Sara’s Top 25 (and Bottom 5) of 2007
Oh my word, 2007 flew by almost as quickly as Nicole Richie’s jail sentence, no? Despite the rehab stints and trainwreck pop star mothers, along came a whole slew of pretty fantastic–and some pretty disappointing–albums. So sit back, relax, and allow me to share with you my list of the best and worst albums of the year.
TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2007: |
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25. Les Savy Fav - Let’s Stay Friends Tim Harrington could never lose cool points even if he tried, could he? Let’s Stay Friends is an adrenaline-pumped record with its occasional punk-influenced tendencies. Even as an ex-punk enthusiast, it is something for ex-punk enthusiasts like myself to enjoy. Stand-out track(s): “Patty Lee” |
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24. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup The second full-length album follows Zach Condon’s continuation with the experimentation of Eastern European sounds and instrumentation. Not as successful in my mind, in comparison to Gulag Orkestar, but it is worth mentioning. Stand-out track(s): “Nantes” |
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23. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings Calling all kids at heart and ADD/ADHD sufferers! This album is for you! It is people like Dan Deacon that make me not care that I can’t dance; for all I know I could dance like Nathaniel from “Yo Gabba Gabba” and not give a shit. If anything, Mr. Deacon probably dances far worse than me. Stand-out track(s): “The Crystal Cat” |
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22. Deerhoof - Friendship Opportunity Wow, a Deerhoof album I can actually listen to in its entirety without getting completely annoyed! And for that, I salute them. Stand-out track(s): “+81″ |
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21. Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Arm Like Angus Young and Eddie Van Halen’s lovehild, this woman finger-tapped my fucking face off this year. ‘Nuff said. Stand-out track(s): “Vibrational Match,” “Grapefruit” |
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20. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga You know what? I’m not even that sure what to say about this record. It keeps my head bouncing arhythmically (is that even a word?) due to my aforementioned poor dancing skills, but perhaps that is because the beat sticks out like a sore thumb. No need for a band-aid, though. It’s a good thing. Stand-out track(s): “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” |
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19. Battles - Mirrored There is an unexplainable experience when listening to Mirrored. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a digital environment, like an online RPG battleground, even though I don’t partake in such things. But the combination of electronic and organic sounds is smart and anthemic, without being too pretentious. Stand-out track(s): “Atlas,” “Ddiamondd” |
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18. Blonde Redhead - 23 Like the usual nature of Blonde Redhead, the dreamy, ethereal elements are integrated with the electrical charge of the guitar. There is an eeriness that runs through my body whilst listening, but maybe my apartment has paranormal activity that responds to this album. Who knows. Stand-out track(s): “23,” “Heroine” |
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17. Celebration - The Modern Tribe I discovered this band when they opened up Man Man, and felt like they had something to offer. Maybe because I thought the saxophonist was adorable or something, but I digress. The musical arrangement is light on its feet yet is packed with a unique energy that is so hard to find. Stand-out track(s): “Evergreen,” “Fly the Fly” |
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16. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver Unlike Spiderman of the Rings, this album makes me wish I could dance. Because really, I’m a terrible dancer. The best I could probably do is grab a lighter and sway back and forth to “New York I Love You.” However, I don’t think it would constitute as “dancing.” Sigh. Stand-out track(s): “All My Friends” |
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15. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City Am I the only one who thinks the Fiery Furnaces are the modern-day Captain & Tennille, minus the fact they’re siblings rather than spouses? Maybe it’s just me, but there is a quirkiness in the sounds and Eleanor Friedberger’s vocals that’s reminiscent of the 70s pop duo. Stand-out track(s): “The Philadelphia Grand Jury” |
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14. The New Pornographers - Challengers It’s no Twin Cinema, but I am glad to hear a smidgen more of Neko Case and Dan Bejar on this record. Granted, the album cover blows (not as much as Ted Leo’s 2007 release, nevertheless), but packaged inside is a delightful array of heart-warming tunes. Stand-out track(s): “Challengers” |
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13. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Damn all of these dance-inducing records to hell! Kevin Barnes did it once again with producing a super-catchy, fun album with all of the typical components that makes Of Montreal what they’ve become. Stand-out track(s): “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse,” “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal” |
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12. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away I’m aware of all the flack this album has gotten, I don’t give a shit. The musical textures James Mercer experimented with creates a fascinating visual experience for me, without the need of hallucinogenic drugs. Call it “safe,” but it seems to be a catalyst for what could become of the Shins in the future. Stand-out track(s): “Sleeping Lessons,” “Australia” |
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11. múm - Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy Like Wincing the Night Away, the musical textures are arranged so beautifully that each stroke of the keyboard dances in my head to create imagery that I can connect with from an artistic point of view. No idea what I’m talking about? Well, I wouldn’t expect you to. Stand-out track(s): “Dancing Behind My Eyelids” |
