2007 is overrated : tracks of the year, part 1

here's the first of three parts of my year-end lists (part two here, part three here). 2007 was such a great year in music that there is a lot that i have left off these lists, but i just couldn't find time to expand my tracks list out to 30. i never did find a place for the white stripes, the go! team, sunset rubdown, or stars, but i think my final top 20 is pretty well representative of what i listened to and loved this year. with that:

11. "fake empire" the national from the lp boxer (beggars banquet) emusic

it took me a long time to really get into most of boxer, but "fake empire" had me from the very first listen. matt berninger has a voice that recalls mark knopfler, and bryan devendorf provides some of the most impressive percussive moments of any album this year.

12. "jigsaw falling into place" radiohead from the lp in rainbows (ato records)

it's difficult to believe that one song on in rainbows could stick out so much more than the others, but for me that song is definitely "jigsaw falling into place", a critique on the difficulty of creating anything meaningful and of substance within the frenetic confines of modern life.

13. "the last song" camera obscura from the single "tears for affairs" (merge records) emusic

camera obscura released a slew of singles this year from my favorite album of last year, let's get out of this country. i still have not heard a camera obscura song that i don't like, so "the last song" is really just another in a long line of great tunes and a big reason why i'm feverishly anticipating a new album in 2008.

14. "silver lining" rilo kiley from the lp under the blacklight (warner brothers)

a shining star on an otherwise disappointing album, it's a perfect blend of slick production, jenny lewis' always-sterling voice, and a sweet little blake sennet riff. not to mention backup choral vocals and the always-trusty handclaps.

15. "whistle for the choir" the fratellis from the lp costello music (cherry tree)

another insanely catchy tune, but this time with good ol' scottish accents and whistling. "and it's a cryin' shame if you would think the same -- a boy like me's just irresistible"

16. "505" arctic monkeys from the lp favourite worst nightmare (domino)

alex turner dusts off the trademark attitude and displays some real vulnerability here. a little conflict, a little paranoia, and a lot of lust make the delivery of the line "but i crumble completely when you cry" one of the best moments of the year.

17. "i feel it all" feist from the lp the reminder (cherry tree)

"1234" will undoubtedly get the better part of attention, but i think "i feel it all" is the better song. full of the rich complexities that define the turmoil associated with the end of a relationship, it's the tenor of leslie feist's voice that ultimately expresses more then her words ever say.

18. "down boy" yeah yeah yeahs from the ep is is (interscope)

full of swagger, attitude, and belligerence, karen o's scowls and growls are among the most exhiliratinging sounds in rock music today. it doesn't even matter what she's singing about, just so long as you know she really, really means it.

19. "champion" kanye west from the lp graduation (roc-a-fella records)

putting a kanye west song on my list is almost done out of compulsion just to add a little variety, but this song is well-deserving because it represents everything that makes kanye such a great artist--great beats and rhymes, a healthy dose of his trademark attitude, all tied together with a sample from steely dan. steely dan!

20. "keep the car running" arcade fire from the lp neon bible (merge records) emusic

perhaps it was just the mammoth expectations associated with funeral being one of my favorite albums ever, but i never really could place my finger on what it was that was missing from neon bible for me. but "keep the car running" was everything i'd hoped the second album would be--full of the raw energy, excitement, and electricity that made the first album so refreshing.