Olly Wehring

Albums of the Year

10: Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
So? It's a comedy album. I get that. But the tunes are superb. An eclectic mish-mash, ranging from Jamaican dancehall ('Boom' sounds ace in the car when stuck in traffic in Streatham – you blend in with the street drivers) to ballad ('Leggy Blonde') to Pet Shop Boys ('Inner City Pressure'). Any album that contains lyrics like “Just because we've been playing tonsil hockey doesn't mean you get to score the goal that's in my jockeys” will make my top ten, year in, year out.
Key Track: 'Business Time'.

9: Frank Turner – Love, Ire and Song
Agreed, his voice – a bit of a lean to Billy Bragg – may be an acquired taste. Some of his idealistic lyrics may also appear a touch cloying, but goodness me, this is a very good album. Considering my idealistic, somewhat naïve bent, I bought into his sentiment straight away, and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this as many times as I have done this year. 'Long Live the Queen', incidentally, has made me cry on at least four separate occasions, not that I'm boasting.
Key Track: 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous'.

8: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Regardless of the plaudits, this remains an album typical of Elbow's output (their first two albums are just marvellous – third one has its moments too), but with one vital exception – it's generally quite happy. The naïve (spot the trend here) optimism of some of the lyrics may nark the cynics, but it's a beautiful listen. Contains the best song of the year, and a handful of other contenders, notably 'Mirrorball' and 'Grounds for Divorce'. Oh, and the final word on the Mercury win? They got it not for this album alone, but their collective body of work, and their 'nearly-men' status.
Key Track: 'One Day Like This'.

7: My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
This album defines the term slow-burner. With the exception of the odd track here or there, I've never really been taken in by their previous efforts, to be honest. But this one, which, I'm told, has alienated many a long-standing fan, just grows and grows and grows. It's more mainstream, certainly, but all 14 tracks impress, as does the use of the word 'Interweb' on one of them ('Librarian'). And the Prince-like 'Highly Suspicious' sounds bostin' loud. Great for listening to in the sunshine.
Key Track: 'Touch Me, I'm Going To Scream'.

6: Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Curse the BBC – they go and take one of Sigur Ros' best tracks ('Hoppipolla') and proceed to plaster it all over their Planet Earth plugs. To the heathen, at least, that's all this band are known for. But the heathens are missing a trick. This year's effort, Icelandic for 'With Buzzing in Our Ears We Play Endlessly', is the band's most accessible album. Granted, one can't really sing along, unless one knows Icelandic, but this is, simply put, classical music for the 21st Century – there's so much thought, so much effort, so much intricacy in these tracks. To seal the deal, their mesmerising headline slot this summer on the middle night at Latitude left this punter, along with thousands of others, with his chin on the floor.
Key Track: 'Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur'.

5: TV on the Radio - Dear Science
They've cracked it, finally. Previous album 'Return to Cookie Mountain' was way too much hard work, but TV on the Radio opened the door a little wider with this album. Much has been made of the band's 'innovative' sound, but that's missing the point somewhat. The tracks are tighter, leaner, and don't outstay their welcome. They're also funk-addled, in the best possible way. Clever-clever to have this in my ten, I'm sure, but 'Love Dog' alone would get this in the chart.
Key Track: 'Love Dog'.

4: Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge
A real shame that this didn't make any published charts of the year, as this is a wonderful album – I even told the man himself so, when I saw him at Hyde Park watching Morrissey this summer. Dev Hynes, formerly of the Test Icicles, put down his... whatever he played, and picked up a guitar for this, his debut solo album. Released way back in January, this has done really well to see off the competition for a place in this chart. This album is very much 'this year's' album - It'll always remind me of 2008. The ten-minute-long 'Midnight Surprise', by the way, is career-definingly brillliant.
Key Track: 'Midnight Surprise'.

3: Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Where the hell did this lot come from? A real shame that they didn't really break big this year, but this is an excellent guitar-pop album from this Scottish four-piece. Intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, beautiful harmonies with guitars that aren't set too quiet, to boot. Thanks have to go to Scott for bringing this album to my attention – he's good. In fact, this album is so good that it would have been even higher, had they not let themselves down with a shaky performance supporting...
Key Track: 'Keep Yourself Warm'.