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10. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum Again with the textures! Don’t know what it is, but there is an undeniable bond that I have with them. While the psychedelic sensibility is most definitely achieved in this album, the urge to do hallucinogens remains out of the question. Stand-out track(s): “They Live in the Meadow” |
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9. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover There is something so acceptingly off-kilter about Sunset Rubdown that makes their sound resonate. As opposed to Spencer Krug’s “main” project, Wolf Parade, there is an unpredictability that makes this album fresh and exciting. Stand-out track(s): “The Taming of the Hands That Came Back to Life” |
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8. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War While Degrassi may have influenced a preconceived notion, all notions were obliterated after listening to this dazzling, dreamy, and romantic record. Forget dancing, this is star-gazing-on-rooftop music. Now, if only I had a rooftop… Stand-out track(s): “Midnight Coward” |
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7. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank I’ve never been so happy to hear signature Johnny Marr riffs on a non-Smiths album without him completely imposing his style in Modest Mouse. It is a perfectly suitable combination. Stand-out track(s): “Dashboard,” “Spitting Venom” |
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6. BSS Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If… The first of the Broken Social Scene Presents series is Kevin Drew’s “solo” album, which strips away many of the complex layers the band’s music has. It provides a much more simple approach, switching off acoustics and electronics in a cohesive and impressive manner. Stand-out track(s): “Frightening Lives,” “Lucky Ones” |
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5. Feist - The Reminder One, two, three, four, five is where Feist has ranked on this list. While capturing the heart of millions through the iPod Nano commercials, she unveils her diversity in The Reminder, showing off the range of styles that her voice can absorb. And what a great job she did. Stand-out track(s): “My Moon My Man,” “Sea Lion Woman” |
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4. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam There is a sensibility in Strawberry Jam that I cannot seem to pinpoint. Perhaps the songs are easier to digest this time, while 2005’s Feels is, to me, more heart-wrenching. I guess due to the fiber content in strawberries, this album makes my tummy feel good, despite the preservatives in jam. Stand-out track(s): “For Reverend Green,” “Fireworks” |
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3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible Well, this album was to inevitably pop up in here somewhere. The transition from Funeral is apparent without veering off in a completely different direction, and we got to hear Win Butler sing about Jessica Simpson’s father. So really, what else is there to say? It’s all been said already. Stand-out track(s): “No Cars Go” |
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2. Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian The distinct cries and howls of Carey Mercer can be heard from indefinite distances. With the backing instrumentation, it conforms to the unsettling nature of his voice. And I, as a fan, am compassionate to Mr. Mercer’s captivating outcries. Stand-out track(s): “Stockades” |
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1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch Let’s face it, I hate winter, but the timing of this release was perfect, due to my anticipation for spring time. The noises radiate off of the beats, generating the familiarity of warmth and emotions. It was the comfort I needed, so I thank Noah Lennox for reflecting it musically. Stand-out track(s): “Bros”…..duh. |
TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS OF 2007: |
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5. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight Never was a Rilo Kiley fan, and I will probably never be one. |
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4. Interpol - Our Love to Admire It lacks a certain emotion that previous albums have evoked. It leaves me feeling empty and completely unfulfilled. Not much else to say, really. |
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3. Saturday Looks Good to Me - Fill Up the Room There was always something nostalgia-inducing about SLGTM, and Fill Up the Room leaves me feeling similarly to how I feel about Our Love to Admire; it’s unfulfilling, stark, and unfortunately disappointing. |
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2. Tegan and Sara - The Con Aside from the title track and “Back in Your Head,” the songs do not hold up to the catchiness of So Jealous. They are forgettable and provide no hooks to reel in the listener. Sorry, but my fishing line only caught those two songs. |
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1. Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like These I’m sure most of us were expecting some more cute, jangly twee-pop, but all we got was a huge, inconsistent mess. Just fucking awful. There are no other words to describe it. |
And as far as most anticipated albums for 2008?
Well, kids… it was swell sharing with you my cheers and jeers of a year gone by. Agree or disagree, you’ll hear more from me in 2008, with my charming, oh-so-witty commentary. Have a safe and happy holiday, and take it easy on the egg nog, ya hear? |
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Written by: Sara on December 23rd, 2007 | Filed under Features
December 25th, 2007 at 12:18 am
NOW! that’s what I call Music
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
gonna have to call shennanigans on the tegan and sara worst album call. it is a pop gem. when i first heard the title track for their most recent endevor i almost shit myself with excitement.