Top 50 Albums of 2007

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Top 50 Albums of 2007
Arts & Crafts

30. Apostle of Hustle – National Anthem of Nowhere

Despite having a name that sounds like it’s something more for the And1 Street Basketball Team rather than a rock band, Andrew Whiteman’s Apostle of Hustle again stepped out of the rather large shadow cast by Whiteman’s other gig, Broken Social Scene. To truly appreciate Whiteman’s guitar playing prowess, one has to see him play it in person. I had that amazing opportunity as this year’s SXSW and was proselytized into yet another Apostle following the Hustle. Through only the first half of their sophomore release, National Anthem of Nowhere, you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favorite between opener “My Sword Hand’s Anger,” the title track, the later-era Tom Waits-like chant of “Haul Away” or the sweetness of “Cheap Like Sebastian.” Throw in the Latin influences in several songs such as the exquisite “Fast Pony for Victor Jara” and you have one of the most rewarding albums of the year. – Terrance Terich

best albums of 2007 patrick wolf

29. Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position

Pop Genius Patrick Wolf struck gold once again with The Magic Position, creating an upbeat and uplifting sonic carnival. This is one album that matches the cover art beat for beat, with colors as bright as the songs inside. The “Bluebell”/”Bluebells” tracks invoke this theory with a tinge of melancholy that still makes you believe everything is going to be okay when you get to the end. Other songs, such as the title track or “Get Lost,” are hyperactive kaleidoscopes of color, rocketing off ROYGBIV blasts through the speakers. As described in Wolfian Color Theory 101, The Magic Position mimics his chameleon nature, changing styles like they were masks to wear and discard. Each façade is the true face of him as an artist, embodying “what you see isn’t all you’re going to get.” – Dean Steckel

best albums of 2007 - Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha
Fat Possum

28. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

Everything that makes up an Andrew Bird record is present on Armchair Apocrypha – superb whistling, unique violin plucking, pitch-perfect vocals, and a delightfully intricate songwriting. However, Bird remains inventive on his 2007 album by throwing in his own personal take on the electric guitar amongst his loops of whistles and delicate string arrangements, an element that picks up where The Mysterious Production of Eggs left off without overpowering the essence that made it so inherently amazing. Songs like “Imitosis,” “Plasticities,” “Heretics,” “Simple X,” and “Scythian Empires” are as light-hearted and effortless as they are stunning and epic, while “Armchairs” inks Bird’s induction into the Jeff Buckley Comparison Hall of Fame. Of all the new and not-so-new acts to release excellent albums this year (and there were quite a lot of `em), Bird’s sixth (!!!) full-length is without a doubt one of the best and most noticeably inimitable. Essentially, at the turn of 2007, Andrew Bird has developed a singular touch that turns everything he produces into absolutely beautiful pop gold. – Anna Gazdowicz

27. Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

Is there actually anyone still skeptical about listening to hip-Hop? Really? Well there’s no need; this is the year to break into the realm of beats and rhymes, and there’s no better place for starting your hip-hop obsession than Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass. It’s a record that needs to be taken out and played to fresh ears. With a very cool, sometimes heavy and sometimes jazzy bass sound paired with complicated and rhythmic beats, None Shall Pass has an intriguingly dark tone to all of the songs, Aesop never once compromising the overall feel of the album for the sake of a hit single (though the title track still accomplishes that quite nicely). It’s a refreshing, striking, snotty, conscientious musical energy that will tear at your senses. – Ayn Averett

26. Sunset RubdownRandom Spirit Lover (Jagjaguwar)

As vocalist for Treble faves Wolf Parade, supergroup Swan Lake and co-founder of Frog Eyes, Spencer Krug hands-down deserves the maple leaf award for most prolific Canadian to have emerged in the recent north-of-the-border flurry. An exhaustive craftsman whose wildly abstract song constructions are only matched by his vocal acrobatics, his latest effort under the guise of Sunset Rubdown—which started out as a vehicle for his solo work that quickly attracted his current bandmates—displays the breadth and apex of his abilities. Pouncing to an abrupt start with “The Mending of the Gown” and careening into the ominous keyboards of “Stallion” mid-album, it’s hard to find even a few, if any, weak spots on Random Spirit Lover. Much like his Swan Lake cohort Dan Bejar, Krug’s vocals look to capitalize on the song’s every available space, snagging each hook and far-off nook, but manages to keep this off-kilter delivery balanced and brimming with verve, without feeling at all cluttered or unnerving. Quite a lot to swallow at first, Spirit Lover is hardly casual in its approach and rewards persistence, proving its worth with each mind-bendingly alluring track after another.– Dustin Allen

