Sean’s Top 10 Albums of 2007

If digital music is killing The Album as an art form, you’d be hard-pressed to prove it this year. I bought (marginally) fewer CDs than I purchased in each of the past few years, but I had a harder time making a top-10 list than any time in recent memory. The final running order isn’t terribly important, as ranking albums is entirely subjective and therefore mostly impossible. What’s important, and encouraging, is that I had to really play the hell out of dozens of discs before I was able to come up with my best-of for the year. It might change in two weeks; there certainly were many good-quality discs that didn’t make my final cut. So, for now, here it is:

10. “Sirens of the Ditch,” Jason Isbell – Drive-By Truckers fans lost and gained this year. Isbell, one of the band’s three singer/guitarists and writer of some of their best songs, split from the band after six years. On the bright side, he got to spread his writing out over an entire album rather than compete with Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley to get his songs on a disc. He was more than able to shoulder the load alone. “Sirens of the Ditch” is a confident solo debut shot full of Muscle Shoals soul. Isbell is at the height of his powers on “The Devil is My Running Mate” and “Dress Blues,” songs that manage to comment on the war in Iraq without preaching. That’s an uncommon talent, and if this disc is any indication, he’s just getting started.

9. “It’s Not Big It’s Large,” Lyle Lovett and His Large Band – A new disc from Lyle Lovett is usually cause for celebration, and “It’s Not Big It’s Large” is no exception. On his first studio album since 2003, Lovett delivers another idiosyncratic set that draws from diverse American styles and weaves them into songs that are wry, witty, worldly and wonderful. Lovett long ago earned his place among the finest Texas songwriters, and “South Texas Girl” might offer the best proof yet. Framed by opening and closing cameos by Guy Clark, “South Texas Girl” is a poignant recollection of childhood memories that can stand alongside the work of Clark, Townes Van Zandt or any other Texas writer past, present or future.

8. “Magic,” Bruce Springsteen – The Boss has been downright prolific in the past five years, but “Magic” has what many of his other projects do not – The E Street Band. On his first effort with the E Streeters since 2002’s “The Rising” and only their second group effort since 1984’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Springsteen is back to rocking. The leadoff track, “Radio Nowhere,” set the tone with its crunchy guitars and alerted listeners that the classic Springsteen sound was back. Sonically, it’s not up to the standard of “Born to Run,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town” and “The River,” but the band is nonetheless in fine form. A closer listen to the lyrics reveals “Magic” as deceptively dark, but the sentiments are an accurate reflection of these times. “Magic” doesn’t warrant a spot in the top tier of Springsteen albums, but it’s more than good enough to get on this list. There’s also a distinct possibility that it will age well.

7. “The Scene of the Crime,” Bettye LaVette – Criminally underappreciated during what should have been her commercial prime, LaVette has been getting a second chance in the past few years. She’s a powerful singer, and her gritty vocals convey emotions that bleed through the speakers (or, if you must, ear buds). Her backing band on “The Scene of the Crime” is Drive-By Truckers with Spooner Oldham, a combination that seems a little odd on paper. In practice, it’s a terrific match, and the disc reveals a dimension of DBT that has not been obvious on their own releases. Description won’t really do it justice. If you are able, listen to the opening track, “I Still Want to be Your Baby (Take Me Like I Am).” Note how much the Truckers sound like the 1972 Rolling Stones, and turn it up. Turn it up loud.

6. “Storyhill,” Storyhill – I discovered this disc on a Borders listening station, and it immediately took away some of the sting caused by the Jayhawks’ breakup a few years ago. The harmony vocals of Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson are reminiscent of the prime Mark Olson/Gary Louris years, and the material is good to boot. Though I enjoyed Olson’s release from this year, “The Salvation Blues,” I don’t think it matched the overall beauty of this disc.

