Drum roll please… we have made it to the top of my list of the 31 best CDs of 2007!! I am sure that my number one pick will not come as a surprise to those that know me, and to even those that follow this blog regularly, because I have been screaming like a school girl with excitement about Sara Bareilles ever since I heard her back in 2005 at a Marc Broussard concert. From the first time I saw her in concert, I was mesmerized by her powerful voice, and her amazing ability as both a song writer, as well as a singer. Sara is the real deal, she is an amazing artist who is filled to the brim with talent, and it is refreshing and exciting to see her finally getting her chance to shine.
Little Voice
There really aren’t enough nice things that I can say about Sara Bareilles, and that is mainly because she deserves all of them. She is a performer who puts her heart into each song, and when you see her perform, you can see that she feels what she is singing. As she says in the song Bottle It Up, she is in this for love; the love of making amazing music. Fortunately, Sara was able to craft an album, despite pressures and set backs from the record company, that is destined to receive the true attention that it deserves. There are very, very few artists that I have discovered, and instantly, I was mesmerized by the sheer amount of talent they possess. If every singer could be as talented, and make records as great as Little Voice,
Little Voice is one of those albums that are really, really few and far between in my music collection. What I mean, is that with every listen, I truly am enthralled and engaged from beginning to end. I don’t like every song, I LOVE every song. That is something that is so rare for an artist, that when one comes along as amazing Sara, I am captivated. Little Voice is my album of the year, because even after getting it at the end of July, I still have it on HIGH rotation; and it gets better with each listen. There isn’t a bad track anywhere near this record, and with Little Voice,
If you were looking for where it is at, and wanting to find the next biggest thing to happen to music, you need look no further than the amazing debut by Sara Bareilles, Little Voice. Seriously, I know I am gushing here, but it really is as good, and even better than I am getting on… and don’t say that you didn’t know it when she is huge; I have been going on, and will continue to go on, about Sara Bareilles for a while now. Sara has solidified her place as the number one album pick of 2007 for me, and she has also found a place amongst my favorite artists as well. If there was only one record that I could own from all of 2007, this would definitely, without a doubt, be the one that I would want; do yourself a favor, and run out and buy it for your collection now.
Favorites from Little Voice:
Between The Lines
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/sarab-betweenthelines.mp3]
One Sweet Love
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/sarab-onesweetlove.mp3]
Vegas
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/sarab-vegas.mp3]
Gravity
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/sarab-gravity.mp3]
Morningside
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/sarab-morningside.mp3]
Love Song, Bottle It Up, and Fairytale. (link for you tube goodness!)
Rating: 
As I said yesterday, it was really hard to rank the number 2 and 3 spots, because both records are so wonderful, that I really love them both about the same; however, Feist’s 
does have a sliver of an edge, which makes it number 2 on my list. Feist is one of those “obscure” artists that burst onto the scene this year, with a little (okay, a LOT) help from a small company called Apple, and one of their ads for the rarely sought after iPod. With Feist’s infectious pop hit 1234 blasting on every TV commercial for the mp3 player, and her music gaining more attention because of this exposure, it is no wonder that I took notice. Even after many people had suggested that I might like Feist, I’ll admit that it still took all of those ads for me to finally listen; and I am really glad that I finally did. What I got by paying attention was a brilliant album from a truly talented artist, and a record that I have listened to incessantly ever since I got it.
I originally heard of Kate Nash through one of those random “Now!-type samplers”, where the song Foundations was included. After hearing it, I was hooked; and I knew I needed more. What I got, was an amazing CD, chock full of interestingly told stories about childhood rebellion, lovers professing, and missed love connections. Kate is one of those really rare singers that crafts these everyday stories into songs, and does so in a way that defies the conventional way of writing a chorus, refrain, and following a typical song pattern. What happens, is you get crafty songs like Birds; which is full of strangely chosen sentences and weird ways of describing love that come across as both sincere and heartwarming. While some may be off-put by this alternative method of “waxing poetic”, I think that it really shows depth and a level of interestingness that is definitely a welcome thing in today’s music scene.
Despite criticism for choosing some albums that were “officially” released in 2006, yet did not actually see official US releases until 2007, I am going to risk further criticism and bring you another amazing CD that was released recently (finally) here in the states; The Pipettes’ debut album, 
With the American release of their record back in October, they reworked several of the songs, making them even more crisp than they were previously (if that is really possible), updated the cover art, and even added a couple of extra tracks; one of which quickly became one of my favorite songs from the Pipettes. This album is definitely one of the best records released in either 2006 or 2007; and since it debuted stateside this year, here she is, near the top of my list. 
It’s the final five, y’all!! Coming in at number 5, is the current album by Rilo Kiley, titled, 
First, let me start by saying that I honestly didn’t care very much for this album the first time that I heard it. I ended up getting it, because of my deep love for the opening song, Silver Lining, but something made me give the album more than a few spins. After each spin, I found something more that I liked, and after a while, I really realized how great this record is. I love it when something comes across as odd or off putting in the beginning, only to grow on you, and become a favorite; those are sometimes the best albums in your collection.
As the list gets closer and closer to number one, it gets harder and harder not to just foam at the mouth, and gush incessantly about how great these CDs are; but for the most part, just understand that I am trying. Up today, at number 6, is the fabulous third album by Aussie bombshell, Delta Goodrem, titled simply, 
Having been a fan of Delta’s for some time now, I was eager to hear her new album when read that it would be coming out late this year. What I didn’t expect, was that it would be so amazingly good. While I have liked her records in the past, they have lacked an overall consistency that Delta totally delivers this time around. She molds a pristine pop record, and gives herself completely in each track. 
In at number seven, is the amazing sophomore album 
by the Orange county pop-rock quartet Melee. Melee is more than just another one of those emo-punk-pop groups from California; these kids have some amazing talent, and it shows on each one of the songs on this great record. With perfectly polished rhythm, great song writing ability, and production value through the roof, you are really in for a treat when you pop this album into your player. The singing on this record is also a major treat, with all of their beautiful voices melding together in perfect harmony. This is something that puts them amongst my favorite singers in my vast music collection. 
Perhaps one of the catchiest records I have heard in many, many years, Mika’s debut album, 
solidified itself a spot on my top list right after my first listen. Mika is one of those artists that you listen to, and instantly recognize not only a great deal of talent, but you genuinely believe that he makes music because he loves to do it. Interestingly enough, I pegged this as one of the best albums of 2007 
I should start by saying that I had never heard of Aqualung before this year, and it was only when I was invited to a concert by some friends of mine, that I had even heard a mention of the group. I agreed to go because Sara Bareilles was opening for them, and I always jump at the chance to see Sara live. Little did I know, that I would totally fall in love with Aqualung at the show; the performance knocked my socks off, and I knew that I wanted to hear more from this great artist. After the show, I went out and picked up their most recent release, 
only to have it also knock my socks off too, as well as to cement itself amongst my top records of the year. 
Now, let’s get to my number 10 selection, the AMAZING second album by the pop/rock outfit Paramore, 
Paramore fall into that category of groups that I had never heard of, but because they were mentioned somewhere, I felt compelled to check them out; and I have to say, I have damn good instincts. From the first energetic riff on their CD