Best Albums of 2007

None of the albums released this year were strong enough to make my all-time top 40, but that doesn’t mean this was a weak year for the album. Sure, digital sales and single-track downloads made huge inroads, and people bought even fewer CDs than they did the year before.

But I am not one of those people. I heard more than 100 albums this year, and am still dying to hear more. Most everything I heard was at least good and much of it was great. Here’s the giant list, starting with an in-depth look at the top 13 albums of 2007. Oh yeah, and if it’s not on here, it simply means I haven’t heard it.

1. Neon Bible — The Arcade Fire
While not as groundbreaking or uplifting as their debut, the Arcade Fire made another brilliant album with Neon Bible. Filled with soaring anthems like the standout "Keep the Car Running" and a fresh recording of their best song, "No Cars Go," Neon Bible is another step in proving that Funeral was no fluke. I can't wait for record number three.

2. In Rainbows — Radiohead
A surprising album in so many ways, In Rainbows is a stunner of an album. Coming off the long hiatus following 2004's strong but not great Hail to the Thief, Radiohead delivered onto our digital doorsteps an album of straightforward (but still forward-thinking), emotional songs about love and loss. I can't wait to re-buy this album on CD tomorrow.

3. Invitation Songs — The Cave Singers
It was a fabulous year for local music here in the Northwest, and this Seattle trio put together my favorite record of the year. Playing what I might call "gothic undertaker folk" The Cave Singers not only sound like they're from somewhere else, they sound like nothing else I've heard in years. Mixing rough tones and beautiful melodies, these Invitation Songs are both gritty and pretty at the same time.

4. In Camera — Arthur & Yu
Thank you KEXP Song of the Day podcast. I got a couple tracks from this fabulous lo-fi indie pop group (and another local act) dropped into my iTunes and I was instantly hooked. Sounding like it was recorded in a living room in the '50s In Camera fills the space with impossibly hummable pop that never fails to disappoint.

5. Friend and Foe — Menomena
More local love. And more love for KEXP. I first heard "Wet and Rusting" by this Portland band on John in the Morning all the way back in January, and after one listen I knew that it would be my number one song of the year. I finally picked up the entire album a couple months later, and while nothing was quite as amazing as that song (though "Muscle'n Flo" comes close), it was great from start to finish.

6. In Our Nature — Jose Gonzalez
Jose can do no wrong in my eyes. His voice, his guitar, they're just too beautiful not to appreciate. He doesn't really deviate here from his previous work, but that's okay. There's still lots of ground to cover with his classical-meets-folk-via-indie sound. And like Gonzalez did with "Heartbeats," his cover of Massive Attack's classic "Teardrop" proves that he's as adept at reimagining other artists' songs as he is making is own.

7. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga — Spoon
This band just keeps getting stronger and stronger, and with each record they move higher up on my favorites list. Taking things in a whole new direction this time by adding a little Philly soul, Brit Daniel & co. keep expanding their sound without losing what made them great in the first place.

8. New Moon — Elliott Smith
This posthumous double-album of odds and ends by the sad and marvelous Smith somehow holds together as a complete statement, and what a strong one it is. I always liked my Elliott Smith songs a little sparse, and these demos and outtakes are a perfect example of his folk/pop songwriting prowess. It may be ironic, then, that my favorite track is a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen."

9. Dislocation Blues — Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang
Another posthumous release, this collaboration between the alt-country hero Chris Whitley and Australian Jeff Lang was originally released down under back in 2005, but it took until this year for it to finally hit the states. It was worth the wait. A wild mix of covers, Lang originals and reworkings of Whitley's songs ("Rocket House" is a highlight), the album is sadly, for now, Whitley's final musical contribution to the world.

10. Because of the Times — Kings of Leon
Aha Shake Heartbreak topped my list in 2005, and while this isn't quite that strong, I might call it underrated, even by me. Eventually it may be hailed as one of the great albums of this year, but for now, Times suffers because it's so abruptly different on first listen from their previous work. Where Aha felt like a quantum leap forward from Kings of Leon's debut, Times comes off as a jump sideways. But just because it takes a while to appreciate something doesn't mean it's not great.

11. The Reminder — Feist
Feist can thank Apple for her breakout year, which includes a Best New Artist Grammy nomination for this, her second album. "1234" was huge, but this album won me over on the merits of "I Feel It All" and "My Moon My Man." Hopefully next year the success of this album and Kevin Drew's Spirit If will lead to a breakout for Broken Social Scene.

12. Armchair Apocrypha — Andrew Bird
I never really got into The Mysterious Production of Eggs when it came out a couple years back, but maybe I just wasn't ready for the whistle/violin pop of this wiry Minnesotan. I've come around though, and ever since his performance at Bumbershoot this year, I've had this entire album stuck in my head. On repeat.

13. Ripe — Ben Lee
The follow-up to Ben's best and most intimate album—2005's Awake Is the New Sleep—is a bit jarring in its candy-coated production, but hearing these songs performed live and (almost) solo helped me see the light. The balance of giddy pop songs and personal ballads from Awake remains, and the result is another solid collection of earnest pop from one of my all-time favorite artists.

