Portishead returned from 10 years absence no worse for wear

In many ways, 2008 was an unremarkable year for pop music. While artists continue to strive towards new, interesting styles, nothing sticks out as a single, prevalent trend. If anything stands out, it's the fact that even the most exciting newcomers were eclipsed by a handful of excellent releases by veteran acts.

With Third, British trip-hop progenitors Portishead played as though they'd never been gone. While the album is unquestionably a huge step forward, it manages to fit seamlessly into the flow of the band's catalogue, a perfect addition to the canon that avoids feeling rehashed or contrived.

Recording with the hottest of the day's hot-shot producers seldom fails to bolster sales, but it often leads to creatively bankrupt albums. In contrast, Beck's decision to recruit DJ Danger Mouse paid off big-time on Modern Guilt. On the heels of two relatively disappointing records, few expected his newest album to deliver such a concise, sharp series of quirky, catchy rock tunes.

Unlike Beck, Franco-British Moog-loving popsters Stereolab never really stopped making good albums. Still, their 2008 release is no less deserving of praise than the year's other great CDs. With churning, jaunty synth lines and some genuine rock-out moments, Chemical Chords is a fantastic, engaging record.

2008's WILY WORDSMITHS

Among the clutch of veteran artists who released excellent albums in 2008, many were notable for their fantastic lyrics. Perhaps the easiest dimension of pop music to gloss over, a knack for clever, creative poetry can easily take a record from good to great.

It's hardly a surprise that Vancouver's Dan Bejar (a.k.a. Destroyer) continues to pen remarkable tunes, but his Trouble in Dreams was a true showcase of his ability to weave an engaging narrative. Songs like “My Favorite Year” reinforce the fact that poetry, phrasing and cadence are the cornerstones of the album; when an attentive listener gets hit with a gem like “Nicole — she, blasted on ecstasy in some East Pender hovel circa 1993,” it can resonate for days.

Slipping under the radar for many listeners, Hayden's In Field & Town was solid from start to finish, largely because of the tortured Torontonian’s excellent lyrics. One of its high points is “Lonely Security Guard,” in which a would-be thief sympathizes with the apparently lazy, origami-folding sentry he's out to outwit. While the crook’s plan is ultimately thwarted, we get the idea that he gained more from the observation than he would have from his crime.

Notwithstanding the fact that it is a near-perfect collection of country-tinged rock, the latest from David Berman’s Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, stands out as the year’s absolute lyrical high point. From the “sarcastic hair” and “lewd pseudonyms” in the heist-romance “San Francisco B.C.” to the tale of a lonesome “Suffering Jukebox,” in which Berman deftly croons “You've got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependencies, you make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue,” its 10 songs never disappoint on the poetry front.

2008's CORPORATE OVERLORDS

Of course, none of the above-mentioned careers could have reached their present grandeur without the help of the people who make their art into a viable business. In an age when glancing at the imprint on the back of an album can be even more informative than reading the name on the cover, a handful of labels are absolutely crucial to the state of the scene:

• Flemish Eye — While Chad VanGaalen’s Soft Airplane finally achieved the difficult task of distilling the beauty and intensity of his live performances into a studio recording, Women’s self-titled debut took the blogosphere by storm. This local label treats its artists like gold and its generosity continues to pay off.

ANTI- — Bolstered by a fantastic YouTube channel and an impressive roster of new signees, the longtime home of legends like Tom Waits and Nick Cave had an excellent and surprising year. From DeVotchKa’s gypsy laments on A Mad and Faithful Telling, to Man Man’s frantic lurching on Rabbit Hats, to Arm’s Way, an impressive sophomore release by Montreal’s Islands, it was nothing but aces from ANTI-.

• Secret City — the numbers don’t lie. Montreal’s best new imprint simply doesn’t traffic in chaff. Coming into 2008, it was already two for two on Polaris Prize nominations for Miracle Fortress and Patrick Watson (who bagged the prize). This year’s Parc Avenue from dreamy orchestral psych-poppers Plants and Animals earned a third nod and Human Highway’s smooth throwback Moody Motorcycle could easily bag a fourth in next year’s contest.