Cuma 19 Ara 2008, 19:27

I've been trying to decide how I was going to write this. Last year i presented it in a kind of awards, and I haven't really been concentrating enough this year to do the whole awards thing, so i think I'm gonna count down from No.21 to No.1 saying a little thing about each album as i go.

Please, all feedback is welcome, Positive and negative.

21. Showbread - Anorexia/ Nervosa
I'm going to say I'm a little disappointed with these albums. I liked Age Of Reptiles and No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical so much that i thought of pre-ordering these albums imported from America because here in England we would have had to wait another 2/3 months. I don't know why i don't like these albums. I guess i just don't. I listen to them occasionally, but not as often as i would have liked to. In retrospect i probably haven't listened to them enough to judge them as well as i would have liked to, but i was put off from the very few first listens
Favourite Track - The Pig (Anorexia)

20. Funeral For A Friend - Memory And Humanity
As with Showbread, i probably haven't listened to this album enough to give it a proper judging, but what i have heard has been OK. I am very pleased that the music side has gone back to Funeral's roots, but I'm not quite sure whether i like Matt Davies' voice much anymore. Again, i listen sometimes, but not as much as i hoped i would have.
Favourite Track - Charlie Don't Surf

19. Anberlin - New Surrender
Yet again, another album that i've probably hastily overlooked. I do actually like this album, but i feel that i haven't listened to it enough for it to warrant a higher place. I'm sure in the next few months after a couple more listens i will regret placing it this low, but at this point in time 19th is the best Anberlin will do. My only worry is that my favourite track off this album is just a re-recorded version of an older song.
Favourite Track - Feel Good Drag

18. Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Separation
I do actually really like this album. A lot, it's comparably to Define The Great Line, and definitely more old school Underoath as well. My only negative point about this is album is that although it is as good as the previous album, i feel as if it's really just Define The Great Line Vol. 2. It has points of difference to it's prior album, but a lot of the time it does sound awful similar. Don't get me wrong though, i do still really like it.
Favourite Track - A Fault Line, A Fault Of Mine

17. Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
I fell in love with Hot Chip after listening to this album. It's quite different from what i usually listen to which is always a nice fact about a new album. I was surprised with what i heard. Hot Chip really have some talent and the only reason that this album is so low in my top albums is that there is a little bit of bias for the genres of music i'm more inclined to listen to. But had i been doing a completely unbias chart, then they'd most definitely be in the top 10.
Favourite Track - One Pure Thought

16. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
I saw this band at Reading, purely because I had been told nothing but good things about this band. Sure enough, they impressed me enough live at reading for me to download their album. Again, sure enough, the album impressed me, but not as much as the live performance, which kind of lets it down for me. Now had i got the CD before seeing them live my opinion may have been different. But i didn't. So it isn't. There isn't a bad song on this album, but there aren't a majority of outstanding songs either.
Favourite Track - Old White Lincoln

15. Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant
Another new artist that I'm really impressed with. i think this band has potential. I heard that they played at Reading after i had got the CD and was annoyed that I never got to go see them. But the album has made an impression on me and the songs on there are again, good. As of yet i can't see any that will stick me for a long time, but all in all it is an impressive debut album and i enjoy listening to it!
Favourite Track - There Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

14. Bloc Party - Intimacy
I really wish that i could have placed Bloc Party higher than 14th, but i couldn't find enough good reasons to do so. For me, there really are only 4 outstanding tracks on there. The rest are average at best. Not a bad album at all. Just a little disappointing from what i was hoping. It works much better listening to this as a full album, as opposed to just a song here, a song there.
Favourite Track - Ares

13. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
I can tell that there are going to be some angry readers of this journal, noticing that I haven't put Coldplay in the top 10. The best reason i can think of to back up my decision is based upon the Coldplay's earlier material. I am a big, big fan of the first two albums, and I just don't think that this is as good or as raw as those were. Sure, back in those days Coldplay was a struggling band with little money, but now they have money they make their music too clean sounding, which i like, but not as much as the rawness of their older albums.
Favourite Track - Violet Hill

12. The Automatic - This Is A Fix
I hate that this album is so damn catchy. The songs aren't overly brilliant. I mean, there are a couple of gems in this album but the majority of this album is pretty average. But it's just so catchy and i really can't stop listening to this. They haven't lost their edge despite Pennie's departure and I do think that this is better than Not Accepted Anywhere and i do actually hope that people start to take The Automatic seriously as a good band.
Favourite Track - Steve Mcqueen

11. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Technically speaking this album was released virally in 2007, but not in CD until March 2008, which is why it's in the top 2008 albums. Plus Last.fm have even put it in their Best of 2008… Anyway. Really catchy songs here, another artist that i wouldn't usually listen to but it is a really good album. I really look forward to future stuff from MGMT as their stuff is really likable!
Favourite Track - Electric Feel

10. The Killers - Day And Age
It was only released a couple of weeks ago, but I have really enjoyed listening to it in that time. It's definitely grown on me, especially since the first time i heard it i was extremely disappointed, but it is a really good record. I personally think it's the best stuff that they have recorded but then again, that is only my opinion. It's just so different from the previous two albums in a good way, without making the other two seem inferior or anything.
Favourite Track - Spaceman

9. Rookie Of The Year - Sweet Attention
Goddamnit i can't get enough of this album. It really is an addictive album. I really enjoy listening to this album over and over. There are some really good songs on this album too. It has it's bad points too, obviously, but i really think that ROTY have come on strong following the powerful debut of The Goodnight Moon
Favourite Track - Vampire Vegas

8. Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns
Pretty much a flawless album, and the only reason it's still only at no. 8 is that all the albums above it are just as flawless. Snow Patrol have yet again shown that they are a brilliant band. Brilliant musicians, as all these songs are amazingly written and as equally beautiful. They also display they're capable of different styles with writing the catchy pop grooves as well as the epic ballad type songs.
Favourite Track - Take Back The City

7. The Classic Crime - The Silver Cord
I am undoubtedly impressed with this album. Albatross was pretty mediocre, but The Classic Crime have really pulled together and produced a fantastic album here. Definitely the most surprising album of the year for me. I never thought i was going to like it as much as i do, and i can honestly say that The Classic Crime are one of my top artists of the year this year.
Favourite Track - Everything

6. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
I checked out this album on a whim, because before this came out i hadn't really taken an interest into Kings Of Leon. I had no idea really what they sounded like and what they were capable of. But this album really blew me away, and i don't think there is one weak song on it at all. It's almost a complete 5 star album, but there are one or two which let it down, but not by a great deal.
Favourite Track - Closer

5. Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up 'Til It Was Light
What really attracted me to this artist was the album artwork. It's not often that the artwork attracts me to an artist that i end up liking, but it worked with Johnny Foreigner. I was definitely not expected what i heard when i actually got the album. I was hooked from first listen and although it wasn't what i expected, i actually believed it to be ten times better than what i expected. I'm not sure i've ever really experience the same kind of music. It's a breath of fresh air.
Favourite Track - Salt, Peppa and Spinderella

4. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
I was a little bit worried when i first heard this album, because i thought that they had changed a little too much for their own good, but in reality what they did was a blessing because it has widened their target audience and shown that they aren't just another "emo" band that a lot of people had been pegging on them. This is a wonderful, beautiful album and it deserves a lot of recognition. Death Cab are already a huge band, but this has made them even bigger, no hesitation.
Favourite Track - Grapevine Fires

3. Keane - Perfect Symmetry
I don't care what anyone says, I like Keane, and i think that they are a fantastically brilliant band. This album cements what i thought as it is as equally powerful as the first album Hopes and Dreams. Keane have really been brought to life with the addition of some electric guitar, but luckily they have kept with their piano origins and kept the guitars minimal. There really are some brilliant songs on this album and it's a shame that many people overlook them as they can't see what potential they really have.
Favourite Track - The Lovers Are Losing

2. Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols III & IV: Air & Earth
I am a little disappointed that Thrice didn't get to no. 1 considering last year i voted Fire and Water my album of 2008. I actually think that these volumes are better than the first two. So powerful and i am extremely impressed with what Thrice have accomplished with the Alchemy Index. This finishes off the Index very very well, but really all four volumes are amazing and should definitely be utilised together as part of the quadrilogy of albums that they are.
Favourite Track - Broken Lungs

1. We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery
This is solely based on the fact that I don't think that there is one average song on this album. All of them are above average and each as great as the other. I am finding it hard to fault this album, and out of the rest of the 2008 albums, this is the one that has grabbed me instantly from the first listen unlike a lot of the others which took a little longer for me to really enjoy. I think that We Are Scientists have made a massive progression from With Love And Squalor, and whilst i still love that album, this album really punctuates something and has not a weak track on it. Things, i feel, can only get better.
Favourite Track - Chick Lit

There we have it. My Albums of 2008. I look forward to the feeback and for the year of 2009 and the anticipation of new music!