Wow. It's been an interesting 12 months since my last year-end "Best Of" list. Lots of ups and downs. Thank God 2007 was such a stellar year for music. Not sure I'd have made it through the downs with out all the great releases that came out along the way.
Below is my meticulously drafted list of what I consider to the be Top 7 Albums of '07. As I mentioned last year, these lists are ubiquitous enough that the only point they really serve is to spur discussion, debate and diatribe between the music geek who created the list and the music geeks who read the list. And that's why I
love them.So... Take a gander and leave some comments to weigh in on what you think. Which ones I nailed, which ones I missed, who should've been listed over who, etc. You will be wrong, of course, but that doesn't make the back-n-forth any less fun...
(To preview album, simply click on the album title link) .
7. The Veils - "Nux Vomica"
Next to U2's "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", The Veils' debut "The Runaway Found" was easily my favorite album of 2004. So, how was I to take the news two years later that The Veils were entering the studio to record their follow-up with a completely revamped lineup? Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Finn Andrews was forced to pick up the pieces after his original band splintered just two months after the album's release. During a trip back to his native New Zealand, Andrews hooked up with two former schoolmates to work on the songs that would become the Veils much-anticipated second release. Because "Runaway Found" was such a personal favorite, I was dubious as to what might come but hoping for the best. Hence, the brilliance of "Nux Vomica". There is no mistaking that these are two very different albums made by two very different sets of musicians. But there is also no mistaking that Andrews is the undeniable centerpiece of both bands. Either despite or because of the personnel shakeup between the albums, Andrews brought forth an even more dynamic and arresting set of songs this time around. With "Nux", his singular howl manages to be both wilder and more refined. "Jesus for the Jugular" - a raw and unhinged stomp that conjures Tom Waits and Nick Cave drawing guns on each other in the middle of a post-apocolyptic ghost town - is the most dramatic example of the band's new sonic direction, while the gentle ache of "Under the Folding Branches" could have been a "Runaway" B-Side. Meanwhile, the steady martial drum cadence, muted hammond organ and ominous tremolo guitar progression of title-track "Nux Vomica" all sit coiled through the verses and then unleash in a cacophonous whip-crack like a rattlesnake striking it's prey. Dramatic language, I know. But it's an equally dramatic album and one that shouldn't go unnoticed. Like last years' Editors album, this one makes the list on a technicality. Originally released in Europe last fall, it didn't hit U.S. shelves until April of this year. Either way, it's brilliant and if you haven't yet investigated The Veils, you no longer have any excuses.
Serving Suggestion: This one isn't background music. It requires an active listen. I suggest headphones and a glass of the Petite Rousse petite syrah. It also underscores a late-night walk through lower Manhattan nicely.
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6. Andrew Bird - "Armchair Apocrypha"
Turns out this capsule has been the most difficult to write. And I would imagine Andrew Bird would be pleased by that. Though I'm sure he wasn't aiming to write an unclassifiable album, he landed pretty close to the mark. "Armchair Apocrypha" expands on the plucky indie pop of previous albums and finds the singer/songwriter/violinist exploring even more ambitious territory. An eclectic mix of sounds, the album presents a quirky and complex vision of Bird's world. Whether musing on his childhood in "Darkmatter" ("When I was just a little boy / I threw away all of my action toys / while I became obsessed with Operation / With hearts and minds and certain glands / You got to learn to keep a steady hand / And thus began my morbid fascination") or exploring relationships on the lovely "Spare-Oh's" ("And you tell me that I’m too abstruse / I just thought I was a kind of bird / I just stood there not saying a word"), Bird waxes rhetorical and lets the audience make of it what we will. Fittingly, "Apocrypha" covers as much musical ground as it does lyrical. Bird is an accomplished whistler as well as violinist and the two elements end up mingling pleasantly throughout the course of the album. Throw in acoustic and electric guitars, piano, drums, bass, organ, xylophone, tympany, add some electronic flourishes and you've got a recipe for what could be a hot musical mess but all melts into one delicious listen. You'd think an album this diverse might not be accessible. You'd be wrong. It's a real gem and certainly worth checking out.
