The most acclaimed albums of 2007 will be presented here in this thread during the year. I plan do a quick update at the beginning of each month.

Five albums released during January have received enough critical acclaim to be included this time.

1. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
2. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
3. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
4. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
5. Clinic - Visitations

The list is based on the ratings and the number of UK and US reviews at
www.metacritic.com.

Not a great start to the year. The Shins album is the best I've heard so far while CYHSY's sophomore album was a bit disappointing. Looking forward to hearing A Weekend In The City next week.

Klaxons, Gruff Rhys and Field Music should be in any ones best of January list. Having heard them, Neon Bible and Sound of Science will be in the top three once released!

The new Of Montreal is awesome.
The new Shins is their best (I wasn't a fan) and the new Earlies is strong too.
I'm gonna take a listen to the Field Music album that has a good metacritic score.
February is gonna be a great month of music for me because many artists I like release their new album : The Apples In Stereo, Lucinda Williams, Explosions In The Sky, Sondre Lerche, Richard Swift and The High Llamas. Youhouuuuuu !!!!

I agree about the Shins. Never liked them but this albums is terrific and from what I've heard from the new Bloc Party that's going to be outstanding as well. I did not like them before. As for Apples in Stereo their Velocity of Sound record was criminally overlooked as one of the best albums of that year.

End of February update. This time I have decided to reveal significant parts of my recalculation of the metacritic info.

Calculated US and UK scores are given below, based on the ratings at metacritic.com. The number of reviews, relative to the number of US and UK sources, is also taken into account).

For obvious reasons (there are more US sources and USA is a bigger country) the US score is given a higher weight for the ranking.

1. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away (Current metascore:79/Number of reviews:36/US score:84/UK score:106)
2. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (80/33/93/71)
3. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (78/29/101/36)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen (76/35/54/112)
5. Field Music - Tones of Town (81/26/16/154)
6. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (80/20/66/0)
7. Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party (79/14/0/106)
8. Patti Griffin - Children Running Through (87/11/55/0)
9. Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder (79/17/52/0)
10. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse (84/11/23/51)
11. The Earlies - Enemy Chorus (73/20/0/82)
12. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future (73/13/0/75)
13. Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High (75/22/37/0)
14. Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punsch (76/17/35/0)
15. The View - Hats (80/9/0/63)

Note 1: A score of 0 is given when the album has generally got mild to poor reviews, or no reviews at all.

Note 2: If the ranking order looks strange, it might be because I have given a small handicap to albums released within less than 20 days.

I'm suprised Of Montreal haven't had anything chart before this record. Their records always score in the 80s with Metacritic. Same goes for the Apples in Stereo. Their comtemperaries Neutral Milk Hotel stole their sporlight. I hope they stay in the top ten for the rest of the year.

arcade fire looks like being in the top 3 of the year again....

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year ...so far

1 Children Running Through by Patty Griffin
2 NEON BIBLE by ARCADE FIRE
3 Copia by Eluvium
4 Vieux Farka Toure by Vieux Farka Toure
5 The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse by The Besnard Lakes
6 The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf
7 Myth Takes by !!! [Chik Chik Chik]
8 In Advance Of The Broken Arm by Marnie Stern
9 Writer's Block by Peter Bjorn And John
10 You, You're A History In Rust by Do Make Say Think

Just to clarify: What Blackboab posted here is the current Metacritic list, not Henrik or Stefan's. I have little doubt, though, that NEON BIBLE will be right at the top of the next update by both.

I haven't seen the Cold War Kids or Silversun Pickups in their listings. Why did they not have a rating for them?

As much as I like the new Arcade Fire, I have to give a slight edge to !!! with Myth Takes.

LCD Soundsystem should definitely be the best album of 2007! it's been a surprisingly good year so far...

Sound of Silver IS amazing. With a metacritic rating of 90 after 33 reviews, it is sure to be one of the top albums of the 2007 list.

I second that Myth Takes love, Moonbeam...that damn !!! has rhythm!

Sound of Silver is pretty good, with a few great songs. But LCD Soundsystem have a certain glibness to them that annoys me, and the album is a little uneven IMO.

My favorites this year so far would be Of Montreal, Patty Griffin, and Vieux Farka Toure. But I somehow doubt any of my year end top five have come out yet.

I wonder what the british critics New Messiah Of Rock Music Of The Year will be this year. Last year it was Arctic Monkeys.

End of March update.

