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Apples in Stereo returns with eclectic,
energetic tunes in New Magnetic Wonder.
Most years, there’s usually a CD or two that stand head (and often
shoulders) above the rest. That’s not the case
for 2007, which produced a slew of superior
CDs, none of which blew the other contenders
out of the water. Still, someone has to win,
so in a race closer than Hillary and Barack in
Iowa, here are the year’s top 10 CDs, with the
best CD honors going to:
1. The White Stripes: Icky Thump
(Third Man/Warner Bros. Records)
At one point, it was easy to wonder if the White Stripes’ explosive
garage blues sound would grow stale over time.
But Icky Thump suggests that Jack White
is creative and resourceful enough as a
songwriter to keep the White Stripes sounding
vital and fresh for years to come.
2. Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence,
Patience & Grace (RCA Records)
Dave Grohl and his bandmates sound better than ever on Echoes,
Silence, Patience & Grace — no small
statement considering that the band’s catalog
includes such excellent efforts as The
Colour and the Shape and There is
Nothing Left to Lose. But this time out,
the songwriting is sharper, more dynamic and
well-rounded, while the performances are
stunningly intense.
3. The Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic
Wonder (Yep Roc Records)
After a trip into hard-hitting guitar pop on the 2002 CD,
Velocity of Sound, Apples in Stereo
returned to a more eclectic and fanciful mode
with New Magnetic Wonder. The result is
the year’s best pop album, a kaleidoscopic,
energetic and hugely catchy collection of
tunes that repeatedly thrills, fascinates and,
most importantly, rocks the pop fans in all of
us.
4. Rilo Kiley: Under the Black Light
(Warner Bros. Records)
This much-admired alternative country (or whatever you call the
style) group returns to action by taking a
turn in a poppier direction on Under the
Black Light. But with songs that are
striking, graceful and utterly melodic, the
new songs serve Rilo Kiley perfectly.
5. Bruce Springsteen: Magic (Columbia
Records)
The Boss’s first CD with the E Street Band since 2002’s The
Rising is drawing plenty of raves as a
throwback to the freewheeling rock of his 1980
double album, The River. But there are
echoes of other albums, too, including 1978’s
gritty Darkness on the Edge of Town. In
any event, Magic finds Springsteen and
the E Streeters recapturing much of the magic
of past glories.
6. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
(Universal
Republic Records)
It’s too bad Winehouse’s struggles with various substances have
become such a wellspring for media coverage.
With Back to Black, Winehouse’s smart
and modern take on classic soul and pop
deserve to be the center of attention.
Hopefully Winehouse will get her act together
and turn the focus back where it belongs — on
her music.
7. The Fratellis: Costello Music
(Interscope Records)
Early in the year, Costello Music looked like it had the
buzz to be a breakthrough hit. That didn’t
happen. But it was still a stellar debut, with
songs like “Henrietta,” “Flathead” and
“Creeping up the Backstairs” proving insanely
catchy with their inventive and hooky
melodies, herky-jerky tempo shifts and buoyant
energy.
8. Matt Pond PA: Last Light
(Altitude Records)
A fall release, Last Light has yet to generate much buzz,
but it deserves a loud chatter. With
songwriter/frontman Matt Pond leading the way,
the band has created one of 2007’s most
consistently satisfying CDs with a collection
of timeless pop songs that strike a rare
balance between being graceful and punchy.
9. Black Francis: Blue Finger
(Cooking Vinyl Records)
On Blue Finger, Charles Thompson reverts to the name he used
in the groundbreaking alternative rock band
the Pixies (instead of the Frank Black name
that adorns his other solo albums). The Black
Francis name isn’t a coincidence. Thompson has
clearly rediscovered his inner Pixie with this
set of thorny and hooky rockers.
10. Against Me!: New Wave (Sire
Records)
On the song “Stop,” Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel implores
listeners to “stop, take some time to think,
figure out what’s important to you.” Gabel has
been doing his share of thinking, and what’s
important for his band on New Wave is
delivering bracing, thoughtful and socially
conscious rock.
Honorable Mentions
Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible (Merge Records), M.I.A.’s Kala
(Interscope Records), Ben Harper & The
Innocent Criminals’ Lifeline (Virgin
Records), Kanye West’s Graduation
(Roc-A-Fella Records), The Shins’ Wincing
the Night Away (Sub Pop Records); Richard
Thompson’s Sweet Warrior (Shout Factory
Records), Son Volt’s The Search
(Transmit Sound/Legacy Records), John
Mellencamp’s Freedom’s Road (Universal
Republic Records), Jonatha Brooke’s Careful
What You Wish For (Bad Dog Records) and
Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch
Records). Since the commercial release of
Radiohead’s In Rainbows is set for
2008, it may well show up on next year’s list.
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