25. Les Savy FavLet’s Stay Friends (Frenchkiss)

The best music news that I had heard all year (and actually probably heard last year given how long it seems like I’ve been waiting for this), was that Les Savy Fav had put an end to their `indefinite hiatus’ nonsense and got back to performing and recording. With Let’s Stay Friends, LSF issued a much needed kick in the pants to the landscape of too-twee indie rock and reminded the world, once again, what it’s like to let loose and have a good time while hammering out tightly crafted and thunderous rock, simultaneously. That there’s a song on the album titled “Brace Yourself” should give some indication of the intense, bone-rattling riffage therein. The guest appearances by members of Fiery Furnaces, Islands, Enon and Black Heart Procession are just icing on the cake; throw these four gents a palmcorder and some ukeleles and they could still craft the most badass rock album of the year. – Jeff Terich

björk volta review
Elektra

24. Björk – Volta

Björk has managed to tweak her talents and passion to try new things with the result that every new album “proper” seems to bring about stylistic re-invention. Her solo discography is comparable to Bowie’s solo run during the 1970s and 80s. Volta does everything expected and breaks new ground. The album shifts tone effortlessly, and collaboration with artists as varied as Timbaland and Brian from Lightning Bolt is synthesized into a cohesive work. “Wanderlust” re-imagines a Post pop song with death bass and brass keys. “Innocence” has the exuberance of “There’s More To Life Than This” wrapped in Boom Bip percussion. “My Juvenile” has pin drop levels of serenity, with Antony’s voice complementing perfectly. “Declare Independence” is a moment of release that rivals “Hyperballad” in terms of impact and possesses the distorted fizz of Alec Empire’s “Addicted To You.” I’m sure Bjork will do whatever she likes on her next record. With consistency like this, expectations don’t carry any tenseness. – Tom Lee

st vincent marry me review
Beggars Banquet

23. St. Vincent – Marry Me

After having learned that St. Vincent’s debut album Marry Me was named after Maeby Funke’s catch phrase of sorts from Arrested Development, I probably would have voted for it out of principle. But the appeal of Annie Clark’s outstanding work stretches well past amusing pop culture references. She’s a gifted performer and songwriter if there ever was one, with all the grandeur and drama of Kate Bush and the whimsical, likeable (virtuoso) charm of Andrew Bird. In the delightful single “Now Now,” she sings “I’m not/ one small atomic bomb,” yet her performance in “Your Lips Are Red” could only be described as explosive. I’m disappointed that “Paris Is Burning” didn’t make it to our top songs of the year list, as it combines fun with theatricality, intensity with elaborate arrangements. And I’m disappointed in myself for not voting for “The Apocalypse Song,” quite possibly the most sophisticated song about being denied one’s womanly needs that I’ve ever heard. Baby, you got a stew going! – Jeff Terich

22. The New PornographersChallengers (Matador)

Challengers was my first encounter with The New Pornographers, as I had been happily oblivious to the group for the past few years. After hearing “Myriad Harbour” on the The Runout Groove and noticing them on eMusic, my interest was swayed. I can totally understand the widespread love for the band on the strength of this record alone. Challengers is a flawless exercise in breezy, turn of the ’70s flavoured folk-pop with a distinctive punch to deflect coffee stained pedantry. The songs are all comparable to people I love, nostalgically or otherwise. “My Rights Versus Yours” transports me to some sort of Alice in Wonderland evoking indie dream place where James Taylor is backed by the Shins circa Chutes Too Narrow. “Failsafe” takes “How Soon Is Now” guitar back to the North American West Coast. The aforementioned “Myriad Harbour” has Velvet Underground capacity and an ambience like REM’s “Harbourcoat”. Every minute of Challengers sounds effortless and fairly excellent. – Tom Lee

21. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

I converted to `Mouse-ism’ late in the game. I really didn’t want to like this band. I didn’t like the delivery. I didn’t like their fans. Yet, everyone just knew they were going to be huge. It took some time alone with the music to finally hop on board, and now I’d gladly sink along to the bottom with them. You see, either to the consternation or delight of their fans, with each successive release, Isaac Brock and his band seem to veer more toward the popness. Brock makes no apologies for this, however, as he steams ahead with infectious tune after infectious tune that seem to placate the mutinous masses. “Float On,” from their previous release, started the breeziness, but “Dashboard” and the James Mercer assisted “Missed the Boat” turned it into a full force gale. But there’s still something under the hull for the long-term fans, such as the drunken punk / Tin Pan Alley gem “Fly Trapped in a Jar,” one of the true unsung standouts from the album. “Parting of the Sensory,” for its slow majestic build-up will also get some head turns, as well as for having one of the best written lyrics of the year, “Someday you will die somehow and something’s going to steal your carbon.” Never has maritime been such a merry time. – Terrance Terich

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