The Obligatory Best of 2007 According to Sandy - Albums part 1

Creating a good album is much harder than making one perfect single. Producing a great album is an incredible feat. It's not just the fact that there are more songs on it that makes producing a worthy long-player so tricky. Its about the way the piece works as a whole, the

We've been spiled for the last three years with some incredible music and for me, as with the singles this year represented a little bit of a downturn on the whole. Follow-up albums from big artists have often been rather disappointing, while a proportion of the fresh takent as taken a step backwards, following successful formulae to some extent but never managing to find something original or great (just look at the tonnes of Arctic Monkeys/Libertines/Oasis copyists out there at the moment and you'll see - I won't name names here).

That said when the highs came they really were high. The best albums of this year stood out like fireworks above the darkened ground showing us that there was plenty of flash and bang in 2007 yet. 2007 wasn't a bad year. It gave us these...

10. Bat For Lashes


In a year when the big singer songwritresses have largly disappointed this album shone brightly. Etherial, dangerous and tribal this is not the sort of album you would expect to come out of modern Brighton but it carries itself with a real sense of flair and mystgery that cannot help but pull you into it's warped worlds and enchant you with its menace and beauty. Natasha Kahn is a lady with a mesmerising voice and real individual character and all of that shows through in this superb debut.

Key Tracks: Priscilla, What's A Girl To Do?, Tahiti


9. Joey Nightmare - Polytechnic (4Real)

Proving that you don't have to be American to produce a great pop record with guitars Joey Nightmare have created an album that takes a subtly different tack from the crowd and produced an album that belies their youth. Putting the simple riffs and empty hooks to one side instead we get an album built around some fantastic tunes and chiming guitars that is subtly direct and never overly or falsely angsty. These guys have the talent to go far and deserve a much bigger following than they have, and on the strength of this should get it too.

Key Tracks: Pirate Disco, Nothing, We're Down AT Polytechnic

8. Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures

Quite a few critics gave Maximo Park's sophomore album a rather lukewarm response but I think they're entirely wrong. Taking a step backwards from the raucous, jerky sounds of 'A Certain Trigger', 'Our Earthly Pleasures' is the sound of a band that have refined their songwriting to an immense degree. Just listen to album highlight 'Books From Boxes' and you can hear why. Subtle twisting guitars and a greater dimension of feeling mix with their original energy, wit and charm. Without a doubt one of the years best returns

Key Tracks: Books From Boxes, The Unshockable, By The Monument


7. Puggy (Talkio)

A quirky album full of Gallic charm from this Belgian-based three-piece , boasting some great little acoustic guitar led ditties with plenty of delicacy, power and complexity. Some fantastic European sounding guitarwork and a powerful vocalist in Matthew Irons make this album quirky, underrated winner. Only available online at the moment from the band's website this is well worth seeking out.

Key Tracks: Chez Madame Louise, Burned, Insane, Lonely Murder


6. Biffy Clyro (14th Floor)

One of the surprises of the year - Biffy Clyro go mainstream! This was an album that alienated quite a few songs with its embracing of the big pop chorus and a much lighter, less vicious and complicated sound to its predecessors this also gained them some new ones, bringing their complex rock sound to the masses. While never rocking out and screaching like a true Biffy album should there are some luscious songs here (check out the stunning 'Love Has A Diameter) mixed in with some of the most aggressive twisting rock singles to ever hit mainstream success (Who would have ever predicted that 'Living Is A Problem...' would become such a big hit?). Where they go from here will be intersting but this album deservedly has a lot more people joining in the chorus of 'Mon The Biffy!'

Key Tracks: Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies, Love Has A Diameter, Semi-Mental, Who's Got A Match?