Top Ten Albums... the final 2!

2. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
It was a real toss up between these two albums for the top position on the list. While the Wilco album is full of great songs, the Shins album is just that little bit superior in the way it all hangs together. That said, there's a lot to like about Wilco, and a lot to become obsessive about. From the opening track Either Way through to Impossible Germany, the title track, Walken and my absolute favourite You Are My Face, the album is complex and interesting. There's a fair few tracks featuring collaborative efforts where the band just pulls together beautifully, such as on Hate It Here and Shake It Off. I can't wait to see the band play again next March to sing along to all the best tracks and to see them feeding off each other's energy in the way they do so well.

1. The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
From the first time I heard this album all the way through in January, I knew I'd like it as much as Chutes Too Narrow. At the end of the year it's at least on par with that album if not a little ahead. My favourite track is Red Rabbits for the low key little vocal riffs that pepper the song. This album is my favourite kind of alternative pop with a twist- intelligent lyrics, well constructed songs and cleverly executed musical experiments (like the cat piano and the hip hop aspect of Sealegs). I've played this album over and over again so that most of the tracks are now in my iTunes top twenty five most played, which in the end was the deciding point that made it the clear winner of 2007.