Mmm...another tasty best of list!

Just like too much eggnog or dessert, the holiday tradition of year-end lists can make you oh-so-sick, but you just can't stay away. And just like my mom's famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) cranberry bliss bars (mmmm….), I am now offering you another, albeit distinctive, slice of a list. Now we all know about those certain ten or twelve albums that everyone, including the majority of the critics (and me!), loved this year, so I won't waste your time telling you something you've probably already heard a hundred times. This list is dedicated to the 2008 albums those critics seemed to have skipped over, or maybe I'm the only one who thought they were fantastic. Either way, you might find something you like, so give in to temptation and take another bite :)

Land of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Liz Powell is a force to be reckoned with. During my brief (0.03 seconds to be exact) encounter with her on the way back from the bathroom, she struck me as more than a bit shy; once onstage, however, she completely transforms into an affable, guitar-wielding goddess (watch your back, J-Lew!) Some Are Lakes is a refreshing break from the hushed tones that seemed to sweep the music world this year, filled with spiraling guitar riffs and Liz's steely, metallic croon. I must say that Liz is a brave, brave girl for sticking it out on a tour bus with maybe twelve or so boys on LOT's recent tour with Broken Social Scene. That takes some guts. Maybe she isn't so timid after all...

Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here
Collett is an enigma to me. Trying to reconcile the Collett who helped record the ambient Feel Good Lost with Collett the Americana-loving solo artist proves to be a challenge for my feeble brain. Nevertheless, Here's to Being Here has to be one of the most overlooked albums of '08. With his bluesy, rambling tunes, Collett often delves into familiar Dylan territory, though "Nothing to Lose" proves to be more "Maggie May" than anything. Standouts include the grooving "Out of Time" and the smoky, percussive "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington."

Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain
Considering this has been the year for understated releases, where's the love for this album? The rustic, soulful vibe of Gossip evokes warm, comforting images of bygone eras. On top of this, I'm pretty sure LaMontagne wins in the battle of the indie beards.

Stars - Sad Robots EP
Hm. Maybe this wasn't eligible for the lists because it's an EP (do they ever include EPs in best of lists?), but the six tracks on Sad Robots are quintessentially Stars—sweet boy-girl duets; gorgeous, sweeping melodies; and tales of love, loss, and being young.

Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane
Poor Canadians. Seems like they got snubbed a lot this year. Besides some of the albums above, I could find just a few lists that included Crystal Castles, and only one that had Black Mountain's In the Future. I first came across VanGaalen almost two years ago through a fellow mogger. I've always thought he sounded a bit like Sufjan meets Animal Collective—lithe, breathy vocals over a collage of quirky instrumentation. Soft Airplane is no different, and, if anything, VanGaalen ups the ante by combining Pac Man-backed tunes with delicate ballads to create a record that spans the entire spectrum and then some.

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
With all the buzz about this band, I really am quite shocked that I haven't found In Ear Park on any best of list. Another understated gem, In Ear Park is like a poisonous snake, silently wrapping around you until, ever so slowly, it strikes, injecting you with its sprawling, catchy blend of experimental pop.

Overall, 2008 was no 2007, but it had its highlights. Now 2009, on the other hand, is promising to be a whole different story…