Top 50 Albums of 2007: Part 2 (of 3)
Posted by Brian Berry on 01.03.2008
Queens of the Stone Age, Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, and Bloc Party are amongst those in the Top 50 Albums of 2007 list. Part 2 sums up albums #30-11...check in to see who else made the list!
Welcome back to Part 2 of my Top 50 Albums of 2007 list. Yesterday, #50-31 were summed up with albums by Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen, and Against Me!, amongst many others, under the radar.
#30 Kings of Leon-Because of the Times: The Nashville brothers have now successfully conjured their dark, inner Springsteen honing sounds that cross cut genre and subject matter while sounding singularly like themselves. This could've been their Born In the U.S.A. commercial breakthrough but they kept it on the edge, with a work that's more Darkness on the Edge of Town. "Knocked Up" and the single "On Call" top their best work to date.
#29 Menomena-Friend or Foe: Of all the bands to breakthrough in 2007, Menomena were the closest to provide a "tide me over" for the next album by my 2006 #1, TV On the Radio's Return To Cookie Mountain. The Portland trio looped their way into college dormitories employing jazzy sax, shy keyboards, funk-inspired bass and drum rhythms, and soulful vocals to create a fun lounge album for geeks. Sometimes recalls the druggy haze of a Spiritulized album, especially on "Air Aid" and "My My".
#28 The Clientele-God Save the Clientele : If you like your rock retrofitted in a The Zombies suit, a la The Shins, then odds are you'll take a liking to England's The Clientele. This album isn't much different in style than Strange Geometry (my #25 album of 2006), with gentle, dreamy melodies throughout and the occasional strings and piano for spice. Good bedtime or rainy day music with "The Queen of Seville" and the George Harrison-esque "Isn't Life Strange" are highlights.
#27 Liars-Liars: I have a friend who swears this is the best album EVER. I'd really like to hear Liars through his ears. While I don't see eye to eye with my experimental, electro-rock diggin' bud, this is the New York dance/art-rock band's most digestible/enjoyable set of songs since their 2002 debut album (They Threw Us All In A Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top). After two mostly unlistenable albums preceding this one, Liars get back to making songs rather than collages of distorted noise. This is waaaaaay out there but if you can hang with Butthole Surfers, The Fall, or early Beck then you'll probably enjoy Liars.
#26 Andrew Bird-Armchair Apocrypha: Weird, beautiful, unconventional, funny, jazzy, bluesy, sad, dark, sincere, optimistic…the words needed to describe former Squirrel Nut Zipper's musician Andrew Bird's TENTH album could fill the Great Wall of China. This is the multi-instrumentalist's most musically and lyrically rewarding work. While the melodies are very catchy, this certainly is too abstract to be considered pop music, but his rising popularity and sold-out medium sized club tour is a testament to his appeal to a legion of devoted fans.
#25 Klaxons-Myths of the Near Future: This is a fun and extremely nerdy electro-punk record from a young band obsessed with magic, spells, and bizarre song titles. These Londoners became extremely popular with their major label debut, appealing to fans of old school rave music and post-punk indie rock. Similar to the impact Hot Chip had on the English dance scene last year.
#24 Bloc Party-A Weekend in the City: The follow-up to 2005's Silent Alarm (my #16 for that year) is much less brash, Gang of Four inspired post-punk than before. This time the British band sound more like a modernized peak era The Cure, with enough emotional baggage and commentary on homophobia, racism, and social ills to sadden even casual listeners. This smoother approach to songwriting ("This Modern Love" was would have fit fine on this album) is just a bit too intelligent and edgy for AOR radio and too sullen for mainstream FM modern rock. Willing to alienate the massive cult fanbase they acquired with their e.p. and Silent Alarm to create a more personal work is a commendable feat and it paid off well on A Weekend in the City.
#23 Sloan-Never Hear the End of It: If The Raspberries, Badfinger, or Big Star were still making records they would sound a lot like these Canadians. Post-Beatles pop-rock for people who value a solid melody above all else. Nothing this year was so catchy and infectious, even over the course of thirty tracks! (Released in the U.S. January 2007).
#22 Grinderman-Grinderman: Nick Cave and 3 of the other 7 Bad Seeds produced a bluesy garage-rock tour de force under the name Grinderman. Sleazy, creepy, funny, noisy pure rock ‘n roll. Nick Cave hasn't grown up nor aged a bit.
