The Top 20 Albums of 2008 - Page 7

It's more self-assured than any of their previous releases, comfortably taping into levels of despair and melancholy in songs like "Cath..." and "Grapevine Fires" where in the past they may have buried some of the sentiment under protective layers of irony.

3. Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords: Normally, I wouldn't put a comedy act so high on an album list, but, hey, that's what kind of year it was. Plus, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are a lot more talented than your average novelty comedy act, even if they're "formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo".

Along with genuinely funny tracks that lose little of their humour with repeated listens, the Conchords are fantastic musical mimics, resulting in the most eclectic release of the year. This is the only album on this list that I instantly loved, and not only because it reminded me of the episodes in which the songs appeared (in truth, I love the album far more than I do the series). The only problem with the album is that hearing the types of songs they parody is now more difficult, as its hard not to think of FOTC and laugh.

2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: Also federally mandated: when speaking of For Emma, Forever Ago, one must tell the story of its making. This is both because the story gives the album the authenticity fans crave so desperately and because the story informs the music within.

Recovering from the breakup of both a relationship and his former band, while suffering from mononucleosis of the liver, Justin Vernon retreated to his father's Wisconsin cabin for three months in the winter. Eventually, he began to play around with some recording equipment he had around, writing and recording what became this record, playing all the instruments and overdubbing many layers of vocals, in the hopes of maybe coming up with a demo to help get a contract. The result is a wintry, introspective, deeply personal album that grabs you by the gut, then punches you in the heart, and puts you in that cabin with Vernon. Of all the albums on the list, this is the one most likely to become a classic.

1. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins: The top two were neck and neck for the top spot, with The Stand Ins earning the Album of the Year honours simply because I enjoy it more.

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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