2007 was a year full of surprises. So many bands surprised us with magnificent records, so many others disappointed us terribly. But that’s par for the course. Populist music has its pitfalls, but also its benefits, as Okkervil River so adeptly proved with “The Stage Names.” The music industry most definitely does need to take a very careful look at itself, but so too do the consumers: the top ten songs in the iTunes Music Store is populated by the likes of Flo Rida, Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, Finger Eleven, and Matchbox Twenty (what?).
Listeners are lazy, so the industry doesn’t need to have standards anymore. There are those of us who still care about a quality product, those who shun Soulja Boy in favour of Sunset Rubdown, who say a resounding “Fuck you” to Rihanna and spin Radiohead instead. But our numbers are dwindling. It is reassuring to know, however, that in the midst of this bleak scene, listing the 25 best albums of this year was still a difficult feat. It is a reminder that just like those of us who care about listening to good music, there are some who still care about making it. We can only hope that such artists will still be around in a year’s time.
-PTC
Another year gone by. Mainstream music has seemed to slip further into the abyss. Corporate rock continues to be on the march toward the complete domination of soccer mom-friendly ballads. Pop Lolitas-turned-pop prostitutes known now only by first names rule the top 40. The Backstreet Boys put out a new album. Britney Spears put out a new album! A song about how to deal with women that aren't willing to sleep with you by some kind of Soldier person topped the charts for weeks. Just off the radar, Radiohead pulled their album release stunt. Apparently frustrated by musical and political malaise, old favourites like Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Daft Punk and the Stooges reunited to play festival after festival without so much more than token new material. The best tours from newer artists were mostly hangovers from last year's best albums, from The Decemberists and The Hold Steady, especially.
Even with so little original music, there were a few gems this year and we'd like to summarise them here. We've aggregated our picks for the top albums of this year and list them in ascending order five a day, with a complete list at the end. With the exception of the winner, one of us shares some thoughts about each album. In addition, we'll include date of release, the label responsible, and some idea of reception by other critics (aggregator Metacritic, Pitchfork Media, and a British publication, preferably Q Magazine).
-RJR
And the best records this year:
Bonus! Two albums just off of the top 25 list:
Explosions in the Sky – “All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone”
2/20 on Temporary Residence
Metacritic : 80
Q: 70
Pitchfork: 60
After last year's limited release of The Rescue EP, fans of Explosions weren't really sure what their favourite Texas post-rockers would do next. They had embraced all manner of new instruments, shorter songs, and even some vocals. Perhaps a full album of Rescue-like material would have been too much of a leap, but "All of a Sudden" seems a bit too conservative. It plays up all of the beautiful, stormy guitar and percussion from their first three albums, though a bit more restrained and melodic than "The Earth..." and "Tell the Truth". It is certainly an excellent listen (especially live at Coachella this year) and really cements the Explosions aesthetic but it won't attract any new followers and without some changes, the band will have a hard time staying vital.
-RJR
Voxtrot - "Voxtrot"
5/22 on Playlouder
Metacritic: 71
NY Times: 80
Pitchfork: 59
The backlash - or maybe disappointment is a more fitting term - surrounding Voxtrot’s first LP was predictable. After the outrageous success of their series of EPs, the anticipation surrounding their full-length debut built to such absurd levels that no record would have ever really lived up to everyone’s expectations. People expected the same thing they got from the EPs - bite-sized twee tidbits that were easy to digest and difficult to forget. But Voxtrot was out to create a real album, not just a collection of songs. Their aim was clearly to craft a record that had some kind of arc, not just merely a static hodge-podge of safe, predictable, clever indie-pop. Do some of the songs fall flat? Sure. But this record shows a band that is not afraid to learn, and that will hold Voxtrot in very good stead on records to come.
-PTC
Today's five records:
25. !!! – “Myth Takes”
3/6 on Warp
Metacritic: 76
Q: 60
Pitchfork: 80
Nic Offer's bicoastal band remains vital despite the recent turn to more sample- and synth-based dance music. "All My Heroes Are Weirdos" and "Must Be the Moon" are highlights, with some of the best grooves in memory. The album in general is a move toward maturity, with the compositions tightening up quite a bit. All of this is carried off with whimsy that could only come from !!!. I missed them there, but by all accounts, they had the best performance at Coachella. !!! are often overlooked or dismissed, but "Myth Takes" is much more than a name.
-RJR
23. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – “Scribble Mural Comic Journal”
2/13 on Notenuf
Pitchfork: 80
Drowned in Sound: 90
This is undoubtedly the best record you never heard this year. A Sunny Day In Glasgow offers forth a scintillating collection of ambient noise pop that will shock you into rapt silence. The ebbs and flows of this record pull the listener gently along, calm - almost meek - but always insistent, always commanding attention. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing this record as structureless background noise, because you will miss out on one of the most enjoyable - and underrated - listening experiences this year has had to offer.
-PTC
23. Arctic Monkeys – “Favourite Worst Nightmare”
4/24 on Domino
Metacritic: 82
Q: 100
Pitchfork: 74
I cannot imagine a more hyped (some say over-) band on an independent label than Arctic Monkeys. Sometimes the hype is warranted, like on "Teddy Picker" or most tracks from "Whatever...". Certainly it is overwrought at times, like on lead single "Brianstorm" and their live show, which is disappointing at best. On net, they are a competent and often creative band . While the strength of their excellent debut was largely a function of Alex Turner's songwriting and versatility in tempo, "Nightmare" has much more banal lyrics and problems with speed. The band seems to rush through each song, trading the observation of the first album for nervous rants. Still one of the best straight-ahead rock albums of the year, it would have benefited from another year in production.
-RJR
21. Josh Ritter – “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter”
8/21 on Sony
Metacritic: 79
Q: 80
Pitchfork: 57
“If this was a cold war, we could keep each other warm.” Why hasn’t anyone thought of that line before now? This record is a clinic in pop songwriting technique. Few artists adhere so shamelessly and stubbornly to convention as Ritter does, and fewer still can make those conventions sound original and fresh. Ritter effortlessly transitions from pop gems like “Right Moves” to the introspective, understated ballads, like the stunning standout track, “The Temptation of Adam.”
-PTC
21. Liars – “Liars”
8/28 on Mute
Metacritic: 79
Q: 60
Pitchfork: 85
This is Liars fully realised. In time, this is likely to become one of the most loved noise rock albums ever and is among the best this century. Coming down from the great "Drum's Not Dead", "Liars" managed to pull off being both more avant-garde and accessible, venturing into wilder guitar territory, but sharpening and shortening by a full 12 minutes. Pity they were paired Interpol on tour, as Liars certainly must have upstaged the band that created "No I in Threesome".
-RJR
Stay tuned: five more albums tomorrow!
