It has now been about 9 days since 2008 is over. It is time for my top albums of 2008. It was a great year in music for me personally. I thought there were plenty of great albums, from many new artists, and some from more established acts. The one thing I will say about other ’08 lists is that they backlashed really quick against those acclaimed albums of 2008. You see I enjoyed those albums just as much as before and after the over hype. So I don’t see the need for that. You liked the album or you didn’t. Who gives a shit if people obsessed over them too much. Shouldn’t influence your taste. I also decided to name it my favorite albums of the year instead of best. Who am I to say what is the best of 2008. These are the albums that I enjoyed over the past 365 days or so. If you don’t like them, tell me why. I will do them in a similar fashion that I did with my top songs starting with #50-41 below:
#50. Filligar – Near Or Far
-This album was a pleasant surprise from these young group of smart kids playing modern rock. The album has tons of melodies and hooks demonstrating their abilty to write a pop-song. There is so much talent showcased in “Near or Far” that you forget that they probably are younger than you! This band will be around for years to come, keep an eye out.
[mp3] : Filligar – A Violent Change
#49. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III
-I wasn’t a Wayne “fan” until this album. This album made me see what Lil’ Wayne is all about. The man brought some of the freshest hip-hop I’ve heard all year with some creative lyrics, big hooks, hot beats, and just an original take on a genre that has pretty much dried over for me. A mainstream rapper that has crossover appeal for the tight jean wearing hipster crowd, and the to top 40 pop crowd. That alone is quite a feat.
[mp3] : Lil’ Wayne – A Milli
48. Bloc Party – Intimacy
– Bloc Party won’t make another Silent Alarm. Can we all fucking move on already? Once you get past that, you can appreciate this album. Intimacy is a fine album, yet most people wrote it off instantly. it is just the fact that they made one of the best albums of 2005 that holds them back. The album to me was a mix of the best moments from “Silent” and “A Weekend”. There are plenty of great moments on this album that captivated me and made me ultimately pleased.
[mp3] : Bloc Party – One Month Off
47. The Killers – Day & Age
– The Killers still make better singles than they do studio albums but there is enough quality tunes that make this an enjoyable album. The thing about this album is that all the songs sound better when they are placed together. I believe the first half of the album is quite good, and the second half could be better but there is enough hooks and big anthems on there to keep the energy going.
[mp3] : The Killers – Losing Touch
46. Coldplay – Viva La Vida
– Coldplay made their return to the music scene is quite a fashion. “Viva La vida” was the perfect single to release to make everyone realize Coldplay were back, and that you could like them again after the “You know how I know your gay” joke that we all know too well. This album is both similar and different to their past work. The ambition and hunger for stadium anthems haven’t gone anywhere, but Eno’s production has shown us a new Coldplay that has refreshed their image and sound for the better.
[mp3] : Coldplay – Strawberry Swing
45. Islands – Arm’s Way
– I will always remember the joy that Islands debut album “Return To The Sea” brought me, and although “Arm’s Way” sounds a lot different it is still another solid outing from the Montreal band. There are some incredible songs on this album that show their talent. I do miss the more playful side of the band that we saw on their debut but with songs like ‘The Arm’ and ‘Pieces Of You’ change may not always be something to complain about! The big dramatic epic songs are still there along with some epic guitars, and even tropical sounds at times! It is a diverse album that shouldn’t be missed.
[mp3] : Islands – Creeper
44. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
– It was pretty tough for Jim James and the rest of MMJ to come back stronger than the majestic album “Z”. However they had fun with this one and made a really unique, creative album with high falsettos over strong jams. There are some weird moments here, but it almost feels natural for MMJ at the same time. The guitar solo’s fly as high as ever and songs like ‘I’m Amazed’, and ‘Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2’ are instant MMJ classics. Don’t let the critics fool you, this is another solid album from the band. They can’t do anything wrong!
[mp3] : My Morning Jacket – Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2
43. Girl Talk – Feed The Animals
– Come on Girl Talk is one creative son of a bitch. Say what you want but I want to see you create an album full of flawless mashups of dozen’s of artists and songs in one song while adding your own creativity to make the songs that much better. This man knows what he is doing. “Feed The Animals” is a better album than “Night Ripper” because Girl Talk adds some stuff to make it not only a mashup but his own artistic input of what all the songs together should song like. This is acceptable party music for all occasions!
[mp3]Â : Girl Talk – Set It Off
42. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
– Kings Of Leon’s sound has come a long, long way since “Aha Shake Heartbreak”. They now write songs big enough to fill stadiums, with ambition that reminds you of U2. Some of the songs do work such as “Sex On fire” which has one of the biggest hooks I’ve heard all year. Or the great album opener ‘Closer’ that brings both the old southern flavor of KOL along with their new found stadium sound. The first half up to ‘Manhattan’ is one hell of a half. However after that things die off a little which is why this album only made my top 40. The first half had some of my favorite songs of the year. Soon they will bring it all together and our jaw’s will be dropped.
[mp3] : Kings Of Leon – Closer
41. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
– Elbow took home the Mercury Prize with this album. Some parts rocking, some parts beautiful, all parts sound musicianship. Every song of the album is cohesive and keeps the same flow going. Songs like ‘Grounds For Divorce’ are the mega powerful rockers (that you saw in the Burn After Reading trailers) while songs like ‘One Day Like This’ are powerful beauty’s with stadium ready anthems and lush strings. They got it all folks, and they are finally getting their long overdue respect. This would have been higher if I spent more time with it. The album is quite a beauty though, I highly recommend it.
[mp3] : Elbow – One Day Like This
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