Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 25-21

25. Battles - Mirrored
Building on the promise of EP B + C, Battles returned in 2007 with the frantic, cerebral Mirrored. Equal parts Lightning Bolt and Rush, Battles creates (mostly) instrumental math-rock with a penchant for illogical song structures constantly shifting time signatures. In spite of the constant groove of the surprisingly minimal drumkit, the rhythm is based around pedal-doused guitar. Seriously, there's enough riffage on this record to make a rock and roll salad. Also, Battles stray from their previous recordings by adding vocals to the mix for the first time. That's not to say that there's "intelligible lyrics" or anything like that. Instead, the vocals swirl through the laptop and become and instrument on their own. Mirrored's tasty grooves lend its songs easily to a hip-hop remix, but they are surprisingly danceable on their own. Like a talented author or a veteran band, Battles seem to have complete control over the way which the audience receives their music. Just when you get settled into a comforting melody, a crushing cymbal or thundering riff comes out of left field. Not for the twee crowd, but Mirrored is an album that will intrigue you and pulverize you in the same listen.

Key Tracks: "Atlas," "Tonto," "Rainbow"


24. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Beards! Spanish language! Random lyrics! Guest Stars!
These factors can only add up to one thing, and that thing is a new Devendra Banhart record. Like everything else in his catalog, listening to this record the first time through, you're thinking things like, "What the hell is this guy on?" and "Was this recorded this century?" and "Did he just say 'In 1902, the Devil sucked off the moon'?" Also like every other one of his records, further listens reveal random moments of poignancy and musical exploration. There isn't an instant classic such as "Little Yellow Spider" or "Heard Somebody Say," but there are still a number of gems throughout this quirky record. "Seahorse" finds the singer rolling through over eight minutes of classic rock, not unlike one of the longer passages on The Crane Wife. "Saved" finds Banhart wearing his gospel-choir robe, as he backs up a touching religious ode with a powerful organ and a full choir. Of course there are some throw-away tracks, but at 16 tracks, Smokey still has enough quality songs to flesh out a complete album.

Key Tracks: "Seahorse," "Shabop Shalom," "So Long Old Bean"

23. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
The fact that Kevin Drew opted to add the "BSS Presents" to his name on his first solo LP is very telling of the music that follows. The record is not Drew trying to "show his real personality" or "explore new territory" or do anything that singers from great bands claim to do when they go solo. Instead, as the name and the frequent guest appearances from fellow Scenesters suggest, this album sounds like another BSS album. Which is great. The only differences here are that a) Drew wrote all of the songs on this one and b) there aren't as many horns or or strings or wacky instrumentation. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Drew's songwriting is how overtly homo-erotic the lyrics are while he publicly dates certified mega-babe Leslie Feist. In the same vein as "I'm Still Your Fag" and "Lover's Spit," "T.B.T.F." and "Backed Out on the..." demonstrate strong, if titularly veiled, gay sentiments. Regardless, the latter of those songs features J. Mascis playing lead rock-stick, so you know that shit is the bomb. If you like the Scene and can't wait for the next record, this one should hold you over just fine.

Key Tracks: "T.B.T.F.," "Farewell to the Pressure Kids," "Backed Out on the..."


22. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Usually when Wilco puts out an album, I can safely just throw it at number one and move on. This is still a great record, but it's probably only better than A.M. in their rich catalog, and I'm not saying that because it's "dad rock" as Pitchfok accused it of being. In fact, those "dad rock" songs, "Hate it Here," "Be Patient With Me," "On and On," and "Walken" are right up there with the cream of the Wilco crop. However, the rest of the album is unfortunately formulaic. I usually turn to Wilco to mix the classic with the completely unexpected. However, while at first all of these songs were super badass, they kind of all become the same: Slow intro, a verse or two, a chorus or two, then let's hand the ball over to Nels. It's like when A-Rod joined the Yankees: Add the best player in baseball to an already incredible lineup, it's a no-brainer. Four seasons and zero World Championships later, and people start second-guessing you for building you franchise around a flashy superstar. That was Jeter's team, just as Wilco was Tweedy's team, and the shift in power has taken its toll on the music. Nels Cline's contribution to the Ghost is Born Tour were excellent, but he was just adding on to Tweedy's songs. Now that Nels is in the band, though, they have completely changed their approach to songwriting. The only songs on which this approach really succeed are "Side With the Seeds" and "Impossible Germany," and the former blatantly rips off Pavement's "Stop Breathing." Seriously, juxtapose them and tell me I'm wrong.

Key Tracks: "Hate it Here," "Walken," "What Light," "Impossible Germany."


21. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
If you like records that are impossibly fun but you have no idea why they're fun, then Friend Opportunity is for you. The band follows Newton's 5th law of physics which states: 3/4(Noise Rock) + 1.5(Prog Rock) X 2(Adorable Asian Girl Singer) = Happy Action Fun Time. To call Friend Opportunity a "pop album" would be a complete misnomer by most standards, but when compared with the band's previous works, that description is pretty accurate. Starting off with a timewarp into a cowbell-filled utopia, "The Perfect Me" sets the stage for everything that's to come: random noise, cool riffs, and jarringly innocent and sweet lyrics. Nowhere on this album is that better used than on "Kidz are So Small," a bizarre track that sounds like a mix between a broken sampler machine and a Hello Kitty cartoon character doing an Ella Fitzgerald impression. With its blend of so many styles and genres while also creating a completely original style, Friend Opportunity puts Deerhoof at the forefront with Animal Collective and Sunset Rubdown of innovative pop music.

Key Tracks: "Matchbook Seeks Maniac," "+81," "The Galaxist."

20-16 will come tomorrow!