Top 15 Songs of 2008: 4 through 2!

4: KANYE WEST - HEARTLESS

Here’s a seasonally appropriate story: Last New Year’s Eve, E and I were at a party where a good friend of mine introduced us to some other “music people”. Given that 2007 was an epic year for music by any reasonable standard, we were initially excited to hear what fellow music lovers would have to share. Our hopes were quickly dashed when our favorite albums of the year were dismissed as “soft shit” and we were informed that Kanye West’s Graduation was the best of 2007. This was objectively incorrect.

It’s funny what a difference a year can make. If I were to go out tonight and have someone tell me that West’s 808’s & Heartbreak was their favorite album of the year, I might think they were on to something. West has long been known for his nearly limitless ego. 808’s chronicles what happens to the egotist once he’s been broken down. From the depressed and defeated Say You Will to the defiant, incredulous shout of Bad News, West paints a picture of a man who is attempting to come to grips with a life coming apart at the seams. He questions the value of his wealth and fame when he’s left emotionally empty and he rages at the unnamed woman who’s done the damage. It’s a flawed album, to be certain, but those flaws may only serve to make it stronger. This album is as accurate a chronicle of the sleepless nights following a breakup as you’ll ever hear, right down to the confusion and lashing out. It’s absolutely one of the most interesting albums of the year, and I’d argue that it’s one of the best.

Heartless is, by a hair, my favorite track on the album. While most of the tracks on the album are almost portraits of a single emotion, Heartless is essentially a chronicle of the breakup that motivated the album. But, that doesn’t render it any less interesting than the other tracks, and it has a stronger song structure than many of the album’s other tracks. At this point, it goes without saying that it’s worth a listen.

3: FRIGHTENED RABBIT - GOOD ARMS VS. BAD ARMS

When Okkervil River releases an album, you expect something brilliant. The same goes for The Hold Steady, Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Radiohead, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, etc. Each of these bands has developed their sound and established a track record to justify these expectations. What nobody expects, or really could have expected, was for the basically unknown Frightened Rabbit to come out of nowhere and release an album so utterly confident and self-assured that it simply cannot be left off a “Year’s Best” list.

The Midnight Organ Fight is so lush and beautiful, so heartbreakingly poignant, that I simply cannot imagine a listener remaining unmoved. In fact, the hardest part about picking a track for inclusion on this list is that virtually every track could be considered one of the year’s best.

So, why Good Arms vs. Bad Arms? Well, it was something of a tossup, but I love the backing vocals on this track. They’re gorgeous, almost Celtic sounding, and are representative of one of the things I love about Frightened Rabbit: how good they are at nailing even the smallest elements of a song. Additionally, this song about a man coming to grips with losing his lover (yeah, we have a theme today) features what might be my favorite verse on the album:

I decided this decision some six months ago
So I’ll stick to my guns, but from now on it’s war
I am armed with the past, and the will, and a brick
I might not want you back, but I want to kill him

Harsh, but very honest.

2: SHEARWATER - ROOKS

I have no idea what this song is trying to communicate. Birds are taking over the world? Hey, sure - it worked for Hitchcock. But, this song is delicate, beautiful, and ominous. Sometimes it’s better to say less and just let you take it all in.