Some releases are more impressive listened to start to finish. Others are more impressive if the songs pop up on mixes or radio.

Examples from my second-tier favorites this year (top 20-30):

Kings Of Convenience Riot On An Empty Street. The gentle-smooth texture impresses me much more as a whole album. Not so lightweight than if songs come up on mixes or stations. An overall mood is created and I notice the craftsmanship and nuances much more

Walkmen - Bows + Arrows - songs are extremely similar in context of whole album, but in mixes or on stations stand out from other artists very favorably.

You?

More impressive in their entirety:

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain

Less impressive in their entirety:

Missy Elliott - Under Construction
The Cure (2004)

Arcade Fire's Funeral sounds better to me in it's entirety. Some songs I find to be pretty unremarkable as stand along tracks, but fit in well into the album as a whole.

The only songs I would consider to be great on their own would be "Rebellion (Liess)" and "Power Out".

more impressive
ohno the disrupt[/b]