Track 8

(Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon)

On Sun Kil Moon's superb new album, Among the Leaves, Mark Kozelek pokes fun at the difficult task of writing an entire album's worth of great songs.  To write half a dozen, some guys lay back / and rest on their laurels like lazy old hacks / well, I wrote this one, and I know it aint great / we'll probably sequence it Track Number 8.

So this got me thinking: what is the best track 8 of recent memory?  Obviously, it takes a great record to set the table for a great track 8.  And I am not just talking about a solid album cut from Side Two, but arguably the best song on the record.  On lesser records, of course, the few decent tracks are usually front loaded, otherwise, a great track 8 is merely a happy accident.  The track 8s below are no accident.

• "Calgary" by Bon Iver (2011).  On last year's sublime self-titled album, Justin Vernon and friends produced this spare, pulsing stunner.
• "Start A War" by The National (2007).  Detailing the quiet, earnest pleas of a broken relationship, this track from Boxer underscores the record's paralyzing insecurities found in adulthood.
• "I'd Rather Dance With You" by Kings of Convenience (2004).  After the bliss of the quiet, this cleverly joyous song jumps out at you and, well, gets you moving.
• "Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)" by Sufjan Stevens (2003).  A majestic high-point from Michigan's spiritual journey.
• "Ball and Biscuit" by The White Stripes (2003).  Arguably Jack and Meg at their peak: an earth-quakin', soul shakin', seventh-son preachin', electric Elephant blues-guitar stomp.
• "Duk Koo Kim" by Sun Kil Moon (2003).  Kozelek knows a thing about potent track 8s, after delivering the blows with this aching epic.
• "Idioteque" by Radiohead (2000).  Kid A's centerpiece.  The center cannot hold.
• "Waitin' For A Superman" by The Flaming Lips (1999).  Too heavy for Superman?  Too, too sad.