When I review a new release, I also give the album a score based on the quality of each individual track and the album as a whole. To be eligible for this list the album needs to be released in the U.S. between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008. The following albums have scored highest this year so far. I update these Standings every time an album or albums break into my Top 20.
Update: The latest releases from Beck, Modern Guilt, and The Hold Steady, Stay Positive, find their way onto the list. And the debut from The Baseball Project, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails , squeezes in a few spots behind them at #20. Meanwhile, Man Man’s Rabbit Habits, The Kills’ Midnight Boom, and Santogold’s self-titled debut all get nudged out of the Top 20.
1. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (ATO)
2. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (XL)
3. Adele 19 (XL/Columbia)
4. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
5. Lupe Fiasco The Cool (Atlantic)
6. Hot Chip Made in the Dark (Astralwerks)
7. The Hush Sound Goodbye Blues (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
8. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
9. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
10. Dizzee Rascal Maths & English (Definitive Jux)
11. Death Angel Killing Season (Nuclear Blast America)
12. Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
13. Beck Modern Guilt (Interscope)
14. Disturbed Indestructible (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
15. Portishead Third (Mercury/Island)
16. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers)
17. The Hold Steady Stay Positive (Vagrant)
18. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Columbia)
19. The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (4AD)
20. The Baseball Project Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Yep Roc)
When I review a new release, I also give the album a score based on the quality of each individual track and the album as a whole. To be eligible for this list the album needs to be released in the U.S. between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008. The following albums have scored highest this year so far. I update these Standings every time an album or albums break into my Top 20.
Update: Wolf Parade’s debut album made them indie darlings, but in my book it was overhyped. The follow-up, though, At Mount Zoomer is a great achievement and lands them in the Top 10 of the year so far. Meanwhile, after a brief stint on the list, the latest from N.E.R.D., Seeing Sounds, gets bumped out of the Top 20.
1. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (ATO)
2. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (XL)
3. Adele 19 (XL/Columbia)
4. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
5. Lupe Fiasco The Cool (Atlantic)
6. Hot Chip Made in the Dark (Astralwerks)
7. The Hush Sound Goodbye Blues (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
8. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop)
9. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
10. Dizzee Rascal Maths & English (Definitive Jux)
11. Death Angel Killing Season (Nuclear Blast America)
12. Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
13. Disturbed Indestructible (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
14. Portishead Third (Mercury/Island)
15. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers)
16. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Columbia)
17. The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (4AD)
18. Man Man Rabbit Habits (Anti-)
19. The Kills Midnight Boom (Domino)
20. Santogold Santogold (Downtown)
When I review a new release, I also give the album a score based on the quality of each individual track and the album as a whole. To be eligible for this list the album needs to be released in the U.S. between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008. The following albums have scored highest this year so far. I update these Standings every time an album or albums break into my Top 20.
Update: Disturbed come back strong with Indestructible , a significant improvement from their last two albums. It finds its way into my Top 20 so far, as does N.E.R.D.’s latest Seeing Sounds. As a result, The Mars Volta’s The Bedlam in Goliath and Wu-Tang Clan’s 8 Diagrams get bumped off the list.
1. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (ATO)
2. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (XL)
3. Adele 19 (XL/Columbia)
4. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
5. Lupe Fiasco The Cool (Atlantic)
6. Hot Chip Made in the Dark (Astralwerks)
7. The Hush Sound Goodbye Blues (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
8. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
9. Dizzee Rascal Maths & English (Definitive Jux)
10. Death Angel Killing Season (Nuclear Blast America)
11. Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
12. Disturbed Indestructible (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
13. Portishead Third (Mercury/Island)
14. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers)
15. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Columbia)
16. The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (4AD)
17. Man Man Rabbit Habits (Anti-)
18. The Kills Midnight Boom (Domino)
19. Santogold Santogold (Downtown)
20. N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds (Star Trak/Interscope)
When I review a new release, I also give the album a score based on the quality of each individual track and the album as a whole. To be eligible for this list the album needs to be released in the U.S. between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008. The following albums have scored highest this year so far. I update these Standings every time an album or albums break into my Top 20.
Update: New #1!! My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges is not only the best album this year, so far, it’s also the best album of the last couple years. UK singer Adele also finds her way into the Top 5 with her debut 19. Meanwhile Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Real Emotional Trash and The Roots Rising Down get bumped off the Top 20 list.
1. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (ATO)
2. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (XL)
3. Adele 19 (XL/Columbia)
4. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
5. Lupe Fiasco The Cool (Atlantic)
6. Hot Chip Made in the Dark (Astralwerks)
7. The Hush Sound Goodbye Blues (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
8. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
9. Dizzee Rascal Maths & English (Definitive Jux)
10. Death Angel Killing Season (Nuclear Blast America)
11. Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
12. Portishead Third (Mercury/Island)
13. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers)
14. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Columbia)
15. The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (4AD)
16. Man Man Rabbit Habits (Anti-)
17. The Kills Midnight Boom (Domino)
18. Santogold Santogold (Downtown)
19. The Mars Volta The Bedlam In Goliath (Universal)
20. Wu-Tang Clan 8 Diagrams (Universal Motown)
When I review a new release, I also give the album a score based on the quality of each individual track and the album as a whole. To be eligible for this list the album needs to be released in the U.S. between December 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008. The following albums have scored highest this year so far. I update these Standings every time an album or albums break into my Top 20.
Update: This week there are two additions to the Top 10 - Death Cab for Cutie’s long-awaited second major-label album Narrow Stairs and Shy Child’s Noise Won’t Stop. Meanwhile, Flowers Forever’s self-titled album and Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War fall out of the Top 20.
1. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (XL)
2. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
3. Lupe Fiasco The Cool (Atlantic)
4. Hot Chip Made in the Dark (Astralwerks)
5. The Hush Sound Goodbye Blues (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic)
6. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
7. Dizzee Rascal Maths & English (Definitive Jux)
8. Death Angel Killing Season (Nuclear Blast America)
9. Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop (Kill Rock Stars)
10. Portishead Third (Mercury/Island)
11. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Brothers)
12. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Red Ink/Columbia)
13. The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (4AD)
14. Man Man Rabbit Habits (Anti-)
15. The Kills Midnight Boom (Domino)
16. Santogold Santogold (Downtown)
17. The Mars Volta The Bedlam In Goliath (Universal)
18. Wu-Tang Clan 8 Diagrams (Universal Motown)
19. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Real Emotional Trash (Matador)
20. The Roots Rising Down (Def Jam)
