Read the Word top 10 of 2007 with interest. Of those chosen, I only had Hawley's 'Lady's Bridge', though I heard and enjoyed the Arcade Fire and Laura Veirs albums.

In response then, and from a slightly different angle, here's my ten favourite songs from the best albums I heard in 2007, in no particular order;

Same Old Drag: The Apples In Stereo, from New Magnetic Wonder
By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down & Wept: Tracey Thorn, from Out Of The Woods
Australia: The Shins, from Wincing The Night Away
Railroad Wings: Patty Griffin, from Children Running Through
Hollywood Bass Player: Josh Rouse, from Country Mouse, City House
The Hotel Majestic: Fountains of Wayne, from Traffic and Weather
Love That Boy: The Innocence Mission, from We Walked In Song
Walked Her Way Down: Crowded House, from Time On Earth
Walking Through You: Justin Currie, from What Is Love For
Ring The Bells For A Day: The Pearlfishers, from Up With The Larks

If I had to pick a favourite album or two, they would be Patty Griffin and Justin Currie. Griffin just gets better and better; 'Children...' is so strong yet so beautiful it's quite humbling. Justin Currie gets bad press but beneath the surface he's written some of the best wry and melodic contemporary love songs of the last fifteen years. 'What Is Love For' is melancholic but you just can't argue with the quality.

Hot on their heels would be Fountains of Wayne and Tracey Thorn; 'By Piccadilly Station...' is probably the best 2.27 I've heard this year.

The thing that strikes me about all these artists is their consistency, not just album after album but song after song. They've built careers despite being overlooked and always come up with the goods. Josh Rouse? The Pearlfishers? The Innocence Mission? Most are three of four albums in but you can still listen to the whole album through without feeling the need to skip to the single. I'm all for progress, but give me a body of work over a corpse any day.

Anyway, that's my 2007. Does it measure up?