2007 albums I overlooked
At the end of last year, I posted a list of my top 20 albums of 2007. Today, nearly six months after I posted the list, I want to mention three albums that I hadn’t yet heard when I made the list, but should have been on there.
*Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
With melodies that are catchy as hell, great production, and a Bowie influence that doesn’t detract, I can’t believe I missed this one. There’s something fascinating about upbeat and poppy music coupled with depressing lyrics. “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” is an awesome centerpiece. (thx, matt)
*Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
Probably the best ambient album I’ve heard in nearly a decade.
*St. Vincent – Marry Me
I had heard a track or two from this before making the list, but it didn’t sink in enough for me to try the album. Eventually I got to it, and instantly dug her constant inventiveness and poppy aesthetic.
So what would I lose from my original list? Probably The Arcade Fire, Iron and Wine, and Okkervil River, the last of which hasn’t held up well to multiple listens.
Comments (4)
NP, Monk. Glad you enjoyed it. I have a question for you though, are you much of a Fiery Furnaces fan? I simply can't stop listening to them lately. I'd definitely like to nominate "Widow City" to the overlooked albums from 2007 category. I just heard it, and their earlier album "Bitter Tea" within the past month or so. Fan-fucking-tastic! I had loved their first three albums, but "Rehearshing My Choir"? Not so much.
I'm really happy you liked Hissing Fauna...
-m
You know, I actually have a soft spot for Rehearsing My Choir.
I have to concur with Matthew -- The Fiery Furnaces are great. I bought Widow City last year and went into a spiral of Fiery Furnaces buying; I also highly recommend "EP".
The Fiery Furnaces EP, incidentally, was on my 2005 list: http://crazymonk.org/archives/2005_12_03/207