As you may remember, about two weeks ago, I provided my early ballot for the best albums of 2007. It was a list comprised mostly of bands that usually fly under the mainstream radar but tend to find their way onto critics’ "Best of" lists by year’s end. I was impressed with the number of responses and with your quality suggestions, which I had either egregiously forgotten or had just plain missed myself.
But there are three months left before the ball drops in Times Sqaure, meaning albums will continue to trickle in that may not find the attention they deserve, even in EW, where we try to be comprehensive. Which brings me to a release this week that got lost in the EW flurry of album advances: Band of Horses’ Cease to Begin. You can listen to the entire CD here on the band’s MySpace page.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this band’s second release since last year’s Everything All the Time finally overplayed itself on my iPod. Some reductive critics oversimplified the band as merely a derivative of reverb-heavy, pre-Z Jim James vocals and high-tensile guitars a la Neil Young & Crazy Horse, but Ben Bridwell’s echo-y Southern vox did manage to make my roadtrips fly by. The band relocated from Seattle to South Carolina for Cease to Begin, yet they apparently left behind the cacophonus banjo that made the elegiac "Monsters" so scary and the addictive bass line that cut so deep through "Swords."
As the Brits say, this album’s a "grower" in the strictest sense, andI’m still mulling over tracks like "Ode to LRC" and "Islands on theCoast." So for the time being, I suggest just skipping to thecountrified anthem "The General Specific" and my anchor track "DetlefSchrempf." (Couldn’t they have at least called it Shawn Kemp, though,or even Gary Payton? Indie kids. Jeez.)
Anyway, PopWatchers, what are your early thoughts on the album? IsBridwell sorely missing guitarist Mat Brooke, who is now with Grand Archives? Or is the album not even worth year-end best-list consideration?
I love the new Band of Horses CD. There’s no “Great Salt Lake” (my personal favorite) on it, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it in heavy rotation on my mp3 player. That and the new Iron and Wine CD are definitely in my Top 10 for the year.
Though I do love the new Band of Horses CD, I’d have to vote on the National’s Boxer…Saw them live about two three weeks ago and they were even better live!!!
I’ve never heard these guys before, but I like it! Thanks for the introduction…
Missing from the list is “This Is Somewhere” by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. If you missed their performance of “Ah Mary” on Letterman or their song “Apologies” playing over the final scenes of “Men In Trees” Friday night, you must check our their material on iTunes. Best part is they’re even better live.
Sorry, wasn’t Letterman that was Leno.
I am not sure Band of Horses deserves to be on the top ten list for 2007. I personally can’t get past the fact that they DO sound just like My Morning Jacket.
If this were the new MMJ album, then yeah, top ten. But it’s not.
I hate this band so much.
I think its really good, perhaps even better than their last album. The songs are more mellow (which I like), but some of the songwriting can be a bit treacly. The National’s Boxer, though, is the best album of the year.
The National is good, but I personally like Band of Horses better. I’ve seen them both live and Band of Horses was one of the best concerts I’ve been to. My favorite album of the year is Kings of Leon.
Band of Horses is the first band to exceed my expectations this year, especially after (minor) disappointments from The Shins (Wincing the Night Away), The Good the Bad and the Queen, and Joseph Arthur (Let’s Just Be). But I think surprise album of the year has to go to Peter Bjorn and John, and comeback album would be Ben Harper for the amazing CD Lifeline.
I’m going to give best album of the year to Rogue Wave. I can’t stop listening to it.
this album is excellent, just as i epxected it to be. i think my fave of the year might be the cribs
Who?
Haven’t had an opportunity to check out Band Of Horses yet, but here’s my rundown of my favourites so far:
Kate Nash – ‘Made Of Bricks’
A Fine Frenzy – ‘One Cell In The Sea’
Brandi Carlile – ‘The Story’
Feist – ‘The Reminder’
Of Montreal – ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’
The Fratellis – ‘Costello Music’ (yeah, a 2006 entry, but didn’t get released in USA until this year)
Margaret Berger – ‘Pretty Scary Silver Fairy’
Robyn – ‘Robyn’ (yeah, a 2005 release, but, again, not stateside until 2007)
Siobhan Donaghy – ‘Ghosts’
Spoon – ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’
So, looks like a strong year for female artists. At least from where I’m sitting.
First listen: liked it.
Second listen and beyond: LOVED it. This album sounds like the reverse from “everything all the time.” That was an indie album infused with a little country. This album sounds like the exact inverse and they do both styles well, if you ask me.
Top albums of ’07 though? Neon Bible and Easy Tiger!