My Top-Ten Favorite Albums of 2007

    Whew, I snuck in under the wire on this one, didn't I? My goal was to get this up before the end of the year, and I just made it. No fooling around here, either. I'm doing this straightforward, by the books, from 10 to 1. These albums meant a lot to me this year. I played them backwards and forwards and loved them truly, madly, deeply. So with no further elaboration, I give you my top-ten favorite albums of 2007. 

10. Blockhead--Uncle Tony's Coloring Book This is probably the most unlikely album on my list. No probably about it, actually. It's instrumental hip-hop, and I think it's safe to say I'm not known for either my love of hip hop or my frequency of posting about it. If it all sounded as good as this, though, I might be. Producer Tony Simon takes a multitude of samples--spoken, sung, and musical--and melds them into a selection of songs that will hook you with their delicious dance beats and their sense of humor. This song is a perfect example of how he works his genius.

Blockhead--"The Strain" mp3 (buy) 

9. LCD Soundsystem--Sound of Silver This is a bit less of a surprise, am I right? It's also my nod to what's popular, coz this album has shown up on 9 out of 10 lists I've read. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but it's damn close. I can't say as I absolutely loved every single song on SOS, but the ones I do love, I really love a lot. They would be "Someone Great," "North American Scum," "New York I Love You . . . " and my most-loved of all, "All My Friends." There's just something about the weariness in his voice, the sense of responsibility on his shoulders, the grown man's realization that yep, this is my life now, that turns me on.

LCD Soundsystem--"All My Friends" mp3 (buy) 

8. Loney, Dear --Loney, Noir Oh Emil, you write the kind of songs that I most adore in all the world. You get at the complexity of this life, the way the happy and the sad weave in and out of my days in ways I can't predict, often both at the same time. This album is full of examples of this, the most shining one being "I Am John," a portrayal of a man who swears that he'll never let you down, yet he always ends up doing just that.

Loney, Dear--"I Am John" mp3 (buy)

7. Moonbabies--Moonbabies at the Ballroom Ola and Carina have worked their magic once again. My only criticism of this album is that it's almost too smooth, too perfect. On past records, they've sounded a bit unhinged, a little crazed and unafraid of rough edges, which is what I like about them. There are some seriously beautiful, addictively catchy tunes on this album but honestly, the songs I love the most on it are the weirder ones, like the haunting "21st Century Heart" and the slightly discordant "Walking On My Feet."

Moonbabies--"Walking On My Feet" mp3 (buy) 

6. The New Pornographers--Challengers I'm really rather shocked that this is on my list. I was totally prepared to dislike it. In fact, I wasn't even going to pay it any attention. Then I heard "Myriad Harbour," and in four minutes it all changed. Some people have disparaged this album because it's not all power-pop songs like they assumed it would be, but that is exactly what I love about it. "Myriad Harbour" is a case in point. It starts very simply, with lots of space for his voice and the guitars, and then it builds--but not to a frenzy, only to the boiling point. My favorite moment is when he sings "all I ever wanted help with was you." The structure of this song is a metaphor for the feel of the whole album. Never too much power, but rather just enough.

The New Pornographers--"Myriad Harbour" mp3 (buy) 

5. Kevin Drew--Spirit If . . . The "real" title of this is Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew: Spirit If . . . and for good reason. I've said it before and I meant it: Kevin Drew is the heart and soul of BSS. This album isn't BSS reheated, though. It's a strangely intimate look into what makes Drew tick. I say strange because even though I don't always understand what he's singing about in a logical way, it makes sense to my heart in an immediate and emotional way.

Kevin Drew--"Lucky Ones" mp3 (buy) 

4. New Buffalo--Somewhere, Anywhere This album is about people who aren't quite where they want or intend to be, but are on their way. It's about the souls on the journey and the people who love them and who are waiting for them to arrive or want them to stay where they are. The album ranges from slightly spooky and atmospheric to near-lightheartedness. The songs are simple yet luscious, direct yet layered portraits sung in her deceptively delicate voice. It's difficult to pick one song to represent it, but I chose this one because of the words: "So much happiness in longing for what you love, longing for what you were, and what you could be." You see?

New Buffalo--"I'm the Drunk and You're the Star" mp3 (buy) 

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    Uh, oh. This is where the straightforward part ends, momentarily at least. See, the last three albums are essentially tied for first place. On any given day, each one of them was in the top spot in my heart. It's weird, too, coz they're pretty different. I finally decided I couldn't wimp out and call it a three-way tie, so I put them in this order. For today, that is.

3. Eastern Conference Champions--Ameritown I first heard ECC in late 2006 and their song "Hollywood" was one of my favorites of the year. Based on that song, I thought they were a mellow band. Boy, was I wrong. This album is probably the hardest rocking record I've listened to this year. That's not to say there aren't tender moments ("Pitch a Fit" and "Some Sorta Light" and "Rabbit Hole"), but even those songs are infused with an intensity that belies their low-key, slower sound. I've said it before, but Greg Lyons' kick-ass drumming and Josh Ostrander's unusual vocals give their music a raw urgency that grabs me and won't let me go. These guys are still operating slightly under the radar, but if I could, I would play them for everyone I know.

Eastern Conference Champions--"To the Wind" mp3 (buy) 

2. Andrew Bird--Armchair Apocrypha Oh, my. This album is lovely, dark, and vibrant all at the same time. He's kept all the things that we love about his music and upped them in intensity. The strings are still the bedrock of his sound but he kicked up the drums and the guitars significantly. And his voice is so limbre--he can do just about anything with it, from a soft, whispery style to the over-the top let-it-loose wail. I love the way he sings out of the side of his mouth sometimes, like the words are just slipping out. It's difficult to pick a representative song, as each one has been my favorite at some point this year, but I'll go with "Dark Matter" for the part where he sings "Do you wonder where the self resides? Is it in your head or between your sides, and who will be the one will decide its true location?"

Andrew Bird--"Dark Matter" mp3 (buy) 

1. The Real Tuesday Weld--The London Book of the Dead TLBOTD does it all for me. It's intimate, it's clever, the flow of the album is superb. It's a brilliant concept album. But that's not why I love it the most. It simply spoke the truth directly to my heart. Songs like "It's a Wonderful Li(f)e" and "Last Words" and "Bringing the Body Back Home" are kind and loving and encouraging while addressing some of the hardest things a person will ever go through--heartbreak, loss, dying, letting go. Pain is undeniable and inevitable yet he faces it with honesty and humor and most of all, heart. This is a record that deserves to be played from start to finish because it is an album in the truest, finest sense of the word.

The Real Tuesday Weld--"It's a Wonderful Li(f)e" mp3 (buy) 

    So there you have it folks. It was a great year in music for me. Not much else to say, other than if you're interested in reading what I said about these albums more in depth, here's a link to a page where you can find links to my original reviews. 

tags: top ten albums 2007  

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