this past year's music to be a bit lackluster. There are a few very, very important exceptions, but for the most part, I'm a little eh about my 2008 acquisitions. One of them I haven't even listened to all the way through yet. Another one I purchased in March and didn't even open until mid January -- as I started writing this little list. But then again, there are a couple I waited for, a couple I have listened to over and over again. Once again, I did pretty good on staying current in the music scene (well, at least by acquiring albums actually released in the past year), but that doesn't stop me from loving some of the previously released stuff on this list. You know what I always say: If I haven't heard it, it's new to me!
So without further ado, I give you:
The Top 10 (Purchased or Otherwise Acquired) Albums of 2008
10) City and Colour, Bring Me Your Love (Vagrant Records 2008) – When pandora.com recommended to me a City and Colour song, I knew I stumbled upon something interesting. I must confess that I haven't even listened to this one all the way through yet, but the snippets that I have heard... not gonna lie: I can dig it. Unfortunately, this is one of the albums that I "otherwise acquired" and the source from which I "otherwise acquired" this album has since shut its doors forever, so I cannot even go back to try to listen to any of them. So, since I cannot provide you with any other description besides "it's kind of emo-y, but in a nice way," I have no choice but to leave this at #10. Better look next year, City and Colour.
Recommended Tracks: I wish I knew...
9) Nick Drake, Five Leaves Left (2003) -- I'm not sure what compelled me to purchase this album way back in March 2008 anymore, and regretfully I don't think I've once listened to it all the way through. Having pushed play on it 2 minutes and 15 seconds ago, I kind of wish I had done it sooner. To my knowledge, I first heard Drake's voice on the Garden State Soundtrack three years ago. It was a great moving, heartbreaking song, and perhaps reminded me of a few people I know. I loved it. I'm sorry I don't have much to say about Five Leaves Left, as I'm not very familiar with it or Nick Drake for that matter. According to everyone's favorite unreliable research engine, Five Leaves Left is Drake's debut album, released in 1969. And unlike his other albums, this one features no Drake solos, as he is accompanied by British folk-rock group Fairport Convention. Huh. Interesting. Maybe that's why I liked that other song better. Even so, this album still has some beautiful folky songs on it. I probably won't listen to it for another five years, but at least I know it's there, and it's good.
Recommended Tracks: #3 Three Hours; #5 Day Is Done; #6 Cello Song
8) Radiohead, In Rainbows (Ato Records 2008) -- I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not very Radiohead-savvy. In fact, I purchased this album back in March, but didn't even listen to it (or open it) until a few days ago. I heard it playing over the sound system in a record store and thought perhaps it was worth a listen. So I found it on sale (having missed the boat on the whole naming your price online thing), but then left it unopened on my desk for about 10 months. Historically speaking, I suppose this album could be pretty important seeing as its creators decided to forego any intial hardcopy release, instead releasing it solely online at prices set by buyers and fans. How much do you think this album is worth? Really, the $10 I actually paid for it, isn't bad, but to me, it seems a bit different than other Radiohead albums to date, less experimental, and yet also less catchy. As I dozed off to it, a couple of the tracks caught my fancy, but nothing really screamed "radio-ready." The very first track is pretty great, but it reminds me of that song by Bloc Party that came out a few years ago -- "The Prayer" -- for about a minute before it goes back to a vintage Radiohead sound. And why does "Bodysnatchers" remind me of U2 for a second? Don't get me wrong, I do like the bulk of these tracks, and I will recommend you some in a second, but over all, In Rainbows leaves me more marginally entertained than impressed.
