+fB's Favorite 10 Albums of 2008

10. TV on the Radio Dear Science

I’ve loved dearly them since their debut, but here on their third full-length, I can’t help but feel that the critics were a little too generous with the praise for Dear Science.  While more diverse and catchy than its predecessors, it’s therefore less cohesive and not as risky as it could be.  While it may be the most overhyped album of the year, it’s still a hell of an album from one of this decade’s most innovative acts.

9. Black Kids Partie Traumatic

Great energetic bounce from this young act out of Jacksonville manages to simply make you feel younger.  Similar to critical darlings MGMT, but more fun.

8. Nine Inch Nails The Slip

This free offering from Mr. Reznor kicks out the jams.  Loud, brash, and bold, it’s vintage NIN, following shortly on the heels of return to form Year Zero and soundscapes Ghosts I-IV.

7. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Real Emotional Trash

Muscular fuzzy rock and roll from the frontman of indie legends Pavement.  This album actually made me care for the first time about anything Malkmus has done solo.  Mostly that’s just me being behind the times, but it’s a very enjoyable listen.  May lead to air guitar solos.

6. Coldplay Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Another one where I didn’t think I’d care again.  Coldplay rescues itself from Adult Album Alternative blandness with innovative arrangements and fresh sounds.  And having one of the best producers money can buy doesn’t hurt, either.  Thanks, Brian Eno!  (And thanks, Joe Satriani!)

5. Girl Talk Feed the Animals

Another stunning tour de force from the king of mashups.  Most fun moment?  “My lip gloss is poppin” over Metallica’s One.

4. She & Him Volume One

Old-timey guy M. Ward follows up his beautiful and lush Post-War album with this collaboration featuring the old-timey and beautiful (though lush is probably not a word I would use) vocals of singer/actress/all-around-pixie Zoey Deschanel.  A wonderful pairing, and an incredibly listenable recording.

3. Bloc Party Intimacy

Bloc Party brings back the energy and urgency of their debut Silent Alarm, on this, their third effort.  None of the tunes may have the power of the highlights from Alarm, but Bloc Party more than make up for it with aggression and intricate, proficient rock.

2. Portishead Third

Proof that a long awaited return after a decade-plus hiatus doesn’t have to suck.  All you other artists past your salad days, please take note before you break our hearts with half-assed, through-the-motions, in-it-for-the-money releases. It doesn’t have to be that way.  Third is right up there with the sublime 90’s work of this UK outfit, and it eclipses its predecessors in many ways.  No one went home disappointed… I know I got way more than I expected from this one.

1. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend

Absolutely perfect.  The standout debut of the year, by far.  An unlikely success, with its heavy Afro-Pop influences, punk-length songs, and Ivy League themes, this album was both the most listenable album of the year for me, and also seem to capture the spirit of the times.  Maybe Portishead can give this quartet some advice about how to handle Vampire Weekend II.