As ScooterDMan and I compiled our lists last week for the best albums of 2007, arranging the final order came down to the wire. Since this year has been fairly strong as far as full-length releases go, many records almost found places among the final selections. What follows are a few albums that neither of us mentioned, but that deserve recognition as well.

In no particular order:

• The Go Team! – Proof of Youth

I’m generally wary of bands with two drummers but this British outfit combines what would usually be overwhelming percussion with jangly guitars, danceable beats, upbeat vocals and occasional sampling to create one of the funnest records of 2007. They have an incredibly youthful energy and create playground party aesthetic evidenced in “Keys to the City” and the Chuck D-featured “Flashlight Fight.” Further, if “Doing it Right” doesn’t put you in a good mood you have no soul.

• Feist – The Reminder

Much has been made this year of Amy Winehouse but less has been made of her Canadian counterpart Leslie Feist. While her records lack the punch of Winhouse’s tunes, Feist has a solid grip on soulful delivery and especially shines on her slower, more heartfelt tracks like the confessional “The Park” or the Norah Jones-esque “So Sorry.” Her cover of Nina Simone’s “Sea Lion Woman” is the most dynamic song on the album while “Feel it All” beats out the overrated “One, Two, Three, Four” for best piece of pop.

• Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth

Thanks to Stacy Malbon’s profile of the rapper, Brother Ali came out of nowhere to become one of my favorite MCs. “Truth Is” is one of the hardest hitting songs of the year and the contrast between the smooth soul grooves and Ali’s knife-edged vocal on “Lookin’ At Me Sideways” is simply killer.

• A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Scribble Mural Comic Journal

I first ran across this crew from Glasgow, Pennsylvania when they were opening up for Brooklyn’s My Teenage Stride. I was immediately struck by their thick, dreamy, atmospheric pop and their debut full-length is rife with light, lilting melodies contrasted with steady, straightforward beats. After a short intro “No. 6 von Karman Street” established the band’s penchant for matching ambient vocals and effects against dance-friendly beats. “A Mundane Phone Call to Jack Parsons” establishes a commanding and prominent rhythm section which continues on until the album takes a turn into the cacophonically abstract with “C’mon.”

• Tegan and Sara – The Con

With their latest album these Canadian sisters specializing in pleasant sounding indie-pop truly outdid themselves. You’ll hear a lot this year about hyper-danceable “The Con” across the Internet but I personally prefer the airier “Back in Your Head,” the plaintive “Dark Come Soon,” and the spare, subdued, “Call it Off.”

• Stars – In Our Bedroom, After the War

After a fantastic release in 2004’s Set Yourself on Fire, the Stars follow-up with a collection of well-crafted electronic pop songs. Not as cohesive in sound or theme as their previous effort, In Our Bedroom, After the War is nevertheless incredibly textured and serves the bobbing head and the careful ear equally well. From the alternately low-key to high-energy “Take Me to the Riot” to the faster paced “Bitches in Tokyo” the record explores a range of stylings though perhaps the best moment on the album comes during the mellow and contemplative “Life 2: Unhappy Ending.”

• Amy Winehouse – Back to Black

This album got a lot of buzz this year and for good reason. Winehouse’s vocal features a deep, retro, early-Motown sound that is both refreshing, classic and compelling. Past the hit single “Rehab,” Winehouse shows some range with the fantastic, heartbroken ballad “Love is a Losing Game,” and the defiant “Tears Dry on Their Own,” and she even dons the mantle of blues singer with “Me and Mr. Jones.”

• Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

After two listens I’m prepared to state that the only thing that kept this album off of my Best of 2007 list was its late release date. The second (and if he is to be believed, penultimate) album from this Chicago native is an epic portrait of inner city life and those who are both working within it and trying to break out. From his lightening quick “Go Go Gadget Flow” to his critique of the mainstream hip-hop record labels in “Dumb it Down” his sharp lyrics and range of deliver make this one of the best hip-hop records of the year.

• M.I.A. – Kala

After all the attention this record has been receiving this year I was skeptical. Third track “Boyz” began my conversion, however and after about 20 seconds of fourth track “Jimmy” I was a firmly entrenched fan. She weaves her Sri Lankan sounds so skillfully into her electronic dancehall grooves that after a few listens it seems impossible that there exists an artist in the genre that doesn’t make use of them.

That (finally) rounds out my coverage of music in 2007. I hope you’ve enjoyed the last couple of weeks and thanks for reading.

Eric Atienza 2007 for Listen In. Some rights reserved.

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