Raphael Saadiq, "Love That Girl"

I still visit record stores once in a while, but I don't often buy CDs in them anymore - usually only when I'm salivating for a brand-new release or buying birthday and holiday gifts. But I scored two great new ones this week, giving me reason to think I may be able to compile a Top 10 list of the best albums of '08 after all.

The Jefferson Starship, for whom my longtime love and appreciation are well documented, have their first new release in years, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty. It's a collection of mostly covers, many with folksy or political (or both) vibes, with the Weavers as Paul Kantner's avowed inspiration. The selections include the nicely obscure ("Santy Anno"), the familiar to folkies ("I Ain't Marching Anymore"), and one undeniable classic (Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom," which benefits here from thrilling harmony vocals from David Freiberg and new Starship passenger Cathy Richardson). I'm glad to see Kantner having fun again.

But even better - and completely on another corner of the musical map - is The Way I See It, the latest album from former Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl member Raphael Saadiq. His Way is straight-up Motown this time around, full-on retro, smartly written and sweetly sung. It's not as calculatedly dated as a Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings record; neophyte Ryan Shaw actually makes for a better reference point. Felix Hernandez (of local Rhythm Revue fame) should be rushing to add the colorful Saadiq to his radio playlist, as should all the U.K. purveyors of Northern Soul (a term I only fuzzily understand, genre-wise). Check out the Temptations-worthy "Love That Girl" and tell me I'm right.