THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2008 – #5 – #6
posted ~ December 12th, 2008. Filed under: Music Reviews, Uncategorized.
This debut in particular, was one that I had been awaiting for nearly a year… oh man, did they ever deliver. Starfucker’s first full-length is a catchy stroll through a pop-psychedelic dreamland. Simple, darling, beats paired with little fluffs of cotton-candy vocal melodies carry you through the record effortlessly with no bumps to mention. There are certainly a few tunes on this record that shine through as the “hits” but the album as a whole is pulled together really well into a cohesive pop record. Starfucker’s true brilliance is alternatively apparent in their ability to create engaging three minute songs with only one lyrical phrase repeated throughout. Some call it skimpy or boring but I call it a new pop song formula. Great, great, debut.
Dr. Dog release two wonderful records this year; their official LP for 2008 entitled ‘Fate’, and the lesser noticed collection of b-sides and oddities, ‘Passed Away Vol. 1′. The award this year goes specifically to the latter. I stumbled onto this record in a downloading frenzy this spring and immediately fell in love with this band. This collection sounds, to me, like the lost box of reel-to-reels that some brilliant stranger recorded in the early 70′s and then locked in his attic only to be discovered and release today. Dr. Dog’s credible quality surely lies in their song writing ability. These are all just damned good songs. The lo-fi, basement-recorded, charm is there on a few tracks earlier on in the record and the full-on, harmony-laden psychedelia is laid on thick by the end. ‘Fate’ is also a wonderful, wonderful record packed with great pop tunes along with all the things that ‘Passed Away’ led me to love about this band.