Past year brought bumper crop of CDs

December 21 , 2007
By Alan Sculley for The Columbian

With most years, there's usually a CD or two that stands at least a head (and often shoulders) above the rest of pack to make picking the year's best CD fairly simple.

That's not the case for 2007, which produced its share of superior CDs, but at least from where I stand, no single release that blew the other contenders out of the water.

Still, someone has to win, so in a race that's closer than Hillary and Barack in Iowa, here are my picks for the year's top 10 CDs:

1. The White Stripes: "Icky Thump" (Third Man/Warner Bros. Records). At one point, it was easy to wonder if the White Stripes' explosive garage blues sound would grow stale over time. But "Icky Thump" suggests that Jack White is creative and resourceful enough as a songwriter to keep the White Stripes sounding vital and fresh for years to come.

2. Foo Fighters: "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" (RCA Records). Dave Grohl and his bandmates sound better than ever on "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - no small statement considering the band's catalog includes such excellent efforts as "The Colour and the Shape" and "There Is Nothing Left to Lose." But this time out, the songwriting is sharper, more dynamic and well rounded, while the performances frequently are stunningly intense.

3. The Apples in Stereo: "New Magnetic Wonder" (Yep Roc Records). After a trip into hard-hitting guitar pop on the 2002 CD, "Velocity of Sound," the Apples in Stereo returned to its more eclectic and fanciful mode with "New Magnetic Wonder." The result is the year's best pop album, a kaleidoscopic, energetic and hugely catchy collection of tunes that repeatedly thrills, fascinates - and most importantly, rocks - the pop fan in all of us.

4. Rilo Kiley: "Under the Black Light" (Warner Bros. Records). This much-admired alternative country (or whatever you call the style) group returns to action by taking a turn in a poppier direction on "Under the Black Light." But with songs that are striking, graceful and utterly melodic, the new songs' settings serve Rilo Kiley perfectly.

5. Bruce Springsteen: "Magic" (Columbia Records). The Boss' first CD with the E Street Band since 2002's "The Rising" is drawing plenty of raves as a throwback to the freewheeling rock of his 1980 double album, "The River." But there are echoes of other albums, too, including 1978's gritty "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and the aforementioned. In any event, finds Springsteen and the E Streeters recapturing much of the magic of past glories.

6. Amy Winehouse: "Back to Black" (Universal Republic Records). It's too bad Winehouse's struggles with various substances have become such a wellspring for media coverage and speculation. With "Back to Black," Winehouse and her smart and modern take on classic soul and pop deserve to be the center of attention. Hopefully Winehouse will get her act together and turn the focus back where it belongs - on her music.

7. The Fratellis: "Costello Music" (Interscope Records). Early in the year, "Costello Music" looked like it had the buzz to be a breakthrough hit. That didn't happen. But it was still a stellar debut, with songs like "Henrietta," "Flathead" and "Creeping up the Backstairs" proving insanely catchy with their inventive and hooky melodies, herky-jerky tempo shifts and buoyant energy.

8. Matt Pond PA: "Last Light" (Altitude Records). A fall release, "Last Light" has yet to generate much buzz. It deserves to be a loud chatter. With songwriter/frontman Matt Pond leading the way, the band has created one of 2007's most consistently satisfying CDs with a collection of timeless sounding pop songs that strike a rare balance between being graceful and punchy.

9. Black Francis: "Blue Finger" (Cooking Vinyl Records). On "Blue Finger," Charles Thompson reverts to the name he used in the groundbreaking alternative rock band the Pixies (instead of the Frank Black name that adorns his other solo albums). The Black Francis name isn't a coincidence. Thompson has clearly rediscovered his inner Pixie with this set of thorny and hooky rockers.

10. Against Me!: "New Wave" (Sire Records). On the song "Stop," Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel implores listeners to "Stop! Take some time to think, figure out what's important to you." Gabel has been doing his share of thinking, and what's important for his band on "New Wave" is delivering bracing, thoughtful and socially conscious rock.

Honorable Mention: Arcade Fire: "Neon Bible" (Merge Records); M.I.A.: "Kala" (Interscope Records); Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals: "Lifeline" (Virgin Records); Kanye West: "Graduation" (Roc-A-Fella Records); The Shins: "Wincing The Night Away" (Sub Pop Records); Richard Thompson: "Sweet Warrior" (Shout Factory Records); Son Volt: "The Search" (Transmit Sound/Legacy Records); John Mellencamp: "Freedom's Road" (Universal Republic Records); Jonatha Brooke: "Careful What You Wish For" (Bad Dog Records); Wilco: Sky Blue Sky" (Nonesuch Records).

Postscript: I was unable to track down a copy of Radiohead's "In Rainbows" for consideration. Since its commercial release will be in 2008, it may well show up on next year's list.