Countdown to 2008: Bill's Top Albums of 2007

8. Volta – Bjork
The Lady in the Swan Dress continues to innovate, which is especially evident on her sixth proper studio album. Her latest eschews the less-than-accessible, all-vocal aesthetic she employed for her previous work, Medulla. This time she favors dark synthesizers, jutting brass, and drum-and-bass style percussion. Hell, she even throws in a Timbaland collaboration for the fun of it - but is smart enough not to let him spit any of his wack "Babygirl" rhymes. Highlights include the ferocious “Declare Independence,” the blaring “Earth Intruders,” and song of the year candidate, “Wanderlust.”

7. Graduation – Kanye West
If you haven’t heard, Kanye West’s mom recently passed away during a surgical mishap. I expect the man is going to be in a bad mood for some time. In other words, enjoy this party album while it lasts. There is no hint of the strife to come on this album, which demonstrates his improved rhyme flow combined with jumpy keyboards and some of the best samples you are likely to hear this year (from bands such as Steely Dan, Elton John, and the seemingly omnipresent Daft Punk). West is also smart enough to recruit some of hip-hop’s best MCs to make up for any lyrical shortcomings. The album hosts cameos by heavyweights such as Mos Def (“Drunk and Hot Girls”) and Lil’ Wayne (“Barry Bonds”).

6. White Chalk – PJ Harvey
Kanye West’s next album may be a depression masterpiece, but Polly Jean Harvey has beaten him to the punch. Usually a purveyor of loud theatrics and raw guitars, her latest collection transforms her sound completely. Harvey plays simplistic, self-taught piano, and sings in a high register that’s been absent from her previous six releases. Still, consider this a warning: You need to be in the right mood for this album. And you will need to hide the razor blades. Sample lines include “these white hills will rot my bones” (the title track), “hit her with a hammer/teeth smashed in” (“The Piano”), and the ultimate bit of sunshine “please don’t reproach me/for how empty my life has become” (“Broken Harp”). But compared to the haunting “To Talk To You,” in which she wishes she could shoot the breeze with her dead Grandmom and tosses in the line “wish I was with you,” those previous songs feel like “Zippa-dee-doo-da.” Am I concerned that I like this stuff? Um, yes.

5. The Con – Tegan and Sara
When The White Stripes covered “Walking with a Ghost,” off of this Calgary duo’s 2004 breakout So Jealous, it was taken as a clue that they were ready for something big… at least by me. On this sophomore release, identical sisters Tegan and Sara Quin bring power-pop to a level unseen since Weezer released the twin titans, Weezer and Pinkerton. Added to the band’s pre-existing talents for layered melodies and song craftsmanship is a heaping helping of booty-kicking Moog synthesizer and the terrific production of Death Cab for Cutie producer/guitarist Chris Walla. Listen for the hard-driving title track, the soaring “Nineteen,” and the speed-folk of “Floorplan.”

4. Sky Blue Sky – Wilco
You probably have heard just about all of the songs off of this Chicago band’s sixth studio album without even knowing it. They are presently serving as the soundtrack for a series of annoying Volkswagen commercials. The one where the guy tries to attack the valet with his car key? That’s them. The one where the precious couple struggles not to wake up the sleeping baby in the backseat? That’s them, too. In the past, I would have called that “selling out,” but in an era where people believe paying for their favorite artists’ music is an inconvenience to be overcome, who am I to knock the corporate hustle. On Sky Blue Sky, Jeff Tweedy and the boys drop the challenging experimentalism of stellar predecessors Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born for beautiful arrangements, including the dueling guitar masterpiece “Impossible Germany,” the bluesy funk of “Shake It Off,” and the steadily building paternal dedication “On and On and On.” Word on the street is that the clear sound of this album is due to Tweedy kicking a long-term battle with painkiller addiction. If this is true, here’s hoping he doesn’t listen to American Gangster.

3. In Rainbows – Radiohead
I must make a confession. Despite my self-righteous sermonizing about the previous album, I totally burned this album for free. And let me tell you: It is the best zero dollars I ever spent! When the British quintet decided to release their seventh studio album on their Web site only, allowing fans to download it for whatever they wanted to pay, I told my wife to shell out at least $2.87. But due to her wisdom -- and the fact that she knows I will likely blow $80 on the album disc box that will be released in the next few months -- she snatched it up gratis. A lot has been made about the album lacking the electronic experimentation that is lead singer Thom Yorke’s fancy, but believe me, this isn’t Simon and Garfunkel sitting around with an acoustic and a bongo drum. Check the shuffling sound effects on album opener “15 Step.” Take in the distorted guitar riff of “Bodysnatchers.” Absorb the imposing organ on the faux-R&B “All I Need.” Then think about how great it will sound when it is released on CD instead of crappy download files. Another brilliant album by Radiohead? In this case, start the presses.

2. Era Vulgaris – Queens of the Stone Age
I forgot that Josh Homme’s band – basically Homme and a rotating group of collaborators – could be this much fun. Fresh off the dismissal of bassist and co-founder Nick Olivieri, the Queens’ last album, Lullabies to Paralyze, featured the same crunching guitar riffs, but wallowed in a sense of darkness that was contrary to their usual carefree style. With the conflict clearly in the past, Homme’s loose, fun-loving approach allows the band to return to the peaks achieved by past recordings Rated R and Songs for the Deaf. This is the best pure rock record of the year. Homme’s peerless ability to blend witty lyrical content and unbridled guitar ferocity is evident on tracks like “I’m Designer” and “Make It Wit Chu,” while his trademark intensity is showcased on the addictive “Sick, Sick, Sick” and the sonically violent “Battery Acid.” If you are a fan of incredibly cool sounds, you can’t go wrong with the scratch guitar intro to “Misfit Love” and the heavy-metal-goes-surfing start of “3’s & 7’s.” For best results, turn your amplifiers up to 11.

1. Icky Thump – The White Stripes
Anyone who knows me can tell you that The White Stripes singer/guitarist/producer Jack White is third on my most-admired-people list, behind only Yao Ming and that old guy my Mom told me is my Dad. Still, one listen to this Detroit duo’s sixth studio album, and there is no doubting that this is the most musically adventurous recording to be released this year. And I’m not just talking about the incredibly cool track where they play bagpipes backward and drummer/media target/hipster dreamgirl Meg White talks gibberish for three minutes. Signs of The Stripes’ ability to continuously innovate and subvert the band’s signature sound are littered throughout the hour running time. “Icky Thump” may be the first song ever to make the radio with an intro that sounds like a buzz saw rubbing feverishly against a cello. One listen to “I’m Slowly Turning Into You,” and you will be wondering where the Hammond organ has been all of Jack White’s life. If guitar solos are your thing, turn on just about any track on the album. “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told),” “Bone Broke,” and “Catch Hell Blues” all contain riffs that will make you want to kill John Mayer for pretending that he knows what he is doing.

Image Credit: Flickr user ImNotGaryColeman