Recommended Tracks: #1 15 Steps; #4 Weird Fishes/Arpeggio; #7 Reckoner
7) Jack Johnson, Sleep Through the Static (Brushfire Records 2008) – I had to review this album for my school’s newspaper, but turns out, I actually ended up liking it. As I said in my review, “From beginning to end, Jack Johnson’s fourth album... is a journey along a much darker path than any of his fans or casual listeners are used to.” You see, instead of the familiar acoustic of his previous albums, here Johnson totes an electric. Over all the songs are a bit darker, but they still have the same charming honesty that’s indicative of his “older” stuff. His voice is calm and cool as it floats of deeper lyrics, and “All At Once” and the title track show a musical maturation that has the power to attract old fans as well as new. Though I don’t listen to it much, I honestly did enjoy it enough to actually buy it.
Recommended Tracks: #1 All At Once; #2 Sleep Through The Static; #6 If I Had Eyes
6) Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain (RCA Victor 2008) -- Ray LaMontagne's newest album begins with a song I surely thought was not his own. It sounded too old, from an earlier decade, from an earlier time. But as I listened, I was delighted to notice LaMontagne's brand of soul with which I'm quickly becoming acquainted. Though "mass" popularity has pretty much eluded LaMontagne in previous albums, a bigger sound courteousy of more pieces in the backing band/orchestra, makes it fee like he's starting to get a bit closer with this album. The songs now, to my ears, span more genres while still maintaining that undeniable LaMontagne flavor, complete with trademark soft, airy vocals. "You Are the Best Thing" is jazzy lounge-singery, "Hey Me, Hey Mama" could fit in nicely playing over the speakers of Alice's Restaurant, and "Meg White" is a heavier, late-Beatles-esque (see also the beginning of "Henry Nearly Killed Me," the rest of which would fit in well in the cab of an 18-wheeler, heh) tribute to the White Stripes' Meg White, all of which tell their own stories with the sighed lyrics that could only be written and sung by LaMontagne. Though it's not for every day listening (not for me, at least), it is quite an astonishing album, all things considered.
Recommended Tracks: #1 You Are the Best Thing; #4 I Still Care For You; #6 Meg White; #8 Henry Nearly Killed Me
5) The Killers, Day & Age (Island Records 2008) – The Killers got a bad wrap when their last album was released. It wasn’t by any means the great piece of mastery that everyone was expecting. But when your first album receives as many accolades as Hot Fuss did, how can you stand up to that? However, for this one, I had no expectations. A couple months before the end of 2008, I couldn’t listen to the radio without hearing the first single, “Human,” no matter what station I was listening to. And listening to the rest of the album now, I’m totally amused. Something about “Joy Ride” reminds me of The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah,” or maybe something by Peter Gabriel. It’s fun and artful. And though it’s shaping up to be one of my favorites of the past year, there’s nothing inherently different about it from their previous albums. After a superficial listen, these new songs are almost danceable, with that occasional familiar hint of urgency, as per usual. And damn those lyrics for being so catchy. The songs don’t seem as fresh and new as perhaps you would expect from The Killers, but perhaps it’s just the signs of musical maturity. I’d say it’s a solid effort. I’m definitely going to listen to this one more. And you know what? You should too.