The Best of the Rest

  1. Neon Bible — The Arcade Fire
  2. In Rainbows — Radiohead
  3. Invitation Songs — The Cave Singers
  4. In Camera — Arthur & Yu
  5. Friend and Foe — Menomena
  6. In Our Nature — Jose Gonzalez
  7. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga — Spoon
  8. New Moon — Elliott Smith
  9. Dislocation Blues — Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang
  10. Because of the Times — Kings of Leon
  11. The Reminder — Feist
  12. Armchair Apocrypha — Andrew Bird
  13. Ripe — Ben Lee
  14. Challengers — The New Pornographers
  15. Sky Blue Sky — Wilco
  16. The Shepherd's Dog — Iron & Wine
  17. Finding Forever — Common
  18. Into the Wild — Eddie Vedder, et al
  19. Ash Wednesday — Elvis Perkins
  20. Anytown Graffiti — Pela
  21. Back to Black — Amy Winehouse
  22. Wincing the Night Away — The Shins
  23. Hey Hey My My Yo Yo — Junior Senior
  24. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank — Modest Mouse
  25. Cease to Begin — Band of Horses
  26. Loney, Noir — Loney, Dear
  27. Chrome Dreams II — Neil Young
  28. 100 Days, 100 Nights — Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
  29. † — Justice
  30. Easy Tiger — Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
  31. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace — Foo Fighters
  32. Country Mouse, City House — Josh Rouse
  33. The Stage Names — Okkervil River
  34. Sound of Silver — LCD Soundsystem
  35. I'll Follow You — Oakley Hall
  36. Let's Just Be — Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
  37. Asleep at Heaven's Gate — Rogue Wave
  38. Boxer — The National
  39. The Con — Tegan & Sara
  40. Beyond — Dinosaur Jr.
  41. Phantom Punch — Sondre Lerche
  42. Lifeline — Ben Harper
  43. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter — Josh Ritter
  44. The Go! Team — Proof of Youth
  45. All Y'all — Travis Morrison
  46. Cassadega — Bright Eyes
  47. Children Running Through — Patty Griffin
  48. Living With the Living — Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
  49. Imagine Our Love — Lavender Diamond
  50. Nighttiming — Coconut Records
  51. Writer's Block — Peter Bjorn & John
  52. Magic — Bruce Springsteen
  53. Alright, Still — Lily Allen
  54. Release the Stars — Rufus Wainwright
  55. What Is?! — King Khan & the Shrines
  56. Those the Brokes — The Magic Numbers
  57. Not Too Late — Norah Jones
  58. Spirit If… — Kevin Drew
  59. Traffic and Weather — Fountains of Wayne
  60. Person Pitch — Panda Bear
  61. Autumn of the Seraphs — Pinback
  62. Emerald City — John Vanderslice
  63. 2GS — Two Gallants
  64. Icky Thump — The White Stripes
  65. Bayani — Blue Scholars
  66. Graduation — Kanye West
  67. Memory Almost Full — Paul McCartney
  68. West — Lucinda Williams
  69. The Flying Club Cub — Beirut
  70. Datarock Datarock — Datarock
  71. Era Vulgaris — Queens of the Stone Age
  72. City Beach — Jill Cunniff
  73. The Good, The Bad & The Queen — The Good, The Bad & The Queen
  74. Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon — Devendra Banhart
  75. The Mix-Up — Beastie Boys
  76. Volta — Bjork
  77. The Moon Station House Band — David Vandervelde
  78. I Can't Go On, I'll Go On — The Broken West
  79. Time on Earth — Crowded House
  80. Make a New World — Idlewild
  81. Heresey and the Hotel Choir — Maritime
  82. Planet of Ice — Minus the Bear
  83. Reichenbach Falls — Ravens & Chimes
  84. Wild Mountain Nation — Blitzen Trapper
  85. Baby 81 — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
  86. So This Is Great Britain? — The Holloways
  87. Mirrored — Battles
  88. Our Love to Admire — Interpol
  89. Under the Blacklight — Rilo Kiley
  90. Andorra — Caribou
  91. The Black & White Album — The Hives
  92. We Are the Night — The Chemical Brothers
  93. The Search — Son Volt
  94. Pocket Symphony — Air
  95. Favourite Worst Nightmare — Arctic Monkeys
  96. Or Give Me Death — Aqueduct
  97. Sensuous — Cornelius
  98. Glitter in the Gutter — Jesse Malin
  99. Hey Trouble — The Concretes
  100. Gifts & Burdens — Holly O'Reilly
  101. Shock Value — Timbaland
  102. Ben Lee Covers Against Me!'s New Wave — Ben Lee
  103. Soundboy Rock — Groove Armada
  104. Places Like This — Architecture in Helsinki
  105. Planet Earth — Prince
  106. Drums and Guns — Low
  107. I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real — Yacht
  108. Hey Venus! — Super Furry Animals
  109. A Weekend in the City — Bloc Party
  110. Teenager — The Thrills
  111. The Throne… — Le Loup
  112. Fancy Footwork — Chromeo
  113. So No! to Being Cool. Say Yes to Being Happy — The Soft.Lightes
  114. New Magnetic Wonder — the apples in stereo
  115. An End Has a Start — Editors
  116. Memory Man — Aqualung
  117. The Meaning of 8 — Cloud Cult
  118. Random Spirit Lover — Sunset Rubdown
  119. Yours Truly, Angry Mob — Kaiser Chiefs
  120. Roadkillovercoat — Busdriver