Last month, the long list for 2008's Polaris Prize, the award for the best Canadian album, was announced, and today comes the short list. And damn, it looks like my early pick of a Leonard Cohen album was misguided.

Among the short list is Fucked Up (The Chemistry of Common Life), K'NAAN (Troubador), Metric (Fantasies), and Chad Vangaalen (Soft Airplane). My money is now on K'NAAN.

Here's the full short list:

Fucked Up, The Chemistry of Common Life

Joel Plaskett, Three

Patrick Watson, Wooden Arms

Chad VanGaalen, Soft Airplane

Metric, Fantasies

Malajube, Labyrinthes

K'NAAN, Troubador

Hey Rosetta!, Into Your Lungs (and around your heart and through your blood)

Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels

Elliott BROOD, Mountain Meadows

[Polaris Prize]