Serving suggestion: I don't have a garden, but if I did I feel like I would listen to this while I was tending it. Otherwise, it should go nicely with a light dinner and a very dry Riesling.
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5. Gogol Bordello - "Super Taranta!" -
I've heard Bono say that rock and roll has the ability to "actually change the temperature of the room you're in." Anyone who's been to a Gogol show knows this to be true. And you'd almost expect a band so electric and engaging live to lose at least a little of the magic when it comes time to capture the songs on record. Not so with these guys. "Super Taranta!" lifts the band's gypsy/punk sound and culture-mash ethos to new heights. European acoustic folk, hardcore punk, traditional gypsy fiddle, Italian tarantella, metal riffs and Brechtian cabaret meld together seemlessly into the freshest and most uplifting album of the year. "Ultimate" starts the party with ringleader Eugene Hutz asking us in his inimitable Ukrainian accent, "If we are here not to do / what you and I wanna do / and go forever crazy with it / why the hell we are even here?" Few lines sum up the band's mission statement better. "Zina Marina" tackles the exploitation of young Russian girls by the American porn industry, while "American Wedding" has a blast taking the piss out of, well... American weddings. ("Have you ever been to American wedding? / Where is the vodka? / Where is marinated herring?") And title-track "Super Taranta!" might just be the wildest and most stirring album closer in modern history. Top to bottom, "Taranta!" is a supremely satisfying spin. And it'll damn sure change the temperature of whatever room you're in.
Serving suggestion: Give this one a go only in a situation where you're able to physically move your body.
Perfect for the gym. Or enjoy with friends, laughing wildly and chugging dark imported beer in the middle of a crowded Bulgarian dance hall.
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4. The National - "Boxer"
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Sometimes a band can be on your radar for a long time and somehow manage never to catch your ear. Such was my experience with Brooklyn-via-Cincinatti band, The National. I had been reading about them for a few years and would come across various songs here and there, but never bothered to delve much further. That is until I heard lead single "Fake Empire" on KEXP. Melancholy rolling piano notes underneath Matt Berninger's murky crooning give way to something unexpected halfway through. A tempo change augmented by militaristic drum flourishes, synthetic horns and staccato strings that turn what started as a smoky pub dirge into a full-on cinematic anthem. It's the perfect start to a geniusly nuanced album that only improves with each repeated listen. From the subtle sexiness of "Slow Show" to the lovely and understated "Start A War", "Boxer" will most certainly get under your skin.
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed with a glass of Islay region single-malt scotch on a rainy day.
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3. Beirut - "The Flying Club Cup"
I listen to a lot of music. I own a lot of music. Thanks to
KEXP, I am exposed to new and exciting bands on a daily basis. Additionally, my
eMusic subscription allots me 40 downloads a month with which to chase whatever musical fancies I may be having at the time. My wish list is constantly full and there's always some new band that catches my ear. Suffice to say, I barely have time to get to all of my new purchases and give them the full evaluation they deserve. It's a true testament then when an album comes along that finds itself in daily rotation on my iPod. Such is the case with Beirut's "The Flying Club Cup". 21-year-old Zach Condon and crew's second album is nothing short of perfection. The raw brilliance of their debut "Gulag Orkester" is proved to be no fluke here as Beirut continue their exploration of Eastern European folk and Balkan gypsy music. However, there is an economy and clarity to the songs on "Cup" that improves on the formula "Gulag" laid out. The album also benefits from a slightly more nuanced production which brings Condon's layered, fluttery, buttermilk vocals to the fore without overcompressing the band's brilliant instrumentation. Which is quite a feat on a record that features accordion, keyboards, saxophone, clarinet, mandolin, ukulele, horns, glockenspiel, violin, cello and a wide array of percussion instruments. Standout tracks include "Nantes", "A Sunday Smile", "Guyamas Sonora", "Cliquot" and "Forks and Knives (La Fete)". But make no mistake, every song is a gem. And if you spend any time with "The Flying Club Cup", you'll find yourself falling in love with it in a big way.
Serving suggestion: Buy a ticket to Paris, Prague, Warsaw, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sofia, you choose. Find a local bar on a plaza with outside seating. Order a pint of whatever's local. Take out your iPod. Play this. Enjoy.
