2008 IN ALBUMS

This album list is a serious departure from my singles list. Barely any of the names listed below make it onto the singles list, but I guess it comes down to coherency. These all make sense as albums. They're full pieces of work, whereas the Mystery Jets and Presets albums worked best in small doses, or in the case of Bag Raiders they only released a handful of songs in '08 (of course I can't wait for the LP release in 2010, Lords Of the Bag). These are fully contained little universes, and every listen is a step inside the bubble, one that doesn't end in three and a half minutes.

10. Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality

Sexuality is Sebby Tellie retreating from the elegant symphony of Politics into a sumptuous leather-clad booty den. And as mesmerising and intoxicating as that sounds.

Download - Roche (Edit)

9. M83 - Saturdays = Youth

This was a totally cracking slice of lef-field pop. Like the best moments of high school filtered through Anthony Gonzalez’s ghost-angst lens.

Download - Skin Of The Night

8. Van She - V

I loved the original Van She EP, like love love. But in comparison, V makes it look like a really big pile of shit. Where the EP was some excellent albeit fleeting scattershot synth-pop, V shows a far improved Van She. At times muscular rock, at others sugar filled and astral-gazing, Van She look, feel and sound so much better than ever before.

Download - Changes

7. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

This one was a total grower. After hearing On Board on Maison Compilation 4, I didn’t expect to love a Friendly Fires full-length as much as this. It’s brimming overflowing with ideas, from the conga-party breaks of Jump In The Pool to the glittering romance of Strobe, it’s so entertaining from start to finish.

Download - Strobe

6. Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

If the Friendly Fires record is overloaded with ideas, then this is just otherworldly kind of shit. Seriously, LOTP will start one song as bubbling pop only to take it through the electro grinder and then out the other end into Audioslav-ian guitar heroics. It’s an exhilarating disc from four dudes with very overactive imagionations.

Download - The Bears Are Coming

5. Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head - Glistening Pleasure

Some people will undoubtedly hate this album, and moreover, this band. They’re silly, possibly annoying and write songs about growing beards and side-ponytails. But it’s so bloody fun! The NPSH crew do this Faint-meets-Unicorns style electro-pomp with a hit of classic power-pop energy. Like the musical equivalent of candy for breakfast. It’ll kill you in the end but right now, who cares? We’re having fucking skittles for brekky!

Download - Bedroom Costume

4. The Teenagers - Reality Check

Speaking of fun, Reality Check is exactly that. But it’s not only fun, it’s funny. And that’s a rare thing for a band. Yet the Teenagers do it so easily, this kind of casual, flippant air which they apply to everything, girls, life, uhm girls and most of all their music. Who cares if they’re not making the next OK Computer? Definitely not the Teenagers.

Download - Homecoming

3. Mercy Arms - Mercy Arms

I still listen to this and am just floored by how much gorgeous noise these four Sydney dudes can produce. Anthemic without being ridiculous, Mercy Arms are totally special.

Download - Speed

2. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Seriously, what more needs to be said about Cut Copy and IGC? This will be the blueprint for Australian electronic/indie albums for the next 10 years.

Download - Out There On The Ice

1. Cut Off Your Hands - You & I

I'm surprised that this claims the top spot too, but it just pips the Cut Copy LP for the number one slot as I've been listening to this non-stop for the last few months. A very very addictive listen that's been enough to get me excited about guitars again. It's epic, it's energetic and it's such a confident debut for COYH, I can't get over it.

Download - Happy As Can Be