And some more...

TV On The Radio – Dear Science

Dave Sitek may have built himself a reputation as producer du jour for the likes of Foals and Scarlett Johansson; with TV On The Radio’s third long player he showed that he’s been holding back the best ideas for the day job. An album of staggering proportions that proves their position as the mostly likely band to take over Radiohead’s crown. 

Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night

2008 was the year when Kings Of Leon upped their game. A career defining Glastonbury headline performance was followed by the release of their forth album. Still maintaining the perfect balance between indie cool and mainstream acceptability 

Kanye West – 808’s & Heartbreak

When used by hip hop retards, such as T-Pain, the AutoTune effect can be as annoying as being stuck in a lift with Timmy Mallet. But when coupled with Kane’s lyrics concerning the death of his mother and the end of his relationship, it adds a haunting stark quality. His previous albums have always lacked consistency but with this Mr. West delivered what his ego always promised. 

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

If you’d told me last year that one of the best albums of the year would sound like The Strokes covering Paul Simon, I probably would have laughed harder than when I saw that guy throwing shoes at Dubya. An instant classic.

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

Unless you were in hibernation this year you couldn’t have missed MGMT. Arguably the album didn’t reach the standards that Time To Pretend set, but for that song alone they deserve some (more) praise. 

Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Continued.

Bradford Cox returns to his day job after the subdued, but still impressive, Atlas Sound album. This may just have established Cox as US Indie’s brightest star. 

 

Lightspeed Champion – Falling Off The Lavender Bridge 

When word got out that Dev Hynes, the former Test-Icicle, had decamped to Nebraska to make an album of acoustic folk, few believed he would deliver anything to this standard. A perfect account of a young mans descent into the pitfalls of becoming a young adult.