So I'm early
20 Best Albums Of 2007
No. 20 Yours Truly Angry Mob by Kaiser Cheifs
So, see, I disliked Kaiser Cheifs back when they and Bloc Party first came to the US and proudly supported the Bloc. Why? "Banque" is a far hotter song than "I Predict A Riot" or "Oh My God" (which Lily Allen does better for Mark Ronson, but that's later). But while the Bloc bored me with
A Weekend In The City until the late addition of "Flux," Cheifs progressed forward with a rather interesting album built, I think, around the sparkling "Ruby." Two rather good single choices put them in my good graces and into the top 20.
Required non-singles: Retirement, Thank You Very Much
No. 19 Because I Love It by Amerie
Hello pretty lady
and your decision to make a coheisive album. While "Take Control" and "Everything U R" moved nowhere in the US and I don't care for "Gotta Work," Amerie showed progress in developing as the frantic-vocal Beyonce and should be able to avoid comparison hereonout. Her manic song "Hate 2 Love" and the more breezy ballad "Everything U R" are perfect dicotomies in showing the development of a woman coming into her own musically and having a clear idea of where she wants the music to go.
Required non-singles: Hate 2 Love U, Paint Me Over, Crush
No. 18 Minutes To Midnight by Linkin Park
Admittedly, this is more due to the understood quality and growth the band has shown. It's definitly not because I like it, for I sorta hate it. Part of it is residual hate for "What I've Done," part is over Chester's determination to show everyone his ass but a lot deals with, to me, a drop in song quality. I mean, "Bleed It Out" is great and the major standout but it's not even in the ballpark of "Faint" or "Crawling." But the overall effect of the album is impressive, if at times cold. Seriously though, put your baggy pants back on Chester and start on the next album. Methinks you are out of singles material.
Required non-singles: Leave Out All The Rest, Wake, In Between
No. 17 The Sun & The Moon by The Bravery
In a bizarre twist, I absolutely could not stand their lead single and yet lurve the album. Call it a reverse Foos/Paramore effect (seriously ya'll, paramore? Way the **** overrated, especially in terms of "rawk"). Anyways, rather than following the Killers away from the dance rock they just added some more grown up songs like the rather pleasant finale "The Ocean" mixed in with the dance. Rather surprising bit of development from a band everyone called copycats.
Required non-singles: Every Word IS A Knife In My Ear, The Ocean, Angelina
No. 16 Under The Blacklights by Rilo Kiley
Yes yes, most fans hate this album cuz Mike Elizondo got his grubby ****** hands on it./ And yes, there's some major clunkers on the album. However, they are sorta confined to the end of it so you can just pretend the album is an EP and finished at "Dejalo" so all is well. While it does cement Jenny as the solo force in the band, the strongest song is still the Fleetwood Mac-esque "Dreamworld." But "Breakin' Up" is still ear crack. Sure, they sold out to the corporates but it's still a rather good listen.
Required non-singles: Breakin' Up, Dejalo, Dreamworld
No. 15 Infinity On High by Fall Out Boy
The hells is this, they did a great album?!?! Aren't they supposed to suck? Well, there is still "Golden" and "The Life of the (After) Party" to make you roll your eyes but then excellent tracks like "I'm Like A Lawyer...(Me & You)" or "Fame > Infamy" shows up and confuses you. No, it's not emo. And it's not crap. Now if they would just wear pants that fit...
Required non-singles: Hum Hallelujah, Fame > Infamy, I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers
No. 14 X by Kylie Minogue
So there's been plenty of faint praise for her latest - usually saying it's better than "Body Language" but that's not much. well, I scoff at that. In terms of being just songs, this album is probably her strongest collection since "Impossible Princess" and is clearly the best work of her Paraphone era. Sure, "Nu-di-thy" and "Cosmic" are crap but "Stars" and "Like A Drug" more than make up for it. While not everyone liked "2 Hearts" I say she outdid both Goldfrapp and Christina Aquilera with her modern twist on big band. And on songs like Drug and "In My Arms" and even "All I See" she shows Gwen how to do wonky beats and silly ghettoized lyrics. Impressive work.
Required non-singles: Stars, Speakerphone, The One, Wow, Like A Drug
No. 13 Year Zero by nine inch nails
Like Trent would not be on the list? A nice and controlled anger stays just a tad meaner than
[with teeth]. While echoing some of the distress over being an American in Bush's America - war, turning New Orleans into Atlantis for two weeks, stupid policies - his anger stregthens his writing and gives it some emothional growth.
Required non-singles: God Given, Vessel, Capital G
No. 12 Robyn by Robyn
Sweden's Britney chooses lyrics rather than marriage to get her agression off, making a snarling pop album that is unapologetic for it's bluntness. While we all love "With every Heartbeat" its by no means reflective of the album - her decision to release "Handle Me" is a more fair estimate of the music. She's clearly grown into her sexuality and has no problem expressing it and that is always fun and dangerous. Should WEH ever get a stateside release, it could be a monster of a single.
Required non-singles: Crash & Burn Girl, Cobrastyle, Jack U Off
No. 11 Alright Still by Lily Allen
Little ole Lily has a sunny chipper voice which works well in direct contrast to her dirty, vengful and mean songs about life in London. She's also cute as a button, so watching her sing "LDN" or "Smile" makes a rather fun disconnect between her and the song and she sells it rather well.
