There was another thread, but it was made a bit too early in the year. A few new albums have come up since then and it's time for a more finalized list. Here we go.
Album of the Year:
Menomena - Friend and Foe
For me this album was love at first site. From the nice little opener Muscle 'n Flo to the downright awesome Evil Bee, this album has just done it for me time and time again more than any other album that I've heard so far this year. Consistently great from start to finish. If anything the songs become more epic as the album goes along, with the peak at Evil Bee. This group has gotten progressively better through their past two releases and are definitely high on my list of "When the hell is their next album coming out" list.
Runners up:
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, are you the Destroyer? (Crazy, unpredictable, and a classic)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (Them boys still got it)
Blonde Redhead - 23 (Because Japanese singers are cool)
Battles - Mirrored (Most fun album since Hissing Fauna)
Amon Tobin - Foley Room (Electronic album of the year)
Disappointment of the year:
Hurt - Vol. 2
Man I had such high aspirations for this group after their solid debut Vol. 1. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it rocked pretty hard and the singer has a very interesting voice. Lyrically it wasn't half bad, and it was very consistent overall. Unfortunately, their second album suffers from a lack of consistency and, well, good songs. The single "Ten Ton Brick" wasn't half bad, but it was no "Rapture", and it only gets worse from there. The band lost something in the year since Vol. 1, and unfortunately I don't think they're gonna have a chance for a Vol. 3. Here's to Hurt, the little band that almost did.
Runners up:
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (Major disappointment, but I saw it coming)
Seal - System (This isn't the Seal that did Human Being)
And just for the heck of it...
The "Back in my Good Graces" award goes to...
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
After the failed lessen in sobriety that was With Teeth (the last three songs did kick ass though), it seems that Reznor has finally gotten the hang of being sober, and as a result released an album that is a good bit better than his last effort. Granted, the advertising for the album was greater than the album itself, the album wasn't a total wash. Indeed, he seems to remember a bit of what made him great in the first place. Noise, lots of Noise. It seems like he's starting to get some emotion back into his music, and not just the anger that was in With Teeth. The concept part of the album is nowhere near as well defined as it was in The Downward Spiral (and what could be?), and I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to hear the follow up album to make a whole lot of sense out of the thing. On another note, this album also has the least swearing (2 f-bombs I think) out of every one of his major releases (not counting EPs). The color changing CD was a nice little touch that I don't recall ever being done before. In my book, if you're already established as a good artist, you have to make two stinkers before before you're on my naughty list, and thankfully the Rez has redeemed himself IMO.
Well that was a bit longer than I intended, but I tried to give reason for my listings and not list every album I bought this year that I liked. All in all, 2007 was a pretty good year for music. At least for me anyways.
P.S. Man I really need to listen to The National one of these days.
