After just two months of listening, this album from former Moloko singer Róisín Murphy is already among my favorite pop albums of all time. Composed of equal portions ace pop songs, killer club tracks and emotional midtempo jams, Overpowered is a bona-fide masterpiece extremely worthy of the heaps of critical acclaim it has attained. Featured track (and forthcoming third single) "You Know Me Better" is hands down my favorite track released this past year.
Featured: Roisin Murphy, "You Know Me Better" [zShare]
2. Amy Winehouse, Back To Black
Until Róisín Murphy came along, this was the uncontested favorite to be named my top album of 2007. Amy's powerful voice, with wisdom and depth well beyond her years, combined with Mark Ronson's slick, soulful production skills, make for a compelling record from start to finish. Regardless of your musical tastes, Back To Black is guaranteed to move you. It will be a crime if this doesn't win Album of the Year at next year's Grammy Awards.
Featured: Amy Winehouse, "Me & Mr Jones" [zShare]
Her first new material since being diagnosed with (and beating) breast cancer, X is a triumphant return to the disco for Kylie Minogue. Full of catchy melodies and big synth-laden pop choruses, the album is a run-through of everything Kylie does best updated for 2007. It's far from a personal look at her recent troubles, but with music this addictive and carefree, that's hardly a worthwhile complaint.
Featured: Kylie Minogue, "In My Arms" [zShare]
Masters of both the dancefloor and the lounge, Groove Armada are in top form on Soundboy Rock. Without departing much from their greatest skills, the duo have come up with some of their best songs yet, from the bumping "Get Down" and "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)" to the soaring downtempo number "Paris".
Featured track: Groove Armada, "The Things That We Could Share" [zShare]
The production mastermind behind recent hits by Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen hits gold with an album of cover versions of modern British pop classics. Featuring a wide range of collaborators and backed by the Dap-Kings, it's a vibrant collection that stands its own ground as a solid work.
Featured track: Mark Ronson featuring Lily Allen, "Oh My God" [zShare]
Sophie's third album is a smart, sophisticated set of pop songs with minimal filler. With disco, electronica and even rock influences thrown in, it manages to be a cohesive and extremely catchy set with many standouts.
Featured track: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "If I Can't Dance" [zShare]
As one of my favorite artists, I have very high expectations for Bjork. While Volta didn't necessarily fulfill all of its pre-release hype as a "return to pop" (mostly due to Timbaland's involvement), it did contain some potentially classic Bjork songs. And though it might be hard for most to see Bjork in concert, it's really essential to see Volta performed live to truly appreciate it. Otherwise, it remains an interesting but somewhat bloodless album worth exploring only for more adventurous listeners.
Featured track: Bjork, "Wanderlust" [zShare]
Although perhaps past their prime, Manic Street Preachers had a great return-to-form with this year's Send Away The Tigers. They've succeeded in reigniting the passion that was missing from some of their more recent work, and this latest album contains a handful of their best tracks, including an excellent collaboration with Nina Persson of The Cardigans on first single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough."
Featured track: Manic Street Preachers, "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" [zShare]
Seemingly out of nowhere, and twenty years after her last musical output, Serge Gainsbourg's daughter Charlotte released her new album 5:55 to much fanfare this year. Produced by Air with lyrics by Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Charlotte rises to the occasion and creates a surreal, uplifting album full of sentiment and nuance.
Featured track: Charlotte Gainsbourg, "The Songs That We Sing" [zShare]
A haunting collection full of heartache and cracked optimism, The Reminder will stay lodged in your mind long after your first listen.
Featured track: Feist, "Brandy Alexander" [zShare]
Still to come: The best singles of 2007, honorable mentions, favorite compilations, biggest disappointments and more. Check back in a few for more of the best of 2007!
***Note: Links removed***
Friday, December 28, 2007
Review: Best Albums Of 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
EXCELLENT choice for your album of the year - Róisín Murphy's OVERPOWERED. It is sheer disco/pop/electro BRILLIANCE. She is just about the best all-around female vocal talent around (no lip-synching for Ms. Murphy!), and deserves to be a MUCH bigger star than she currently is
While I agree that the record has been very well received, however, it has been sadly overlooked in the year-end recognition arena.
Most blogsters and site critics are afraid to be anything less than "too cool for school", and have thus been hog-tied into their Spoon / Radiohead /Arcade Fire etc mentality. Fine albums, to be sure... but my GOD.... they weren't the only albums released in 2007!
Most disgusting, however is the case of M.I.A.. (She wins the Joanna Newsom Award for 2007). Like Ms. Newsom, Her records are virtually unlistenable - pure shit - but heaven forbid anyone buck the tide and actually say that.
Thansk for your vision.
MGR
Hurrah! A superb list on the years best albums! I'm so happy to see Roisin & Amy on there!
Post a Comment