In a year when CD sales continued to tank, Radiohead released their latest album via the internet – with a price tag of whatever fans wanted to pay, The Arcade Fire dispelled the mysterious sophomore slump and Amy Winehouse made headlines as much for her stints in rehab as her intoxicating album.
Surprisingly, in an era where American rap artists rule the airwaves and online download sites, the top three albums of the last 12 months, according to a panel of 49 Billboard Magazine critics, came from two British acts and one hot group of Canadians.
The Billboard critic panel that compiled the The 10 Best Albums of 2007 - Billboard Critics' Picks , includes Bill Werde, Billboard executive editor, Chuck Taylor, Billboard senior correspondent, pop; single reviews editor and Jonathan Cohen, Billboard senior editor, among others.
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
On her second album, British soul singer, Amy Winehouse, pared up with super producer Mark Ronson to make one of the most talked about albums of the year in her native England and spawned a top 10 hit in the United States.
“Rehab”, Amy Winehouse’s signature song about refusal to deal with a substance abuse problem, a song mirroring her own personal struggle with drugs and alcohol, juxtaposed hardliner lyrics with a throwback-to-the-60s girl group musical backdrop. Subsequent singles “You know I’m No good”, “Tears Dry on Their Own” and the title track pick up where “Rehab” ends.
Sung with a harsh attitude that invokes a confidence rarely seen in female vocalists today, these songs are as street savvy as they are melodic, and have earnerd her six Grammy nominations. A true creative masterpiece, and Billboard Magazine critics choice number 3.
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
For “Neon Bible”, Montreal’s The Arcade Fire set out on a different path, musically and lyrically, from their first album, the critic and fan darling “Funeral”. Where that album leaned more towards modern rock, Neon Bible slowly burns before proceeding into full-on rockers.
Themes of fear and reprisal from repression spin through the album as a whole with lyrics such as “There’s a fear I keep so deep, knew its name since before I could speak” from “Keep the Car Running” and “I walk down to the ocean/ After waking from a nightmare” from album opener “Black Mirror”.
However dark the lyrics, The Arcade Fire have expanded their musical horizons on “Neon Bible”. Recorded in a Montreal church to capture an ethereal and organic vibe, the band infused this album with an interesting array of instruments including a pipe organ, a military choir, and complete orchestra to produce music that is both as brooding and plaintive as it is amicable and dramatic.
Not easily accessible, it takes a few listens to properly absorb the album's true genius. It may be best to listen to Billboard Magazine's critics choice number 2 on a cold winter night sitting in front of a warm fire place.
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Much has been written about the unexpected release of “In Rainbows”, Radiohead's 7th studio album and the first to be released initially as a digital download. Having fans choose how much they want to spend on an album was a risky business move, especially in an age of peer-to-peer free downloading, and many fans chose to pay absolutely nothing but the service fee for the album.
However, a free album does not equate a worthless album.
On the contrary, In Rainbows joins a long list of Radiohead masterpieces that sits proudly among “OK Computer” and “Kid A”. While not as experimental as the aforementioned albums, In Rainbows showcases a band that has a musical freedom and a sense of creativity that continues to expand.
This song-oriented album still uses strange sounds and instruments to invoke the moods portrayed by the sullenness of lead singer Thom Yorker and his brooding and often depressive lyrics. The one thing many listeners will notice after a few spins is the warmth on songs such as “Nude” a romantic and blissful melodic number with an almost jazzy background, and the passion of heartbreaker "All I Need". The latter featuring a haunting dark synth that adds weight to melancholic lyrics such as “I am all the days that you choose to ignore/ you are all I need”.
While Billboard Magazine's critics choice number 1 may be remembered as pop's first big “pay what you want” album, it deserves to go down in rock history as one of Radiohead’s finest moments.
James W. Coates - A nomad at heart, James W. Coates has been combining his passion for music, writing and traveling ever since his father packed the family ...
