TOP 100 SONGS OF 2007: 21-30

It's been a while, but we're slowly reaching the top. It's about time, as we're knee deep into February! I have to apologise for the suspense, but that just makes it more fun. Right?



30. White Rabbits - Navy Wives (Sendspace link)
Album: Fort Nightly

This song, though I will never properly understand its lyrics, is just utterly enjoyable. It pulls a beat through it really well, the vocals are great, the lyrics are bizarre and intriguing. White Rabbits are hard to write about coherently, so just give it a shot!


29. Die Romantik - Tik Tok (Sendspace link)
Album: Narcissist's Waltz

This song feels like a drugged up, high-speed ballroom dance, with colours blurring and your feet moving in ways you're not exactly trained for, but it's a rush. The vocals, dark and lush as always, make this something special. "Don't you know what it means, I forget where I am... You are everything, everything." There's something addictive in Die Romantik's style, definitely at work here.



28. A Fine Frenzy - Rangers (Sendspace link)
Album: One Cell in the Sea

A piano-led romp through the woods, with Alison Sudol's heavenly voice leading us through a fantasy landscape wherein we are hunted by mysterious 'rangers'. It builds up excellently for the choruses, while continuing momentum toward the climax. Beautiful piece of work.



27. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (Sendspace link)
Album: Neon Bible

A wonderful song, full of great sounds that, even in their seeming randomness combine to make an utterly excellent song, with horns and yells of 'Hey!' kicking it off. The lyrics, about a place 'where no cars go' seems to be an interesting fantasy, Arcade Fire-style, even if the idea of a place with no transportation isn't wholly fantastic. The whole style, with the mixed vocals, the epic instrumentation, the evacuation speech in the middle pause, all give a feel of the fantastic.



26. Jens Lekman - And I Remember Every Kiss (Sendspace link)
Album: Night Falls Over Kortedala

Slowing is down a little, this is an ethereal-sounding number from Jens Lekman, whose state as indie golden boy is cemented here in a passionate tribute to, well, passion. When Jens sings, 'I would never kiss anyone who doesn't burn me like the sun' you want to follow his lead, and when he continues with 'and I remember every kiss like my first kiss', you believe him. It rises to epic heights, with horns and musical fireworks over the magnificent chorus.



25. Franz Ferdinand - Wine in the Afternoon (Sendspace link)
Album: Eleanor Put Your Boots On B-Side

An utterly fun song, in every way. It's a paean to living outside the rules, forgoing rent, work and responsibility for debauchery and intimacy. It's a seductive and exciting lifestyle that translates perfectly here, in both the lyrics and the tone, with the vocals supporting it perfectly. This revels in the feelings of the 'who cares?' that lovers feel, perfectly expressing them for listeners who have never experienced it.



24. Dragonette - Black Limousine (Sendspace link)
Album: Galore

A cheeky, sexy story of a woman-for-hire, drenched in expensive compensation for her sexual prowess and loving it. Dragonette is unapologetic here as they spin the tale of a woman who 'feel[s] the leather of a moving car', presumably with her bare skin. The pounding beats at the beginning just drip with the feeling of importance and wealth, and the vocals are, of course, teasing, hilarious and sexy.



23. Feist - Sea Lion Woman (Nina Simone cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: The Reminder

I didn't notice until now, but this song, apparently about a prostitute, comes just after Black Limosine, whose protagonist has a similar occupation. Feist's vocals here are crystal clear and gorgeous, fitting in with the excellent beat of this piece. Automatic foot tapping is a symptom of listening to this song, as are dancing along in your chair and utter excitement.

22. Patrick Park - Business of Oblivion (Sendspace link)
Album: songs of Peace / Songs of Protest

Patrick Park, whose hope was showcased in 'Life's a Song' and whose tiredness appeared in 'Something Pretty', shows his teeth in this biting diatribe against corporations and their amoral practises that threaten the people and the world around us. Remembering the excellent 'Pawn Song', one notes that Park has a knack for these moving issue songs, andthis is definitely no exception.

21. The Bravery - This is Not the End (Sendspace link)
Album: The Sun and the Moon

An intensely touching tribute to a mysterious dying figure, this song denies the idea of nonexistence post-death, even if the person in question lives on in their influence. The vocals are filled with raw pain, as the protagonist rages against the concept of life and death. By far the greatest offering so far from The Bravery. This song is not about a lover, that is obvious from the lyrics, and you get the sense that a beloved mentor, teacher and leader is about to die - though, according to this song, that is not the end.

If you enjoy these songs, I urge you to check out their albums!