Nick's Favourite 10 Albums of 2007 (10-6)

10:

UNKLE - War Stories
UNKLE (AKA James Lavelle and friends)'s, third album, with collaborations with The Cult's Ian Astbury, Clayhill's Gavin Clark, Massive Attack's 3D (who also designed the cover art) and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, As well as with bands The Duke Spirit and Autolux, is an absolute stormer. While others are still lamenting the absence of DJ Shadow two albums down from Psyence Fiction, this album is clearly a step towards a live band setting as opposed to the massive amount of sampling used in their previous work. That isn't to say, that Lavelle doesn't use his own extensive studio skills on this album, however. Bringing in the best of both Psyence Fiction and Never, Never Land in an album that's arguably the best of the three.
Release Date: 09/07/2007
Favourite Track: "Keys to the Kingdom"

9:


Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Despite this being their seventh album in ten years, Deerhoof were very new to me personally. Nevertheless this album has lead to a veritable deluge of their music onto my computer. But thats for another time. Although I admit first impressions were not great, and my initial thoughts when listening to opener "The Perfect Me", were some sort of terrible Horrors-esque "gawfic rock", by the end of the song, the insane juxtaposition of the hammer-horror organ and cute-bordering-on-creepy-vocals of Satomi Matsuzaki had me intrigued, to say the least.
This album, featuring artwork by David "Worried Noodles" Shrigley served as a fantastic introduction to a band whose cult status has long been assured thanks to their mixture of pop sensibility alongside pure experimental silliness. Just listen to them now.
Release Date: 23/01/2007
Favourite Track: "Kidz are so small"

8:


Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night
Their sixth, and my favourite since 1997's amazing Dig Your Own Hole, this album features the usual plethora of talent, and, erm, a Salmon. And while the aforementioned "Salmon Dance" is its one bum note, its less awful, more misplaced on an album that more heavily relies on more traditional house rather than hip-hop. The rest of the album ranges from the stomping dancefloor beat of "Do It Again" (feat. Ali Love) that appears a better remnant of the dissapointing Push the Button, to Klaxons-featuring, "All Rights Reversed", to the simple retro stylings of "Battle Scars" featuring Willy Mason.
Release Date: 02/07/2007
Favourite Track: "The Pills Wont Help You Now"

7:

Digitalism - Idealism
In my mind, this is easily the best of the big three Indie-Dance albums released this year. Not as repetitive as Justice, less boring than Simian Mobile Disco, and both dancier and rockier than the two combined. I mean, they've even got a Cure remix on their album ("Digitalism in Cairo" is a re-edit of The Cure's "Fire In Cairo"). With a better live show, and 15 track album compared to Justice's 12 and SMD's 10, they're even better value-for-money. But despite these relative differences, the fundamental still rings true - Idealism is a great album. Even some songs have their own intro songs. What's not to like?
Release Date: 21/05/2007
Favourite Track: "Anything New"

6:


Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Once again, a band who I should have been listening for a while, and almost as soon as first track "Peacebone" begins, its clear that Animal Collective have been a massive, massive oversight on my part, having given up the chance to see them at a festival a few years ago to see no one in particular. And I was keen to give them a try. I was not dissapointed. Their disjointed folktronica featured on this apparently more accesible album (their first for "super-indie" label Domino) is exactly what I had been looking for and I personally cannot wait until they release their new EP in April.
Release Date: 10/09/2007
Favourite Track: "Fireworks"