Rainard Jalen

Eh. The success of this album also highlights the self-congratulatory nature of indie webzines, so very proud of the wider recognition that one of their bands managed to attain that they mobilize and unite to declare a piece of garbage like this the very best album of the year - simply because it satisfied such a wide audience. I swear, had this band not been found quite as accessible and had it received a more mixed response from fans, these webzines would never have put this album at the top of a year-end list purely on the basis of the music alone. It shows to what extent politics and shrewd marketing have come to dominate the indie music scene of the later '00s.

I really cannot find a word to adequately express just how deeply I am appalled and offended that Pitchfork made this their 2008 no.1.