Sandburg’s Top 20 Continues: #6-#10
This post was written by Benjiposted in Uncategorized |
Carl Sandburg’s Top 20 Albums of 2008 Countdown continues as we round out the bottom of the top 10. Be sure to come back tomorrow for #2-#5 (there’s got to be some suspense, right?). And so here we go:
6. The Zutons - You Can Do Anything
You Can Do Anything builds on the progress from Tired Hanging Around, as the band has found a way to harness its own creativity and seemingly unlimited originality in a way that makes for an incredibly rockin’ album. What I love most about The Zutons is the self-knowing kitsch–from the album covers to the lyrics to the instrumentation. I was so pleasantly surprised by this album, and I think the optimistic mantra of the album proves that in truth, you can do anything.
Listen to The Zutons - “You Could Make the Four Walls Cry”
7. She & Him - Volume One
Seriously, what can’t Zooey Deschanel do? Actress and now singer-songwriter extraordinaire, Deschanel seems to be excelling on all fronts. Certainly the most dynamic traditional folk album released this year, Volume One promises many more volumes (and I can’t wait). Deschanel and M. Ward have crafted a fine work of art, complete with an indescribable charm that will have you singing ’sweet darlin” over and over.
Listen to She & Him - “Sweet Darlin’”
8. Greg Laswell - Three Flights from Alto Nido
Greg Laswell has woken from his sleepy coastal disposition and released a dazzling sophomore album. As a body of work, it does seem to me that Laswell is trying to create a sound bigger than himself, that relates to an audience that is much wider than that of his first album. In essence, this is what appears to be his ‘high nest’, and indeed it seems as though he’s well on his way.
Listen to Greg Laswell - “How the Day Sounds”
9. the sea and cake - Car Alarm
The veteran Chicago collective is as musically sound as they are prolific, and boy they are prolific! Aside from excellent musicianship, though, The Sea and Cake have single-handedly gradually created their own style of subtle, accesible rock that has far more to it than what may seem on the surface. Behind the delightful soft rasp of lead singer Sam Prekop, it seems that this Windy City group has found a signature sound along with a level of comfort.
Listen to the sea and cake - “New Schools”
10. Psapp - The Camel’s Back
It’s one thing when all your myspace friends are cats/kittens. It’s another thing when all the kitsch actually amounts to something. To use words like eclectic and quirky are not helpful in defining the songs on The Camel’s Back, and would ultimately overlook the amazing breadth within those classifications that Psapp fills. This won’t be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, that I promise.
Listen to Psapp - “Fix It“
