Top Ten Albums of 2007

I know that my musical opinion is no more important than anyone’s, but since I do have a place to do it, I’m going to give my top ten albums of the year. All of the top tens I see in Rolling Stone or any other “hip” music magazine all have roughly the same list. I can assure that my list will not contain any Amy Winehouse or Animal Collective (a band that I can’t understand why anyone would listen to.) I know this blog focuses mainly on songs, but what I’m giving you here is my top ten albums of the year. I’m not saying these are the top ten singles or songs, but these are the albums that spent the most time in my CD player. So without further ado, I give you the
list:

10. Mae - Singularity
Despite what my brother, my sister-in-law or my roommate might tell you, Singularity is actually a good album. True, it doesn’t come near what Mae has done in the past and I think they could’ve done a little better, but there are still some great songs here. Mae is still one of my favorite bands and I wish Singularity would’ve landed higher on my list, but I couldn’t not include it. Here is the song that should’ve been the first single, “Brink of Disaster.”



Mae - "Brink of Disaster"

9. Future of Forestry - Twilight
Twilight is about as good as a debut can get. Future of Forestry sound huge on this record, due in part to the amazing production skills of Ken Andrews. FOF kind of renewed my hope in worship music and hopefully they showed a lot of people that Christian music can be innovative and doesn’t have to suck. “Thinking of You” is probably the catchiest track and is a good example of what the band is capable of. I can’t wait to hear more.



Future of Forestry - "Thinking of You"

8. As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep
As Cities Burn’s sophomore album may as well be a debut, considering they completely retooled their sound and changed lead singers. What they came up with was one of the most emotionally raw records of the year. The lyrical content is spiritually deep and inspiring. Singer Cody Bonnette really finds his voice on this album and the guitars sound amazing. “Our World Is Grey” probably has the best lyrics on the album and a great guitar explosion at the beginning that reminds me of Thursday. Always a good sign.


As Cities Burn - "Our World Is Grey"

7. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect from Modest Mouse after they hit pop gold with “Float On” in 2004. Would they cater more toward radio now or would they go back to their old ways? I’m glad to say that Isaac Brock and the gang didn’t try to cash in with another hit single. We Were Dead takes a little longer to get into, but once you listen a few times, you can’t stop listening. “Spitting Venom” has one of the most dynamic changes I’ve ever heard in a song, going from a strummed acoustic, to a barrage of guitars courtesy of Brock and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Especially great is the outro, where the song takes an unexpected turn, complete with horns.


Modest Mouse - "Spitting Venom"

6. Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Relient K further honed their pop prowess on Five Score and Seven Years Ago, an album that includes more piano than ever before but still plenty of guitar crunch. They’ve pretty much perfected the three minute pop-punk song as evidenced by first single “Must Have Done Something Right.” Another highlight is the epic 11 minute album closer “Deathbed.” “Forgiven" really shows how far Relient K has come in recent years with some great piano, not to mention the outstanding melody and lyrics.



Relient K - "Forgiven"

5. Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
Okay, okay, Manchester Orchestra's debut technically came out in late 2006, however it didn’t see a national release until July of this year so nobody really knew about it. This is just an amazing debut that I bought on a whim after hearing one song and it’s one of the most impressive albums I’ve heard in a long time. Singer Andy Hull’s voice fits the music so perfectly and his lyrics are spiritually thought provoking. “Colly Strings” is my favorite track and a great way to wrap up the album because of its slow build and anthemic ending. Well done.


Manchester Orchestra - "Colly Strings"

4. Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre
When I first got Say Anything's sophomore release I was a little apprehensive about the fact that it was two discs. With that many songs, there is sure to be some filler and of course there is. But if you remove one song from the first disc and add three or four from the second disc, you have an amazing collection of 15 or 16 tracks and possibly the best album of the year. Max Bemis can craft hooks with the best of them and he has the ability to make a song do a 180 right in the middle and it still works. “The Word You Wield” is the best song on disc two and it reminds me so much of Weezer, right down to the “whoa-ohs” in the chorus.


Say Anything - "The Word You Wield"

3. Anberlin - Cities
Anberlin’s third album Cities finds them stepping up their game and branching out with a few acoustic based tracks. They still bring the rock as good as ever on songs like “Godspeed” and “Hello Alone.” The epic closer “Fin” shows great diversity as well. Anberlin have signed to a major label and hopefully it won’t change them at all. “Alexithymia” has a great hook and is one of the most rocking tunes on the record. It’s title is a medical term for the inability to express one’s feelings, which is ironic because singer Stephen Christian does such a good job of that on this record.


Anberlin - "Alexithymia"

2. Matthew Good - Hospital Music
Hospital Music is Matthew Good’s third solo album since this dissolution of Matthew Good Band earlier this decade. This record was born out of his time spent in the hospital after he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. It’s also quite influenced by his recent divorce. Keeping these things in mind while listening brings a whole new perspective to songs like “She’s In It for the Money” and the excellent cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You In the End.” “A Single Explosion” is a pretty simple song but it has great lyrics and cool guitar lick that really stays with you. Hospital Music is further proof that Matthew Good can’t put out a bad record. Hopefully there’s plenty more where this came from.


Matthew Good - "A Single Explosion"

1. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
I anticipated the release of several albums from some of my favorite bands this year. Of all that anticipation, Chase This Light is the one album that truly delivered on all my expectations. It had been three years since the release of their fourth album Futures and I was getting antsy for some new Jimmy Eat World. From the opening chords of first single “Big Casino,” I knew I would not be disappointed. Chase This Light finds Jimmy Eat World at the top of their game. There is no filler here. Even when they step out of their norm for a moody, string driven song like “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues” or the make you wanna dance “Here It Goes,” they still sound like themselves and it still works. “Dizzy” is the perfect song to end the album with. It’s full of emotional lyrics and Jim Adkins’ voice has never sounded better. A very poignant song indeed.


Jimmy Eat World - "Dizzy"

So there it is, take it or leave it, my list of the top ten albums of 2007. If you don’t have any of these albums I suggest you pick them up and hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Don’t ever let anyone tell that there is not any good new music these days. You just have to dig deep and find it for yourself. Happy New Year and here’s to another year of great music.