Top Music of 2007

10. Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger
I’ll honestly say that I did not like this album on first listen. But, because it was Ryan Adams, I gave it a second listen. It was love at second listen. High points of this album include “Two” and “The Sun Also Sets”. While not as powerful of an album as Cold Roses or the combined Love is Hell album, Easy Tiger is a solid album worthy of at least a second listen.

9. Foo Fighters: Echos, Silence, Patence & Grace
While I always considered myself a fan of Dave Grohl, I largely ignored each Foo Fighters album after The Colour and the Shape. Listening to NPR, I heard an interview with Grohl and decided to give the album a spin. With the exception of “Erase/Replace,” which I feel should have been erased from the album and replaced with a more fitting track, the album as a whole is well planned and enjoyable. Be sure not to miss the potential Grammy winner “The Pretender” and the piano ballad “Home” — a great end to an album full of energy.

8: Radiohead: In Rainbows
Most of this album’s notoriety has resulted from how it was released initially as a download where you could pay whatever you thought the album was worth. While there have not been clear statistics regarding how many times it was downloaded and the average price paid, I can say that the album is worth the full retail price. Over two years in the making, In Rainbows is a great album, no matter how much you paid for it.

7: Alisha Keys: As I Am
The third studio album from R&B power player Alicia Keys is even stronger than her previous works. While the Target Store commercial may have been a bit much, “No One” will be a strong contender for a Grammy in both Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B song. Listen for John Mayer on “Lesson Learned.”

6. Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
From the opening track to the Bonus Disk, this album is upbeat and fun. Without feeling contrived, the metaphors and playful lyrics complement the driving piano tunes.

5. Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
Less experimental than previous albums, the straightforward lyrics and impressive guitar licks, Sky Blue Sky offers broad appeal. Skipping over the song “Walken” completely, the rest of the songs on the album are fully worthy of attention (even though they are not all worthy of a Volkswagen commercial). Be sure not to miss the track “Hate it Here.”

4. Derek Webb: The Ringing Bell
Running at just over 30 minutes, the Ringing Bell is lost somewhere between an EP and a full album. Despite its brevity, The Ringing Bell is definitely one of the best albums released in 2007. Just when you think Derek Webb could not possible come up with something new, he has reinvented himself yet again. With sounds reminiscent of the Beach Boys, the Byrds, and the Beatles; the Ringing Bell plays off an almost classic rock sound and deliver some of the most challenging lyrics you will hear. Far from being typical contemporary Christian music, The Ringing Bell (like all of Derek Webb’s work) is actually artistic. With the song “Name” being featured on Grey’s Anatomy, perhaps the album will reach beyond Webb’s niche market. Despite the length of the album, The Ringing Bell is solid and Webb says more in 30 minutes than most musicians (and sadly, most Christians) say in 30 years. While a little different from the rest of the album, be sure to listen to “This Too Shall Be Made Right.”

3. Ryan Adams: Follow the Lights [EP]
While Ryan Adams is a very prolific musician, and has made this list twice, the music Ryan Adams creates never fails to please. This EP is an example of how much thought goes into the music. There is not a weak track or any “Filler.” Be sure to take a notice of the Alice in Chains cover “Down in A Hole” and the live versions of previously released materials.

2. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
Violins and Whistling are probably not typical of great music, but Andrew Bird doesn’t make typical music. The whistling isn’t annoying either. Andrew Bird is genuinely musically talented and is able to incorporate technology and synthesized sounds without making the music too limited in appeal. While the whole album deserves attention, my top picks include Imitosis, Heretics, and Plasticities.

1. The Cobalt Season: In Search of a Unified Theory
The Cobalt Season has created the most honest, self-examining, and thought provoking album I have heard in years. Despite being “Christian” music, this album should have wider appeal and is likely to offend many Christians. Although there is only mild profanity, it is enough to ensure that the album will never be found on the shelves of Lifeway. With an alt-folk sound, the Cobalt season’s most recent release is a compelling album that tops my picks for 2007.

Honorable mention:
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible, Iron & Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog, Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Lucinda Williams: West, Susan Werner: The Gospel Truth, Caedmons Call: Overdressed, and Rufus Wainwright: Release the Stars