#21 The National-Boxer: The National's Boxer mixes the best of Leonard Cohen's literate, tortured songwriting with the melancholy post-punk tones of Joy Division. A minor improvement, yet quite similar, to their very good 2005 breakthrough, Alligator.
#20 The Twilight Sad-Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters: Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters is an epic body of work. Epic in the way Explosions in the Sky or fellow Scottish band Mogwai are epic. Slow builds to crashing walls of percussion and guitars, sounding like an army yet only four men are responsible for their massive sound. What sets The Twilight Sad apart from the aforementioned instrumental bands is the presence of vocalist James Graham. His heavy Glasgow accent is rivaled only by Barry Adamson (Big Country) in its distinctiveness while his voice is just as endearing as the band's melancholy instrumentation. My pick for best debut album of 2007.
#19 Pharoahe Monch-Desire: Hip-hop fans had to wait 8 years for MC/producer Pharoahe Monch's stellar second solo album, but the follow up to Internal Affairs was well worth our patience. His intelligent rhymes and hard hitting flows rank with the best while a new employment of gospel singing (best on "Body Baby"), easy soul, and laid back funk beats compliment the new material perfectly. These tracks are brutally honest and not afraid to get emotional, without any ghetto thug posturing nor sappiness. Pharoah's presence is most impressive on the non-violence track "When the Gun Draws" and the "The Trilogy", a nine minute opus about being cheated on.
#18 Blonde Redhead-23: Like on their last album Misery Is a Butterfly, Blonde Redhead are further distancing themselves from the early-Sonic Youth inspired experimental, distortion heavy rock that once defined the trio. On 23, the band has made a record of spacey dream-pop, generally sounding like a less raucous My Bloody Valentine. Highlights include the title track and the horn-addled "SW".
#17 Arcade Fire-Neon Bible: Arcade Fire's 2005 debut Funeral is one of the most important albums of the 21st century, which makes their 2nd full-length a bit problematic. Neon Bible, which tackles issues of religion, media, and commerce, looks at pain on the outside world rather than from within and the result is a work that is less emotionally draining (in this case, not necessarily a good thing). However, Neon Bible remains a great album in it's own rite full of hard hitting songs, inventive production, and unusual instrumentation.
#16 Battles-Mirrored: To say Mirrors is the most uncategorizable album on this list is an understatement. Their music takes elements of Prog/Kraut/math-rock, while employing simple keyboards, repetitive basslines, heavy percussion, and high-pitched vocals and many computer techniques to create music that's out of this world and could even be dubbed the "sound of the future". If I had nearly as much talent as this quartet, containing members of the equally experimental bands Tomahawk and Don Caballero, I would never leave my studio/laptop. I guess we could say that if 2001: A Space Odyssey were given a new soundtrack, this would be it.
#15 Aesop Rock-None Shall Pass: With a rapid fire delivery and crossover rock appeal, Aesop Rock delivered the best hip-hop album in recent memory with None Shall Pass. This is his most accessible album but is by no means poppy or radio ready. Indie nerds will geek out by a guest appearance by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. Stellar production, untouchable flow.
#14 Elliott Smith-New Moon: After Smith died in 2003, the only album his fans expected was the unfinished, uneven From a Basement On a Hill (2004). Notably, this was by far his weakest album, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of his fans. Fortunately New moon, a 24-track compilation of songs recorded between 1994-1997 (considered his peak in songwriting by many), was released this year and it stands up to his best work. While demo & b-sides albums usually aren't worth their weight, New Moon showcases Smith's delicate vocals/guitarwork, pained impressionistic lyrics, and breathtaking melodies ways Basement couldn't come close to.
#13 Queens of the Stone Age-Era Vulgaris: This album is so RAWK (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) it hurts. What makes QOTSA so powerful is Josh Homme's ability to stand as far away from the norm of rock radio to create music both familiar and yet so unlike anything else going on in popular music. And still, they manage mainstream airplay with their hypnotic, desert hard rock. This is less of a stoner album than their earlier efforts, with a better flow between songs than on Songs For the Dead and Lullabies to Paralyze. Glue tight, fun, head bobbin' rock fest for the bro's and closet bro's. Just as good as (in my honest opinion) their best album, Rated R.
#12 Air-Pocket Symphony: Another great cinematic album of moody electro-pop from the French duo. Just as good as Moon Safari or Talkie Walkie.
