Top Albums of the Year (Metacritic)

[ericms]

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2007.shtml

I'm finding this year to be pretty strange. How the hell did albums like "Burial," "From Here We Go Sublime," "And Their Refinement Of The Decline," and "Mirrored" rank so high? I never thought artists like Star of the Lid would find such a great response. Anyway, I checked out The Field's album ("From Here We Go Sublime") and it's simply (and minimalistically) great.

 

[dfc05]

Sometimes I think it's just that they have a smaller base of reviewers listening to them. For example, if you look at the sites reviewing Eluvium's Copia album, there are only 11 reviews with most from sites like Delusions of Adequacy, which caters more to experimental (or at least indie) music... whereas Radiohead has 41 reviews.

I don't think it's a bad thing because personally I like the lesser-known bands, but I do feel like average scores can be a little skewed because of that.

 

[knut]

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2007.shtml

I'm finding this year to be pretty strange. How the hell did albums like "Burial," "From Here We Go Sublime," "And Their Refinement Of The Decline," and "Mirrored" rank so high? I never thought artists like Star of the Lid would find such a great response. Anyway, I checked out The Field's album ("From Here We Go Sublime") and it's simply (and minimalistically) great.

It is, isn't it? I've had it on all week. ''Everday'' is such a wonderful song.

But seriously, I looked at the scores a few weeks ago and was pretty astounded someone utterly unheard of one was at the top (Burial), so I went and got the albums ''Burial'' and Untrue'' and let me tell you this, I think they are the best things I've heard in a long, long time. Mostly ''Untrue'' moreso, but I've been blown away all week from it. I'm not sure where you are from, ecrims, but I've been to his hometown - London - a few times now and that album sums it up perfectly. The atmosphere Untrue creates in that setting is second to none. But fair's fair, it may not be everyone. The Field took me a while to come to terms with because on first listen I wasn't impressed.

I think ''Mirrored'' by Battles deserves a high spot as well as I thought it was a brilliant album. Been one of my most played this year, on both my laptop and iPod.

The only album I don't agree with is ''In Rainbows'' by Radiohead. Good, but I wasn't impressed that much.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Burial ****ing rules. Untrue is a great album, original, introspective, reflective. It's pretty cool to see something so leftfield appreciated by so many.

If you don't enjoy it, your loss.

 

[ericms]

I'll have to get "Untrue" then. Speaking of The Field, "Everday" is one of my favorites!

I'm near Chicago BTW.

EDIT: It's "Everday." You were right. I never even noticed until you pointed it out. I did the same thing with "Untilted" for about a year I remember. I guess more people fell into that mistake though.

 

[knut]

Oh, is it Everyday, then? I have a downloaded copy and it's as Everday. No matter, still a fantastic song. I absolutely love it around 2:36 when everything starts going backwards and distorted, the female vocals play and then it just cascades back into the hypnotic club like, trancy rythem. Can't get enough of it.

For Untrue, I imagine I would love it just as much on it's own, but in interviews he has said it was all based around locations and scenes from London, like being on an empty, dingy double decker bus on the way back from a club, or wandering West bank in the eary hours of the morning. A few times now I've found myself in London either with friends or coming back from a gig and it truely is a beautiful and moving place to be with the right music playing on you're MP3 player. It's just so... gah, I can't descride it. Squarepusher does the exact same to me with London.

 

[Reginald]

Amy Winehouse - Frank came out in 2003. Why is it in a list of 2007 albums. It's not even that they may have got a bit confused with Back to Black because that was 2006. The list is null and void.


Especially without Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Justice and McFly's Greatest Hits.

 

[ericms]

Amy Winehouse - Frank came out in 2003. Why is it in a list of 2007 albums. It's not even that they may have got a bit confused with Back to Black because that was 2006. The list is null and void.

Amy Winehouse's debut album is finally out in the US four years after it was first released in the UK.

I suppose that's why.

 

[evil^milk]

at the general likeage of The Field in this thread.

Anyway, I've found great artists with Metacritic. I just randomly selected one that was on a high-rated list and was pleasantly surprised. This is how I came to know The Field, Battles, and Junior Boys.

 

[Reginald]

Amy Winehouse's debut album is finally out in the US four years after it was first released in the UK.

I suppose that's why.

Fair enough. I suppose that excuses the lack of British acts.

 

[ericms]

What a bunch of garbage.

Plenty of people disagree with you (not that it really matters to you). I find it to be more of a pleasant surprise.

 

[knut]

Yeah, I think this has been a great year for music and the Metacritic results sum it up quite well. Good year for completly out the blue, underdog music. It's a refreshing change to see a chart topped by some music that actually has some longitivy and soul to it.

 

[Zephos]

Good to see Panda Bear up there.

 

[Crushenator 500]

Needs more Soulsavers! That and Radiohead's In Rainbows were the best albums of the year

 

[Yorick]

How the hell did I miss the release of a new Elliott Smith album.

Also, Athlete's new CD is my favorite of '07