In order of preference and frequency of rotation (#1 being the crème de la crème), here are my favourite albums for 2008:
1. The Presets – Apocalypso
Tracklist:
1. Kicking and Screaming
2. My People
3. A New Sky
4. This Boy’s in Love
5. Yippiyo-ay
6. Talk Like That
7. Eucalyptus
8. If I Know You
9. Together
10. Aeons
11. Anywhere
2. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Tracklist:
1. Flume
2. Lump Sum
3. Skinny Love
4. The Wolves (Act 1 and 2)
5. Blindsided
6. Creature Fear
7. Team
8. For Emma
9. re:Stackse
3. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Tracklist:
1. Starlings
2. The Bones Of You
3. Mirrorball
4. Grounds For Divorce
5. An Audience With The Pope
6. Weather To Fly
7. The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver
8. The Fix
9. Some Riot
10. One Day Like This
11. Friend Of Ours
4. Bliss n Eso – Flying Colours
Tracklist:
1. Beginning
2. Woodstock 2008
3. Eye of the Storm
4. Bullet and a Target
5. Happy in My Hoody
6. Destiny Lane
7. Zion Bash
8. Sea Is Rising
9. Gorilla Militia
10. How to Listen, Pt. 1
11. Climb These Cliffs
12. At Midnightv
13. Royal Flush
14. $5 Steak
15. Truth
16. Never Give Up
17. Field of Dreams
5. M83 – Saturdays=Youth
Tracklist:
1. You Appearing
2. Kim & Jessie
3. Skin Of The Night
4. Graveyard Girl
5. Couleurs
6. Up!
7. We Own The Sky
8. Highway Of Endless Dreams
9. Too Late
10. Dark Moves Of Love
11. Midnight Souls Still Remain
6. Morcheeba – Dive Deep
Tracklist:
1. Enjoy The Ride
2. Riverbed
3. Thumbnails
4. Run Honey Run
5. Gained The World
6. One Love Karma
7. Au-Delà
8. Blue Chair
9. Sleep On It Tonight
10. The Ledge Beyond The Edge
11. Washed Away
7. Bloc Party – Intimacy
Tracklist:
1. Ares
2. Mercury
3. Halo
4. Biko
5. Trojan Horse
6. Signs
7. One Month Off
8. Zephyrus
9. Talons
10. Better Than Heaven
11. Ion Square
12. Letter To My Son
13. Your Visits Are Getting Shorter
14. Flux
8. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Tracklist:
1. Sun It Rises
2. White Winter Hymnal
3. Ragged Wood
4. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
5. Quiet Houses
6. He Doesn’t Know Why
7. Heard Them Stirring
8. Your Protector
9. Meadowlark
10. Blue Ridge Mountains
11. Oliver James
9. Portishead – Third
Tracklist:
1. Silence
2. Hunter
3. Nylon Smile
4. The Rip
5. Plastic
6. We Carry On
7. Deep Water
8. Machine Gun
9. Small
10. Magic Doors
11. Threads
10. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark
Tracklist:
1. Out at the Pictures
2. Shake a Fist
3. Ready for the Floor
4. Bendable Poseable
5. We’re Looking for a Lot of Love
6. Touch Too Much
7. Made in the Dark
8. One Pure Thought
9. Hold On
10. Wrestlers
11. Don’t Dance
12. Whistle for Will
13. In the Privacy of Our Love
11. Phaseone – Mad Weight
Plus, an honorable mention for an album I just discovered – not sure if it falls under 2008.. and don’t care… its awesomely awesome! Free download courtesy of Phaseone.