Top Thirty Albums of 2007, Part 1

When I decided to do a "Best Of 2007" list last week, I was going to limit it to ten albums. However, when I looked back on the year in music, there was just too much awesome stuff to keep it at such a small number. I wanted to do 40, but that seemed excessive, so here we are at 30. I'll be doing this in installments for the next few days, and today we'll start with the Honorable Mentions. These are the ten records that would have rounded out the hypothetical top-40, and they are all fantastic in their own right. This list is strictly my personal opinion and only includes albums that I purchased, so if something is missing (The Shins, Band of Horses, M.I.A.) then that just means that I never got around to it this year. Please fill the comment space with albums that I skipped over or possibly just didn't like.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Apostle of Hustle: The National Anthem of Nowhere - This album from Broken Social Scenester Andrew Whiteman has the same pop charm of a BSS album but substitutes the massive instrumentation with a minimalist approach. With many songs inspired by Cuban music, each track on the album has its own unique sound. Why it didn't crack the list: There were already two BSS side projects on the list that were better, and the second half of the album's inability to match power of the first two tracks make it a bit top-heavy. Key Tracks: "My Sword Hand's Anger," "National Anthem of Nowhere."
• Air: Pocket Symphony - Air's previous album, Talkie Walkie, did a great job of backing Moon Safari's promise of electro-chill mastery, but it had all the robotic, soulless aspects of a Daft Punk record without all of the funk. In other words, it was kinda boring and French. Pocket Symphony, however, finds Air displaying more raw emotion than ever before and finds them moving away from the electronic roots and moving more into traditional rock territory. Why it didn't crack the list: Like National Anthem, Pocket Symphony is a bit top-heavy. Also, I found myself listening to this album wanting desperately for a funky synth line a la "Sexy Boy." Key Tracks: "Space Maker," "Napalm Love."
• Dirty Projectors: Rise Above - Like last year's effort from Artichoke, Never Mind the Bollocks, Dirty Projectors attempt a track-by-track remake of a classic punk record, in this case Black Flag's seminal Damaged. While Artichoke used their folk music to show you that Johnny Rotten was smarter than you remembered, Dirty Projectors use Black Flag's lyrics as inspiration for exploring new musical territory -- Think Sufjan's crazy take on The Beatles' "What Goes On" for the This Bird Has Flown comp. Why it didn't crack the list: Head Projector Dave Longstreth didn't even relisten to the original album when he wrote his covers. While this is impressive that he remembers most of the original lyrics (if not the track listings), he still muffs a lot of the lyrics, which makes that juxtaposition less intriguing. Key Tracks: "Police Story," "Gimme Gimme Gimme."
• St. Vincent: Marry Me - St. Vincent wins the award for "Most Enticing Album Title of 2007." Yes, Annie Clark, I will. Not only would the Sufjan Stevens/Polyphonic Spree guitarist's name be Baberaham Lincoln were she a US president, but she also creates fascinating sound-scapes to match her beautiful voice. She's been compared to both Bjork and Ella Fitzgerald, but I find that she's kinda like a female Andrew Bird with a voice like a more confident Chan Marshall. Why it didn't crack the list: Most of the best songs from her live show are not included on the album, which provides hope for her next record. Key Tracks: "Jesus Saves, I Spend," "We Put a Pearl in the Ground."
• Ghostface Killah: Tha Big Doe Rehab - The grittiest and most prolific MC of the Wu Tang Clan returns with this apt follow-up to last year's classic FishScale. All of the aspects of a great Ghost album are here, from the cop-evading banger "Yolanda's House" to the sunny day jam "We Celebrate," to the heart-breaking "I'll Die For You." Why it didn't crack the list: For all the great production of the album, it doesn't seem like Ghost is exploring any new territory here. It's probably the best rap album of the year, but this was a really shitty year for rap. Key Tracks: "Yolanda's House," "Supa GFK."
• Tokyo Police Club: A Lesson in Crime EP; Black Kids: Wizard of Ahhhs EP - These were two of the most- hyped bands of the year, and for the most part they live up to all of the talk. They each have one of the best songs of the year - TPC's Supergrass-esque rocker "Cheer It On" and BKs' hipster-pop masterpiece, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You." Each of these EPs shows a great deal of promise and I'm very excited about what's to come from each of these young bands. Why they didn't crack the list: They're short EPs from young, unestablished bands. However, if the follow-up LPs can maintain the urgency and energy of these EPs, then they will be big-time winners. Key Tracks: Crime: "Cheer It On," Citizens of Tomorrow;" Wizard: "I'm Not Gonna...," "Hurricane Jane."
• Explosions in the Sky: All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone - In the first and last comparison ever between Ghostface and Explosions, this is once again more of the same from an intriguing artist. Explosions in the Sky is band that must seen live to be truly appreciated, but they've been quite successful in the studio in the past, creating epic post-rock compositions in the same vein as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Tortoise. This album is no different, but it's also no different sonically than anything else they've ever done. Why it didn't crack the list: Show me something new, tough guy. Key Tracks: Come on, you know that they all sound the same.
• Low: Drums and Guns - Other than Of Montreal, Low have created the biggest sonic departure of the year in their new album. Usually hushed and restrained, the Sparhawks branch out into more electronic instrumentation and non-linear song structure after the pop-based The Great Destroyer. Also, perhaps riding the confidence of his solo record, Alan Sparhawk allows himself to bust out more radical guitar parts. Why it didn't crack the list: While is just as beautiful as anything else in the Low catalog, Drums and Guns lacks the lyrical weight of their other work. Key Tracks: "Hatchet," "Breaker."
• Thurston: Trees Outside the Academy - In his first song-based solo album since 1994's noisy gem Psychic Hearts, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore focuses his attention more on pop music, eschewing the distortion and chaos of the band that made him famous. Building off of SY's recent tamer tunes - i.e. "Do You Believe in Rapture," and "Unmade Bed - Trees is a completely different kind of album than we've some to expect from rock's greatest noisemaster. Why it didn't crack the list - Lack of diversity? Whatever, this is a damn good album and it was a tough call. Key Tracks: "Silver>Blue," "Wonderful Witches + Language Meanies."

Check back tomorrow when I'll do 30-26!