1. Radiohead - In RainbowsNo alarms and no surprises here. This album was the most talked about album released in 2007. Not just because it is Radiohead but because of the "pay-what-you-want" option for the album as the band released In Rainbows themselves via their website without a record deal. Now the band does have various record deals with smaller companies and a physical copy of the album will be available January 1st in North America. Luckily the album is a beautiful masterpiece that backs up all the hype. This is Radiohead's most personal album to date with songs that are more about humanity than about the obscure messages behind songs from the Kid A era. This makes it an easy album to get into and relate to. For those who think Radiohead are depressing music to slit your wrists to, listen to In Rainbows and see if your opinion changes. The artwork from this album has also been outstanding, adding to the whole In Rainbows experience.My track by track review from October can be read here
Favourites: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Reckoner, Jigsaw Falling Into PlaceJigsaw
2. Young Galaxy - Young Galaxy 443 listens since mid-October mus mean this band is good. I also saw them live this year and was equally impressed with their concert as I was with their debut full length self-title debut. Rarely do you get an album where every song is solid from beginning to end. But that is the case with this album. The strengths of this band include the beautiful voices of both Stephan Ramsay and Catherine McCandless, both of whom display a variety of vocal styles throughout the album. The album has a somewhat dark mood throughout, almost a cold feel. It deals with issues of loneliness, religion, politics, love, heartache, growing up and everything else under the sun. I highly recommend this CD as it is a masterpiece I have fallen in love with.Favourites: Wailing Wall, Lazy Religion, Searchlight, Swing Your HeartacheOutside The City
3. Arcade Fire - Neon BibleI already reviewed this album on my blog earlier this year (see here). I'm disappointed they never came to Halifax to support the album.
The Arcade Fire had a tough act to follow after releasing their debut album Funeral in 2005. Funeral was about as good as it gets for a debut album by any band. Their sophomore release Neon Bible is no Funeral, but it is an outstanding album none the less. It is crystal clear that the band has seen more of the world and seen that there is a lot of corruption and darkness. On the TV, in the news, in the Church, everywhere you go. They explore these issues creatively with deep and mature lyrics, but thankfully they don't leave you feeling empty and hopeless. This was on of the most anticipated releases of the year, and it certainly has lived up to its expectations. A refreshing sound, something different than the crap you usually hear on the radio.
Favourites: Keep The Car Running, Intervention, Ocean Of Noise, Building Downtown
4. Travis - The Boy With No Name Everybody has this little part of their heart where they need love songs and nice melodies to fill. For the longest time Coldplay did that job. But now it is Travis. They have been kicking around for quite a while and have been very popular. However I never listened to them until their 2007 album. My socks, shirt, and pants were blown off by their awesomeness. Fran Healy has an amazing voice to go along with Travis's catchy songs. Closer was the best "love" song of the year in my opinion. I also loved the fact they wrote "You know I heart everything about you" for the song Big Chair. This album is great for putting you in a good mood, and fun to sing along to. Especially Selfish Jean, its hard to just sit there quietly and listen to this song. If you need something to get you up and ready for the day listen to this song. This album is solid right from the beginning through to the end.
Favourites:Selfish Jean, My Eyes, Under the Moonlight, Battleships
5. Apostle of Hustle - National Anthem of NowhereThis is another band I got into by seeing their live show and was blown away. This band is led by Andrew Whiteman, the guitarist of Broken Social Scene. So if you like Broken Social Scene you are bound to like Apostle of Hustle. But unlike Kevin Drew's latest album, this does not just sound like a Broken Social Scene side project as it has a Cuban undertone throughout, and many of the songs feature Spanish lyrics.
Favourites: The Naked & Alone, National Anthem of Nowhere, Chances Are, Justine Beckoning
6. The Shins - Wincing The Night AwayEverybody loves a catchy indie band. And the Shins are no exception. This album is really easy to access and has everything you would ever want on an indie album. After listening to this album for a complete year my love for it has not faltered. Australia is one of the best songs of the year hands down.
