Here’s my top ten of 2008, in alphabetical order (of course):

Andrew Morgan – Andrew Morgan (Independent)
This self titled effort from Lawrence, Kansas songwriter Andrew Morgan was first released by Moorworks in Japan in April. However, it is the digital version that Morgan released on his web site shortly after with a slightly different tracklisting that stands as the definitive version of his second full length. More accessible than its predecessor (2004’s wonderful Misadventures In Radiology), but by no means watered down, this is Andrew Morgan at the top of his game. Chamber pop may not be fashionable like it was at the start of this decade, but Morgan’s brilliant arrangements are breathing life into one of my favorite genres.

Benoît Pioulard – Temper (Kranky)
If you are a fan of Chicago’s Kranky label, then you have no excuse not to own this sophomore release from Benoît Pioulard. Temper isn’t necessarily new ground for Pioulard (real name Tom Meluch), serving instead as a pleasant extension of his 2006 debut, Précis. I struggle to think of another artist who is able to coherently blend melancholy folk with mesmerizing ambient instrumentals.

Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane (Sub Pop)
Of all the artists in Sub Pop’s history, Chad VanGaalen is among the most peculiar. Fortunately, he is also one of their best talents in recent memory. This Calgary resident splits his time between his basement and the half-pipe in his back yard. While he’s in the basement, VanGaalen builds instruments by hand for future compositions. His third LP, Soft Airplane, is a complex beast that features many of his best songs released to date. Some of VanGaalen’s work is compared to Neil Young, but with each record he releases, it is obvious that he is slowly establishing his own DIY sound that is morbid, beautiful, and exciting.

Mogwai – The Hawk Is Howling (Matador)
I wasn’t a big Mogwai fan prior to hearing The Hawk Is Howling, but they have my full attention now. A brutal combination of soft and loud. The drones coming out of Glasgow are still splendid.

Portishead – Third (Mercury)
I always say that Portishead isn’t a band I listen to often, but when I do go back and listen to their albums, I regain my immense respect for their music. Third is the comeback album of the year and very few people will argue that. It is the album that I never thought would happen, an album that I had enormously low expectations for. I’m not sure how, but they’ve managed to stay relevant all these years later.

Spiritualized – Songs In A & E (Fontant Int’l)
He had to go through a series of near-death experiences beforehand, but Jason Pierce finally released a new Spiritualized record in 2008. His voice has clearly aged, diminishing the strength of his vocals at times, but this only adds to the haunting nature of the album. One of the most startling things about Songs In A & E is that it was written before Pierce’s bout with periorbital cellulitis and bilateral pneumonia. Pierce’s fixation on blues and soul music remains, but the compact construction of A & E makes it one of his most cohesive releases yet. A & E soars because Pierce has learned that less can be more.

The Tallest Man On Earth – Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
Refer to my post from 12/6/08.

TV On The Radio – Dear Science (DGC/Interscope)
Refer to my post from 12/9/08.

• Artist: Benoît Pioulard
• Album: Temper
• Label: Kranky
• Release: 2008
• Links: Official Site, MySpace

Before I launch into my review of Benoît Pioulard’s new album Temper, I want to quickly touch on his other recent release, Songs Spun Simla. Released in August on the Music Related label, this is Pioulard’s (Tom Meluch) collaboration with Praveen Sharma. Often compared to Boards Of Canada, Praveen’s work is significantly more beat-driven in comparison to Pioulard’s. The two do share similar influences though and Praveen’s electronics come off as a logical foil to Pioulard’s more organic approach. Composed of six songs, Songs Spun Simla, much like Pioulard’s work, is a combination of instrumentals and vocal tracks. The highlight of the set is “Embers” (listen below), which features an outstanding vocal by Pioulard. As someone who was not familiar with Praveen’s music, I am curious to hear more by him. Praveen and Benoît have released one of the more memorable collaborations of the year.

The rest of this review will focus on Temper, Benoît Pioulard’s second full length album and follow-up to 2006’s highly recommended Précis. Temper aims to solidify Pioulard’s singer/songwriter skills while expanding on the hallucinatory instrumentals that were such a part of the success of Précis. Perhaps the best example of this claim is the duo of “Ahn” and “Sweep Generator.” “Ahn” soars thanks to some of Pioulard’s best finger-picking while the instrumental “Sweep Generator” is a shoegazer’s dream. Temper may be more fractured than Précis, but its sublime musicianship and diverse tones make it just as rewarding.

Pioulard’s songwriting chops have indeed taken a step forward on Temper. One listen to “Idyll,” one of his most focused compositions, confirms this. More often than not, I still can’t understand what Pioulard is singing. I love his voice and view it as an additional instrument, so I’m not bothered by this at all. I could just be mentioning this because I was so dismayed by Pitchfork nitpicking exactly that in their review of Temper. It is interesting to note that the limited edition version (sold out) of Temper comes with the lyrics for the album. They are sophisticated and provide a fascinating read, but I almost believe that the atmosphere of Pioulard’s music would be damaged if I were able to hear him clearly. Headphones are a must when listening to Pioulard to truly realize the great thought that goes into these soundscapes.

The instrumental tracks are one of my favorite things about a Benoît album. “Ardoise” is as equally hypnotic as the previously mentioned “Sweep Generator.” These instrumentals are an ideal fit for a film score, so independent directors should take note. It is no easy challenge to balance vocal and instrumental music on record and Pioulard has quickly established himself as a newcomer that manages to do so effortlessly. With Précis and Temper, Pioulard has carved a niche within the experimental community. There is no doubt that he is one of Kranky’s finest artists and for a label with that much talent, that’s saying something.

Here’s a video for “Idyll” from Benoît Pioulard’s new album Temper (out 10/14 on Kranky). I was able to interview Mr. Pioulard (Tom Meluch) last month am quite excited to hear this record. Check Pitchfork and Pioulard’s MySpace for streams of several songs from Temper.