Position (Current metascore/Number of reviews/My calculated US score/My calculated UK score)
1. (90/36/150/231) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. (87/43/166/160) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. (79/37/ 88/ 94) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
4. (80/35/103/ 62) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
5. (79/37/114/ 3 Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
6. (76/38/ 68/100) The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
7. (87/17/ 82/ 39) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
8. (80/28/ 9/152) Field Music - Tones of Town
9. (80/23/ 66/ 46) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
10. (78/29/72/26) !!! - Myth Takes
11. (79/27/65/34) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
12. (81/19/62/2 Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
13. (82/15/21/96) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
14. (76/22/75/ 0) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
15. (77/22/72/ 0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
16. (81/16/71/ 0) Low - Drums and Guns
17. (79/22/70/ 0) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
18. (87/12/59/ 0) Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
19. (80/17/14/71) Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party
20. (77/12/ 0/8 The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
21. (77/19/49/ 0) Menomena - Friend and Foe
22. (74/14/ 0/85) The Horrors - Strange House
23. (86/10/36/20) Eluvium - Copia
24. (78/16/ 0/81) Gruff Rhys - Candylion
25. (83/14/19/44) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
26. (73/21/ 0/72) The Earlies - Enemy Chorus
27. (75/23/38/ 0) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
28. (71/20/ 0/65) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
29. (79/15/35/ 0) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
30. (76/14/ 0/55) The View - Hats

When was the last time we had so many acclaimed albums during a month?

Smilies disabled...


End of March update.

Position (Current metascore/Number of reviews/My calculated US score/My calculated UK score)
1. (90/36/150/231) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. (87/43/166/160) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. (79/37/ 88/ 94) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
4. (80/35/103/ 62) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
5. (79/37/114/ 3 Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
6. (76/38/ 68/100) The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
7. (87/17/ 82/ 39) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
8. (80/28/ 9/152) Field Music - Tones of Town
9. (80/23/ 66/ 46) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
10. (78/29/72/26) !!! - Myth Takes
11. (79/27/65/34) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
12. (81/19/62/2 Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
13. (82/15/21/96) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
14. (76/22/75/ 0) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
15. (77/22/72/ 0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
16. (81/16/71/ 0) Low - Drums and Guns
17. (79/22/70/ 0) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
18. (87/12/59/ 0) Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
19. (80/17/14/71) Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party
20. (77/12/ 0/8 The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
21. (77/19/49/ 0) Menomena - Friend and Foe
22. (74/14/ 0/85) The Horrors - Strange House
23. (86/10/36/20) Eluvium - Copia
24. (78/16/ 0/81) Gruff Rhys - Candylion
25. (83/14/19/44) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
26. (73/21/ 0/72) The Earlies - Enemy Chorus
27. (75/23/38/ 0) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
28. (71/20/ 0/65) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
29. (79/15/35/ 0) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
30. (76/14/ 0/55) The View - Hats

When was the last time we had so many acclaimed albums during a month?

I absolutely adore the !!!, LCD Soundsystem and The Arcade Fire albums. I quite like the Modest Mouse one as well. March 2007 was one of the greatest musical months for me ever!

Are Peter Bjorn and John anywhere close to charting? I'm starting to see them as one of my favorites of the year.

Peter Bjorn and John actually came out in 2006.

Ahh...

One of those UK/US release date things.

(Well, to me it's a 2007 album )

The end of April update. New entries in bold.

Position (Current metascore/Number of reviews/My calculated US score/My calculated UK score)
1. (87/45/174/159) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. (88/40/132/199) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. (81/32/ 85/160) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
4. (83/32/ 87/110) Grinderman - Grinderman
5. (86/28/108/ 69) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
6. (79/37/ 86/ 92) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
7. (79/38/116/ 35) Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
8. (80/35/100/ 59) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
9. (76/38/ 66/ 9 The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
10. (81/31/91/52) Low - Drums and Guns
11. (77/36/86/42) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
12. (79/31/70/66) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
13. (81/28/72/62) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
14. (83/24/77/39) Blonde Redhead - 23
15. (77/33/72/46) Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
16. (80/28/10/150) Field Music - Tones of Town
17. (78/30/45/8 Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
18. (79/28/62/46) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
19. (78/30/87/ 0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
20. (82/20/32/94) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
21. (76/31/64/23) !!! - Myth Takes
22. (93/ 9/42/47) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
23. (79/22/69/ 0) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
24. (83/17/37/41) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
25. (87/12/59/ 0) Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
26. (75/23/56/ 0) Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
27. (80/17/15/6 Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party
28. (77/19/49/ 0) Menomena - Friend and Foe
29. (71/16/ 0/82) The Horrors - Strange House
30. (86/10/37/17) Eluvium - Copia
31. (75/21/46/ 0) Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch
32. (80/18/ 0/79) Gruff Rhys - Candylion
33. (79/16/40/ 0) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
34. (74/15/ 0/6 The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
35. (75/23/38/ 0) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High

Another good, but absurdly overrated Arctic Monkeys album.