7. Athlete - Beyond the NeighbourhoodI'm getting tired of writing these reviews, only 7 more to go. Sean McMullen once told me I would like this band. But I didn't , and then I downloaded this album, then I bought the CD, and it is awesome. I think the reason I enjoyed it so much was it I could really connect the songs to my personal situations at the time. Looking back on it they were really good times while they lasted. The leaked version had the song speyside on it, which unfortunately didn't make it onto the album.
Favourites: Best Not To Think About It, It's Not Your Fault, Hurricane
8. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare I've been a fan of the Arctic Monkeys since they popped onto the music scene in 2005. But I never got hooked on them. This album however had some outstanding tracks on it. "505" is still one of my favourite songs of the year. They set the bar pretty high with their first album, and its so easy for young successful bands to follow the same formula. Luckily the Arctic Monkeys didn't do that with this album. And I must say that the clown video for Fluorescent Adolescent is one of the weirdest yet funniest music videos I've seen all year.
Favourites: 505, Do Me A Favour, Fluorescent Adolescent
9. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver This album is the first real electronic album that I had ever listened to beginning to end. Yes I had listened to AIR a few months earlier who are considered electronic, but LCD Soundsystem has a lot more synthesizer and beats that make it hard to sit still while listening to it. My first listen to LCD System was back in the spring when I heard the new album on myspace. And then the next day they were playing the album at HMV, so basically this catchy music was following me around. I can't really compare it any other albums because I haven't really explored the electronic genre enough, but I do love LCD Soundsystem.
Favourites: Us vs. Them, North American Scum, Watch the Tapes
12. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even SankThis was one of the first albums that I bought at the beginning of the year, but it has lost a little bit of its impact over the past bunch of months. I guess the main problem is the album is so long, I don't think I've ever started at track 1 and made it right through to track 14. That being said it is still a great album. Isaac Brock's lyrics are genius as each one tells a long interesting story. The lyrics don't follow a stale predictable pattern like many songs do. The album also features some contributions from music giants such as Johhny Marr (guitarist from the Smiths now with the band) and back up vocals from James Mercer (the Shins) which sometimes are just a tad too energetic. If this album were just a little bit shorter it would definitely had made my top 5. Favourites: Florida, Fire It Up, We've Got Everything
13. Kevin Drew - Spirit If... Kevin Drew, co-founder of Broken Social Scene, released an album known as Broken Social Scene Presents....Kevin Drew Spirit If... From that name you can tell right away that this album is going to sound like Broken Social Scene if it were run completely by Drew. And well thats what it sounds like as Kevin does lead vocals on all the songs. Yet it still has the BBS feel to it as there are numerous special guests featured on the album. I'm a big fan of Kevin and love the sound of his voice so this album is definitely a keeper. Sometimes his lyrics can be very hard to follow and don't make much sense, but they still sound beautiful. If you like BBS, you'll love this album, especially songs like Backed Out On The, a song that sounds like one big indie guitar party.
Favourites: Backed Out On The, Lucky Ones, Angel Faces/Losing Places
14. The Contact - Canvas Tears I already did an album review for this one. (It can be read here). Since its release I have seen the band play two more times, once at the Attic (review here) and the T-Room at Dal. Both shows were incredible, and Daylight is definitely my favourite from the album because Nate kills the drums. Black Sea was a great track for the guys at Malagash as we had our interpretive slow motion dance which we did multiple times over the course of the week up in the dorm.
