Best of Music 2008: Albums

Overall it seems like 2008 was a pretty good year for music. As I compiled my list of albums I have been playing non-stop all year, a couple of themes stood out. I enjoyed new albums by old favorites because of the way they re-defined their sounds. I always appreciate listening to artists evolve and embrace new directions while maintaining what I have always appreciated about them. I also really have really gotten into this trend of "throwback" music during the second half of the year. I like Amy Winehouse but I think artists like Duffy and Adele have taken that style to a whole new level. I feel like my taste in music is pretty diverse and often reflects my mood at the moment. Here in alphabetical order (I can never pick favorites) are what I think are the best albums of 2008:

Adele
Album: 19
Songs: Chasing Pavements & Make You Feel My Love

I can't say that I particularly enjoyed this album at first. It just didn't connect with me. Over the past couple months I started to listen more and, after seeing her perform on Saturday Night Live, I am amazed at her vocal abilities. I am shcoked that she's only 19. "Chasing Pavements" is a great song about coming to terms with decisions and taking risks even at the expense of failure. Her cover of Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" is phenomenal. The line "I know you haven't made up your mind yet/But I will do you no wrong" has been spinning around my head for the past few weeks.



Coldplay
Album: Viva La Vida
Songs: Lost! & Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love

I had sort of written of Coldplay after the last album, X & Y. I felt like every song sounded exactly the same and in essense they turned themselves into an adjective: "Have you heard [insert name of band]? They are very 'Coldplay-ish.'" That's definitely not a compliment as far as I'm concerned. Viva La Vida is so layered and I appreciate it more everytime I listen to it. It's much less anthemic than their past material and I like how they incorporated different instruments into new songs. My favorite song is probably the acoustic version of "Lost?". Chris Martin and a piano: what Coldplay are really about.

Duffy
Album: Rockferry
Songs: Rockferry & Warwick Avenue

Definitely one of my top two albums of the year, I was drawn in by the poppy goodness of "Mercy" and stuck around for the rest because it sounds nothing like her first single. Overall, the songs tell stories about moving past loves and finding your independence. The video for "Warwick Avenue" is one of the simplest and saddest I have seen in awhile. Watching her sit in the back of car and crying while she's singing is simply heartbreaking. I'm very interested to see if she can evolve as an artist or if Rockferry was simply a flash in the pan.

Goldfrapp
Album: Seventh Tree
Songs: A&E & Caravan Girl

A drastic change from the synth pop of "Ooh La La" and "Strict Machine", Seventh Tree is perfect for a Sunday morning. Alison Goldfrapp's voice is beautiful and haunting at times and I love the stripped down, folk-driven nature of this album.



Keane
Album: Perfect Symmetry
Songs: Lovers are Losing & Perfect Symmetry

Talk about a band that continues to change with each new album! I instantly loved "Spiralling" when it was released in late summer and I couldn't wait for the Perfect Symmetry to come out. I definitely had to listen to it a couple of times to really get into it but it's a great album and illustrates a band that is willing to adopt a decidedly pop tone and go with it.

The Killers
Album: Day & Age
Songs: Losing Touch & Dustland Fairytale

Okay, I'm biased. I love all things related to The Killers and anything that Brandon Flowers does (except for growing a mustache). Day & Age came out in late November and it has been playing non-stop. At first, I was concerned about some of the instruments (saxaphone? steel drums?) but it actually works for The Killers. Brandon Flowers is definitely showing some range in his vocals (which I didn't fully realized until I tried to sing "Spaceman" on Rock Band -- yikes!) and he is the best songwriter since Michael Stipe to string together non-sensical lyrics in a way that makes you really think about what he's trying to say. I think that The Killers prove with Day & Age that they are here to stay!

Not the best, but here is the video for "Human."

Kylie Minogue
Album: X
Songs: 2 Hearts & In My Arms

Released at the end of last year, I've been dancing to X through most of 2008. I've liked most singles by Kylie but I think this is the first album of hers that I have really enjoyed all the way through. I thought it would tide me over until Madonna's Hard Candy came out but Kylie wins for my favorite dance album. (Hard Candy wins for biggest disappointment of the year.)



Jason Mraz
Album: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
Songs: Details in the Fabric & I'm Yours

Another artist I had sort of written off, Jason Mraz is back to doing what he does best: singing sweet songs that sound like they would heard best live in a coffee shop. The production on this album is definitely more subtle and he's stopped writing songs about himself and trappings of fame. This was for sure one of the surprises of the year.

The Kooks
Album: Konk
Songs: See the Sun & Sway

As my friend Shawn likes to say, I do love me some "The" bands. Konk is a fun album with a lot of harmonies and fun songs. One of my favorite British singer-songwriter bands of the year.

Sam Sparro
Album: Sam Sparro
Songs: Black and Gold & Hot Mess

One of the best new artists of the year, I'm not quite sure how to classify Sam Sparro and that's a good thing! He's dance, funk, electronic and just generall good times. I heard "Black and Gold" a few months back and could not get it out of my head. His songs are thought provoking (some, not all) and fun at the same time. I also appreciate that he's a gay artist who is out and not afraid to let his sexuality get in the way of his music.

Nada Surf
Album: Lucky
Songs: I Like What You Say & Are You Lightning

I don't have a whole lot to say about this album other than I really like it.


A few more that I just started to listen to that I'm sure will be carryovers into 2009. She & Him is awesome! Who knew that Zooey Deschanel has such an amazing voice?

She & Him - Volume One
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Jamie Lidell - Jim
The Virgins - The Virgins