Favorite Albums, 2008

Oh, it's my five favorite albums of 2008. How fun!

1. The Format, Interventions + Lullabies



In a year that was a roller-coaster of emotional lows and highs, no one spoke the words of my bleeding heart and screaming head like The Format. I've got to give mad props to Miss Laura Zempel for introducing me to this awesomely underrated and recently deep-sixed Arizona band. I could swear that the lyrics from this 2003 album were transcribed straight from diary entries that I never wrote, and the melodies are catchy and memorable as can be. I went back to this album again and again this year, and it never let me down.

2. Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit



Bouncy, retro, Anglo-cool, familiar, fun. From this first listen, you feel like you've known every song for years. Recently voted "#76 Diversey Bus Commuter's Choice Album for Getting You to Work with a Smile on Your Face." Another prop is due here: Jeff Motter told the world two years ago on MySpace (remember when MySpace was the world?) to love this band and this album. As with all good advice, I filed it away in a dusty box and tripped over it long after I should have. "Dress Up in You" is a tragic, lovely story, and "The Blues Are Still Blue" is the best laundry metaphor song ever, I swear.

3. Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst



It's still Bright Eyes. It's still a bad pun, no matter how convincingly you sell it ("All souled out in heaven!). It's still road tripping music at its finest ("There's nothing that the road cannot heal"). He still sings the hell out of every song. "I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital)" is made of the most honest song premise that I can imagine, and makes you chuckle at first with its Jerry Lee Lewis-in-the-saloon piano and rollicking chorus. But the song spirals and crescendos into palpable fear, panic and terror. "You've got to take me back outside! I don't want to die!" I'm pretty sure that's what every Conor Oberst song has ever been about anyway.

4. Lucinda Williams, Little Honey



This album contains multitudes. Of musical genres, that is. I swear, in 13 songs there's hard rock, pure country, Appalachian gospel, folk, something like pop, Mississippi delta blues, alt country, a couple of those slow, uncategorizable ballads, and then she caps off the album with an AC/DC song. When she growls, "I'll tell you folks, it's harder than it looks," you must believe her. There's something very difficult about approaching a new album from your favorite artist. Expectations can be so high, your existing relationship together has been so wonderful for so long, a new batch of songs can't possibly live up to your hopes. That is true here, too. But it is a very good album, with several highlights and my favorite lyric of the year: "If wishes were horses, I'd have a ranch. Come on and give me another chance."

5. Arcade Fire, Funeral



My list is kind of lame in that only 2/5ths of these five albums were actually released in 2008. What can I say? I'm a late bloomer, a slow poke, and totally behind the curve. The rest of the world discovered how awesome Arcade Fire is back in 2004 or 2005. The best way that I can describe their songs to the uninitiated is, I guess, atmospheric. Intricate, beautiful, involving, totally headphone and full attention-requiring. Fascinating. Funeral seems like the stronger of Arcade Fire's two albums to me, but Neon Bible has lots to recommend it also, like a couple of really cool songs about cars - "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go."


Oh, other stuff:

Most Disappointing Album of the Year - Counting Crows, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

Dear Adam Duritz, Tell me something that I don't know. Make me some poetry. Invent a new melody. I still respect you. Please keep trying. Love, Davie...


Most Played Song of 2008 on my Windows Media Player - "When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek


Guiltiest Guilty Pleasure - Soundtracks from High School Musicals 1, 2, and 3