Category: helloAryn

Well we are nearly at the halfway point of 2007 and it seems like now is just as good a time as any to take stock of our favourite albums or artists or songs so far. Even in six months, this year has seen more great releases than normal. So it goes without saying that finding time and money to hear them all is no small task.

What is always interesting is how much our tastes and ears change over the course of a year, and often times a song that was once the best thing we had ever heard can easily transform into something we barely play or even remember by year’s end.

This might also be a good place to discuss which records from last year had any lasting relevance and which might not hold up six months later. Just glancing at our list of top albums of 2006, I can already see what albums are still frequented and which ones fell by the wayside.

This is by no means all inclusive but rather what you will find here is a quick list of those we keep coming back to. So lets start with our favourites of this year and go from there.

Mike’s Picks:

— The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse

I came across this early in January or February after the long lull of the winter months where very little comes out. Yet this Montreal-based band had all the things to have long lasting repeat value: icy art pop, mysterious lyrics and Beach Boys-inspired vocals. I am seeing them in a few weeks so it will be interesting to hear how it all translates live. (Check out my earlier review here.)

— Blonde Redhead – 23

This trio’s previous album Misery Is A Butterfly was the one that brought me to the band’s dark avante pop. But this new one is on of those that has finally made their sound fully accessible without sacraficing their sound. This is their fullest sounding and most developed record yet with amazingly catchy hooks and a refined vision. (Also check out an earlier review here.)

— Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

What can we say about Andrew Bird at this point that we haven’t already raved about here and here…and here. But I will go ahead and say once more that his latest record is probably one of the most played albums for me this year and each time I find something new to hear. It sets a very particular mood for me and I would say that at least of few of the songs found within would be some of my favourites of the year (‘Heretics,’ ‘Scythian Empires,’ and the best of the lot, ‘Plasticities’).

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A Few Runners Up:

— Panda Bear – Person Pitch
— The National – Boxer
— Feist – The Reminder

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A Few Mild Disappointments:

— Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Though this one is growing on me, can’t say I LOVED it right off the bat like nearly everything else. In concert (like the most recent show Aryn and I saw at Merriweather Post), a few songs like ‘Impossible Germany’ fit nicely into the set and others seem like they are more fun for the band to play than they are for the listener. So it goes… it’s still Wilco.

— Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

A good album with some good songs and a handful of great moments, but missing something.

— Interpol – Our Love to Admire

While nothing stands out as being particularly bad, this record is stuck in somthing of a purgatory of mediocrity: some good moments but ultimately bland and somewhat boring at times. Don’t agree? Find me a song that is as instantly great as such songs as ‘Next Exit,’ ‘Evil,’ ‘Untitled,’ or ‘Obstacle 1.’

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Aryn’s Picks:

These are among the few albums that I have checked out this year. I dont know if I’m lazy, busy, or just getting further from the loop, but I really need to get out there and hear some more albums. I’m sure there are a few more that could be added to my list when I just give them a chance.

— Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

As you may or may not already know, I am slightly obsessed with this album/man. (See here and here) It’s a really great step up from his previous work (Mysterious Production of Eggs). I really need to check out his back catalog (like the Bowl of Fire or Fingerling albums), which in spite of my obsession I have heard very little of.

— Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Another great album from a really great band. I got to see them again this year, and they did not dissapoint in the slightest. My only wonder is if they can keep up the fact that people around them keep dying, you would think they would run out of people to mourn.. Eventually they will start having babies and the whole funeralesqe outlook on life will get buried in the grave.

— The Good, The Bad & The Queen – self-titled

Here is a super-group that created something that doesn’t sound completely like a supergroup. ( in the negative way that they never turn out being as good as the group could theoretically sound) Its got a great blend of post-punk and electronic sounds that I seem to listen to every single time I drive to and from Midway Airport.
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Later, we’ll chime in and perhaps we’ll punchup a bit about our choices and some selected failures. If you have a favourite or feel we’ve left something off…write to us at bestmusic2007@hellocomein.com or right here in the blog comments.