#11 LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver: Sound of Silver shows LCD Soundsystem with a less scattered/easier listen/more heartfelt approach from beginning to end than their debut album. The Krautrock, disco-punk, synth-pop influences still hold sway but this time around James Murphy and company seem far more sure of achieving a singular vision, rather than sounding like a completely different band from one track to the next. Some of the best tracks of the year are on this album, including "All My Friends", "Someone Great", and the single "North American Scum".
#30 Kings of Leon-Because of the Times: The Nashville brothers have now successfully conjured their dark, inner Springsteen honing sounds that cross cut genre and subject matter while sounding singularly like themselves. This could've been their Born In the U.S.A. commercial breakthrough but they kept it on the edge, with a work that's more Darkness on the Edge of Town. "Knocked Up" and the single "On Call" top their best work to date.
#29 Menomena-Friend or Foe: Of all the bands to breakthrough in 2007, Menomena were the closest to provide a "tide me over" for the next album by my 2006 #1, TV On the Radio's Return To Cookie Mountain. The Portland trio looped their way into college dormitories employing jazzy sax, shy keyboards, funk-inspired bass and drum rhythms, and soulful vocals to create a fun lounge album for geeks. Sometimes recalls the druggy haze of a Spiritulized album, especially on "Air Aid" and "My My". 
#28 The Clientele-God Save the Clientele : If you like your rock retrofitted in a The Zombies suit, a la The Shins, then odds are you'll take a liking to England's The Clientele. This album isn't much different in style than Strange Geometry (my #25 album of 2006), with gentle, dreamy melodies throughout and the occasional strings and piano for spice. Good bedtime or rainy day music with "The Queen of Seville" and the George Harrison-esque "Isn't Life Strange" are highlights.
#27 Liars-Liars: I have a friend who swears this is the best album EVER. I'd really like to hear Liars through his ears. While I don't see eye to eye with my experimental, electro-rock diggin' bud, this is the New York dance/art-rock band's most digestible/enjoyable set of songs since their 2002 debut album (They Threw Us All In A Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top). After two mostly unlistenable albums preceding this one, Liars get back to making songs rather than collages of distorted noise. This is waaaaaay out there but if you can hang with Butthole Surfers, The Fall, or early Beck then you'll probably enjoy Liars.
#26 Andrew Bird-Armchair Apocrypha: Weird, beautiful, unconventional, funny, jazzy, bluesy, sad, dark, sincere, optimistic…the words needed to describe former Squirrel Nut Zipper's musician Andrew Bird's TENTH album could fill the Great Wall of China. This is the multi-instrumentalist's most musically and lyrically rewarding work. While the melodies are very catchy, this certainly is too abstract to be considered pop music, but his rising popularity and sold-out medium sized club tour is a testament to his appeal to a legion of devoted fans. 
#25 Klaxons-Myths of the Near Future: This is a fun and extremely nerdy electro-punk record from a young band obsessed with magic, spells, and bizarre song titles. These Londoners became extremely popular with their major label debut, appealing to fans of old school rave music and post-punk indie rock. Similar to the impact Hot Chip had on the English dance scene last year. 
#24 Bloc Party-A Weekend in the City: The follow-up to 2005's Silent Alarm (my #16 for that year) is much less brash, Gang of Four inspired post-punk than before. This time the British band sound more like a modernized peak era The Cure, with enough emotional baggage and commentary on homophobia, racism, and social ills to sadden even casual listeners. This smoother approach to songwriting ("This Modern Love" was would have fit fine on this album) is just a bit too intelligent and edgy for AOR radio and too sullen for mainstream FM modern rock. Willing to alienate the massive cult fanbase they acquired with their e.p. and Silent Alarm to create a more personal work is a commendable feat and it paid off well on A Weekend in the City.
#23 Sloan-Never Hear the End of It: If The Raspberries, Badfinger, or Big Star were still making records they would sound a lot like these Canadians. Post-Beatles pop-rock for people who value a solid melody above all else. Nothing this year was so catchy and infectious, even over the course of thirty tracks! (Released in the U.S. January 2007). 
#22 Grinderman-Grinderman: Nick Cave and 3 of the other 7 Bad Seeds produced a bluesy garage-rock tour de force under the name Grinderman. Sleazy, creepy, funny, noisy pure rock ‘n roll. Nick Cave hasn't grown up nor aged a bit.
#21 The National-Boxer: The National's Boxer mixes the best of Leonard Cohen's literate, tortured songwriting with the melancholy post-punk tones of Joy Division. A minor improvement, yet quite similar, to their very good 2005 breakthrough, Alligator.
