Review: Best Albums Of 2008, Part 2 (Nos. 1-10)

It wasn't a fluke! Tell your friends and fellow music lovers that Different Is Dangerous is really back for good, and make sure to subscribe via the feeds on the left of the page to keep updated on new posts. Here's the second half of my albums countdown for 2008, a year which saw a lot of new faces making a big impression on my stereo. Stay tuned for lists featuring honorable mentions and compilations, as well as a huge recap of my favorite singles and remixes of the year.

1. Yelle, Pop-Up: Without a doubt the freshest new pop star to break out internationally in 2008, Yelle has an in-your-face attitude backed with irresistible electro beats provided by DJs GrandMarnier and Tepr. Her debut album never is a relentless set of instant pop gems, and the most fun record I've listened to all year. From club stompers, like global underground hits "Je Veux Te Voir" and "A Cause Des Garçons," to midtempo singalongs "Ce Jeu" and "Amour Du Soul" (not to mention the near-orgasmic, synth-filled climax of "Tristesse/Joie") Pop-Up is an energetic, infectious success. Preview: "Tristesse/Joie" [check out my full review here]***

2. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend: Oddly enough, despite being a blogger myself, I didn't get into Vampire Weekend by way of the huge online hype generated in the run-up to their debut album's early 2008 release. Instead, I listened to them on a whim and ended up immediately buying and falling in love with the record. Full of more hooks and insistent rhythmic tricks than anything else in the blogosphere, Vampire Weekend's hip mix of indie rock, pure pop and straight-up eclecticism is a winning combination from the first track to the last. Preview: "Mansard Roof" [check out my full review here]

3. Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree: Making a sharp about-face from the glammed-up disco confections and comedowns of 2005's Supernature, Seventh Tree sees the duo stripped back to a downtempo palette even sparser than that of their debut, the hushed, majestic Felt Mountain. Arresting acoustic ballads like lead single "A&E" are wedged between sitar-laden walls of sound ("Little Bird") and bare, haunting lullabies ("Clowns," "Some People"). There is an alluring sense of resignation and isolated contemplation, balanced by a flair for the epic, as in classic singles "Happiness" and "Caravan Girl." Detour or not, it's a stunning direction for Goldfrapp. Preview: "Clowns" [check out my full review here]

4. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours: It only takes one listen to fall for In Ghost Colours, but with every successive spin new layers begin to reveal themselves and a deep love for Cut Copy's sophomore disc takes root. In Ghost Colours will instantly convert any doubters of modern electronic music, from the ecstatic builds of catchy singles "Hearts On Fire" and "Lights And Music" to flooring album tracks like "Out There On The Ice" and "So Haunted." Full of warm synths and uplifting melodies, it subtly mines the sounds of electronic predecessors like New Order and Depeche Mode, alongside futurebound production by LCD Soundsystem's Tim Goldsworth (who also had a hand in my number 20 pick, Hercules And Love Affair), creating an album of remarkable depth and emotion. Preview: "Lights And Music" [check out my preview here]

5. The Raveonettes, Lust Lust Lust: Back with a raw sound dripping with feedback and distortion, The Raveonettes have hit a new career peak with the unsettling Lust Lust Lust. Taking the frantic energy of their debut full-length (2003's Chain Gang Of Love) and slowing it down, the record is a dark, melancholy rumination on love, lust and loss. It's an album that deserves to be listened to in full, at full volume, for even its standouts (including single "You Want The Candy" and most of the whole first half of the disc) are dwarfed by its power as a complete set. The dense, singular musical vision of Lust Lust Lust unconsciously succeeds in making a strong case for the continued relevance of the album format, something that has become unfortunately rare in our current digital climate. Preview: "Dead Sound" [check out my full review here]***

6. Santogold, Santogold: Emerging from her role as A&R director and pop songwriter to take center stage, Santogold commands a unique blend of sounds on par with fellow trailblazers like M.I.A., and even Siouxsie Sioux long before. Backed by slick production from Switch and Diplo, with a voice that alternates between a brash, bouncy yelp and a powerful singing register, Santogold's debut is an unmissable set that brings together the best and boldest of nearly every popular genre out there. Preview: "Say Aha" [check out my preview here]

7. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular: Building up a rabid fanbase over the past few years, MGMT finally broke through to the almost-mainstream of indie rock this year with the full release of their entrancing first record Oracular Spectacular. Built on solid song structures and writing, it's covered in psycheledic flourishes and utterly unique progressive touches, as on the storming, bombastic glam stargazing of years-old lead single "Time To Pretend." The tight grooves of "Electric Feel" and the stadium charm of "Kids" are just a few of the standouts in a short collection packed full of winners. Preview: "The Youth"***

8. Coldplay, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends: Breaking the spell of X&Y's calculated arena ambitions, Coldplay's fourth album is a leap into new sonic territory for the band. Absorbing a wide palette of new sounds, Viva La Vida eschews their past reliance on formulaic songwriting to instead focus on developing their musicality. While the lyrics sometimes still falter, and several songs fail to lift themselves out of the context of the whole, it's a worthwhile transitional record that demonstrates Coldplay are progressing towards greatness. Plus, it contains some of their finest work to date (see international hit "Viva La Vida" for instant proof). Preview: "Lovers In Japan" [read my full review here]

9. Madonna, Hard Candy: To be frank, Hard Candy is by no means Madonna's finest album, or even within her top five efforts. For the most part, it's an uneven attempt to cater to the hip-hop addiction of America's youth, and falls flat in several places. When the unlikely collaborations with the Neptunes and Timbaland work, though, they really work. Bringing a fresh R&B beat to simple pop tunes, dance monster "Give It 2 Me" and singalong treat "Heartbeat," along with the soaring, if utterly derivative, "All Good Things (Come To An End)" rewrite "Miles Away," are Madonna's best tracks of the 21st century. It's not an artistic high point, but when she loosens up and stops trying for hits (as on the overwhelming soundclash "4 Minutes"), Madonna successfully reminds listeners of why she's still the Queen. Preview: "Heartbeat" [check out my full review here]

10. Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles: From the first beats of "Untrust Us," Crystal Castles is an addictive, enthralling listen. The duo score immediate favorites with soaring synth washes ("Vanished") and sinister, glitchy electro numbers ("Crimewave," "Courtship Dating"), creating a sound that draws inspiration from both their Atari-inspired namesake and Death From Above 1979. Repetition and cheap thrills abound, but the album's contrast of rough, punk-fueled outbursts interspersed with taut hipster dance grooves is genius. Preview: "Untrust Us" [check out my preview here]

***Notes: Several of these releases actually first surfaced in 2007, but are featured on the 2008 list because they received either their first US release or a full, mainstream or physical release in 2008. Yelle's Pop-Up came out in September 2007 in France, but in 2008 in America and the rest of Europe. The Raveonettes' Lust Lust Lust was released in November 2007 in the UK, but a few months later with an updated tracklisting in the US. MGMT's Oracular Spectacular had a US digital release way back in fall of last year, but didn't see a full physical and international release until the first half of 2008. With all of its single releases and promotional schedule limited to this year, I think it's fair to include it. Though not entirely confined to the 2008 release schedules, these three albums, at least for me, were very much a part of this year's musical landscape and for that reason deserve to be on the list regardless of specifics.

Save to del.icio.us!