5. “Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods,” Bill Kirchen – Kirchen, the “King of Dieselbilly,” really hooks you with the title track, which is an ode to the Fender Telecaster. But it’s far from all twang. Kirchen takes the listener through hard country, rockabilly, singer-songwriter territory and even into classic R&B. His cover of “Devil with the Blue Dress” is modeled more on the Shorty Long original than the classic Mitch Ryder cover, and his closing take on Arthur Alexander’s “If It’s Really Got to be This Way” proves that Kirchen is well versed in styles that have little to do with twangy Tele.

4. “Sky Blue Sky,” Wilco – Wilco scaled back the noise-rock this year and moved back toward more conventional song structures. As always, Jeff Tweedy’s gift for melody drives the songs, which are just a bit sunnier than they have been on the past couple discs. Guitarist Nels Cline adds a range of colors to “Sky Blue Sky,” and Wilco even veers into late-period Beatles territory on “Hate It Here.” The band has drifted well away from the immediate post-Uncle Tupelo sound of “A.M.,” but that hasn’t been an issue for quite some time. Wilco is an awe-inspiring band in its own right, whether or not it branched off from an alt-country poster band.

3. “Children Running Through,” Patty Griffin – “Children Running Through” is the high-water mark for the immensely talented Griffin. Her songs have been widely recorded by others, but she’s kept plenty of good material for herself. Her vocals range from smoky, after-hours blues to chugging rock to the most soaring of ballads such as “Heavenly Day.” With a few horns here, and a pinch of squealing feedback there, “Children Running Through” amounts to Griffin’s masterwork … so far.

2. “Washington Square Serenade,” Steve Earle – Some folks prefer angry Steve Earle, but I’ll take Steve in love almost every time. “Washington Square Serenade” generated a lot of pre-release buzz because Earle used beats and Pro Tools. The flourishes of electronica and the recording method take a back seat to the songs. “Washington Square Serenade” is a love letter to Earle’s wife, singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, and their new home in New York City. “Satellite Radio” and “Way Down in the Hole” seem like they were placed on this disc to promote Earle’s show on Sirius satellite radio and his recurring role on HBO’s “The Wire,” respectively. I’m more than willing to overlook that, though, if the bargain also includes songs as good as “Sparkle and Shine,” “Down Here Below” and the scene-setting “Tennessee Blues.” In the latter, an unsentimental farewell to Nashville, Earle declares just how far he has come since his 1986 country breakthrough, “Guitar Town”: “Sunset in my mirror, pedal on the floor / Bound for New York City and I won’t be back no more / Won’t be back no more, boys, won’t see me around / Goodbye guitar town.”

1. “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter,” Josh Ritter – Ritter seems to be poking a little fun at the lofty expectations heaped upon him and anyone else who ever has been pushed into “New Dylan” territory by hopeful fans and critics. He’s quickly developing into much more than a talented guy with an acoustic guitar and a load of potential. “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter” exhibits a variety of different sounds applied to a variety of well-written songs. He can rock it up a bit, or he can write something heartbreakingly sweet. Such sweetness pervades “The Temptation of Adam,” easily the best song of 2007 about finding love in a missile silo. It’s the kind of work that invites those lofty comparisons in the first place.

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): “Mescalito,” Ryan Bingham; “Between Daylight and Dark,” Mary Gauthier; “Letters from Sinners & Strangers,” Eilen Jewell; “Kane Welch Kaplin,” Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin; “State of Grace,” The Holmes Brothers; “South of Delia,” Richard Shindell; “Live in Dublin,” Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band; “Low Country Suite,” King Wilkie; “Chrome Dreams II,” Neil Young; “Emotionalism,” The Avett Brothers; “We’ll Never Turn Back,” Mavis Staples; “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” Spoon; “The Salvation Blues,” Mark Olson; “Neon Bible,” Arcade Fire; “Pretty World,” Sam Baker; “Dirt Farmer,” Levon Helm.

Next week: Some of my favorite songs from the past year.