I wonder how high it would be if you only counted US critics...top 20, maybe?

Arctic Monkeys is the official UK critic 'messiah of all rock music of the year'. Just like Oasis, the Strokes and Franz Ferdinand. I wonder how long this one will last before they peter out under the weight of their expectations.

LCD Soundsystem should be ahead of Arcade Fire. I do like Neon Bible a lot, but it's no Sound of Silver.

I wonder how high it would be if you only counted US critics...top 20, maybe?

If you rank the albums by the third figure in the parenthesis you'll get the US ranking. Arctic Monkeys is then at place 11.

US top 10
1. (87/45/174/159) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. (88/40/132/199) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. (79/38/116/35) Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
4. (86/28/108/69) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. (80/35/100/59) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
6. (81/31/91/52) Low - Drums and Guns
7. (83/32/87/110) Grinderman - Grinderman
7. (78/30/87/0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
9. (79/37/86/92) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
9. (77/36/86/42) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

UK top 10
1. (88/40/132/199) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. (81/32/85/160) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
3. (87/45/174/159) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
4. (80/28/10/150) Field Music - Tones of Town
5. (83/32/87/110) Grinderman - Grinderman
6. (76/38/66/98) The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
7. (82/20/32/94) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
8. (79/37/86/92) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
9. (78/30/45/88) Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
10. (71/16/0/82) The Horrors - Strange House

keep up the good work Henrik. Good job on the site

A quite interesting post, Henrik. Thanks for it... Is there any chance to get a feeling of where we are regarding songs? What are the bes tsongs to date in 2007?

Thanks.

No, no way to know which are the most acclaimed songs of 2007 so far. There is no site that gathers reviews of songs and there have been no best songs lists released yet. They usually show up after the best albums lists, to my knowledge.

Good Morning Revival - Good Charlotte

Thats a really good album but other than that i dont think we're gonna get much out of this year

yikes. hope not, richard.....

I actually think 2007 has the makings of the best year of the decade so far.

I'm absoultely loving:

!!!
LCD Soundsystem
Björk
Chromeo
Arcade Fire

And I quite dig Modest Mouse as well.

Plus with releases coming from the following artists, I'm psyched:

Prince
The Cure
Annie
Annie Lennox
Kylie Minogue
N.E.R.D.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
PJ Harvey
Michael Jackson
Ladytron
Wolf Parade
Roxy Music (perhaps)
Interpol

Don't forget the new album by The National, Boxer, in my opinion the best album of this year.

Mirrored, by Battles is also very nice.

The new Apples in Stereo is awesome. Speaking of apples, no Fiona Apple this year? She takes too long to make records. She was lucky she got started at such a young age. The new singles by White Stripes, the Editors and Interpol are fantastic. I'd be suprised if they don't make the top 10.

A very good years so far. I've already listened to 4 albums which in my opinion are better than anyone in 2006:

Panda Bear - -Person Pitch
Blonde Redhead - 23
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Battles - Mirrored

New month and a new update.

Position (Current metascore/Number of reviews/My calculated US score/My calculated UK score)
1. (87/46/175/158) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. (86/41/117/199) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. (82/37/ 85/147) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
4. (86/30/112/ 79) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. (83/33/ 91/109) Grinderman - Grinderman
6. (88/22/ 93/101) Battles - Mirrored
7. (80/39/126/ 34) Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
8. (79/37/ 85/ 91) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
9. (80/36/103/ 57) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
10. (81/33/95/65) Low - Drums and Guns
11. (84/28/101/41) Elliott Smith - New Moon
12. (81/31/82/72) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
13. (76/38/65/97) The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
14. (85/22/107/1 The National - Boxer
15. (82/29/90/43) Blonde Redhead - 23
16. (82/26/59/92) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
17. (77/37/89/41) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
18. (78/34/77/57) Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
19. (79/31/52/100) Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
20. (79/31/69/65) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
21. (80/28/11/150) Field Music - Tones of Town
22. (79/29/55/73) Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
23. (79/29/78/22) Feist - The Reminder
24. (77/29/90/ 0) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
25. (79/28/62/44) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
26. (77/32/87/ 0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
27. (76/33/72/21) !!! - Myth Takes
28. (93/10/43/61) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
29. (76/30/40/64) Björk - Volta
30. (76/27/70/ 0) Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
31. (78/23/66/ 0) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
32. (83/17/38/40) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
33. (87/13/61/ 0) Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
34. (80/17/17/67) Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party
35. (84/13/55/ 0) Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
36. (78/20/52/ 0) Menomena - Friend and Foe
37. (75/22/51/ 0) Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch
38. (72/19/ 0/81) The Horrors - Strange House
39. (80/18/ 1/7 Gruff Rhys - Candylion
40. (74/22/ 0/79) Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
41. (84/11/46/ 0) Eluvium - Copia
42. (76/19/40/ 0) Antibalas - Security
43. (73/16/ 0/67) The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
44. (75/23/38/ 0) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
45. (67/27/37/ 0) Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather
46. (71/27/ 0/61) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
47. (75/20/35/ 0) The Sea and Cake - Everybody
48. (67/23/ 0/5 The Earlies - Enemy Chorus
49. (77/17/34/ 0) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
50. (75/17/ 0/51) The View - Hats Off to the Buskers

