1. “Stay Positive” – The Hold Steady
From the Arcade Fire school of depressing songs that sound like joyous hymns comes this year’s best song, “Stay Positive”. As Craig Finn’s lyrics rumble over an organ drenched soundscape with muted power chords, the listener is presented with a somewhat bleak picture of a dying scene. But when the chorus kicks in there is full on euphoria. It’s rather difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes this song so great, but I can’t get it out of my head and I don’t mind. I guess that says enough.
2. “Don’t Trust Me” – 3OH!3
Look, I know that it’s not hip to like this song. I know that it’s target audience is 14-year old fake scenester girls. But it’s so good that I don’t care, and you shouldn’t either. Yes it’s ridiculous, but it’s also ridiculously catchy. I can’t not dance and clap along every time I hear it. With pulsating beats and deceptively clever lyrics, this is the anthem for your 2008 dance party. Plus who can argue with a lyric as brilliantly absurd as “Shush girl, shut your lips. Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips.”? No one. At least no one I want at my party.
3. “After Hours” – We Are Scientists
While We Are Scientists’ Brain Thrust Mastery might be the most disappointing album of 2008, the album’s first single, “After Hours”, is golden. An ode to nights on the town, the songs simple rhythm guitar part fits perfectly with the quick high open E-string lick. The does the time honored trick of constantly growing to crescendos with ease. It also stays with the We Are Scientist formula of no part of the arrangement (guitar, bass, drums) doing a similar thing, while adding a slew off small detail sounds by a wide range of instruments to the background. Overall, it’s just the perfect nightcap for anyone lit more by artificial glow than sunlight.
4. “Losing Touch” – The Killers
This track embodies the slick cool of The Killers. Brandon Flowers vocals really carry the track, while a saxophone line drives the tune forward. “Losing Touch” seems like a theme song to a James Bond movie that has yet to be made. The breakdown gives me shivers, as Flowers voice just lushly croons over a soft synth and a distant solo beat. The flawless mixing on the track is the icing on the cake, and make it a delicious delicacy.
5. “Morning Exercise” – The Heavenly States
The fantastic opener to Delayer, “Morning Exercise” begins with a repetitive falling keyboard line that immediately gets a jolt from guitar, bass, and drums. While the bass and drums sit subtlety in the background during the verses, the guitar sounds like it’s frustratedly trying to burst up out of the glass ceiling that the keyboard part has created. When the chorus arrives the guitar finally is able to break free and sing it’s rock and roll heart out. With tongue in cheek lyrics sung with a wry smile, the song is sure to put an actual one on any listener’s face.
6. “Cath” – Death Cab For Cutie
Once you’re six seconds into listening to “Cath” you can tell that it is going to be great. By that time the main riff has been played once through and it luckily continues throughout the song. There are so many layers of sound as the song progress and everyone is well thought out and vital. Ben Gibbard’s lyrics paint the story of a woman who give up on eventual true love for whatever love she can get right now. “Cath” is the sum of it’s parts and every part is meaningful.
7. “Random Hearts” – Tom Gabel
The one straight up rock song off Gabel’s otherwise folk leaning solo record, “Random Hearts” combines so many sounds that I love dearly. There are staccato hand claps. There is dirty base that reminds me of Nick Oliveri’s work on Songs For the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age. There are heavy grasps at breath. Oh yeah, there’s also Gabel’s signature impassioned growl that somehow defies vocal chord damage. Throw in a jangly punk guitar in the verses and you’ve got the total package.
8. “Calling All Skeletons” – Alkaline Trio
As “Calling All Skeletons” begins, Matt Skiba’s vocals ring out only to shortly greeted by sharp guitar riff cuts through some devilishly amusing clapping. Everything that follows makes up the most fun Alkaline Trio in some time; easily the best off of their past two albums. Skiba’s wordplay is still sharp, and his rhythem section doesn’t let him down. If you’re willing to accept the Alkaline Trio will never make another Goddamnit then you should be able to have a blast with this track.
9. “Horse to Water” – R.E.M.
2008 was the year that R.E.M. proved they still had a little rock left in the tank and no track displayed this as well as “Horse to Water”. In barely over two minutes (2:18) the band displays all the noise and angst they had been missing for about a decade. A distant dissonant guitar in the verses trades punches with a deep falling bass before everything comes together to rock out in the chorus. All the time Michael Stripe sings with a crispness that makes this buzzsaw of a song keep rotating at maximum velocity.
10. “Things Inside” – 1090 Club
The best display of the darker feel of 1090 Club’s Natural Selection, “Things Inside” highlights every aspect of the band. The typical art of different 1090 Club members trading reverb soaked vocals is in full effect and is at it’s best. Violinist Megan Dibble especially terrific on the song, both with her violin work and her vocals. Every instrument finds its own niche and stays perfectly balanced in that spot. The result comes off like clockwork.
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