The Best Albums of 2008 - #61 to #70
These are selections #61 through #70 in our Best Albums of 2008 countdown series.
#61. Black Forest (Tra La La) by Pale Young Gentlemen
Released: October 6, 2008
Label: Science of Sound
Album Charts: None
"Pale Young Gentlemen's newest album is masterful with it's peaks and valleys. Simple beats, acoustic guitars and strings leave space for explosive sweeps without ever going over the top. Bands with this kind of dynamic talent tend to eventually push the envelope too far looking for that next level or power. The real key is in showing restraint and letting the melodies, performance and emotion come across naturally. Black Forest (Tra La La) does this beautifully. Coldplay should be listening to this album on repeat instead of The Killers and Joe Satriani."
Listen to Black Forest (Tra La La):
1. Coal/Ivory
2. I Wasn't Worried
3. Marvelous Design
4. Goldenface, Morninglight
5. The Crook of My Good Arm
6. Kettle Drum (I Left a Note)
7. Shadows/Doorways
8. Our History
9. Wedding Guest
10. We Will Meet
11. There Is a Place?
#62. Asking For Flowers by Kathleen Edwards Released: March 4, 2008
Label: Zoe
Charts: #102 The Billboard 200, #15 Top Canadian Albums, #1 Top Heatseeker, #102 Top Independent Albums
"I enjoyed Kathleen Edwards 2005 release Back To Me a great deal, but I really loved her 2003 effort Failer. Failer just felt more honest, and emotionally it was like a sledgehammer to the skull. Where Back To Me showed evolution as a songwriter Failer connected in a more real way. On Asking For Flowers Edwards hits the ball out of the park. The songwriting shows astonishing maturity and it has all the emotional impact (indeed more) than Failer. Breathtaking.
Listen to Asking For Flowers:
1. Buffalo
2. The Cheapest Key
3. Asking for Flowers
4. Alicia Ross
5. I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory
6. Oil Man's War
7. Sure As Sh*t
8. Run
9. Oh Canada
10. Scared At Night
11. Goodnight, California
12. I Can't Give You Up
Released: April 7, 2008
Label: Ninja Tune
Album Charts: None
"With London Zoo The Bug proves it is absolutely possible to create club-worthy hits that have artistic merit. Angular, gritty and creative, the album is not afraid to move past superficial inspiration. A wide range of MCs all contribute in their own unique ways, but the record is still cohesive, and it works on multiple levels. Don't miss this one. "
Listen to London Zoo:
1. Angry
2. Murder We
3. Skeng
4. Too Much Pain
5. Insane
6. Jah War
7. F*ckaz
8. You & Me
9. Freak Freak
10. Warning
11. Poison Dart
12. Judgement
#64. Music Tapes For Clouds & Tornadoes by The Music Tapes
Released: April 19, 2008
Label: Merge
Album Charts: None
"Music Tapes For Clouds & Tornadoes is not just the 64th best album of 2008, it may be the best album in history to prominently feature the musical saw. The album has a decidedly lo-fi approach, which works wonderfully. This is because the true soul of each song is able to shine without much to get in the way. A banjo, a voice and a saw never sounded so good. "
Listen to Music Tapes For Clouds & Tornadoes:
1. Saw Ping Pong and Orchestra
2. Schedrevka
3. Freeing Song for Reindeer
4. Majesty
5. Nimbus Stratus Cirrus (Mr. Piano's Majestic Haircut)
6. Freeing Song by Reindeer
7. Tornado Longing for Freedom
8. Song for Oceans Falling
9. Kolyada #1
10. The Minister of Longitude
11. Manifest Destiny
12. Kolyada #2
13. Cumulonimbus (Magnetic Tape for Clouds)
14. Julian and Grandpa
15. In an Ice Palace
#65. Leave It All Behind by The Foreign Exchange
Released: October 14, 2008
Label: Hall of Justus
Album Charts: #13 Top Heatsekers, #68 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
"Leave It All Behind is an R&B album at heart, it has a slow-burning core, smooth as silk crooning and the production is on the understated side. All of these things foster a flow that simply could not be improved upon. This is an extremely sophisticated album that blends lines between genre better than most."
