The Top Fifty Favorite Albums Of 2007 - Pt.3

III.

30. The Primary 5 – Go!, (Re-Action) 77.30
The Primary 5 are to Teenage Fanclub what Guadalcanal Diary was to R.E.M. And that's cool because the songs are there. Factoid: lead dude is former Teenage Fanclub drummer, Paul Quinn. As my lil' analogy indicates there is a serious TFC vibe drenching the songs: Quinn's vocals are gentle, the guitars play the understated to the quietly explosive, the hooks are meaty, the melodies are wonderful, and the choruses impossible to ignore. Check out “2AM” - the infectious no brainer single, “Window Shopping” - the jangly Big Star-esque hookfest, and “Stars & Stripes” – the jaunty killer pop semi-political manifest of individual liberty (“The stars and stripes don’t mean much to me/I’d rather fuck around than be cool.”).

29. The View – Hats Off To The Buskers, (1965 Records) 73.58
The record starts off with a terrible pseudo-blues-via-Led-Zep scorcher. Ack. After that misstep, the record moves effortlessly through the best things of the fourth mod revivalist songbook: loads of energy, sweet confections of indie pop, and a youthful awkardness wrapped in snottiness. There are no less than four near perfect twitchy rockers: "Superstar Tradesman", "Same Jeans", "Skag Trendy", and "Wasted Little DJs" - the last being an incredibly infectious lil' slab. There is a problem with this record; 17 tracks is too much.

28. Caribou – Andorra, (Merge Records) 76.58
Yes, it is impossible to ignore the heavy sixties psychedelic-pop influence on Andorra. Dan Snaith proudly appropriates the usuals: Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the trippier side of the Nuggets comps, The Left Banke, and, of course, The Beatles and Pet Sounds. That's the easy part of the record, but to limit the discussion to the surface would be remiss: layers of sound and rhythm, samples and electronics woven into the melodic fabric. "Melody Day" is the hit single, but check out the clever-production-plus-arrangement-meets-melody on "She's The One", the tinkling filigree and strings on "Desiree", the organic-electronic krautiness of "Sundialing", the minimal beatery meets psych-pop on "Irene", and the crazed-flanged-freak-out called "Niobe".

27. Radiohead – In Rainbows, (self-released) 78.15
Much respect to the greatest band to come out of the nineties with more integrity than they ought to have (awwww fuck, that's so snarky). In Rainbows doesn't succeed because it is so on the band's own terms, rather because of this excellent blend of electronics, avant garde, guitar rock, pop sensibility, and mass market appeal - all of it, every bit of it soaked with deep songcraft (and the hooks are everywhere). "Bodysnatchers" rocks as tremendously as their post-grunge heyday, though it does feel obligatory ine the mist if this "mellow" record. "15 Steps" simmers with electronica hodgepodge as their Kid A critical acclaim. "All I Need" moves juxtaposing tinkling glockenspiel with deep bass lines and slo-burn crescendo. "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" revolves around krautpop-jazzy rhythm and Yorke's earnest melody.

26. Georgie James – Places, (Saddle Creek) 78.15
A welcome trend in indie pop is the carefully wrought recklessness (compared to the tight arrangements and execution of the Pernices, the Schnieders, late-era Papas Fritas of said sub-sub-genre). Georgie James is former Q And Not U dude, John Davis and Laura Burhenn. There are a million tried-n-true tricks: bah-bahs, bouncy melodies, precious girl vocals and syrupy boy vocals, quick song lengths, cutesy changes, etc. Georgie James brings a messy vibe to each song, nary a ballad to mellow it out and that's great. "Henry and Hanzy", "Places", and "Only Cause You're Young" are stellar rockers, but don't forget the lyrically poignant "Cake Parade".

