Top 25 of 2008 - Alphabetically (Part I)

I love year-end lists, but while I was organizing my top 25, I realized that I was changing the order at least daily and getting nowhere on deciding which were my absolute favorites. So, in order to assuage my anxiety, I decided to make it easier on myself and just put the best (read: my favorite) albums of the year in alphabetical order.

I'm going to do this in five increments as to give myself a little room to justify each of my picks. Without further ado, here are the first five (alphabetically!) of the top albums of the year.


The Black Keys - Attack & Release

Another solid release from one of the most consistent rock 'n' roll groups of the last ten years, Attack & Release successfully marries The Black Keys' gritty, raw style with Danger Mouses' quirky production. With plenty of straightforward rock tunes and a few interesting and exciting departures, the band deliver at every turn. It's great to see the duo switch things up a bit while still retaining what made us love them in the first place.
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Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Blitzen Trapper's love of classic folk-rock and their need to experiment make Furr a fascinating and enjoyable collection of songs that mash together a variety of genres including country and funk. The record manages to incorporate musical elements of the past while still sounding modern and relevant, and although it feels a little scattered at times, there are enough brilliant moments to qualify this as one of my top 25 for 2008.
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Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Justin Vernon's masterpiece, recorded under the Bon Iver moniker, is any easy pick for this list and maybe my favorite album of the year. Isolated in a cabin in Wisconsin, Vernon recorded some of the most poignant, beautiful, and heartbreaking songs I've heard in a long time. His haunting falsetto voice, combined with his gentle guitar playing and obtuse lyrics, provides for a truly unique and captivating experience. You owe it to yourself to hear this album; an instant classic.
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Calexico - Carried To Dust

Carried To Dust delivers another generous and compelling dose of Calexico's southwestern-flavored indie music. It's a politically charged album with music ranging from fiery Latin rock to gentle ballads, and while the songs still ride the talented drumming and earnest, whispered vocals that have always been Calexico's trademark, it's brimming with a host of talented musicians including some notable guests like Sam Beam and Pieta Brown. It's another well-written, well-executed record by Burns, Convertino, and company.
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Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-partying Through Tornadoes)

Weird and wacky, yet immensely enjoyable, Feel Good Ghosts was an unexpected but welcome new experience for me this year. Singer/songwriter Craig Minowa, with a penchant for bizarre stories and odd phrases, displays completely sincerity as he works his way through 13 tracks about life, love, death, and loss. The music is packed with swirling strings, layers of synth, and acoustic guitars in a genre-less blend that is unlike anything you're likely to have heard this year.

Review: Blitzen Trapper - Furr (* * * *)

Disclaimer: I LOVE late sixties/early seventies folk rock music. And when it comes to bands that emulate that classic sound well, it becomes difficult for me to resist. So it should come as no surprise that I am really digging the latest effort by Oregon-based indie band Blitzen Trapper. Full of acoustic guitars, pounding piano, and old-school vocal harmonies, Furr plays something like ablast from the past, and is a more consistent and enjoyable album than the band's 2007 release Wild Mountain Nation.

While Blitzen Trapper were previously concerned with exploring every aspect of their favorite genres or perhaps seeking to create a new one, Furr finds the band attempting to narrow down their past influences to find a sound to call their own. The eclecticism is still there, but slightly muted, giving the album diversity with fewer head-spinning stylistic transitions. In fact, the best moments are those that embrace a more relaxed folk style. "Furr," the story of a boy becoming a wolf and "Black River Killer," a truly creepy song about a spiritually tormented murderer, are two simple, quirky gems that rely on melody and writing rather than pushing the experimental envelope.

Elsewhere on the album Blitzen Trapper gets a little groovy ("Saturday Nite"), twangy ("Stolen Shoes & a Rifle"), and even make time for a ballad ("Not Your Lover'). It all works better than one would expect, mostly thanks to front man Eric Earley's ability to make the whole project seem effortless. Only on the atrocious "Love U" does the band take things too far, throwing melody and taste right out the window. It's a confusing misstep in an otherwise strong album, but I suppose they just had to get it out of their system.

To say that Blitzen Trapper is not at least a little derivative is probably giving the band more credit than they're due. Neil Young, James Taylor and a dozen other influences spring to mind as the album progresses, but Furr combines them with the band's own kooky style, resulting in a fun and engaging listen.

Favorite Tracks: "Furr," "God & Suicide," "Black River Killer"


You still have a few days to catch the full album at Spinner.com