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.
<<< Top 9 Jeopardy moments Trailer for Religulous >>>
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
Oh, psyched you're digging stars of the lid. Have you heard any of their other albums? I can't speak for their whole catalogue, but one thing I would definitely recommend checking out (if you haven't already done so) is the Dead Texan record. It's half of SOTL, charting similar territory but in more concise pieces, more song-like forms. It is an excellent, excellent record. Here's a really cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz9lGux6uy0
That SotL record definitely moves me to the point of extreme love for humanity. I just discovered it a few months ago myself. You're right to note that the depth and painstaking construction of that album really singles it out from a lot of other ambient records that have come out of late.
Post new comment