25. Von Sudenfed – Tromatic Reflexxions, (Domino Records) 75.66
This collaboration between The Fall's inscrutable genius Mark E. Smith and German avant-electro gurus Mouse On Mars completely delivers. The vibe here is about fucking with electro-indie-dance. In a way it's MES asserting himself as the real deal (see "Flooded" where MES states that he is the "dj tonight, I'm the disc jockey" and that the other dj is a bed-wetter. Hahahaha!). The Mouse On Mars guys throw house, two-step/garage, drum-n-bass, dub, grime, electroclash, and/or hip hop beats into a blender and create some wicked shit. There are bonafide freak-hits ("The Rhinohead", "Serious Brainskin", "Fledermaus Can't Get It") among the curiousities ("Jback Lois Lane", "Family Feud", "Speech Contimination/German Fear of Osterre"). It's a surprisingly digestible slab of madness ... and better than the latest Fall record.

24. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger, (Lost Highway) 75.64
Say what you will about Ryan Adams - and no doubt, you discerning music listener have plenty to say – in his meta-prolific-ness, he never seems to quit trying. By releasing nearly everything he records (either on proper LPs/EPs or his freaky website), he gets on people’s nerves (including my own). The crux is that he demonstrated so much promise in his days fronting Whiskeytown and the critics latched on and salivated profusely. His ego was fed, and bam!, we’ve got what he has become – a musician with diarrhea of songwriting. Enough of this shit. As with all Adams’ records, he delivers on two or three t unes. Easy Tiger boasts five tunes of total quality songwriting: “Goodnight Rose” (glorious intro with sexy lead guitar licks, clanging symbols give way to Adams’ trembling falsetto, a soaring chorus, big-fat-changes, and a wonderful arrangement), “Two” (a gorgeous Parsons/Harris-esque duet of sorts), “Off Broadway” (an acoustic kindly-downer with gorgeous electric guitar-washes, a style he has perfected), “Rip Off” (tips and taps down the street with head-held-high melancholy), “Two Hearts” and “I Taught Myself How To Grow Old” (the latter two among the best he has written). {see review}

23. A Place To Bury Strangers – A Place To Bury Strangers, (Killer Pimp) 73.30
Yes, there has to be a callout on the Psychocandy sonic love on A Place To Bury Strangers – a journey into the depths of sonic experimentation, pure rattling sci-fi ghost rider blasts. The drums are steady and gun shot precise. Shards of effects pedal guitar fly off. The tunes revolve around the insistent rhythm. On the first twenty-six listens, it seems nothing can transcend the noise. It takes an acceptance that this is a sonic record first, a pop record second. The pulsating bass lines, minimal fuzzed drumming, screeching distortion, eardrum-buzz-saw riffs, earsplitting feedback can become the bedrock and the songs emerge. Delve into “To Fix The Gash In Your Head”, “Don’t Think Lover”, “Breathe”, and “My Weakness”; you will be awarded with some addictive tunes that rock with Total Sonic Annihilation. {see review}

22. Apparat – Walls, (Shitkatapult Strike) 77.40
Hot on the tail of his excellent collaboration with the wondrous Ellen Allien, Sascha Ring returns in oh-seven with a sizzlingly understated slab of minimal techno meets instrumental pop. Walls is a record that flows so well, but rarely gets lost because of the gorgous melodic instrumental tracks (see "Fractales (Pt. I)" and "You Don't Know Me") interspersed with vocal tracks (that run the gamut from stylized r&b to atmospheric post-Radiohead). The beats are just warmly minimal to teeter on heavily mechanized. The lilting synths make this a comfortable and comforting ride.

21. Tegan & Sara – The Con, (Vapor/Sire Records) 76.24
On their fourth full-length, the duo of Tegan & Sara really find their respective voices: Tegan's songs hint at the experimental and a weird darkness, whereas, Sara's are compact indie pop rave-ups. The key to The Con is that it rarely is predictable. The knock I have against the band is not their unique vocalization, but their songs seem to reflect their producer’s sound+vision. Deathcab For Cutie's Chris Walla definitely exerts that emo-synthy-poppy thang, but the songs themselves are entirely the girls. Naturally, I prefer the rockers ("Hop A Plane", "Nineteen", "The Con"), but the mid-tempo-to-slower tracks possess a quirky originality ("Knife Going In", "Back In Your Head", "Floorplan") that make The Con one of the most surprising releases.

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