I’ve been hoping to add a “favourite songs of 2008″ feature to this year’s best-of retrospective. In that regard I’ve been digging through some standout tracks of the last 12 months and just couldn’t help but give this excellent song by Paul Linklater a chance to shine on its own first.

Taken from his epic 2008 release, Smooth Sailing and How (which I talk about here), “Hard Time of Year” is seductive, catchy and undeniably full of funk. It’s evident from the first note of the “Superstition”-esque riff that this track means business.

Of course, this song and the timing of choosing it are made all the more appropriate in the sense that the fall is a diffucult time for us bloggerly types (boo hoo), as it means digging back through the year’s best in honour of the almighty year-end lists. The thought if overlooking an album or artist weighs heavy on our keyboards—hard time of year indeed. That said, you better believe I’ll be squeezing this song onto any list I can.

Paul Linklater - Hard Time of Year

Hear more at Paul Linklater’s Myspace page, as well as the dedicated pages for each disc (Disc 1, Disc 2, EP), or grab a digital copy of Smooth Sailing and How from Jibcut Records right here.