Best Albums 2007

Wow, has it really been almost a half year since my “Best Albums of 2007 (So Far)” post? I know you’ve been on the edge of your seat ever since, wondering how the tides will have changed when the “real” list comes out for 2007, so I’ll keep the preamble short.

1. Spoon – Ga ga ga ga ga
   At the midyear report this was #3 on my list but it managed to leapfrog a couple others to move up and take the top spot as my favorite album of the year.
2. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
   Another late bloomer – This album went from an “also ran” at midyear to being very close to my favorite of the year. According to iTunes this is my most played album of the year and that doesn’t count every time I played “Fiery Crash” (in my top 2 songs of the year) when I was running to the store with only enough time to hear one song
3. The New Pornographers – Challengers
   I’m not sure if this is my favorite album from TNP, but it could be. It has been docked elsewhere for leaving the brakes on a bit compared to previous attempts, but that tends to be what I prefer.
4. White Stripes – Icky Thump
   My #1 album at the half way mark fell a bit out of favor as the year went on but it’s still an incredible album. I’ll admit that it could be #1 on this list had it come out more recently and was a bit fresher to me.
5. Apples in Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder
   They were one of my favorites before this album – and this is their best album: enough said.
6. Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
   Probably not as good as his last couple releases. One more really good album and he’ll be on everyone’s list.
7. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
   Some critics hated it. I didn’t.
8. El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
   The best hip-hop album of the year hands down.
9. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
   This is a really great album that you’re probably not going to hear on the radio.
10. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
    A great album that entered the rotation late(r) in the year – they have a sound that you might need to give a couple tries before it takes.
11. In Rainbows – Radiohead
    The album will always be better known as the pioneer in “Pay What It’s Worth” distribution, but it’s also a really great disc. #1 here and here and here.
12. Kanye West – Graduation
    Another great effort but this is the first album in this list that has songs that I skip.
13. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
    Not their best but when it comes to music to relax by, they can’t be beat.
14. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
    It was #1 here and here.
15. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
    “Grondandic Edit” might be my favorite song of the year – It’s that or “Fiery Crash” from Andrew Bird, up at the top of this list. #1 here.
16. The National – Boxer
    This album is a must have. The fact that I am still making claims like that this late in the list shows just how many great discs came out this year. #1 here and it was #1 on Madison’s best music blog
17. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
    I was expecting a Sophomore let down here and while it wasn’t as good as their first… it exceeded my expectations.
18. Feist – The Reminder
    Get your song on and iTunes commercial and a lot of people who never would have heard you go out and buy your album, BUT people that already liked you will resent having it forced upon them all the time in such a public venue. I like to think that I’m above that kind of reasoning but I don’t know how else I’d explain this disc ending up down this far.
19. Band Of Horses – Cease to Begin
    This band suffered from my incredibly high expectations. I loved “Everything All The Time” (their previous release) and was expecting too much. I’ve seen this listed in the top 5 on a couple of other prominent lists
20. The Fratellis – Costello Music
    It’s too “poppy” to find a spot on most lists but I can’t deny that the first 2 weeks that I had this – it was all I listened to.
21. The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
    Another good Shins disc.
22. Fountains of Wayne – Traffic and Weather
    This was really high on my midyear list, but inevitably the “I really like Fountains of Wayne” bias had to wear off and let the album fall to a more appropriate spot.
23. Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times
    I already gave you my #1 and #2 songs of the year. “Charmer” is #3.
24. Travis – The Boy With No Name
    In the same boat as the Fountains of Wayne disc. This is a very good disc but not one that can stay in my rotation on a regular basis.
25. Fever Marlene – Civil War
    The winner of the Jim Halberg “Best Local Band Of The Year” award (quite the honor) – you should definitely check them out.

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