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The sophomore album is always tricky. Especially if your debut was a success. So imagine the pressure The Arcade Fire faced heading into the studio to record a follow-up to what became one of the greatest and most talked-about debut albums of all time. Must've been a daunting affair. If it was, you'd never know it by listening to "Neon Bible" - another seamless set of indie anthems that grabs you from the first note and doesn't relent. Album opener "Black Mirror" swoops in from somewhere in the substrata and lets us know under no uncertain circumstances that the Fire is back and we should buckle up. "Keep The Car Running" is an aptly named getaway. "Intervention" takes us to church while "Ocean of Noise" paints a picture of why we needed to go in the first place. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" nods to Springsteen in a way that few other bands could get away with without seeming contrived. Picking up where "Wake Up" left off on "Funeral", "No Cars Go" marches down the street, fist raised high. Finally, gothic organ strains tell us we've reached the end of the road with "My Body Is a Cage", one of the most gutting and goosebump-inducing songs I've heard in years. "Cage" starts out as an elegy and then blossoms violently into what you'd imagine the opening of the Pearly Gates might sound like. It's one of the few songs I'll play twice in a row, simply because I Just. Can't. Get. Enough. In fact, I'll bet those of you who own the album are already reaching for your copy so you can listen to it right now.
Though the production here is slightly more refined than on "Funeral", the spirit of the band never gets lost in the mix. Simply put, "Neon Bible" is a triumph. And I very much look forward to whatever this band will be bringing us in the years to come.
Serving suggestion: Perfect anytime. Will be a great accompaniment to long walks or Sunday drives. Too emotional to go with alcohol. Best paired with a nice, hot, dark, bold cup of coffee.
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Yup. Big shocker, right? If you've heard it, you're probably not surprised that it made the top of my list. It made the top of a LOT of Best Of '07 lists this year, and for good reason. Instead of writing a review of this album, I would have preferred to just insert a link that would allow you to stream "In Rainbows" in its entirety. It really does exemplify itself better than anything I could come up with to say about it. The haunting synth, dangling falsetto vocals and spare percussion programming on "Nude". The simple, bouncing guitar layers of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggios". The delicate longing of "Reckoner". The dark, slinky, sexy groove of personal fave "House of Cards". The genius evolution of the drum sequencing over Thom Yorke's funereal piano work on album-closer "Videotape". Etcetera, etcetera...
In lieu of that, I'll simply sat that this is a truly astonishing album made by a truly astonishing band. With "In Rainbows, Radiohead finds the perfect synthesis between the sweeping songcraft displayed on "The Bends" and the bleep-click digitial inventiveness of "Kid A" to create their best album since "OK Comptuer". And in all truthfulness, I don't know that I've heard as brilliantly produced an album from any band since "OK Computer" - until now. The Beatles often used the studio itself as it's own separate instrument but always in service of the songs. Few clever-behind-the-mixing-board bands are able to manage that balancing act, but "In Rainbows" shows that Radiohead have set the bar for how one can serve the other. Every six months or so, I'll put on "OK Computer" and each time I listen it's like I'm discovering it for the first time. It manages to never feel or sound like an album that I've been listening to for 10 years. And my guess is that - in the year 2017 - I'll be revisiting "In Rainbows"... and feeling the same way.
Serving suggestion: Don't cherry-pick this one. This is an album in the classic sense. Listen front-to-back without interruption. Best with headphones, but can be enjoyed anywhere. Making dinner, cleaning the house, morning commute, road trip, reclining on the couch with a Barossa Valley shiraz, you pick. Just give it the attention it deserves and it'll treat you real nice.
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As was the case last year, there was such a glut of great music in 2007 that I'd be remiss not to mention some of my other faves released since last January. Here's are my Honorable Mentions...
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The "If This Were A Top 10 List, These Would Have Been On There" List
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Honorable Mentions - Best of the Rest:
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So, there you have it. My picks. Let the dissent begin. Feel free to weigh in in the comments below.
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ALSO... Check back ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
I've got a present JUST FOR YOU.
(Awwww, you shouldn't have.)
My downloadable "Best Of '07 Supermix" !!!
Don't miss it...
