Top 10 Albums of 2007
10. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
Come back Ryan, all is forgiven for the terrible live show I saw earlier in the year. The consequence of that chaotic evening's 'entertainment' was that this album was given short shrift until late in November when I finally got round to putting the gig behind me. Just as well I did. What we have here is his best work since Gold. Back to his alt-country roots, Adams mixes rockers with what he does best - heartfelt melancholy. The tunes are there, the lyrics personal and it reminds me most of all of his work with Whiskeytown.
9. Blonde Redhead - 23
These art rockers from New York have really left their Sonic Youth past behind them and created a pop album of fragile melodies and ethereal beats. St Etienne, My Bloody Valentine and even the Charlatans spring to mind at times. This is an album that grows with each listen, unveiling new layers on each play. The dual vocals of Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace also work well, subtley changing the tone and direction of the music and delivering something truly different and experimental seven albums into their career. Impressive.
8. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
Well, who would have expected this from the Sonic Youth front man, an introspective collection of acoustic songs that at times have been likened to Nick Drake. It sounds like it could have been self-indulgent, but in the end we have a brilliant collection of tunes, that maintain just enough of SY's chaos to keep you on the edge of your seat. Accompanied by a drummer and violinist, the album has a moody feel, without being downbeat. The album is certainly more straightforward than anything I have heard from him before (even J Mascis, who plays lead guitar on four songs, keeps himself restrained), but it's never dull and the songcraft is as spot on as ever.
7. Grinderman - Grinderman
Two side projects in this top ten already and one more to come. Grinderman is Nick Cave and a collection of Bad Seeds blowing some steam from what seems like a mid-life crisis. Aggressive, rude and raw, the band maintain the quality of the the recent Bad Seeds albums but recapture the intensity of Birthday Party recordings. Cave's lyrics are as dexterous as ever, particularly when lamenting a problematic dry patch in No Pussy Blues. There is nothing subtle about any of this but turned up loud, it sounds great.
6. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of ...
Simply put, this is songwriting at its finest. Ritter has always been a deft lyricist, and inevitably attracted many comparisons to Dylan, but here he also presents a collection of tunes that seem to sum up all that is good about Americana in one packet. He never gets weighed down under the responsibility of it all though and the over-riding feeling of this collection of songs is that the man himself is having a ball. As a consequence, so do you.
5. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Every review I have read of this album has focused on the strange partnership that is the ageing rocker with the bluegrass goddess. It never seemed that odd to me, Led Zeppelin's music always had its foundations in America's roots. The real surprise, I guess, was Plant's ability to harmonise so well with Krauss. Had this been an album of originals rather than covers, this may well have been at number one. In the end, it matters little, T-Bone's song choice is as thoughtful as ever and the musicianship that backs the vocals is perfect. However, it is the two voices that really make this album a hit. It was recorded in only a few sessions but they sound like they have been together for years.
4. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
This album stands as something of a departure for Sam Beam. The folksy undertones are still there, as are his breathy vocals, but it's altogether a more lush and complex set of songs than anything Iron & Wine have produced before. Layers of strings, horns, guitars and harmonies are laid on top of one another and the whole thing must be quite a spectacle live. Impressively, the songs are intimate but rich and eerily beautiful in their scope.
3. Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge
Rather unfairly in my opinion, Lady's Bridge attracted mixed reviews on its release. Those standing in the negative camp mainly based their criticism on Hawley's lack of ambition to diversify from the sound that brought us Coles Corner. Personally, I think they missed the point. Why should anyone want Hawley to diversify, there are so few artists out there capable of crafting songs like this that it would be our loss if he shifted tack. That's not to say this is Coles Corner II. Lady's Bridge is a little more anthemic, a bit more upbeat and all the better for it.
2. Feist - The Reminder
A testament to a great singer, whose old fashioned vocal performance is married to a thoroughly modern album. The range of styles on this album is breathtaking, from jazz to bluegrass, soul to indie-pop, but it all works brilliantly, held together by great production and that voice. There's not a dud on this album from the Broken Social Scene member and though it's impossible to classify her, there is something for everyone here.
1. The National - Boxer
Alligator 2 this is not. It lacks its predecessor's obvious singles and rock-along moments. As a consequence, this is a far less accessible work. But stick with it and the genius begins to reveal itself. The drumming, at first un-nerving, works itself into your consciousness, Matt Berniger's vocal performance is hauntingly good, and the subtle nature of the song-writing gradually unveils itself. When it does, any fear the band wouldn't top Alligator are blown away by a near faultless set of songs.
Close, but no Cigar
Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Elliott Smith - New Moon
The Hold Steady - Girls and Boys of America
Top 10 Tracks of 2007
10. Dinosaur Jr - This Is All I Came To Do
9. The Hold Steady - Same Kooks
8. Blanche - I'm Sure Of It
7. Soulsavers - Revival
6. Devendra Banhart - Seahorse
5. Bright Eyes - Hot Knives
4. The Decemberists - Crane Wife Pts 1&2
3. Rufus Wainwright - Slide Show
2. Bruce Springsteen - Gypsy Rider
1. The Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
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