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Wow, this was a great year for music. I swear, more great albums came out in the first half of this year than came out all of last year. More great Canadian albums came out this year than came out total last year, including half of my top 10 albums. This year also featured a number of solid albums from old favorites, including They Might Be Giants, Radiohead, Jimmy Eat World, and Ryan Adams, none of which made my top 10 albums list. About the only thing that could have improved this year's music would've been if the Rilo Kiley album hadn't largely sucked goat testicles. Without further ado, here are my top albums and top songs for 2007:
Honorable Mentions: The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine; Driving Blind, Jay Clifford; Chase This Light, Jimmy Eat World; Proof of Youth, The Go! Team; Spirit If..., Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew; In Rainbows, Radiohead; Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams; The Else, They Might Be Giants; Living with the Living, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists.
And, for good measure, the top 20 songs of 2007 (in reverse alphabetical order by artist, no more than 1 song per artist):
TMBG, "Take Out the Trash"
Tegan and Sara, "Call It Off"
Stars, "In Our Bedroom After the War"
The Shins, "Australia"
Ryan Adams, "Halloweenhead"
Rilo Kiley, "Dreamworld"
Pinback, "Good to Sea"
Peter Bjorn and John, "Young Folks"
New Pornographers, "Failsafe"
The National, "Santa Clara"
Modest Mouse, "Florida"
K-OS, "Sunday Morning"
Jay Clifford, "Don't Be Fooled"
The Go! Team, "Grip Like a Vice"
The Fratellis, "For the Girl"
Feist, "1234"
BSS presents Kevin Drew, "Lucky Ones"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Weapon of Choice"
Band of Horses, "Is There a Ghost"
Arcade Fire, "The Well and the Lighthouse"
Merry Christmas everyone!
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- Autumn of the Seraphs, Pinback - I've already talked about this album in this space, so I'll spare the long description. Suffice to say that I still can't get these songs out of my head, despite not really being able to articulate why. Best songs: "Good to Sea", "The Hatenaughts of Melacholy Wall", "Barnes".
- Wincing the Night Away, The Shins - Another fantastic effort from the Portland, Oregon indie rockers. As with their prior two albums, there are more than enough fantastic, mind-bogglingly catchy songs to make up for the fact that the album is so short. Would it kill these guys to throw a couple extra tracks on each album? I'm begging here. Best Songs: "Australia", "Turn on Me", "Phantom Limb".
- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse - A lot of people seem to think that this album represents a downgrade from their past two efforts, but personally, I think it is their best work. Sure, there's no "Float On", but that song was an anomaly anyway. This album is much more solid from top to bottom than any of their other albums, which tended to have a few songs that were just too dissonant to be listenable. Best Songs: "Florida", "March into the Sea", "Dashboard".
- In Our Bedroom After the War, Stars - While not quite as good as Set Yourself on Fire or Heart, that is hardly a damning indictment, as those prior albums are two of my favorites of all time. There's no "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" or "Elevator Love Letter" here, but there are a whole lot of great songs. Best Songs: "In Our Bedroom After the War", "Take Me to the Riot", "Ghost of Genova Heights" (I know, a lot of people hate that song, but tough. I love it.)
- The Con, Tegan and Sara - I had always found them just a little too precious before, but having given this album a chance, there is no denying that they have quite the knack for melody. They also, unexpectedly, have quite the knack for heartbreak: I challenge you to listen to "Call it Off" and not feel something. Best Songs: "Call it Off", "The Con", "Back in Your Head".
- Boxer, The National - I just discovered this album last week, but I already love it. Layered, thought-provoking, and addictive, this is the kind of album that is perfect for a midnight drive through the country. Singer Matt Berninger's baritone is a near flawless match for the solemn tone of the album. Best songs: "Santa Clara", "Fake Empire", "Apartment Story".
- Neon Bible, Arcade Fire - Not as transcendent as Funeral, this album nonetheless manages to utterly destroy the semi-myth of the sophomore jinx. In another year, it would be a cinch top-3 album. Best songs: "The Well and the Lighthouse", "(Antichrist Television Blues)", "Ocean of Noise".
- Challengers, New Pornographers - While the New Porno devoted were on the whole disappointed with this album, I think those who had previously tired of their manic pop energy will find this album much more accessible. It manages to maintain their well-crafted poppiness without being constantly upbeat, as their prior albums were. Excellent. Best Songs: "Failsafe", "My Rights Versus Yours", "Adventures in Solitude".
- Costello Music, The Fratellis - Speaking of manic poppiness, this album fits the bill. Think of this album as what would happen if the Strokes drank lots of coffee instead of smoking lots of pot. Endlessly sing-along-able (yes, I made that up). Best songs: "For the Girl", "The Gutterati?", "Henrietta".
- Cease to Begin, Band of Horses - Hauntingly melodic and atmospheric. Sorry about the fragment, but I'm trying to wrap this up. Best songs: "Is There a Ghost", "No One's Gonna Love You", "Ode to LRC".
Honorable Mentions: The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine; Driving Blind, Jay Clifford; Chase This Light, Jimmy Eat World; Proof of Youth, The Go! Team; Spirit If..., Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew; In Rainbows, Radiohead; Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams; The Else, They Might Be Giants; Living with the Living, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists.
And, for good measure, the top 20 songs of 2007 (in reverse alphabetical order by artist, no more than 1 song per artist):
TMBG, "Take Out the Trash"
Tegan and Sara, "Call It Off"
Stars, "In Our Bedroom After the War"
The Shins, "Australia"
Ryan Adams, "Halloweenhead"
Rilo Kiley, "Dreamworld"
Pinback, "Good to Sea"
Peter Bjorn and John, "Young Folks"
New Pornographers, "Failsafe"
The National, "Santa Clara"
Modest Mouse, "Florida"
K-OS, "Sunday Morning"
Jay Clifford, "Don't Be Fooled"
The Go! Team, "Grip Like a Vice"
The Fratellis, "For the Girl"
Feist, "1234"
BSS presents Kevin Drew, "Lucky Ones"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Weapon of Choice"
Band of Horses, "Is There a Ghost"
Arcade Fire, "The Well and the Lighthouse"
Merry Christmas everyone!
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relaxedCurrent Music: The National, "Ada"
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