The Top 20 Albums of 2008 - Page 2

Marshall's distinctive voice goes a long way in making any song her own, but as she did with 2000's The Covers Record, she goes further in making the songs distinctive with slowed-down production that truly reinterprets tracks like "New York" (popularized by Frank Sinatra), "Ramblin' (Wo)man" (a cover of Hank Williams "Ramblin' Man"), and Joni Mitchell's "Blue".

18. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: The newest album from my favourite Icelandic experimental rock band was the first ever to feature a song in English ("All Alright")... and I gotta say, it doesn't matter. I don't even notice. I don't listen to Sigur Rós for lyrics, and given how majestic and inspirational their music it is, it's highly possible that the lyrics are corny for all I know.

Instead, Jón Þór Birgisson's vocals are just another instrument, which is fortunate given that he's often singing in gibberish anyway. The nice change for this album was that they went a little more playful, and a little less atmospheric, eliciting smiles with the first few tracks instead of the usual chills.

17. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: I go back and forth with this album every other time I listen to it. With some listens, I'm instantly drawn to its catchy, quirky sounds, with its African-inspired beats and tempos feeling soothingly fresh and original. With other listens, the whole things sounds gimmicky and trite (what is "But this feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel too" supposed to mean anyway?). And then some listens start off with me feeling one way, then feeling the other way as the album progresses (or alternating between songs).

In many ways, my reaction to the album mirrors both sides of the Vampire Weekend debate, at times echoing those who praised them early on as one of the best new things in music, at other times echoing the backlash that has many hating them.

16. The Walkmen - You & Me: When I first got into The Walkmen, with 2004's Bows + Arrows, I found their garage punk aesthetic a little sloppy at times, but I like the energy on certain tracks.

Their 2006 follow-up A Hundred Miles Off was similarly unbalanced. Which is probably why it took me a little while to get into You & Me: the energy I used to like from them isn't really there, replaced with a toned down, introspective sound that resulted in a less fun album, but ultimately far superior than previous efforts. Sometimes maturity can be an asset.

Article Author: Andy Sayers

Andy Sayers is a technical writer from Canada, which automatically makes him funnier than people from other countries. When not writing about pop culture, he is consuming it alongside his loving wife.

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