The 10 Best Albums Of 2008

Finally, here's what some of you may or may not have been waiting for. To wrap up my year in review for 2008, here are my top 10 albums:

10. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend: Though some may be sick of them after almost a full year of hype, the debut from the afrobeat ivy league pop band from Columbia University still retains all of its charm in my book. While the lyrics may be nonsensical and the sound may be a bit pretentious to some, there is no question that the songs are still unbelievably catchy and fun. It's hard to pick out notable tracks since each one has its own flavor and intrigue, but my favorites are "M79," "Campus," and "Walcott."

9. Devotion by Beach House: When I first heard this album, I thought it was pretty but boring, with the exception of the track "Astronaut." However, after about ten repeated listens at various points throughout 2008 and finally attending their concert in December, it all clicked. This album is really beautiful, with incredibly soothing vocals from Victoria Legrand atop flowing, dreamy, wistful indie pop instrumentals from Alex Scally. Notable tracks include the aforementioned and "Gila." Also check out the single they released in September, "Used To Be," which is probably my favorite Beach House song as of yet.

8. Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends by Coldplay: This album received mixed reviews upon its release in late summer, and it's pretty clear why. It was a giant leap away from Coldplay's earlier work, which mostly consisted of mellow songs that mostly sounded the same and were pleasant but not too interesting. Everything changed with Viva La Vida, however, most probably due to revolutionary electronic music producer Brian Eno's Midas touch. His influence pushes Coldplay to the extreme edge of their sound, and helps them craft an incredibly cohesive set of amazing tracks, including "Strawberry Swing" and "Death And All His Friends."

7. Women As Lovers by Xiu Xiu: Released way back in January, this album didn't receive much attention except from fans of Xiu Xiu's impressive collection of previous work. However, Women As Lovers is yet another perfect blend of "panic pop" and experimental noise, but this time in a different winning proportion. The songs are louder and harsher than ever, with much more percussion and less guitar than before. This is not a bad thing, though, and tracks like opener "I Do What I Want, When I Want" and possibly the best cover of all time, "Under Pressure" (featuring Michael Gira of The Angels Of Light) are some of the band's best work to date.

6. Dear Science, by TV On The Radio: I didn't think 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain could ever be topped, but this one does it. Every track here is amazing, and the entire album shows off TVOTR's incredible range of musical styles, from the dancy "Crying" to the hypnotic "Stork & Owl" (which sounds even better performed live) to the rocker "Shout Me Out" to the beautiful strings of "Family Tree." This band never ceases to remain interesting and fresh, and I hope the trend of improvement continues with future releases.

5. Microcastle by Deerhunter: I didn't use to like Deerhunter so much. Last year's Cryptograms, while having some good, profound moments, didn't really get to me the way good music is supposed to. Bradford Cox's side projects as Atlas Sound, however, were subtle and wonderful to my ears, and it seems like this album combines the best of both worlds. With a soft, shoegaze sound and some elements of noise pop, Deerhunter's third full-length spans across a wide range of moods, from the achingly melancholy "Green Jacket" to the catchy pop melodies of "Little Kids" and "Never Stops." And, to add to the perfection, the CD comes with a bonus disc of almost equally excellent tracks, entitled Weird Era Continued.

4. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes: Way back in March I saw this group open up for another great group, Blitzen Trapper, not having any idea how popular they would become. My friends and I were stunned at how well the members of the band harmonized together, and their unique blend of Appalachian folk and Beach Boys-like pop struck a chord deep within all of us, especially with the haunting a cappella ending of the album-closer, "Oliver James." Each listen to this album, as well as the Sun Giant EP, still commands my attention now, 9 months later. More notable tracks include "Drops In The River," "English House," "White Winter Hymnal," and "Ragged Wood."

3. Shallow Grave by The Tallest Man On Earth: I picked this up at the radio station to review after hearing some good things about it from several publications. Nothing I read, however, could've prepared me for the sheer brilliance of this album. Each track is so simple, yet so subtle that with each repeated listen, new things appear and new tracks become favorites, eventually bringing out the beauty of every moment on the album. With a coarse, Bob Dylan-like voice, Kristian Matsson sings and strums, playing chords and plucking rapidly to create an immediately accessible album of folk tunes. The best tracks are the title track, "Gardener," and the album-closer "This Wind."

2. Street Horrrsing by Fuck Buttons: This may be one of my favorite electronic albums of all time. An interesting blend of shouted punk noise, beautiful electronic chimes and bells, tribal instruments, and beautiful background harmonies, the duo create a sound so unnique and wonderful that it is hard to draw yourself away. The entire album flows extremely well, and it can be appreciated on every level, whether using it as background music to work to or listening intently and embarking on the complete journey that is Street Horrrsing. Though the entire album can be considered one piece, each individual track is also an experience in itself, especially "Sweet Love For Planet Earth," "Colours Move," and "Bright Tomorrow."

1. In Ear Park by Department Of Eagles: Though its not as wildly experimental or sonically interesting as some of the other albums on this list, Department Of Eagles' sophomore effort tops the rest of this year's releases with its set of incredible psych-folk melodies. I read somewhere that the album is a tribute to Daniel Rossen's recently deceased father, and that the songs were too personal to put on a Grizzly Bear album (he's a member of both groups.) This is extremely evident on the more delicate pieces, including the title track, "Herring Bones," and closer "Balmy Night." Cohort Fred Nicolaus also lets his brilliance show on tracks like "Teenagers" and "Classical Records," and the two are a perfect pairing for the Beatles/Van Dyke Parks-inspired blend of pop and psychedelia that makes up this year's best album.