I posted this a while ago on my blog but forgot to add it here.

Every year countless albums by musical artists are released. Most end up on the heap of forgotten art but a few land in the pantheon of classics. I have chosen seven from 2007 that have made it into my permanent collection of music I appreciate and love. (There are many more on my list but for the sake of time and parallelism I narrowed the list to seven.)

7. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

After the commercial success of “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” many expected a very “mainstream” follow up. Don’t let the catchy, even up beat sound of “We Were Dead…” fool you, Isaac Brok is the same sarcastic and angry pessimist. In the first line of the album he sings, “If food needed pleasing you’d suck all the seasoning off, Suck it off!/Well, treat me like the disease like the rats and the fleas, A-ha-ha!” Modest Mouse acquired a new member, the former guitarist of the Smiths, Johnny Marr whose soaring guitar work adds a new and exciting layer to the band. James Mercer of the Shins also joins them on a few tracks, contributing perfect backing vocals. There are very few dull moments on this album. My favorites include “ Parting of the Sensory”, “Missed the Boat”, “We’ve Got Everything”, and “Fly Trapped in a Jar”. The radio friendly pop single “Dashboard” is dripping with sarcastic optimism that will surely put a smile on your face and make you dance. Modest Mouse’s “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” is an album that makes a slow burning end to the world sound fun.

6. Justice - †

The Parisian duo known as Justice has risen to the top of the “blog-house” movement with their dirty blend of funk and French-house. The opening track of Justice’s debut album, “Genesis”, sounds like an ominous army of crusaders marching towards impending destruction. It arrives on †, destroying your ears, speakers, and perceptions of what electronica music is. Tracks like “Let There Be Light”, “ Phantom Part 1”, “DVNO”, and “Waters of Nazareth” are killer dance floor bombs. Then there is the towering single, “D.A.N.C.E.” that has been remixed and reworked dozens of times by the top dj’s and electro producers in the world. Justice has also been busy remixing the likes of N.E.R.D., Franz Ferdinand, Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake into palms out, body rocking tracks. † is an edgy, funky, and thoroughly epic debut for Justice, that is no doubt the dance album of the year.

5. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

The brilliant multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Bird released, in my opinion, the most underrated album of the year. Armchair Apocrypha is a record to savor. Andrew Bird’s lyrical prose is beautiful and sophisticated without being pretentious. Although the lyrics may not necessarily be deep and philosophical they are provocative and genuine. Each track of Armchair Apocrypha is its own poetic vignette. Bird’s skillful layering of guitar, keyboard, glockenspiel, violin, and signature whistling are impeccable. The music feels so natural and organic that you don’t realize he is layering all the instruments himself. Live, you are able to see how incredible this music really is. One of the most interesting songs is the title track, “Armchairs”, a somber yet humorous romance of seven minutes. “Fiery Crash”, “Heretics”, and “Scythian Empire” are other personal favorites. If you are unfamiliar with this talented Chicago musician I highly recommend this record.

4. M.I.A. – Kala

I have to admit, I did not fully appreciate this album till I saw M.I.A. live. Since then I haven’t been able to stop listening to it. Kala is an exciting fusion of hip-hop, electronica, dance, and world genres. The music is violent and unruly but the producing is crisp and polished. M.I.A.’s sophomore release is jam packed with a conglomerate of exotic samples and beats. From the opening track “Bamboo Banga” you can’t help but move and chant along with Maya and the throbbing bass. “Bird Flu” is so chaotic and entertaining that you forget that the song has little to no melody. There is no doubt that the album carries an anti-war message although in a satirical fashion. Maya ruthlessly snaps, “ Pirate skulls and bones/Sticks and stones and weed and bombs/Running when we hit ‘em/Lethal poison through their system”. There is a lot more to the album than what you hear. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam has a very interesting history that is very much apart of her music. “Boyz”, “World Town”, and “XR2” are sensational dance tracks to rock any party. Whether you like it or not Kala is one of the most creative and diverse albums of the year.

3. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga

Connor Oberst delivers another truly magnificent modern folk album, the breadth and scope of which is breathtaking. He is joined by an impressive ensemble of musicians including; M. Ward, Ben Kweller, Jason Boesel, and Maria Taylor. Cassadaga is a transcendental journey across a dark Americana landscape. In “Four Winds” Oberst makes his way, “to old Dakota where genocide sleeps/in the Black Hills, the Badlands, the calloused East/I buried my ballast, I made my peace.” “Hot Knives” and “Make a Plan to Love Me” are dark and dynamic arrangements of distorted acoustic guitar, female harmonies, and majestic orchestration. I love the swanky country sound of “Soul Singer in a Session Band”, “Classic Cars”, and “I Must Belong Somewhere”. My favorite track of the record is “No One Would Riot for Less”, an incredibly chilling love story that takes place in the midst of the apocalypse. I saw Bright Eyes at Kingsbury Hall in SLC this year and was completely blown away by their awe-inspiring performance. Live, this music takes on an almost otherworldly beauty that is exhilarating. Conor Oberst’s prolific song writing combined with his growth as a musician make Cassadaga one of his best records to date and a must have.

2. Radiohead – In Rainbows

The monumental release of Radiohead’s long awaited 7th studio album was the biggest surprise of the year. I am a huge Radiohead fan. Since the announcement early in the year that they were recording, I waited anxiously for any bit of news regarding the album’s release. Spring, Summer, and Fall came but no album. Eventually the rumors and reports indicated that the album would not be out till 2008. Then when no one was looking, a short message on Radiohead’s website announced the completion of the album and its direct self-release in ten days. No label, producer, promoter, distributor, or PRICE. Fans got to choose what they wanted to pay for the DRM-free digital release of In Rainbows. This threw the blog world and music industry into an uproar. The album itself caused less commotion than the actual release, which also was a surprise. In Rainbows is the most straightforward album since The Bends. It is a considerable downshift in Radiohead’s methodology but in no way devolutionary. The instrumentation is simple yet intricately beautiful. Thome Yorke’s voice is calm and soothing and he even sings a few love songs; “You are all I need” and “I don’t wanna be your friend/I just wanna be your lover”, sings Yorke. The opening track “15 Steps” is the only reminiscent piece of Kid A and Amnesiac. Thom Yorke sings in an R&B style over chopped up, stuttering electronic beats with a group of children cheering in the background. After kicking up the tempo in the guitar heavy “Bodysnatchers”, the album slips into a melodious groove that fades out with “Videotape”. In Rainbows is a captivating and sublime addition to Radiohead’s illustrious discography.

1. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Arcade Fire’s follow up to their critically acclaimed debut Funeral, was released in early 2007. I was apprehensive and unsure as to what it would bring. For a band that has been heralded as the saviors of music, the sophomore record has a lot to live up to and the potential to be disappointing at best. Neon Bible was anything but that. Arcade Fire could have easily made another Funeral. Instead they branched out with an array of new instrumentation including, pipe organs, choirs, and orchestral arrangements while polishing their existing idiosyncrasies. Neon Bible is much darker and subtler than its predecessor. Win Butler laments the strains of modern life and appeals for an escape, “Every night my dream’s the same/Same old city with a different name/They’re not coming to take me away/I don’t know why but I know I can’t stay…” The songwriting and production is deeper, more calculated, and refined. “(Antichrist Television Blues)” and “Windowsill” are chilling, Nebraska-era Springsteen, Anthems. “Ocean of Noise”, “Neon Bible”, “Black Waves/Bad Vibrations”, and “My Body is a Cage” are eerie, slow burning ballads. Arcade Fire delivers their signature stomping rock tracks on “Keep the Car Running”, “Intervention”, and “No Cars Go”. Not only is this an impressive album, it is incredible live. I saw Arcade Fire twice this year perform mind-blowing sets. Neon Bible is Arcade Fire at is best, melancholic and emotive yet melodic and upbeat. It is the most compelling and definitive album of the year.

* Other notable releases of 2007

Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vol. I & II

LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver

Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer

Feist – The Reminder

Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away

Lily Allen – Alright Still

Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position

Rocky Votolato – The Bragg and Cuss