It's not easy to sum up an entire year in one post. 2007 was QBiM's first full calendar year of existence, and there's lots of great music worth remembering and revisiting. As I've been preparing for year's end, I've come to the realization that one post just isn't going to do 2007 justice. Therefore, this is the first of my year in reviews ramblings: a look at the albums that have won a special place in my heart. If you've been reading QBiM for awhile, you may be surprised at what's not here: perennial favourites Stars, Rufus Wainwright and New Pornographers released great albums this year, but in the end, they didn't have that undefinable quality that sets them apart from the pack. No one is more surprised by this list than I am (I'm most likely the only one that cares about it, too). Without further ado, here are the albums:
The Acorn ~ Glory Hope Mountain
(Paper Bag)
Rolf Klausener is a good son; the Acorn songwriter based Glory Hope Mountain on his mother's life story, chronicling her journey from a childhood in Honduras to her immigration to Montreal in the 1970s. Klausener's songs are delicate and intimate, owing just as much to his skillful songwriting as to the personal subject matter.
The Acorn "The Flood, Pt 1"
Andrew Bird ~ Armchair Apocrypha
(Fat Possum)
Armchair Apocrypha is a university course syllabus set to music, making you smarter by osmosis as you sit and absorb its multi-layered melodies. It was an early contender for year-end honours, getting top marks for the excellent singles "Heretics", "Imitosis" and my personal favourite, "Dark Matter".
Andrew Bird "Heretics"
Bishop Allen ~ The Broken String
(Dead Oceans)
Last year Bishop Allen released an EP every month. 2007 saw that project whittled down and sharpened to an album's worth of some of the finest indie-pop this side of Sweden. Purists may have gawked at some of their favourite tracks' reworkings (like I did), but they came to love the new versions just as much (like I did).
Bishop Allen "Rain"
Bloc Party ~ A Weekend in the City
(Vice)
In January I wrote "A Weekend In The City is the soundtrack to modern London life without any apologies, and without any gloss. It's about sex, drugs, violence, self-discovery, and more sex. It will confuse and confound you; it will complicate your life, question your morals and cause endless discussions. A Weekend In The City will leave you breathless." In December the sentiment hasn't changed. This is the sophomore album of the year, hands down.
video: Bloc Party "The Prayer"
Feist ~ The Reminder
(Arts & Crafts)
I've had a love/hate affair with The Reminder all year. My first exposure to it was a sub-standard pre-release leak that was in a different running order than the official album. I had pretty much written the record off by the time it hit the stores, but was still compelled to pick it up--something told me I needed to hear it again. In the process, I've learned two things: a) never listen to a cheap ass leak of an album you're really anticipating, and b) always listen to how your heart behaves.
video: Feist "1 2 3 4"
Handsome Furs ~ Plague Park
(Sub Pop)
Dan Boekner and Alexi Perry are more than just musical partners, they're also partners in life. However, this doesn't explain why Plague Park is blanketed by a dark cloud of doom and isolation. The album walks across a tight wire of spare, minimalist beats, and droning keyboards and guitars. Whether you're lost in the crush of the urban jungle, or cast adrift in a rural nowhere town, Handsome Furs have crafted the perfect soundtrack for your journey home.
Handsome Furs "Cannot Get Started"
Miracle Fortress ~ Five Roses
(Secret City)
Graham Van Pelt isn't the first guy to sit down and record an album on his own, and he's certainly not the first to do so this year. His debut as Miracle Fortress has the distinction of being the most enjoyable and unique "bedroom" records of the year, earning Five Roses a Polaris Music prize nomination (along with label partner Patrick Watson). Five Roses is actually a dozen lush, psychedelic techno-symphonies; together they're a heady bouquet of musical goodness.
Miracle Fortress "Have You Seen In Your Dreams"
The National ~ Boxer
(Beggars Banquet)
The quiet majesty of Boxer was unmatched in 2007. If I were ranking these albums, there would be little doubt that The National would be holding the belt. "Fake Empire" is sadly, epically beautiful; "Mistaken For Strangers" is brutally propulsive, and the whole of Boxer is a classic modern rock album. The National's finest hour.
video: The National "Mistaken For Strangers"
Spoon ~ Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
(Merge)
I never "got" Spoon before this year; they just never really did anything for me. But gosh darn it, I fell heavy for "The Ghost Of You Lingers" and then subsequently for the whole album ("The Underdog" was the most played song on my iPod this year). I get the sense that Spoon are "too obvious" for some people to have them on their list this year, but in 2007, Spoon made a believer out of me, reducing me to a babbling fool. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, indeed.