Favourites: Daylight, Major Tom, Could This Be The End Of the Hiding, Black Sea
15. Feist - The ReminderA very good album by a very talented musician. On this album Feist really shows off her ability to write amazing songs with heartfelt lyrics, each song is easy to listen to. Yet they don't all sound the same. I usually find this style of music boring, but Feist is anything but. A great combination of stunning vocals, catchy guitar and rhythm. As well as making great music, Feist also makes some of my favourite music videos. When I did my video countdown earlier this year I featured My Moon My Man. Since then her song 1 2 3 4 has become a favourite around the world, it also features a fun colourful video with cool dancing. Favourites: I Feel It All, Past In Present, How My Heart Behaves
16. Stars - In Our Bedroom After The WarUp until this year I never really cared for music with female vocals. Well that has all changed this year 4 of my top 25 albums feature female vocals as an integral part of the album. Alot of people have called this album more of the same from Stars and not that exciting, but this is the first Stars album I've ever listened to so I wouldn't know. Its an album with some great songs but at 56 minutes long sometimes I get bored of it and rarely listen to the whole album in one sitting. Another great act on the Arts&Crafts label. This is one band on my want to see list. Favourites: Take Me To the Riot, My Favourite Book
17. The Thrills - TeenagerThe Thrills are one of those bands who I love, but for whatever reason I never think of them as one of my favourite bands. I think its just something about Conor Deasy's seducing voice which makes me love all their songs, even though for the most part they sound pretty similar. This album has a very distinct nostalgic undertone throughout, but with a title such as Teenager what more could you expect. The loss of innocence, a common theme in literature, runs throughout with the album with lines such as "I spent years looking back, got me nowhere, nowhere". Even though I'm still a teenager this album is powerful enough to arouse nostalgic feelings in myself. If you're looking for a nice relaxing indie album with lots of acoustic guitars and a beautiful Irish voice, then check this one out.Favourites: No More Empty Words, Nothing Changes Around Here, This Year
18. Editors - An End Has A Start This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year after such a promising debut album (The Back Room). While this album did not quite live up to my expectations, it did not disappoint either. The first single Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors was a great choice, perhaps the best song on the album. This album has more of a slowed down and vocal heavy approach, which is great, but there just seems to be something missing.
Favourites: Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, The Racing Rats, Put Your Head Towards The Air
19. The Good The Bad And the QueenA super band that produced an album went on tour consisting of Blur's front man Damon Albarn , Paul Simonon (the Clash), Simon Tong (the Verve), and Tony Allen. They were one of the first bands I talked about on this blog in 2007 back in January. (link) Unfortunately everything Damon does gets the reputation of being another Blur side-project which may lead to not fully appreciating the music. This album was on of my favourites early in the year with its catchy lyrics, beat, and rhythms. Favourites: History Song, Kingdom of Doom, Herculean
20. AIR - Pocket Symphony I haven't listened to this album for quite a while, but thats just because I deleted it off my computer and I never bought it since it costs a lot of money around here. The album is great ambient/electronic background music that I like when I just want to relax or have on while I'm writing a paper or working on an assignment. The French duo brought in special guests Joe Cocker and Neil Hannon which added a nice touch to the album. Perhaps I have a little bit of a weakness for it since it was produced by Radiohead's producer Nigel Godrich. I think I'm going to have to listen to this album a few more times, its great.
Favourites: Once Upon A Time, Napalm Love, One Hell of a Party
21. Joel Plaskett - Ashtray Rock This is one of the few albums that I haven't listened to at least 10 times which are on this list. But what I've heard I have loved. Fashionable People is about as catchy a tune as you can get. Snowed In/Cruisin' for a is one of my favourite songs of the year. And I must say its pretty cool to know a bunch of songs were written when he lived in Clayton Park. This album is a story about the early days with Thrush Hermit. Favourites: Fashionable People, Snowed In/Crusin'
22. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace When I first heard this album I was really excited. But as time wore on I just had to let it die as it only really has a few standout tracks. Its just more of the same from the Foos. I'm glad they just did a single disc instead of a double album like last time with In Your Honor. Favourites: Let It Die, Come Alive 23. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? I honestly can not associate any song names to their songs because they are so weird/creative and long. The album is concept album about the frontman's transformation from Kevin Barnes to Georgia Fruit. They have an interesting and original sound, so if you feel like listening to something different check out this album. Favourites:The Past Is A Grotesque Animal, Suffer For Fashion
24. Porcupine Tree - Fear of A Blank Planet Another concept album with tracks that are mostly 7 minutes or longer (including the 17 minute long Anesthesize). Now this ranking may have been different if I started listening to the ablum earlier in the year, but I only heard it for the first time last week. So far I like. Favourites:Fear of a Blank Planet
25. Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob Ruby is a catchy songs. Thats about it. Favourite: Ruby
