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December 23, 2007
Top Seven Albums of 2007
Every year since 2005, I've posted a list of my favorite albums of the year (2006, 2005). This year I've chosen seven. Of course, there were more than seven good albums this year and figuring out which ones would make the cut was a tough decision. However, after much deliberation, here are the top seven of 2007:
7. BAND OF HORSES - Cease to Begin
This was a late '07 release which means it hasn't had as much time to grow on me. That's the hard thing about making lists of the best of the year before the year is even finished. The band's previous album, Everything All the Time, made it all the way to number four on last year's list. This album isn't quite as good but still worth listening to.
6. RILO KILEY - Under the Blacklight
Although this album doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, Jenny Lewis' voice is still phenomenal and she sounds great. The songs here are a bit of a departure for Rilo Kiley and some of the lyrics are a bit naughty but as long as Lewis is singing, I'll be listening.
5. TEGAN AND SARA - The Con
I really started to enjoy Tegan and Sara over the past couple of years and The Con has tracks just as catchy as their previous releases. These girls have the formula for a catchy pop-rock song ingrained in their brains and might be the long lost sisters of Rivers Cuomo. In fact, a tour with Tegan and Sara opening for Weezer would be pretty much perfect. Can someone make that happen please?
4. KINGS OF LEON - Because of the Times
Once you learn to enjoy the strange vocal stylings of Caleb Followill, Because of the Times is a great album. It build on the success of Aha Shake Heartbreak which was a 2005 favorite of mine and Kings of Leon's sound remains completely unique.
3. RADIOHEAD - In Rainbows
Toss the marketing gimmicks and revolutionary music industry business practices aside and you'll find that this album is incredible. Thom Yorke decided that going solo was perhaps not the best way to go and Radiohead came back with a vengeance on In Rainbows. This album is filled with some trademark Radiohead noises and strange sounds but the songs are, at their heart, melodic and powerful like the tracks on Kid A. Although I paid nothing for it, this album is good enough to buy.
2. SMASHING PUMPKINS - Zeitgeist
Long time readers won't be surprised to hear that I listened to the Smashing Pumpkins' reunion album more than anything else this year. As far as I'm concerned, Billy Corgan can do almost no wrong. Although Zeitgeist loses steam towards the end, this album is front loaded with tracks that evoke classic Pumpkins without retreading old territory. What's even better is that the band isn't going to stop. A five-song EP is due out on iTunes on January 2nd and the mighty SP will be back on tour in early 2008.
1. ARCADE FIRE - Neon Bible
I remember at Christmas last year listening to Intervention nonstop. The heavy organ was incredible and the rest of the album turned out to be great as well. Funeral was a widely hailed as one of the best albums since 2000 and some predicted that Arcade Fire would drop the ball on their sophomore effort. Happily, they didn't. Their live show also remained highly regarded and I was lucky enough to see them twice over the course of the year. This band is definitely the real thing and I'm very excited to see what they come up with next.
So there you have it, the manyhighways.com list of the best of 2007. I would have liked to see the latest releases from Interpol, the National and the New Pornographers live up to their hype and make this list but they were ultimately disappointing.
I will close with a bright spot, however. There happen to be a bunch of albums by bands that start with the letter "P" that came out in '07, just barely missed making this list, and are worth checking out: PALOMAR - All Things Forests, PELA - Anytown Graffiti, PINBACK - Autumn of the Seraphs and THE PONYS - Turn the Lights Out.
Finally, for another take on the year's best, check out my friend Sarah's list of the top 20 albums of the year.
Posted by manyhighways at December 23, 2007 1:34 PM
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Comments
Well we agree on 2. I guess we can still be friends.
Have fun in NY; see you soon!
Posted by: Sarah at December 29, 2007 12:55 PM