2: Death Cab for Cutie - The Narrow Stairs
The problem facing users of slightly suss download sites for albums (that's me) is that you can never be 100% sure that, when downloading a new album, you're getting exactly what you 'paid' for. With this album, which I got early in the summer, only one track was actually by Death Cab, the rest was unlistenable swill. Thankfully, I have some sympathetic friends on hand to help me out (thanks, Scott - again). When I finally got hold of the album proper, I was hooked. Enough to see them live in November (supported by Frightened Rabbit, no less), and that sealed the deal. An example of a band at their peak: The musicianship is consummate, the lyrics sublime. A huge step forward from what was already a pretty good predecessor ('Plans').
Key Track: 'Grapevine Fires'.

1: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The first time I listened to this, I was walking on Ipanema beach, in Rio de Janeiro, in May (their autumn), on my own. Its impact was so great, I listened to it four times consecutively, beginning to end. Indeed, it's not been more than a fortnight that I haven't returned to this since then.

Much has been made of the back story to the album, but strip that away, and what is left here is simply a beautiful album, that maintains the highest standard from beginning to end (even when we discovered, a week later, that there was an extra track right at the end). Justin Vernon (who is Bon Iver) is an eccentric loon, of that there's little doubt. But, if his grief results in an album as sweeping as this, here's hoping he has a crappy 2009.
Key Track: Impossible to pick one. The first one, through to the last one.

Tracks of the Year

10: Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
9: Nada Surf - See These Bones
8: Keane - Spiralling
7: TV on the Radio - Love Dog
6: Lightspeed Champion - Midnight Surprise
5: Frank Turner - Long Live the Queen
4: Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
3: Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm
2: Death Cab for Cutie - Grapevine Fires
1: Elbow - One Day Like This

Emperor's New Clothes 2008

Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
REM – Accelerate
Stop, stop, STOP. The best track on the Coldplay album is an instrumental ('Life in Technicolour'). It's when Chris Martin opens his fathead mouth that the illusion of goodness is shattered. Awful, awful lyrics (“There was snow, white snow” - Really? WHITE snow, you say?) throughout. And their attempt at a Paranoid Android-a-like three piece suite of a track ('42') is, frankly, risible.

As for REM? Not their fault, I know, but all the talk of a return to form served only to belittle 'Reveal' and 'Around the Sun', both of which had the occasional moment of brilliance ('Imitation of Life' and 'Leaving New York' are excellent). So they were on a sticky wicket before I even listened to it. Then I listened to it. If you're tempted by this, save yourself some money and get 'Life's Rich Pageant' instead – 'Accelerate' is a lazy, sub-standard remake of a superb album.

It's Good But Not That Good 2008

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
Don't get me wrong, this is quite a good album, especially considering their previous fare, which, quite frankly, left me cold as. The opening four tracks are all pretty good - indeed, 'Crawl' sounds marvellously crunchy, but the album tails off thereafter. Q's album of the year? Come on, let's not get carried away here.

Guilty Pleasure 2008

Keane - Perfect Symmetry
In years gone by, I've included Keane's first two albums in my top tens, and argued (minority-style, I concede) that there was no guilt on my part in confessing I really liked them. Their third effort, however, certainly has an element of cringe-factor about it ("Whooo!" - need I say any more). In spite of this, 'Spiralling', 'The Lovers are Losing' and the title track are all very good pop music - simple as. The rest of the album, however, I can live without. First time I've said that about Keane, which must make me guilty anyway in many people's eyes.

Innocent Pain 2008

The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
There's just something a bit chin-stroking about this. About ten years ago, Elvis Costello released an album of similar-sounding stuff with Burt Bacharach, which worked brilliantly. This, however, has been rated highly by many, purely because it SHOULD be good. Doesn't mean it actually is, though.

Not Worthy of a Mention in Any Way 2008

Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
No, no. It really is better to burn out than to fade away.