After illness, a busy work schedule, and anything else you can imagine, I'm finally back to conclude my countdown of my favorite songs of 2008. So here it is, finally . . .


1. "Fatalist Palmistry" by Why from Alopecia

Was it worth the wait? Oh, yeah. "Fatalist Palmisty" barely nudges out "The Hollows" and a handful of tracks from Stoplight Sleep's best album of the year, Alopecia . "Yoni" Wolf's lyrical acrobatics are the steel-encased spine of every Why? song. On "Fatalist Palmistry," Wolf layers similes and metaphors that use surrealism to express themes and images most artists couldn't even comprehend. If the opening stanza about "a psychic who reads her own palms" doesn't grab you, just wait till the second stanza's eye "sockets sit like empty catcher's mitts waiting."

Wolf's nasally staccato and dense alliteration punctuates a simple but fleshed-out track. The music is layered enough to compliment Why?'s strengths (Wolf's lyrics) without being too demanding to distract from them.



Later, I'll post my complete lists of songs and albums. They're ready now, I just didn't want to crowd this post. See you soon. Remember to weigh in on your favorites!