Best albums of 2008, Pt. II

Unlike past years, where I broke my year-end list into EPs and full-lengths, this year it seemed like it made sense to combine the two lists. After all, several of the albums I listened to and enjoyed the most were EPs, so it seemed silly to put those albums on a completely separate list when making my best-of. As such, here's the second half of my list, numbers 16 through 30. The first half, numbers 1 through 15, will be up tomorrow.


30. Hooded Fang, Hooded Fang

What I said then: Their first show ever was only back in February, but their self-titled debut EP makes them sound like they've been playing together for years. Their melodies are catchy, their vocal harmonies are extremely tight and, most impressively, they don't really sound like anyone else. ... If this is what Hooded Fang are achieving after about six months as a band, it's scary to think where they could be once they've been around for awhile.

Download "Train Station"


29. Relief Maps, Graveyard Smash

What I said then: ...individual songs on Graveyard Smash will grab you right away. But give it a concentrated listen (preferably on headphones), and you'll come to realize and appreciate that it's actually a pretty great whole.

Download "Sarah Polley"


28. The Gales, Aryll's Lookout

What I said then: Far better than any band whose oldest member is 16 has any right to be. Imagine a version of Arctic Monkeys hailing from rural Ontario (in The Gales' case, Manotick), and you'll have a good idea of what you're in for here.

What I'll add now: It's absurd that a band this young is this good, but Aryll's Lookout is proof that some bands are just born great. Give The Gales another five years, and they'll either be the biggest band in the country or spectacular burnouts.

Download "Lucky Joe"


27. Library Voices, Hunting Ghosts (And Other Collected Shorts)

What I said then: Hunting Ghosts (& Other Collected Shorts) demonstrates that ... The Library Voices know how to focus all that energy (that comes from having a dozen or so members) into creating incredibly catchy pop songs.

Download "Step Off The Map and Float"


26. Human Highway, Moody Motorcyle

What I said then: With Moody Motorcycle, Mssrs. Thorburn and Guthrie make a pretty convincing argument that they're one of this country's better songwriting duos.

What I'll add now: Moody Motorcycle may well end up being the first Secret City release not to get shortlisted for the Polaris, but that's only indicative of the relatively low-profile Human Highway has kept since they put this out, not its quality. This is a surprisingly understated album, but give it a chance and you'll be humming songs from it for days.

Download "The Sound"


25. Giant Hand, Giant Hand

What I said then: Giant Hand might just be one of the most interesting, unique and exciting artists to come out of Ottawa in a very long time.

What I'll add now: Giant Hand's debut EP is exceedingly weird, but in a very good way.

Download "Catacombs"


24. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend

What I said then: It's light and breezy, full of songs with insanely catchy, summer-y hooks. ... Vampire Weekend may not have come up with the most important or substantial album, but three and a half weeks into 2008, I've definitely found my first favourite album of the year.

What I'll add now: Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut may not sound as great to me now as it did way back in January, but it's a still definitely a lot of fun in small doses.

Download "Oxford Comma"


23. Said The Whale, Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia

What I said then: Howe Sounds / Taking Abalonia may really be two EPs smooshed together, but it works surprisingly well as a single full-length. ... If Said The Whale can do something like this in parts, it's scary to think of what they could do with a proper album-making period.

Download "This Winter I Retire"


22. The Magic, The Magic

What I said then: ...the band specializes in pop that's got a refreshingly anything-goes attitude. One moment they sound like the world's hippest lounge band (on "No Sound"), the next they're '70s-inspired disco revivalists ("Mr. Hollywood"), the next they're a Hallowe'en soundtrack made for the radio ("Harder Way") and still the next they're Arcade Fire with a fraction of the members and the pretension (on "Never Lock The Door"). It's enjoyably unpredictable.

Download "No Sound"


21. Elliott Brood, Mountain Meadows

What I said then: It's extremely raw-sounding, to say the least, and it's easy to imagine that some will take one listen and not want any more of it. But ... the more you listen, the better it sounds. ... This is definitely one of the top albums to be released in 2008.

Download "Garden River"


20. Winter Gloves, About a Girl

What I said then: About A Girl as a full-length isn't a huge departure from Winter Gloves' debut EP. Given how good that EP was, however, that's most definitely a good thing.

Download "Party People"


19. The Unsettlers, The Unsettlers

What I said then: The Unsettlers sound like they stepped out of the past to deliver one of the year's best albums. ... The band inhabits a place where jazz funerals are just a step away from a juke joint, with klezmer and polka and beat poetry and circus music all playing a role in the sound's evolution. It really doesn't sound like anything anyone else is making. Whatever it is, it's exceptionally good.

Download "Heavy Handed"


18. The Golden Hands Before God..., Here

What I said then: Here expertly blends psychedelia and classic rock with a distinctly modern sensibility. ... (The Golden Hands Before God...) are prone to breaking out into moments that come straight off of classic rock radio.

What I'll add now: Apparently, GHBG have gone on hiatus, and their future is uncertain. If they never release anything else it'd be extremely unfortunate, but at least they managed to release an album as fun as Here before they left.

Download "Communist Part"


17. The Urban Aesthetics, The Urban Aesthetics

What I said then: So spectacularly, gorgeously catchy that it seems incredibly likely that The Urban Aesthetics will be getting heard far beyond Ottawa's borders very, very soon.

What I'll add now: As I said yesterday, it was a slow year for Ottawa music even by Ottawa standards, but The Urban Aesthetics were one of the big exceptions. They came out of nowhere to produce one of the year's best EPs, and I'm excited to hear what they'll do next.

Download "Don't Go Takin' It To Heart"


16. Kings of Leon, Only By The Night

I hadn't listened to Kings of Leon at all since they released Youth And Young Manhood about half a decade ago, but Only By The Night was enough to get me interested again. The band's sound may have changed drastically since then, transforming from "Southern Strokes"-style rock to arena-ready anthems, but they were able to pull it off exceedingly well.

Download "Use Somebody"

Check back tomorrow for my top 15!