Listen to Leave It All Behind:
1. Daykeeper
2. Take Off The Blues
3. All Or Nothing/Coming Home To You
4. I Wanna Know
5. House Of Cards
6. Sweeter Than You
7. Valediction
8. If She Breaks Your Heart
9. If This Is Love
10. Something To Behold
11. Leave It All Behind
#66. Seeing Sounds by N.E.R.D.
Released: June 10, 2008
Label: interscope
Album Charts: #7 The Billboard 200, #4 TopR&B/Hip-Hop Albums, European Top 100 Albums
"The Neptunes have always used N.E.R.D. as a place to get their most creative ideas out -- away from their mega-successes. The freedom is palpable. At times, you'll hear something on Seeing Sounds that leaves you scratching your head, but you'll also hear stuff that's brand new, and will completely blow you away. These moments are prolific enough to make this a must have album."
Listen to Seeing Sounds:
1. Intro / Time For Some Action
2. Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)
3. Windows
4. Anti Matter
5. Spaz
6. Yeah You
7. Sooner Or Later
8. Happy
9. Kill Joy
10. Love Bomb
11. You Know What
12. Laugh About It
13. Everybody Nose
#67. In The Future by Black Mountain
Released: January 22, 2008
Label: Jagjaguwar
Album Charts: #101 The Billboard 200, #1 Top Heatseekers, #13 Top Independent Albums
"I would challenge anyone that says 'rock & roll is dead' to listen to Black Mountain's latest and then stand by their comment with a straight face. In turns dirty and tenacious, then stoned and psychedelic, In The Future is a ride to be enjoyed. The influences fly out like sparks from a grinder on steel, and man is it mesmerizing.
Listen to In The Future:
1. Stormy High
2. Angels
3. Tyrants
4. Wucan
5. Stay Free
6. Queens Will Play
7. Evil Ways
8. Wild Wind
9. Bright Lights
10. Night Walks
#68. To Survive by Joan As Police Woman Released: June 9, 2008
Label: Reveal
Album Charts: None
"Joan Wasser's vocal timber is remarkably similar to Chan Marshall, but Joan can delve deeper into the darkness and can polish to a brighter sheen when required. To Survive weaves through the atmospheric and opaque like an apparition making itself known. But in this case, it's a beautiful apparition that provides comfort along with the sadness."
Listen to To Survive:
1. Honor My Wishes
2. Holiday
3. To Be Loved
4. To Be Lonley
5. Magpies
6. Start Of My Heart
7. Hard White Wall
8. Furious
9. To Survive
10. To America
Released: October 28, 2008
Label: Geffen
Album Charts: #16 The Billboard 200, European Top 100
"Let's face it, Robert Smith has a dreamy pop sound that is completely his own. The hooks come in waves and they wash over each listener who makes the good decision to stay with The Cure. 4:13 Dream is no exception. It's an excellent Cure album. So if you're a fan of The Cure, it's a no-brainer addition to your library. If you're not a fan, 4:13 won't change your mind. And if you've never heard The Cure, I envy you. You have so much wonderment to discover."
Listen to 4:13 Dream:
1. Underneath The Stars
2. The Only One
3. The Reasons Why
4. Freakshow
5. Sirensong
6. The Real Snow White
7. The Hungry Ghost
8. Switch
9. The Perfect Boy
10. This. Here And Now. With You
11. Switch
12. The Perfect Boy
13. This. Here And Now. With You
Released: November 25, 2008
Label: Touch
Album Charts: None
"Black Sea by Frennesz may be the best ambient work I've heard since Brian Eno's hugely influential Music For Airports, which just celebrated it's 30th anniversary. Black Sea does indeed paint a picture of an industrial black sea as depicted on the cover art. Dark, brooding and ever-changing from calm to stormy. Fennesz has used guitar and computer to create a master ambient work that captures something special and thought provoking."
Listen to Black Sea:
1. Black Sea
2. The Colour Of Three
3. Perfum For Winter
4. Grey Scale
5. Glide
6. Glass Ceiling
7. Vacuum
Continue to the Best Albums of 2008 - #71 to #80
My personal favorite album of the year!