Emily's best music buys of 2007

Well by now you've read plenty "best of 2007" articles but here is my take on the music of 2007. I'm calling it music buys because they are all albums I bought in 2007, they weren't necessarily released in 2007.

In no particular order, the winners are.....

- Cold War Kids, "Robbers and Cowards." It's very edgy and the beats are great! I like about 75% of the CD (the rest is a little whiny) but that 75% is worth it. Favorite track: "Saint John."

- Michael Buble, "Call me Irresponsible." I just plain love him. Favorite track: "I'm Your Man."

- Iron & Wine, "The Shepherd's Dog." Folksy and mellow with a little electronic enhancement. Favorite track: "Boy with a Coin."

- Ray LaMontagne, "Trouble." I think I mentioned him in an earlier post. He has a soulful voice with a folk twist. Favorite track: "How Come."

- Feist, "The Reminder." I had a few of her singles and with all the critics saying this was her breakout album I thought I'd buy it. "1234" is great, but so are some of the more mellow tracks. I haven't decided my favorite yet.

- Jim Croce, "Classic Hits." I'm definitely a few years behind in discovering Jim Croce but I heard him on a movie soundtrack and loved him. Favorite track: "I Got a Name." (Although every time I listen to it I can't shake the picture of him with a big, 70s-style mustache!)

- Kanye West, "Graduation." Definitely a great album, although you might want to get the clean version. A few tracks I don't like much but overall I love it. Favorite track: "Homecoming."

You can probably see I have very eclectic taste! I'd also like to throw in a few honorable mentions: The Shins, "Wincing the Night Away," The Beatles, "Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" (I never had this album so I thought I'd buy it for the anniversary) and Kings of Leon, "Because of the Times."

One band I haven't totally bought into is "The Arcade Fire." They get a lot of hype as the best band, and I like them, but I'm not sure what all the hype is about. Of course, I used to say the same thing about Coldplay and then I was converted...so we'll see.