The Top 40 Albums of 2007

It's been a great year in music. The Boss made a triumphant return in a year that also saw an above expectations album from Britney, a catchy though seemingly pilfered smash from Avril, a famed producer on trial, and the usual slew of hip-hop artists run ins with the law. The business side of the music industry also had some shake ups. Social networks, coffee giants, and digital releases created a brand new way for artists to get their music out.

So here's our list for The Best Albums of 2007. It's taken awhile to create this list and there's a bunch of great music we missed because of time and money, but from what we heard, these are the albums that made an impact on us. Please leave your thoughts, comments, and critiques and let us know how your favorites fared. You can view the entire list here.

All and all, it's hard to complain about the soundtrack for our lives in 2007. Strong releases from big name mainstream artists and lesser known independent artists made for an incredibly varied and eclectic mix. We at the Black Tambourine can't wait to see how music in 2008 will shape our lives and impact our culture. Thanks for reading.

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All you die hard Arcade Fire fans can now start sending your hate mail.


10. Kanye West's Graduation, the conclusion to his school themed trilogy, may be less innovative but is no less entertaining than his previous outings. The beats are as good as ever though the social conscience he showed with The College Dropout and Late Registration only makes a brief appearance on Graduation. And while songs like Champion and Can't Tell Me Nothing are chock full of clever lines, it's the instantly catchy Stronger with its Daft Punk sample that proves to be the albums finest moment and may be Kanye's single most strongest moment as a producer.


9. On New Wave, Against Me! cuts the bullshit and asks the question paramount to punk music, "Are you restless like me?" These guys certainly are and with songs like Up The Cuts, Stop, and Piss and Vinegar they aren't afraid to point the finger at record companies and ask the listener to expect more from their music. With pop music masquerading as "punk" music these days, Against Me! is busy making punk relevant again.


8. If Wilco's epic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a fork in the road and down one path lies A Ghost Is Born, then the other path would lead you to Sky Blue Sky. Less experimental and more straight forward in its approach, it feels like a natural release after two albums of build up. Great guitar work is front and center in the mix and Jeff Tweedy has finally found the best Wilco lineup to fit his songs. Wisely, Sky Blue Sky doesn't try to top Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but confidently delivers another solid rock and roll record from one of America's finest.


7. America's most popular underground(?) garage band is back with album number six and show no signs of slowing down. Icky Thump continues the expansion of sounds that Get Behind Me Satan started but keeps enough of the bluesy guitar and drum tracks that are at the core of their assault. The visceral attack of the title track and 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues are enough to put other "Rock" bands to shame.


6. There's something decidedly off with Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer. It may be the dark personal revelations written and sung by Kevin Barnes in an almost falsetto or it could be the way they juxtapose with the danceable pop sound of the music. In the end it doesn't really matter because it all works extremely well as a pop record with real depth that must be listened to more than once to fully appreciate. Psychological breakdowns rarely sound this good.

5. Spoon has been making high quality rock and roll on their own terms for years but with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga they've focused their sound and made their most accessible album yet. The lead single The Underdog is easily this years best pop song and along with the slinky My Little Japanese Cigarette Case and the head nodding Don't you Evah represent the brightest cuts on an album full of highs.

4. When we first heard Beirut's The Flying Club Cup we got extremely excited. You see, something happens when you listen to a lot of music. After a while it becomes impossible to hear a song without hearing only its influences. When that happens you begin searching for music that doesn't really sound like anything you've heard before. The Flying Club Cup does that. Incredibly enough, Zach Condon isn't even in his mid-twenties but his style of French gypsy music filtered through folk make for an intoxicating listen that transcends age and avoids comparison. This is beautiful life affiriming music.


3. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem had two incredible releases this year with two totally different approaches. 45:33 was an opportunity to flex his electronic muscle and create a continuous piece of art thats sole purpose was to make you move. But with Sound of Silver, he's made a true follow up and a worthy successor to LCD Soundsystem's excellent self-titled debut. The vocals on Sound of Silver are by far the biggest improvement this time around. James Murphy's voice elevates each of these songs from a sterile collection of sounds to a gorgeous sonic landscape filled with a human touch that keeps you connected to the music. Though you may be tempted to stereotype Sound of Silver as electronic and leave it at that, it's really too simple an explanation for what's going on here. Listen for yourself and we think you'll find that James Murphy has undoubtedly made the coolest indie rock album of the year.

2. Radiohead has received more press for their "name your own price" marketing campaign for In Rainbows than for the album itself. It's really a shame because In Rainbows represents their best release since OK Computer and may be, song for song, their most cohesive album to date. Songs like Bodysnatchers and Jigsaw Falling Into Place show that this is a band who has come to terms with their legendary status and still has the confidence to evolve and create with out restrictions.

1. This year's top spot goes to Brooklyn's The National. Boxer is not only a great record, but it is without doubt the most poetic set of lyrics you'll hear this year. Matt Berninger's rich baritone is so effecting that even if he hummed these songs you'd instinctively know what frame of mind he's in. His style of repeating phrases makes it seem like he's convincing himself as much as he is the listener. In this case less is more, but The National have no problem delivering well crafted rock songs with a lyrical approach that is both familiar and fresh. When he sings "Walk away now, and you're gonna start a war" you can hear the emotional wearyness that has led to such a desperate threat. An album this satisfying and rewarding is also this year's best.