2007: A noun, a verb, and 9/11

Let's get to this: A not-at-all-overdue list of the best albums of 2007. Hey, some people still have their Christmas decorations up ...

Anyway, with apologies to Jens Lekman (whose record I haven't fully digested), Rilo Kiley (who made seven-tenths of a terrific album), Beirut (who do one thing very, very well), Grinderman (anyone want to hook a brother up?), and the White Stripes (who I might be taking for granted), here's part one of my YouTube-powered ten favorite records of the year.

6. Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

They tried to make him go to rehab, and Jeff Tweedy said "yes, yes, yes." And it must have worked: This easily ranks as the most optimistic set of tunes his band has ever recorded. But those who dismissed it as a song cycle about fresh sheets and clean dishes, missed how uneasy this supposed contentment is. "I survived," Tweedy says in the title track. "That's good enough for now." Sounds like the theme of 2007.

Oh, and what am I gonna do with all these Volkswagens?



7. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

On which a bedheaded wunderkind gets political, discovers Motown horns and economy (only ten songs! only a half-hour long!), records two stone-cold classics ("The Underdog," "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"), and manages to make it all sound effortless. That Britt Daniel's one consistent dude.

Also: He makes robots dance.



8. Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam

I finally get it: Brian Wilson-y arrangements and harmonies wed to off-kilter sounds and screaming. Good for them, and good for us. (Hey, anyone want to send me that Panda Bear album?)



9. Kanye West: Graduation

The first Kanye album I haven't pretended to like. Okay, I'm kidding (kind of), but it's certainly 2007's best record to include a song about Barry Bonds. It also has the year's best tune (not the one about the Giants' slugger).




10. Amy Winehouse:Back to Black
Mark Ronson: Version
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: 100 Days, 100 Nights

Best trend of the year: The rediscovery of Holland-Dozier-Holland grooves and snappy brass sections, all paired with modern beats and fantastic vocals. The worst trend of the year: Female singers spiraling out of control.

Still, it's worth remembering that Amy's voice and Ronson's production go together like peas and carrots, and that his work also included a terrific solo album and a lesser-known wonder by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. (At least I assume it's good—I never picked it up. But the video below suggests as much.)