THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2008 – #7 – #8
posted ~ December 9th, 2008. Filed under: Art News, Uncategorized.
Mother Mother’s second full-length would have achieved a much higher ranking if I was basing this list off of how many times I listened to an album throughout the year. At first, I would only listen to this album in secrecy. Partly because it’s brilliant pop glory and 90′s-esque style seemed to me as something to be ashamed of loving, and partly because I didn’t want anyone else to know about the secret gem I had found. The 3-part harmonies on every track are flawlessly executed by the presence of 3 lead singers. The girls here can’t be categorized as back up singers; they are just as important on this record as the f-ing drums. This masterful pop-rock record is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s something to brag about.
Ratatat - LP3
Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts
This place spot was too close to call. Both these albums were very substantial through out my listening year for equal, but different reasons. LP3 was an album that I was VERY excited about before it came out. I wanted more wildcat, I wanted more double-tracked dancy guitar. After the new record dropped I was taken back, as I can only assume many fans were. This albums seems to mark a great transition for Ratatat. They are experimenting more with adverse melodies and different instruments (autoharp?). And, for a few tracks, they’re bringing the tempo down. This album grew on me over the year. Even though my initial reaction was shock (not disappointment), I have really come to appreciate where Ratatat is going here and look forward to whatever is next.
Cloud Cult, to me, is an astonishing band. They manage to be entirely self-sufficient whilst putting out 100% eco-friendly records on their home-grown record label, they stay off the public/popular radar, yet continue to put out brilliant, beautiful records that fit comfortably into what’s hip. This record surely isn’t their finest (See: Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus), but it sure as hell is a great album. Cloud Cult, as they age, continue to warm their sound. Each successive album had been fuller and, seemingly, more produced than the last. Feel Good Ghosts is no exception. These songs are packed with multi-track bells and whistles and and up feeling like big fluffy bubbles…not to say that that is necessarily a bad thing. Part of me wishes Cloud Cult would revert back to the old days but a bigger part of me is in love with what they’ve become.