TOP 12 OF 2007: #1. Radiohead – In Rainbows

#1
Radiohead
In Rainbows

No artist had a bigger impact in 2007 than Radiohead with the release of their seventh studio album, In Rainbows. Of course, the attention had mostly to do with the fact that, after a long association with Capitol, the group once dubbed “the best rock band in the world” let their contract lapse and released In Rainbows directly to the Internet as MP3 files—free of any digital rights management and, with its pay-whatever-you-want scheme, optionally free of price. The approach was part viral marketing, part brilliant social experiment and part music industry revolution.

But the big story here is that In Rainbows isn’t the odds-and-sods collection or half-hearted retread you might expect of a band dipping its toes into independent online distribution for the first time. Instead, it is a stunningly conceived, full-fledged release that is, without a doubt, the finest album of 2007, if not the new millennium. And a recording that stands firmly alongside Radiohead’s best.

One of the primary reasons for this is the departure In Rainbows takes from previous releases—a radical shift the likes of which hasn’t been heard since the electronica-inspired left turn of 2000’s Kid A. Since that time, Radiohead has generally held course, straddling the line between nervy techno and dystopian electro-rock. And to listen only to the first couple of tracks on In Rainbows might suggest more of the same, with the agitated drum machine and trademark sweet/snarling Thom Yorke vocals of “15 Step,” and the grungy angst-rock of “Bodysnatchers.” While both are enjoyable in their own right, they bely the deeper and more unexpected pleasures to follow.

It truly begins with the third track, “Nude,” which emerges faint and fragile, then gradually grows in yearning intensity before, all at once, vanishing into memory. It’s a terrifically relaxed composition, a slow waltz comprising gently strummed guitars, light drums and bass and a tender delivery from Yorke. What a revelation to hear Radiohead sounding so pure, unadorned and heartfelt—so much so that one can forgive its bordering-on-saccharine final bars.

The song that follows, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” is similarly pure, pairing a bewitching vocal melody with circular guitar patterns and a skittish beat, before dissolving into a big watercolor smear. This leads into “All I Need,” which starts with a spare blend of ominous electronics, drums and voice, and builds to an almost unbearably cathartic burst of piano and orchestra. Next up is “Faust Arp,” a trio of acoustic guitar, strings and vocals vaguely reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” dripping with a lovely, pastoral beauty—yet with a distinct hint of menace that could come from no one else but Radiohead. And the stripped-down brilliance continues all the way through the album’s gorgeously mournful closer, “Videotape.”

So what makes the minimalist sound of In Rainbows so satisfying? Perhaps it’s the fact that it so effectively peels back the ever-denser clouds of electronic augmentation that have been gathering around Radiohead for years (witness their previous release, Hail to the Thief, and Yorke’s recent solo outing The Eraser). But more than that, it’s proof that the members of Radiohead are, above all, brilliant songwriters and performers, with the ability to capture a wide spectrum of human emotion—and not just the unease with which they are so famously associated.

Above all, with In Rainbows, Radiohead demonstrates that, even in this age of MP3 singles and iTunes playlists, there is still nothing so powerful and affecting as a superbly crafted album. If ever there was a recording that deserved to be listened to from start to finish, this is it.

TOP 12 OF 2007: #2. Caribou – Andorra

#2
Caribou
Andorra

With hard drives having long ago replaced analog tape and point-and-click having superseded power chords as the driving force behind rock music, it’s no wonder that a growing legion of musicians are looking back to the halcyon days of the late 60s and early 70s for inspiration.

So the fact that the music of Caribou (the moniker of Canadian songwriter and performer Dan Snaith) bears a striking resemblance to that of such period luminaries as Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson and Sergeant Pepper-era Beatles doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What is surprising, though, is that he captures all the organic feel and human imperfections of that classic music alone, in a studio, mostly using computers. And that he creates such a distinctive, exuberant sound that is not so much a pastiche as a re-imagining.

On Andorra, Snaith has crafted a near-perfect psychedelic pop album, and with the very first track, “Melody Day,” you immediately sense his recipe for success: hook-laden melodies, breathy, beautifully harmonized, high-register vocals, countless layers of (possibly sampled) guitars, vintage keyboards, flutes and percussion, and—most importantly—live drums. This last aspect plays a huge role throughout the album, taking instrumentation that tends toward the lush and baroque and anchoring it with a supple and propulsive rhythmic drive. Nowhere is this more apparent than on standout track “Sandy,” with a groove that perches precariously between the steady snap of “Tomorrow Never Knows” and a hyperactive break-beat worthy of The Chemical Brothers.

And while Caribou milks plenty of stellar moments out of this consistent approach, it’s this very consistency that makes the few deviations from the formula on Andorra so effective. For example, “She’s the One,” which trades the up-tempo, four-square rhythms for a slow shuffle, or “Desiree,” which dispenses with drums altogether, and swells from wistful reflection to heart-on-your-sleeve pleading. But nothing illustrates Snaith’s range quite so effectively as the closing track on Andorra, the superb “Niobe,” with a slowly growing sense of urgency and impressively spare use of burbling electronics and throbbing synth bass lines.

Clearly, Snaith possesses a deep appreciation for and understanding of popular music traditions, both new and old. Which makes the fact that, on Andorra, he is able to synthesize all these disparate influences into an album that’s singular, life-affirming and thoroughly human an impressive accomplishment indeed.