When I compiled my original Best Of 2008 list last December, it was a snow day. The sky dropped about a foot, maybe a foot and a half of fluffy white stuff and we lowly sub-compact drivers could go nowhere. Between ranking albums and locating album art, I took a stroll around town with my camera. The above image comes from that trek. Overall, I was pretty happy with last year’s list but, in revisiting all the albums from 2008, I now see quite a few …

If Children, Wye Oak‘s debut LP, found a balance between loud and soft, often one or the other and rarely hitting that middle ground. “Take It In”, off Andy and Jenn’s follow-up, The Knot, continues this trend but finds the band a bit more comfortable in their skin. The juxtaposition of the louds and the softs give “Take It In” an epic feel; you can just hear Andy’s vocal peeking from behind Jenn’s, and when Jenn’s guitar reaches those anthemic heights it becomes downright awe-inspiring.