Best of 2008: Albums

I can’t tell you how surprising a musical year 2008 turned out to be. I went in thinking it would be one thing, and ended the year with more new artists dominating my listening habits than any year in recent memory. The volume of new discoveries was only bested by the quality: this past year has given me a slew of artists (especially numbers one and two on this list) I will lovingly follow for years to come.

This list admittedly has a lot of gaps. If it’s not on here, I didn’t hear it. I bought more albums this year than ever before, but a lot of my purchases were devoted to catching up on things I missed out the first time. So rest assured anything not on this list I will get to in due time.

1. For Emma, Forever Ago — Bon Iver
What can I say about this band, this album, that I haven't already said? I only had it for the last six months of the year, but I've played this album around 20 times. When you've got a library of 18,000 songs and have listened to more than half in the past year, these numbers become more than just data. They are artifacts of my love for this record.
Highlights: "Skinny Love," "Re: Stacks," "For Emma"

2. Shallow Grave — The Tallest Man on Earth
I didn't think it possible, even if I had been anticipating this release so impatiently, but this was a close second to Bon Iver. A very close second. It is fitting, then, that I was able to see both live in one place on one magical night. I missed The Tallest Man on his under-advertised Seattle show recently, but I vow never to miss another performance. That voice—and especially the dark, dark lyrics set to such beautiful melodies—is just too good to pass up.
Highlights: "The Gardener," "I Won't Be Found"

3. Accelerate — R.E.M.
To call this a grand comeback album sells it a little short. Even if R.E.M. had been producing music for the masses in the past ten years, this would still be an excellent album. It's not going to make their top 5 records of all-time or anything, but that would be asking a lot. I'm pleased enough that R.E.M. brought back the rock and somehow don't seem like they're reaching. It just feels like an R.E.M. album should, and sounds like what Up might have been had Bill Berry not left the band, with one difference: you can hear the influence of the band's past three records here, and not just in a reactionary sense.
Highlights: "Mr. Richards," "Living Well Is The Best Revenge"

4. All We Could Do Was Sing — Port O'Brien
Highlights: "I Woke Up Today," "Don't Take My Advice"

5. Langhorne Slim — Langhorne Slim
Highlights: "Sometimes"

6. Modern Guilt — Beck

Highlights: "Profanity Prayers," "Gamma Ray"

7. Narrow Stairs — Death Cab for Cutie
Highlights: "Cath…," "Grapevine Fires"

8. Dear Science — TV on the Radio
Highlights: "Golden Age," "Family Tree"

9. House With No Home — Horse Feathers
Highlights: "A Burden," "Curs in the Weeds"

10. Your Anchor — Lackthereof
Highlights: "Last November," "Ask Permission"

11. Who Are We Missing? — Listening Party
Highlights: "Little Tender Hearts," "Before the Night"

12. Re-Arrange Us — Mates of State
Highlights: "My Only Offer," "You Are Free"

13. Made in the Dark — Hot Chip
Highlights: "We're Looking for a Lot of Love," "In the Privacy of Our Love"

14. Volume One — She & Him
Highlights: "Sweet Darlin'," "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

15. Don't Be a Stranger — The Moondoggies
Highlights: "Changing"

16. Glory Hope Mountain — The Acorn
Highlights: "Flood," "Crooked Legs"

17. Swimming — French Kicks
Highlights: "Said So What," "Abandon"

18. Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down — Noah and the Whale
Can I call this storybook pop? Englishman Charlie Fink has a certain timbre to his voice that reminds me of fairy tales. The music, too, is precious and playful, but never falls into cliché. It's quite the feat; the earnestness of the lyrics accompanied by instrumentation that might be described as a kind of folk-pop cousin to Beirut. A winner, top to bottom.
Highlights: "Give a Little Love," "Five Years Time"

19. Fleet Foxes — Fleet Foxes
Highlights: "Oliver James," "White Winter Hymnal"

20. Cardinology — Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Highlights:

21. In Ghost Colours — Cut Copy
Highlights: "Feel the Love," "Lights & Music"

22. Attack & Release — The Black Keys
Highlights: "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be," "Strange Times"

23. Mission Control — The Whigs
Highlights: "Right Hand on My Heart," "Need You Need You"

The Best of the Rest

  1. Keep Your Eyes Ahead — The Helio Sequence
  2. April — Sun Kil Moon
  3. Flight of the Conchords — Flight of the Conchords
  4. The Rhumb Line — Ra Ra Riot
  5. Gossip in the Grain — Ray LaMontagne
  6. You & Me — The Walkmen
  7. She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke — The Dutchess and The Duke
  8. At Mount Zoomer — Wolf Parade
  9. With Blasphemy So Heartfelt — Jessica Lea Mayfield
  10. Santogold — Santogold
  11. Falling Off the Lavender Bridge — Lightspeed Champion
  12. Saturnalia — The Gutter Twins
  13. The Virginia EP — The National
  14. Evil Urges — My Morning Jacket
  15. Visiter — Dodos
  16. Lucky — Nada Surf
  17. The Seldom Seen Kid — Elbow
  18. Acid Tongue — Jenny Lewis
  19. Vampire Weekend — Vampire Weekend
  20. The Stage Names — Okkervil River
  21. Oracular Spectacular — MGMT
  22. The Odd Couple — Gnarls Barkley
  23. Heretic Pride — The Mountain Goats
  24. A Mad & Faithful Telling — Devotchka
  25. Temporary People — Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
  26. Hymns for a Dark Horse — Bowerbirds
  27. Golden Delicious — Mike Doughty
  28. Loyalty to Loyalty — Cold War Kids
  29. The Devil, You + Me — The Notwist
  30. Viva La Vida — Coldplay
  31. Microcastle — Deerhunter
  32. The Lost One — Barton Carroll
  33. Watch the Sky — Patty Larkin
  34. Devotion — Beach House
  35. Do It! — Clinic
  36. Answers — Ghosty
  37. Asking for Flowers — Kathleen Edwards
  38. Only By the Night — Kings of Leon
  39. Antidotes — Foals
  40. Searching — Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
  41. 808s & Heartbreak — Kanye West
  42. Real Emotional Trash — Stephen Malkmus
  43. Day & Age — The Killers