Spoon "The Underdog"
Taken By Trees ~ Open Field
(Rough Trade)
Open Field is probably the last of these albums to make an impression on me in 2007, but the voice Victoria Bergsman was one of my earliest musical memories of 2007 (thanks to her performance on that Peter, Björn and John song). For her fist release after leaving The Concretes, Bergsman creates a haunting and melodious album about the perils of losing yourself, and the joys of finding your way again.
Taken By Trees "Lost and Found"
There's more to come in our look back at 2007. watch for the favourite songs post coming soon, and a look at some of the most memorable Canadian albums of the past year.
(Paper Bag)Rolf Klausener is a good son; the Acorn songwriter based Glory Hope Mountain on his mother's life story, chronicling her journey from a childhood in Honduras to her immigration to Montreal in the 1970s. Klausener's songs are delicate and intimate, owing just as much to his skillful songwriting as to the personal subject matter.
The Acorn "The Flood, Pt 1"
Andrew Bird ~ Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum)Armchair Apocrypha is a university course syllabus set to music, making you smarter by osmosis as you sit and absorb its multi-layered melodies. It was an early contender for year-end honours, getting top marks for the excellent singles "Heretics", "Imitosis" and my personal favourite, "Dark Matter".
Andrew Bird "Heretics"
Bishop Allen ~ The Broken String (Dead Oceans)Last year Bishop Allen released an EP every month. 2007 saw that project whittled down and sharpened to an album's worth of some of the finest indie-pop this side of Sweden. Purists may have gawked at some of their favourite tracks' reworkings (like I did), but they came to love the new versions just as much (like I did).
Bishop Allen "Rain"
Bloc Party ~ A Weekend in the City (Vice)In January I wrote "A Weekend In The City is the soundtrack to modern London life without any apologies, and without any gloss. It's about sex, drugs, violence, self-discovery, and more sex. It will confuse and confound you; it will complicate your life, question your morals and cause endless discussions. A Weekend In The City will leave you breathless." In December the sentiment hasn't changed. This is the sophomore album of the year, hands down.
video: Bloc Party "The Prayer"
Feist ~ The Reminder (Arts & Crafts)I've had a love/hate affair with The Reminder all year. My first exposure to it was a sub-standard pre-release leak that was in a different running order than the official album. I had pretty much written the record off by the time it hit the stores, but was still compelled to pick it up--something told me I needed to hear it again. In the process, I've learned two things: a) never listen to a cheap ass leak of an album you're really anticipating, and b) always listen to how your heart behaves.
video: Feist "1 2 3 4"
Handsome Furs ~ Plague Park (Sub Pop)Dan Boekner and Alexi Perry are more than just musical partners, they're also partners in life. However, this doesn't explain why Plague Park is blanketed by a dark cloud of doom and isolation. The album walks across a tight wire of spare, minimalist beats, and droning keyboards and guitars. Whether you're lost in the crush of the urban jungle, or cast adrift in a rural nowhere town, Handsome Furs have crafted the perfect soundtrack for your journey home.
Handsome Furs "Cannot Get Started"
Miracle Fortress ~ Five Roses (Secret City)Graham Van Pelt isn't the first guy to sit down and record an album on his own, and he's certainly not the first to do so this year. His debut as Miracle Fortress has the distinction of being the most enjoyable and unique "bedroom" records of the year, earning Five Roses a Polaris Music prize nomination (along with label partner Patrick Watson). Five Roses is actually a dozen lush, psychedelic techno-symphonies; together they're a heady bouquet of musical goodness.
Miracle Fortress "Have You Seen In Your Dreams"
The National ~ Boxer (Beggars Banquet)The quiet majesty of Boxer was unmatched in 2007. If I were ranking these albums, there would be little doubt that The National would be holding the belt. "Fake Empire" is sadly, epically beautiful; "Mistaken For Strangers" is brutally propulsive, and the whole of Boxer is a classic modern rock album. The National's finest hour.
video: The National "Mistaken For Strangers"
Spoon ~ Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)I never "got" Spoon before this year; they just never really did anything for me. But gosh darn it, I fell heavy for "The Ghost Of You Lingers" and then subsequently for the whole album ("The Underdog" was the most played song on my iPod this year). I get the sense that Spoon are "too obvious" for some people to have them on their list this year, but in 2007, Spoon made a believer out of me, reducing me to a babbling fool. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, indeed.
Spoon "The Underdog"
Taken By Trees ~ Open Field (Rough Trade)Open Field is probably the last of these albums to make an impression on me in 2007, but the voice Victoria Bergsman was one of my earliest musical memories of 2007 (thanks to her performance on that Peter, Björn and John song). For her fist release after leaving The Concretes, Bergsman creates a haunting and melodious album about the perils of losing yourself, and the joys of finding your way again.
Taken By Trees "Lost and Found"
There's more to come in our look back at 2007. watch for the favourite songs post coming soon, and a look at some of the most memorable Canadian albums of the past year.
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