Hello and welcome to my summation of 2007. Kind of early, yes. I guess I will update it if I hear anything new the next two months. First of all, 2007 has been a great year for music. There has been some surprises, some disappointments - but overall I'm very happy with what I've heard this year.
Album pool: Releases which I've listened to.
Kurr
Strawberry Jam
New Magnetic Wonder
Neon Bible
Places Like This
Cease to Begin
Mirrored
The Mix Up
Some Loud Thunder
God Save The Clientele
Friend Opportunity
Cryptograms
Fluorescent Grey
New Moon
From Here We Go Sublime
The Shepherd's Dog
sound of sliver
Friend and Foe
Boxer
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
The Stage Names
Person Pitch
In Rainbows
Everybody
Private Cinema
Zeitgeist
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
and Their Refinement of the Decline
Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters
Voxtrot
Icky Thump
Cookies
Wincing the Night Away
Liars
†
Night Falls Over Kortedala
Untrue
Strjon
Picking out 10 albums of 2007 is hard, but I like doing lists. I find it kind of interesting. And I've got nothing better to do right now, so.. let's begin, shall we?
10: The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
A well crafted effort, which places itself as some kind of middle ground between previous records. It's close to a hit parade, yet there's a good flow over the album.
Australia sure is a blast. Well done!
09:Menomena - Friend And Foe
I would say this is a very experimental record and many might disagree with me. The flow (and riches) of different instruments and how they cope together is amazing. It's indeed hard to take risks with a pessimist, but you stood through the storm boys!
08: The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Following up anything after
Funeral wasn't going to be easy.
Neon Bible is.. not as good as
Funeral but then again, what is? A worthy successor none the less.
07: Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Crazy. It's actually a tad more of "rock" than their previous ones. If you're into any of them, then this will be easy as pie.
06: The National - Boxer
I'm upset that I have to put this at number 6. I guess that says 2007 is a good year. If you haven't heard this album yet, do. No human can dislike it. Only cats.
05: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
Makes you want to feel like a teenager. But then you remember that you are a real life emotional teenager. Then you think again. To be fair, his previous album had a sparse set of good songs. The many versions of
Yeah felt unnecessary.
Sound Of Silver on the other hand is so loaded with good tunes it's almost illegal. This year's big surprise.
04: The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters
"Featured" on this journal before, it's very sad to say that they seem drown in other releases this year. It is actually a very good album, and so to say, it deserves a high position on the list.
03: The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
I come undone/lets be lovers. Alasdair MacLean sure looks kind of wonky, but he and his band has made one of the best albums this year.
02: Radiohead - In Rainbows
Might change it to number one again, but seeing that hissing fauna has thrice the play count I just can't deny it anymore.
01:of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
I feel a bit ashamed liking this album.
Hissing Fauna is straight in-your-face glam-electro-pop-alternative-indie-rock-weird. Kevin Barnes wears heavy make up, and costumes figure in the live shows. I love it.
Honorable mention:
Elliott Smith - New Moon
A good collection of unreleased songs, yet I couldn't consider it as a 2007 release.
The disappointments:
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Liars - Liars
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
Voxtrot - Voxtrot
So there's what I think of 2007. As I mentioned, the list may change until 31. December 2007. Sorry for the horrendous language and grammar at points.
Edit 20/12/07: Switched places with Iron&Wine and Menomena.
Edit 21/12/07: Iron&Wine out, Of Montreal in.
Edit 11/02/08: Several edits made.
Sincerely,
Ole