Required non-singles: Shame For You (British A-side, so I cheat), Knock'em Out
No. 10 My December by Kelly Clarkson
So people hated it. I think it's cuz she was mean to Clive Davis, cuz for the most part her album is her strongest release in her career. The only problem is that between "Sober" and "Maybe" are four of her worst songs ever - with "Don't Waste Your Time" being so godawful it's astounding she still included it. But with tracks like "Irvine" showing her folksy side and "Hole" showing she can rock as hard as many mainstream rock bands, I still say she acomplished what she wanted for this release.
Required non-singles: Irvine, Hole, One Minute, Maybe, Can I Have A Kiss
No. 9 The Reminder by Feist
Having no idea who she was I downloaded it on a whim. And glad I have, for it's eclectic without being too too out there, it snarls and meanders like a cold Canadian breeze. She's hidden at times by the music but that's not a problem cuz musically it's rather amazing.
Required non-singles: Sea Lion Woman, The Water, Brandy Alexander
No. 8 Graduation by Kanye West
Yay Kanye, you made an album I like again, since I could not stand
Late Registration. His rapping is stronger than his first two releases and he actually is able to contain the randomness that usually makes me roll my eyes and hit the skip button.
Required non-singles: Barry Bonds, Champion, The Glory
No. 7 Versions by Mark Ronson
Love it! SO he doesn't sing, but Mark has proven to be an excellent producer and this mix of remakes of such differing songs shows how much the 60s influence his sounds and how this could be the next great production movement. Plus, he worked with great singers who made the songs different and more unique than covers usually are.
Required non-singles: Toxic, Pretty Green, Apply Some Pressure
No. 6 Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Most will say it better, but I love this one. Yay me :-p
Required non-singles: Conquest, Little Cream Soda, St. Andrew
No. 5 Tangled Up by Girls Aloud
So after rewriting the idea of a pop album with
Chemistry, the gals and their producers Xenomania chose to rewrite the rules yet again. By giving the ladies a bite they have only hinted at. Songs like "Fling" and "Close To Love" let them own their sexuality and horniness while "Control of The Knife" and "Damn" show progress as a group as well as letting them actually sound like 5 people harmonizing rather than as Nadine and the ladies.
Required non-singles: Control Of The Knife, Fling, Crocodile Tears
No. 4 Back To Black by Amy Winehouse
Sure she's an amazing wreck but B2B is a class act in reinterpreting jazz and 1960s r&b. From the lead single "Rehab" you sense her inner turmoil through the whole album - good, as she wrote it about her enabiler...er...husband after the broke up after her debut album
Frank. Her pain, her booze, her addictions and her desires echo throughout her work and Mark Ronson deserves the Best Producer Grammy based soley on lessening the crazy and making an album that perfectly merges the past and the present.
Required non-singles: Some Unholy War, He Can Only Hold Her
No. 3 Kala by M.I.A.
Taking a page from Franz Ferdinand, the top 3 all easily passed their amazing work on their debuts. For M.I.A., she becomes a global warrior thanks to the US denying her a work visa. And trust when I say that if she had done the entire album with Timba, I'd probably hate it for there's no way he could have come up with anything like "Boyz" or "BirdFlu" or "Jimmy." She uses the global issues and mixes them craftily into her songs, sings of pain and hate and hope and despare within the same song and lays it out for all to hear. Brilliant record that could easily be the best this year. Too bad the Grammys can't flippin' listen.
Required non-singles: $20, xr2, Bamboo Banger, The Turn
No. 2 Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys
The Monkeys come in ahead of MIA since they actually combined two different albums into one record and made it work amazingly. Tracks 1-5 sound like a meaner "Everything They Say I Am..." while 6-12, thanks to the position of "The Only One Who Knows" sounds like a modern take on the 60s surfer music. While the singles have been from the front half and have been massive (especially the amazing Brianstorm and the lyrical masterpiece that is Flourescent Adolescence) it's the back half with 505, Old Yellow Bricks, Do Me A Favour and Only One where the track shimmers with a refreshing take on how rock should be.
Required non-singles: 505, Do Me A Favour, Only One Who Knows
No. 1 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend by Miranda Lambert
And how does Miss Miranda snatch the Best Album of 2007? She made no mistakes and made a ballzy album that should be rewriting how country albums should be made. When she rocks, she's meaner than any Outlaw and rowdier than anything the Musik Mafia could churn. She shows the men of Nashville how to rock on the title track and the ****ing amazing "Gunpowder & Lead." Which, when released next year, should shove the other blondes ruining country out to pasture. But when she goes gentle and sad, like on "Love Letters" or "Desperation" she can shatter what remains. On her covers, she chose classic elements that only aid in solidifying the Crazy Ex idea, be it some Emmylou Harris (Easy From Now On), Patti Griffith (Getting Ready, where she sounds thrilled to be leaving his ass) and Carlene Carter (on Dry Town, which actually sounds humourous afdter G&L). The fact that country is ignoring her is criminal and should hopefully be fixed with G&L comming next year.
Required non-singles: Gunpowder & Lead, Easy From Now On, Love Letters, Dry Town, Getting Read