US critics top 10
1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
3. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
4. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. The National - Boxer
6. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
7. Elliott Smith - New Moon
8. Low - Drums and Guns
9. Battles - Mirrored
10. Grinderman - Grinderman

UK critics top 10
1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Field Music - Tones of Town
4. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
5. Grinderman - Grinderman
6. Battles - Mirrored
7. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
8. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
9. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
10. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

I forgot to tick 'Disable Smilies' again...


New month and a new update.

Position (Current metascore/Number of reviews/My calculated US score/My calculated UK score)
1. (87/46/175/158) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. (86/41/117/199) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. (82/37/ 85/147) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
4. (86/30/112/ 79) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. (83/33/ 91/109) Grinderman - Grinderman
6. (88/22/ 93/101) Battles - Mirrored
7. (80/39/126/ 34) Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
8. (79/37/ 85/ 91) The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
9. (80/36/103/ 57) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
10. (81/33/95/65) Low - Drums and Guns
11. (84/28/101/41) Elliott Smith - New Moon
12. (81/31/82/72) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
13. (76/38/65/97) The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
14. (85/22/107/1 The National - Boxer
15. (82/29/90/43) Blonde Redhead - 23
16. (82/26/59/92) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
17. (77/37/89/41) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
18. (78/34/77/57) Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
19. (79/31/52/100) Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
20. (79/31/69/65) El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
21. (80/28/11/150) Field Music - Tones of Town
22. (79/29/55/73) Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
23. (79/29/78/22) Feist - The Reminder
24. (77/29/90/ 0) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
25. (79/28/62/44) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
26. (77/32/87/ 0) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living with the Living
27. (76/33/72/21) !!! - Myth Takes
28. (93/10/43/61) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
29. (76/30/40/64) Björk - Volta
30. (76/27/70/ 0) Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
31. (78/23/66/ 0) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
32. (83/17/38/40) The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
33. (87/13/61/ 0) Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
34. (80/17/17/67) Pop Levi - The Return to Form Black Majick Party
35. (84/13/55/ 0) Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
36. (78/20/52/ 0) Menomena - Friend and Foe
37. (75/22/51/ 0) Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch
38. (72/19/ 0/81) The Horrors - Strange House
39. (80/18/ 1/7 Gruff Rhys - Candylion
40. (74/22/ 0/79) Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
41. (84/11/46/ 0) Eluvium - Copia
42. (76/19/40/ 0) Antibalas - Security
43. (73/16/ 0/67) The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
44. (75/23/38/ 0) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
45. (67/27/37/ 0) Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather
46. (71/27/ 0/61) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
47. (75/20/35/ 0) The Sea and Cake - Everybody
48. (67/23/ 0/5 The Earlies - Enemy Chorus
49. (77/17/34/ 0) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
50. (75/17/ 0/51) The View - Hats Off to the Buskers

US critics top 10
1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
3. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
4. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. The National - Boxer
6. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
7. Elliott Smith - New Moon
8. Low - Drums and Guns
9. Battles - Mirrored
10. Grinderman - Grinderman

UK critics top 10
1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Field Music - Tones of Town
4. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
5. Grinderman - Grinderman
6. Battles - Mirrored
7. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
8. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen
9. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
10. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Still not sure why everyone is in love with The Field and Battles, i guess its just so "out there" its good, or maybe im not taking the right drugs. So far for me the best this year is The Shins(such a great summer, beach boys inspired album), Panda bear and LCD s-system.

what about Amy Winehouse? Does that count as 2006 or 2007. If 2007, then you really should put it there, it's getting TONS of good press.

Amy Winehouse's album came out in the U.K. in 2006; if you go to Henrik's 2006 albums page, you'll see it "bubbling under" the top 3000. Presumably, the generally favorable critical response to BACK TO BLACK's U.S. release could boost the album into the main list. The same is likely true for Peter, Bjorn and John's WRITER'S BLOCK.