#20 The Twilight Sad-Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters: Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters is an epic body of work. Epic in the way Explosions in the Sky or fellow Scottish band Mogwai are epic. Slow builds to crashing walls of percussion and guitars, sounding like an army yet only four men are responsible for their massive sound. What sets The Twilight Sad apart from the aforementioned instrumental bands is the presence of vocalist James Graham. His heavy Glasgow accent is rivaled only by Barry Adamson (Big Country) in its distinctiveness while his voice is just as endearing as the band's melancholy instrumentation. My pick for best debut album of 2007. 
#19 Pharoahe Monch-Desire: Hip-hop fans had to wait 8 years for MC/producer Pharoahe Monch's stellar second solo album, but the follow up to Internal Affairs was well worth our patience. His intelligent rhymes and hard hitting flows rank with the best while a new employment of gospel singing (best on "Body Baby"), easy soul, and laid back funk beats compliment the new material perfectly. These tracks are brutally honest and not afraid to get emotional, without any ghetto thug posturing nor sappiness. Pharoah's presence is most impressive on the non-violence track "When the Gun Draws" and the "The Trilogy", a nine minute opus about being cheated on. 
#18 Blonde Redhead-23: Like on their last album Misery Is a Butterfly, Blonde Redhead are further distancing themselves from the early-Sonic Youth inspired experimental, distortion heavy rock that once defined the trio. On 23, the band has made a record of spacey dream-pop, generally sounding like a less raucous My Bloody Valentine. Highlights include the title track and the horn-addled "SW".
#17 Arcade Fire-Neon Bible: Arcade Fire's 2005 debut Funeral is one of the most important albums of the 21st century, which makes their 2nd full-length a bit problematic. Neon Bible, which tackles issues of religion, media, and commerce, looks at pain on the outside world rather than from within and the result is a work that is less emotionally draining (in this case, not necessarily a good thing). However, Neon Bible remains a great album in it's own rite full of hard hitting songs, inventive production, and unusual instrumentation. 
#16 Battles-Mirrored: To say Mirrors is the most uncategorizable album on this list is an understatement. Their music takes elements of Prog/Kraut/math-rock, while employing simple keyboards, repetitive basslines, heavy percussion, and high-pitched vocals and many computer techniques to create music that's out of this world and could even be dubbed the "sound of the future". If I had nearly as much talent as this quartet, containing members of the equally experimental bands Tomahawk and Don Caballero, I would never leave my studio/laptop. I guess we could say that if 2001: A Space Odyssey were given a new soundtrack, this would be it.
#15 Aesop Rock-None Shall Pass: With a rapid fire delivery and crossover rock appeal, Aesop Rock delivered the best hip-hop album in recent memory with None Shall Pass. This is his most accessible album but is by no means poppy or radio ready. Indie nerds will geek out by a guest appearance by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. Stellar production, untouchable flow.
#14 Elliott Smith-New Moon: After Smith died in 2003, the only album his fans expected was the unfinished, uneven From a Basement On a Hill (2004). Notably, this was by far his weakest album, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of his fans. Fortunately New moon, a 24-track compilation of songs recorded between 1994-1997 (considered his peak in songwriting by many), was released this year and it stands up to his best work. While demo & b-sides albums usually aren't worth their weight, New Moon showcases Smith's delicate vocals/guitarwork, pained impressionistic lyrics, and breathtaking melodies ways Basement couldn't come close to.
#13 Queens of the Stone Age-Era Vulgaris: This album is so RAWK (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) it hurts. What makes QOTSA so powerful is Josh Homme's ability to stand as far away from the norm of rock radio to create music both familiar and yet so unlike anything else going on in popular music. And still, they manage mainstream airplay with their hypnotic, desert hard rock. This is less of a stoner album than their earlier efforts, with a better flow between songs than on Songs For the Dead and Lullabies to Paralyze. Glue tight, fun, head bobbin' rock fest for the bro's and closet bro's. Just as good as (in my honest opinion) their best album, Rated R.
#12 Air-Pocket Symphony: Another great cinematic album of moody electro-pop from the French duo. Just as good as Moon Safari or Talkie Walkie.
#11 LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver: Sound of Silver shows LCD Soundsystem with a less scattered/easier listen/more heartfelt approach from beginning to end than their debut album. The Krautrock, disco-punk, synth-pop influences still hold sway but this time around James Murphy and company seem far more sure of achieving a singular vision, rather than sounding like a completely different band from one track to the next. Some of the best tracks of the year are on this album, including "All My Friends", "Someone Great", and the single "North American Scum".
