The Top 25 of 2007, Part 3 (15-11)

15. WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK-Modest Mouse (Sony)

This band certainly is quirky and hard to pin down. But about 20 seconds into the disc's opener, "March Into The Sea", you are greeted with everything that is great about Modest Mouse: complex music, interesting (if enigmatic) lyrics, and vocals that sound like they were spouted by Charles Bukowski on a Heffenreffer bender. Isaac Brock's stylings might take a little getting used to, but the songs here are so dynamic and interesting, you definitely get past any vocal oddities in a hurry. The controlled chaos that is "Florida" is a great Modest Mouse primer (with a overtly poppy chorus, no less!) and the catchiness of "Missed The Boat" really encapsulates when everything lines up in perfect synergy for the band. "Education" is a typical MM stomp and the epic "Spitting Venom" benefits from the band's gift of discord as well as Johnny Marr's guitar work. As difficult as Modest Mouse is to categorize fully, mostly due to Brock's unique vocal work, We Were Dead...is definitely a fine slice of edgy pop, worthy of appreciation by long-time fans and new discoverers alike.

Official site

Have yourself a listen.

Spend some dough.

Previous Modest Mouse list appearances: GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS (#18 in 2004)

14. SWEET WARRIOR-Richard Thompson (Shout Factory)

Richard Thompson's latest is yet another outstandingly solid offering that demonstrates his excellent songwriting ability along with his truly underrated guitar god chops. "Needle And Thread" carries a fantastic melody with Thompson's typical, jaw-dropping fretwork. Nicely focusing on the folk pop that works so well for him, the war-tinged shuffle of "Dad's Gonna Kill Me" is a lyrical opus and the multi-layered "Johnny's Far Away" are different in many ways, but equal in strength. His ballads also hit the mark consistently like few others. "Take Care Of The Road You Chose" is earnestly brilliant and "She Sang Angels To Rest" is just so achingly beautiful, you marvel that someone has the talent to write something like this and can also compose the raucous, horn-driven "Bad Monkey" and have both be amazing in their own way. On Sweet Warrior, the criminally underrated Thompson expertly balances the rockers with the down-tempo numbers to create a release every bit as impressive as his outstanding 2003 The Old Kit Bag release.

Previous RT list appearances: THE OLD KIT BAG (#5 in 2003), FRONT PARLOUR BALLADS (#16 in 2005)

Official site

Buy it now



13. YOU AND OTHERS-Vega4 (Sony)

Expertly executed Snow Patrolish Brit pop. Read my complete review here.

Official site


Mmmm...Brit pop...

Drop a pence, will ya?



12. CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR-Jonatha Brooke (Bad Dog)

Somewhere along the way, Jonatha Brooke decided to expand on her folk style and incorporate more and more pop aspects into her songwriting. The idea of a folkie going pop might make some people shudder, but the result is a rocking, accessible offering that makes you wonder why more people aren't hearing this disc. Brooke's vocals are completely solid here, perfect for the style and nary a note out of place. The big, overproduced sound of the title track is actually a fantastic opener and sets a high expectation that Brooke delivers upon. She is an excellent songwriter and the more mainstream sounding tunes ("Keep The River On Your Right", the acoustic-driven "I'll Leave The Light On", and the excellent "Hearsay") demonstrate Brooke's great ability to write on relationships on practically every song without having it sound redundant. The brightest gem out of all of these songs, however, is the chill-inducing "Prodigal Daughter", about as perfect a haunting track as you can wish for. Brooke's gift of melody is well-represented here, as well as the rest of the disc. A very solid and impressive effort, one very much worthy of your listen.

Official site

Ears are for listenin'

Some pennies in the hat



11. CHALLENGERS-The New Pornographers

Once again, Carl Newman continues to prove to the musical world that he is the master of the pop song. With his usual outstanding backing band, Newman forges a dozen prototypes of what power pop should be about. The opening track, "My Rights Verses Yours" is excellent, showcasing impressive group vocals and catchy melodies. The funky riff of "All The Old Showstoppers" drives the tune as one of the best on the disc, with all its musical complexity and the gorgeous title track, sung absolutely perfectly by the divine Neko Case, might be one of the band's best. And while I never quite dug the Dan Bejar-sung tunes nearly as much ("Myriad Harbour"), all the others more than make up for it: "All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth" rocks most excellently, the trippy electronica of "Failsafe", and the Beatles "Dig A Pony"-ish guitar riff of "Go Places" all showcase Challengers as a disc, more uh, challenging, than Twin Cinema or Electric Version, but no less of a masterpiece in pop songwriting and execution.

Official site (Yes, it's SFW)

The sound of Porn(ographers)

Buy some Porn(ographers)