2. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga - Saddle Creek Records

A huge fan of the band, I waited with bitten nails and sweaty palms for this album to hit stores. Having already bought the EP ‘Four Winds’ which only added to my anticipation of the release, I was not disappointed when I rushed home and let the disc pour through my speakers. Well, not immediately that is. At first this album took me to a whole map of different places; emotionally and mentally. ‘Four Winds’ threw me into a dirty hole in the wall bar in Nashville where I watched a master songwriter weave beautiful lyrics together. ‘Lime Tree’ placed me in an orchard beside a lady wise beyond her years, contemplating a life ended too early. ‘Middleman’ made me stare open eyed into my cramped bathroom mirror and attempt to gather some identity. No, I wasn’t strung out on acid when I listened to the disc, it just moved me. As the weeks went on this album slowly fell out of my daily soundtrack and with it went its power. A few months ago this would have been up one spot at the top of the list but now I rarely listen to more than a few favourite tracks before moving on. This is a great album, but you can’t help but feel like the band’s just trying a bit too hard. I love you Connor Oberst but it’s 2007 not 1954, go back to your sad and honest songs rather than this folky, twangy nonsense. Still my favourite band, but this does not deserve to be the best album of 2007.

Best Track: ‘Lime Tree’.

I remember I disliked these guys before I’d ever even heard a full song of theirs. How stupid. When their first album, ‘Funeral,’ dropped they’d become everyone’s new best friend, they toured with U2 and I just didn’t get it. Having listened to their sophomore album, ‘Neon Bible,’ and gone back to give ‘Funeral’ a half fighting chance, I finally get it. Darker than the original release this is an incredible album. The fact alone that Dave Grohl has claimed that ‘Keep the Car Running’, the band’s first single from the album, is the best song of the year and thought it was worth covering says something .You can’t disagree with Dave Grohl, he was in Nirvana damnit. I don’t really know what else to say for this album, it’s speaks for itself. Dark. Lyrical. Poetic. Buy this album and give it a spin if you haven’t already.

Best Track: Anti Christ Television Blues

All hail Kanye. I know, I know, this is the punk site but damn; this is one solid gold record. After much conflict with the knuckle headed 50-cent Mr. West managed to come out on top when both of their recent albums dropped on the same day, killing his rival in record sales. Kanyivlle doesn’t need a gun like fiddy to slay his adversaries, he did so with sharply tongued verses and the catchy beats of this release. I think my favourite thing about this album and its creator overall is that there is no fear. Willing to experiment and push the envelope, this album breaks the generic hip hop mould and brings some new things to the table. What other rapper duets with Chris Martin or writes tracks with John Mayer? None. Kanye West could have released a crap record and he’d still be on top of the world but he did not, he released a glorious effort that has confirmed his place as hip hop king. With the album and West leading Grammy nominations, you’d be a fool to disagree with me.

Best Track: Can’t Tell Me Nothing.

5. Matthew Good - Hospital Music - Universal Music

Matt Good wrote this album after having his wife leave him, his best friends' parents die and a full blown mental breakdown. So no, it’s certainly not all sunshine and lollipops. After hearing the infectious first single, ‘Born Losers’ I decided to give the young Canadian a shot and was certainly impressed with what I heard. Previously, I’d sort of thought of Matt Good as a bit of an awkward cousin, he’s part of the family and pretty talented but you wouldn’t really send him to represent the best you have to offer. Well, I was wrong. Ranging from simple guitar to a full orchestra or oddly looped sound bites this album varies greatly throughout its 15 tracks and each one is deserving of a listen. I know, fifteen tracks is a lot but not a single one feels like filler. I saw the album played live a few weeks ago and despite pounding back a whole bottle of red wine as he played, each song only struck me harder when facing Matt head on in the small venue. Lastly, the cover of Daniel Johnston’s ‘True Love Will Find You in the End’ will make you curl up into the fetal position and contemplate how such a simple song can resonate so strongly. If you don’t know Daniel Johnston, look him up. This is a solid album and I now have great pride in this Canadian.

Best Track: True Love Will Find You in the End