Part 2
35.The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Save your Natalie Portman in Garden State impressions. The Shins return for their first album since their big breakout in fame from that movie, and it seems they are up to the challenge because they've just made their best album to date. These are just well made songs that have great, catchy hooks, and good lyrics. "Phantom Limb" with it's "Pam Berry" intro, "Austraila", "Turn On Me", and pretty much the whole album are some of the best songs they've ever done. I honestly wasn't expecting the album to end up being this great, but it really is.
Best Songs:
1.Pam Berry/Phantom Limb
2.Australia
3.Turn On Me
34.Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Kweli is back! After some doubt for him for his last album, he returns with a very solid effort. He began the year with a at-one-time-free EP with producer Madlib called Liberation that was amazing. Some people doubted that Talib could translate that greatness from the EP over to a new studio album. Well, he kinda did. Like on Liberation he works with Madlib a lot on new songs like the best song on the album "Soon A New Day" featuring Norah Jones. I think Talib needs to release "Soon A New Day" ASAP. It has a good chance of crossing over as much as Common's "The Light" did in 2000. There are guests galore all over the album from UGK, Kanye West, will.i.am, KRS-One, Sizzla, and members of his Blacksmith Music record label Jean Grae and Strong Arm Steady. At 20 songs the album runs really long, and the song with Justin Timberlake "The Nature" isn't really needed at all. If Talib got rid of some of the lesser songs, he would of had a stronger album overall. it is still a great listen though, so you should all check it out if you haven't already.
Best Songs:
1.Soon A New Day feat. Norah Jones
2.Country Cousins feat. UGK and Raheem Devaughn
3.In The Mood feat. Kanye West and Roy Ayers
33.1990s - Cookies
One of the best discoveries I made this year. I first heard of them back in August on
Stephen Merchant's BBC 6 Music show when Merchant played "See You At The Lights". It really drew me in with it's insanely catchy opening. I then proceeded to download the album, and the whole album is seriously greatness. 1990s are a three piece from Glasgow, and in a pretty interesting bit of trivia Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos and drummer Paul Thompson were at one time members of the group. They also have some very witty lyrics like "get out to a bar, get out like a blonde gets out of a car", "my cult status keeps me from ****ing your wife", among many others. If you enjoy any band that has come out of Europe's dancerock-ish scene over the past few years then you'll no doubt love these guys. I recently saw a commercial on TV for some department store (might of been Kohl's or JC Penny) that had "See You At The Lights" playing in the background. I hope 2008 continues their success, and for them to finally cross over to North America.
Best Songs:
1.See You At The Lights
2.Cult Status (or how he pronounces it Cult State-us)
3.You Made Me Like It
32.Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
What a breath of fresh air this album is. Mainstream country radio has pretty much been in the tubes for a good while now. There are still artists that crank out some quality stuff (George Strait, Brad Paisley when he isn't being all jokey), but it's mainly a format run by Rascal Flatts. Well luckily for us, Miranda Lambert is here to save the day. Her second album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is so awesome. Everything about it is what country music should be all about. One of my favorite songs from the album "Famous In A Small Town" really paints such a great picture of small town America. It kinda reminds me a bit of the tremendous NBC series Friday Night Lights. She has a good thing going for herself in that she has a great image down that Country would like but then her songs are very old school with modern touches. It's really the perfect combination. If you have yet to hear of her, then listen to Crazy-Ex Girlfriend first. it's the second amazing album of what should be many more for a great career.
Best Songs:
1.Gunpowder & Lead
2.Famous In A Small Town
3.Love Letters
31.Devin The Dude - Waitin' To Inhale
One of the most underrated albums released this year. Devin The Dude remains to be with Waitin' To Inhale as one of the funniest MC's ever. His storytelling skills are like if Bill Cosby swore a lot and smoked a lot of weed. songs like "Broccoli & Cheese" which has one of the oddest hooks of the year in "Girl, this dick is so clean that you can serve it with some lima beans This dick is so clean, This dick is so clean that you can boil it in some collard greens, Girl this dick is so clean It'll probably go good with your broccoli and cheese". also the music in "Just Because" reminds you of pretty much any Kenny G type of Dentist chair music you've ever heard, but the lyrics are really hateful but hilarious. stuff like "I'll sweep your off your feet with a box of chocolates, But watch it – 'cause it's really balled-up hog ****". The best song on the album though is one of the best hip-hop songs of the entire year in "What A Job" featuring Andre 3000 and Snoop Dogg. The song probably does the best job at explaining how absurd the career of being a rapper can be at times that you'll ever hear. It also includes yet another golden Andre 3000 verse that will be added to his highlight reel. If you like hip-hop but are tired of some artists not taking themselves seriously at times, listen to Waitin' To Inhale. You'll get a great laugh out of it, and also listen to an amazing MC at work.
Best Songs:
1.What A Job feat. Andre 3000 and Snoop Dogg
2.Broccoli & Cheese
3.Just Because
Part 2 in the can. I should have something else up tomorrow whether if it is Part 3 of tha albums list or another side list.
thanks for all the comments btw. keep them coming. I do appreciate them.