Recommended Tracks: #2 Human; #6 This Is Your Life; #9 The World We Live In
4) Coldplay, Prospekts March (Capitol 2008) -- I know that technically this is an EP and not an album, but, like I said, 2008 was a relatively dry year for me, musically speaking. However, my initial reaction upon listening to these 8 tracks was that I had to include it. Sure, what originally drew me in was the "prospekt" of having yet another version of "Lost" and a version of "Life in Technicolor" that actually had words to it. As you will read in a minute, "Life in Technicolor" is... well, quite frankly, it's my shit, but I seriously underestimated its potential beauty. The songs here continue the heaviness of Viva La Vida, but somehow manage to expand upon its upbeat mood. During my first listening of track #5, I thought "wow, this song reminds me of a sunny day" -- come to find out, it is titled "Rainy Day.” The lyrics are sweet as nectar in the honeyed music I have become accustomed to from Coldplay. I'll admit, featuring Jay-Z on the new version of "Lost!" (titled "Lost+") definitely threw me but I was intrigued. However, I had a hard time understanding what that guy was saying what with the too-hard articulation of words like "Jesus" and "Judas" (among others) and that way his rap doesn't quite seem to fit the rhythm of the song. Unfortunately for the album, I guess, that one time I listened to "Lost+" will probably be the last. But luckily, for the most part, it's an entirely pleasing album; well worth the listen. But definitely check out "Lost!" and "Lost?" first. Ugh, *shudder*
Recommended Tracks: #1 Life In Technicolor ii; #2 Postcards From Far Away; #4 Rainy Day; #7 Now My Feet Won’t Touch The Ground
3) Ray LaMontagne, Till the Sun Turns Black (RCA 2006) -- At 6am on a chilly December morning in Florida, I pushed play on this otherwise acquired album for the first time. Maybe it was the way the sun was just barely creeping its way over the horizon; maybe it was the gentle rocking of the car going up 95 North; or maybe it was just the gentle, harmonious call-and-response between acoustic guitar and piano, but at that moment, the very first track of this album, "Be Here Now" was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. I can't be sure if I'd ever heard the song before, but there was something familiar and friendly about it, even in its slightly somber tone. And as seems to be Ray LaMontagne's style, the rest of the album carried the same mood. Definitely an album for a rainy day spent sipping coffee or tee, or making sweet, gentle love throughout the afternoon. Or both. You know how it is. While I didn't get much time to listen to this (or most albums on this list) before the beginning of 2009, LaMontagne's knack for penning beautiful songs (no matter the subject or story) is evident from the very first listen. And the fact that each song has a different style than the song before it makes the album that much more interesting and entertaining (though personally I don't listen much to the jazzier tunes like "You Can Bring Me Flowers").
Recommended Tracks: #1 Be Here Now; #2 Empty; #4 Three More Days; #5 Can I Stay; #8 Lesson Learned
2) Ray LaMontagne, Trouble (RCA 2004) -- This album was a long time coming for my collection. I first got my hands on a sampler CD of two of the songs on this album, "Trouble" and "Narrow Escape," back in March of 2005. I liked the songs, but they didn't quite touch me. I listened to them every now and again during the next couple of years, but never really paid them much attention. Then one day, they just hit me. You know how some singers just have that kind of voice that exude pain, loneliness and love? Ray LaMontagne's is one of them. As a debut album, Trouble is entirely decent, complete with beautiful acoustics and a heavy, soulful voice. That man can write a hell of a love song. But as other tracks show, he can also write the crap out of depressing songs too. Let's face it, Ray LaMontagne is a hell of a songwriter, period. Each song is a story told so beautifully, one time through isn't nearly enough. They have to experienced over and over again until they have become as familiar as a well-worn paperback. Listening to it right now... damn, why had I never purchased or otherwise acquired this before? Fuck me. Thank God for Ray LaMontagne.
Recommended Tracks: #1 Trouble; #4 Narrow Escape; #6 Forever My Friend; #7 Hannah; #8 How Come
1) Coldplay, Viva La Vida (Capitol 2008) – Every time Coldplay comes out with a new album, it seems to be a little bit bigger, a little bit more expansive. The overall sound that emanates from my speakers is always just a little bit more epic. And with Viva La Vida, this is clear from the very first track. Driven by a bouncing guitar melody, this lyricless song develops, growing in volume and intensity until it becomes a dynamic wall of sound which continues throughout the album. Though it has a much heavier sound than their previous albums, with many of the songs weighed down with bass drums, the boys still skillfully manage to infuse the degree of lightness they’re all so good at into each track. Of course, some fans may find it a bit far off the beaten Coldplay path of radio-friendly hits, but I give it two thumbs up for adventurousness. Initially wary of how this long-awaited album would turn out, I am not disappointed. Those radio hits are still there; they’re just dressed a little differently (in Revolution-style uniforms, apparently).
Recommended Tracks: #1 Life in Technicolor; #3 Lost!; #5 Lovers in Japan; #7 Viva La Vida; #8 Violet Hill; #10 Death and All His Friends
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