Dec 2007
Top 10 CDs of 2007
18/12/07 16:50
By SAM LADACH-BARK
Akron/Family (Love is Simple) -- The lyrics may be cheesy and juvenile (the opening track repeats "Go out and love, love, love, everyone"), but there's something intrinsically special about the off-center presentation. It feels like an incredibly well-coordinated drum circle at the beach, and one can't help but grin. A collision of string, percussion and twisted shouts might begin to shed light on the style, but they don't encompass the downright fun to be found inside. Further defining freak folk as a genre, Akron/Family peddles smiles like the ice cream man in June.
Andrew Bird (Armchair Apocrypha) -- With melodies of splendid intricacy and a digital-delay pedal doing overtime, Andrew Bird's latest cacophony delivers his purest sound yet. Layers of violin and percussion make this album striking, yet easy on the ears. Of course it's Bird's voice, an instrument in and of itself, which takes center stage. While it may not be genre-defining, it comes across as passionate and sincere -- a quality that separates the great from the mediocre.
Apparat (Walls) -- Easily the most genre-challenging album of this or recent years. Sascha Ring and his techno bag of goodies delineate from form but find themselves somewhere in the middle of ambient electronic, techno and hip-hop. Drawing from his roots as a house techno composer, Ring is not without a sweaty dance number in his arsenal. But he also displays several ambient tendencies. A musically emotive album at its core, it's the penetrative and elusive ebb and flow of Walls that makes it impossible to listen to just once.
Arcade Fire (Neon Bible) -- When Funeral was released in 2004, Arcade Fire was pushed onto the international stage in a matter of months. No one could have expected that a Canadian band could sell so many records with little or no television or radio exposure. So now a seven-plus troupe of spotlight-shocked twentysomethings have to prove themselves again. Neon Bible does not disappoint. In previous interviews, Win Butler and crew talked of being excited about using a plethora of new instruments in this effort. As a result, Bible is a beautifully orchestrated haze of swelling melodies, leaving listeners not caring where the noise is coming from, but thankful they're lucky enough to hear it.
Beirut (The Flying Club Cup) -- Zach Condon was only 20 when he released the underground hit Gulag Orkestar late last year. How this flowering multi-instrumentalist then managed to tour the world and then work on a sophomore album within a year is a wonder of determination and sheer grit. Condon's latest effort displays the musical prowess of a maturing musician. The instrumentation tightens up and his vocals have blossomed with confidence and grace. And his gypsy and folk influences reflect his time living in Paris. Flying Cup has a sardonic whimsy to it that emulates most European stereotypes -- the good ones at least.
Bjork (Volta) -- At the mere hint of a new Bjork release the hype-o-meter redlines. Pushing it to the breaking point was news that she would collaborate with acclaimed R&B producer Timbaland. Would Bjork produce a rap album? While that idea does sound strangely appealing, our favorite Icelandic pixie opted to return to her kitschy electronic roots. Volta finds Bjork's voice matured but still earth-shattering. It's driven with the help of Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons) and an all-female Icelandic brass section.
Iron & Wine (Shepherd's Dog) -- Leaving behind his stripped-down solo guitar moniker in favor of a full band album, Sam Beam proves his worth not only as a singer/songwriter but as a melodic mastermind. Shepherd's Dog features songs with the same beautifully cryptic lyrics, but layered with strings, percussion and brass. While it loses some of its intimacy it gains a sense of collective fervor. Multiple instrumental beats seamlessly bound to Beam's tender voice manage to feel just right.
The National (Boxer) -- It feels like the emergence of a new Bruce Springsteen when you hear Matt Beringer's lonely highway lyrics and baritone vocals. With help of near-flawless orchestration, this New York-based blue collar band stumbled on a sound that's altogether penetrating. Sampling from a variety of new and old influences, Boxer feels like a modern rock collage. Good artists borrow, but great ones steal. We won't hold it against them, though. Nobody could have done it justice as brilliantly as they have.
Radiohead (In Rainbows) -- Filled with squelchy guitar, soothing electronic and a familiar choirboy voice, Radiohead's latest encompasses everything an entire generation has come to love about this British power band. While it does lend itself more readily to their electronic adaptation (beginning with Amnesiac or Kid A, depending on who you ask), In Rainbows still kicks out a few tracks worthy of the band's cutting rock roots. Ever worthy of our praises, Radiohead proves that no good thing should have to come to an end.
Wilco (Sky Blue Sky) -- Who needs change? Nobody as far as Wilco is concerned. Jamming out pleasing rock and somber folk, Jeff Tweedy and crew prove that music doesn't have to evolve to be great. Sky Blue Sky further rediscovers the American rock heartbeat. A well-placed six-string guitar solo and a catchy piano tune still go a long way.
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